Here’s Part 3 of myETVmedia’s 4 part series looking at the amazing comics hitting shelves this year. We have gone ahead and highlighted our picks for the comics and graphic novels you should be looking out for. Part 1 includes: Deva Zan and The Wake.  Part 2: Invincible, East of West, Sandman.  Part 3: Largo Winch Vol. 11, Valerian and Laureline Vol 5, andTrillium. Look for Part 4 posting next.

5. Largo Winch Volume 11 by Jean Van Hamme and Philippe Francq

The eleventh volume of Largo continues the globe trotting and brings us to Asia where a multinational corporation brings a sinister plot to the forefront. It seems that with every volume ofLargo, Francq pushes the locations a step farther giving us something more exotic, exciting and beautiful. The characters introduced here do much to culturally inform without seeming stereotypical. Van Hamme seems to have a knack for authenticity. Largo’s adventures in Asia will continue in volume 12, which hits later this year. If you haven’t checked out Largo yet be sure to watch this episode of the greatest comics of all time:

and we have more to see this year from Van Hamme farther down our ‘top comics and graphics novels 2013’ list.

4. Valerian and Laureline Volume 5 by Pierre Christin and Jean Claude Mezieres 

Valerian is the quintessential sci fi adventure graphic novel. Dazzling its readers years ago, Valerian and Laureline, the fifth volume of the series, will finally be available in English. There isn’t a sci fi film out there that doesn’t owe something to Valerian. It features groundbreaking design and provoking plots that have been reused in storytelling since the comic debuted. Valerian and Laureline Volume 5 picks up in a dark world where the populace lives to serve a mysterious “master” and the book is as visually stunning as it is entertaining. The limited use of color and drastic shift between common and contrasting tones, bring an as of yet unforeseen element to the series.

3. Trillium by Jeff Lemire

The artwork for Trillium looks like something the most talented and imaginative kid you knew growing up drew in their notebook with simple pens and pencil crayons. The plot concerns itself with a love story and bears the look and feel of deep sci fi. But it’s the visual aesthetic that impresses so much. Trillium looks to be as much about visual reality as it does visual wonder. The drawings do as much to provide a plot and setting as they do a feeling and it’s a feeling that is rare and surprising. Trillium will be released this summer. Don’t miss it.

-Max Romano