It’s nigh impossible to get a good, complete story from a comic these days without first shelling out a lot of money. Most of the serials put out by Marvel and DC are so steeped in continuity that it’s a chore for new readers to jump aboard. And even the books put out by DC’s mature-readers imprint Vertigo, or independent publishers like Image, are so far along in their respective series that it could take a hefty amount of time and cash to catch up. Thank goodness more and more companies are pumping out new one-volume graphic novels. Here’s a look at three recent notable releases that give readers plenty of story for a less than princely sum.

Now that winter is over, it’s time to stop hibernating and get outside. And if, while outside, you happen to end up near your friendly neighborhood comic store, here are a couple notable titles that have hit the shelves in recent weeks. 

Frank Miller announced last week at WonderCon in San Francisco that he’s already 120-pages into a graphic novel that pits Batman against al Qaeda. Miller has been talking about this project since fall 2005, and now that the New York Post has picked up the story (and quoted Miller extensively), it’s reasonably certain that this effort is not some sort of joke. That’s unfortunate for Miller, who seems to have ignored the lessons provided by recent attempts to mesh masked vigilantes with the world of suicide bombers.