Aaron Alexovich both writes and draws Kimmie66 (the first Minx book that has allowed a writer-artist to do both), a near-future tale of a world lived in virtual reality. Telly, the goth teen girl lead, has received a suicide note from her best friend, a person she never knew in real life, which leads her to ponder the nature of existence and how you really know a person. Her conclusion: It’s such a pain in the butt when you don’t […]

I had high hopes due to the premise — teenage blogger can’t cope with mom’s new boyfriend — and the co-writer, Louise Carey, who is an actual 15-year-old girl and daughter of established writer Mike Carey. I was sadly disappointed with Confessions of a Blabbermouth. And to tell you why, I have to spoil the book, so if you don’t wanna, skip to the next post. The book starts in a very cartoony fashion, with Tasha, our Teenage Heroine, throwing […]

The every-other-book-is-good Minx pattern continues. Good as Lily is not the best book in the line (that would be Re-Gifters), but it’s a close second. Derek Kirk Kim (Same Difference and Other Stories) writes and Jesse Hamm draws this story of Grace, a girl just turning 18 who magically encounters herself at the ages of 6, 29, and 70. Why now? Because Grace is unsure of where her life is going to take her, and her other selves aren’t very […]

Re-Gifters is an involving coming-of-age story with a distinct sense of place. Writer Mike Carey introduces the elements of his story quickly, beginning with a sparring match. Dik Seong Jen — better known as “Dixie” — is a promising hapkido student preparing for an upcoming tournament, but she’s distracted by her crush on classmate Adam, which leads her to make stupid decisions, both financially and emotionally. The art is by Sonny Liew and Marc Hempel. With Carey, the three previously […]

Wow. The first-ever Andi Watson book I’ve been disappointed in.1 I thought the premise of Clubbing — London goth gets sent to stay with her grandparents in the country; she sees it as punishment, we know it’s a chance for her to grow up and learn core values — had potential. Goodness knows it’s well-worn and -loved in a certain kind of teen novel. But both the plotting and the art are mediocre. Artist Josh Howard is apparently only capable […]

DC Comics launched its Minx graphic novel line with The Plain Janes, written by young adult novelist Cecil Castellucci and illustrated by Jim Rugg (Street Angel). It’s the story of four high school girls named Jane who act out teenage rebellion through guerrilla public art. It’s got a surprisingly disturbing beginning — Jane is a popular blonde girl whose parents, seeking safety above all, move her from the city to the suburbs after she survives a bombing. Once there, Jane […]

Looking back at a modern classic, Death: The High Cost of Living maintains its quiet charm over a decade after its publication. Neil Gaiman writes, Chris Bachalo pencils, and Mark Buckingham inks the story of Death’s day off. The opening demonstrates how beautifully Gaiman blends the fantastic and the everyday as Mad Hettie, an apparently scattered bag lady, turns out to be capable of a kind of hedge magic. The dialogue is immediately evocative, with the added Anglophile appeal of […]

Review by KC Carlson Darwyn Cooke’s DC: The New Frontier is a lusciously illustrated paean to the Silver Age of American superheroes. The Absolute Edition shows off the art even better with its oversized pages and upscale slipcased presentation. This is not a book for casual reading. (There are two trade paperback collections for that.) This is a book for poring over, with it well-supported on a desk or table so you don’t hurt yourself. The slipcase gives an introduction […]