Fence: Redemption #1 cover A by Johanna the Mad

July 4, 2023 Johanna Art, Boom! Studios / Archaia, Comic News Leave a comment

Fence’s Return to Serialization Successful, Plus a Preview

Fence launched at the end of November 2017. It’s the manga-like story of a bunch of boys competing at fencing, dealing with rivalries, and romancing their teammates (even if they don’t realize it yet). It’s written by C.S. Pacat, illustrated by Johanna the Mad, and published by Boom! Studios. Here’s an interview with the creators I did back then. I found it “addictive soap opera“, particularly once it went from single issues, after the release of #12, to a graphic […]

June 29, 2023 Johanna First Second Leave a comment

Ride On

It’s a sign, I think, of how accepted comics for young women have become (in contrast to the bad old days of a couple of decades ago, when comics were superhero stories for young men) that we finally have a horse book. The horse book used to be a staple of fiction for girls. But horses are generally acknowledged to be easier to write about than to draw, which may be one reason it’s taken so long to get a […]

June 28, 2023 Johanna Graphix / Scholastic Leave a comment

Heartstopper Volumes 1 and 2

If you haven’t heard about Heartstopper by now, you clearly don’t know many young people. It’s a successful Netflix TV show, with some of the best, most absolutely faithful casting I’ve ever seen in a comic book-based project. But first, it was a charming graphic novel about two cute boys falling in love. That’s the quiet way this series is so revolutionary, and how it demonstrates how much times have changed. The angst, minor as it is, is typical of […]

June 26, 2023 Johanna DC / Vertigo Leave a comment

The DC Book of Pride

The DC Book of Pride is subtitled “A Celebration of DC’s LGBTQIA+ Characters”, and it is. However, for those who want more than a pretty volume for a coffee table that shows they appreciate queer superheroes, the book isn’t nearly as useful as it could be. The short character descriptions are written by Jadzia Axelrod. I assume the introduction, which gives a short history of how the Comics Code Authority banned queer characters and how since then there’s been a […]

June 24, 2023 Johanna Mysteries Leave a comment

Sherlock Holmes Solo Mysteries: The Crown vs. Dr. Watson

As regular readers know, I enjoy choose-your-own-path books, particularly when they’re Sherlock Holmes-related (and even more so when they’re comics). Thus, I was curious to know more about the line of Sherlock Holmes Solo Mysteries, seven paperbacks published in 1987 and 1988. The first one is Murder at the Diogenes Club, which made me even more interested, as the Diogenes Club is where Mycroft Holmes hangs out, and he’s my favorite. Sadly, that book was incredibly disappointing. You are a […]

What If... Loki Was Worthy? A Loki and Valkyrie Story

June 23, 2023 Johanna Comic News Leave a comment

Random House Worlds Putting Out 3 Marvel “What If” Novels

From a recent press release: “Random House Worlds, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House, announced today a collaboration with Marvel Entertainment for an adult novel series (World English) carrying on the classic Marvel tradition of “What If…?” storytelling. This officially licensed series reimagines the origins of iconic Marvel heroes and allows readers to discover what can happen when the fabric of reality is altered. Set in their own distinct universes in the Multiverse, each book […]

June 20, 2023 Johanna HarperCollins Leave a comment

Besties Work It Out and Besties Find Their Groove

Kayla Miller’s Click series (five books so far, the latest being Crunch) has a spinoff. That’s the benefit of writing about kids in school — there are more stories to be told about Olive Branche’s sixth grade classmates. Particularly if you bring in a co-writer (Jeffrey Canino) and another artist (Kristina Luu). Besties Work It Out stars Beth and Chandra, best friends. Chandra’s struggle is parents who consider her older sister near-perfect. She needs them to see her as responsible […]

June 13, 2023 Johanna Other Publishers Leave a comment

Distressed Beeping: Andi Watson’s Single-Page Comics

I’ve been a fan of Andi Watson’s work since the mid-90s, when he came to attention with the Skeleton Key series. In the 200s, his Breakfast After Noon and Slow News Day were wonderful examples of how comics could tell stories of everyday lives. More recently, his kids’ fantasy graphic novels Glister and Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula I found adorably creative. I was a little worried when his latest book for adults, The Book Tour, didn’t click for me. […]

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