8 New Comics to Read in February 2023
Book Riot | Julia Rittenberg | February 6, 2023
Book Riot features two D+Q Books
Whether or not we’ve made any resolutions in 2023, February is the real month to get started on whatever one wanted to accomplish in that year. January is kind of a mulligan to me: everyone is catching up on the things they put off before the holidays, people are generally recovering from the holidays as well, and everything feels like it’s in the planning stages before the actual work begins. It’s the month when, historically, movie studios put out movies they either don’t believe in, or accidental camp classics like M3GAN. January wasn’t even as properly cold as I expected this year, which I actually find to be enjoyable because I’m a winter person. Ah well. My resolution to read more graphic novels can really kick off with new comics to read in February.
The mix of comics coming out in February is interesting: there are a variety of ongoing series to jump into, as well as some exciting new ones. The re-issues of influential comics artists from the past also deserve attention. The list below fits my comics-related resolutions for 2023: read more comics from the past, read as widely in theme and genre as possible, and keep up with some ongoing series.
Kitaro is one of Japan’s classic comics, with a long and outsized cultural influence on manga, video games, and cartoons. Kitaro is a young boy who is actually a yokai (a Japanese spirit monster), capable of shapeshifting at will. This edition collects Kitaro comics published from 1967 to 1969, which feature robot battles, the Japanese countryside, and supernatural beings.
This is another collection of comics from an artist who casts a long shadow over the modern comics world. Where I’m Coming From was Barbara Brandon-Croft’s nationally syndicated comic strip that tackled such complex issues like parenting, racism, economic struggle, and more. The brashly cartoony style melded perfectly with her explorations of societal ills. Like all the best comic strips, the ones in this volume are extremely funny.
The mix of comics coming out in February is interesting: there are a variety of ongoing series to jump into, as well as some exciting new ones. The re-issues of influential comics artists from the past also deserve attention. The list below fits my comics-related resolutions for 2023: read more comics from the past, read as widely in theme and genre as possible, and keep up with some ongoing series.
Kitaro by Shigeru Mizuki, translated by Jocelyne Allen (February 21)
Kitaro is one of Japan’s classic comics, with a long and outsized cultural influence on manga, video games, and cartoons. Kitaro is a young boy who is actually a yokai (a Japanese spirit monster), capable of shapeshifting at will. This edition collects Kitaro comics published from 1967 to 1969, which feature robot battles, the Japanese countryside, and supernatural beings.
Where I'm Coming From by Barbara Brandon-Croft (February 7)
This is another collection of comics from an artist who casts a long shadow over the modern comics world. Where I’m Coming From was Barbara Brandon-Croft’s nationally syndicated comic strip that tackled such complex issues like parenting, racism, economic struggle, and more. The brashly cartoony style melded perfectly with her explorations of societal ills. Like all the best comic strips, the ones in this volume are extremely funny.