Graphic Novel Review: Buzzing by Samuel Sattin, illustrated by Rye Hickman

Buzzing by Samuel Sattin, illustrated by Rye Hickman. Little, Brown Ink, 2023. 9780316628419. 218pp. including an author’s not on his own OCD and a look at The Quest for Greenmoon campaign notes and the player’s character sheets.

Isaac has OCD, and his worst impulses and bad thoughts about himself buzz around his head, unseen by everyone else, whispering to him and distracting him. After class one day Micah introduces herself and her friend Jaime to him. They’re both wowed by Isaac’s sketch of a dragon (and so is Jaime’s couldn’t-be-more-different twin, Carmen), and they invite him to play Swamps & Sorcery with them. Carmen tells him to prepare to venture to the Tower of Greenmoon. Isaac is excited, and clearly a little attracted to Micah; the feeling seems to be mutual.

But his older sister Miriam thinks their mom might have issues with role-playing games, which she thinks lead to compulsions. And she does worry about that and everything else about Isaac’s life, so much that Miriam can’t get her mom’s attention for more than a moment. It feels explosive even though his mom lets him attend a few gaming sessions, and it all comes to a head when Isaac gets a bad grade.

I loved the crush, the sibling relationship, and of course the D&D-like adventures. Every gaming group I’ve ever been a part of has at least one person who can draw better than everyone else, someone who asked to draw everyone’s characters, and that’s Isaac. Minor spoiler: It was tough to see his mom take that away from him, but heartening to see how others (including Miriam) help and support him in the end.

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