Meg Cabot’s “Black Canary: Ignite” features art by Cara McGee, colors by Caitlin Quirk, and letters by Clayton Cowles. The story focuses on a middle-school-aged Dinah Lance who plays in a band with her friends Kat Van Dorn and Vee Ramirez. Dinah wants to eventually become a police officer like her father, but he worries about her as she begins showing signs of having powers when she can break things with her voice. Meanwhile, a mysterious figure lurks nearby observing her as a villain from Dinah’s mother’s past returns. Cabot delightfully introduces the Black Canary to a new generation of readers in this reimagining of the character. The story resembles the magical girl genre of manga, though with elements of punk rock akin to Marvel’s “Spider-Gwen.” McGee’s illustrations and Quirk’s colors perfectly match the energy of the story. This would be a fun book for DC fans to give to their younger children as well as to read themselves.

Joe Sacco’s “Paying the Land” tells the story of the Dene around the Mackenzie River Valley, whose livelihoods are threatened by the oil, gas, and diamond industries in the Canadian Northwest Territories. Industrial and economic changes transform the landscape while dividing communities between traditionalists, those who embrace the new systems, and people who remain conflicted but undecided. Elements of the environmental story and its impact on the locals resemble Kate Beaton’s recent book, “Ducks,” though the indigenous perspective sets “Paying the Land” apart. Sacco interviews members of the Dene in order to bring their words to the world. In addition to the costs of resource exploitation, Sacco recounts how the residential school system represented an institutional effort to destroy First Nations cultures (pg. 121-149). Like his other graphic novel journalism projects, Sacco acknowledges the observer’s paradox and how his entry into these communities and interviews only capture his own perspective or others’ perspectives filtered through him and the limitations that process involves. He notes that his interviews are another form of extraction similar to the oil industry on Dene land (p. 107). He also acknowledges that processing First Nations’ experiences through a western medium can repeat – albeit on a smaller scale – the cultural genocide of the residential schools and their efforts to force Euro-Canadian culture upon the Dene. Despite these concerns and his somewhat disarming portrayal of himself in a self-deprecating manner reminiscent of R. Crumb or Harvey Pekar, he strives to illuminate stories that might not receive as much attention in the standard press. Sacco concludes with a look at different efforts for decolonization work that members of the Dene are undertaking. The result is the type of work that Sacco’s readers expect and that sheds light on the lingering effects of colonization.

Rosa Carr’s “Air Fay” tells the story of Aria, who finds herself transported to the world of Fairy without any memory of who she is or where she came from. Encountering Laredo, another Fairy with secrets of his own, she learns more about the world and begins to uncover secrets of her past and her destiny. Carr crafts a detailed world of Fae that can exist parallel to our own human world, though the writing is occasionally wooden and the conflicts occasionally feel forced to achieve a plot goal rather than the actions of well-rounded characters. Specifically, Laredo’s sullen moods read as clichéd efforts to create conflict or remove him from the story for ease of plot and his big secret is all-too-obvious for following well-worn tropes. Despite these weaknesses, Carr’s writing shines in the third act when her characters reach their central conflict. The action and world-building reads as much more believable while the characters’ actions feel natural. “Air Fay” will entertain middle readers who enjoy fantasy and is likely to find an audience among those looking for something new at the library.

Alyssa Wong’s “Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Omnibus, Vol. 2” collects “Doctor Aphra” (2020) #1-25 written by Wong with pencils by Marika Cresta, Ray-Anthony Height, Robert Gill, Minkya Jung, Federica Sabbatini, and Natacha Bustos; inks by Victor Olazaba; colors by Rachelle Rosenberg; letters by Joe Caramagna; and cover art by Valentina Remenar, Leinil Francis Yu, Sunny Gho, Joshua “Sway” Swaby, Sara Pichelli, Nolan Woodard, and W. Scott Forbes. The story continues the saga of the “Star Wars” galaxy’s favorite rogue archaeologist, Chelli Aphra, following the events of “The Empire Strikes Back” as the Rebel Alliance is on the run and Darth Vader holds a grudge against Aphra for the fallout from their partnership. Meanwhile, she’s put together a new team consisting of herself, Black Krrsantan, Detta Yao, Doctor Eustacia Okka, Just Lucky, and TA-418 while they try to evade Ronen Tagge, a member of the wealthy Tagge family who seeks out rare, one-of-a-kind pieces just so that he can be the last to hold them before destroying them in the ultimate display of privilege. Dealing with these artifacts eventually brings Aphra into conflict with Domina Tagge, whose family business threads a narrow path in the Empire in order to enrich itself and maintain a political status quo beneficial to their plans. Aphra’s emplyment with Tagge leads her to missions involving Crimson Dawn and malevolent Ascendant artifacts. This volume concludes with an Ascendant artifact taking possession of Aphra, leading her associates to unite in order to free her from its grip. Wong’s writing advances Dr. Aphra’s narrative while expanding the scope of the “Star Wars” galaxy to include more groups paralleling the Jedi and Sith in the ancient past. Cresta, Height, Gill, Jung, Sabbatini, and Bustos’ art all brings Wong’s story to dynamic action while Rosenberg’s colors pop. A great collection for fans of Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra, though less than half as long as the first omnibus.

Lauren Myracle’s “Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story” features art by Isaac Goodhart, colors by Cris Peter, and letters by Steve Wands. The story reimagines the meeting of Victor Fries and Nora Faria, both of whom have experienced tragedy in their seventeen years. Victor researches cryonics in order to treat disease after losing his older brother, Otto, in a fire when they were younger. Nora, suffering from chrysalisis, knows that her degenerative disease will inevitably lead her to lose herself before losing her life. Each touched by tragedy, they meet in a graveyard and find renewed life in each other’s company. Victor’s drive begins to extend to Nora, trying to give her perfect days while also researching ways to forestall the effects of her disease. The result is a great tragic retelling of Victor Fries and Nora set in the modern day. Goodhart’s art uses visual language to alternate between hope, with butterflies, and doom, with dark birds, flitting around the story. Peter’s colors similarly punctuate the story as she alternates between warm oranges and reds and colder blues and purples depending on the character or the scene. Myracle brings this classic comic book narrative into the modern era in the style of contemporary YA fiction as a great introduction to these characters for newcomers and a fun retelling for established fans.

Marjorie Liu and Jason Aaron’s “Star Wars: Han Solo” collects “Han Solo” #1-5 written by Liu, penciled by Mark Brooks, inked by Brooks and Dexter Vines, colored by Sonia Oback and Matt Milla, lettered by Joe Caramanga, with cover art by Lee Bermejo, Tula Lotay, Olivier Coipel, and Kamome Shirahama as well as “Star Wars” #8-12 written by Aaron, penciled by Stuart Immonen, inked by Wade von Grawbadger, colored by Justin Ponsor, lettered by Chris Eliopoulos, with covers by Stuart Immonen, von Grawbadger, and Ponsor. The first five issues from the “Han Solo” miniseries focus on Han and Chewbacca entering the Dragon Void race as cover to pick up Alliance spies within the first year after the Battle of Yavin. They do this as a secret mission for Princess Leia in a story that explores Han’s morality and sense of duty. The story evokes Brian Daley’s “Han Solo Adventures” from the late 1970s, though using the current aesthetic of the “Star Wars” galaxy. The “B” story, from “Star Wars” #8-12, alternates between Han Solo and Leia Organa’s encounter with Sana Starros, who claims to be Han Solo’s wife and wants to collect the bounty of Leia, and Luke Skywalker traveling to Nar Shadda seeking a covert way to Coruscant in order to learn more about the Jedi. The Han/Leia/Sana story has the types of romantic misunderstandings that characterize Han and Leia’s relationship in the Original Trilogy. Meanwhile, the Luke story affords a deeper look at Luke’s process of learning more about the Jedi and the Force following Ben Kenobi’s death but prior to his trip to Dagobah. In this, it resembles elements of Kevin Hearne’s “Heir to the Jedi.” The addition of these stories to the “Han Solo” collected book feel somewhat disjointed. They work well as “Star Wars” books, but are tonally and thematically different than the “Han Solo” series. That being said, fans of the Original Trilogy will enjoy this collection and its character-driven stories.

Paul Dini’s “Dark Night: A True Batman Story” tells an autobiographical account of Dini’s childhood love of stories that influenced his later work on “Batman: The Animated Series” and that helped him deal with the traumatic aftermath of his mugging in 1993 in which he was nearly killed. The experience crystallizes his years of self-doubt and self-hatred and makes him question his life. Through it all, he processes the experience with the animation that inspired so much of his life. Eduardo Risso beautifully illustrates the work, alternating between styles depending on the scene or to capture the mood of Dini’s memory. Russo blends illustration styles in a way that captures the multilayered narrative with familiar characters appearing recognizable while also having the malleability that people bring to their interpretations and favored portrayals of the characters that dominate popular consciousness. Todd Klein’s lettering helps to bring Dini’s words to life in an accessible format that emphasizes the key points. “Dark Night” will particularly interest fans of “Batman: The Animated Series” who want to know more about the creators and the world of WB Animation at that time. It also shows the power of graphic novels to tell deeply personal stories.

Mark Waid’s “Star Wars: Princess Leia” collects issues #1-5 of the titular series written by Waid, illustrated by Terry Dodson, inked by Rachel Dodson, colored by Jordie Bellaire, lettered by Joe Caramagna, and with cover art by the Dodsons. The story begins mere minutes after the end of “A New Hope,” with Princess Leia finding herself seeking a purpose in the wake of Alderaan’s destruction. She recruits fellow Alderaanian pilot Evaan Verlaine for her personal mission as the last surviving member of the Alderaanian Royal Family to seek out and rescue any surviving Alderaanians before the Empire can eliminate them in retaliation for the Death Star’s destruction. Leia’s travels first take her to Naboo, offering a chance for her to encounter a Force-vision of her mother, the late Queen Amidala. Similarly, Artoo-deetoo has a homecoming, though without the fanfare. From there, they travel to Sullust, where Leia finds a group of particularly paranoid Alderaanians. She wins their loyalty, but needs their skills to find a spy in her midst. Evaan also helps introduce Nien Nunb to Princess Leia. Once Leia learns the identity of the spy, she demonstrates her willingness to risk her own life to preserve every remaining Alderaanian life. Meanwhile, her emissary to a different Alderaanian enclave encounters difficulty due to the fact that the Alderaanians have married and had children with the local population. Some want to accept anyone with Alderaanian heritage in order to keep any trace of their people alive while others reveal their racism. The story is a great Leia-centric “Star Wars” adventure, taking place shortly after the original film. The connections with Nien Nunb help connect to Cecil Castellucci and Jason Fry’s novel, “Moving Target,” while the setting neatly parallels Marvel’s relaunch of the “Star Wars” comics. Further, Leia’s brief glimpse of a Force-vision of her mother is a moving scene. Both Luke’s wardrobe as well as that of Evaan help to establish a style that appeared in Kevin Hearne’s novel, “Heir to the Jedi.” Waid is an able storyteller and uses Leia’s quest to rescue Alderaanian survivors as an introduction to explore Leia’s character. The Dodson’s art works particularly well with Waid’s writing, capturing character likenesses and imbuing scenes with a dynamism befitting “Star Wars” storytelling.

Devin Grayson’s “X-Men: Evolution – Volume 1” collects the first four issues of the comic featuring artwork and colors by Udon with Long Vo, Charles Park & Saka with letters by Randy Gentile. The issues serve as a prequel to the series of the same name that aired on Kids’ WB from 2000-2003. The series, based on the early “X-Men” comics, features a younger version of the team set in contemporary times that debuted shortly after “X-Men: The Movie.” The stories focus on Charles Xavier forming his school and recruiting other mutants to the cause of peaceful co-existence with humanity, beginning with Ororo Munroe, Wolverine, Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Kurt Wagner. Each issue focuses on a specific character. It also briefly showcases the ideological split between Magneto and Professor X. It’s a fun companion to the animated series for fans of the show and works well as a prelude to the series episodes.

Paul Michael Peters’ “Mist and Moonbeams: Stories from the Great Lakes Edge” features five novelettes set around Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. Peters organizes the stories based on the mnemonic “H.O.M.E.S.,” with that sense of home running through each novelette. The Huron story, “You Can’t Start a Fire with Moonlight,” focuses on a forbidden love and the pain of its loss. Turning to Ontario, “A Hummingbird in Winter” takes place in the twenty-second century with human connections driving the narrative as main character Dash finds his world changed after a chance encounter. As Peters reaches Michigan, “Confessions of an Efficient Cause” takes on a noir tone as the dark winter of 1992 parallels a threat to students in Chicago and the detective who seeks justice on their behalf. On Erie – the shallowest of the lakes that empties the quickest – “Careful, Icarus” is a heist story in Cleveland featuring a character who hopes one big score can change his life for good. Finally, Peters closes out with Superior and his story “Love in Her Big Two-Hearted,” which follows recent widow Sonny as she seeks out a new adventure through a canoe trip in order to quench her sense of unfulfilled dreams. The stories are entertaining in their own way with their brevity often working to their strength. The book will appeal to those looking to try something new and would find a good home at any library or rental cabin along the Great Lakes. In fact, I was struck while reading this by how perfectly this book would fit in hotels or private rentals along the lakes for vacationers to have something to read after a day exploring the sights. The variety and brevity of the stories are perfectly suited to this type of reading while the local settings would entertain readers as a diversion while they visit the Great Lakes Region.