Library Blog

We have a brand new service available to library card holders! Comics Plus provides digital access to comics, graphic novels, and manga, with no holds or wait times. There are hundreds of titles, with more being added regularly, so you'll never run out of new things to read. 

We will be raffling off a gift card to Adventures Underground in Richland to kick off Comics Plus! Come into the library and fill out a short review card for something you've read on Comics Plus and be entered to win!

You can access Comics Plus on your desktop by following the links on our website (look for ComicsPlus under "Our Services") or download the app onto a device through your app store. 

To log in, search for Umatilla Public Library, and select the collection that matches your age (or the age of the cardholder). 

| Children's - ages 0-12 | Teen - ages 13-17 | Full Collection - age 18+ |

Once logged in, you can explore comics based on popularity, date added or published, genre, age group, etc. After selecting a title, you can jump right in to read it, download it to read now or later, or add to shelf to make them easier to find later.

If you're new to graphic novels and manga, or if you just want some suggestions from what's available on Comics Plus, here are some popular titles for all age groups. (You can read from any age group of course, but some titles may be restricted based on the age of the cardholder). 

What's the difference between comics, graphic novels and manga?

All of these categories are part of the "comics family," in that they tell stories with both words and pictures, but they are divided to show differences in style and format. Comics is the umbrella term for all of these, but is most commonly used to refer to comics that are released on a monthly basis, superhero comics for example, make up a big part of this section in the United States. Graphic novels refer to comics that are in longer form, and often were created to be released in a more traditional book format, although weekly comics may also be collected into volumes, which are often then called graphic novels. Manga is the specific term for Japanese comics, which have a very distinct style, and are usually read right to left. 

For most people, the specific terminology is less important than knowing what you like to read personally, so on to the recommendations!

Graphic Novels

Adults:

• Locke & Key Vol. 1  by Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez - Horror, Fantasy | "Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them... and home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all..."
• My Favorite Thing is Monsters  by Emil Ferris - Mystery, Literary, Horror | "Karen Reyes tries to solve the murder of her enigmatic upstairs neighbor, Anka Silverberg, a holocaust survivor, while the interconnected stories of those around her unfold."
• Monstress Vol. 1  by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda - Fantasy, Science Fiction | "Monstress tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both."
• The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 1  by Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie - Fantasy, Science Fiction | "Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead."
• Bitter Root Omnibus  by David F. Walker, Chuck Brown, & Sanford Greene - Historical, Mystery, Supernatural | "For generations the Sangerye family has fought to protect the world from the evil plague of the jinoo - hideous creatures born out of hate and racism. But now the family must face an even greater evil that has arisen to destroy humanity and threatens to rip the family apart."
• Saga Vol. 1  by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples - Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance | "When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe."
• Rat Queens Vol. 1  by Kurtis J. Wiebe & Roc Upchurch - Fantasy, Humor | "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."
• Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees  by Patrick Horvath - Horror, Mystery | "Don’t. Murder. The locals. This is small-town serial killer, upstanding citizen, and adorable brown bear Samantha Strong’s cardinal rule. So you can imagine her indignation when one of Woodbrook’s own meets a grisly, mysterious demise—and you wouldn’t blame her for doing anything it takes to hunt down her rival before the town self-destructs."
• My Life Among Humans  by Jed M. McGowan - Science Fiction | "A nameless alien data compiler comes to Earth to study humans, setting up shop on the outskirts of a small desert community in North America. Working under forced labor, it must watch humans in complete secrecy while sending regular reports to its manager back home."
• Umbrella Academy Vol. 1  by Gerard Way & Gabriel Ba - Science Fiction, Action | "Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven ... children; when asked why, his only explanation was, "To save the world." These seven children form the Umbrella Academy, a dysfunctional family of superheroes with bizarre powers."

Teens:

• Paper Girls Vol. 1  by Brian K. Vaughan & Cliff Chiang - Science Fiction | "In the early hours after Halloween of 1988, four 12-year old newspaper delivery girls uncover the most important story of all time. Suburban drama and otherworldly mysteries collide in this smash hit series."
• Castle Waiting Vol. 1  by Linda Medley - Fantasy, Slice of Life | "Castle Waiting is the story of an isolated, abandoned castle, and the eccentric inhabitants who bring it back to life."
• They Called Us Enemy  by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, & Harmony Becker - Historical | "In a stunning graphic memoir, Takei revisits his haunting childhood in American concentration camps, as one of over 100,000 Japanese Americans imprisoned by the U.S. government during World War II."
• Season of the Bruja Vol. 1  by Aaron Durán, Jaime Martinez, & Sara Soler - Fantasy, Thriller | "Althalia knew she would someday be the last of her kind—a bruja, tasked with keeping the power and stories of the ancient ways from fading fully into history. Never alone, Althalia works in a paranormal museum with her friends, a real-life Chupacabra and a were-coyote."
• Lost at Sea  by Bryan Lee O'Malley - Slice of Life | "Eighteen-year-old Raleigh doesn't have a soul. A cat stole it. Or at least that's what she tells people. Or at least that's what should tell people if she told people anything."
• Mooncakes  by Suzanne Walker & Wendy Xu - Fantasy, Slice of Life | "Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods."
• 47 Ronin  by Kazuo Koike, Mike Richardson, Lovern Kindzierski, & Stan Sakai - Historical, Action | "The tale of the 47 Ronin and their epic mission to avenge their wronged master epitomizes the samurai code of honor."
• Moonstruck Vol. 1  by Grace Ellis, Kate Leth, & Shae Beagle - Fantasy, Slice of Life | "Werewolf barista Julie and her new girlfriend go on a date to a close-up magic show, but all heck breaks loose when the magician casts a horrible spell on their friend Chet. Now it's up to the team of mythical pals to stop the illicit illusionist before it's too late."
• Elle(s) Vol. 1  by Kid Toussaint & Aveline Stokart - Slice of Life, Science Fiction | "Elle is just another teenage girl...most of the time. Bubbly and good-natured, she wastes no time making friends on her first day at her new school. But Elle has a secret: she hasn't come alone. She's brought with her a colorful mix of personalities, which come out when she least expects it..."
• Sheets  by Brenna Thummler - Supernatural, Slice of Life | "Marjorie Glatt feels like a ghost. A practical thirteen year old in charge of the family laundry business. Wendell is a ghost. When their worlds collide, Marjorie is confronted by unexplainable disasters as Wendell transforms Glatt's Laundry into his midnight playground."

Kids:

• Bone Vol. 1  by Jeff Smith - Adventure, Fantasy | "The three Bone cousins — Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone — are separated and lost in a vast, uncharted desert. One by one, they find their way into a deep, forested valley filled with wonderful and terrifying creatures."
• Awkward  by Svetlana Chmakova - Slice of Life | "Cardinal rule #1 for surviving school: Don't get noticed by the mean kids. Cardinal rule #2 for surviving school: Seek out groups with similar interests and join them. [But] Peppi realizes that sometimes you have to break the rules to survive middle school!"
• The Tea Dragon  by K. O'Neill - Fantasy | "A charming all-ages book that follows the story of Greta, a blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of tea dragons."
• Adventure Time #1  by Pendleton Ward, Ryan North, Braden Lamb, & Shelli Paroline - Adventure, Fantasy | "It’s ADVENTURE TIME! When the Lich is accidentally unleashed from a mysterious Bag of Holding, can Finn and Jake defeat him before he uses it to suck all of Ooo into its unimaginable depths?!"
• Pilu of the Woods  by Mai K. Nguyen - Adventure, Fantasy | "Willow loves the woods near her house. When her emotions get the better of her one day, she decides to run away into the woods. There, she meets Pilu, a lost tree spirit who can’t find her way back home." 
• Secrets of Camp Whatever Vol. 1  by Chris Grine - Supernatural, Mystery | "When twelve-year-old Willow went to her weird new town's even weirder summer camp, she didn't expect to get caught up in an ancient mystery involving forest-dwelling vampires, living garden gnomes, and other completely bonkers creatures most people would never believe exist."
• The Snowcat Prince  by Dina Norlund - Fantasy | "Syv is a snowcat and the youngest in a family of princes. When his father dies, Syv and his brothers are all in line for the throne. Eager to become kings themselves... Syv’s brothers send him on a dangerous quest to find the long-lost magical crown that once belonged to their royal ancestor, the Eldking."
• Geronimo Stilton Vol. 1  by Geronimo Stilton - Adventure | "In this series of graphic novels, Geronimo travels through time to defend history from his arch nemeses, the Pirate Cats."
• Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise Part #1  by Gene Luen Yang - Adventure, Fantasy | "This series rejoins Aang and friends for exciting new adventures, beginning with a faceoff against the Fire Nation that threatens to throw the world into another war, testing all of Aang's powers and ingenuity!"
• Jellaby: The Lost Monster  by Kean Soo - Fantasy, Slice of Life | "Portia has just moved to a new neighborhood. Adjusting to life without a father is hard enough, but school is boring and her classmates are standoffish -- and even Portia's mom is sort of distant. But things start to get better when Portia ... discovers a shy and sweet purple monster."

*For parents - Comics Plus also has a variety of picture books and early readers to read together and for kids who are learning how to read!

Manga Series

Adults:

• Berserk  by Kentaro Miura - Action, Horror | "His name is Guts, the Black Swordsman ... Bearer of a gigantic sword, his flesh is also indelibly marked with The Brand, an unholy symbol that draws the forces of darkness to him and dooms him as their sacrifice. But Guts won't take his fate lying down; he'll cut a crimson swath of carnage through the ranks of the damned - and anyone else foolish enough to oppose him!"
• Solo Leveling  by Chugong & Dubu(Redice Studio) - Fantasy, Action | "Known as the Weakest Hunter of All Mankind, Jinwoo Sung’s contribution to raids amounts to trying not to get killed. Unfortunately, between his mother’s hospital bills, his sister’s tuition, and his own lack of job prospects, he has no choice but to continue to put his life on the line …only to come face-to-face with a being whose power outranks anything he’s ever seen!"
• Bungo Stray Dogs  by Kafka Asagiri & Sango Harukawa - Literary, Fantasy, Mystery | Having been kicked out of the orphanage, a despairing young man by the name of Atsushi Nakajima rescues a strange man from a suicide attempt--Osamu Dazai. Turns out that Dazai is part of a detective agency staffed by individuals whose supernatural powers take on a literary bent!"
• Yotsuba&!  by Kiyohiko Azuma - Slice of Life, Humor | "While most people find the world mundane, five-year-old Yotsuba Koiwai sees it as a treasure trove of amazing bustle and wonderful places to explore. When she and her adoptive father, Yousuke, move to a new city, the energetic young girl naturally sets out to investigate the neighborhood on her own."
• Lone Wolf and Cub  by Kazuo Koike & Goseki Kojima - Historical | "With dishonor upon his head and his beloved wife in the grave, Ittou takes up a new mantle as an assassin for hire. Alongside his young son, Ittou wanders the country in search of revenge."
• The Color of the End: Mission in the Apocalypse  by Haruo Iwamune - Science Fiction | "A girl walks alone in a world without humans. Her mission—to search for survivors and cleanse the land. But is anyone still out there in the lonely, beautiful ruins, waiting to be found?"
• Princess Jellyfish  by Akiko Higashimura - Slice of Life, Romance | "[Tsukimi Kurashita] resides in Amamizukan, a safehaven for girl geeks who regularly gush over a range of things from trains to Japanese dolls. However, a chance meeting at a pet shop has Tsukimi crossing paths with one of the things that the residents of Amamizukan have been desperately trying to avoid--a beautiful and fashionable woman! But there's much more to this woman than her trendy clothes!"
• Nodame Cantabile  by Tomoko Ninomiya - Slice of Life | "[M]usic student Shinichi Chiaki dreams of studying abroad and becoming a conductor. Unfortunately, his fear of flying grounds his lofty plans! Shinichi wonders if he should quit music altogether. Then one day he meets fellow student Megumi Noda. This oddball girl can ... play the piano in incomparable Cantabile style. And she teaches Chiaki something that he has forgotten: to enjoy his music, no matter where he is."
• Attack on Titan  by Hajime Isayama - Action, Science Fiction | "In this postapocalytpic scifi story, humanity has been devastated by the bizarre, giant humanoids known as the Titans. Little is known about where they came from or why they are bent on consuming mankind. Seemingly unintelligent, they have roamed the world for years, killing everyone they see. For the past century, what's left of man has hidden in a giant, threewalled city."
• Emma  by Kaoru Mori - Historical, Romance | "Calling upon his former governess, William Jones, gentleman, is startled when his knock is answered by an uncommonly beautiful servant, the soft-spoken Emma. [William] contrives to meet Emma socially as she goes about her errands. But London society is a web of strict codes and divisions. For the son of a wealthy merchant, seeking out a working-class girl is simply not done!"

Teens:

• Fullmetal Alchemist  by Hiromu Arakawa & Akira Watanabe - Fantasy, Action | "Alchemy: the mystical power to alter the natural world; something between magic, art, and science. When two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, dabbled in this power to grant their dearest wish, one of them lost an arm and a leg...and the other became nothing but a soul locked into a body of living steel."
• A Silent Voice  by Yoshitoki Oima - Slice of Life, Drama | "Shoya is a bully. When Shoko, a girl who can't hear, enters his elementary school class, ... Shoya and his friends goad each other into devising new tortures for her. But the children's cruelty goes too far. Shoko is forced to leave the school, and Shoya ends up shouldering all the blame. Six years later, the two meet again. Can Shoya make up for his past mistakes, or is it too late?"
• Fairy Tail  by Hiro Mashima - Fantasy, Action, Adventure | "Lucy wants to join the Fairy Tail, a club for the most powerful wizards. But instead, her ambitions land her in the clutches of a gang of unsavory pirates led by a devious magician. Her only hope is Natsu, a strange boy she happens to meet on her travels. [But] Natsu's not your typical hero... With friends like this, is Lucy better off with her enemies?"
• Delicious in Dungeon  by Ryoko Kui - Fantasy | "When young adventurer Laios and his company are attacked and soundly thrashed by a dragon deep in a dungeon, the party loses all its money and provisions...and a member! They're eager to go back and save her, but there is just one problem: If they set out with no food or coin to speak of, they're sure to starve on the way! But Laios comes up with a brilliant idea: 'Let's eat the monsters!'"
• Black Butler  by Yana Toboso - Historical, Fantasy | "Earl Phantomhive is a giant in the world of commerce, Queen Victoria's faithful servant . . . and a slip of a twelve-year old boy. Fortunately, his loyal butler, Sebastian, is ever at his side, ready to carry out the young master's wishes. [T]here is practically nothing Sebastian cannot do. In fact, one might even say Sebastian is too good to be true, or at least, he is too good to be human."
• Arisa  by Natsumi Ando - Mystery, Slice of Life | "[Twin sisters] finally reunited after three years, Arisa asks Tsubasa to pretend to be her and spend a day in her school just for fun. At school ... she finds a strange note in her sister's shoe locker. When Tsubasa hands over the letter, Arisa tries to kill herself. Determined to unravel the mystery behind the act and the letter, Tsubasa decides to investigate..."
• your name.  by Makoto Shinkai & Ranmaru Kotone - Fantasy, Slice of Life | "A story of two people determined to hold on to one another. Mitsuha, a high school girl from a town deep in the mountains, dreams of an unfamiliar life in Tokyo. Taki, a high school boy from Tokyo, dreams that he is a girl living in the mountains. As the two begin swapping lives, a miraculous story is set in motion."
• Doomsday with My Dog  by Yu Ishihara - Science Fiction, Humor | "A single teenage girl journeys through the crumbling ruins of civilization, a concrete jungle that has outlived mankind. However, just because she’s the last woman on earth doesn’t mean she’s alone. She’s accompanied by her dog Haru, an adorable and quick-witted shiba inu who will gladly lend his wisdom to his human companion."
• The Summer Hikaru Died  by Mokumokuren - Horror, Mystery | "It has Hikaru’s face. It has Hikaru’s voice. It even has Hikaru’s memories. But whatever came down from the mountains six months ago isn’t Yoshiki’s best friend. Whatever it is, it’s dangerous. Carrying on at school and hanging out as if nothing has changed—as if Hikaru isn’t gone—would be crazy...but when it looks so very like Hikaru...and acts so very like Hikaru..."
• Edens Zero  by Hiro Mashima - Science Fiction, Adventure | "At Granbell Kingdom, an abandoned amusement park, Shiki has lived his entire life among machines. But one day, Rebecca and her cat companion Happy appear at the park's front gates. Little do these newcomers know that this is the first human contact Granbell has had in a hundred years!"

Kids:

• The Fox & Little Tanuki  by Mi Takagawa - Fantasy | "It is said that there are some special animals occasionally born with great powers. Senzou the black fox is one of those... but instead of using his powers for good, he abused his strength until the Sun Goddess imprisoned him for his bad behavior. Three hundred years later, he's finally been released, but only on one condition — he can't have any of his abilities back until he successfully helps a tanuki cub named Manpachi become an assistant to the gods."
• Chi's Sweet Home  by Konami Kanata - Slice of Life | "Chi is a michievous newborn kitten who, while on a leisurely stroll with her family, finds herself lost. Overcome with loneliness she breaks into tears in a large urban park meadow., when she is suddenly rescued by a young boy named Yohei and his mother."
• Bibi & Miyu  by Olivia Vieweg & Hirara Natsume - Fantasy, Slice of Life | "When a new student from Japan shows up at Bibi Blocksberg's school, she fits in immediately. But Bibi's suspicious; she knows Miyu's hiding something, and she's determined to find out what!"
• Atomcat  by Osamu Tezuka - Action, Science Fiction | "Reading the "Astro Boy" comic book with his dad is Tsugio's one refuge from merciless school bullies. And even then, without a single friend, Tsugio can't catch a break. One day he finds an abandoned kitten, and names it after the robot hero to convince his family to keep it. But after a strange encounter with aliens honeymooning on Earth, Tsugio's shocked to find his cat can speak -- and has all of Astro Boy's powers!"
• Milk & Mocha  by Melani Sie - Slice of Life, Humor | "Milk and Mocha are charming bears with opposite personalities. These uplifting comics remind us of the sweet moments we share with our friends, family, and loved ones."
• Gao  by Alfred Perez - Fantasy, Humor | "Cower at the presence of Gao, colossal kaiju of cuteness! This lovable leviathan spends his days under the sea until visiting aliens convince him to make friends on the surface. This adorable mountain of menace unleashes destruction with every step...but how can you be mad at a face like that?"
• Moth Riders  by Jason Burns & Victoria Bates - Science Fiction | "In a world where insects have evolved alongside of humans to become larger than the people themselves, a young woman named Aster will discover a threat to the bug population that could alter the fate of the entire planet."
• Disney Fairies Manga  by Haruhi Kato - Fantasy | "When Queen Clarion's crown goes missing on the night of Pixie Hollow's biggest bash, all fingers point to one thief - the rude and standoffish fairy Vidia! To keep from being banished from Pixie Hollow forever, Vidia goes on an outrageous hunt for the crown that takes her from one end of Never Land to the Other."
• Unico  by Osamu Tezuka - Fantasy | "A little unicorn named Unico lives with his mistress Psyche, bringing her happiness and good fortune in return for her unconditional love. The goddess Venus, however, grows jealous of Psyche's legions of admirers and flings Unico across time and space! When he awakens, he's facing down mean buffalo in the American West, with no memory of Psyche or his past life. It's the first of many exciting adventures..."

• FukuFuku Kitten Tales  by Konomi Kanata - Slice of Life | "Vignettes in the life of a kitten and her doting owner, wherein even the most mundane things appear exciting and fresh."