#graphic novel rec

[remyreadsrandomly]

i have a subtle queer book find!!!!

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking up with Me by Mariko Tamaki & Rosemary Valero-O’Connell

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking up with Me is a ya graphic novel with a ton of charm and beautiful art.

i found this in my local library, and i put off reading it since i thought it was straight, but i was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn’t. the story focuses on a high schooler named Freddy, and her up and down romance with Laura Dean. i’m going to try to keep this spoiler free, but i just want to say that the ending of the book was amazing. i was shocked by reveal, and i couldn’t put it down.

also a major perk of this book is that the cover is straight-passing, (but the back is not, having quotes of people talking about it featuring lgbtqia+ characters).

all in all, great read for any person who loves queer books and/or graphic novels that focus on relationships.

[the---hermit]

Selvaggia by Rosalia Radosti

If you know me, you know I love a good fairy tale, and I love one in particular when there's new spins on age old tropes. This is your typical princess story but with some twists. Selvaggia, our main character lives up to her name (which in Italian litteraly means wild) although she is a princess. We see her having fun, playing with toads in the mud, and overall being very outspoken. As every princess story there comes a day in which she is told she will have to get married, and believe it or not, she is excited about it. This is a detail I really enjoyed, because after having the old passive princesses who did nothing and had a happily ever after with a random marriage that seemed to be their only reason to live, we finally started having princessed that were strong and independent and that for this reason avoided relationships in every form. This is not a bad thing, I was incredibly happy when Disney came out with Brave, where Merida finally shows absolutely zero interest in getting married, but I am happy we are finally working with in-betweens. In this graphic novel we have a more complicated character that show us that there are not just two rigid options of "passive and happy for marriage" and "independent and strongly against having relationships". I was really happy to see a bold, proud and outspoken princess who also gets excited about the idea of being with someone who shares her interests. Anyway from then on we follow her story form looking for a husband, and then dealing with whoever she will end up marrying. This is a bittersweet tale that mixes old tropes with new ideas, and it was overall really enjoyable. I particularly loved the illustrations, and the author also included a playlist to listen to while reading which is a lovely addition. I really recommend checking it out if you like graphic novels and fairytales, it's also a really pretty obect to own in my opinion, the cover is stunning.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🍉 Queer Palestinian Books for Pride Month 🏳️‍🌈

🍉 Want to add a bit more diversity to your TBR? Consider reading one of these queer books by Palestinian authors for Pride Month!

🏳️‍🌈 Fiction 🍉 The Skin and Its Girl - Sarah Cypher 🍉 You Exist Too Much - Zaina Arafat 🍉 Belladonna - Anbara Salam 🍉 A Map of Home - Randa Jarrar 🍉 Muneera and the Moon - 🍉 Guapa - Saleem Haddad 🍉 The Ordeal of Being Known - Malia Rose 🍉 The Philistine - Leila Marshy 🍉 Hazardous Spirits - Anbara Salam 🍉 From Whole Cloth - Sonia Sulaiman

🏳️‍🌈 Graphic Novels 🍉 Mis(h)adra - Iasmin Omar Ata 🍉 Where Black Stars Rise - Nadia Shammas & Marie Enger 🍉 Confetti Realms - Nadia Shammas 🍉 Nayra and the Djinn - Iasmin Omar Ata 🍉 My Mama's Magic - Amina Awad 🍉 Squire - Nadia Shammas & Sara Alfageeh

🏳️‍🌈 Non-Fiction/Memoirs 🍉 Are You This? Or Are You This? - Madian Al Jazerah 🍉 Love is an Ex-Country - Randa Jarrar 🍉 This Arab is Queer - (ed) Elias Jahshan 🍉 Decolonial Queering in Palestine - Walaa Alqaisiya 🍉 Queer Palestine and the Empire of Critique - Sa'ed Atshan 🍉 Between Banat - Mejdulene Bernard Shomali

🏳️‍🌈 Poetry 🍉 To All the Yellow Flowers - Raya Tuffaha 🍉 The Specimen's Apology - George Abraham & Leila Abdelrazaq 🍉 Birthright - George Abraham 🍉 The Twenty-Ninth Year - Hala Alyan 🍉 Blood Orange - Yaffa AS 🍉 Who is Owed Springtime - Rasha Abdulhadi 🍉 Shell Houses - Rasha Abdulhadi 🍉 Halal If You Hear Me - (ed) Fatimah Asghar & Safia Elhillo

🍉 None of us are free until all of us are free. 🏳️‍🌈

[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

[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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.  

[zahri-melitor]

I’m tired of boring samey suggestions for comics runs to start people on. Here are 6 comic stories I bet plenty of you have never read, require very little context, and that I rate highly as far too much fun:-

Batman/Wildcat: are you in the mood for Bruce Wayne and Ted Grant tracking down an gambling ring over illegal cage fights and ending up in one with a bunch of villains, set in late 90s DC comics? Do you want it to be charming, silly, and full of people getting punched? Have I got the story for you.

Black Canary & Zatanna: Bloodspell: There’s a curse on a group of women Dinah knows that were hired to knock over a casino. Dinah investigates and gets Zatanna to help her sort out what’s happened. It’s a heist story meets magic.

Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death: Ivy gets a job at a scientific lab and attempts to give up crime, while also growing a gaggle of fast-aging plant!Sim babies in her giant flowers. Yes. Really.

Arsenal 1998: Vandal Savage, the ultimate ancestor of Roy Harper, tries to kidnap Lian Harper for scientific experimentation. Roy and Dinah STRONGLY object. Famous for being the first time Lian Harper is actually a character not just a poppet in arms.

Arkham Manor: Wayne Manor gets turned over to Arkham Asylum to hold the patients. Bruce goes undercover as a patient to solve a murder mystery. Goofy plots involving various villains ensue.

Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia: okay this one is cheating, but if you haven’t read the Hiketeia you really should. A young woman in trouble uses an ancient Greek ritual to bind Diana to be her teacher and protector. Bruce comes to hunt her down for her crimes. Diana is sworn to intervene. Bruce ends up eating a lot of dirt.

[flebdoodle]

The Pines (Graphic Novel) - Chapter One

Hi! Loaf here with some housekeeping!

First order of business, there are 3 more chapters coming! (consider following me if you wanna read them KOFFF KOFF)

Secondly, this is not an original story! This is an adaptation of Docofthedark's amazing fic The Pines which you should totally read because holy smokes it's amazing and to get the things I couldn't include here and also because I love the way she writes characters and-

Oh I almost forgot!

[haridraws]

What I've been reading blog: summer 2024 queer graphic novels!

+ kickstarters you don't want to miss, from @thunderstormstudios & @shazleen. These all just gave me big emotions!!!

[megjgrey]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Megan J Grey (@megjgrey)

Vol. 2 is out where books are sold!

[incorrectbatfam]

sorry to bother but i was wondering if you have any comics you read when youre having a hard time? everything sucks rn my grades are shit my cat is sick my friends always hang out without me and i cant get my meds bc im at my dads place and he doesnt believe in mental health. i just scroll thru tumblr and shit bc idk what else to do anymore. sorry if im annoying ik im just a stranger so you can just ignore my rambling if you want

I'm sorry to hear you're going that. I don't know how you prefer to deal with things specifically, so I gathered some stuff that you can pick from depending on what you need.

If you want to laugh

Batman #147

Amazing Spider-Man #258

Super Sons vol. 1

Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy

Batman: Lil Gotham

World's Funnest

If you need to cry

Astonishing X-Men #1

Flashpoint #5

Loving Reaper

Adventure Comics #452

The Sculptor

Superman vol. 1 #712

If you're looking for a distraction

Watchmen

Vixen: NYC

The Walking Dead

Batman: Year One

Proctor Valley Road

Doom Patrol book 1

If you're seeking validation

DC Pride 2022

Black Panther and the Crew

Wayne Family Adventures #45-46

Ms. Marvel vol. 1

Birds of Prey #56-108

Lumberjanes

Finally, if you feel like you're out of options

Superman: Grounded

All-Star Superman #10

Captain America: A Little Help

Marvel Knights 4 #4

Deadpool #20

Robin #156

This one is always worth a try

[faeriekit]

Read Bad Dream read Bad Dream read Bad Dream READ. BAD DREAM.

The art is so good. It's on the right side of gritty AND the right side of polished. Truly does it all.

Aliens

TRANS.

TRANS ALIENS

Complicated sisterhood/over-expectant mother dynamic.

The superpowers slap.

Also, they're clearly just teens and young adults...roaming around. They're doing their best. Theyre living life. They go to a gas station and lie to authority figures to get out of conversations. Real.

This is the first installment of whatever this series comes out to be, so if you're curious, now's the time to figure out if you're into it or not!

The author clearly know what she's doing and loves her character and what she represents to her audience and knows what life is about and what's important...and what teens do in the face of stuff they don't know how to handle.

Read Bad Dream. It's worth it.

[madaramail]

miles sending a selfie to peter of him in front of an anti-spiderman billboard + using kaomojis when texting ganke. good for ur soul

[sapphicbookclub]

Renegade Rule by Ben Kahn, Rachel Silverstein, Sam Beck

Prepare for competitive gaming like you've never seen it!

The Manhattan Mist have beaten the odds to land themselves in the national championships for Renegade Rule, one of the hottest virtual reality games in existence. But they're in for competition fiercer than they ever imagined, and one team member's entire future could be at stake. Four queer female friends will have to play harder than ever against self-doubt, infighting, romantic distraction, and a slew of other world-class teams if they hope to become champions.

Genres: graphic novel, contemporary, romance

Order from Blackwell's and get free worldwide shipping!

[celepom]

For Transgender Day of Visibility, here’s several books about Gender that I haven’t recommended before (I Think)!

Fine: A Comic About Gender

By Rhea Ewing

As graphic artist Rhea Ewing neared college graduation in 2012, they became consumed by the question: What is gender? This obsession sparked a quest in which they eagerly approached both friends and strangers in their quiet Midwest town for interviews to turn into comics. A decade later, this project exploded into a sweeping portrait of the intricacies of gender expression with interviewees from all over the country. Questions such as “How do you Identify” produced fiercely honest stories of dealing with adolescence, taking hormones, changing pronouns—and how these experiences can differ, often drastically, depending on culture, race, and religion. Amidst beautifully rendered scenes emerges Ewing’s own story of growing up in rural Kentucky, grappling with their identity as a teenager, and ultimately finding themself through art—and by creating something this very fine. Tender and wise, inclusive and inviting, Fine is an indispensable account for anyone eager to define gender in their own terms. 

Galaxy: The Prettiest Star 

By Jadzia Axelrod & Jess Taylor (Illustrator)

It takes strength to live as your true self, and one alien princess disguised as a human boy is about to test her power. A vibrant story about gender identity, romance, and shining as bright as the stars. Taylor Barzelay has the perfect life. Good looks, good grades, a starting position on the basketball team, a loving family, even an adorable corgi. Every day in Taylor’s life is perfect. And every day is torture. Taylor is actually the Galaxy Crowned, an alien princess from the planet Cyandii, and one of the few survivors of an intergalactic war. For six long, painful years, Taylor has accepted her duty to remain in hiding as a boy on Earth. That all changes when Taylor meets Metropolis girl Katherine “call me Kat” Silverberg, whose confidence is electrifying. Suddenly, Taylor no longer wants to hide, even if exposing her true identity could attract her greatest enemies. From the charming and brilliant mind behind the popular podcast The Voice of Free Planet X, Jadzia Axelrod, and with stunningly colorful artwork by Jess Taylor comes the story of a girl in hiding who must face her fears to see herself as others see her: the prettiest star.

To Strip the Flesh

By Oto Toda

A moving collection of six short stories that explores what must be stripped away to find the truth and celebrates the beauty of embracing who you are. Chiaki Ogawa has never doubted that he is a boy, although the rest of the world has not been as kind. Bound by his mother’s dying wish, Chiaki tries to be a good daughter to his ailing father. When the burden becomes too great, Chiaki sets out to remake himself in his own image and discovers more than just personal freedom with his transition—he finds understanding from the people who matter most.

Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston 

By Esme Symes-Smith

In a magical medieval world filled with dragons, shape-shifters, and witches, a twelve-year-old hero will search for their place as an impending war threatens. A thrilling middle-grade series opener that stars a nonbinary tween and explores identity and gender amid sword fights. My name is Callie, and I'm not a girl. I am here as Papa's squire, and I want to train as a knight. In a world where girls learn magic and boys train as knights, twelve-year-old nonbinary Callie doesn't fit in anywhere. And you know what? That's just fine. Callie has always known exactly what they want to be, and they're not about to let a silly thing like gender rules stand in their way. When their ex-hero dad is summoned back to the royal capital of Helston to train a hopeless crown prince as war looms, Callie lunges at the opportunity to finally prove themself worthy to Helston's great and powerful. Except the intolerant great and powerful look at Callie and only see girl. Trapped in Helston's rigid hierarchy, Callie discovers they aren't alone--there's Elowen, the chancellor's brilliant daughter, whose unparalleled power is being stifled; Edwyn, Elowen's twin brother, locked in a desperate fight to win his father's approval; and Willow, the crown prince who was never meant to be king. In this start to an epic series packed with action, humor, and heart, Callie and their new friends quickly find themselves embedded in an ancient war--the only hope to defeat the dragons and witches outside the kingdom lies in first defeating the bigotry within.

I Think I Turned My Childhood Friend Into a Girl 

By Azusa Banjo

It's a familiar story: a popular high school student gives their plain friend a makeover and transforms their life. But this time, the path to a new life isn't quite so straight and narrow. Kenshirou Midou has loved cosmetics all his life, keeping his obsession secret from almost everyone except for his childhood friend Hiura Mihate. One day, Kenshirou gets permission to practice applying makeup on Hiura, and the results are earth-shattering: Hiura's appearance transforms from a plain, undersized boy to a pretty, petite girl, and Kenshirou discovers just how freeing it is to apply his passion! Yet he's not the only one who finds the process liberating. Hiura likes the makeup, and the subsequent dress-up in feminine clothes, and decides to start wearing the girls' uniform to school. Kenshirou doesn't understand if he's unlocked something in Hiura, or if he's simply seeing a new side to his childhood buddy that he never noticed before. What are these feelings bubbling between them now--is this attraction truly new?

My Androgynous Boyfriend 

By Tamekou Wako and her androgynous boyfriend don't exactly have the most traditional of relationships. She spends her days working hard in the world of publishing, while he spends his time obsessing over fashion and makeup--all with the goal of making himself beautiful just for her. This romantic slice-of-life story is about love, relationships, and breaking with tradition!