Oh wow it’s November already? Welp, guess the year’s over.
The following reviews are from some recent reads and some I’ve read over the course of the year. I’ll do another one of these at the end of December with some of the titles I’ve picked up in the last week and some titles I am picking up in the next couple weeks…!
Paper Girls trade vol. 2-6 by Brian K Vaughn, Cliff Chiang
Absolutely tore through the rest of these as soon as I got them from Mission Comics. I really love this series. There was very little to be desired – the world building was great, the dialogue was fun, the canon lesbian representation (!!!) – I was actually shocked that the writers and illustrators are all guys…. Like seriously, am I missing something? Did they have a consultant on board? Sometimes when I read something with great lesbian representation, I think about how it’s good but would be better if it was done by a woman writer.. this wasn’t one of those times. I thought they did a good job. The story was engaging and interesting, and really checked all the boxes for me. All-girl cast, sci-fi dystopian, canon lesbian, action-packed… They also recently released the full omnibus so if you’re looking for holiday gifts for the family, I would recommend this one. It’s obviously a great gift for young girls in your life (some great role models in Erin and KJ) but suitable for all ages or genders.
Saga trade vol. 2-3 by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples
This is a more “classic comic” style – action-packed, lovable male lead, lots of aggressive heterosexuality and overtly sexual themes as well as gore, fight scenes, and witty banter. It feels like a lot of comics I’ve read in the past from DC and Marvel, but a little more unique, a little more interesting because it does depart from the traditional “superhero” narrative, which I personally like. Of course I love superheros but sci-fi, dystopian and horror are more my speed. Again, I have to give props to Saga creators for the world-building in this series because it really, truly cannot be beat. They do such a good job illustrating the conflicts between worlds, the different races and characters whose lives have been enmeshed in this war, and in a very subtle and flawless manner. There is almost no exposition, which is great because I truly feel bored out of my skull if there’s too many words in a comic book, explaining wars of centuries past. This series is really one huge adrenaline rush from front to back and I am pretty eager to pick up the rest of the trade volumes that are out. It’s coming back with new periodicals in January, so I’m looking forward to next year when we’ll see it continue.
What if We Were… by Axelle Lenoir
This is such a cute, fun graphic novella – I’m a little sad it’s a one-off but from what I can tell there isn’t any follow-up. Lenoir has other graphic novels which I will pick up in the future, because I really enjoyed this one, but so far this is the only installation with these characters. What if We Were… follows the imaginations of two high-school aged girls in a slice-of-life coming-of-age style story illustrated through the girls’ favorite pastime which is a game where they think up scenarios of who they might be. It ranges from mundane to supernatural and fantasy and the illustrations are all super fun. This is a great read for a young person, and another on the holiday recommendations.
Ryuko vol. 1 by Eldo Yoshimizu
This book was a bit of an impulse for me – I was a sucker for the hot girl on the cover. Flipping through the pages, I found myself really attracted to the art style and the characters. Badass chicks with tattoos, guns and motorcycles? Sorry but I fall for it everytime. It’s a yakuza tale, so strap in for a wild ride and a LOT of T&A – the first few pages has the most ridiculous scene of these girls wearing skimpy bikinis and doing high-level martial arts moves. Like.. Wouldn’t your boobs be bouncing around too much for that? I don’t get it. But it makes for good fanservice, I guess. I wouldn’t put this on the holiday gift list for the kids, though.
Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachimaru vol.1 by Masashi Kishimoto and illustrated by Akira Ōkubo
Man, I really wanted to like this one, but it kinda fell flat for me. If I’m being totally honest, it has some major problems. The biggest one is the way they treat disability. The main character is disabled to the extent where he relies on a futuristic machine, but he becomes able-bodied after some magic discovery blah-bah and then becomes the hero that we come to expect. The world-building is a little sloppy in my opinion and I remember not really understanding where the Samurai come into play exactly but they are part of the reason he becomes the main character. (Something about the soul or heart of a Samurai.) He is ranked the best player in whatever the video game is that he plays (I forget, sorry) and that becomes something of a plot point later on when he meets a person who is basically a neet and obsessed with the same game. The other issue is around that character who is somewhat androgynous but revealed to be a girl (missed a good opportunity to have a non-binary character) in some sort of cissexist ways. Just the way they talk about this character (“Are you a boy or a girl?!” language) is somewhat grating. Also, it ends up following a super heteronormative storyline where the Samurai exists to save some princess and you come to understand that is basically the whole point of the story and the direction it’s taking towards the end. Overall it was a quick, easy read and if you like Shounen style manga then maybe you might like it but in my opinion there were just too many little annoying things that I just didn’t vibe with and probably won’t pick up future volumes.
On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
I am OBSESSED with this book. It’s easily one of the best graphic novels I’ve ever read. That said, I’m super sad Tillie Walden appears to have zero intention of giving us more of this. It’s a sci-fi story set somewhere in the future though there’s very little concrete detail of when that might be. Normally, that might be a detraction but she sculpts the world and characters so well that they do all the needed lifting to get you to believe and be so, so immersed in this world. This is a wonderful coming of age adventure story with canon lesbian / sapphic storylines and even a canon nonbinary character – to my personal delight there is not a single man in this story. It is a really enchanting and wonderful read with beautiful art and I would definitely add this to the holiday gift list if you are looking for ideas.
Boy’s Club by Matt Furie
Okay so taking a total 180 from the last title, this is ALL boys, and totally crude, inappropriate and at some points just plain gross. That said, I love this book. This is a story of 4 dudes (plus Bird-Dog who makes an appearance in the second half of the book) who live together and is a compilation of their little slice of life vignettes. This is probably a more rated-R graphic novel, but it’s really fun. Matt Furie invented the character Pepe who was tragically hijacked by the “alt-right” and if you only associate Pepe with trumpsters and MAGA-idiots, I definitely recommend picking up this book so you can get acquainted with the actual Pepe character, who is a creative, imaginative, thoughtful, honest and generous soul. There is a documentary which goes into the saga and tragedy that Pepe / Matt Furie experienced which is called “Feels Good Man” and was released this year. It’s a fascinating documentary and I was lucky enough to see the only viewing at the Roxie where Matt Furie, the director and some of his friends who inspired his characters in Boy’s Club were present for a Q&A afterward.
Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde
I read this book earlier this year and absolutely fell in love with it. This is a “biomythography” which is a literary term I’ve never heard before but is defined as “a style of composition that weaves myth, history, and biography in epic narrative.” An epic memoir contained in this narrative of Audre Lorde’s early life in Harlem, school life, working in a factory and of course her experience in the lesbian bar scene in New York. I loved reading this, as Audre Lorde is such an icon to me as a writer and a lesbian, and it really is so beautifully written and insightful that you learn so much about her life but also the social atmosphere of the world she lived in. Definitely do yourself a favor and read this if you haven’t yet.
That’s it for reviews for this time – please look forward to the next post where I will hopefully have some news to report on merch and inventory. I’ve been approved for a seller’s permit in California so I’m legally allowed to sell things here now! Haha. I’ll post pictures when I get to screenprinting the cherry logo on some tote bags and when I get my first Ingram shipment! I have already loaded up my cart and I am VERY excited to share all these new titles with you all. As for the podcast, I am still working on that and will discuss today with those who are interested, how we’d like to proceed with making that happen!