Aliens: Hive: One of the original Dark Horse series that came out after Earth War, which was the final one I bought. I probably had every intention of keeping Aliens going but didn’t have the money, to be honest, because Dark Horse’s comics were $2.50 in the early 1990s. Anyway, this was enjoyable but I can see that more or less the whole Aliens universe was becoming a bit of a retread of the same story. If you find this digitally or on a very deep discount (like I did), then get it. Otherwise, skip it. Keep.

Amazing Spider-Man: Spirits of the Earth: Keeping this one because it’s beautifully illustrated by Charles Vess, but the story in this hardcover graphic novel that came out in 1990 or so left me a little cold. I imagine that a second read might change my opinion, though.

DC Universe: Legacies: I already wrote about how I really enjoyed the series. I found the hardcover on a discount rack and snatched it up. Well worth the money. Keep.

Batman: from the Thirties to the Seventies: Also found on the discount shelf at my LCS (seriously … they’re freakin’ killing it), this is one of those books that gets so much mention in my comics podcasting circles but I’ve never ever seen nor read (as opposed to the Superman: From the 30s to the 70s, which my school library had back in the day). Seeing that I cut my Bat-teeth on The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told, this was a no-brainer. It drags a little in the 1950s/early 1960s-era stories, but there’s some Bronze Age gems that I was so happy to read. Keep.

Run: Book One: John Lewis’ sequel to March, and well worth the wait. This picks up where the prior trilogy of graphic novels left off, and I’m hoping that despite Lewis’ death last year, it will finish up, because it is just as phenomenal. Keep.

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland: This is a book that I bought the moment I heard its author, Jim Defede, on a podcast about 9/11. The stories out of Gander are some of the best examples of hope and humanity I’ve ever read. I don’t do inspiring media. This certainly was. Keep.

Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”: the Authorized Graphic Adaptation. I found this at my local library. Pretty good, and faithful to what you envision from Jackson’s seminal short story, but necessary …? I’m not sure. Skip.

Carnet de Voyage: Craig Thompson follows up his acclaimed graphic novel Blankets with a story of how he toured Europe and Morocco while doing a publicity tour. It was written and illustrated day to day, so it’s a true travel journal. Beautifully illustrated and funny, it was well worth checking out of my library. Read.

The Extinction Parade, Volume 1: Found at my local library, a comic by Max Brooks where vampires exist during the zombie apocalypse. It was entertaining enough and the artist certainly knew how to draw breasts, but not something I’m going to keep reading. Skip.

In Cold Blood: The granddaddy of true crime novels (which was in my school’s book room), Truman Capote details the murder of a Kansas family in graphic detail along with the timeline of their killers’ escape and eventual capture. I’d heard so much about this that I wasn’t sure it would live up to its reputation. It definitely does, though, and if you can stomach the more gory details, you should read it. Read.

Batman: Dark Knight, Dark City

Fatale, Volumes 4 and 5

Revival, Volumes 3 and 4