Graphic Novel Roundup: Nanny Robots, Gotham Goes Dark, and Deadpool Barks

Gotham By Midnight, Vol. 1: We Do Not Sleep (The New 52), by Ray Fawkes and Andrea Sorrentino
Of a piece with a surprisingly good crop of Batman-related books, Midnight is a very different beast from the spry Gotham Academy, but succeeds just as well by focusing on the darkest elements of Gotham City. Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night) brings his creepy, unsettling brand of art to the first arc of the series about Gotham PD’s Midnight Shift: Jim Corrigan, who happens to host to a powerful, vengeful spirit. It’s the horror-story version of Gotham, with a creepy cool, utterly unique vibe.

Fairest, Vol. 5: The Clamour for Glamour, by Mark Buckingham, Russ Braun
The end of the Fables universe is well and truly upon us. Well, almost. Though the main series has concluded, there’s still a bit more to come. The digital-first prequel The Wolf Among Us is coming to paperback beginning later this year, and then there’s this: the concluding volume of the female-centric spin-off Fairest. Long-time artist Mark Buckingham takes over writing duties with a story of a revolt by the non-human Fables at Rose Red’s Farm (now remade as a new Camelot). When word gets out about glamours with the potential to allow the talking animals at the Farm free reign in the world, the desire for the spells threatens to tear everything apart.

Deadpool: Paws Prose Novel, by Stefan Petrucha
Deadpool’s already published his version of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, so it was probably just a matter of time before he got his own original prose novel. Naturally, it’s written in the first person, with Deadpool breaking the fourth wall, just like he does in most of his comics. Here, he’s facing down an army of monstrous, killer dogs. Typically, Wade will kill just about anything that moves, but he’s got a thing for dogs. More words, fewer pictures. Same old Deadpool.

Superman: Krypton Returns (The New 52), by Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort
The super-duper crossover is out this week in paperback. Following H’el On Earth, Superman, Supergirl, and Superboy chase the rogue Kryptonian H’el through the history of their home planet. The obsessed villain has travelled back in time and managed to actually save Krypton from destruction—which would be great news if the population weren’t enslaved to the new overlord, and if the temporal disturbances brought about by the planet’s survival weren’t threatening the entire universe.

Secret Origins, Vol. 2 (The New 52), by Brian Azzarello, Cliff Chiang
An old-school revival in the New 52, this Secret Origins series, just like its predecessors, tells unknown tales of the superheroes. It’s not an encyclopedia, though—the stories are told anthology-style, by writers and artists familiar with the characters. Highlights here include a tale of Wonder Woman’s past that ties into the recently ended run from the team of Azzarello and Chiang, a Cyborg story from creator Marv Wolfman, and a Dick Grayson story from the team behind his new hit book.

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1, by G. Willow Wison, Jacob Wyatt
If you’ve held off on catching up with the newest Ms. Marvel, now’s your chance: her first full year of adventures is now collected in this fancy hardcover. Kamala Khan is a Pakistani-American teenager who suddenly develops mysterious, Inhuman powers. This book captures the joy and angst of being a teen (with superpowers) in the proud tradition of 1960s Spider-Man. Kamala deals with family and cultural expectations, friends, and schoolwork while exploring her new powers, getting her very own nemesis, and even hanging out with Wolverine.

Veda: Assembly Required, by Samuel Teer and Hyeondo Park
This one looks fun: an orphan girl named Veda lives beneath a factory, watched over by one of the robots that works the assembly line. Luckily, she learns that she has the ability to talk to machines; she’ll need to use that power to avoid the dangerous Gremlin. Hyeondo Park’s art in this all-ages standalone looks particularly great.
What’s on your pull list?