Welcome to May, my friends! Summer is right around the corner and movie blockbusters are going to start appearing everywhere.

Whether you are going to enjoy your summer on the beach or in your backyard, you’ll need a good book—a comic book to be specific. So let me reveal to you my suggestions for which DC graphic novels you should pick up at your local comic book shop in the month of May.


WONDER WOMAN VOL. 2: YEAR ONE

Wonder Woman has had some amazing artists work on her book over the years. Greats like George Perez, Phil Jimenez and now you can add Nicola Scott to that list. Her artwork in this collected edition is fantastic. Nicola portrays Diana as a beautiful angel full of grace while at the same time never letting you forget that Wonder Woman is a trained Amazonian warrior. Nicola’s artwork combined with Greg Rucka’s origin tale make this a book you will want to read before Wonder Woman hits the big screen.

If you have ever been the person that doesn’t understand what Wonder Woman is about, then Wonder Woman Vol. 2: Year One is a book made just for you. It retells her classic origin in a new way. From meeting Steve Trevor to leaving Themyscira to learning what it’s like to exist in man’s world, Diana’s journey is made exciting and fresh again. Greg Rucka reveals in this tale that Wonder Woman has always been about “love.” She has the strength to always fight for it and to die for what is purely right.

This book is exciting comic book pulp and warmly comforting at the same time. And it grounds the mythically epic tale of Wonder Woman for a whole new generation of readers. It’s truly wonderful and will be remembered as one of Wonder Woman’s greatest tales in the years to come.


SUPERWOMAN VOL. 1: WHO KILLED SUPERWOMAN?

Speaking of Phil Jimenez, did you know that he secretly combined two of the coolest Superman concepts from the nineties in this book? That’s right, Electric Superman and the Superman supporting cast—all in the same book!

I was originally skeptical of this book when it was first announced. I’ve always viewed Lois as a more powerful character when she is the best reporter in the world. But this book proved me wrong. How did I never realize that I needed a Lois Lane / Lana Lang team-up book in my life? This book reminds me of the Superman comics of the 1990s, where there were cops, scientists and other vigilantes that helped Superman in his never ending battle. Except in this book, these awesome supporting characters are all helping Superwoman. It has the perfect balance to really give the comic book city of Metropolis a real world feel.

If nothing I’ve said above convinces you to check out Superwoman Vol. 1: Who Killed Superwoman?, then let me tell you this—the first issue has a major twist. Now, I won’t reveal it to you here, but when I read the page it made me shout out loud. Superwoman is a book that is very well structured and contains some excellent character interactions. You should check it out. You won’t regret it.


JLA YEAR ONE DELUXE EDITION

This is one of my favorite maxiseries that DC has ever published. Released during the heydays of Grant Morrison’s JLA run, I can still remember picking up the single issues to this. This is the first year of the Justice League as told by Mark Waid, Brian Augustyn and Barry Kitson. It’s a story that was designed to smooth over some problems in DC continuity in the 1990s, but it is so much more than that.

JLA Year One tells the tale of five young super heroes. Now to us, the heroes in this story are legends and larger than life. But in this book, they’re still very young and uncertain. Even more, they have to put aside everything in this story—their feelings, their homelands, their beliefs—in order to work together as a team and grow so they can save the world. It’s a tight action-packed comic that is filled to the brim with fun character beats. Did you know that Aquaman mumbles? Of course, he does! He’s from underwater where sound travels farther and it’s this comic that introduces this idea.

All in all, JLA Year One is a Justice League story that anyone can read. Plus, it will make you fall in love with the characters. It features cameos from many of the other super heroes, teams and super-villains from this time in the DC Universe—the original Doom Patrol, the Blackhawks, Animal Man and more all make an appearance in this book. If you’ve even wanted to dip your toe into some solid Justice League stories, this is the perfect book for you. I guarantee you’ll love it when you’re done.

There are my DC graphic novel picks for the month of May. Run to your local comic book shop and pick up these titles if you want some good reading or fun adventures starring people in tights. I’ll see you next month for more picks!