I read all 27,000 Marvel comics and had a great time. Here’s what I learned

Did Dark Reign foresee Trump? Was Iron Man about US military might? Who was Unbeatable Squirrel Girl – and was her superpower really non-violent conflict resolution? Only one man knows …

‘Me against the world’: why superheroes are so often orphans

Batman, Spider-Man and many others lost parents when young. A new exhibition explores their complex stories

Rare first edition of The Incredible Hulk comic sells for $490,000

The near-mint condition copy of the first Hulk story, in which the hero is depicted as grey not green, is the most expensive ever sold

Walk Me to the Corner by Anneli Furmark review – Brief Encounter for the digital age

The Swedish graphic novelist perfectly captures the rush, confusion and pain of a marriage exploded by unexpected attraction

Cripes! Spotty becomes Scotty as the Beano reflects modern thought

New name for James Scott Cameron of the Bash Street Kids follows Fatty’s name change to Freddy in May

‘Comic-book crack for generations’: why Spider-Man still has us all in his web

With his teenage neuroses and gawky vulnerability, Spidey isn’t your ordinary superhero, but despite the dodgy wrist action he still resonates with armies of fans

Top 10 books about the Roman empire

From Edward Gibbon to Asterix the Gaul, the astonishing endurance of the largest state Europe has ever known continues to inspire a compelling literature

Best comics and graphic novels of 2021

Alison Bechdel on her exercise obsession and a spectacular cold war epic from Marvel veteran Barry Windsor-Smith are among this year’s finest

The best graphic novels of 2021

There were sublime tales of fitness and bad but gifted fathers – but the story of a young girl’s everyday existence was this year’s standout title, wooing readers of all ages

Is Superman Circumcised? wins oddest book title of the year award

Study of the superhero’s Jewish influences beats off stiff competition to come first in this year’s Diagram prize

Unmasked: the Penguin saves world from Covid in Danny DeVito’s Batman story

The actor, who played him in Batman Returns, has written a storyline for an 80th anniversary edition of the DC comic which sees him vaccinate the planet

No straight lines: Alison Bechdel and the unstoppable rise of queer comics

The artist discusses her role in an eye-opening new documentary that trails the history of LGBTQ+ comic books and the people behind them

The Waiting by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim review – heartbreaking Korean war tale

The author of Grass works another miracle with this semi-autobiographical tale of a family separated by conflict

Playlist review – relatable, quirky Parisian quarter-life drama

Graphic novelist Sophie is disillusioned with adulthood in Nine Antico’s black and white, Paris-set drama of twentysomething life

How our art critic ended up in the Beano: The Art of Breaking the Rules – review

From Viz to the fourth plinth to David Bowie, the perennially upstart comic’s influence rampages on – and even our own Adrian Searle can’t get off scot-free