#comic book rec

[snot-licker]

no one asked but here's

My 2024 in Books

The Yellow Wall-Paper – Charolette Perkins Gilman

Frankenstein (x2) – Mary Shelley

Carmilla – J. Sheridan Le Fanu

Gideon the Ninth – Tamsyn Muir

Harrow the Ninth – Tamsyn Muir

Nona the Ninth – Tamsyn Muir

M is for Monster – Talia Dutton

Just for the Summer – Abby Jimenez

This is How You Lose the Time War – Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone

A Fragile Enchantment – Allison Saft

Grim vol. 1-3 – Stephanie Phillips

Saga Vol. 11 – Brian K Vaughn

Ao Haru Ride (Blue Spring Ride) Vol. 9-13 – Io Sakisaka

Half a Soul – Olivia Atwater

Longshadow – Olivia Atwater

Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faerie – Heather Fawcett

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands – Heather Fawcett

Down Comes the Night – Allison Saft

Batman: Curse of the White Night – Sean Grodan Murphy

The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley – Melissa Marr

Hawkgirl: Once Upon a Galaxy – Jadiza Axelrod

The Death of Jane Lawrence – Caitlin Starling

One Day in December – Josie Silver

Shark Heart – Emily Habeck

They Both Die at the End – Adam Silvera

[honmyoseagull]

Joe Kelly was a guest at the Hero Festival this week-end. HAD to have him sign my favorite Bullseye-guest-appearing Deadpool issues. His way of signing was delightfully inventive... *big smile*

Also, thanks sir, for a characterization of Bullseye that I love.

(Detail from DEADPOOL 1997, #16. Yes, the issue in Greece.)

Credits for the issue, because they're fun.

[wordingg]

I grabbed Toxic Summer by Derek Charm a few weeks ago and I kept meaning to write up a little blurb about it because it was so fun. Derek Charm has done a ton of stuff, but I recognized him from the Jughead series, which I also really liked. And this looked like the kind of stupid fun comic I would go in for and I was not disappointed.

It follows two friends who decide to take jobs as lifeguards for the summer in the hopes of meeting and hooking up with hot hunks on the beach. But, oh no! Once they get there they find out that beach is closed due to a nearby spill of toxic chemicals and instead of guarding a beach they'll be working to clean up dead fish all summer. But, all is not lost! There are other teenagers stranded in a beach town with no beach. They just have to find them first. When they're in invited to a beach bonfire, it seems like everything is going to work out after all, but all is not as it seems. It looks like there's more to what's going on than just a regular toxic spill...

This is just the first issue, but I'm really looking forward to reading what happens next. It has this feral teenage boy energy that I love, it's funny, and the art is perfect for this story! Much recommended if you can get your hands on it.

[greykolla-art]

It’s insane how the books start with just 12 year old Val.

Who later grows up to be really, really depressed.

Great job there Skulduggery!👏

[paintedpigeon1]

Asexuality in science fiction

A resource guide

Hello! So a while ago, I mentioned a resource guide for asexuality in science fiction. It includes resources for information about asexuality, asexual creators, non-fiction, fiction databases, fiction, writing asexuality, and writing sci-fi. There's a decent amount of aromantic resources included too bc a lot of resources included both. Also, there's a wide variety of types of resources:

Come and check it out! Both high and lower quality versions included:

(Tagging a couple of people who said they were interested, sorry if you didn't want to be tagged: @snowshinobi @studyofwhump)

[hiveworks]

Creators at Hiveworks always deliver when it comes to slow burn! This February, dive into ✨these webcomics ✨

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Sleepless Domain by @cubewatermelon Barbarous by @aidosaur & @ananthhirsh Namesake by @secondlinaa & @savvyliterate Kochab by @erysiumum Tigress Queen by @allidrawscomics This is not Fiction by @tinfcomic In Blood We Rise @vikingmera

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

[missmisnomer]

When you're recommending something you really, REALLY like to someone and being IncrediblyNormal™ doesn't work out, so you have to resort to being ALittleUnhinged™ to get the point across.

🍋💥👍 @turtleinsoup

[arkangelo-7]

I love the Batfamily but we need more Lantern Family. It has so much comedic potential.

Hal Jordan is the overly-involved but well meaning middle sibling who keeps the family together; he’s kept in check by John Strewert, the fam’s permanently exasperated big brother who is always scrambling to come up with excuses for Oa about all the shenanigans the Lanterns get up to in Sector 2814.

Jessica Cruz is the Gay Wine Aunt. She is often seen lamenting her love life to Simon Baz, the Gay Wine Uncle.

Kyle Rayner is the Shy Artistic Baby of the fam that is doted on constantly. Alan Scott, the retired ex-military grandpa who spends his days carving wood and giving good life lessons, has taken Kyle under his wing and is training him.

Guy Gardener is the weird, loud, Republican cousin who is somehow always around. He’s super annoying but he’s also funny; he’s also lives in the attic.

And Jo Mullein brings the happy-go-lucky sister vibes, which is a big contrast to Kyle’s reservedness. She usually gets the two of them into lots of trouble and it’s up to the older Lanterns to save them.

Ugh. Give me some Lantfam. Please.

[usedgingertwinkhole]

Lumberjanes (2014) was very popular at the time, but I have learned might need further introduction a decade later. A very quirky summer camp series by the creator of Nimona among others, featuring trans and lesbian rep. Check it out!

[celepom]

It’s Pride 2023! Time to put up some more comic recs!

This time I’ve put together some stories about discovering one’s own queer identity, outlining a family history of queerness, and several stories where being queer isn’t the focus - queer characters are simply allowed to be.

Belle of the Ball By Mari Costa

High-school senior and notorious wallflower Hawkins finally works up the courage to remove her mascot mask and ask out her longtime crush: Regina Moreno, head cheerleader, academic overachiever, and all-around popular girl. There’s only one teensy little problem: Regina is already dating Chloe Kitagawa, athletic all-star…and middling English student. Regina sees a perfectly self-serving opportunity here, and asks the smitten Hawkins to tutor Chloe free of charge, knowing Hawkins will do anything to get closer to her. And while Regina’s plan works at first, she doesn’t realize that Hawkins and Chloe knew each other as kids, when Hawkins went by Belle and wore princess dresses to school every single day. Before long, romance does start to blossom…but not between who you might expect. With Belle of the Ball, cartoonist Mariana Costa has reinvigorated satisfying, reliable tropes into your new favorite teen romantic comedy.

---

The Moth Keeper By Kay O’Neill

Anya is finally a Moth Keeper, the protector of the lunar moths that allow the Night-Lily flower to bloom once a year. Her village needs the flower to continue thriving and Anya is excited to prove her worth and show her thanks to her friends with her actions, but what happens when being a Moth Keeper isn't exactly what Anya thought it would be? The nights are cold in the desert and the lunar moths live far from the village. Anya finds herself isolated and lonely. Despite Anya's dedication, she wonders what it would be like to live in the sun. Her thoughts turn into an obsession, and when Anya takes a chance to stay up during the day to feel the sun's warmth, her village and the lunar moths are left to deal with the consequences.

---

Hollow By Shannon Watters, Branden Boyer-White & Berenice Nelle

Isabel "Izzy" Crane and her family have just relocated to Sleepy Hollow, the town made famous by—and obsessed with—Washington Irving's legend of the Headless Horseman. But city slicker-skeptic Izzy has no time for superstition as she navigates life at a new address, a new school, and, with any luck, with new friends. Ghost stories aren't real, after all.... Then Izzy is pulled into the orbit of the town's teen royalty, Vicky Van Tassel (yes, that Van Tassel) and loveable varsity-level prankster Croc Byun. Vicky's weariness with her family connection to the legend turns to terror when the trio begins to be haunted by the Horseman himself, uncovering a curse set on destroying the Van Tassel line. Now, they have only until Halloween night to break it—meaning it's a totally inconvenient time for Izzy to develop a massive crush on the enigmatic Vicky. Can Izzy's practical nature help her face the unknown—or only trip her up? As the calendar runs down to the 31st, Izzy will have to use all of her wits and work with her new friends to save Vicky and uncover the mystery of the legendary Horseman of Sleepy Hollow—before it's too late. 

---

Until I Meet my Husband By Ryousuke Nanasaki & Yoshi Tsukizuki

The memoir of gay activist Ryousuke Nanasaki and the first religiously recognized same-sex marriage in Japan. From school crushes to awkward dating sites to finding a community, this collection of stories recounts the author’s “firsts” as a young gay man searching for love. Dating is never ever easy, but that goes doubly so for Ryousuke, whose journey is full of unrequited loves and many speed bumps. But perseverance and time heals all wounds, even those of the heart.

---

Is Love the Answer? By Uta Isaki

When it comes to love, high schooler Chika wonders if she might be an alien. She’s never fallen for or even had a crush on anyone, and she has no desire for physical intimacy. Her friends tell her that she just "hasn't met the one yet," but Chika has doubts... It's only when Chika enters college and meets peers like herself that she realizes there’s a word for what she feels inside--asexual--and she’s not the only one. After years of wondering if love was the answer, Chika realizes that the answer she long sought may not exist at all--and that that's perfectly normal.

---

M Is for Monster By Talia Dutton

When Doctor Frances Ai's younger sister Maura died in a tragic accident six months ago, Frances swore she would bring her back to life. However, the creature that rises from the slab is clearly not Maura. This girl, who chooses the name "M," doesn't remember anything about Maura's life and just wants to be her own person. However, Frances expects M to pursue the same path that Maura had been on—applying to college to become a scientist—and continue the plans she and Maura shared. Hoping to trigger Maura's memories, Frances surrounds M with the trappings of Maura's past, but M wants nothing to do with Frances' attempts to change her into something she's not. In order to face the future, both Frances and M need to learn to listen and let go of Maura once and for all. Talia Dutton's debut graphic novel, M Is for Monster, takes a hard look at what it means to live up to other people's expectations—as well as our own.

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Golden Sparkle By Minta Suzumaru

Himaru Uehara’s first year of high school is off to a good start, minus one problem—he keeps having wet dreams. With only his mom and sister at home—and having skipped health class in middle school—he thinks it means there’s something wrong with him. Thankfully, a new friend has just the remedy and teaches Himaru exactly how to deal with those pesky dreams! But his solution only leads to more confusion, and the two find themselves navigating feelings they’ve never felt before.

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Thieves By Lucie Bryon

Ella can’t seem to remember a single thing from the party the night before at a mysterious stranger’s mansion, and she sure as heck doesn’t know why she’s woken up in her bed surrounded by a magpie’s nest of objects that aren’t her own. And she can’t stop thinking about her huge crush on Madeleine, who she definitely can’t tell about her sudden penchant for kleptomania… But does Maddy have secrets of her own? Can they piece together that night between them and fix the mess of their chaotic personal lives in time to form a normal, teenage relationship? That would be nice.

---

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic By Alison Bechdel

Meet Alison's father, a historic preservation expert and obsessive restorer of the family's Victorian home, a third-generation funeral home director, a high school English teacher, an icily distant parent, and a closeted homosexual who, as it turns out, is involved with his male students and a family babysitter. Through narrative that is alternately heartbreaking and fiercely funny, we are drawn into a daughter's complex yearning for her father. And yet, apart from assigned stints dusting caskets at the family-owned "fun home," as Alison and her brothers call it, the relationship achieves its most intimate expression through the shared code of books. When Alison comes out as homosexual herself in late adolescense, the denouement is swift, graphic -- and redemptive.

---

She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat By Sakaomi Yuzaki

Cooking is how Nomoto de-stresses, but one day, she finds herself making way more than she can eat by herself. And so, she invites her neighbor Kasuga, who also lives alone. What will come out of this impromptu dinner invitation...?

Kasuga and Nomoto promised to spend their Christmas and New Year’s together. Now, they find themselves learning more about each other’s families through the food sent by Nomoto’s mother. Cute character bento, salmon and rice, stollen, fruit sandwiches, roast beef…Nomoto and Kasuga warm up to each other over a cheerful holiday season.  

[shyjusticewarrior]

Red Hood Incorrect Quotes Pt 29

Leslie: Jason, it's actually not that serious. I just need you to stay calm, okay?

Jason: Yeah I'm just gonna stay angry, I find that relaxes me.

[At an auction, Jason's in disguise]

Bane: Five million.

Jason, with fake accent: Five million and one dollar.

Bane: Six million.

Jason: Six million and one dollar.

Bane: Seven million

Jason: Seven million and one dollar.

Bane: Who is this man?

Jason: Who is this man and one dollar.

[haridraws]

Read some stuff this year I was absolutely obsessed with - here's a wee blog about my favourites:

Mini version in pictures:

[heavyreminisxing]

rereading my second ever fic hit me as hard as you can, which is a rough rewrite/mashup of UTRH with fight club by chuck palahniuk, and just. i was actually experiencing delusions writing it. like,

Jason’s teeth are bloody when he bares them. Jason’s nose is dripping red. The further he runs, the more God wants him.

“I don’t know how you came back,” Bruce says. “I can’t imagine what you’ve gone through. But Jason, your plan isn’t going to work. There is another way.”

And he says, “Jason. Put the gun down.”

You take a 96-percent concentration of nitric acid, eyedrop it into threetimes the sulfuric acid. You take a kid trying to steal your tires off the street. You have nitroglycerine.

Mix it with sawdust. Let him die, and let the man who killed him walk. Now you have an explosive.

What is a gun, Jason works his jaw around the barrel, but an explosion focused in one direction.

Jason keeps the gun up.

who tf writes this kind of thing? i had juice unlike any juice ive ever had before.

[tathrin]

Heads up everybody, @tamorapierce's First Test graphic novel is on FOC at comic book stores in the US this weekend! So if you're planning on getting a copy, and have a local comic shop you can order from, now would be a great time to do your pre-order!

Especially because for some reason it seems that the publisher decided not to solicit it in the "Previews" catalogue properly!? but only as an additional late supplement, which means it doesn't go in the catalogue that customers see, and it doesn't necessarily get seen by shop-owners either unless they take the time to check the updated additional items stuff online, which is usually toys and imports and stuff like that, not graphic novels??? Especially not actually popular bestselling author graphic novels...!?

(I cannot think of a better way to not sell your comic than to not put it in the damn catalogue that people order from.)

So I'm worried that there will be much fewer orders for this book than there should be, and it won't sell for crap, and then we won't get any more, so if you want one and you have a comic shop near you PLEASE consider ordering it from them, or at least letting them know it's a thing you would be interested in purchasing if they had it on the rack, so that they are least know that it exists and can maybe order some copies to sell!

(because what the heck why would they do that...!?)

Please reblog to let people know asap!

Have a sneak-peek at some of the artwork inside, too:

[greykolla-art]

I keep falling off and climbing back on the art-wagon, it’s very annoying.

But anyway, I’m reading Orconomics, first book in the Dark Profit Saga. It’s a fantasy satire about the economics of a world run by adventure tropes. It’s really fun! The protagonist is also very good! Gorm Ingerson is world weary, haunted and grumpy but has a good heart and is a great leader. I also love dwarfs so that’s already a bonus.👌

His squire is this very cute and messy goblin. And him and the elf ranger also have a nice friendship, they bond over being jaded alcoholics.💖

[fishfingersandscarves]

little cover for Beautiful, Strange, and New by @moorishflower bc it just ended and was wonderful