DC has tons of great collected editions coming out in the month of July and here are my choices for which ones you should definitely read. Let’s not waste time, let’s start talking about comic books!

WONDER WOMAN BY GREG RUCKA VOL. 2

We all saw the Wonder Woman movie, right? So, now you want to dive deeper into the Amazonian’s history, and this is the place to do it. Greg Rucka is going to expose us to a whole new type of Diana. This is a Diana that is fractured by the recent deaths of family and friends and she will take her battles further and further to ensure victory.

I can remember when this run came out. The posters that advertised these story arcs covered a couple of the comic shops that I visited. I was intrigued by what they meant and how Diana was going to fight any battles at all now that she was blind.

You heard me right. Wonder Woman loses her eyesight in this storyline. How she deals with that tragedy and still carries on despite such overwhelming odds is precisely why Greg Rucka’s run on the character is one of the best.

Greg Rucka loved to explore the contradictions in the character of Wonder Woman. How can she be a figure of peace when she is willing to kill? But by the end of it all, through all her trials, we, the reader, can finally see Wonder Woman as human. The crucible of storytelling that is collected in this volume is a must read for any Wonder Woman fan. It’s powerful and emotional storytelling at its best. Plus, if you like it, there’s a lot more to discover. Make sure to read the WONDER WOMAN BY GREG RUCKA VOL. 1 collection, as well as his newest work with the character in Rebirth’s WONDER WOMAN VOL. 1: THE LIES and WONDER WOMAN VOL. 2: YEAR ONE (which was one of my picks for May).

GOTHAM ACADEMY: SECOND SEMESTER VOL. 1

One of the best series of The New 52 was this gem of a comic called GOTHAM ACADEMY. Starring Olive Silverlock and Mia “Maps” Mizoguchi, the series was set at a Gotham City boarding school in which our two girls discovered that mischief—along with a few Batman villains—surrounded their school. It was a mysterious and magical look at the Batman universe from a brand new perspective.

Series writers and creators Brenden Fletcher, Becky Cloonan and Karl Kerschl have brought the series back for another semester with Gotham Academy: Second Semester, in which our main character Olive has to deal with her newest classmate, who doesn’t really enjoy being at the academy.

If the violent nature of Batman comics has always bothered you or you always believed that Gotham City should be a bit more magical, then this is the book for you. Gotham Academy brings a new and inventive way to look at the adventures and characters of the Bat Universe, while introducing us to characters that will be classics in the years to come. Plus, it’s a great title for teen or pre-teen readers who may not be all that familiar with the DC Universe. So, get yourself to the Academy and sign up for new classes already! What are you waiting for?

NIGHTWING VOL. 6: TO SERVE AND PROTECT

Arguably, the definitive Nightwing run, this sixth volume collects issues #47-53 of the monumental series. Series originator Chuck Dixon ends his time on the character as he passes the reins to new writer Devin Grayson. This series focuses on how Dick Grayson continues his journey to find his own purpose outside of Batman’s shadow. Also, do yourself a favor and make sure you pick up the five previous collected volumes of this amazing run.

Volume six introduces artist Greg Land to the series as the day job of Nightwing comes into play. You see, Dick Grayson at this time decided to become of one Bludhaven’s finest allowing him to protect that dirty city by day as a police officer and by night as a vigilante. It gets to heart of what has always made Nightwing a more fascinating character to me than Batman: Dick is willing to figure out a way to pull his real passions, protecting the innocent, into the daylight. It’s something that Bruce Wayne has never done. We get to see Dick struggle with that reality in this volume as everything comes to a head when Commissioner Gordon is shot in Gotham. How will Dick react now that he is a member of the police?

This volume is very new reader friendly if you would like to jump in. (That would be the Nightwing thing to do.) Back in the 1990s, most of the Bat books weren’t as serialized like they are now, so each issue could serve as a brand new jumping on point for you to discover the joy of reading Nightwing. He’s one of the best characters in the DC Universe. Just let him smile at you, and I guarantee you’ll never stop reading his adventures.
 

So that’s it! Those are my DC graphic novel picks for July! Three new books to help you discover the joys of the DC Universe. Throw that grappling hook out and swing on down to your local comic shop and get to reading, my superfriends! I’ll see you next month.