In his solo graphic novel debut, Piskor does more than write a fascinating account of hacking, phone phreaking, and hi-tech hijinks. He gives us some very real insight into the peculiar motivations that define a subculture. Inspired by tales of real-life hackers like Kevin Mitnick, Piskor’s narrative follows the story of Kevin “Boingthump” Phenicle, who gets his start tapping into telephone lines as a teenager and works his way up to infiltrating the phone company and its database. At his side is his best (and indeed only) friend, Winston, who goes from helping Kevin with his hacking to defending him on the radio when Kevin is eventually caught and incarcerated. What stands out is the clarity with which Piskor is able to show us a protagonist whose mind is governed by an insatiable curiosity. Piskor also does a nice job using comics storytelling, periodically inserting radio and television broadcasts to comment on events or using an extended sequence of panels, each featuring a different character, to show the various attitudes toward his protagonist from those within and outside of the hacking subculture. Piskor superbly balances action and insight, and gives us a unique window through which to view the ingenious mind of a hacker. (July)

A team of superpowered men and women tasked with protecting the world take a more aggressive, confrontational approach to ensuring global peace. Ellis (The Authority, Planetary) tells the story of Henry Bendix, the Weatherman, and the Stormwatch team he commands as they decide to stop reacting to the world’s problems and start dealing with them before the most dangerous threats can emerge. A series of short adventures follow, as the team faces challenges ranging from the murder of a former ally, a corrupt superpowered police force, biological super-science terrorist attacks, and invaders from other worlds. The characters inhabit an engaging world of powerful people given a near-impossible job, and often unsure if they’re up to the task. Raney’s art brings a fitting mix of muscles and high-tech sci-fi, but also adds a dose of the weird and the grotesque whenever the story demands. The standout issue, visually, tells the story of 100-year-old heroine Jenny Sparks with stylistic homages to all the comic book styles of the past century. Originally appearing in the late ’90s, this is an early, influential example of the superhero story set in a world where the stakes are high, the solutions are not easy, and the heroes are often conflicted and uncertain. (May)

Yet another in the surprisingly growing shelf of comics adaptations of Lovecraft. This one features a radically quirky art style and four stories united by the theme of voyages and dreams. The major part of the book is taken up by the title novella of the collection; it sees a determined Randolph Carter braving the complex dangers of the dream lands in his attempt to reach a perfect city that may forever be out of his reach. Although at first glance crude, Thompson’s crosshatched stick figure illustrations prove surprisingly well-suited to Lovecraft’s stories, adding to the air of dreamlike unreality. Lovecraft’s works are a cornucopia of inspiration for a modern creator; this striking work is evidence of that. (May)

Originally published as a digital comic, this science fiction tale mixes hope and paranoia into something dire. On a mission to transform the red planet into a livable habitat, the crew of Mars Base Bowie prepares to drop an atom bomb into the core of the planet in order to create a magnetic field. One power failure later, followed by an ill-considered command by the gung-ho Captain Zoe, things fall apart. The attacking monsters don’t help much. Though it sometimes threatens to be more than a bit reminiscent of Alien, the story manages to avoid being too derivative. This is partially thanks to First Officer Turk, a counterpoint to Zoe whose constant questioning of her decisions incites a battle of the alpha females on top of the struggle against Martian monsters. The source of their enmity turns out to be more than a little trite—that revelation could be skipped—but the personalities and interaction of the characters elevate the sometimes by-the-numbers plot. Slick artwork typical of the genre might have doomed the book, but Mayberry’s illustrations add mystery and atmosphere to the plot, giving just the visual panache it needs to stand out. (May)