Witches of Brooklyn: S’More Magic
The camp-themed S’More Magic is the latest entry in the ongoing Witches of Brooklyn graphic novel series by Sophie Escabasse. Effie is off to the woods for a summer camp for witches. There, she’ll find out whether she has a green thumb, meaning affinity with plant magic and a special connection with nature. The new setting allows for new characters. Her aunts (whom we got to know in the first book) and friends (second book) make small appearances, but the […]
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The Tryout
Christina, whose father came to Texas from Thailand, and her best friend Megan, Iranian-American, decide to try out for cheerleading now that they’re in seventh grade. The Tryout (written by Christina Soontornvat; art by Joanna Cacao) is based on the author’s own experience, and that’s why this reads so authentically. Occasional racism is part of her everyday existence, unsurprising for a small Texas town, but of more immediate impact to Christina’s life is what this competition means to her friendship. […]
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Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia Part Two
The fan-favorite storyline concludes in this volume, collecting the four issues of the miniseries. The previous book ended with John coming face-to-face with Irene Adler, thought to be dead, in a mysterious, deserted power station. That’s where Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia Part Two picks up. Irene and John spat, Sherlock rescues Mrs. Hudson from the Americans, and events spiral wildly out of control from there. It was so much fun reliving the events of this episode. The second season […]
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Batman’s Mystery Casebook
It’s such a pleasure to see Batman’s detective skills emphasized in Batman’s Mystery Casebook, a surprisingly educational graphic novel written by Sholly Fisch and drawn by Christopher Uminga. Batman explains some basic crime-solving techniques to Batgirl and Robin, including brief history lessons. Fingerprints, footprints and other tracks, DNA, and eyewitness testimony, among others, are covered, then those techniques are used in mini-mysteries. The reader is told when to stop and figure things out, then they can see if they found […]
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Fence Volume 5: Rise
The boys’ fencing school series continues with a new original volume, and I’m so glad to see it’s still going. In Fence: Rise (the fifth volume of the graphic novel series, written by C.S Pacat, art by Johanna the Mad), the fiercely competitive Seiji is finding himself more open to his first friendship with his roommate, the scrappy, garrulous Nicholas. The team goes to a training camp, where their members face off against several other schools and fencers, revealing more […]
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Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou: Deluxe Edition Volume 1
With patience, sometimes we get what we wish for. I first encountered Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou in a pirated, scanlated online version back in 2009. I’d only been reading manga for a handful of years at that point, diving in as an escape from superheroes and maudlin autobio — it was give up comics, or find a new enthusiasm. Manga meant more genres, and books featuring young women, and more approaches to storytelling, such as this one. The series, a pastoral […]
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The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again, Today Volume 5
In Hitsuzi Yamada’s The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again, Today volume 5, the cat Yukichi meets Saku’s parents! Which is kind of appropriate, as he’s the perfect boyfriend, except for the whole being-a-human-sized-cat thing. It’s New Year’s, and the parents have pulled out the guilt stops to get Saku to come visit, when all she wanted was a quiet holiday at home. That means plenty of favorite plot points, from a road trip to meeting former classmates to a shrine […]
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Show-ha Shoten! Volume 1
Fandom works. By which I mean, if someone likes something a creator does, they’re a lot more likely to seek out that creator’s next thing. That’s the reason I tried Show-ha Shoten! Volume 1. It’s illustrated by Takeshi Obata, who’s probably best known in this country for drawing Death Note, but I better remember him from Bakuman and earlier, Hikaru no Go. Story is by Akinari Asakura, a novelist making his manga debut. These types of shonen manga series are […]
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