This band plays together, lives together…and unfortunately two of them are sleeping together. Whatever, I’m sure it’s fine. Now put on your punk’n mask and let’s rock!
Hannah Lipsky isn’t sure what’s happening. She dreamed of becoming a fine art painter, but after breaking up with her girlfriend, she’s suddenly dropped out of art school, moved into a flophouse, and gotten roped into singing in a campy horror-punk band. With costumes. To make things even more complicated, she might be hooking up with her housemate/bandmate/high school crush, Jerry. Wherever this is leading, it’s going to be messy.
Welcome to Kloud 9! Kal and Cosmo are teen boys in love. It should be simple—except that Cosmo’s an alien deserter on the run from an intergalactic peacekeeping force! Kloud 9: The Star Soldier is the Top Shelf YA sci-fi debut graphic novel from author AJ O. Mason and illustrator Dominic Bustamante, releasing July 7, 2026. Kloud 9: The Star Soldierfollows teenager Kal, an Earthling without much purpose in life. Cosmot’urr Col Al’neyr, or Cosmo for short, is an alien struggling to find his place in the galaxy. Sparks fly when the two meet—but when Cosmo’s past catches up with him, Kal is forced to make a choice: remain on Earth or follow his crush into the great unknown. Easy choice, right? Now they just have to navigate the dangers of outer space, a megalomaniac pseudoparent, and their growing feelings for each other. Yeah. It’s complicated.
Kloud 9: The Star Soldier will be available wherever books are sold, as a full-color softcover graphic novel (ISBN: 978-1-60309-594-5) as well as a digital edition, on July 7, 2026, for a list price of $19.99.
An Orphan. A Utopia. A Conspiracy. This is The Marsh Fellows, the captivating graphic novel debut from beloved online cartoonist Anna-Laura Sullivan, arriving May 19 via Top Shelf Productions!
After a nuclear war plunged the world into darkness, the last beacon of hope is the island utopia called Slumber City. In this rainy, happy town, one angst-filled urchin doesn’t see what there is to smile about. But after being taken in by the elderly Marvin and Pearl, Urchin is pulled into their quest to solve the dark, damp riddles lurking outside Slumber City—and uncover the plans of its mysterious mayor.
The Marsh Fellows will be available wherever books are sold, as a full-color softcover graphic novel (ISBN: 978-1-60309-589-1) as well as a digital edition, on May 19, 2026, for a list price of $14.99.
Readers will lose themselves in this surreal spy thriller…and may find it impossible to find themselves again.
Nadia is a quiet drama student in a country divided by a brutal civil war. Amid the steady tension of armed men, checkpoints, and random violence, the theater is her one escape. One evening, after an Ibsen performance, she is given an opportunity to serve her people. Nadia bears a strong resemblance to a waitress in the next district whose café is frequented by enemy agents. Would she be willing to take her place for a week and plant recording devices? It’s a dangerous mission that will take all her acting skills to disappear into this role…but she knows that she has no choice. As Nadia settles into the other woman’s apartment and life, she becomes more immersed in this character than she ever imagined. And as one week drags into two, she realizes this isn’t going to end the way she hoped…
Family or freedom? Top Shelf Productions invite you to discover the astonishing history of the mass evacuation of Cuban children, leaving communism—and their loved ones—behind, with the unforgettable original graphic novel, We Are Pan, available June 2, 2026. This debut graphic novel from professional illustrator and storyteller, Andre Frattino with art by Yasmin Flores Montanez beautifully captures the devastation and hope of those affected by the Castro regime in the early 1960s, and includes a foreword from descendant, critically acclaimed and award-winning author, Alex Segura.
We Are Pan is based on the true story of Operación Pedro Pan, a joint effort between the U.S. government and the Catholic Welfare Bureau to evacuate 14,000 children from Cuba to the U.S. between 1960 and 1962. With the rise of communism following Fidel Castro’s revolution, parents feared for their children’s future and, through this secret operation, secured passage for them to America. These children (later referred to as “Pedro Pans”) would be distributed across the U.S., mostly living in foster homes. In many cases, these children never saw their families again, and their lives would be changed forever. This is their story.
We Are Panwill be available wherever books are sold, as a full-color hardcover (ISBN: 978-1-60309-592-1) on June 2, 2026, for a list price of $19.99.
Be careful what you wish for! Top Shelf Productions is set to release a macabre take on the imaginary friend with Ghoul, available May 5! This 292-page full-color graphic novel from newcomer Kasey Iris centers on a lonely Filipino-American teen and her ghoulish companion putting a spooky twist on a friendship from beyond.
When they were little, Lyn and Meg promised to be friends forever…but now Meg is dead, and Lyn is 15 and miserable. Moving into a new condo with her family doesn’t help, especially given the gossipy neighbors. But just when Lyn needs a friend the most, a monstrous cartoon ghoul climbs out of the pages of a comic book and into her life! The bizarre duo will soon discover just how many secrets lie within the walls of Forest Court Apartments.
Ghoulwill be available wherever books are sold, as a full-color softcover graphic novel (ISBN: 978-1-60309-583-9) as well as a digital edition, on May 5, 2026, for a list price of $19.99.
A.I. took the work. Gigs replaced jobs. Ordinary people are left to scrape together lives in a world that’s no longer built for them. This is Gigs, a new graphic novel from Top Shelf releasing June 16, 2026. With a hard-won blend of biting satire and humanistic passion, two creators from the North of England weave together six divergent chapters into an extraordinary graphic novel. Gigs is both a powerful warning about the oppressive world to come and a defiant celebration of the humanity that will sprout up in the cracks from Simon Smith and Mark Mosedale.
In a frighteningly near future where Basic Income is supplemented by gig work assigned by “the app”…an octogenarian punk and a lonely young worker seek escape through music. A street artist makes art by night and paints over it by day. A has-been detective chases a case into a forgotten world. A drug runner makes a long, strange delivery. A writer marks her days on a decaying space station she can’t leave. And a refugee asks for help in the last free place.
Gigs will be available wherever books are sold, as a full-color softcover graphic novel (ISBN: 978-1-60309-593-8) as well as a digital edition, on June 16, 2026, for a list price of $24.99.
Writer: Ellie Bethel Illustrator: Alexandra Colombo
In Abberdoo-Rimey, a town so forlorn, Trash piled up high, since the day they were born. It stank to high heaven, the air thick and gray, The townsfolk just shrugged, in their apathetic way.
BUT THEN! From the sky, a flash, emerald and bright, A crash in the dump! What an incredible sight! Not a bird or a plane, but a hero so grand, Michael Recycle arrives, with a world-saving plan!
Get ready for laughs, as young, old, gather ’round, This eco-adventure will astound! With tips straight from Michael, go green and take flight, Become superheroes of saving the Earth, shining bright!
One of the best releases of the last decade of comics is Top Shelf‘s Marchtrilogy which details the life of Congressman John Lewis. Lewis was an instrumental individual in the Civil Rights movement. That successful graphic novel lead Top Shelf to partner with the Fellowship of Reconciliation to publish a new edition of the Martin Luther King and The Montgomery Story in 2021. The comic is an amazing piece of history that has been used to promote peaceful, non-violent protests around the world, being translated into numerous languages.
The 16-page comic is a wonderful summary of the Civil Rights movement taking individuals through the methods and thought process used to protest Montgomery’s policy that African Americans were to ride in the back of the bus. The narration is from an individual named “Jones” and his experience through the protest. After the story wraps up, there’s a step-by-step checklist that breaks down the exact methodology used and also how it’s been used throughout the world, in particular, to win India’s independence.
Top Shelf focused not just on reprinting the comic in modern standards, they used similar paper and coloring from the time that it originally was printed. This looks like a copy you might have held decades ago. A fantastic recreation of an important piece of comic and civil rights history.
Everyone should check this out, to learn about United States history, but also how comics have been used to create change and in political movements. Comics have been political since their formation over 100 years ago and have been a tool to fight for political change ever since.
Story: Alfred Hassler, Benton Resnik Art: Sy Barry Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy
In the first volume of Rose Wolves, a young girl made a wondrous connection with a magical creature linked to a mysterious rosebush. Now she’s excited to share this discovery with her mom…but as the seasons change and the forest falls asleep for winter, the world of the rose wolves must change as well. Ahead of them lie new problems, new discoveries, and even more new friends!
