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 […]

The followup to the impressive Bolivar, about a dinosaur living incognito in New York City, takes a different approach. Instead of a story, Bolivar Eats New York: A Discovery Adventure is a puzzle picture book. Sybil thinks Bolivar should eat something other than corned beef sandwiches, so she makes him come with her to visit representative New York food institutions, including a kosher deli, the Coney Island Boardwalk, a dim sum restaurant, an Italian bakery, and, of course, a pizza […]

I enjoyed reading Ghosted in L.A. for two reasons: sympathy with the rather haphazard heroine Daphne and curiosity about the supporting cast members. It’s written by Sina Grace and illustrated by Siobhan Keenan. Daphne has followed her boyfriend to college, moving from Montana to Los Angeles, only to be dumped during their first week there. She doesn’t know anyone besides her former best friend (who tried to warn her away from him) and her chilly roommate. She stumbles into the […]

Combine apprentices, magic, and caring for animals, and you have Hex Vet: Witches in Training by Sam Davies. Clarion and Annette are aspiring veterinarians for supernatural creatures. Clarion is cheery and good-hearted, while Annette comes from a family with a scary reputation, and the town gossip has made her grumpy. Clarion is sent to clear a bugbear out of the storage room, while Annette has to work reception. When a strange rabbit with magical eyes appears at the office, while […]

The Avant-Guards was my answer to a friend asking the question of whether there was any American comic that could be described as sports yuri (which is manga about girl-girl attraction). It’s written by Carly Usdin (Heavy Vinyl), illustrated by Noah Hayes (Wet Hot American Summer), and this collection reprints the first four-issue storyline. (There are 12 issues planned in total.) The dynamic go-getter Olivia is determined to create a basketball team at her all-female drama school “The Georgia O’Keeffe […]

Giulio Macaione makes his US comic debut in Alice: From Dream to Dream, a beautifully illustrated graphic novel about forced empathy, having to learn more about others whether we want to or not. That’s a skill that needs more emphasis these days. Alice and her family have moved back to Cincinnati from Chicago after her father lost his job. She’s forced to share a bedroom with her older brother, which is a problem. Alice shares the dreams of those she […]

Giant Days remains one of my favorite ongoing comics, and these days, that’s bittersweet. I want Susan, Esther, and Daisy to keep having college adventures for a long, long time, but time won’t stand still for them. Creator John Allison has them growing up and preparing to venture into the “real world” — or he has the world infringing on their university bubble. Giant Days #48 is illustrated by Allison, who normally writes. To my eye, that makes everyone look […]

Giant Days #46 does something that’s surprisingly hard to do: tell a stand-alone story as part of a long-running series that’s satisfying on its own while faithful to the appeal of the title. Writer John Allison and artist Max Sarin have been working on Giant Days for most of the run, so that’s not surprising. What did surprise me was how geek-focused but affectionate this issue was. As shown in these preview pages, Susan has decided to find out who’s […]