Book picks similar to
SP4RX by Wren McDonald


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comics
sci-fi

Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too


Jomny Sun - 2017
    Always feeling apart, even among his species, Jomny feels at home for the first time among the earthlings he meets. There is a bear tired of other creatures running in fear, an egg struggling to decide what to hatch into, a turtle hiding itself by learning camouflage, a puppy struggling to express its true feelings, and many more.The characters are unique and inventive—bees think long and hard about what love means, birds try to eat the sun, nothingness questions its own existence, a ghost comes to terms with dying, and an introverted hedgehog slowly lets Jomny see its artistic insecurities. At the same time, Jomny’s curious presence allows these characters to open up to him in ways they were never able to before, revealing the power of somebody who is just there to listen.Everyone’s a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too is also the story behind the widely-shared and typo-filled @jonnysun twitter account. Since the beginning, Sun intentionally tweeted from an outsider’s perspective, creating a truly distinct voice. Now, that outsider has taken shape in the character of Jomny, who observes Earth with the same intelligent, empathetic, and charmingly naïve voice that won over his fans on social media. New fans will find it organic, and old fans will delight at seeing the clever words that made them fans in the first place.Through this story of a lost, lonely and confused Alien finding friendship, acceptance, and love among the animals and plants of Earth, we will all learn how to be a little more human. And for all the earth-bound creatures here on this planet, we will all learn how sometimes, it takes an outsider to help us see ourselves for who we truly are.

In Real Life


Cory Doctorow - 2014
    It's a place where she can be a leader, a fighter, a hero. It's a place where she can meet people from all over the world, and make friends. But things become a lot more complicated when Anda befriends a gold farmer--a poor Chinese kid whose avatar in the game illegally collects valuable objects and then sells them to players from developed countries with money to burn. This behavior is strictly against the rules in Coarsegold, but Anda soon comes to realize that questions of right and wrong are a lot less straightforward when a real person's real livelihood is at stake. From acclaimed teen author (Little Brother, For the Win) and Boing Boing editor Cory Doctorow and Koko Be Good creator Jen Wang, In Real Life is a perceptive and high-stakes look at adolescence, gaming, poverty, and culture clash.

Vacancy


Jen Lee - 2015
    Simon breaks free and partners with a raccoon and a deer who take him into the woods. But Simon realizes he is not quite ready to live in the wild. And in the abandoned areas of the town strange things begin to happen. . . .Vacancy explores the ways that animals think; how they internalize their changing environment and express their thoughts, fears, or excitement.Jen Lee currently freelances in a farmhouse in Idaho. Her clients include Drop Dead Clothing, Burton, Boom! Studios, and Nickelodeon.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Vol. 1


Brian Michael Bendis - 2016
    Or when the Black Cat tries to get her claws in this new Spider-Man. Or when a new mutant threatens to grab the spotlight! And don't forget Miles' toughest foe yet: his grandmother! But his grades might be the ultimate challenge -- maybe a study session (date?) with Ms. Marvel would help? Welcome to the neighborhood, Spider-Man -- hope it's friendly! Collecting SPIDER-MAN (2016) #1-5.

Life Sucks


Jessica Abel - 2008
    Life sucks for Dave Marshall.  The girl he’s in love with doesn’t know he exists, he hates his job, and ever since his boss turned him into a vampire, he can’t go out in daylight without starting to charbroil. Undead life in its uncoolest incarnation yet is on display in this cinematic, supernatural drama told with gallons of humor and hemoglobin.  In striking, colorful, B-movie style artwork and light-hearted, intelligent writing by Jessica Abel, Gabe Soria, and Warren Pleece, Dave Marshall’s story comes alive – in a vampiric kind of way.

Cowboy Bebop, Vol. 1


Yutaka Nanten - 1999
    Spinning off from the anime story line seen on Cartoon Network, the manga series hooks readers with the same combination of sci-fi action, crazy comedy, and a twist of old-school hipster cool. This black-and-white miniseries, released in the 100% Authentic Manga format, is perfect for fans of the Cowboy Bebop anime.

Boxers


Gene Luen Yang - 2013
    Bands of foreign missionaries and soldiers roam the countryside, bullying and robbing Chinese peasants.Little Bao has had enough. Harnessing the powers of ancient Chinese gods, he recruits an army of Boxers—commoners trained in kung fu—who fight to free China from "foreign devils."Against all odds, this grass-roots rebellion is violently successful. But nothing is simple. Little Bao is fighting for the glory of China, but at what cost? So many are dying, including thousands of "secondary devils"—Chinese citizens who have converted to Christianity.

Gunnerkrigg Court, Volume 1: Orientation


Thomas Siddell - 2007
    The opening volume in the series follows Antimony through her orientation year: the people she meets, the strange things that happen, and the things she causes to happen as she and her new friend, Kat, unravel the mysteries of the Court and deal with the everyday adventures of growing up. Tom Siddell's popular and award-winning web comic (www.gunnerkrigg.com) is here collected in print for the first time.

Mangaman


Barry Lyga - 2011
    Castleton.It's dark and murky out when "the Rip" tears open the fabric of reality--and it's even darker when Ryoko Kiyama falls through it and into a strange and unusual world.But Ryoko soon finds that he's the strange and unusual one.This Mangaman is indefinitely stuck in our "real" world until...if Dr. Capeletti (a scientist working for the feds) gets The Machine up and running. In the meantime, Ryoko knows that if he ends up stuck in this strange, "real" world, he's got to learn to live in it--as the ultimate high school outsider.To make matters even more difficult, Ryoko's eyes turn to hearts for Marissa Montaigne--the most popular, beautiful girl in the school--who just so happens to have a very popular, very jealous ex-boyfriend ready to knock Ryoko's block off. Just as turmoil ensues in the "real" world, something dark and menacing lurks on the other side of the Rip, waiting for Ryoko.Will Ryoko get beaten to a pulp by some high school jock-rats? Or will the darkness from his own manga world get to him first?

Over the Wall


Peter Wartman - 2013
    Abandoned, shrouded by time, forbidden to all. No one may enter the mysterious city...Who dares to go over the wall?

Trees, Vol. 1: In Shadow


Warren Ellis - 2015
    All over the world. And they did nothing, standing on the surface of the Earth like trees, exerting their silent pressure on the world, as if there were no-one here and nothing under foot. Ten years since we learned that there is intelligent life in the universe, but that they did not recognize us as intelligent or alive. Beginning a new science fiction graphic novel by WARREN ELLIS and JASON HOWARD.

Eden: It's an Endless World, Volume 1


Hiroki Endo - 1998
    In the near future, a large portion of humanity is wiped out by a brutal, new virus that hardens the skin while dissolving internal organs. Those who aren’t immune are either severely crippled or allowed to live with cybernetically enhanced bodies. Taking advantage of a world in chaos, a paramilitary force known as the Propater topples the United Nations and seeks world domination. Elia, a young survivor searching for his mother, travels towards the Andes Mountains with an artificially intelligent combat robot. When he encounters a group of anti-Propater freedom fighters, a maelstrom of unique characters unfolds. Graphic, cyberpunk, and philosophical, Eden is a place where endearing heroes face a constant struggle for survival and violent surprises wait around every corner!

Mystery Society


Steve Niles - 2010
    Nick Hammond and Anastasia Collins are the Mystery Society -- and bring new meaning to "underground cult" status! Stealthily avoiding the authorities, this skulduggery duo spend their time and money righting wrongs committed in the world's underbellies.

Supergirl: Being Super


Mariko Tamaki - 2018
    She can fly. She crash-landed on Earth in a rocket ship. But for Kara Danvers, winning the next track meet, celebrating her 16th birthday and surviving her latest mega-zit are her top concerns. And with the help of her best friends and her kinda-infuriating-but-totally-loving adoptive parents, she just might be able to put her troubling dreams--shattered glimpses of another world--behind her.Until an earthquake shatters her small town of Midvale...and uncovers secrets about her past she thought would always stay buried.Now Kara's incredible powers are kicking into high gear, and people she trusted are revealing creepy ulterior motives. The time has come for her to choose between the world where she was born and the only world she's ever known. Will she find a way to save her town and be super, or will she crash and burn?Caldecott Honor and Eisner Award-winning writer Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer) and Eisner Award-nominated artist Joëlle Jones (Lady Killer) combine forces for this incredible coming-of-age tale! This is the Girl of Steel as you've never seen her before.Collects the limited series Supergirl: Being Super #1-4.

Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider, Vol. 1: Spider-Geddon


Seanan McGuire - 2019
    Gwen Stacy, the Spider-Woman of Earth-65, makes her sensational return! And she's picking up right where she left off, fighting crime through her home reality - unaware that it sits on the precipice of interdimensional calamity! Spider-Geddon is about to rock Gwen's world! Finding herself trapped in a parallel dimension as her friends and fellow Spiders are dying...with her teleporter watch destroyed and no way to get home...what can Gwen do to stop the Inheritors from wreaking havoc across the entire Web of Life and Destiny? And from out of the interdimensional chaos, she must face one of her deadliest enemies yet - the Gwen Goblin! With her life in jeopardy from all sides, is there a reason we're calling her Ghost-Spider?!COLLECTING: SPIDER-GWEN: GHOST-SPIDER 1-4