Strange Adventures by Tom King (writer), Mitch Gerard and Evan “Doc”Shaner (artists). DC Comics, 2021. 9781779512031. Contains Strange Adventures #1 – 12. There’s so much to love here: Adam Strange, the Flash Gorden-esque, jetpack-wearing, laser gun toting Earthman who becomes a hero on the planet Rann (and then on Earth). He and his wife recently united the peoples of Rann against the Pykkts, a previously unbeatable alien threat, and lost their daughter in the war. Now they’re on Earth, and Strange is not only the man of the hour, he’s on book tour. But after a man who confronts him at a book signing is murdered, rumors of Strange’s misconduct and dishonor during the war gain some traction. Strange asks Batman to investigate him, to prove that he’s innocent, but Batman passes that task to super genius Mr. Terrific. As he starts to turn over Adam Strange’s story in every way he can; it’s clear he believe’s a lot of it to be BS, especially after the Pykkts begin a war with Earth and its heroes. There’s a lot to love about this book, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a great superhero story. Everything about it is great. But I have to tell you, I think I’ve read too many superhero books like this lately, dark stories about heroes fans like me are nostalgic for who aren’t as heroic as they’d like us to think. Maybe I need something a little brighter and more hopeful. But if you’re in the mood for this kind of story it’s an excellent graphic novel.

Affinities: A Journey Through Images from The Public Domain Review. Art Direction by Adam Green. Forward by D. Graham Burnett. Thames & Hudson, 2022. 9780500025208. Includes over 500 illustrations, with sources and notes. If you’ve never heard of The Public Domain Review, I urge you to visit https://publicdomainreview.org/ and sign up for their newsletter. I follow it for the out-of-copyright art and photos, but the articles are great too. Affinities is a collection curated by the site’s Editor-in-Chief, Adam Green. Each page has one or several images. Some have a connection to work on another page, indicated by a number under that image, which offers an alternate path through the book, though flipping through the images and looking through the notes is more than fun enough by itself. And the best part is all of this is the art is all copyright-free. Winner of our Coffee Table Book of the Year (So Far) Award for 2022.    

The Shiatsung Project by Brigitte Archambault. BDANG / Conundrum Press, 2021. 9781772620603. A young woman has always lived in a house next to a pool in a yard surrounded by four high walls. Shiatsung answers her questions, provides entertainment, and teaches her what she wants to know. But Shiatsung won’t tell her about other people or the world outside the walls, though it provides whatever the young woman needs. Is it just a computer program that runs the house? Are there other humans who help it do things like prepare food and take away garbage? What’s on the other side of the only door the woman can’t open? Is the sound on the other side of the wall a lawn mower like hers? What will happen to her when she tries to find out? This feels like the kind of story that could express an overwhelming sense of loneliness, but the woman’s curiosity is stronger than her despair. And the whole situation is just super weird. She will certainly never understand some of what she finds when she goes looking, and it’s hard to tell if that makes what she eventually sees weirder for her or for us readers.

Youth Volume One: True Fantasy by Curt Pires, Alex Diotto, Dee Cunniffee, Micah Myers, and Ryan Ferrier. Dark Horse / TECC / Comixology, 2021. 9781506724614. Includes #1 – #4. Frank hates his job at Meatlords, a burger place. River hates living at home with his stepdad, Paul. Luckily they like each other. And they have a plan of sorts, to steal Paul’s car and head off somewhere to start over. When that doesn’t go smoothly they catch a ride with Kurt, Jan, and Trixy. In short order there’s relationship drama, they find themselves running from the cops, and they get superpowers. Imagine the X-men if they had terrible parents, acted more like real teenagers, and were being hunted by some weird Nick Fury stand-in. Last time I checked you could read this book and its sequel for free if you had a Prime account — they were originally published on Comixology. (If you look for it there, search for Youth Season One.)

Thirst Mermaids by Kat Leyh. Gallery 13, 2021. 9781982133573. Eez uses her magic to transform herself, Pearl, and Thorn — the other members of her pod — into humans so they can go onto dry land and drink. There are a lot of things they don’t understand, like clothes, money, and hangovers. After a friendly bartender (who makes a habit of being too kind) finds them sleeping in an alley and makes them breakfast, they tell her the truth; this is their first time as humans. Soon she’s helping them try to fit in and find work because, until Eez can figure out how to transform them back, they’re stuck on dry land. This is a wonderfully sweary, colorful adult graphic novel with lots of teen appeal. It has a punk sensibility about being outsiders together, supporting your friends, and finding your place in the world. I was already a huge fan of Leyh’s comics (Lumberjanes, Snapdragon) and after reading this one I plan to read everything she publishes.

Verse: Book One: The Broken Half by Sam Beck. WonderBound, 2021. 9781638490104. Includes maps and a guide that lets readers decode the alphabet of the Verse in the back. Fife leaves his small village to go to Madenstone, where he hopes to train learn to use the Verse to augment weapons. On the journey there he encounters a traveler who gives him a small bit of Verse he can repeat to help him find his way. But later, when he tries, an amulet he has shatters. Afterwards he finds a young woman with horns on her head. She appears to be vel — they are distortions of those who have died, and are still able to use magic as humans did in centuries past. But unlike the vel she can speak, and seems more a person than a mindless destroyer; she tells Fife her name is Neitya and that she can remember nothing else. After getting over his initial reaction to her appearance, he offers to take her to Madenstone where someone may be able to help her, though they do their best to hide her horns. Along the way though they meet two warriors who take them to a hidden camp of warriors who hunt the vel. There’s a plot involving Neitya’s magical power, a group trying to control the destructive power of the vel no matter the cost, and the growing friendship between Fife and Neitya. This graphic novel seems to be the first of an entertaining fantasy series. This one ends with a cliffhanger, so I can’t wait to read the next book.

Bug Scouts: Out In The Wild by Mike Lowery. Scholastic Graphix, 2022. 9781338726329. Doug (a bug) and Abby (a worm) are best friends. Together with their other best friend Josh (a spider) they welcome the newest member of the Bug Scouts, Luna (a lighting bug). Their top secret headquarters isn’t very secret, but there are free snacks, plus they’re all taking a hike to get a new bug badge. (Abby is obsessed with them; she has lots. Josh has very few.) In the woods they do some foraging and then come across a “terrifying” bug-eating frog. Best part: Besides Lowery’s art, which is as great as always, there’s an excellent toadstool joke. This graphic novel is perfect for readers transitioning away from picture books, and would make a solid read-aloud.

Mamo by Sas Milledge. BOOM! BOX, 2022. 9781684158171. Includes #1 – #5. Jo seeks the help of a witch because magic is going nuts all over Haresden, the fae are misbehaving, and her mother has been cursed. That’s how she meets Orla, who is visiting after her grandmother Mamo’s death. Mamo was the Witch of Haresden, and when she died she didn’t make sure her bones were buried correctly, which is at the heart of most of the town’s magical troubles. Plus her spirit is angry. Now Mamo’s bones need to be buried correctly, and Orla is going to need Jo’s help to do that, to navigate the traps the fae and others have created. I thought I was done with witchy graphic novels for young people, but this excellent book proved how wrong I was. It’s full of love and friendship, and creates a perfectly understated sense of wonder. My favorite moment was when Jo was having breakfast with her family and we find out her nickname. The irritated trolls are fun, too.