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Hello, nerd friends, and welcome to the new and improved The Stack! Expect to see a lot more variety in content from now on, including in-depth media analysis, creator interviews, and all of the latest comic book news. For today, though, we’re sticking with more familiar territory as we explore comics and graphic novels being released during this, the creepiest month of the year!
To be honest, the new titles I ended up selecting for today aren’t all that creepy, at least not in a Halloween-y way. Oops. If you do want some October-themed fun, there are stories about vampires and malevolent magicians for you to check out. If not, you can indulge in tales of adventurous young people, forgotten icons, and unlikely relationships. Whether you choose to dive into one of the more thought-provoking stories featured here or stick with the more lighthearted comics, these graphic novels are the perfect companion for when you’re burrowing into a sweater and looking out the window at the mounting piles of autumn leaves that can absolutely wait to be raked up until you finish the Halloween candy you decided to eat early. (It’s okay; I won’t tell you.)
As always, be sure to double-check the release date for each title before you click “order.” There is nothing scarier than finding out your book isn’t going to arrive when you thought it would!
Otaku Vampire’s Love Bite Volume One by Julietta Suzuki (October 1)
Kick off the most monstrous month of the year with this adorable story about Hina, a vampiric shut-in who drinks blood from bags and is nursing a newfound obsession with a vampire anime. She travels to Japan and starts buying up rare merchandise connected with the show…and then she meets a boy who just happens to look like the show’s main character! What’s an undead fangirl to do?
Wingborn by Marjorie Liu and Grace Kum (October 1)
The highly anticipated sequel to Wingbearer is here! As she continues her quest to save her family and uncover her true origins, Zuli encounters new and bigger dangers than ever before. Does she have what it takes to fix the world’s magic and confront ancient myths that might turn out to be all too true?
Djuna: The Extraordinary Life of Djuna Barnes by Jon Macy (October 8)
Djuna Barnes is virtually unknown today, and this graphic novel finally gives this polarizing figure the attention she deserves. After working her way to the top of Paris’s literary scene in the 1920s, she saw all of her achievements crumble with the onset of the Great Depression.
Off Menu by Oliver Gerlach and Kelsi Jo Silva (October 8)
Soup loves to cook, and she loves the restaurant where she works, too…but should she? As she comes to realize how abusive her environment is, both for herself and her community, Soup will have to take a big chance to protect the people she cares about—or risk losing everything.
Big Jim and the White Boy by David F. Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson (October 15)
This reimagining of Mark Twain’s classic The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn turns the narrative reins over to Jim, the enslaved Black man with whom Huck journeyed down the Mississippi River. After running away to prevent his enslaver from selling him, Jim embarks on an adventure that will have major consequences for himself and his descendants.
Girlmode by Magdalene Visaggio and Paulina Ganucheau (October 15)
Phoebe has just transitioned and is looking for a role model to help her figure out what kind of girl she wants to be. When she befriends Mackenzie, the most popular girl at Phoebe’s new school, she thinks she has finally found the solution to her problems. In the end, though, only Phoebe herself can decide who she is.
The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All Volume One by Sumiko Arai (October 22)
Aya has a big crush on the guy at the CD shop—except that this “guy” is really Mitsuki, the girl who sits next to Aya in class! With Mitsuki reluctant to share the truth, how can they get around this case of mistaken identity and forge a real bond?
The Firelight Apprentice by Bree Paulsen (October 29)
Safi wants nothing more than to use her magic powers openly in the course of fun adventures. But to do that, she has to run away from her protective sister Ada, who is afraid of the many threats that could steal Safi’s powers…and rightfully so. What happens when Safi’s newfound friends turn out to be much more sinister than they seemed at the start?
Can’t get enough new books? Check out our New Release Index!
