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New Additions to Comics Plus: April 2025 | Rob’s Advisory

by | May 7, 2025 | Comic Spotlight, Comics Plus, Resources, Robs Advisory

Rob's Advisory picks for April 2025

A strange number of things happened to me recently that got me thinking about my long and “storied” career in the comics industry. Maybe it was the assortment of titles, creators, and even old faces who all seemed to emerge from out of my past this month. Or, it could have been acknowledging how far Comics Plus has come over the past few years. Or, perhaps it’s just all the ways I get to appreciate how far comics in general have come in the last twenty-some years (let alone the last 120) whenever I review the latest titles our library-friendly publishing partners have sent us for readers to discover.

There is a constant stream of new talent turning out some pretty worthwhile stuff (even if it’s not always my cup of tea personally), so I’ll try to keep my “kids these days” comments to myself as I highlight the ones I think are definitely worth recommending. But please remember, there are always more great books added to Comics Plus every month than I’ll ever have room to cover here, so please don’t overlook the honorable mentions below.

As the “Read all the comics!” family continues to expand (3,500+ schools and libraries worldwide, and still growing!), it’s always possible this is the first time you’re reading one of my monthly advisories. And as we recently noted, it’s the backlist many readers are most excited about, so you may find it worthwhile to periodically comb through my past advisories to discover some more “hidden gems” they’ll love.

For now, let’s run through some of the best of the newest additions from last month.

Middle Grade

Badge Quest: A Cheesy Brie-ginning! by Guy Kopsumbut (Andrews McMeel)I’ve said it before and I’ll stand by it: “If it’s cute and quirky, it’ll circ-y.” — and with that in mind, Badge Quest: A Cheesy Brie-ginning! by Guy Kopsumbut  (Andrews McMeel) is destined to be another Comics Plus darling. This adorable anthropomorphic story has plenty of classic videogame and fun manga-influenced elements, suffused with a healthy dose of Adventure Time-style wackiness, and while it’s definitely got its share of “punny” humor, it’s not overly reliant on it (considering the title anyway). All in all, it’s simple, clever, and has a nice breezy pace for its 80 pages, so it could even serve quite well as someone’s first full graphic novel experience.

It’s also worth noting that many new titles from Andrews McMeel are using a dyslexia-friendly font, which is true for Badge Quest, as well as with my second suggestion, the latest volume of Slice of Mallow by Adam Foreman (Andrews McMeel). It’s a different kind of anthropomorphic story, this one featuring the adventures of a sentient marshmallow and his other goofy food friends. While it definitely has silly “kid-appeal,” it also displays a quirky meta-sensibility that older readers may also enjoy. Equal parts modern and (potentially) timeless, with a super-clean line style that is only possible with computers, but its influences are in older Cartoon Network/Nickelodeon cartoons, and even classic newspaper strips like Garfield or Peanuts, there’s a lot more going on here than meets the eye. Trust me, it’s really worth a look, and somebody you already know will probably thank you for introducing it to them one day.

Teen & Young Adult

Peng!: Action Sports Adventures by Corey Lewis (Oni Press)I suppose one advantage to age and (the theoretically accompanying) wisdom is it’s easier to spot a creator’s influences when you’re already familiar with them firsthand, “from back when,” and can potentially make some informed comparisons. So I doubt anyone who gives Peng!: Action Sports Adventures by Corey Lewis (Oni Press) a chance would dispute my claim that it’s a completely unabashed (and openly unapologetic) love letter to all things Scott Pilgrim, but I also maintain that it still manages to be cool in its own right. Imagine if you took a Gorillaz video crossed with Dragonball Z, as well as something like Kung-fu Hustle — and set in a videogame world of high stakes competitive fringe sports, like kickball or hackeysack. Doubtless, your tongue won’t leave your cheek for a moment, but that won’t stop you from smiling all the way through.

Speaking of tongue-in-cheek, BUZZ! Color Edition by Ananth Hirsh, Tess Stone, and Fen Garza (Oni Press) is over-the-top to the extreme (in the best way), pushing the boundaries of how words and images can work together, and is really the kind of story you can only do in comics. Set in a world obsessed with competitive underground spelling bees (you heard that right), here you can literally (and I mean literally) fling your words at your opponent like you were a character in Street Fighter or something, but where one misspelled word (figuratively this time) spells disaster. And there are enough word gags and clever pronunciation challenges to keep the nerdiest of “word nerds” smiling. (You know who you are.)

If you’re looking for something maybe a little more overtly funny, you simply can’t miss ZomCom’ics by Emi Mena Garrucho (Andrews McMeel). Another wordless comic, this one is an all-too-cute Whimsygoth take on everything from RomCom relationships to roommate dynamics, all with a fun “Halloweeny” vibe that manages to be weird, cool, and wacky all at the same time. Think a derpy Friends/Twilight mash-up, kinda like Catana Comics meets Liz Prince, crossed with some old skool PVP — if that makes any sense?

Also, please don’t overlook The Curse of Monte Cristo: A Reimagining of the Novel by Alexandre Dumas by David Dabel, Carlton Holder, David Lentz, and Rodrigo Catracta (Andrews McMeel), a fresh take on this classic story that provides an unflinching racial angle to its 18th century setting, and manages to do so without feeling anachronistic. There is also a supernatural and/or madness angle to the entire narrative which is sure to keep readers guessing — as well as, hopefully, thinking.

Yojimbot Volume 1: Metal Silence by Sylvain Repos (Dark Horse)While all of those are definitely great reads, my personal pick here has to go to one of the coolest European comics on Comics Plus, Yojimbot Volume 1: Metal Silence by Sylvain Repos (Dark Horse). It is a true synthesis of styles — manga sensibilities meets heavy American inks, with an attention to detail that feels very European. Imagine Katsuhiro Otomo or Masamune Shirow’s version of TMNT, or if Geof Darrow had been playing by ukyio-e rules, and you’ll maybe have some idea of how crazy-awesome the interiors of this book actually look. And I’ve seen some bold uses of ziptone techniques in my time, but the art of Yojimbot may have some of the most interesting creative applications you’re likely to see. Go get lost in it.

Adult

Even though I generally only have nice things to say about the books that appear in my advisory, please don’t think I’m not still critical of them, too. I’m just only likely to share those insights with you if I think they might somehow be useful. So, while I admit to having issues with certain aspects of Meschugge: The Madman’s Maze by Benni Bodker and Christian Højgaard (FairSquare Graphics), I still think it succeeds as a solid, well put together piece of 19th century historical crime fiction — made all the more interesting thanks to the unique challenges faced by its female investigator lead character. While I’m afraid some may argue the art style occasionally pushes hard at the borders of caricature (and I personally thought their grasp of Qabalah lacked some nuance), it seemingly borrows from both From Hell and Hellboy‘s playbook (plus maybe some Sin City), yet still has a polished look that’s completely unlike any of them.

The Harrowing of Hell by Evan Dahm (Iron Circus)Speaking of Hell, I personally love bold experiments like The Harrowing of Hell by Evan Dahm (Iron Circus). Although I didn’t totally love the art style in this one, I remember what we used to say back in the Previews bullpen, “Art can’t save story, but story can save art.” And what a brave/potentially controversial story to tell! It’s one I’ve longed to see told since I first heard it as a young church-goer; an extensively researched and visually visceral imagining of Christ’s descent into Hell for the three days until his resurrection. Regardless of your background (religious or otherwise), it’ll potentially provoke some deep philosophical ideas, as well as promising some pretty challenging elements of spiritual horror. Fair warning, it’s really not the sort of thing that’s for everyone, but it’s definitely uber-cool for any mythology nerds like myself out there.

The One Hand & The Six Fingers by Ram V, Dan Watters, Laurence Campbell, and Sumit Kumar (Image Comics)As with most months, we had more great books for mature readers than I can cover here, but but The One Hand & The Six Fingers by Ram V, Dan Watters, Laurence Campbell, and Sumit Kumar (Image Comics) stood out for a number of reasons, mostly because of what an accomplishment of graphic storytelling it turned out to be. On the surface, it’s a gritty noir sci-fi murder mystery double feature, where two creative teams tell a single story in parallel, one from the point of view of a grizzled homicide detective and the other from the POV of the (now third incarnation of) the otherworldly serial killer he’s spent his career chasing. It’s not really a whodunnit, per se, but the mystery goes deep into eerie sci-fi territory, weaving back and forth between the two narratives over and over before we even start to figure out what’s going on —  giving us something that feels like a cross of Blade Runner, Dark City and the Matrix with a few Black Mirror-style twists. It’s also chock full of clever ideas about art; some darkly poignant philosophical musings; and even some existential crises around mankind’s sense of meaning/purpose that may keep you pondering long after you’ve put the book down. We’ve come a long way; but man, do I love comics!

Honestly, that’s just a small sample of the great comics, manga, and picture books added to Comics Plus last month. With literally thousands of titles to choose from across a wide range of genres, I could keep writing forever! Be sure to check in every month for more highlights, and browse our expanding list of past Rob’s Advisory selections.

Until next month, here are some more honorable mentions that (mostly for space reasons) didn’t quite make my list, but you (and/or your patrons) may also enjoy checking out:
Rob Randle: "Read all the comics!"

Rob Randle is the Director of Content Management for LibraryPass, and 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 LibraryPass, 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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