Santos Sisters, Volume 1

This collection gathers the first five issues of the 2025 Eisner Award winner for Best Continuing Series. Santos Sisters is a tough book to categorize, but I think it characterizes some of the best aspects of comics in general. It looks like an Archie comic, features adventures and characters straight out of superhero stories, and is mostly full of clever repartee and relationship talk. This strange amalgamation makes for some very funny and engaging stories, and I have really enjoyed reading this series and revisiting the comics in this version was very rewarding.  

Ambar and Alana are the titular sisters, and one day they discovered a pair of medallions on a beach and were transformed by the mysterious and mystical Madame Sosostris into masked super-beings to defend the fictional town of Las Brisas. That is, when they are not laying about the house, watching silent bee cartoons, and bickering, especially about Ambar's self-absorption or boyfriend Dirk. 

Together they deal with a motley crew of threats such as the saboteur 8Ball, Scope the assassin, Weird A.I. Ankhovic, Kreg the Handsome Barbarian, and Bridgette Spinner (say it out loud). These characters are a vivid and distinctive bunch, and a lot of the fun of this book is seeing just how ridiculous they and their villainous motivations are. The sisters often defeat them more out of personal reasons or irritation than altruism, and as they battle they are often engaged in side conversations about food, relationships, or sex acts. 

And there are lots of comics Easter eggs. Check out those teeth!

They also talk to lots of anthropomorphic animals, including a bunch of jerky forest animals and a know-it-all dolphin. These are some surreal, fun, and smart comics that have a lot going on but also trust the reader to catch onto what's happening without needing much context or backstory. I love the episodic way the tales are structured like classic Archie comics: each one is a celebration of comics, a burst of inventiveness and joy. And much like stones in a mosaic, cumulatively these stories depict a wonderfully realized fictional world.

This book's creators Greg & Fake collaborate between Chicago and Manzanillo, Mexico, respectively. Fake Petre is the writer and Greg the artist, and they also incorporate ideas and input from Graham Smith, Dave Landsberger, and Marc Koprinarov. G&F speak more about their origins and work in this interview. You can learn more about the series at its official website.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been full of praise. D. Morris opined, "It is a book that knows great comedy comes from putting well defined characters into absurd situations." Timothy Callahan wrote, "None of these three- to eight-pagers would feature in a Best American Comics anthology. But as a whole, the accumulation of details and comedic elements and relentlessness work to make this a highly entertaining comic." 

Santos Sisters was published by Fantagraphics, and they offer a preview and more about it here. This book is not for kids. 

Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre

If I were writing an elevator pitch for this book, it'd be "American literature + kaiju +Universal monsters." It 's sort of like a US version of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, only more fun and slightly less horrific. The central conceit is that Godzilla attacked West Egg, and Jay Gatsby amasses all his resources to both repel the beast and impress his lost love Daisy Buchanan. 

The drama!

His G-Force pulls out all the stops to defeat the massive beast and going to the ends of the Earth to bring the fight. Along the way, a number of other prominent literary figures, including Sherlock Holmes, Captain Nemo, Dracula, and Frankenstein's monster join in the fray, some as friends others as foes. The result is some inspired madness. 

What I love about this book is that it portrays so much action and also sets up excellent cliffhangers. Certainly there are a good number of clever scenes and funny moments, but thrilling action is what drives the narrative. Most impressively it does so while also honoring the literary histories of the characters involved, so that the whole enterprise comes off organically. That is no mean trick to pull off, especially toward the end when a myriad number of characters have to be coordinated in an epic final battle royale. This book is a page-turner and the worst thing I can say about it is that it ends too abruptly for my liking. But they say to always leave the audience wanting more, yes?

Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre was the product of Tom Scioli. He is a prolific comics creator who has made his own series such as  Gødland and American Barbarian as well as work-for-hire ones, including Fantastic Four: Grand Design. He has also drawn a number of licensed properties, including Transformers Vs. G.I. Joe and delved into nonfiction with graphic biographies of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. He speaks about his work on Monsterpiece Theatre in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been glowing. Frank Plowright wrote, "A gleeful absurdity prevails throughout yet the strength is evident via a story that would work if given an entirely straight treatment." Kara Dennison called it "a great deal of fun." Zack Quaintance wrote that it "is, simply put, one of the best comics of the year."

Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre was published by IDW, and there is more information about it here.

Beat It, Rufus

I feel that any time a new book comes from Noah Van Sciver is time to celebrate. Van Sciver is one of my favorite comics creators, the Ignatz Award-winning author of the graphic novels One Dirty Tree, The Hypo: The Melancholic Young Lincoln, Saint Cole, and Fante Bukowski. His work is often darkly funny and full of compelling characters who are often depressed, sad sacks, or incredibly delusional. The title character of Beat It, Rufus hits the trifecta there. Rufus Baxter is a washed up rock guitarist who has been living off of the fumes of his slight musical success for decades. After he gets kicked out of his storage unit, he embarks on a cross-country road trip to try to revisit old friends, rekindle past glory, and recoup the royalties that could fund his big comeback.

At least his tape deck still works...

I am not going to spoil things, because most of this book is Rufus back-tracking through the wreckage of his life, but I will say that mostly things do not go to plan. The journey is full of surprises, weirdos, and disappointments, although there is an occasional bright spot, such as a free Quiznos gift certificate. 

One of the things I admired about this book was how much it portrays the road of this road trip. There are lots of depictions of street signs, buildings, wilderness, and businesses that make the American landscape as much as a character in the book as humans. Beat It, Rufus grounds the weirdness, zaniness, and melancholy in drab reality in a way that makes this book completely engrossing.

All of the reviews I read of this book have been positive. Frank M. Young wrote that the affection for ambitious self-doubters "gives this and Van Sciver’s other books a warmth, even as his characters debase themselves in their failed grabs at the big brass ring." AJ Frost called Rufus "a character of surprising depth and complexity: an aging hair metal dreamer whose stubborn refusal to abandon his long-dead aspirations is simultaneously hysterical, harrowing, and deeply human." Publishers Weekly called it "a must-read comic about a must-avoid person."

Beat It, Rufus was published by Fantagraphics, and they offer a preview and more information about it here. This is not a graphic novel for kids.

Grommets

Grommets is a series I read via the Global Comix app on my phone, and it is an engaging and moving coming-of-age story. It was definitely a blast from the past for me, taking me back to the 1980s, skateboarding, and punk rock. Although I only really dipped my toe into the world of skateboarding, because my sense of balance was lacking, I was a big fan of the music in this book and had not a few friends who resembled characters in Grommets. The two main characters, Rick and Brian, live in Sacramento, California in 1984 and are loners who find common bonds in skating and music. Together, they navigate a great number of things, including being latchkey kids, dealing with disappointed parents, dating, getting hassled by jocks, dodging security guards, having illegal parties, and finding places to hang out.

As a person who lived through this era, I felt that the creators got so much of the feel and tone of the time period correct. It does not just throw out token references for the sake of nostalgia but weaves all the technologies, musicians, and politics of the 1980s into an organic whole. The artwork in particular is very well researched and portrays a very 1980s world, full of denim, run-down buildings, skate ramps, convenient stores, and other locales. It meshes realism with a cartoon style, a sort of hybrid of classic MAD artists Mort Drucker or Jack Davis and Tank Girl co-creater Jamie Hewlett. It works very well at capturing characters' emotional states as well as bringing energy and dynamism to the action sequences, especially with the vibrant coloring. 

The artwork well suits the funny, honest, and often brutal aspects of the plot, which does not sugar coat any of the rough stuff that come with being a social outlier, physical and emotional violence from peers, and fallout from family who might not see things the same way you do. I read the book as a series, and the wait for the final issue was a struggle because of the cliffhanger, I am not going to lie. It was a very gripping and emotional read for me, with very strong character work, and I found myself very concerned for Rick and Brian's well being. 

Grommets was created by writers Brian Posehn and Rick Remender, artist Brett Parson, and colorist Moreno Dinisio. Posehn is a stand-up comedian and actor who also has a bunch of writer credits for the Marvel character Deadpool. Remender is a comic book writer and television producer known for his work at Marvel as well as his original series Fear Agent, Black Science, and Deadly Class. Parson has drawn a number of Tank Girl comics as well as worked for a number of publishers. Dinisio is an artist and colorist for a wide range of comic books. 

I have read a number of online reviews about this series, and they were all celebratory. Javier Reyes called it "a love letter to 80s skater culture and punk rock." Publishers Weekly wrote, "This sweet and raunchy slice of life spikes its 1980s California skate-punk nostalgia with brutal face-plants, hard-won lessons, and bursts of violence."

Grommets was published by Image Comics, and they offer a preview and more information about it here. I recommend this book for readers mature enough to handle the drinking, language, and mature situations that these kids deal with. The first issue/chapter is available to read for free here. 

Jimmy Olsen's Supercyclopedia

When I was a kid, I could buy comic books at lots of places, including supermarkets, pharmacies, flea markets, department stores, and convenient stores. One memorable acquisition for me was Ambush Bug #3 that I got at the Cumberland Farms by my house. I was 12, and it contained a comedic mini-history of the DC Comics universe, including lots of Silver Age madness and strange things like Glop, Egg Fu, Itty, Mopee, and Julius Schwartz. A lot of what I read was unfamiliar but it fired me up to learn more about these fantastical and arcane cast of characters. 

This slice of history is a prologue to why I think Jimmy Olsen's Supercyclopedia might also be a sort of gateway book. My first impression after reading it was to question its audience. I loved the book, but it's full of references that I get because I've read comic books for a very long time. I am all in for a dance battle between the Legion of Superheroes and the Legion of Substitute Heroes. I grin at appearances of Space Cabbie, Blue Devil, Mr. Mind, and Ultra the Ultra-Alien. I know the rules about engaging with Mister Mxyzptlk. And I think it's clever that Toyboy's robot minions have heads shaped like the Hall of Doom. And I feel these things might be lost on younger readers in ordinary circumstances, but the structure of this book has a layer of informational assistance in the form of mini-encyclopedia entries like this one:

Many of the obscure references get explained in quick fashion in a way that does not detract from the story. This book is as much an updated version of Who's Who for a new generation as it is its own adventure. The result is a fun romp through the DC Universe with a wonderful mix of the familiar and new. 

The main narrative is a sort of version of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, with Jimmy Olsen playing the Ford Prefect role. His presence is in a different appearance, as a black teen and not the original freckled faced, red-headed white boy, but the bones of his existence are still based on his many Silver Age shenanigans. When he is tasked with creating and propagating the Supercyclopedia by the New Gods, he gets some unwanted attention from the villainous Toyboy, who steals it and corrupts it into evil. And Jimmy is well suited to solving the problem by relying on his teen pals Rip Hunter and Linda Park and not simply calling in the Big Blue Boy Scout. 

The artwork conveys action as well as many fun moments, and it is jam-packed with Easter eggs for attentive readers. I had a lot of fun reading this book, and I hope that it might attract some newer, younger attention to this vibrant cast of characters. From its cover paying homage to Flash #163 to its conclusion, this book is a love letter to the weird and wonderful DC Multiverse.

The Supercyclopedia is a collaboration between writer Gabe Soria and artist Sandy Jarrell. Soria writes all sorts of things, including books, comics, role-playing games, and album liner notes. He is the creator of the Sword & Backpack RPG, the Midnight Arcade series, and has also co-written the graphic novel Life Sucks. Jarrell has drawn lots of comics, including Meteor Men, Batman 66, and The Legendary Lynx.

I was not able to find many reviews of it online, but the one I did read was a rave: J. Caleb Mozzocco liked the book so much, he actually bought a physical copy (He works in a library so that is a big deal!). He also wrote, "If you're a DC Comics fan, or are just curious about the publisher, it's a real love letter to the company, its creators and its universe, filled with appearances of many less-seen characters (Warlord, Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew, Angel and The Ape) and intriguing reinventions of a handful of characters (Cain and Abel as TV horror hosts, Doc Magnus as a kid with action figure-sized Metal Men)."

Jimmy Olsen's Supercyclopedia was published by DC Comics, and they offer more info about it here.

The Cola Pop Creemees: Opening Act

This book I got as part of Birdcage Bottom Books' 2023(!) Kickstarter campaign. The Cola Pop Creemees: Opening Act is on its surface a funny book, but its loopy, cartoon images masque several unique human dramas that all combine as one musical act. The Cola Pop Creemees consist of guitarist/front man Ralph Jonathan, drummer Wallace T.J., Mona Gertrude on tambourine, bassist Gil Christopher, and keyboardist Henrietta Susan. Part of this book details the politics of being in a band, with people jockeying for praise, songwriting credit, and attention. Part of it is a deep dive into the different band members' pasts, with a look at their childhoods, parents, and various life-shaping events.

The five members all feature very different personalities, and many of them have been shaped and influenced by traumatic events. Sometimes the tenor of the stories can be slapstick or has a tinge of dark humor, but mostly they are relatable and moving. Some of the band members are depressed, some obsessed, some stressed, and it might be accurate, and sad, to say that Wallace T.J., who abuses a good many substances, might just be the most well adjusted of the bunch. Whatever the case, each story is incredibly compelling, and I found this book difficult to put down.

The Cola Pop Creemees: Opening Act paints remarkably vivid character portraits and is one that rewards reading and re-reading. It will make you laugh, cry, and seek a solo career where you never have to be in a band.

This is the debut graphic novel by Desmond Reed. Since this, he has published two further works about the Cola Pop Creemees: Lefty and The Horrors of Being Human. Reed speaks about his work on Opening Act in this interview.

The reviews I have read of this book have been glowing. I concur with Andy Oliver who wrote that "in less than 250 pages, The Cola Pop Creemees manages to make the reader so invested in this oddball cast that a second outing feels essential." Publishers Weekly called it "an unexpected, oddly emotional gem"

The Cola Pop Creemees: Opening Act was originally published by Birdcage Bottom Books, and they offer a preview and more information about it here. You can now buy it from Microcosm Publishing. This book features family trauma, adult relationships and situations, and drug use, so it is recommended mature enough to deal with those matters.

Holler

Continuing with my haul of comics from HeroesCon, today I am sharing Holler by Jeremy Massie. One of the best parts of going to Charlotte is seeing friends and getting to talk, even if it is while they are manning their booths and selling their wares. I always make a point to check in with pals Henry Eudy and Eraklis Petmezas, who are typically tabled next to each other, and this year they were joined by Massie. I was very eager to get Holler, as I had gotten the first few issues that were published by It's Alive but had not had the chance to finish the series. Lucky for me, Jeremy had this book for sale, and I loved reading it.

It's a pretty specific book, but I am the target audience in a few ways, because of my age and musical tastes. And I should note that it's not quite autobiography, but it is based on some real events and people. It's set in the 1990s in a small, rural town in Appalachian Virginia. Its narrator and main character is Mark, a high school student who does not really excel at academics, but he is a talented enough artist and musician. He plays guitar and joins his friends in a band called Magnesium Mama that plays grunge rock covers and some original songs. This scene puts him at odds with his family in some ways, as well as with the religious figures that factor heavily in his life. 

It also puts him in a clique that is at odds with the local "rednecks" (as he calls them), which leads to conflicts, both verbal and physical. Over the course of the book, Mark deals with a lot of different situations. He gets his first girlfriend, then experiences his first break-up. He experiments with drugs. He plays a lot of gigs and gets involved in a few different battles of the bands. He switches churches, sort of dates the preacher's daughter, and has to navigate the complicated ways his parents and he practice religion. 

The stories here are all told in episodes, and I found them highly compelling and poignant. The artwork is well paced, and is particularly excellent at capturing people's expressions and emotional reactions, which works very well as this book is very character driven. This book touches on a lot of issues that young people contend with as they get older and start trying to carve out spaces in the world, and it does so in a way that is sometimes humorous, occasionally cringe-inducing, and always relatable and human. Holler is one of the best coming-of-age graphic novels I have read, and I highly recommend it.

This book's creator Jeremy Massie has made all sorts of comics in various genres, including the superhero tales Amazing Age, horror stories Blood-Drenched Creature Double Feature, and the more realistic, solo-authored book All My Ghosts. He speaks about his work on Holler in this interview.

I was not able to locate many reviews of this book, which is a shame, because I feel it should be more widely known and read, because it is so good. Publishers Weekly concluded their review, "This bittersweet blast from the past will strike a chord with recovering high school outcasts."

Holler was published by Dark Horse, and they offer more information about it here. Because it features some drug use, sexual situations, profanity, and adolescent shenanigans, I recommend it for readers mature enough to deal with those matters. 

I Was A Teenage Michael Jackson Impersonator, And Other Musical Meanderings

One of the highlights of this year's HeroesCon for me was meeting Keith Knight and buying this book from him. I Was A Teenage Michael Jackson Impersonator, And Other Musical Meanderings is a funny and entertaining autobiographical comic that mainly details the author's brief stint making crazy amounts of money as a celebrity impersonator. For about a year and a half in the mid-1980s, starting when he was 17-years-old, he lip-synched and danced at birthday parties and department stores, joined a cadre of other touring impersonators, dated a Madonna impersonator, and learned a lot about the entertainment business. Also, ironically, by pretending to be someone else, he learned much about himself, the world, and how to get by in it.

Certainly, this book has lots of voyeuristic thrills, and it is fun to watch as Knight gets into (and out of) various scrapes and uncomfortable situations. His artwork is wonderfully cartoonish and expressive, bringing life and vibrancy to the proceedings, and the pacing makes the gags and witty dialogue land in hilarious fashion. As a bonus, interspersed between the chapters are passages from Knight's various comic strips that celebrate various musicians from David Bowie to Run DMC (RIP Jam-Master Jay) to Prince. If you have a fascination for 1980s pop culture and a sense of humor, this is the book for you.

The aforementioned Keith Knight created this book, and he has been celebrated for his past strips The K Chronicles and (th)ink. He is also a rapper and had his life and comics adapted into the comedy series Woke, which ran for two seasons on Hulu. I love this show and am glad it got two seasons, but I wish there were many more. Knight speaks about his MJ years and this book in this interview.

I Was A Teenage Michael Jackson Impersonator was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Humor Publication in 2024. It was published by Keith Knight Press, and there is more info about it here. This book was originally funded by a Kickstarter campaign.

The Poet Color Comics Spectacular

This weekend I got the chance to attend my favorite comics convention, HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC. It is my favorite for multiple reasons: I get to see good friends like Jason DeHart, dive into back issue bins, catch up with some of my favorite comics creators, and, maybe best of all, get introduced to new comics and comics makers. In a twofer, my friend Jason introduced me to Todd Webb and his comic The Poet, and I bought this Color Comics Spectacular. I was enchanted by the comics here, and I will definitely be seeking out more. And next time I see him at a con, I will most certainly take him up on his $1 to draw me in crayon (even if the price goes up!). 

The Poet is a spare comic, full of observational humor, and contemplative moments. Mainly, the interplay is between three characters: the poet, the pigeon, and the park bench, which occasionally communicates via thought balloons(!). As you can see from the excerpt above, the strip is witty and features smart wordplay. The poet is more serene and thoughtful and the pigeon a bit more caustic and indulgent. Their differences make for interesting dynamics and exchanges, and I love how these comics bounce between philosophical and mundane matters with amusing, often poignant, results. 

In addition to drawing The Poet and various other comics that appeared in Nickelodeon Magazine, Todd Webb also records music under the moniker Seamonster. You can learn more about Webb's work on The Poet in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this comic have been positive. Warren Craghead wrote, "Webb whittles and peels back layers to find more and more in these spare but vast strips. A man, a bench, a pigeon; THE WORLD. They hang out up the street from Charlie Brown and in the wake of Thoreau, Bushmiller and Cage." Henry Chamberlain reviews The Poet in a thoughtful way that puts it in context of classic comic strips.

The Poet Color Comics Spectacular was published by Second House. They have several compilations of these comics, mainly in black and white and also varying in length. You can also view them for free on Instagram or, for even more, subscribe to The Poet here.

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz's Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States: A Graphic Interpretation

I got this book for Fathers Day this year, and reading it has been a moving ordeal. I have not read the source material for this adaptation, but this graphic interpretation is structured in a way that features its author, scholar and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, as its narrator delivering a grand lecture. As lectures go, this one is engaging and chock full of information. It runs from a time 10,000 years ago when agricultural communities were being established around corn until protests and political actions very near our present day. In between is a vast channel of history, from the governmental and social structures of various tribes in North America to the ruling principles of European countries that eventually crossed the ocean in search of trade routes and treasures, only to conquer, enslave, and slaughter the people who already lived here.

This book is encyclopedic with historical figures such as Tecumseh and Andrew Jackson, events such as the Wounded Knee Massacre and the Trail of Tears, and (sadly) influential publications such as Last of the Mohicans. But this is no dry account, and what I appreciate about it most is how it explores historical concepts and expounds on how specific ideologies were formed and propagated and how large-scale murder and theft were made to look heroic and just. It covers the idea of Manifest Destiny and how a campaign of mass genocide was pitched as a moral crusade, and it also touches on how policies such as the Homestead Acts and economic happenings like the California gold rush mightily and swiftly led to native peoples losing land and rights. There is much to think about here that pertains to current events, propaganda, and modern history, questions and critiques that are worth pursuing to make a more equitable and just world. This book is the best sort, one that leaves the reader changed after putting it down.

One critique I do have is that the book features many large blocks of text, which can be dense, but I feel that it also scaffolds them well with detailed artwork that conveys not only images of the past but also a good amount of emotion and drama. The artwork well suits the prose, providing much needed context that supports and promotes comprehension of the big ideas within.

Pulling off the large feat of adapting this book was Paul Peart-Smith. He is a British artist who has been making comics for over three decades, drawing stories for 2000 AD and many other publishers, including a graphic adaptation of W.E.B. Du Bois's The Souls of Black Folks. Both he and Dunbar-Ortiz speak about this adaptation of Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States in this interview.

I was not able to find many reviews of this book online, but I very much agree with Brian Cronin who wrote, "This is a book that is very worth reading for anyone who wants to challenge what they think about American history."

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz's Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States was published by Beacon Press, and they offer more information about it here.

The Great British Bump-Off

I am a big fan of The Great British Bake Off and murder mysteries, and boy was I excited when this series was solicited. The Great British Bump-Off not only marries these two things, it's also written by John Allison, whose work I have been following for decades now. It stars sleuth Shauna Wickle, one of the stars of the webcomic Bad Machinery, as a contestant on a parody version of the esteemed reality baking competition. Someone has poisoned one of the most competitive bakers, and the producers have tasked Shauna with finding the culprit while also being on the show and completing the challenges. Hijinks and suspense ensue.

Drama!

There are a few things that make this book highly appealing. The artwork is cartoonish and dynamic, a great platform for both broad humor and some of the more sinister undercurrents of the plot. The dialogue is snappy, and I found myself laughing and smirking along at this book a few times. The murder mystery plot is a lively one, with plenty of colorful suspects and red herrings, a la Agatha Christie. And if you are a fan of the actual reality competition, like I am, there are plenty of delightful in-jokes and references to the show's many tropes. Still, I feel this book would be attractive to anyone who is not familiar with the show, as these are some excellent comics, and the storytelling is masterfully crafted.

The Great British Bump-Off was created by writer John Allison, artist Max Sarin, colorist Sammy Borras, and letterer Jim Campbell. Allison and Sarin also collaborated on the Eisner Award-winning series Giant Days. Borras colors many comics, most recently in The Phoenix. Campbell has lettered a good number of comics, including Barbaric. Allison talks about his inspirations and work on The Great British Bump-Off in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been glowing. Johana Draper Carlson called it "a joy to read" and added, "The mystery is legitimate, and I was thrilled to follow through the twists and turns." And I completely agree with Tegan O'Neil who wrote, "The problem with The Great British Bump-Off is simply that the series is only four issues long." Nathan Simmons concluded, "Don’t worry if you haven’t watched that series [The Great British Bake Off] before, though; you should still be able to enjoy mystery and the lunacy on display in The Great British Bump-Off, even if you can’t tell a parfait from a trifle."

The Great British Bump-Off was published by Dark Horse, and they provide more information about it here. Fans of this series will be happy to know there is a follow-up, The Great British Bump-Off: Kill or Be Quilt being published right now.

Sunflowers

Put simply, Sunflowers is an amazing comic, an autobiographical account of what it is like to being bipolar. It goes from hypomania to mania to a psychotic episode, telling a frank tale of what could happen and what it feels like. It then gets into how these conditions might be treated and ends with a bunch of resources for getting help. This book is terrifically brave, frank, and revealing, and I found it profoundly moving.

There have been excellent graphic novels that touch on similar areas, including ones by Ellen Forney and Daryl Cunningham, but what I feel sets this one apart is its accessibility. It is relatively short, in the form of  a mini-comic, inexpensive, and easy to share. Even in this day, I know that issues of mental health are often kept secret or not discussed, and the level of candor and honesty here are powerful and potentially very helpful to those in need of assistance. I don't think it's hyperbolic to say that this comic has great potential to save lives.

Sunflowers was created by Keezy Young. They prefer to draw short comics and graphic novels with  horror, supernatural, romance, LGBTQ+, and mental health themes. Their graphic novel work includes the forthcoming queer horror story Hello Sunshine and the award-winning supernatural romance Taproot. They speak about their career in comics in this in-depth interview. If you would like to read an interview specifically about Sunflowers, this one is great.

Sunflowers is a 2025 Eisner Award Nominee for Best Single Issue/One-Shot, and it has received many positive reviews. Chloe Horning wrote, "I appreciated the author’s commitment to depicting both the good and bad aspects of their disorder, while taking care not to romanticize those aspects that may seem appealing to someone on the outside looking in." Andy Oliver summed up, "Undoubtedly one of the finest comics to have come out from Silver Sprocket to date. And that is really saying something."

Sunflowers was published by Silver Sprocket, and they offer a preview and more information about it here. You can also read it for free from their website here. Trigger warning: this book deals with issues of mental health and potential self-harm.

Science Comics: Cats: Nature and Nurture

 

Three cats live in my house, and I learned so much about them and their distant cousins by reading this volume of Science Comics, Cats. It was written and drawn by Andy Hirsch, who has also created a bunch of other entries in the Science Comics series, including  Dogs, Rocks and Minerals, and Trees as well as The American Bison, which he made for History Comics. He also just published Good Boy, a fictional graphic novel about a boy who adopts a rescue dog.

But back to the subject of Cats, it's one got all of the hallmarks of graphic novels I've seen from Hirsch: a fun narrator, lots of facts that are not overwhelming, and very attractive and engaging artwork. The story begins with an interview with an internet-famous calico cat named Bean, who explains their journey from stray to pet that spins into a wide-ranging exploration of cats, including those from the distant past. 

This platform launches into a grand survey that is jam-packed with information about a wide range of felines, from house cats to tigers to ocelots to kodkods. I learned about why cats pace, hunt, and pounce; how they see in the dark; why they eat what they eat, and how the various specialized parts of their bodies work. It's even got a short section about reproduction and DNA and how they propagate specific traits. What's best about this book is that is a great read for anyone who is interested in cats, from younger readers to adults. It's presented in a very readable, engaging way that spans a wide range of audiences.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been glowing. Lori Henderson called it "another great entry in the Science Comics series" and added, "If you think you know everything about cats, this book will make you think again." Johanna Draper Carlson wrote, "Hirsch’s art style is well-suited to animals, giving them plenty of personality in a cartoony way." Sam Wildman added that Hirsch "does a fantastic job of mixing hard science with a fun story (and adorable narrator) to keep readers invested."

Cats: Nature and Nurture was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and much more here.

Huda F Are You?

I have been meaning to read this book for a while now, ever since I learned about it during a presentation at the Literacy Research Association this past December. Huda F Are You? is a fictionalized memoir about a young, Egyptian-American girl trying to figure things out. First, and foremost, is the titular question she is trying to answer, as she is struggling with a great many issues: keeping up her grades, being a hijab-wearing Muslim, making friends, and meeting her parents' expectations. The first one is easy for her, and being a top student is a key part of her identity. The second is tougher, as it makes her pretty visible and a target for discrimination from random white people and even teachers. The third is complicated because she feels like she does not really feel she is Muslim enough, because she is not as strong in Arabic as many of the other students in her school in Dearborn, Michigan. So she feels inferior to what she sees as "more perfect" Muslim kids, but she also feels alien to most other kids at her school.

Dealing with these three concerns cause Huda to spin off her axis, and her grades start to slip. So she makes some somewhat bold choices that lead her into more awkward situations. All of these behaviors lead to a confrontation with her mother that frames the narrative.

Not everything in this book resolves neatly, but she does find some peace and connections in her social and academic worlds. What impressed me most about this narrative was how relatable and  funny it is. It features lots of observational humor and also running jokes, like the multiple ways that people mispronounce her name, which I can relate to. This book has a lot of heart, and it shows it through its expressive artwork, intricate characters, and the delicate, deliberate pacing. I very much enjoyed this book, and now I need to read its two sequels.

This book's creator Huda Fahmy has written a number of comics for both adults and younger readers. Huda F Cares? and Huda F Wants to Know? are the two sequels to this book. Yes, I Am Hot in This and That Can Be Arranged are graphic novels that began as webcomics, and they are more geared toward adults. Fahmy speaks about her life and work in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book sing its praises. Kirkus Reviews called it "hilarious, charming, and much needed." Richetta wrote, "This book is perfect for discussing identity on multiple levels." Amani Salahudeen opined, "I loved how Huda weaved in humor, touched on important topics within the Islamic community, and was unapologetically Muslim. This book is a must-read!"

Huda F Are You? was published by Dial Books, and they offer a preview and more information about it here. I recommend it for middle and high school readers.

7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga

In the last few years, I have been interacting with Native American cultures through a variety of different media. I have watched shows like Reservation Dogs and Dark Winds, read books like We Had A Little Real Estate Problem, and read comics from companies like ATCG. Today, I am talking about a  graphic novel, 7 Generations, which spans centuries in its look at a Canadian indigenous family and how generational trauma affects them. The framing sequence is set in 2010, and it's about a 16-year-old boy named Edwin. He is struggling with school and life, and he feels cut adrift. One reason for his feelings is because he is estranged from his father, James, and feels abandoned by him. He decides to take matters and his life in his own hands, namely to end both. Luckily, he was not successful.

It turns out that these feelings are predicated on what has gone on in the past, and this book chronicles four episodes about this family. The first chapter focuses on a couple of Plains Cree brothers in the late 19th century and what transpires after one of them dies in a Blackfoot raid and the other, named Stone, seeks revenge. The second chapter focuses on White Cloud and his experiences during the smallpox pandemic of 1870-1871. The third chapter leaps more toward the present, portraying James's experiences being taken from his family and re-housed in Christian residential schools with his brother. The fourth comes full circle and deals with how James and Edwin might reconcile and lead better lives.

There is a lot going on in this book, and each chapter contains scenes of horror and violence of different sorts. The drawings portray much of the proceedings in visceral, emotional, and dramatic fashion, and in many ways this is a tough book to read, appropriately so, in my opinion. It does not flinch from showing past terrors and crimes, and it also resolves not completely but hopefully. I found this a very moving and informative book, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning more about indigenous cultures or comics.

This book was created by author David A. Robertson and artist Scott B. Henderson. Robertson has written many books from adults and young people, and has won many accolades, including the Governor General's Literary Award and the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award. 7 Generations was Henderson's first graphic novel, and since then he has drawn 20 more, mainly collaborating with indigenous authors. Robertson speaks about his collaboration with Henderson on this book in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book sing its praises. Suzanne Manizza Roszak concluded, "An equally fitting choice for adolescent and adult readers, 7 Generations deserves to be much more widely read." Joanne Peters wrote that the chapters are "emotionally powerful works, and Scott Henderson's ...visuals add to the impact of Robertson's narratives, particularly in the depiction of the residential school experience."

7 Generations was published by HighWater Press, and they offer more information about the upcoming 15th anniversary edition here. Because of the subject matter, including self-harm and emotional violence, I suggest this book for high school and above.

 Thank you and shout-out to Dani, who chose this book for our graphic novel class!!!

Asgardians Book 2: Thor

Many people, myself included, know a lot about the Thor from Marvel. He's big, strong, blond, wields a big hammer, and can control lightning. The mythological Thor is some of these things, including the muscles, power, hammer, and lightning, but he is also somewhat different.

This second volume sheds more light on that Thor, telling a good number of tales that show him to be a sort of dunderhead despite all of his strength and abilities. He's loud and impetuous, and he often gets taken advantage because of that, particularly by his clever half-brother Loki, though he does strive to do his best.

I really love this book, and I also love that it has a very different sort of flavor than the Olympians series by the same author. Norse legends are a bit more gritty and earthy, and the artwork and storytelling here reflects that. This Thor has to get his hands dirty when he fights, he slaughters and eats goats, and he drinks a lot of ale. He is also sort of goofy in the way he has to get himself out of sticky situations. Still, he is heroic in his own way, and this book does an excellent job of conveying the original legends in an intriguing and engaging way. The third book in this series, Loki, is slated to come out in October and I am really looking forward to it.

George O'Connor has a slew of excellent graphic novels under his belt. In addition to the aforementioned Olympians series, he adapted the American history journal account Journey into Mohawk Country and also illustrated the dystopian future book Ball Peen Hammer, written by Adam Rapp. He has also drawn the political graphic novel Unrig: How to Fix Our Broken Democracy with author Daniel G. Newman.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. In a starred entry, Kirkus Reviews called it a "close and spirited take on original sources." Carol Youssif summed it up, "A well-rounded title that will appeal to fans of the titular god and Norse mythology, and readers looking for an action-packed story." Ian Keogh concluded his review, "These are a bunch of great stories by any reckoning, and O’Connor really brings them to life, and not just for the intended young adult audience."

Thor was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more information about it here. 

Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey

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Two of my favorite things are comics and hockey, and this book combines both! I cannot think of many books that do both, save for Robert Ullman's Old-Timey Hockey Tales mini-comics, which are great by the way. Check, Please! began as a webcomic, and the first two of the four seasons are collected here. The premise is that we are following the life of Eric "Bitty" Bittle, an incoming freshman to the fictional Samwell University that is located in the real-life state of Massachusetts and plays in the real-life ECAC conference. Bitty is a former figure skater turned hockey player who comes from Georgia, loves to bake and vlogs about his life. He is also gay, and wonders when and how he should come out to his teammates. Over the course of the book, he shares about his struggles to adapt to college life, his quirky teammates, his culinary creations, and his adapting to the rules and rigors of college hockey.

For instance, dealing with contact is new to Bitty...

Over the two seasons in this book, we get glimpses into Bitty's freshman and sophomore years. He transitions from being a newbie to moving into the team house. There is some light hazing, intense feedback from the team captain, heavy partying, and typical college shenanigans. A slight spoiler: It is refreshing to see a bunch of macho athletes appreciate Bitty's baking and sexual orientation with not just tolerance but acceptance and joy. This book is fun to read for its sports intrigue, personal drama, charm, clever banter, and humor. I am very much looking forward to reading the next book that runs to Eric's junior and senior years.

Check, Please! was created by Ngozi Ukazu. She began making webcomics but has transitioned into making graphic novels, including Bunt!, which is about a college baseball player, Barda, which is a YA graphic novel from DC Comics featuring Jack Kirby's Fourth World characters, and the forthcoming Flip. Ukazu speaks more about Check, Please! in this interview.

This series has won a Reuben Award, a Harvey Award, and an Ignatz Award, and it's been very well reviewed. The starred entry from Kirkus Reviews concluded, "A fun and deeply satisfying read for teens." Thoroughly Modern Reviewer called it " a well-written, immensely enjoyable rom-com," and added that "it’s also a delightful exploration of male friendship, a really funny coming of age story, and an exciting look into the softer side of hockey culture." Nick Goodsell summed up, "It’s funny, its heartfelt, its deep, and it’s another great coming of age story for anyone to enjoy!"

Check, Please! Book 1 was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more information about it here. This book features profanity and some adult situations, so it is recommended for readers mature enough to handle those things, probably more mature teens.