November 2025 BotM: Recommended by your LCS or Library!

[Erin]

This month, we're asking the experts and reading comics recommended by your LCS or library!

What were you recommended? What did you think? Tell us all about it!

The IRCB episode for this month's BotM will go live on 11/19.

[Jessica]

I was recommended Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by my local comic book store earlier this year while I was picking up an issue of Black Canary: Best of the Best, also by Tom King.

I just finished it a minute ago and... yeah... great recommendation! Art, story, everything is terrific.

I wasn't 100% sold before reading because I didn't love King's narration style in Best of the Best, but it works a lot better here. And of course the storytelling as a whole is phenomenal.

Not to mention I'll be caught up when the movie comes out next year!

[Brandon]

Visited the library last week and they had a display featuring crime comics to read in November. I avoided the Watchmen and Criminal recs to go for something I had never heard of before- The Man in the McIntosh Suit.

It was fine? Art had some nice moments, loved the backgrounds and scenery. It could be a bit difficult to differentiate characters sometimes but it being a book where the central plot was about mistaken identities and rumours and such, having characters look a bit more vague worked in its favour sometimes.

I like seeing the protagonist explore the city, go from bakery to pool hall and dance hall and all the places in-between. I think the book was at its best when it was exploring the settings, as the central mystery didn't hook me too much. I like the protagonist being a flawed 'romantic' driven blindly by his desire to see his wife (to the point where the entire plot relies on his desperation). The premise of the characters being Filipino immigrants in late '20s is interesting, I hadn't seen that before, I wish I would have clicked with the book more.

I don't know if I'd second the recommendation but it was worth trying out.

[Nancy]

Although I am a librarian myself and love to give graphic novel recommendations to my patrons, I will share a few that I received over the years from the comic gurus at Graham Crackers, which is my favorite comic book store. All are gritty and dark, but they know what I like.

Strange Fruit by JG Jones & Mark Waid
Briggs Land by Brian Wood (before his scandal) & Mack Chater
The Cape by Joe Hill & Jason Ciaramella
Deadly Class by Rick Remender & Wes Craig

[Machiavelli]

My LCS recommended Pulp by Brubaker and Phillips. I hadn’t read anything by them yet. What a treat! They’re now one of my favorite duos - loved it.

I also got recommended Feral by them. I was really hesitant on it, horror that looks like Disney? But wow, another home run by them. Loved that one too. Went and picked up Stray Dogs afterwards because I enjoyed Feral so much by Tony Fleecs and Tone Rodriguez

[Chad]

The original Stray Dogs mini is great. Stray Dogs: Dog Days felt like a weak attempt to squeeze a few more bucks out of people. I love those homage horror movie covers. Feral's really good too.

If you haven't read any other Brubaker and Phillips yet, make sure and check out Criminal. They just released a new OGN, The Knives, back in August set in the world of Criminal.

[Adam]

Nancy wrote: "Although I am a librarian myself and love to give graphic novel recommendations to my patrons, I will share a few that I received over the years from the comic gurus at Graham Crackers, which is my..."

I used to hit up the Graham Cracker location on Broadway when we lived in Chicago. Between them, Chicago Comics and Challenger it was an embarrassment of riches.