Maxine is well on her quest to find her baby brother, started in issue #1, which gives writer Kelly Thompson and artist Brianne Drouhard a chance to explore some of the more imaginative lands in their modern fairytale. This time out, it’s the Tiny Kingdom, with a shrunken Max and an even tinier pony Justine. She’s clever enough to outfit a fox — teaching the reader about the riddle about getting the fox, chicken, and food ferried across a river […]

What would you do if you came home and you found open doors and missing valuables? If you’re the three roommates written by John Allison and drawn by Max Sarin, you’d panic, then you’d collapse, then you’d interact with the local police. But when none of these things had useful effect, then you’d come up with a ridiculous plan that involves visiting criminal hangouts to try and recover property of emotional significance. What matters, though, and what makes this series […]

You may have missed noticing this spooky little miniseries, which began in the fall of last year. Mike Carey wrote and Mike Perkins illustrated Rowan’s Ruin, the story of a house swap with deadly consequences. Katie trades her Florida apartment near her parents for a stay in Emily’s English cottage, “Rowan’s Rise”. Katie has a great time exploring the town until odd things start happening in the house. Emily’s room is locked up, which is understandable, but then power outages […]

Roller derby stories are great for visual entertainment. There’s a lot of action, the sport has an edgy authenticity to it, it’s female-centered, and it’s a believable way for rebellious young women to discover their power and abilities. I liked the idea when I saw it in Whip It, and I liked it in Slam! #1, by Pamela Ribon and Veronica Fish. We’re introduced to Jennifer Chu, a lonely good student who finds friends to care for, and Maisie Huff, […]

What a treat! Original series artist Lissa Treiman returns to illustrate John Allison’s “what if” tale, an exploration of what would have happened if the core trio of Daisy, Esther, and Susan hadn’t become friends on the first day of college. I love that this series has done such a great job building these characters that I feel like I know them well enough to enjoy a story with alternate versions. Due to a few minutes’ difference, Esther gets swept […]

If you thought Kate Beaton’s The Princess and the Pony was cute but too short (as just one volume of a children’s book), then Mega Princess is the perfect miniseries for you! It’ll run five issues, which means I have hope for plenty of twists and then an actual conclusion. Written by Kelly Thompson (Jem and the Holograms) and illustrated by Brianne Drouhard, it’s the story of ten-year-old Princess Maxine. Her fairy godmother has given her all the powers of […]

Although well into the series, which launched two-and-a-half years ago, this issue keeps its eye on several key features that make Lumberjanes so appealing. Issue #31 is written by Shannon Watters & Kat Leyh and drawn by Carey Pietsch. First, there’s the teamwork. The girls are facing off against a giant bird with medusa-like powers to turn anyone who sees it into stone, accompanied by Diane, a teen goddess exiled from Olympus, and Ligo, a Gorgon. They have to work […]

Out this coming Wednesday is the latest issue of Giant Days, the college series by John Allison (writing) and Max Sarin (art). It’s the end of the first year of school, and as storylines wrap up, the girls are facing the prospect of change. There’s a scandal with someone selling papers to students and the question of whether their falling-down dorm will survive another year. As always, the appeal of the series to me is how expressive the characters are, […]