Ten Science Fiction Comics You Should Read Now

Science fiction is a genre that can encompass many different types of stories, from grand space operas to gritty near future noir and many more. PREVIEWSworld is celebrating the genre of sci-fi this month with ten must-read series that explore the many different worlds that sci-fi helps to create.

You can find these titles, along with more comics and graphic novels at your local comic shop.

Ether, Volume 1

Matt Kindt is known for his mind-bending writing and Ether (MAR170043), his series with artist David Rubin, is no exception. The story of scientist Boone Dias who stumbled onto a mysterious fantasy world, Ether is the perfect blend of science fiction and magic as this rational explorer is confronted with a magical reality. As Boone struggles to keep the Real and the Abstract separate he realizes that he may be in over his head, will he be able to shoulder this great responsibility on his own? 

Wild Storm, Vol. 1

The Wildstorm universe is back, but creator Warren Ellis has hit the reset button with the new Wild Storm Vol. 1 (JUL170486). As new iterations of the classic characters Grifter, Voodoo, the Engineer, Jenny Sparks, and more appear in this new world the Wild Storm begins. There’s more than meets the eye as Warren Ellis and artist Jon Davis-Hunt uncover covert power structures, secret space programs, and the hidden history of the human race! 

William Gibson's Archangel

The award-winning novelist and creator of the cyberpunk genre, William Gibson, is coming to comics with his first ever graphic novel, William Gibson’s Archangel (DEC160449). The world has been destroyed and made into a radioactive wasteland, but the leaders of the US have one last hope – The Splitter. A gigantic machine designed to create a new reality, and humanity’s last hope for a bright new future, is being hijacked by political leaders looking to infiltrate and corrupt this new utopia – at any cost.

Saucer Country

Paul Cornell and Ryan Kelly’s Saucer Country (MAY170496) is back and crazier than ever as they take on presidential politics in the latest story arc. Arcadia Alvarado is the governor of New Mexico, a presidential hopeful, and was possibly abducted by aliens. She’ll have to battle with immigration policy, budget cuts, and an alcoholic ex along the way. It’s a strange road to the White House, but Alvarado may be the only person who can stop an upcoming alien invasion and save the world. 

Paper Girls, Vol. 1

Fans of Stranger Things, Back to the Future, and 80s nostalgia won’t want to miss Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang’s Image series Paper Girls (JAN160645). Set in the early hours after Halloween 1988, four young newspaper delivery girls get pulled into an otherworldly drama when mysterious beings appear from the future. As everything they know is thrown into question these four paper girls will have to band together to discover the truth. 

Extremity, Vol. 1

Skybound and Image Comics are bringing the apocalypse to comics with Daniel Warren Johnson’s new series Extremity (JUN170645). Thea is on a mission of revenge against the clan who ruined her family, and she will stop at nothing to see them driven before her. As she travels the post-apocalyptic wasteland, Thea will have to battle man, machines, and monsters on her quest to regain the honor of her family. Melding the worlds of Conan, Mad max, and Studio Ghibli together; Johnson has created a comic like nothing else on the shelf. 

Prox Transmissions OGN

Lead singer and founder of the multi-media modern rock band Starset, Dustin Bates, is expanding his band’s multimedia Starset Society with a new graphic novel from Marvel, Prox Transmissions (JUL171234). Co-written by award winning writer Peter David, Prox Transmissions explores what happens when a scientist finds a secret transmission from the far reaches of the galaxy and the powerful forces who conspire to keep these transmissions out of the hands of the people. Humanity’s fate lies in the balance as science fiction and modern rock collide in this one of a kind graphic novel.

Akira 35th Anniversary Box Set

Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira changed the medium of manga and comics when it was released 35 years ago, and now Kodansha Comics is pulling out all the stops on a gorgeous new anniversary box set. The Akira 35th Anniversary Box Set (AUG171816) is the ultimate edition of this beloved classic, featuring hardcovers of all six volumes of the manga in the original left-to-right reading format. Packaged with the hardcover Akira Club art book and an exclusive patch featuring the iconic “Good for Your Health” pill design, this collector’s item is a must own for any fan of Akira or for any fan of the comics medium.

The Metabarons HC

Alejandro Jodorowsky’s films changed the artistry of filmmaking forever, and his partnerships with Moebius and Juan Gimenez have done the same for the medium of comics. His long running space opera, The Metabarons (DEC141551), stands as testament to Jodorowsky’s genius as a pantheon of graphic storytelling. A multigenerational tale of family, sacrifice, and survival, The Metabarons gives fans of Jodorowsky a glimpse into what his long gestating, but ultimately unmade, film version of Dune might have been. 

X-O Manowar, Vol. 1

Aric of Dacia returns as Valiant Entertainment pulls out all the stops with X-O Manowar, Volume 1 (APR172140). Once used as a weapon in an alien war, Aric is now at peace on a far-off planet making his life as a lonely farmer. Free from violence and the X-O armor, this new life is the escape he always wanted – but war is not left behind so easily. As the interstellar conflict marches on Aric is once again conscripted into battle and forced once again to become X-O Manowar. From soldier to general, emperor to Visigoth; Aric will show them his true power as he decimates armies and topples empires.