Rex Libris

James Turner's Rex Libris (Slave Labor, 2005–2008) is a delightfully peculiar 13-issue series that follows the titular head librarian of Middleton Public Library—who is also a centuries-old, immortal warrior. Blending high-concept science fiction with deadpan workplace comedy, Turner single-handedly writes and draws the adventures of a bespectacled hero who battles cosmic threats and overdue-book scofflaws alike with equal ferocity. A cult gem of the mid-2000s indie scene, it stands as a witty, lovingly crafted ode to the quiet power of librarians and the strange worlds hidden in the stacks.