Independent Opinions, News, and Reviews of Graphic Novels, Manga, and Comic Books
I was reminded how much I enjoyed Frank Viva’s work during a recent re-read of A Trip to the Bottom of the World With Mouse, so I thought I’d check out some of his other picture books. I should have done that earlier, since Young Charlotte, Filmmaker was perfect for me. Produced by The Museum of Modern Art in New York, it’s the story of a young woman who adores black and white and makes her own movies. Sometimes she’s […]
Read more
Legion of Super-Heroes fans, you’ll want to make sure to check out Back Issue #120, an issue of the comic history magazine dedicated to “heroes of tomorrow” — which means lots of Legion! KC Carlson (my husband and former long-running LSH editor) was interviewed for the lead article, a history of Mon-El/Valor. KC remembers how he first hired Adam Hughes and Stuart Immonen. Writer John Wells also talked to Mark Waid for the piece (and magazine editor Michael Eury is […]
Read more
The latest Pop Classics storybook from Quirk Books is my favorite. Doctor Who: The Runaway TARDIS is, as with the others, illustrated by Kim Smith, who has a gorgeous, approachable, colorful style. The other credit is “based on the series by Chris Chibnall”, which means it’s the thirteenth Doctor, with a likeness to Jodie Whittaker. I’ve previously covered The Karate Kid and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and this follows the same pattern: The movie books retell the story, but the […]
Read more
Several years ago, I contributed an essay to Shot in the Face: A Savage Journey to the Heart of Transmetropolitan, a collection of writings published by Sequartabout the science fiction comic series. My particular topic was “Spider Jerusalem: Super-Hero of the Future?” In that piece, I looked at how one defines a superhero and whether the Warren Ellis-written journalist character qualified. I thought I’d excerpt some key parts here, mostly because I’ve missed arguing online. (I have lightly reedited the […]
Read more
My Dad Thinks I’m a Boy?! is a trans positive children’s book by Sophie Labelle that shows the reader what it’s like to be a trans child with an unaccepting parent. Stephie is seven years old and clear on who she is and what she likes. Her dad wants her to be Stephen and go fishing with him because that’s what her father likes, even though it makes her sad. The flipped perspective, where the father is childish and stubborn […]
Read more
Unpublished ‘70s Stories by the King of Comics! Review by KC Carlson Somehow this amazing book from TwoMorrows managed to literally slip through the cracks between what’s laughably known as my desk and a wall — until I was reminded that I hadn’t read or reviewed it yet. After finding it, I was ashamed that I had misplaced this incredible (and fun!) look at Kirby’s odds and ends from DC Comics that hadn’t been collected yet. I appreciated seeing a […]
Read more
If you’re not ready yet to let go of lovely holiday feelings, let me recommend a charming Christmas romance collection. Let Your Heart Be Light by J.R. Lawrie (published by Carnation Books) is a set of three M/M holiday love stories about two couples. The first is a goofy blue-haired stand-up comic who finds the love of his life in an older civil servant. The second features two neighbors who finally get a chance to meet after one is treated […]
Read more
If you’re a fan of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag — and if you’ve seen it, I’m assuming you’re a fan, because it’s fabulous — you may want to check out this time capsule book. Fleabag is a TV show, available in the US on Amazon Prime Video, that’s funny and true and raw and insightful and uncompromising. The first season (2016) is about the title character, otherwise unnamed and played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (who also wrote it), coping with the loss […]
Read more