Tag Archives: graphic novel
Lightning Review

Thirsty Mermaids by Kat Leyh

Thirsty Mermaids

How can it be that it has taken me this long to discover Thirsty Mermaids, the graphic novel by Kat Leyh? This bawdy, body positive, inclusive story is my new favorite, and I’ve been reading a lot of mermaid stuff recently so that’s saying a LOT. When mermaids Pearl, Tooth, and Eez decide to use magic to become human, they only plan to be human for long enough to get some booze. But once Eez … Continue reading Thirsty Mermaids by Kat Leyh

Kickass Women: Brazen by Pénélope Bagieu

This month I give you not one Kickass Woman but rather twenty-nine, as profiled in the graphic non-fiction book Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World . I loved this book so much that I couldn’t resist sharing it with you all. The panels are simple and classical in style (mostly rectangles), which allows for the focus to be on the information presented. The art is clever and colorful and the text is packed with … Continue reading Kickass Women: Brazen by Pénélope Bagieu

Book Review

Heavy Vinyl by Carla Usdin

Heavy Vinyl

Heavy Vinyl is a comic book series set in New Jersey in 1998. The premise is that four teens/young women run a record store and fight crime. If that doesn’t make you stop reading this review and one-click immediately, then you are dead to me. For a few minutes, at least. The central protagonist is Chris, a new employee at Vinyl Destination. She has a crush on her coworker, Maggie, but is afraid to tell … Continue reading Heavy Vinyl by Carla Usdin

Lightning Review

Castle Waiting by Linda Medley

Castle Waiting: Volume 1

Castle Waiting is an adorable, feminist comic that is currently collected in two volumes. I read about this comic book series in The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen by Hope Nicholson and sure enough, it’s entrancing. Castle Waiting is the story of what happens in Sleeping Beauty’s castle after the princess awakens and leaves the castle. The castle becomes a safe haven for many – including a pregnant woman named Lady Jain who is fleeing from … Continue reading Castle Waiting by Linda Medley

Lightning Review

Clueless: Senior Year by Amber Benson and Sarah Kuhn

Clueless: Senior Year

While nothing can match the divine quality of the movie Clueless, the graphic novel Clueless: Senior Year is a fun reunion with Cher, Dionne, and Tai, the main characters from the movie. If you haven’t seen the movie, you should watch it before reading the comic, because the comic will make more sense and because everyone should watch Clueless. The story picks up on Cher’s last day of junior year. One of her teachers tells … Continue reading Clueless: Senior Year by Amber Benson and Sarah Kuhn

Book Review

Kim & Kim, Vol. 1 by Magdalene Visaggio

Kim & Kim, Volume 1

I heard great things about Kim & Kim, and I was not disappointed. The first issue was so much fun that I ordered Volume One (which collects issues 1-4) before even finishing that first issue. My only complaint is that now I have to wait for Volume Two! Kim & Kim is about two women who are “mostly platonic” best friends and partners in bounty hunting. Kim and Kim live in a futuristic world where everything … Continue reading Kim & Kim, Vol. 1 by Magdalene Visaggio

Book Review

I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 1 by Skottie Young

I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 1

If you want to read something fun this year, pick up I Hate Fairyland, Vol 1. While A Promise of Fire was my favorite book I read in 2016, Fairyland was the most fun reading experience I had. The colors, the characterization, the mix of a child-like appearance with adult humor – it was great on all levels. Between holds at my local library, I wanted something quick to read until I could pick up my … Continue reading I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 1 by Skottie Young

Lightning Review

Long Distance by Thomas Zahler

Long Distance

I’m biased in favor of Thom Zahler, with whom I shared a panel at San Diego Comic-Con, but I just have to say how much I love his romance comic, Long Distance. It tells the love story of Carter, an advertising designer in Columbus, Ohio, and Lee, a NASA scientist who lives in Chicago. The two meet in an airport and embark on a long distance romance. This is a sweet, funny, warm story that is honest about … Continue reading Long Distance by Thomas Zahler

Book Review

Love and Capes by Thomas F. Zahler

Love & Capes Vol. 1

Love and Capes is a delightful, light-hearted comic about romance. Described as a “heroically super situation comedy,” it describes the romance between Abby, who runs a bookstore, and Mark, who fights crime as The Crusader. The comic begins at the point when Mark reveals his secret identity to Abby (a smart move since we are spared many “Oh Mark, you’re here, you just missed The Crusader” type antics). The tone is set by the bright, … Continue reading Love and Capes by Thomas F. Zahler

Book Review

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

Hyperbole and a Half

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and I’m certainly no stranger to the trials and tribulations of keeping up with one’s own mental health, not to mention the mental health of my mother. (It’s exhausting sometimes, isn’t it?) So this May, I wanted to read something that I could identify with and that would allow me to further spotlight the importance of mental health discussions. I’ve been a longtime fan of Hyperbole and a Half … Continue reading Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

Book Review

12 Reasons Why I Love Her by Jamie S. Rich and Joelle Jones

12 Reasons Why I Love Her

12 Reasons Why I Love Her is a graphic novel that describes the romance between Gwen and Evan. Sadly, I loathed both Gwen and Evan so very, very much, that I am presenting this review as “10 Reasons Why I Hated This.” Why ten and not twelve? Because coming up with twelve things just seemed too bitter. Includes spoilers. This is described as “a romance graphic novel told in twelve individual vignettes” but it does … Continue reading 12 Reasons Why I Love Her by Jamie S. Rich and Joelle Jones