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Top 30 Graphic Novels, Comics & Manga:
November 2023
Powerful stories can be powerfully told through the skilful, captivating blending of words and pictures. This month’s selection of my PG Tips ranges far and wide in subjects and styles, contexts and contents. Proof positive that there’s nothing comics creators cannot express fulfillingly and daringly in this medium today. Explore and engage and enjoy!
100 Tales from the Tokyo Ghost Cafe
by Julian Sedgewick & Chie Kutsuwada
Guppy Books
£10.99
The publisher says:
Abducted by spirits from his village, lost boy Akira must make the long journey in north Japan to find his family and save his young sister, before time runs out. Voyaging deeper and deeper into a Japan ‘between the worlds’, Akira and his companions encounter a host of yokai monsters and famous ghosts, discovering a sometimes comical and sometimes terrifying world of interlinked and ghostly short stories along the way. From a Carnegie-shortlisted author and illustrator duo comes a stunning companion to Tsunami Girl – a wonderful collection of ghost stories told equally in manga and prose by Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada. Julian Sedgwick is the author of six books for children, and co-author of the graphic novel Dark Satanic Mills and illustrated novel Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black. Chie Kutsuwada was born and brought up in Japan. A well-known figure in teaching manga in the UK, she now works as a professional manga artist and lives in Brighton. 420pgs B&W paperback.
A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story, based on the novel by Charles Dickens
by José-Luis Munuera, translated by Jerome Saincantin
Cinebook
£11.95 / $18.95
The publisher says:
In 19th century London, on Christmas Eve, the greedy, selfish misanthrope Scrooge encounters the ghost of his dead partner, who warns him that three spirits will visit him to make him change his ways before he is damned forever. Charles Dickens’ story is universally known, but in this adaptation by Munuera, Ebenezer becomes Elizabeth, and that simple yet fundamental difference, with all the social baggage it entails, may make her rather more unrepentant than her original model… Born in Spain, José-Luis Munuera grew up reading Franco-Belgian comics. After an art school in Granada, he tried his luck in France, and a chance encounter with Sfar opened the world of bandes dessinées to him. Now considered a major name in the profession, he is known - among many others - for four volumes of Spirou & Fantasio with Morvan, well-received series The Campbells, and has been chosen to take over The Bluecoats after Lampil retired. 72pgs colour paperback.
Atlas Artist Edition No.1: Joe Maneely
by Joe Maneely
Fantagraphics
$75.00
The publisher says:
The first book in Fantagraphics’ new Atlas Artist Edition series collects the best work of Marvel’s top artist of the 1950s in a lush, lavish, full-colour, oversize collector’s volume, scanned directly from the original printings and meticulously restored and presented in a wealth of detail never seen before. Joe Maneely was known for his draftsmanship, his versatility, and his speed. He could draw horror, science fiction, war, crime, Mad-style humour, Westerns, and funny animals with equal dexterity. His tactile, chiaroscuro graphic approach to storytelling has made him a legend among the comics cognoscenti, but because he never drew superheroes and his life ended tragically at age 32, he has never been given the attention his short but incandescent career deserves. Until now. As Geoffrey C. Ward wrote in American Heritage, “Maneely’s knowledge of 19th century artifacts was encyclopaedic, his rumpled, unshaven cowboys all wore the right hats, swung the right lariats, sat in the right saddles, fired the right model Colts ― with every screwhead and trigger guard and notched handle precisely rendered. And that’s only his Westerns. That tightly focused attention to detail pervades his work in every genre.” The Atlas Artist Edition No. 1: Joe Maneely Vol. 1 presents a cornucopia of Maneely’s work for Marvel (then called Atlas) including Westerns (Kid Colt, Black Rider, Ringo Kid, Wyatt Earp, Two-Gun Kid), pre-code horror (“Haunted!”, “The Raving Maniac”, and the classic “Your Name Is Frankenstein”), space opera (Speed Carter), war (Combat Kelly), Mad-style parodies from the pages of Crazy and Riot, cold-war intrigue and paranoia (Yellow Claw), and Maneely’s pride and joy ― his Arthurian champion, The Black Knight. Series editor Dr. Michael J. Vassallo provides expert contextual and historical commentary in a special essay for this volume. 256pgs colour hardcover.
Barnstormers
by Scott Snyder & Tula Lotay
Dark Horse
$24.99
The publisher says:
A high-flying, post WWI-era historical fiction graphic novel that’s an intimate portrait of love and war—and a meditation on the dangerous level of trust required in both romance and aviation. It’s 1927—the late days of the barnstorming era, when pilots competed with each other by performing deadlier and more wondrous feats. Injured pilot Hawk E. Baron is back from the frontlines of the war. Still a young man, he’s an adventurer who lives his life traveling from town to town in his plane entertaining folks—most of whom have never seen a car, let alone a plane. His world changes when he meets Tillie, a young woman who shares his passion for aviation and adventure. They become a traveling act, delighting folks with their antics. Tillie even becomes Hawk’s wing-walker, climbing out on the wing of the plane mid-flight to perform death-defying acrobatics. When they learn they are suspected of a horrific crime, their journey becomes an even deadlier race against time. Along the way they bond, confessing their secrets, and begin a romance in this lush, character-driven series that explores the early days of aviation and the evolving relationship and romance between two young pilots. This Bonnie and Clyde romp brings together writer Scott Snyder (We Have Demons) and the breathtaking illustrations of Tula Lotay (Supreme: Blue Rose)—her longest sequential work to date. Winner of the 2023 Will Eisner Award for Best Digital Comic. 200pgs colour paperback.
Brooms
by Jasmine Walls & Teo DuVall
Levine Querido
$24.99 / $18.99
The publisher says:
It’s 1930s Mississippi. Magic is permitted only in certain circumstances, and by certain people. Unsanctioned broom racing is banned. But for those who need the money, or the thrills…it’s there to be found. Meet Billie Mae, captain of the Night Storms racing team, and Loretta, her best friend and second-in-command. They’re determined to make enough money to move out west to a state that allows Black folks to legally use magic and take part in national races. Cheng-Kwan – doing her best to handle the delicate and dangerous double act of being the perfect “son” to her parents, and being true to herself while racing. Mattie and Emma —Choctaw and Black — the youngest of the group and trying to dodge government officials who want to send them and their newly-surfaced powers away to boarding school. And Luella, in love with Billie Mae. Her powers were sealed away years ago after she fought back against the government. She’ll do anything to prevent the same fate for her cousins. Brooms is a queer, witchy Fast and the Furious that shines light on history not often told – it’s everything you’d ever want to read in a graphic novel. Jasmine Walls is a writer, artist, and editor with former lives in professional baking and teaching martial arts. She still bakes (though she’s pretty rusty at martial arts) and has a deep love for storytelling, creating worlds, and building tales about the characters who inhabit them. Along with Levine Querido, she has works published with Boom! Studios, Capstone, Oni Press, The Atlantic, and The Nib. She lives in California with two dogs and a large stash of quality hot chocolate. Teo DuVall is a queer Chicanx comic artist and illustrator based in Seattle, WA. They graduated in 2015 with a BFA in Cartooning from the School of Visual Arts and have had the immense pleasure of working with Levine Querido, HarperCollins, Dark Horse, Chronicle Books, Scholastic and more. He has a passion for fantasy, aesthetic ghost stories, and witches of color, and loves being able to create stories for a living. Teo lives with his partner, their two pets — a giant, cuddly pit-bull, and a tiny, ferocious cat — and a small horde of houseplants. 248pgs colour hardcover / paperback.
Classic Gums
by Roy Davis, Alf Saporito & Robert Nixon
Rebellion
£19.99 / $23.99
The publisher says:
The first Gums collection is here, including the complete run of strips published in Monster Fun through 1976. The hapless, loveable shark with false teeth was a highlight of the short-lived Monster Fun comic and proved to be so popular with the fans that he appeared as the front cover strip for most of the run. The Great White (toothless) shark stalks a territory around the Australian coast, where he constantly butts heads with local surfer, Bluey. While Gums is out to snack on the youngster, Bluey is determined to take the shark’s false teeth as a memento! 128pgs part-colour paperback
Comic Book Punks: How a Generation of Brits Reinvented Pop Culture
by Karl Stock
Rebellion
$29.99
The publisher says:
The influence of the comic book has never been greater, from movies to streaming and beyond, but the journey comics took from disposable kids’ magazines to literary prize-winning books and global franchises turned on a highly unusual group of writers and artists. Few would have expected a small gathering of British comic book fans and creators in the early ‘70s to spark a cultural revolution, but this was the start of a disparate movement of punks, dropouts and disaffected youths who reinvented a medium and became the imaginative heart of a global success story. Based on years of interviews with a generation of leading writers, artists and editors, Karl Stock reveals the true story of the wild times, passion and determination that helped, hindered and saw the reinvention of comics. Stock brilliantly tells the story of the triumphs and disasters that rewrote the rulebook on what comics could be and who they should be for. Karl Stock has written Tharg’s Future Shocks for 2000AD, Dredd prose fiction for the Judge Dredd Megazine and strips including Sniper Elite and Death Wish for Rebellion titles such as Battle, The Vigilant and Cor! & Buster, as well as interviews and features about comics for the Judge Dredd Megazine, Tripwire, Comic Heroes and more. He is the co-author of the 40th anniversary edition of Thrill-Power Overload, 2000AD’s official history, and lives in Scotland. 352pgs B&W hardcover.
Courage To Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust
by Neal Shustermann & Andrés Vera Martínez
Graphix
$14.99
The publisher says:
National Book Award winner Neal Shusterman and acclaimed illustrator Andrés Vera Martínez present a graphic novel exploring the Holocaust through surreal visions and a textured canvas of heroism and hope. Courage to Dream plunges readers into the Holocaust - one of the greatest atrocities in human history - delving into the core of what it means to face the extinction of everything and everyone you hold dear. This gripping, multifaceted tapestry is woven from Jewish folklore and cultural history. Five interlocking narratives explore one common story - the tradition of resistance and uplift. Neal Shusterman and Andrés Vera Martínez are internationally renowned creators who have collaborated on a masterwork that encourages the compassionate, bold reaching for a dream. 256pgs colour paperback.
Decodependence: A Romantic Tragicomic
by Lili Ash
Princeton University Press
$24.95
The publisher says:
Author and New Yorker cartoonist Lila Ash’s vulnerable and funny graphic memoir about her attempts to decode her life’s relationships through the lens of her recovering codependency. Through her skilful, charming illustrations and a voice that is sardonic, vulnerable, and completely relatable, Lila Ash shares the all-too-well-known moments that she’s experienced navigating the world of family, love, and sex through the lens of codependency. In her late twenties, Ash found herself reliving the relationship traumas of her past. She’d tried everything to help herself move on from painful memories, from therapy to drugs and more, before entering Codependents Anonymous (CoDA), where she discovered the characteristics of codependency—and checked off every box. Ash began drawing her way through her experiences, allowing herself to recognize the codependent behaviors that ruled her life. Through unflinchingly honest (and sometimes sad or harrowing) stories, a wry sense of humour, and illustrations that masterfully set the book’s tone, Decodependence: A Romantic Tragicomic will resonate with readers who are looking to better understand their own potential codependent relationship behaviours, followers of Ash’s popular Instagram account, or fans of graphic novelists and cartoonists like Liana Finck, Aline Crumb, Emily Flake, Katy Fishell, Malaka Gharib, and Olivia de Recat. Lila Ash is a Los Angeles-based freelance cartoonist, illustrator, and regular contributor to the New Yorker. She has been featured in Lena Dunham’s Lenny Letter, Wired, MAD, The Washington Post, The American Bystander, and The Weekly Humorist. She created a brilliant set of online comics based on real women’s harrowing #MeToo stories as well as other works honouring social justice causes. Ash is featured in Send Help! A Collection of Marooned Cartoons by Jon Adams and Ellis Rosen, a compilation of New Yorker cartoonists. 160pgs colour paperback.
Dirty Panties
by Maybelline Skvortzoff
Edtions Tanibis
$21.00
The publisher says:
Roxane is a young Parisian whose Bohemian life seems stuck in an endless loop of idle afternoons and wine-soaked nights with her roommate. Strapped for cash and novelty, she starts selling her used underwear online. Dirty Panties chronicles her first steps in this marketplace, from the creation of her online persona to the real-life rendezvous with shady customers. This new business soon impacts Roxane’s daily life and the people around her. The world she has just stepped into might be much more bizarre than what she expected. Roxane’s journey exploring her own appetite for transgression tackles such contemporary themes as sex work, consent and economic domination. How far will she go and where will this end? 128pgs B&W paperback.
Disaster Dates & Lucky Escapes: Finding the One in the Age of Online Dating
by Tess Smith-Roberts
Harper / Kyle Books
£12.99
The publisher says:
Meet serial dater Olive. She’s just a regular gal looking for love, but navigating the wild world of modern dating is getting her no closer to finding the one - why are there so many weirdos out there?! Follow Olive on her quest for companionship, as she goes on dates that go from bad to worse to even more disastrous, including a man who disappears after going to the toilet in a restaurant and is later spotted on shift waiting tables; a woman who vomits all over her on the beach; and a professional triangle player who gets into a fist fight and jumps out of not one but two moving cabs. Will Olive ever find the one? And will they be everything she’s looking for? Following up on the popularity of her viral dating comics series on Instagram, Disaster Dates and Lucky Escapes is crammed full of outrageous dating comics illustrated in artist Tess Smith-Roberts’s colourful and fun signature style so loved by her 193k Instagram followers. The sometimes gross, often relatable but always laugh-out-loud hilarious stories are weaved into a narrative, with some dates submitted by Tess’s Instagram followers, some inspired by previous submissions and, of course, some fan favourites from her Instagram series. 96pgs colour hardcover.
Ennead
by Mojito
Seven Seas
$29.99 / $22.99
The publisher says:
Nine powerful gods of ancient Egypt are known as the Ennead. When the god of war, Seth, kills his brother Osiris to take over Egypt, he ushers in an era of chaos and cruelty under his rule. The other gods are unable to fight Seth’s power until centuries later, when a new challenger appears: Horus, the child of Isis. Horus is not yet even a full god, but he’s backed by other deities to dethrone Seth and bring an end to the many years of bloodshed. The conflict between Seth and Horus that begins as a series of trials warps into a complex web of deceit, obsession…and even desire. This hit Boys’ Love webtoon — a dramatic fantasy epic— is a reimagining of one of the oldest myths in human civilisation. Already available in multiple languages to fans around the world, this is the very first time the graphic novel series will be printed in English, presented in beautiful full-colour editions in an oversized trim. Seven Seas will release two versions of the series, which were originally drawn for different audiences: a paperback version rated Older Teen, and a deluxe hardcover version rated Mature. Each version is standalone but has alternate depictions of some adult material. 296pgs colour hardcover/paperback
Far South
by Rodolfo Santullo & Leandro Fernandez
Fairsquare Comics
$19.99
The publisher says:
Whatever the hell happens in the Far South stays in Far South! Pimps, crooks and gauchos call it home, even though it’s dirty, greasy and violent. Welcome to a ruthless world where violence is the only love language. A Sin City-esque graphic novel brought to you by Leandro Fernandez (The Old Guard) and Argentinian best-selling novelist Rodolfo Santullo. An arid and wild land, cut off from the world, populated by rustic men with hot blood and a fondness for alcohol. This is where the taciturn Montoya runs a bar. A bar where the worst scoundrels in the area come to settle their differences or talk about their setbacks. This book will immerse you in the merciless world through a series of short stories of jubilant violence in the ancient land of the Gauchos! 108pgs colour hardcover.
Feeding Dangerously
by José Andrés, World Central Kitchen & Alberto Ponticelli
TKO Studio
$44.99
The publisher says:
Fires. Hurricanes. Volcanoes. Floods. Earthquakes. Food is hope. Join Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen for the incredible story of how their mission began and expanded across the globe, serving millions of meals in the most dangerous conditions to bring comfort and hope, one plate at a time. There is also a limited direct market edition variant which features cover art by Mike Mignola. 240pgs colour hardcover.
Flamed Out: The Underground Adventures and Comix Genius of Willy Murphy
by Willy Murphy, Nicki Michaels, Ted Richards & Mark Burstein
Fantagraphics
$50.00
The publisher says:
An intimate (and sometimes goofy) portrait of cartoonist Willy Murphy’s life, loves, and struggles — and a revealing glimpse into the underground comix scene in San Francisco in the early and mid-1970s. One day, Willy Murphy, a rising young star at a prestigious Madison Avenue advertising agency, whipped off his tie, cast away his suit, and said goodbye to a high-pressure, high-profile, high-paying career. All just to draw — not comics — but comix. What followed was the flowering of a sharp comedic sensibility paired with a terrific ear for dialogue that delighted his friends, tickled the funny bones of his readers, and earned him the respect and admiration of virtually every other underground cartoonist. Flamed Out traces Willy’s quirky comix career, written and edited by those who knew him best. This book is bursting with personal reminiscences, Willy’s playful sketches and drawings, never-before-seen photographs, and a cornucopia of the comix — most newly scanned from his original art. With such recurring characters as Arnold Peck (the Human Wreck), Henry Henpeck, and the unsavoury Beasley Boys, Willy’s clever cartoons regularly punctured pomposity, poked fun at politicians, and promoted peace and love through his peerless, fearless pen. 232pgs colour hardcover.
Gannibal Vol. 1
by Masaki Ninomiya
Ablaze
$12.99
Gannibal
The publisher says:
The thrilling and terrifying manga horror series by Masaaki Ninomiya, on which the Hulu TV show is based, is published in English for the first time. After the mysterious disappearance of a countryside cop, the role is reassigned to Officer Daigo Agawa. He finds the remote village quaint, and he looks forward to an easygoing post among the warm and welcoming citizenry. Then… he gets a call. The body of a local grandmother has been found. The scene immediately sows doubt for the young policeman. A human bite mark has been left on the corpse, and any voiced suspicion of Agawa’s is met with a strange, sudden, and intense hostility. Something dark is lurking under the idyllic façade of the charming mountain village. But can Officer Agawa spare himself and his family from it? The Gannibal TV adaptation, featuring a dream team of Japanese creatives and actors, is streaming exclusively on Hulu now. 200pgs B&W paperback.
Good Girls Go To Hell
by Tohar Sherman-Friedman, translated by Margaret Morrison
Graphic Mundi / PSU Press
$29.95
The publisher says:
This was the last day I prayed. A coming-of-age graphic memoir set in the West Bank, Good Girls Go to Hell depicts the reality of growing up in a region split by religious tensions―and sometimes violent conflict. From political protests to personal struggles with school, body image, and relationships with family and friends, Tohar Sherman-Friedman’s life is an inspiring story of conflicting convictions, rebellion, and personal growth. Tohar recounts her experience as the youngest of seven children in a conservative Jewish family, navigating a life buffeted by high expectations for school performance and religious adherence at home and tense conflict in the world outside. With utter sincerity and through detailed panel-style drawing, she relates what it’s like to be on a journey that ultimately takes her far from how she was taught to think and what she was expected to believe. Tohar Sherman-Friedman is an author, illustrator, and tattoo artist with a degree from Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art. Originally from a settlement in the West Bank called Kedoumim, she currently resides in Tel Aviv with her husband, Daniel. Her work has been published in many children’s books and most recently in the magazine Nashim. 136pgs colour hardcover.
Holy Fools and Funny Gods: The Hidden Link Between Religion and Humor
by Izar Lunaček
Uncivilized Books https://uncivilizedbooks.com/holy-fools-funny-gods/
$24.95
The publisher says:
A god and a fool walk into a bar… In Holy Fools and Funny Gods, philosopher and cartoonist Izar Lunacek explores the surprising intersections between religion and comedy. Many view religion as a monument to eternal truth. Comedy, on the other hand, is the eternal iconoclast. This conflict between jokers and the faithful frequently marks our present-day culture. But in pre-Christian times, pagan pantheons included holy clowns precariously positioned at the right side of the main deity. Among many tributes paid to gods, at least one ritual was reserved for the trickster who destroyed the world order only to rebuild it refreshed and new. What if the priest and the jester are enemies only because they are siblings? What if they are two sides of the same social taboos? When we put gods on pedestals, we also expose them to communal mockery. When we laugh at clowns, we worship their disregard for social convention. Lunacek’s Holy Fools and Funny Gods skilfully blends philosophy with the irreverence of the comics medium into a treatise that is both hilarious and profound. Izar Lunaček is a Slovenian cartoonist and philosopher. After years of studying comedy and religion, he has recently retired from academia to focus on comics. His first international success was the IDW-published Animal Noir - a series starring a hardboiled giraffe detective. He lives in Ljubljana with a girlfriend and a kid. 160pgs colour paperback.
I Don’t Want to be a Mom
by Irene Olmo, translated by Kendra Boileau
Graphic Mundi / PSU Press
$19.95
The publisher says:
What does choice really mean for a woman? In I Don’t Want to Be a Mom, Irene Olmo recounts her coming-of-age transformation from assuming she will one day start a family to realising that she just doesn’t want to be a mom. With an affecting mix of humour and introspection, she describes the subtle and not-so-subtle ways she was pressured to have children and the feelings of isolation and self-doubt that ensued. Her delightful full-colour illustrations capture perfectly the maddeningly narrow-minded reactions of those around her as well as her own discomfort and frustration. A true story of liberation and self-empowerment in the face of societal prejudice, I Don’t Want to Be a Mom questions the imposition of motherhood on women as both an expectation and a path toward fulfilment. It shows us that “choice” has more than one dimension and that, ultimately, some questions in life are more complicated than they seem. Irene Olmo is a prize-winning illustrator who studied at the Facultad de Bellas Artes de Sevilla and the Facultad de Bellas Artes de Valencia, Spain. She currently resides in Cordoba, where she is employed by the studio Azulmarino, working on projects for a variety of publishers, including Anaya, Santillana, and Oxford University Press. 112pgs colour paperback.
I Wish I Was Stupid
by Ebisu Yoshikazu, translated by Ryan Holmberg
Breakdown Press
£14.99
The publisher says:
Ebisu Yoshikazu. Television star, father of three, professional gambler, writer, cartoonist, pioneer. Since his debut in the legendary alt-manga magazine Garo in 1973, ugly-but-amazing ‘heta-uma’ superstar Ebisu has been spinning out surreal nightmares that combine the edgiest styles of Tokyo’s artistic counterculture with the absurd and infuriating realities of modern life. Originally published in 1982, I Wish I Was Stupid surpasses in shamelessness the artist’s cult classic Pits of Hell. With 13 stories about love, family, work and raging frustration culled from avant-garde porn mags and Garo, Ebisu probes dangerously deep into the inner mucosal of the human condition. If you’ve ever considered setting your child on fire, pooping with double buttholes, or windmilling your dingdong, this book is for you. 184pgs B&W paperback.
Langosh, Peppi & Yeva: Hot To Trot
by Veronica Post
Conundrum Press
$25.00
The publisher says:
As Langosh and Yeva embark on an epic cross-country journey, they discover that old wounds—and differing personal experiences—have begun to threaten their close-knit friendship. The landscape of America creates a constantly evolving backdrop to their emotional voyage. As they explore big cities, small towns, prairies and mountains, Langosh opens up to Yeva about his experience of police brutality, and the stark difference between how they respond to the situation leads to deep reflection on how the past informs their current choices. The more they seek to influence each other, the more obscured their path becomes. As Yeva comes to understand the unjust act of violence that changed his life forever, she struggles with how Langosh decides to respond to what happened. Have the values that he formed in response to harm become barriers to his personal growth? Is Yeva callous to the realities that he faces? Can they stay true to themselves and keep their friendship alive? Influenced by Jillian Tamaki, Kate Beaton and Guy Delisle, Veronica Post examines how we respond to structural harm, the power and limitations of personal agency and the divide between individual freedoms and collective responsibility. Veronica Post is an award-winning graphic novelist and multi-disciplinary artist based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She attended University for Philosophy and Fine Arts, before moving to Montreal where she completed her studies in cabinetmaking, and discovered the DIY culture of self-published zines. She joined a zine distro and began creating comics, while following a path towards becoming a furniture-maker. Her path took a turn when she left Montreal for the allure of travel. She spent 8 years exploring Canada, America and Eastern Europe, where she began working on what would become Fugitive Days. Today, she continues to create comics based on her life with her characters Langosh and Peppi. 350pgs B&W paperback.
Noah Van Sciver says:
Hot To Trot is a beautifully told story of friendship, introspection, personal growth and empathy. I don’t just read Veronica Post’s comics, I dive into them.
Majnun and Layla: Songs from Beyond the Grave
by Yann Damezin
Humanoids / Life Drawn
$29.99
The publisher says:
The classic Persian poem of romance and tragedy captured as a sumptuous and richly colourful graphic novel, inspired by traditional art of the region. It is a story known around the world. Born of an Arabic tale, it has been interpreted hundreds of times in Persian, Turkish, and Indian languages. It has influenced playwrights, composers, filmmakers, scholars, modern popular language, the first opera of Islamic origin, and individuals as varied as Aleister Crowley and Eric Clapton. The tragic tale of love unfulfilled — Majnun and Layla. Qays and Layla were madly in love. So in love, it has been said, that the young man could not contain his passion for his beloved, singing to the winds with such fervour he was given the nickname “Majnun” — The Madman. But their love could not be, as the lovers were separated by fate and man, leading to a tragic end for these star-crossed souls. Experience the classic Persian poem as painted in the lush palette of artist Yann Damezin. Through his brush, we see a decadent and sensorial world, one as raw and vulnerable as the love between the Majnun and his Layla. Winner of the prestigious Prix Orange de la bande dessinée (2022). 176pgs colour hardcover.
Ninja Sarutobi Sasuke
by Shigeru Sugiura, translated by Ryan Holmberg
New York Review Comics
$24.95
The publisher says:
A classic character of Japanese literature is reimagined as a mischievous, shapeshifting adventurer in this zany, Pop Art–esque gag manga by a titan of the genre. In the early 1960s, the Japanese manga artist Shigeru Sugiura took the well-loved literary character Ninja Sarutobi Sasuke and made him his own. In this legendary gag manga, Shigeru sends the famous Ninja on a wild, eye-popping adventure: Sarutobi encounters cowboys and aliens, spaceships and sailing ships, mid-60s celebrity cameos, mushroom clouds, detectives with squirt guns, and more in a delightful and ever-surprising world. Available for the first time in English and with a new essay by Ryan Holmberg, Ninja Sarutobi Sasuke is a must-read of trippy visuals and silly storytelling. Shigeru Sugiura (1908–2000) was a hugely popular and influential Japanese comics artist. Sugiura was originally trained as a painter, and early in his career his work was selected for the prestigious Teiten exhibition. He began creating manga in order to make a living, and by the 1950s had risen to major prominence, gaining renown through his comics for children and his pioneering role in the genre of gag manga. In the 1970s and 80s he experienced a second boom in popularity, this time for more absurdist, avant-garde manga geared towards adults. 250pgs B&W paperback.
Osamu Tezuka’s Shakespeare Manga Theater
by Osamu Tezuka
Ablaze
$14.99
The publisher says:
Over the course of his career, Osamu Tezuka adapted many of Shakespeare’s works. Shakespeare Manga Theater collects them into one volume. The book includes the following: The Merchant of Venice (1959); Robio and Robiette (from Astro Boy, 1965); Macbeth (from Vampire “The Three Fortunetellers”, 1966); Hamlet (from Rainbow Parakeet, 1981); The Taming of the Shrew (from Rainbow Parakeet, 1981); and Othello (from Rainbow Parakeet, 1982). While this may sound like a collection of manga versions of classic plays, they would actually be better be described as quality examples of creative adaptation and storytelling, by a master of the craft. Shakespeare Manga Theater is sure to be popular not just with Tezuka fans, but also schools interested in presenting Shakespeare in a format that is easier for readers to engage with. 304pgs B&W paperback.
Pre-War Manga: Easygoing Daddy / Hineko, Their Only Child
by Asô Yutaka & Nagasaki Batten, translated by Eike Exner
Breakdown Press
£15.00
The publisher says:
Breakdown Press embark on a series of pamphlets focussed on manga from the pre-war period. Manga scholar Eike Exner explores the beginnings of Japanese comics with two of the first “audiovisual” comic strips from 1920s, edited and retranslated for the first time since 1924. Presented in this volume are Easygoing Daddy by Asō Yutaka and Hineko, Their Only Child by Nagasaki Batten and a short, contextual essay by Eike Exner. This will only be available from Breakdown Press, through mail order or exhibitions and shows. Edited and Translated by Eike Exner. Design by Ferry Gouw and Jim Hemmingfield. Additional production by Douglas Noble. Handlettering by Fraser Geesin. Riso printed by PageMasters in London. 60pgs B&W paperback.
Punycorn
by Andi Watson
Clarion Books
$15.99
The publisher says:
Praised as “hilarious, whimsical epic adventure” by the creator of Hilo, a big-hearted diminutive unicorn and his friends battle to save their kingdom from a powerful (if bratty) ogre in this fast-paced and funny fantasy graphic novel. Carbuncle is a land of endless rainbows and sugar-sprinkled doughnuts—until the vile Sir Ogre unleashes his evil army on the happy kingdom. Who can stop his outsized appetite for destruction? Punycorn! Who? Punycorn. The smallest, clumsiest, and, yes, puniest of all the unicorns. Punycorn may not look like a hero, but aided by a fireless dragon, a feisty dung beetle, and a magic sword with a hidden secret, he might just be Carbuncle’s only hope! Readers will root for a motley group of misfits with hearts of gold in this fast-paced, hilarious graphic novel by multi-Eisner-nominated author and artist Andi Watson. 224pgs colour hardcover.
Red Harvest: A Graphic Novel of The Terror Famine in Soviet Ukraine
by Michael Cherkas
NBM
$19.99
The publisher says:
Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin waged a brutal war against the Soviet peasantry leading to the Holodomor, the terror-famine that killed at least 4 million Ukrainians during the fall and winter of 1932-33. Red Harvest is based on the tragic events that took place in Soviet Ukraine and other parts of the Soviet Union from 1929 to 1933. Stalin and the ruling Communist Party began their program of forced large-scale collectivisation of individual farms and farmers, including the seizure of livestock, farm implements, crops, seed stock, and other property. Red Harvest is the fictional story, based on true stories as related to the Ukranian-Canadian author, of Mykola Kovalenko, a Ukrainian immigrant to Canada, who was the only member of his family to have survived the famine. Through his memories, we witness the horrors of what happened to his family and fellow villagers in the “breadbasket of Europe” as they struggled—not only to make sense of the war that was being waged against them—but, ultimately, to survive. 144pgs B&W hardcover.
Sherlock Holmes and The Empire Builders Vol. 1: The Gene Genie
by Joel Meadows & Andy Bennett
Tripwire
$35.00
The publisher says:
Tripwire launches its Tripwire Comics Presents imprint with the first volume of its Sherlock Holmes and The Empire Builders, The Gene Genie graphic novel, under two exclusive covers. Sherlock Holmes and The Empire Builders is an epic alternate world sci fi adventure featuring The World’s Greatest Detective as people have never seen him before. When Watson leaves Holmes to help Crick unravel the DNA helix and finds himself in the employ of England’s most evil man, Holmes is forced to team up with an unlikely group to defeat this monstrous figure and return England to its status quo. As well as a 64-page full-length comic story, Sherlock Holmes and The Empire Builders: The Gene Genie Volume One will also include an 8-page colour section featuring art by the likes of Liam Sharp, Bill Sienkiewicz, Shawn Martinbrough and Barry Kitson and interviews with the series creators as well as character sketches by Bennett and script pages by the writer. 88pgs part-colour hardcover.
Silence Full Stop.
by Karina Shor
Street Noise Books
$23.99
The publisher says:
A breathtaking and gut-wrenchingly real graphic memoir of the struggles of an adolescent girl processing the trauma of childhood sexual assault. An immigrant at the age of six, she arrived in a strange new world. Karina was labeled “different” immediately, and a desire to be invisible was born. The “different” label expanded to “weird” and “freak”, terms that she fervently embraced. By taking society’s critique, owning it, and taking pride in it, she gained power over it. In a life overshadowed by fear, Karina wanted control. If something was going to ruin her life, it would be her and her alone. Karina Shor is an illustrator, a cartoonist, and a teaching artist. Karina has illustrated many children’s books under the name Alina Gorban, but this is her debut as an author. She grew up in a small town outside of Tel Aviv, Israel, after she immigrated from the former Soviet Union. She received her MFA from the School of Visual Arts, and now lives between Brooklyn, New York and Tel Aviv, Israel. Delayed from June 2021. 272pgs colour paperback.
Thalamus: The Art of Dave McKean
by Dave McKean
Dark Horse Books
$149.99
The publisher says:
Dark Horse Books proudly presents this two-volume hardcover artbook collection showcasing the work of the legendary artist Dave McKean, who has created some of the most iconic images in modern comics, literature, film, and music. Featuring his visually-stunning work from Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, Mirrormask, Arkham Asylum, Cages, Black Dog, Raptor, and so much more, as well as artwork featured in prose publications, film, music, and never-before-seen bonus material with commentary by Dave McKean. This deluxe two-volume set is collected into a gorgeous slipcase featuring original artwork by McKean, also including a satin ribbon marker in each volume, and a foreword by David Boyd Haycock. 608pgs colour hardcovers in slipcase.
The Lucky Poor
by Mazie Lovie
Iron Circus Books
$12.00
The publisher says:
Mazie’s family has been gifted with a fantastic prize: their very own, brand-new house, built for them by Habitat for Humanity Canada. But it’s an award that comes with a number of strings attached, and soon, they’ll learn just how many problems even a new home can’t fix. An inside look at inequality and second chances, struggle and hope, hard work and charity, The Lucky Poor is the incredible true story of one life-changing event and every unexpected thing that happens next. Mazie Lovie is a freelance illustrator and comics artist from Southwestern Ontario. She likes to make cute, punny, and magical art, when she isn’t bothering her cat and others. 134pgs B&W paperback.
Transitions
by Elodie Durand, translated by Evan McGorray
IDW / Top Shelf Productions
$19.99
The publisher says:
When Anne learns that her 19-year-old is a transgender man, she struggles to understand her son’s new identity. A new landmark in nonfiction comics, Transitions is a sympathetic, informative, and moving story of a family’s journey to acceptance. “I thought I was open-minded… The news of my child’s gender change hit me like a tidal wave, sweeping away all my certainties. Sweeping away the comfort of my tidy little life.” When university biologist Anne Marbot learns that the 19-year-old she raised as “Lucie” is a transgender man named Alex, she’s overwhelmed by questions. How can this be? Who put these ideas in your head? What if you regret it? Am I overreacting? How will your grandparents react? Why didn’t I see it coming? Why is this so easy for others? Am I a bigot? What does gender really mean, anyway? How can I be the parent my child needs? It soon becomes clear that Alex is not the only one embarking on a journey of self-discovery. The road is not easy, and sometimes their relationship is bitterly strained. But Alex is sure of himself, and Anne is determined to be strong for his sake. With time, she too will be transformed, rediscovering her identity as a mother in profound new ways. With grace and sensitivity, award-winning graphic novelist Élodie Durand (Parenthesis) captures the unique journey of well-meaning loved ones who struggle to reconcile new gender identities with their old assumptions. Deeply researched and drawn from true experience, Transitions is a must-read companion for allies and families navigating trans issues and a compassionate roadmap to acceptance. 176pgs colour paperback.
What Awaits Them
by Liam Cobb
Breakdown Press
£22.99
The publisher says:
Bringing together the previous Breakdown Press releases The Inspector and The Fever Closing, this new anthology includes strips and stories from every part of Cobb’s career. Readers will be transported to exotic luxury islands, the darkest rainforests, snow-swept frontiers and a bizarrely run Michelin-starred restaurant, and will discover the unique mix of lush extravagance and bleak realities that his comics bring to the form. Cobb’s comics reflect the relative loneliness of contemporary life with gleaming, monolithic architecture. Metaphysical love blossoms in the dank humidity of the jungle in a whirlwind of melancholy and mundanity. His clean, unmistakable lines razor the page through rich colour, transporting the reader to a clinical oasis, a gleaming utopia laced with irony and sweat. With these stories, Cobb invites you to submerge yourselves in his uncanny waters and discover, once and for all, What Awaits Them... 126pgs colour softcover.
Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey
by Edel Rodriguez
Metropolitan / Weidenfeld & Nicholson
$29.99 / £20.00
The publisher says:
From “America’s illustrator in chief” (Fast Company), a stunning graphic memoir of a childhood in Cuba, coming to America on the Mariel boatlift, and a defense of democracy, here and there. Hailed for his iconic art on the cover of Time and on jumbotrons around the world, Edel Rodriguez is among the most prominent political artists of our age. Now for the first time, he draws his own life, revisiting his childhood in Cuba and his family’s passage on the infamous Mariel boatlift. When Edel was nine, Fidel Castro announced his surprising decision to let 125,000 traitors of the revolution, or “worms,” to leave the country. The faltering economy and Edel’s family’s vocal discomfort with government surveillance had made their daily lives on a farm outside Havana precarious, and they secretly planned to leave. But before that happened, a dozen soldiers confiscated their home and property and imprisoned them in a detention centre near the port of Mariel, where they were held with dissidents and criminals before being marched to a flotilla that miraculously deposited them, overnight, in Florida. Through vivid, stirring art, Worm tells a story of a boyhood in the midst of the Cold War, a family’s displacement in exile, and their tenacious longing for those they left behind. It also recounts the coming-of-age of an artist and activist, who, witnessing American’s turn from democracy to extremism, struggles to differentiate his adoptive country from the dictatorship he fled. Confronting questions of patriotism and the liminal nature of belonging, Edel Rodriguez ultimately celebrates the immigrants, maligned and overlooked, who guard and invigorate American freedom. Edel Rodriguez is a Cuban American artist who has exhibited internationally with shows in New York, Los Angeles, Havana, Berlin, La Paz, Cape Town, Prague, and London. A regular contributor to the New Yorker, the New York Times, and Time magazine, he has created over two hundred magazine and book covers and illustrated several children’s books, including Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx, and is the author of Sergio Jumps and Sergio Saves the Game. Rodriguez’s artwork is collected by various institutions, including the Smithsonian Institution, and has received numerous awards from the Art Directors Club and the Society of Illustrators. Worm is his first graphic novel. He lives in New Jersey. 304pgs colour hardcover.
Zerocalcare: The Armadillo Prophecy
by Zerocalcare
Ablaze
$19.99
The publisher says:
The Armadillo Prophecy is Zerocalcare’s debut original graphic novel, and it’s the story of how he coped with learning too late that a dear friend from his childhood had died, all while a giant armadillo represents his imaginary conscience. Dryly funny, witty, inventive, it’s a classic that has sold over 140,000 copies in Italy alone. Now in its 13th reprint, it is Zerocalcare’s most popular title. Structured as a series of short stories that tie in to form a cohesive narrative, this is the seminal story that made Zerocalcare famous for his ability to write comedy with depth and elements of drama embedded in the plot. While it references Italian society, it’s definitely a universal tale of loss, coping and coming of age. This year, Netflix released Zerocalcare’s original animated series. Tear Along The Dotted Line debuted on Netflix Worldwide on November 17, 2021 and Season Two debuts in 2023. 160pgs colour hardcover.
