I moved in the middle of this pandemic, and have nearly twenty open boxes and unsorted piles of comics and graphic novels sitting around. Revisiting the books I already own (whether I’ve gotten around to reading them all, or not) while unpacking has been incredibly fun, and is the basis of the following comics recommendations.
ApocalyptiGirl: An Aria for the End Times by Andrew MacLean
From the creator of the visceral and absurd Head Lopper, ApocalyptiGirl is similarly distinct in its art presentation and story pacing. The story follows Aria and her cat, Jelly Beans, as they search through a seemingly abandoned city for a mysterious artifact. Unsurprisingly, this plan is interrupted by unsavory locals and others with designs on the artifact. This story really excels in it’s mix of frenetic action and ponderous moments, letting us ruminate over the many mysteries of the world, then pulling us back into the narrative without ever fully revealing what’s going on.
DIE vol. 1 Fantasy Heartbreaker by Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans, and Clayton Cowles
DIE is a wonderfully bleak combo of moody aesthetics and a fantasy storytelling melange. Described by writer Kieron Gillen as “Goth Jumanji”, DIE follows a group of now middle-aged “friends” who are once again pulled into the dangerous role playing game that they’d previously survived as teens. If you’re looking for a mix of Jumanji, the Bronte siblings, table-top role playing games, or Timeline, you should read this comic.
Fence vol. 1 by C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad
I love Fence so much, I just can’t stop recommending this series. This comic will immediately appeal to consumers of sports manga and anime, like Haikyu!! or The Prince of Tennis, but also anyone who enjoys high school shenanigans. With beautiful, expressive, and often hilarious art, we follow the story of a group of teenagers attempting to make it onto their high school’s fencing team. If you’re here for romantic tensions, in-team rivalries, new friendships, underdog grumps vs. entitled jerks, and learning all about fencing, you’ve come to the perfect place.
Harrow County vol. 1: Countless Haints by Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook
While almost too spooky for me at times, I don’t know of any other comic recently that has really made me feel the setting as a character as much as Harrow County. Harrow County follows the story of Emmy, a young person who has spent her entire life among the forests and fields and creeks of Harrow. On the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she finds that her connection to the land is more than just a feeling. The mysteries of the story, the descriptions of the countryside, and the watercolor art had me feeling the silence of dark woods, hearing the wind whipping through the cracks in an empty barn, and smelling the heat of the southern summer.
Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Petersen
As a child of the 1990s, aka a reader of the Redwall books, Mouse Guard is immediately familiar and incredibly appealing. The story follows members of the Mouse Guard, a group of Mice who live in a fortress and serve to protect communities of mice against the threats of the wild lands they live within. The book’s appeal goes beyond similarities to Redwall however, with its own unique world building and beautiful illustrations by creator David Petersen. For those who really want to dive in to this world, beyond the eight books in the series, there is also a role playing game, a version of the in-story board game called Swords & Strongholds, and an alphabet book. Go forth and explore!
The Fire Never Goes Out: A Memoir in Pictures by Noelle Stevenson
I am a huge fan of graphic memoirs in general, as well as of Noelle Stevenson’s work specifically; with Nimona, Lumberjanes, and her amazing work on the She-Ra Netflix animated series. I have been excitedly waiting for this book for some time, especially after watching her emotionally revealing interview on the Critical Role web series “Between the Sheets”, which I think is a good preview for this memoir.
~posted by Mychal L.
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