Will Eisner, the man who created what’s widely considered the first modern graphic novel (1978’s A Contract with God) and coined the term “sequential art” to describe the medium, died Jan. 3 at age 87 after quadruple bypass surgery. This new book from DC Comics provides indisputable evidence of the impact Eisner had on the comic-book universe.

Will Eisner’s Spirit Archives, Vol. 14 is a beautiful clothbound, full-color book collecting issues of Eisner’s classic The Spirit from Jan. 5 to June 29, 1947. A weekly newspaper supplement that started in 1940, The Spirit reached five million readers through 20 newspapers. The hero, detective Denny Colt, was supposedly murdered by crooks but was actually buried alive, allowing him to continue his crime fighting incognito. His milieu was full of subway muggings, domestic violence, hard-eyed dames, pickpocketing street urchins and other (at the time shockingly) realistic details of urban New York life. This was no kids’ stuff; Eisner was clearly out to establish comic books as a serious art form, and it worked. We have him to thank for everything from Sin City to American Splendor. BECKY OHLSEN

Manga has produced yet another innovation and a sensation with Tokyo Tribes by Santa Inoue. It’s a tongue-in-cheek take on the Tokyo hip-hop scene, complete with rival gangs, rap-inflected slang, plenty of bling and, of course, major problems caused by stolen girlfriends. It was a huge hit in Japan when it came out and is sure to get mad props here as well. Becky Ohlsen writes from Portland, Oregon.

One of the fastest-growing divisions of Japanese manga, that vast universe of Japanese comics that’s forever reinventing itself, is shojo, comic books aimed at a young female audience, which typically combine light romance with a few traditional action sequences. A prime example of this genre is the new Saikano: The Last Love Song on This Little Planet, by Shin Takahashi. What seems at first like a simple high-school love story becomes much more: Shuji, an awkward but adoring guy, falls for the shy, apologetic Chise. Just as they’ve begun to overcome the hurdles of normal adolescent relationships, Chise confesses that she’s been engineered by a foreign army to be “the ultimate weapon.” This news might come as quite a blow to the average high-school boyfriend, but the two lovebirds are determined to stick together and work through it.

Becky Ohlsen writes from Portland, Oregon.

Another collection of short pieces by a variety of big names in the graphic-novel universe is Bizarro World. Bizarro World, of course, is that “other” universe, where superheroes can be bad guys or, worse, bumbling losers. This new anthology has contributions from some of the most interesting alternative-comics writers and illustrators, including Craig Thompson, Peter Bagge, Harvey Pekar, Scott Morse, Evan Dorkin and Tony Millionaire and a cover by Jaime Hernandez. Watch Batman write a blog! See Wonder Woman undergo teenage angst! See Robin’s comedy routine blow Aquaman right off the open-mic stage! Play along as Superman frolics with his faithful dog! There’s lots more, some of it even sillier and all of it good fun.

Becky Ohlsen writes from Portland, Oregon.

There’s nothing even remotely matter-of-fact about The Book of Ballads, a collection of folk songs and fairy tales illustrated by Charles Vess and written by some of the biggest names in comics and fantasy writing, including Neil Gaiman (Sandman), Jeff Smith (Bone) and Charles de Lint. Vess’ delicate line drawings and fairy-tale subject matter can trace their roots back to the likes of Edward Burne-Jones and Arthur Rackham.

Becky Ohlsen writes from Portland, Oregon.

<b>It’s all about style</b> The social commentary continues in renowned artist Peter Kuper’s dramatically vivid re-creation of Upton Sinclair’s classic novel <b>The Jungle</b>. Kuper, who has also done graphic-novel adaptations of Franz Kafka’s stories and novellas, has a frenzied, almost violent visual style, full of movement and color and untidy emotions. The climactic scene, a workers’ riot, fills two pages with a spectacular explosion of shapes expressing in no uncertain terms the chaos that had built up inside the main character, the immigrant Jurgis. <i>Becky Ohlsen writes from Portland, Oregon.</i>

<b>It’s all about style</b> One of the most exciting books to be published recently is <b>The Originals</b>. A dream come true for many comics fans, this semi-autobiographical, mod-meets-noir tale offers a peek into the formative years of revered author/artist Dave Gibbons, co-creator (with Alan Moore) of the seminal <i>Watchmen</i> and a widely acknowledged master of the graphic novel. Gibbons grew up during the ascent of mod culture, when nobody was anybody without a scooter and a skinny tie. The book is set in the future, although the slang, the style and the hover-scooters are all clearly nods to ’60s London. The black-and-white artwork and hard-boiled text are the perfect medium for the gritty story of social ambitions gone wrong. <i>Becky Ohlsen writes from Portland, Oregon.</i>

Original and moving, David B.’s Epileptic is a graphic memoir about the author’s childhood near OrlŽans, France. His older brother, Jean-Christophe, developed epilepsy at age 11, and the impact this had on the artist as a child, a teen and an adult is detailed in alternately sweet, tragic and hilarious fashion. The simple black-and-white drawings call to mind Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, as do the adolescent’s-eye view of life and the author’s matter-of-fact tone. It’s all beautifully presented in an oversized hardcover book.

Becky Ohlsen writes from Portland, Oregon.

Some might wince at the idea of a comic book treatment of the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center. But consider the history of the medium: Some of the most brilliant graphic novels ever created have covered horror and tragedy (Art Spiegelman’s Maus on the Holocaust, Joe Sacco’s Palestine and Safe Area Gorazde, just to name a few). In their graphic adaptation of the final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation (also available in hardcover), comics veterans Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon take advantage of the medium to create a multi-frame timeline laying out the events of that day as they happened simultaneously in different places. The effect is a coherent, if often brutal, picture of the September 11 attacks that will surely have a stronger and wider impact on readers than any governmental report possibly could.

For insight into the early days of superhero comics, check out Tales to Astonish, pop-culture journalist Ronin Ro’s streetwise biography of Jack Kirby, the man who created Captain America and who, during the great Silver Age of comics in the 1960s, teamed up with the legendary Stan Lee at Marvel Comics to introduce basically every superhero anyone’s ever heard of, from the Incredible Hulk, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men to Thor and the Silver Surfer. Kirby is also the inspiration for Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. A complicated figure often surrounded by controversy, among most comics fans today he is revered and spoken of in hallowed tones. This fascinating biography helps to explain why.

If you’re looking to bone up on your knowledge of all things manga, you can’t do better than Helen McCarthy’s new book, 500 Manga Heroes &andamp Villains. McCarthy is an acknowledged expert on this Japanese comic-book art form, and her sure-footed descriptions of the genre’s personalities from Astro Boy to Yu-Gi-Oh ring with authority and well-supported opinion. This is a reference book that’s almost as much fun to read as its subject.

One of the cooler manga books to come out in a while is Smuggler, by Shohei Manabe (creator of the much-praised Dead End). It’s the noirish tale of an actor down on his luck who gets sucked into a dark underworld full of loan sharks, Yakuza and assorted lowlifes who force the actor into a body-smuggling scheme. The dark, sketchy artwork, all cigarettes and shadows, is a perfect match for such a gritty story.

This adult-themed manga, Wild Rock, puts sort of a Brokeback Mountain spin on the genre. Emba and Yuuen are two young warrior boys each destined to become chieftain of their feuding clans. When they meet and fall in love, are they doomed to heartbreak, or can they own up to their feelings? The story’s quite simple, but the delicate artwork by Kazusa Takashima makes it a gorgeous book.