April 3, 2023 Johanna First Second Leave a comment

History Comics: The Stonewall Riots

I’m impressed and thrilled to see this subject included in a line of graphic novels about history for young people. History Comics: The Stonewall Riots: Making a Stand for LGBTQ Rights is written by Archie Bongiovanni (A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns) and illustrated by A. Andrews (A Quick & Easy Guide to Sex & Disability). The introduction, by professor Michael Bronski, sums up the importance of works like this one. “We must acknowledge our history, reflect on […]

April 1, 2023 Johanna Yen Press Manga Reviews Leave a comment

Embrace Your Size: My Own Body Positivity

I loved the message in Embrace Your Size: My Own Body Positivity, but I wished it had gone further. Perhaps this is a difference between American and Japanese attitudes. Or perhaps I was just hoping for a different book than this was intended to be. Embrace Your Size is hara’s story of how she came to realize that she could still be interested in fashion and wear cute clothes while being larger-sized (which in Japan is a size bigger than […]

March 31, 2023 Johanna Other 2 comments

How and Why to Read Fanfiction

This is a guide for how to read fanfiction (or fanfic). But before we do that, bear with me. We’re going to start with the elephant in the room. WHY would you read fanfic? A bunch of reasons. No matter how many stories/shows/movies/books they make with your favorite character, you may want more. (For popular series, there are tens of thousands of fanfic stories available, all for free, and multiple millions of words.) Particularly if your favorite is a supporting […]

March 24, 2023 Johanna Other Publishers Leave a comment

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 […]

March 23, 2023 Johanna Other Publishers 2 comments

Shirley and Jamila’s Big Fall

Lately, given my SherlockComics.com project, I tend to get asked “what’s a good Sherlockian comic for kids?” Since Muppet Sherlock Holmes is long out of print, this is my new first choice. Gillian Goerz’s previous book, Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer, introduced the intrepid detective and her devoted friend and storyteller. Shirley and Jamila’s Big Fall goes further in loosely adapting an actual Sherlock Holmes story. Blackmailer Charles Augustus Milverton here becomes school bully Chuck Milton. He’s class president, […]

March 23, 2023 Johanna Other Prose Leave a comment

Sherlock Holmes in 221 Objects

The catalogue for the Sherlock Holmes in 221 Objects exhibit is a worthwhile read for more than just Sherlockians — it provides intriguing insight into some publishing history. The exhibit, featuring items from the collection of Glen S. Miranker and curated by him and Cathy Miranker, has appeared in several key locations for fans of the great detective: the New York Grolier Club from January through April 2022; the Lilly Library in Bloomington, Indiana (where I saw it), from August […]

March 22, 2023 Johanna Graphix / Scholastic Leave a comment

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. […]

March 20, 2023 Johanna Titan Comics Leave a comment

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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