I’ve been a lifelong comic book fan, but I go through seasons of feast or famine. Recently, I read a slew of comics after not reading any for roughly a year and a half. Luckily, the Iowa City Public Library’s collection always has titles of interest when I’m in the mood for superhero epics or thought-provoking graphic novels. Our collection invites diehards and newcomers alike to explore the world of comics. All of these titles and more are available on the 2nd floor.

Marvel’s original Ultimate Universe launched in the year 2000 with modern interpretations of its biggest characters. It was massively popular, but ended in 2015 when certain characters from the Ultimate Universe moved to the main universe (the most notable being Miles Morales). Ultimate Invasion by Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch requires a bit of background explanation. In short: A version of Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mister Fantastic, from the original Ultimate Universe calling himself “The Maker” escapes from the regular Marvel Universe into a different one and stops a wide variety of superheroes from gaining their powers. He then controls that world — with the help of other super-powered folk — until the past and future catch up with him. This volume is wild, with incredible world-building and art, and got me very excited for this new Ultimate Universe.

Next, I picked up Volume One of Batman/Superman, World’s Finest. Mark Waid is one of my favorite comic book writers, and, in this title, he creates a Silver-Age world with a modern sensibility. It’s just fun. One of the coolest parts of this story is that it features mega-popular characters like Superman and Batman, but also shines a light on lesser-known fan favorites like the Doom Patrol. It’s newbie friendly, too. Dan Mora’s art is vibrant and nostalgic at the same time. This is a title that I can easily recommend to any comic book fan, new or old.

I also revisited a title that’s dear to my heart: Invincible by Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker. Invincible has recently become popular due to an animated adaptation from Amazon, but I became a big fan back when it debuted in 2003. It’s a superhero coming-of-age story that follows Mark Grayson, son of Omni-Man, a humanoid alien (think Superman) and the most powerful superhero on Earth. Mark’s own powers begin to develop as he deals with regular teenage troubles. Full of fun twists, I love that this comic is getting exposed to a larger audience!

Brian Visser is an Adult Service Librarian at the Iowa City Public Library. This article was originally published in Little Village’s July 2024 issue.