New Additions to Comics Plus: September 2026 | Rob’s Advisory

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Hello, fellow comics enthusiasts! Another season has flown by and once again I’m faced with the extreme challenge of narrowing the past few months’ worth of fantastic new releases to just the veritable cream of the crop. I’m also including plenty of terrific Honorable Mentions for you to explore. It’s a big ask, but I’m a big nerd—so, let's get into it!

Young Readers

The White Raven by Kathryn Otoshi (Red Comet Press) 

First up is the absolutely breathtaking picture book The White Raven which just has all the makings of an instant classic. Using the motif of how an unkindness of ravens will often ostracize one of their own who is born differently, it becomes a poetic vehicle to explore the deeper themes of compassion, empathy, and the freedom that comes from finding acceptance. Plus Ms. Otoshi’s watercolors are simply gorgeous! I don't hype up many books as "must-reads"... just know this one will seriously only take you a few minutes to finish, but I bet it'll stay with you (and possibly your little ones) long after you finish reading.


Honorable Mentions

 

Middle Grade

Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen and Violeta Encarnación (Red Comet Press)  

I was absolutely blown away by the new kids picture book Barbed Wire Between Us and I think everyone should take a quick moment to add this (very quick read) to their Comics Plus® shelf. Everything I want to say about it threatens to spoil your experience, so I'll just share this except from the book's blurb: Barbed Wire Between Us is a powerful reverso poem that tells two deeply resonant stories across time. It begins with a Japanese American girl sent to an internment camp in Oklahoma during World War II. Read in reverse, it reveals the journey of a Latina girl detained in the very same camp decades later, during the U.S. policy of migrant family separation. Beautiful. Heartbreaking. Poignant. This one's important and I’m deeply proud to be able to feature it on our platform.


Honorable Mentions

 

Teens

Absolutely Everything by Damian Alexander (Lerner) 

Now, my top pick for Teens would actually be fine for younger readers too, but as it's actually set in 6th grade it made sense to align it with our Gr 6-8 tier. Regardless, with the mania of back-to-school in full swing Absolutely Everything is an easily overlooked gem and a really insightful piece of slice-of-life fiction that could potentially be "just what the doctor ordered" for many readers. It's also another graphic novel that truly uses the medium of sequential art to help simulate the psychological experiences of the characters, in this case a young girl who continually struggles with school, homework, and friendships until finally diagnosed with ADHD. Honestly, there’s no time like the present now that school is starting up again, since it’s the kids (and parents with said kids) who suffer from similar conditions that would likely benefit the most from this book.


Honorable Mentions

 

Young Adults

Descender Vol. 1: Tin Stars by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen (Image Comics) 

This is already a lot to be excited about, but (personally anyway) all of them pale in comparison to the one I've been waiting literally years for us to be able to offer. Logistical concerns aside, we just never had all the resources we needed to offer the complete run of Jeff Lemire's beloved Descender and follow up Ascender series... until now! I think we’ve already begun to see this series become another core "flagship title" in our impressive collection of thousands of comics, manga, and graphic novels. It's a true sci-fantasy epic (think A.I. meets Star Wars) from one of comic's greatest living writers—though I'm also a total sucker for a talented watercolorist, and Dustin Nguyen's art reminds me of greats like Scott Hampton or Jon J. Muth. An absolute comics gem! 


Honorable Mentions

 

Adults

The Lights of Niteroi by Bruna Dantas Lobato and Marcello Quintanilha (Fantagraphics) 

 There was simply too much good stuff to give it all its due, but as far as books for mature readers are concerned, I'm predicting here and now that the amazing new graphic novel The Lights of Niteroi, is almost certain to win some awards next year (including an Eisner or three). Inspired by the true events of the artist's father, it's a masterful use of the comics medium. I truly don't want to spoil it, but there's a whole "life flashing before your eyes" sequence in this book that is so, so very good—I swear you could teach a class on sequential art with it. Truly some next level stuff. 

Honorable Mentions


That wraps up my most recent recommendations, and now you have a ton of new titles to add to your Comics Plus shelf. Also, be sure to check in every season for new posts featuring the Comics Plus collection, as well as browse our expanding list of past Rob’s Advisory selections.

 

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Written by

Rob Randle

Rob Randle is the Content Manager at Comics Plus, part of the Joyful Reading Company. He has worked in and around the comic book industry in various capacities, including as a book reviewer for the NY Journal of Books, and a judge for various comic book industry awards—the 2006 Eisner Awards, among others. Before joining Comics Plus , he had been the Director of Publishing for iVerse Media LLC since 2010, and prior to that was a purchasing manager for Diamond Comic Distributors where he helped to manage the monthly Previews catalog for close to a decade starting in 2002. Additionally, Rob occasionally does freelance work as a comics creator, and is the author of the critically acclaimed graphic novel Serial Artist. Rob holds a B.A. of Illustration from the Maryland Institute, College of Art (MICA).

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