Hey fellow comic readers!

This is a monthly reading club for comics and graphic novels. All are welcome, from total newcomers who are interested in delving into the world of comics, to seasoned veterans who know their Secret Wars from their Civil War. This is a safe place where you can share your opinions and partake in discussions, all in a respectful and mature environment.

Each month, there will be two books assigned for us to read before the meeting. However, don't worry if you don't get the chance to finish reading them! You can come in and give us your thoughts based on however far you got! Just be aware that everyone is free to talk about spoilers for the particular volume we read.

We place emphasis on books that are accessible, and will typically assign either graphic novels or collected volumes that contain around six issues (although this is not a hard and fast rule). If there is demand for it, we may explore other formats, such as web comics, etc.

You'll also get the chance to suggest and vote for next month's books! For this first meeting, as it is our initial one, everyone may feel feel free to bring one recommendation (one per person). However, for subsequent meetings, there will be a rule wherein members must have attended at least two meetings before being able to put in a suggestion of their own.

A lot of our books will be available digitally, as well as from libraries. We aim to accommodate you in whatever way you prefer to read your comics.

The following are this month's books, as well as suggestions on where to read/buy them:

Rat Queens Vol. 1: Sass & Sorcery

Written by Kurtis J. Wiebe, illustrated by Roc Upchurn

2013, 130 pages, rated 17+

Who are the Rat Queens? A pack of booze-guzzling, death-dealing battle maidens-for-hire, and they're in the business of killing all god's creatures for profit. It's also a darkly comedic sass-and-sorcery series starring Hannah the Rockabilly Elven Mage, Violet the Hipster Dwarven Fighter, Dee the Atheist Human Cleric and Betty the Hippy Smidgen Thief. This modern spin on an old school genre is a violent monster-killing epic that is like Buffy meets Tank Girl in a Lord of the Rings world gone off the rails!

Comixology Link: https://www.comixology.com/Rat-Queens-Vol-1-Sass-Sorcery/digital-comic/86920?ref=c2VhcmNoL2luZGV4L2Rlc2t0b3Avc2xpZGVyTGlzdC9pdGVtU2xpZGVy

Hoopla Link: https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/11903674

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Rat-Queens-1-Sass-Sorcery/dp/1607069458/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3M85SDENKO28T&dchild=1&keywords=rat+queens&qid=1591767124&sprefix=rat+queens%2Caps%2C199&sr=8-2

Joe the Barbarian

Written by Grant Morrisson, illustrated by Sean Murphy

2010, 203 pages, rated 17+

Joe is an imaginative young kid of 11 who happens to suffer from type 1 diabetes. Without supervision and insulin, he can easily slip into a delirious, dissociative state that presages coma and death. One fateful day, his condition causes him to believe he has entered a vivid fantasy world in which he is the lost savior -- a fantastic land based on the layout and contents of his home. His desperate attempts to make it out of his bedroom and down the mountainous stairs, to find food, switch the lights on and answer the phone to his mother, transform into an incredible, epic quest adventure through a bizarre landscape of submarine pirate dwarves, evil Hell Hounds, Lightning Lords and besieged castles; a landscape which allows him to work out his own and his family's problems.

Comixology Link: https://www.comixology.com/Joe-the-Barbarian/digital-comic/57723?ref=c2VhcmNoL2luZGV4L2Rlc2t0b3Avc2xpZGVyTGlzdC90b3BSZXN1bHRzU2xpZGVy

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Joe-Barbarian-Grant-Morrison/dp/1401237479/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2TNG7J8TNWZZ4&dchild=1&keywords=joe+the+barbarian&qid=1591767380&sprefix=joe+the+ba%2Caps%2C201&sr=8-1