New Young Adult Graphic Novels

Kekkaishi. 31 / [story and art by Yellow Tanabe ; translation, Yuko Sawada ; touch-up art & lettering, Stephen Dutro].

"Yoshimori is trapped in a formless void! The next day, the founding master of the kekkaishi himself appears at Yoshimori's home and offers to train him in a unique kekkai style. Is Yoshimori's visitor friend or foe? And why is he also offering to train the vicious Ogi heir, Shichiro...? Meanwhile, the witch Kakeru plans her revenge..."--P. [4] of cover.

Black butler. 9 / Yana Toboso ; [translation, Tomo Kimura ; lettering, Alexis Eckerman].

Blue exorcist. 4 / Kazue Kato ; [translation & English adaptation, John Werry].

"While most of the students at True Cross Academy head home for the summer break, Rin and his classmates are sent to a training camp in the forest district, and the right to go on a real mission is riding on their performance! Locating and recovering their objectives in the woods is tough and will require teamwork, skill and more than a little magic--and Rin will have to learn to rely on his friends. But is Mephisto masterminding something behind the scenes?!"--Publisher's web site.

Slam dunk! science projects with basketball / Robert Gardner and Dennis Shortelle.

"Presents several science experiments and science project ideas using physics and basketball"--Provided by publisher.

Tantalize Kieren's story / Cynthia Leitich Smith ; illustrated by Ming Doyle.

In this graphic novel version of "Tantalize," told from a different perspective, werewolf-in-training Kieren is torn between joining an urban wolf pack and staying to protect his human best friend (and love interest) Quincie, whose restaurant is in danger of morphing into a vampire lair.

K-On!. 4 / by Kakifly ; [translation, Jack Wiedrick ; lettering, Hope Donovan].

"At the start of the second term, the girls of the Pop Music Club start working on their performance for the upcoming school festival, but their rehearsal time is undermined when Ritsu and Mio are selected for the lead roles in the class production of "Romeo and Juliet."

K-On! 3 / presented by Kakifly ; translation, Jack Wiedrick ; lettering, Hope Donovan.

"As the dawn breaks on a new year, Azusa decides it's time for the girls of the Pop Music Club to tuck away inside their tea and cakes. Pick up their instruments! And bring the rock n' roll with another performance! But even though Afterschool Tea Time is starting to sound like a real band, Mio's stage fright is going to make any live show tricky. What better way to cure shyness than with a part-time job?! At a maid café?!"

K-ON!. 2 / presented by Kakifly ; [translation, Jack Wiedrick ; lettering, Hope Donovan].

It's been almost a year since the girls of the pop-music club started jamming together, but the start of the new year is no time to look back on their journey - it's time to recruit new members! Despite their inexperience, the girls' passionate performance at the entrance ceremony impresses first-year Azuka, a budding guitar player who can't wait to join. But she didn't expect there to be so much tea-drinking in the pop-music club. Or ... When do they get around to making music?!

Slam Dunk. Vol. 21, win/loss / Story and art by Takehiko Inoue ; English adaptation Kelly Sue McConnick.

Skip-beat!. 27 / story & art by Yoshiki Nakamura ; [English translation & adaptation, Tomo Kimura ; touch-up art & lettering, Sabrina Heep].

Kyoko Mogami followed her true love Sho to Tokyo to support him while he made it big as an idol. But he's casting her out now that he's famous! Kyoko won't suffer in silence -- she's going to get her sweet revenge by beating Sho in show biz! In vol. 27, Kyoko's having trouble getting into the role of Cain's sister. But is it because she can't relate to a spoiled punk princess, or because Ren is playing Cain? And can Ren stand to have the woman he loves treat him like a brother?

Bleach. Vol. 39, El verdugo / story and art by Tite Kubo ; English adaptation, Lance Caselman ; translation, Joe Yamazaki.

Ichigo Kurosaki has martial arts skills and the ability to see ghosts, and his life is about to change when he meets Rukia Kuchiki, a soul reaper and protector of innocents.

The Transformers. Volume 6, Police action / written by Mike Costa ; art by Brendan Cahill ; additional inks by Brian Shearer ; colors by Joana Lafuente ; letters by Shawn Lee and Nel Uyetake.

Origins of Marvel Comics / collection editor, Alex Starbuck ; [written by Fred Van Lente ... [et al.] and illustrated by John Romita Jr. ... [et al.]].

Features short stories describing the origins of major Marvel Comics characters and character files with short summaries of many more.

Thor. First thunder / writer, Bryan J.L. Glass ; artist, Tan Eng Huat ; additional inks, Victor Olazaba ; colorist, Jose Villarrubia ; letterer, Joe Sabino.

While on a hiking trip in Norway, doctor Donald Blake becomes strangely connected to Thor, the banished God of Asgard, and must help him battle Thor's devious half-brother Loki.

Excalibur visionaries : Alan Davis / writer/penciler, Alan Davis ; inker, Mark Farmer ; colorists, Glynis Oliver & Joe Rosas ; letterer, Michael Heisler.

Avengers/Invaders / plot, Alex Ross & Jim Krueger ; script, Jim Krueger ; pencilers, Steve Sadowski ... [et al.].

"Legends Live Again. The original Invaders (Captain America, Bucky, Human Torch, Toro, and the Sub-Mariner) return in an all-new tale by the award winning team behind EARTH X, Justice and Project Superpowers. The greatest super-team of World War II finds themselves transported from the battlefields of the Second World War to a future they never imagined! Now, the Invaders find themselves confronted by two teams of Avengers who want desperately to believe these heroes are who they say they are, while Tony Stark faces his greatest challenge since the Civil War as he must deal with the 'return' of Steve Rogers. Confronted by a world they barely recognize, the Invaders will have to show two teams of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes just what kind of power, courage and sheer determination it took to defeat the forces of unrelenting evil in the Twentieth century. In fact-- they may just have to do it again in the Twenty-First"--Publisher's web site.

The stand. The night has come / creative director and executive director, Stephen King ; script, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa ; art, Mike Perkins ; color art, Laura Martin ; lettering, VC's Joe Sabino.

Naoki Urasawa's 20th century boys, Vol. 16, Beyond the looking glass / story and art by Naoki Urasawa ; with the cooperation of Takashi Nagasaki.

"Contrary to what his actions as an adult have led Kenji and his pals to believe, back when they were children, Fukube really wanted to be their friend. Fukube even went so far as to let them read all the latest manga magazines he diligently purchased in the hope of winning their friendship. Yet despite all this, Fukube still felt like an outsider. Fostering a sense of superiority toward all the other children around him, how did Fukube's actions as a little boy serve as an indication of the kind of man he would eventually become? Next, the clock is rolled forward to the third year of the Friendship Era, a frightening time in which the virus has decimated most of the world's population, and the vaccine is available only to a lucky few. Tokyo has been quarantined behind a giant wall that is patrolled by both the Global Defense Forces and the Friend's secret police, and yet while life on the inside is made to resemble Kenji's childhood from the 1960s, the world beyond the wall is a desolate wasteland. Two young siblings come to the aid of an injured man who has managed to break through the barricade, and his name is Otcho!"--Amazon.com.

Naoki Urasawa's 20th century boys. Vol. 15, Expo hurray / story & art by Naoki Urasawa; with the cooperation of Takashi Nagasaki ; [English adaptation, Akemi Wegmüller].

"Sorting through the volumes of research his dearly departed mentor left behind, a young priest, recently returned to Rome, stumbles across a mysterious (and potentially dangerous) book that prophesizes the end of the world. Uncertain as to the text's true meaning, Brother Luciano's search quickly leads him to a startling revelation: the Friends may have operatives inside the Vatican, and the young priest's life is most likely now in danger. Around the globe, the mysterious and deadly virus continues to spread as the death toll mounts. However, Kanna, Otcho and Yoshitsune have another concern: despite what is being reported in the media, several people have claimed to see the Friend alive and walking the streets of Tokyo. But what does this bode for the pope's visit to Japan and the 2015 World Exposition in Tokyo?"--Amazon.com.

Warriors Three. Dog day afternoon / writer, Bill Willingham ; penciler, Neil Edwards ; inker, Scott Hanna with Daniel Green and Crimelab Syndicates (issue #4) ; colorists, Frank Martin (issue #1) & Fabio D'Auria (issues #2-4) ; letterer, Clayton Cowles.

The Warriors Three set off on an epic journey to discover the secret to stopping Fenris Wolf, the son of Loki who was imprisoned for slaughtering an entire Viking village, exiled on an island in Niflhel for all eternity--until agents of Advanced Idea Mechanics freed the wolf in the hope of researching his genetics.

Sailor Moon. 3 / by Naoko Takeuchi.

Girl genius omnibus. Volume 1, Agatha awakens / Phil Foglio and Kaja Foglio.

Ultimates. Vol. 1 / by Jonathan Hickman ; artist, Esad Ribic.

Iron Man, Thor and Hawkeye form the core of the Ultimates - S.H.I.E.L.D.'s finest fighting force, all too often the only thing keeping the world from total disaster. But when the walls of the mysterious City open up and the hyper-evolved Children of Tomorrow spill out, the Ultimates suddenly find themselves powerless against an unbeatable enemy. As even as Thor's Asgardian brethren fall before the Children, the God of Thunder makes a startling discovery about this incredible new threat - which might not be such a new threat after all!

Superman. Reign of doomsday / Paul Cornell, writer ; Alex Giménez ... [et al.], artists ; additional art by Dan Jurgens...[et al] ; Brad Anderson, Blond, colorists ; Bob Leigh, letterer ; collection cover by Kenneth Rocafort.

"Doomsday has returned in these tales from ACTION COMICS #900-904! The monster that once Superman's life in a battle that destroyed half of Metropolis is back for another round with the Man of Steel. Writer Paul Cornell (Doctor Who, KNIGHT AND SQUIRE) pens a tale that not only puts Superman in a fight for his life -- but in a fight for the life of Superboy, Supergirl and all members of the Superman family. "--Publisher.

X-men : first to last / writer, Christopher Yost ; penciler, Paco Medina ; artist, Dalabor Talajic.

Think you know everything there is to know about the original X-Men? Think again! Something happened to Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Angel, Iceman and Professor X years ago, a secret so horrible that it has been locked away in the dark corner of Cyclops' mind until today. What crisis strikes in the present that calls upon memories of the past? Witness the astonishing debut of the Evolutionaries! Who are the Evolutionaries and why doesn't anyone remember when they fought Xavier and his original five X-Men? Cyclops and his crew on Utopia better figure out quick or the Evolutionaries are going to wipe out every human on the planet. --Publisher.