Ive already talked a little bit about some these graphic novels in my monthly wrap ups, but since they were received for review I figured they deserved their own post. I talk about so many books in my wrap ups that sometimes the comics are overlooked and theres some amazing ones on this list that definitely deserve more attention. I cant believe there was actually a time where I avoided them. I decided to put a bunch of them together because my comic reviews tend to be pretty short. I don't know if its just me, but graphic novels dont usually leave me with much to say. Plus they're so short I dont want to give too much away. They are however great for readathons and getting over book hang overs so Ive been reading a lot of them more lately. For todays post I have 10 I want to share my thoughts on so lets get started.
Bloodlust and Bonnets
Publication: September 17th, 2019
Summary
From the creator of the hit webcomic My Life As a Background Slytherin comes a hilarious graphic novel pastiche of classic Romantic literature led by a trio of queer misfits—and several angry vampires.
Set in early nineteenth-century Britain, Bloodlust & Bonnets follows Lucy, an unworldly debutante who desires a life of passion and intrigue—qualities which earn her the attention of Lady Violet Travesty, the leader of a local vampire cult.
But before Lucy can embark on her new life of vampiric debauchery, she finds herself unexpectedly thrown together with the flamboyant poet Lord Byron (“from books!”) and a mysterious bounty-hunter named Sham. The unlikely trio lie, flirt, fight, and manipulate each other as they make their way across Britain, disrupting society balls, slaying vampires, and making every effort not to betray their feelings to each other as their personal and romantic lives become increasingly entangled.
Both witty and slapstick, elegant and gory, Emily McGovern’s debut graphic novel pays tribute to and pokes fun at beloved romance tropes, delivering a joyous, action-packed world of friendship and adventure.
Thoughts:
Rating: 2.5 Stars
After trying everything possible to get the egalley file to work on my phone I finally gave up and used my computer. It took me a while to get into this graphic novel. The characters did grow on me by the end, but they were too tropy for me to really connect. I know the use of tropes was intentional, but it didnt work for me. The story starts very abruptly with no backstory to Lucys character. Where did she come from and why was she there? The two characters we are first introduced to felt like they had more history than we were shown. Lord Byron seemed to be under the impression that he was a couple with Lucy, but I never saw how he came to that conclusion. Eventually I found the absurdness of the plot and the characters kind of funny and entertaining, but the faceless type of art style wasnt for me. I prefer seeing the characters facial expressions and not just their unibrow and tiny mole eyes. It also felt way longer than it needed to be and it just wasnt what I was expecting.
Kriss
Publication: September 17th, 2019
Summary
Lean, ghostly pale, and permanently grim-faced, Kriss has always been an outsider in his small village. Not even his adoptive parents love him. Only Anja, the blacksmith's daughter, brings kindness and friendship into the life of the sullen teenager. But Kriss is haunted by dim memories of his true father, Erikk Iron Tooth, the king of Darkovia.
When Anja's mother is killed by a wild sabercat from the far north, the young girl's world is shattered, and Kriss determines to avenge her. Armed with only a pitchfork, the skinny teen sets out to kill the beast, only to learn that it's actually a dark spirit from Darkovia, come to bring him his destiny. The spirit grants Kriss the power to vanquish the mightiest foes, and commands him to reclaim his father's kingdom. But his gift of power comes with a price — uncontrollable rage. And leaving the village would mean leaving Anja, the only person who's always been there for him. Kriss must choose between his destiny and Anja, who needs his friendship more than ever. But his growing power, and the fiery anger that comes with it, threatens to make the choice for him, and burn everything he holds dear
Thoughts:
Rating: 2.5 Stars
I liked how the art style matched the dark and brutal story, but the flow of the pannels and huge time gaps were a little confusing. The world and the wrath spirit werent explained all that well. I feel like a lot of elements needed to be more flushed out. I do love anything carnival related so those scenes were probably my favorite. Kriss is pretty miserable and I dont really enjoy following those kinds of characters. He's also felt very indecisive and without direction. I didnt understand his relationship with Anja. They seemed close at first, but that quickly faded. I wasnt getting those friendship scenes I wanted, but he also wasnt going after his destiny so the whole graphic novel felt very unproductive. The most Kriss did was learn how to forge from Anja father. I really would have liked more from either their relationship or him pursuing his goals. Thankfully there was an interesting rivalry between Kriss and Anja brother that helped keep me engaged.
Black Mage
Publication: August 13th, 2019
Summary:
When St. Ivory Academy, a historically white wizarding school, opens its doors to its first-ever black student, everyone believes that the wizarding community is finally taking its first crucial steps toward inclusivity. Or is it? When Tom Token, the beneficiary of the school's "Magical Minority Initiative," begins uncovering weird clues and receiving creepy texts on his phone, he and his friend, Lindsay, stumble into a conspiracy that dates all the way back to the American Civil War, and could cost Tom his very soul.
Thoughts:
Rating: 3 Stars
I enjoyed the art style, but the boxes werent in order in the egalley I received so it was a little confusing at times. The balance between fight scenes and dialogue wasnt completely to my taste, but it made for a quick read. I usually dont mind not having much dialogue but I think it would have been nice to explore the characters and the themes in more depth. The magic also wasnt explained that well, but I did love the magical school setting. The underlying themes were featured in a very literal way despite the fantasy elements so a younger audience should be able to grasp them easily. I dont believe Im the intended audience and I havent experienced these issues myself so I cant speak on them, but I think it will mean a lot too many people and Im glad its being published.
Grimoire Noire
Publication: July 23rd, 2019
Summary
It tells the story of a town where every woman is a witch, and what happens when one of them goes missing
Thoughts
Rating: 3 Stars
I loved the beautiful art style and how the color scheme fit the dark and dreery atmosphere of the story. The creepy small town setting full of witches is totally my thing. In this town girls are born with power and anyone with powers is unable to leave so when the main characters powerful little sister goes missing, he knows she cant have gone far. He believes the crow coven might have something to do with her disappearance, but since no ones taking him seriously he decides to start investigating on his own. When he does find the person who took his sister he just lets them leave without finding out where she is. The flow between scenes was a little jarring at times and made me feel like we were missing some information. The dialogue could have used some work. I personally cant remember the last time Ive had a conversation where someone said my name for any other reason than trying to get my attention. Its just not how natural conversations work in most cases. I think my enjoyment of the graphic novel would have increased had my reading experience not been hindered by the fuzzy text. It took me way longer to read as I spent quite a lot of time trying to decipher the words and some of them I couldnt make out at all. Overall Im still happy I read it and would recommend picking up a physcial copy for the spooky season.
Natty
Publication: June 20th, 2017
Summary
Rebellious Princess Natty of Orchidhali is a member of the floral caste and lives in a luxurious, sunshine-filled palace. But once she refuses her arranged marriage, she is forced to flee the palace. She ends up in the dark realm of the Untouchables, the very lowest caste of society, where a strange form of leprosy reigns as a result of the lack of sunlight. Natty meets an Untouchable named Sami, who is just as rebellious as she is, and together they make a plan to leave the shadows of the underworld and return to the light. But just as they are about to make their escape, a battalion of soldiers arrives, and Sami ends up in prison.
Thoughts:
Rating: 3.5 Stars
The synopsis sums up the entire first volume, except it ends before we see Sami get captured. I think it would have been more exciting had there been less information in the summary. I liked the concept of the plant inspired characters living in what seems to be a garden setting where the people at the top flourish in the sunlight and the ones hidden away in shadows at the bottom wither away. I would have liked more world building, especially about how the animal suitors fit into this world. After reading the summary for the second and final volume I know exactly how everything will play out so the only reasons Id pick it up would be for the cute art style and more of Natty and Samis interactions. Sami was really sweet and Id like to see his relationship with the Princess develop. I also loved Nattys cow companion and the big sacred bug she encounters. Her parents on the other hand were confusing. I couldnt tell if they wanted her back just so she would take her life to prevent a war after turning down her suitors or if they meant to protect her.
The Avant-Guards
Publication: September 3rd, 2019
Summary:
When Charlie transfers to the Georgia O’Keeffe College of Arts and Subtle Dramatics, she struggles to find her feet, but winds up exactly where she belongs...in the school’s (terrible) basketball team.
As a transfer student to the Georgia O’Keeffe College for Arts and Subtle Dramatics, former sports star Charlie is struggling to find her classes, her dorm, and her place amongst a student body full of artists who seem to know exactly where they’re going. When the school’s barely-a-basketball-team unexpectedly attempts to recruit her, Charlie’s adamant that she’s left that life behind…until she’s won over by the charming team captain, Liv, and the ragtag crew she’s managed to assemble. And while Charlie may have left cut-throat competition in in the dust, sinking these hoops may be exactly what she needs to see the person she truly wants to be.
Thoughts:
Rating: 4 Stars
Rating: 4 Stars
I dont really care about sports, but I love the friendships that are formed when people are on a team together. We get plenty of diversity on the team without it being the focus. I liked that it was just a bunch of girls getting together to play basketball. Since no attention was called to it the different types of diveristy felt very normalized which I really appreciated. We get an interacial sapphic pairing that will probably develop into more of a romance in the next volumes. This volume was more about one of the girls crushing on the other and trying to gather the courage to ask her out. Their personalities seem like total opposites with one of the being bubbly and ambitous while the other was more cynical and reserved, but I think they would be really cute together. The art was pretty good, but I felt like some of the characters faces weren't as good as others. The cliff hanger ending had me turning the pages in disbelief that the comic was over.
Stage Dreams
Publication: September 3rd, 2019
Summary
Thoughts:
Rating: 4.5 Stars
This graphic novel had a fun western setting. The information the author added at the end really showed they did their research on the LGBT+ community during the civil war era. The story was entertaining, but still very important. It has some amazing diversity with the sapphic romance and one of the main characters being a transwomen. I loved both main characters and their dynamic. I feel like I got to know them pretty well for the short amount of time I had with them. Graces interaction with her father when he sees her for the first time since she ran away was super heartwarming. I also loved that Flor had an animal companion that helped her pull off all kinds of heists. The art style isnt the type I usually gravitate towards, but the queer representation made me want to pick it up and Im so glad I did. Im hoping we get a second volume because this felt like a quick introduction that wasnt as developped as it could be.
Tea Dragon Festival
Publication: September 17th, 2019
Summary
Rinn has grown up with the Tea Dragons that inhabit their village, but stumbling across a real dragon turns out to be a different matter entirely! Aedhan is a young dragon who was appointed to protect the village but fell asleep in the forest eighty years ago. With the aid of Rinn’s adventuring uncle Erik and his partner Hesekiel, they investigate the mystery of his enchanted sleep, but Rinn’s real challenge is to help Aedhan come to terms with feeling that he cannot get back the time he has lost.
Thoughts:
Rating: 5 Stars
This was an adorable prequel to the Tea Dragon Society. Im so happy we got to see one of the tea master Hese and his partner Eriks bounty hunting adventures. We also follow Eriks niece Rinn and the dragon she discovers sleeping in the woods while foraging for her village. I loved the sweet relationship that develops between them. The story has this wonderful message about finding ones passion and where they belongs. I really appreciated the sign language representation and how the entire village learned it when one of their girls was born without hearing. The talk about the shapeshifting dragon clan being able to change gender made me very happy. I absolutely love the art style and with the festival going on we got some mezmerizing scenes. This is probably aimed at a much younger audience as it doesnt have much writing, but I still adored it. Its just an overall super heartwarming story that anyone can enjoy. And the tea dragons are just freaking awesome.
Witchy
Publication: September 17th, 2019
Summary
In the witch kingdom Hyalin, the strength of your magic is determined by the length of your hair. Those that are strong enough are conscripted by the Witch Guard, who enforce the law in peacetime and protect the land during war. However, those with hair judged too long are pronounced enemies of the kingdom, and annihilated. This is called a witch burning.
Witchy is a comic about the young witch Nyneve, who is haunted by the death of her father and the threat the Witch Guard poses to her own life. When conscription rolls around, Nyneve has a choice to make; join the institution complicit in her father's death, or stand up for her ideals?
Thoughts:
Rating: 5 Stars
This had my favorite type of art style with its bold and colorful illustrations. It has some great world building without it feeling info dumpy and cluttered with text. In a kingdom where the length of ones hair can determine the strength of their magical powers one witch is determined to hide hers in order to avoid being conscripted into the army. The story had a bit more depth than some other stories Ive read with a similar art style. It was compelling and immersive. I found myself immediately wanting more after I was done and thinking about it days later.
Mooncakes
Publication: October 15th, 2019
Summary
A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.
Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.
One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.
Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.
Thoughts:
Rating: 5 Stars
This was such an adorable graphic novel with the cutesy type of art style that I love so much. It had some fun paranormal elements like witches, werewolves and demons along with the small town and bookstore setting that I love. We get a sweet queer romance between the female main character and a nonbinary crush from her childhood. Then theres the wonderful female friendship and family relationships. The main characters two demon slaying grandmothers were awesome. I also appreciated the hearing impaired representation with the main character having hearing aids. On top of all that we get an interesting plot with the myserious demon loose in a nearby forest.
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