Comics/Graphic Novels

Comics Recommendation Engine: MTV’s TEEN WOLF

Jenn Northington

Director, Editorial Operations

Jenn Northington has worked in the publishing industry wearing various hats since 2004, including bookseller and events director, and is currently Director of Editorial Operations at Riot New Media Group. You can hear her on the SFF Yeah! podcast nerding out about sci-fi and fantasy. When she’s not working, she’s most likely gardening, running, or (obviously) reading. Find her on Tumblr at jennIRL and Instagram at iamjennIRL.

With the arrival of Season 5 of MTV’s Teen Wolf to refresh my love for the Beacon Hills gang, I thought it was high time they had some quality reading material.

Note: if you haven’t watched Teen Wolf yet, this post contains some mild spoilers. You should probably go watch it first. Or at least Seasons 2 and 3 (SO GOOD). I’ll be here when you get back!

Scott and Deaton at the animal clinic

Scott: Laika, Nick Abadzis
Scott’s life is … complicated. REALLY COMPLICATED. He faces death, destruction, love, loss, and is struggling to become a leader. While there are many superheroes he could identify with, it’s his love of animals and the fact that he’s still in high-school that I’m thinking of most. He’s got plenty of action in his life; a comic that keeps it simple and straightforward, and can help remind him to put things in perspective, is what he needs. Hence, Laika. It’s a beautiful story about an important moment in history, its hero is a dog, and it includes both sacrifice and redemption. Perfect for a budding veterinarian with a big destiny!

 

Kira: Storm, Vol. 1, Greg Pak and Victor Ibanez
Kira has come such a long way: from being the shy, awkward new girl on the outside, to being the (still shy, awkward) kick-ass kitsune who is an integral part of the pack. She’s smart, she’s tough, and she cares so hard — which is why Greg Pak’s run on Storm is ideal for her. Not only do she and Storm have a lot in common in the supernatural area (celestial powers, what what!), but they both fight for justice and to protect those they care about. They know what it’s like to get knocked down, and they know what it’s like to get back up again, and again, and again.

 

Stiles: Bravest Warriors #01, Joey Comeau and Mike Holmes
As the sleuthiest of the team, with acknowledged ADD and anxiety issues, Stiles’ brain is always working overtime. To give him a break and also a hefty, much-needed dose of humor (because he’s also one of the only characters who knows how to crack a joke), I’d recommend Bravest Warriors. These tales of derring-do are also outright hysterical, and would offer a welcome change from the regular gore and mortal peril that Beacon Hills continually offers up.

 

Derek: The Graphic Canon series, edited by Russ Kick
I firmly believe, on the basis of no evidence whatsoever, that when he’s not honing his werewolf physique and/or following Scott around trying to keep him out of trouble, Derek Hale has his nose buried in a book — specifically history, mythology, and the classics. (He just DOES, ok? Probably he’s not in Season 5 because he finally decided to go to grad school for his philosophy degree. Welcome to my headcanon.) Which makes the Graphic Canon series completely perfect for him, moving as it does from Gilgamesh and the Odyssey in the first volume to Anais Nin and Borges in the third. The amazing variety of artwork, style, and story is enough to keep anyone enraptured.

Lydia kiling it at math

Lydia: The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage, Sydney Padua
Who’s going to change the world one day? It’s definitely Lydia. (And I don’t care what S5E1 is implying about her future, WE ALL KNOW THAT IS ONLY TEMPORARY. OBVIOUSLY.) So what could be more suited for her than a graphic novel about a woman who did change the world? Padua’s amazing exploration of what would have happened had Lovelace and Babbage built their Difference Engine is smart, funny, and perfect for a future Fields Medal recipient.

 

Peter: Casanova, Matt Fraction and Gabriel Ba
Oh, Peter. The most chaotic-neutral-with-evil-tendencies that ever did get resurrected from like three different graves. I know just what he’d love — Casanova is practically written for him. Dysfunctional family dynamics? Check. Sex, gore, and depravity? Check, check, and check. Power games? All the checks! My only hesitation is that it might give him ideas, but really he doesn’t need any help on the plotting front.

Melissa McCall, badass nurse

Melissa: Fresh Romance
Moms need comics too! And Melissa more than most; not only does she have an incredibly high-stress job as a nurse, but she is constantly either worrying about her son, being kidnapped because of her son, or patching up one of her son’s supernatural friends. And the last time she went on a date, well, probably we should just not talk about that. (Damn you, Peter!) But if anyone deserves a second chance at love and happiness, it is her. (I am 1,000% Team Melissa Is the Best, in case you couldn’t tell.) Enter Fresh Romance: these sweet, smart, sexy stories will not only keep her entertained, but remind her of the possibilities out there for her if she could just get a break from mortal peril.

Malia's favorite food is deer

Help me out here, friends: I could not for the life of me figure out what to recommend to Malia! What do you give someone who is still learning to be a human, and who is not going to get pretty much any pop-culture references from the past 10 years?

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