More graphic novels!! I went through a graphic novel phase thanks to Hoopla which has a ton of graphic novels and comics. I adore graphic novels, so finding this out was magicial.
Here are the books reviewed below:
- Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale by Lauren Myracle
- The Avant-Guards, vol. 1 by Carly Usdin
- Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis
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Tamamo the Fox Maiden and Other Asian Stories edited Kel McDonald
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My Brother’s Husband, Vol. 1 by Gengoroh Tagame
Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale
Synopsis from Goodreads: Selina Kyle is fiercer than she knows. For 15 years, she’s put up with her mother’s string of bad boyfriends, but when Dernell, her mom’s current beau, proves crueler than the others, Selina reevaluates her place in her home. There’s no way Selina and Dernell can live under the same roof, and since Dernell won’t leave, Selina must.
Review:
cw: abuse, animal death
I did enjoy reading this book. It is interesting to see the beginning of Catwoman and this seemed to build the characters up. My enjoyment of the majority of this book and the artwork is why I’ve rated it so high.
My biggest problem is that it doesn’t feel like a standalone, which is what I’m assuming this is. It feels like an introduction to a longer story, with rarely any character development of change. I didn’t think there was much of a driving plot here either. Perhaps I’m missing something??? Is this going to be a series?? If it is a series I will rate it higher, if not it feels like such an open-ending, which is something I’m not usually a fan of.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5
The Avant-Guards, vol. 1
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Review: Seriously an adorable comic.
I seem to read so many books about guys doing sports (Fence, The Foxhole Court, sports romances, etc.), so when I saw this one about girls playing sports in college with amazing art I jumped on reading it! I’m so glad I did because I enjoyed every minute of this. It is cute, funny, diverse, and such good fun. My suggestion? Make sure to spend time looking at the background because there are funny things happening that might not be acknowledged by the main characters.
This book is fun, joyous, and light!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
*As a side-note: I did just read volume 2 and found it equally delightful. I love the friendships within the team and how supportive they are of each other. Supportive, thoughtful, and so caring. I love these characters so, so much.
Queen of the Sea
Synopsis from Goodreads: When her sister seizes the throne, Queen Eleanor of Albion is banished to a tiny island off the coast of her kingdom, where the nuns of the convent spend their days peacefully praying, sewing, and gardening. But the island is also home to Margaret, a mysterious young orphan girl whose life is upturned when the cold, regal stranger arrives. As Margaret grows closer to Eleanor, she grapples with the revelation of the island’s sinister true purpose as well as the truth of her own past. When Eleanor’s life is threatened, Margaret is faced with a perilous choice between helping Eleanor and protecting herself.
Review:
This is perhaps one of the longest graphic novels I’ve read. I had read some good reviews and even though the subject matter wasn’t completely intriguing me, I decided to give it a try.
Honestly? Not a bad book.
There is a LOT here. The artwork is beautiful and the words work. Sure, there are a lot of them at times as things need to be described– at times I thought it was getting a bit too info heavy, but then this is a historical novel and this information is important to have. The information was imparted well. Truly, this book is well done and at times emotional. I think it will appeal to many people.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Tamamo the Fox Maiden
and Other Asian Stories
Synopsis from Goodreads:
“And they lived happily ever after . . . I assume.”
Vengeful spirits, flying ogres, helpful teapots, ghost pepper ghosts, and trickster tigers? That’s just the start of this lively collection of Asian folktales, reimagined and retold in comics!
This second volume of the “Cautionary Fables and Fairy Tales” graphic novel series is a thrilling, funny, and totally unexpected take on stories spanning the entirety of the Asian continent, with loads of lesser-known myths and legends from Tibet, India, Indonesia, and beyond.
Review:
This is one I wish I had written notes on as I went along. This is an anthology, one of the few I like, and as such there are some stories I enjoyed more than others.
Some artwork is absolutely amazing, others– still great even if they didn’t speak to me as much. Serious, I liked all the art here which was great. As for the stories, again some I loved and wanted to re-read and share with others and there were a few I was kind of meh about. I’m sorry I can’t recall specifics. I did laugh quite a lot and there were quite a few stories I had never heard of before which I thought was super cool!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Brother’s Husband, Vol. 1
Synopsis from Goodreads: Yaichi is a work-at-home suburban dad in contemporary Tokyo; formerly married to Natsuki, father to their young daughter, Kana. Their lives suddenly change with the arrival at their doorstep of a hulking, affable Canadian named Mike Flanagan, who declares himself the widower of Yaichi’s estranged gay twin, Ryoji. Mike is on a quest to explore Ryoji’s past, and the family reluctantly but dutifully takes him in. What follows is an unprecedented and heartbreaking look at the state of a largely still-closeted Japanese gay culture: how it’s been affected by the West, and how the next generation can change the preconceptions about it and prejudices against it.
Review:
I had no idea what I was getting into with this one. I was a bit taken aback at the beginning by the frankness, the realness, of the book, but I soon got with the rhythm of it.
It deals with grief, with homophobia, with such heavy difficult topics that it pulls at the heart. It was nice when there were moments of humor to lift that cloud, switching the atmosphere to heartwarming. I had so many emotions reading this and really couldn’t tell you where it was (or even is) going to go.
I still need to read volume 2, but do plan on getting to it soon.
Books In Her Eyes 
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