With the first collection just out, this issue moves the story of our princesses-in-training forward by introducing the potent force of sex. The group sneaks out to a tavern to socialize with soldiers, where Ulga’s more brazen talents of holding her alcohol and arm-wrestling are popular with the men. Although Ulga’s skills at diplomacy and fitting in are improving, she doesn’t have the forced restraint of the other girls, so she usually takes things too far. That’s what makes her […]

The first collection of Princess Ugg is due out at the end of November, and the timing is well-chosen, since I’m thankful this new series by Ted Naifeh exists. As I said in my review of the first two issues, this series is “a social satire, a fresh take on what it really means to be a princess.” Volume 1 collects the first four issues, in which we meet and come to admire the barbarian Princess Ülga. She’s come to […]

Another series about a fighting female that improves with every issue. This chapter by Ted Naifeh takes a meaningful turn, as Ülga explains what brought her to the school for princesses in the lowlands. She remembers her departed mother, who’s drawn in great glory, a truly admirable leader to attempt to live up to. The battle scenes are impressive, conveying just how different Ülga’s life is now in contrast. Yet her mother was also wise, disliking the cost of battle […]

I previously ignored the new Oni title Princess Ugg because I thought it was some kind of fantasy story, what with the barbarian princess with the battleaxe on the cover. (Author Ted Naifeh is best known for the Courtney Crumrin series.) I was wrong. It’s set in a fantasy-style kingdom, but it’s really a social satire, a fresh take on what it really means to be a princess. Ülga is princess of Grimmeria, a cold and forbidden mountain land where […]

Writers Christina Weir and Nunzio DeFilippis have worked together for a long time, on a variety of genres and with several publishers. In the field of spooky mystery, their Amy Devlin graphic novel series now consists of three books, each with a different artist. All involve exploring how the past affects the present, how dirty secrets can’t be hidden forever, and how some of the authorities in our lives can’t be trusted. Past Lies (drawn by Christopher Mitten) first appeared […]

Retro-styled pulp adventure has become something of a trend these days. With its hero being a stage hypnotist, Archer Coe and the Thousand Natural Shocks falls into this category, but the story is a modern one in its telling, and highly enjoyable. We meet Archer hypnotizing cats, so he can communicate with them. He explains, “The truth about hypnotism is not that you convince people or creatures to do what they already can do…. The reality of hypnotism is that […]

Buzz! shows how comics can make any competition exciting, including a spelling bee. Webster is off to his first day of high school when he stumbles into a back-alley spell-off. The Outlaw King, who’s been kicked out of the official spelling circuit, and the Black Queen are only two of the extreme personalities involved in the field. Webster gets manipulated into competing in the regionals in order to take down the Spelluminati, those trying to control the show. The visuals […]

The problem with anticipation is that it makes a perfectly fine read seem like a let-down. I very much enjoyed Natalie Nourigat’s art in her diary comic Between Gears, and I’ve loved Jamie Rich’s relationship writing for years now. Yet A Boy & A Girl didn’t spark for me. I enjoyed reading it, but I wanted more from it. Perhaps that’s a compliment, a sign that I was involved in the world and with the characters so much that only […]