I would frame some of these pages if I could. This coming-of-age story is timeless, meant to be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. But while treading familiar ground, This Was Our Pact felt fresh and wholly unique paired brilliantly with Andrews vibrant art. Most of all, I love the real and complex friendship that grows between Ben and Nathanial. Their unfettered sense of adventure carried me through to the end. This graphic novel is just a joy. Read it when the stars are out.
Davis proves again that she's the best comics artist working today with this complex and empathetic meditation on our competing hopes and fears for the future in a fracturing society.
Fred Riley has a problem: her girlfriend, Laura Dean? Terrible. A beautiful, terrible flake. Also, she keeps breaking up with Fred. But Fred loves Laura Dean because Laura Dean, impossibly, chose her. Fred struggles to balance the hurtful, manipulative things Laura Dean does with the depth of her love, knowing she's stuck in a vicious cycle but feeling powerless to break free. How can she ever stop loving Laura Dean? Valero-O'Connell's gorgeous, sherbet-colored art and Mariko Tamaki's writing, always true to the complex emotions of her characters, combine to make a beautiful queer coming of age story.
Seattle-based cartoonist Simon Hanselmann’s Meg Mogg & Owl is as hilarious, moving, and as gleefully filthy as ever in this latest installment of the ultimate slacker soap opera. Bad Gateway further chronicles the squalid existences of a lovable cast of degenerates, who just happen to be a witch, a cat (dating the witch), a put-upon owl and a drug-dealing werewolf. Depravity abounds. I don’t know. Just try it.
The visuals of this graphic novel are an experience in and of themselves. Before reading Skip I never had the sensation of tasting color. The only thing I can liken it to are the intense feelings that come over me when viewing the art of Vincent Van Gogh. In addition to stunning visuals, the story is absolutely beautiful, and reading through it made me feel like a leaf floating on a river: fast and slow, gentle and crushing.
Everyone always says that the lanterns they set off during the annual Autumn Equinox Festival eventually turn into stars. This year a group of four boys, and an unwanted tag-along Nathaniel, make a pact to follow the lanterns down the river further than anyone has before. Only Ben and Nathaniel keep their word to "never look back" and together they set off on an enchanting adventure that is both funny and heartwarming. This Was Our Pact is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel for anyone who loves the quiet kind of magic you can typically only find in a Ghibli movie.
Frederika Riley is in love with the effortlessly cool Laura Dean, who she is in a tempestuous relationship with. She is powerless again Laura Dean's charms, despite being treated like garbage. Freddy's incredible group of friends can't talk sense into her. Relationships (good, bad, romantic, and platonic) are explored in this gorgeously illustrated graphic novel. Queer young love, toxic relationships, and heartbreak are at the forefront of this story, along with enough angst you can almost feel it emanate from the pages.
Child logic and base ferality attempt to work together in this beautifully bleak fable. A group of fairies are forced to leave their previous...home and survive the wilderness. If you are looking for a sweet moral ribbon to tie around this tale, you wont find it. It is lost; buried in the woods amongst the maggots.
Japanese stories of the supernatural brought to life. I am enthralled by Mizuki's art and storytelling. Specifically his tellings and re-tellings of Japanese ghost stories; best exemplified in his zany adventure/horror series: GeGeGe no Kitaro. Start here! The Birth of Kitaro. Learn the origin story of Kitaro and his eye-ball Father (Don't worry, it gets weirder.), as they meet, befriend, defeat, and take on spirits, ghosts, and horrors. These are stories to read before bed and share with friends.
Oh, did I miss Cain's special blend of pop culture satire and zany camp! Here's the deal: menstruation turns teen girls into massive killer cats. Luckily, capitalism (aka THE MAN) has delivered a range of products to eliminate periods once and for all. Except... a cat attack plagues our teen heroine's Portland suburb.
If you like BITCH PLANET and teen angst, MAN-EATERS is totally on brand!
