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Top 22 Graphic Novels. Comics & Manga:

August 2025

Is it just me or have you also noticed how graphic novels are getting more and more lengthy? Several titles this month top 200 pages, and not just bumper compilations of previously published material, but whole brand new works that have required bold ambition and true commitment. Among my PG Tips for August is Mimi Pond’s labour of literary love about England’s ever-fascinating Mitford Sisters, a delightful treat whether you’re one of their admirers or new to their wild ways…

While Lee Lai explores deeply in her return tour-de-force a duo of second-generation Chinese queers living in Montreal…

Surely one of the most substantial original graphic novels in recent years is, appropriately, The Weight,

And just when we need her more than ever, Donna Dimassa’s lesbian icon bursts back from the Nineties.

Finally, but also first and foremost, Palestinian cartoonist Mohammad Sabaaneh converts the brief-then-vanished video clips of atrocities in the West Bank and Gaza into stark and indelible cartoons. These and more titles await you in my select line-up of recommendations below…


30 Seconds from Gaza: Diary of Genocide
by Mohammad Sabaaneh
Olive Branch Press
$22.00

The publisher says:
A powerful graphic novel from an acclaimed Palestinian political cartoonist that archives often-censored digital footage of the realities in Gaza into enduring works of art. Mohammad Sabaaneh, a Palestinian artist based in the West Bank, bears witness to genocide in 30 Seconds from Gaza—a graphic reflection that captures the horror of experiencing mass atrocity through 30-second video snippets sent to his phone in real time after October 7th, 2023. Through his stark black, white, and gray linocut cartoons, Sabaaneh transforms fleeting, often-censored digital footage into enduring works of art. Internationally acclaimed for his bold political commentary, Sabaaneh documents the brutal realities of life under Israeli occupation. His powerful illustrations confront the atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank, exposing the violence of apartheid and settler colonialism while honouring the unwavering resilience of the Palestinian people. After being shadow-banned on social media, and losing 15 years of content due to censorship, Sabaaneh began drawing from the very footage most at risk of being deleted. Each image in this book is an act of defiance—an effort to preserve a visual history that corporations and occupiers seek to erase. 30 Seconds from Gaza: Diary of Genocide is both a devastating artistic archive and a courageous testament to Palestinian sumud (steadfastness). In a world where injustice is too often silenced, Sabaaneh’s work ensures the truth is seen—and remembered. 170pgs B&W paperback.


Archives of The Unexplained Vol. 1: Area 51
by Steve Foxe & Fran Bueno
First Second
$21.99 / $13.99

The publisher says:
Welcome to the first venture into the Archives of the Unexplained, a middle grade fiction graphic novel series exploring historical and mysterious hair-raising events. Creepy is having a comeback! Open the Archives of the Unexplained as we delve into unearthly real-life stories, explore the unknown, and examine the elusive facts of history’s many mysteries. Each book in this series takes one or two high-interest and relatively focused events and presents a lively, thorough, but open-ended examination of what occurred. In this dive, we take a look into Area 51. When TJ attends his uncle’s funeral he expects to be bored. But when he escapes into his uncle’s office and discovers a secret door to a basement, his uncle’s classified documents open up a whole world of unidentified aircraft, strange grey men, and alien conspiracies he knew nothing about. What will TJ learn from these hidden files? Or will the mysterious men in black who appeared at the funeral get to him first? 112pgs colour hardcover / paperback.


Archives of The Unexplained Vol. 2: Unwanted Guests
by Steve Foxe & Naomi Franquiz
First Second
$21.99 / $13.99

The publisher says:
Welcome to the second venture into the Archives of the Unexplained. In this dive we look into the House of Blood 1987 and the Guyra Ghost. Minnie and Jackson’s new house has some stories to tell. As does Theo, the mysterious boy they meet in the park. Theo is full of unbelievable tales―the flying rocks and breaking glass of the Guyra Ghost house and the crimson-drenched floors of the Atlanta blood house. And what does this mysterious boy know about their new home? If only walls could talk. 112pgs colour hardcover / paperback.


The Avengers in The Veracity Trap
by Chip Kidd & Michael Cho
Abrams ComicArts
$25.99

The publisher says:
What happens when Earth’s Mightiest Heroes learn who—and what—they truly are? It starts with an epic battle in Asgard, as Loki, the god of mischief, comes into possession of a weapon of unimaginable power and assembles an army of otherworldly monsters in an effort to carry out his evil plans. Cue the Avengers—Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Giant-Man, and the Wasp—who meet this horrifying throng of beasts head-on as a thrilling, knock-down drag-out fight ensues. But when the smoke clears, what appears to be a typically raucous comic book take-down is revealed to be something very, very different—and very, very terrifying. And this discovery threatens to destroy the Avengers in a way that Loki or any other foe never has before. Because this time the enemy is . . . the Truth. Writer Chip Kidd and artist Michael Cho have created a mind-bending, visually sumptuous saga that takes the Avengers—and you, the reader—to places that challenge everything we thought we knew about super heroes and the very nature of heroism . . . villainy . . . and existence. Oh, and did we mention that it’s absolutely hilarious? Welcome to The Veracity Trap, a truly profound, thought-provoking conundrum of a comic, where no one—not even the Avengers—can escape. 64pgs colour hardcover


Brooklyn Dreams
by J.M DeMatteis & Glenn Barr
Dark Horse
$34.99

The publisher says:
Vincent Carl Santini wants to tell you a story about his senior year in high school, but memory is a tricky thing. That one story becomes a hilarious and occasionally harrowing journey through all of Santini’s childhood growing up in 1960s and 70s Brooklyn. J.M. DeMatteis and Glenn Barr’s Brooklyn Dreams is a nostalgic visit to a very specific time and place, as well as a universal search for hope and meaning. First serialised in four parts in 1994-5, the critically-acclaimed graphic novel is back in print and collected in hardcover with a new cover by Glenn Barr. 408pgs colour hardcover.


Buff Soul
by Moa Romanova, translated by Melissa Bowers
Fantagraphics
$29.99

The publisher says:
Eisner Award winner Moa Romanova returns with an autobiographical graphic novel about accompanying her rock star bestie on a U.S. tour, fuelled only by alcohol, drugs and sex. How do you prevent history from repeating itself, and is it possible to protect the one you love from themselves? When cartoonist Moa Romanova joins her rock star bestie on a U.S. tour, life quickly turns chaotic, as adolescent trauma begins to haunt her. Buff Soul tackles addiction, friendship, and loss in a rollicking road trip adventure involving selling speed, breaking bones, massive hangovers, drug withdrawal, having your entire fist inside your best friend, and shooting guns in the desert. What begins as an insanely comical, hedonistic road trip in the spirit of Pineapple Express, takes a dark turn when her best friend disappears. This event triggers memories of an adolescent trauma she had yet to reckon with, leading Romanova to confront the reality of how far she’s let her self-destruction go. 240pgs colour hardcover.


Cannon
by Lee Lai
Drawn & Quarterly
$29.95

The publisher says:
A LAMBDA Award winner and breakout fiction sensation returns with a darkly funny slice of friendship strife. We arrive to wreckage―a restaurant smashed to rubble, with tables and chairs upended riotously. Under the swampy nighttime cover of a Montreal heat-wave, this is where we meet our protagonist, Cannon, dripping in little beads of regret sweat. She was supposed to be closing the restaurant for the night, but instead, well, she destroyed it. The mess feels a bit like a horror-scape―not unlike the horror films Cannon and her best friend, Trish, watch together. Cooking dinner and digging into deep cuts of Australian horror films on their scheduled weekly hangs has become the glue in their rote relationship. In high school, they were each other’s lifeline―two queer second-generation Chinese nerds trapped in the suburbs. Now, on the uncool side of their twenties, the essentialness of one another feels harder to pin down. Yet, when our stoic and unbendingly well-behaved Cannon finds herself―very uncharacteristically―surrounded by smashed plates, it is Trish who shows up to pull her the hell outta there. In Cannon, Lee Lai’s much anticipated follow-up to the critically acclaimed and award-winning Stone Fruit, the full palette of a nervous breakdown is just a slice of what Lai has on offer. As Cannon’s shoulders bend under the weight of an ageing Gung-gung and an avoidant mother, Lai’s sharp sense of humour and sensitive eye produce a story that will hit readers with a smash. 304pgs colour hardcover.


The Complete Hate Vol. 1
by Peter Bagge
Fantagraphics
$29.99

The publisher says:
The definitive edition of the Great American Grunge Graphic Novel, now collected in paperback for the first time. Peter Bagge, along with the Hernandez brothers and Daniel Clowes, is one of the primary architects of the alternative comics genre that exploded in the 1980s and 1990s. His compelling and best-selling comic book series Hate chronicled the exploits of Buddy Bradley and his gang of lovable losers through the rise and fall of the grunge era, and beyond. Going beyond mere satire, Bagge’s observations helped fashion the aesthetics and attitudes of the only significant youth movement to emerge from the Pacific Northwest. A contemporary review by Bruce Barcott in the Seattle Weekly stated, “Twenty years from now, when people want to know what it was like to be young in 1990s Seattle, the only record we’ll have is Peter Bagge’s Hate.” The Complete Hate is a new paperback series that includes the original 30-issue run from 1990–1998, the nine subsequent Hate Annuals, and tons of other Hate-related comics, illustrations, and ephemera created for books, magazines, comics, toys, and other merchandise. Bagge combined his cartoony drawing style with uncomfortably real Gen X characters, and the comic books resonated with readers. Vol. 1 collects the first major arc of the series, (Hate 1-15), focusing on young Buddy Bradley’s travails in early 1990s Seattle, with a lengthy introduction by Bagge. Each volume contains new covers, endpapers, title pages, and other surprises by the author. 348pgs B&W with spot colour paperback


The Complete Megaton Man Universe Vol. 1: The 1980s
by Don Simpson
Fantagraphics Underground
$60.00

The publisher says:
For the first time, every Megaton Man adventure from 1983 to 1990 is collected into one gigantic, muscle-bound tome. The Man of Molecules began as satire but soon became the industry standard. The Megahero of a Million Tons of TNT joins forces with the See-Thru Girl, Yarn Man, and Kozmik Kat to face down Bad Guy, the Cosmic Cue-Ball, and the Partyers from Mars. With unpublished art and roughs, plot outlines, historic photographs, and other relics not seen since the Cold War. With an introduction by Bill Morrison (The Simpsons), a foreword by Chris Ecker (Big Bang Comics), and an afterword by the author. 604pgs B&W paperback.


Do Admit: The Mitford Sisters and Me
by Mimi Pond
Drawn & Quarterly / Jonathan Cape
$29.95 / £25.00

The publisher says:
Mimi Pond crafts a gorgeous, dazzling biography of the Mitford Sisters. Born with pedigrees but without the pocketbooks to match, The Mitfords were certainly no strangers to lies, intrigue, or scandal. Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Jessica, and Deborah. All six sisters were weaned on their family’s well-documented upper class eccentricities: a ne’er do well would-be entrepreneur father; a stern, stiff-upper-lipped mother; a revolving door of governesses of varying propriety, all against the backdrop of a crumbling estate falling into disrepair. The sisters grew from cloistered turn-of-the-century country girls into debutantes who would marry into political influence―for better or worse. Is it any wonder that a young, working class Mimi in Southern California becomes enamoured with The Mitfords’ downright fanciful rich-and-famous lifestyle? This charming, inventively cartooned, and lovingly researched biography captures the dramatic, over-the-top antics of high society’s strongest personalities as they rubbed elbows with some of history’s most infamous fascists and communists. Pond’s genius for classic cartooning in the vein of the Vanity Fair caricature and the satirical illustrations of Charles Addams brings the aesthetic decadence of the 1920s and ‘30s to life with effortless aplomb, warts and all. 444pgs black & blue hardcover.


Drome
by Jesse Lonergan
23rd St.
$29.99

The publisher says:
Jesse Lonergan rewrites the rules of graphic novels with Drome, a visually mind-blowing epic about war, love, and death in a fledgling world. First, there was nothing. Then, humanity was born, and an endless cycle of violence began. From the depths of the ocean, a mighty demigoddess is called forth to rein in humankind’s destructive impulses, and teach a language of peace and harmony. Civilisation quickly takes root, a great city rising from the desert. But the balance between chaos and order is a fragile one, and there are higher powers at work in this strange new world. Creator Jesse Lonergan pushes the boundaries of the comics medium in this visually spectacular epic. In turns pulse-pounding and heart-wrenching, Drome is a creation myth for the modern age. 320pgs colour hardcover.


Free Speech Handbook: A Practical Framework for Understanding our Free Speech Protections
by Ian Rosenberg & Mike Cavallaro
23rd St.
$21.99

The publisher says:
In the face of a rising tide of censorship and suppression, this paperback edition of Free Speech Handbook equips readers with a practical framework for appreciating the history―and future―of our free speech protections. Freedom of speech is perhaps the most American of virtues. In a nation where everyone wants to speak and be heard, this First Amendment right is vital to our identity and our democracy. These rights have been advanced by people who spoke out and fought in our nation’s highest court, with each decision refining and reshaping what exactly “free speech” means. In Free Speech Handbook, Ian Rosenberg and Mike Cavallaro brilliantly trace this turbulent history across ten seminal Supreme Court cases while drawing parallels with more recent controversies. Rosenberg’s straightforward language combines with Cavallaro’s bold and bright art to create an accessible and engaging crash course on the meaning, reach, and limits of our free speech protections. 272pgs colour paperback.


From Cocinas to Lucha Libre Ringsides: A Latinx Comics Anthology
by various, edited by Frederick Luis Aldama & Angela M. Sánchez
Mad Creek Books / Latinographix
$22.95

The publisher says:
In this comics anthology full of humor and heart, writers and artists from across the US pay tribute to the ways food and sports endure as touchstones in the Latin American diaspora. In the vein of Frederick Luis Aldama’s bestselling anthology Tales from la Vida, creators offer slice-of-life comics in an array of styles to capture common threads that bind this dizzyingly diverse community. From a simple quesadilla eaten hot on the way to school, to a Puerto Rican grandmother’s offering of guineitos en escabeche, to a homesick Chicano punk’s reverse-engineered tamales, food is a gift from elders to children, a marker of continuity and togetherness amid a dominant culture that may dismiss its flavors. Sports, too, provide a path to friendship and connection across national and language barriers, anchoring fans and participants in a sense of identity and place, whether through the perseverance of the Mayan game pok ta’ pok, the unifying surge of lucha libre or soccer fandom, or a father and daughter’s shared love of horse racing. Together, the creators collected in From Cocinas to Lucha Libre Ringsides share a mosaic of stories that vividly portray Latinx identity and life today. 224pgs colour paperback.


Hothead Paisan: Homicidal Lesbian Terrorist
by Diane Dimassa
New York Review Comics
$34.95

The publisher says:
Hothead Paisan, a murderous icon of the ’90s lesbian comics scene, comes roaring back into print in this fresh edition (including a new interview and supplemental materials) of one of the funniest, sharpest, and most unexpectedly warm comics of the late twentieth century, still as shocking today as it was more than two decades ago. Hothead Paisan is an icon of the ’90s lesbian DIY scene, a patron saint of those who wonder if going off the deep end is the only sane response to life in modern America. Diane DiMassa’s Hothead starts out in a murderous frenzy—taking out a variety of chauvinists and creeps—but soon deepens into a reflection on oppression, self-destruction, and living it up outside the conservative norms of the ’90s. Hothead’s rage is sometimes tempered with the help of Personality #2, her defensive inner demon; Roz, her friend who offers Zen wisdom and tough love; and Chicken, her cat and constant companion.  At long last, the most thoughtful homicidal maniac is back in print. With an intro by Sarah Schulman. 456pgs B&W paperback.

Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home, says:
“Hothead is the backlash to the backlash.”


The Joy of Snacking: A Graphic Memoir about Food, Love & Family
by Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell
Andrews McMeel
$24.99

The publisher says:
From standup comedian, New Yorker cartoonist and author of Murder Book Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell returns with a riotous and radically candid comic memoir about snacks, connection, and developing a taste for freedom, about being a snacker in a world of foodies. With equal parts humour and unflinching honesty, Hilary traces her life story through food: from her childhood as the ultimate picky eater, her teenage and young adult years of disordered eating, and finally learning to love herself again. Punctuated throughout with ridiculous (but very real! and important!) snack recipes like “a baggie of goldfish” and “burnt toast,” Campbell captures the reality of growing up in a woman’s body in the ‘90s and ‘00s in how it shaped her life in work, friendship, and dating. Especially dating. Aren’t we all seeking love, self-acceptance, and a good snack to get you through it? These hilarious stories of family, romance, and belonging prove that if food can isolate us, it also has the power to connect us to what matters most. 384pgs colour paperback.


Laser Eye Surgery
by Walker Tate
Fantagraphics Underground
$19.99

The publisher says:
“Correct your sight ― See what you’ve been missing.” An unnamed man stumbles upon a flyer directing him to a suspicious medical facility that promises to “fix” his eyesight. After he gets the operation, optical defects begin to emerge, along with a whole new set of concerns. Impressionable and easily alarmed, the man comes to suspect he has received much more than he paid for. Laser Eye Surgery is the first graphic novel by New York cartoonist Walker Tate. Far from an objective (or even accurate) depiction of the popular eyesight-corrective procedure, this is an idiosyncratic and lopsided take on sight, paranoia, and the comics form. As the man’s vision continues to change in unforeseen ways, he plunges down a path of confusion and intrigue, no longer sure what to trust. Scams and cons appear to be everywhere, a cosmic swindle looms just out of view. Are the perceived dangers really present, or merely thought to be, and which is worse? Shifty and withholding, steeped in dread, Laser Eye Surgery is a comically unsettling rumination on perception and its trappings. 96pgs B&W paperback.


Loose Threads: A Picture Book
by Isol, translated by Lawrence Schimel
Enchanted Lion Books
£13.99

The publisher says:
An intrepid girl discovers the value of the tangled, knotty side of life in Loose Threads, a picture book inspired by a Palestinian scarf, from Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award winner Isol, translated from Spanish by Lawrence Schimel. Leilah lives in an idyllic village, where everything has its place. It’s as beautiful and perfect as the scenes in her grandmother’s embroidery. But some believe that just on the flipside of this orderly village lies the Other Side―a messy and wild world, filled with merry inhabitants and strange beasts. Leilah often visits just such a place in her dreams. Leilah is constantly losing things, and when her mom demands an explanation, Leilah decides that her lost possessions must be falling down into the Other Side. And so, she declares that all she has to do to fix things is mend the holes between her world and the Other Side. It’s a genius idea―nothing will ever go missing again! But as Leilah soon learns, some holes don’t need sewing up, and mending can also mean a suffocating shutting out… Inspired by one of her favourite scarves, here Isol spins a tale that celebrates the different worlds that are all part of life’s rich tapestry. 76pgs colour hardcover.


Meat
by Stuart Moore & Matt Howarth
Cosmic Lion Productions
$15.00

The publisher says:
In the not too distant future communication technology has brought us to the cutting edge of technology but have we gone too far that we can’t even recognise ourselves? Are we human or just meat? Meat was originally written in the 1990’s but is jarringly prescient now. Matt Howarth has been active in the field of comics since the mid-1970s. Matt has created numerous comics, all the while continuing his self-publishing and commercial art works. He started his life in the publishing industry when he co-founded Howski Studios in 1969. He contributed to several fanzines until he started self-publishing in 1976, beginning with his graphic novel Afternoon in the Sun. Howarth is influenced both by science fiction authors like Philip K. Dick, and comic artists like Steve Ditko, Bernie Wrightson, Moebius and Philippe Druillet. He also finds much of his inspiration in listening to progressive music. 82pgs colour paperback.


Metal Hurlant Vol. 1: Old Dreams, Young Visions
by various
Humanoids
$29.99

The publisher says:
The Original Graphic Anthology that rocked the world of science fiction and comics is reborn-probing deep into the past, examining the present, and blazing into the future. 50 years after the debut of Metal Hurlant in France, the iconic and genre-defining publication is finally coming to the English language, and in bigger and bolder form than ever before: as a quarterly anthology published by Humanoids. Each volume of Metal Hurlant will feature 272+ pages of a one-of-a-kind, otherworldly, literary experience, expertly curated from archival material from the original ‘70s and ‘80s run, along with top A-list and up-and-coming creators from around the globe. Contributors include: Philippe Druillet, Moebius, Jean-Pierre Dionnet, Caza, Nicole Claveloux, James Stokoe, Matt Fraction and Karla Pacheco. 272pgs colour paperback.

Denis Villeneuve, director of Dune, told NPR about his intro to sci-fi via boxes of Metal Hurlant:
“As a kid it really was an electroshock. I don’t know if my brain melted or exploded… but I’m still haunted by the power of creativity that was in those boxes.”


The Moon Prince
by Keith Fraser Mutch
Fantagraphics
$29.99

The publisher says:
Mistreated for being mixed-race and forced into hard labour at a workhouse in West Hoboken, New Jersey, young Max and Molly are ordinary orphans—or so they think. That is, until a wise old man hears their last name: M’Chawi. Rattled by this realisation, he sends them off on a journey that will uncover the secret behind their mystic lineage and give them purpose and power far from home—on the Moon! There, they encounter the Moon’s fantastic inhabitants: the Sky Pirates and their merciless Queen Melissa; the Groos, blue primates and genius mechanics—literal grease monkeys—and their robot protector, Moma Machina; and a kingdom of singing spiders giant enough to eat a man. Looks can be deceiving, and those who first appear frightening can turn out to be allies, and even friends. Take Prince Grakko, pampered heir-apparent to the Bat-People. The Moon is a land locked in constant battle. Races live in fear and ignorance of one another. To make matters worse, the siblings’ getaway isn’t as clean as they’d hoped, and the Earth Queen’s Grand Inquisitor is hot on their trail. Armed with a bejewelled dagger, pendant, and pure hearts, Max and Molly must unite the denizens of the Moon under a common cause, before humanity’s folly reduces their world to rubble. Equal parts Jules Verne and Bone, The Moon Prince is a star-spanning, page-turning epic for the ages. 448pgs colour paperback.


My Gorilla Family
by Iijima Ichiro, translated by Ryan Holmberg
Living the Line
$19.95

The publisher says:
Have you ever pondered what it would be like to marry a gorilla? Or to have your deepest desires granted by a satanic genie? Have you ever considered sacrificing your children to culinary aliens, separating your soul from your body, or bioengineering a sex beast? If so, My Gorilla Family is for you! Comprising fourteen mind-melting stories from the early 1970s, Iijima Ichiro’s My Gorilla Family offers an intimate, profoundly humanistic—and profoundly disturbing—introduction to one of the most bonkers imaginations in the history of Japanese comics. With an essay by wacko-manga archaeologist Onishi Shohei, My Gorilla Family is the fifth volume of Smudge, a line of vintage horror, occult, and dark fantasy manga curated and translated by award-winning historian Ryan Holmberg. 216pgs B&W paperback.


Out of Alcatraz
by Christopher Cantwell & Tyler Crook
Oni Press
$29.99

The publisher says:
Born from one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the 20th century, Eisner Award–nominated writer Christopher Cantwell (Plastic Man No More, Briar) and Eisner Award–nominated illustrator Tyler Crook (Harrow County, The Lonesome Hunters) present the year’s most taut and breathtaking graphic novel event. Convicts Frank Morris and Clarence Anglin have washed ashore in San Francisco after surviving their infamous escape from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in June 1962. They soon meet their gruff and disappointed handler, a mysterious young woman who’s also running from something, and hope to quickly get their way north to the border-if they can even make it out of Modesto alive. As a dogged federal manhunt and chance encounters threaten the desperate convicts, everyone involved is about to discover the same bloodstained truth: Life on the run is an even more hellish prison than Alcatraz could have ever been… 176pgs colour hardcover.


Partisans: A Graphic History of Anti-Fascist Resistance
by various, edited by Raymond Tyler & Paul Buhle
Between the Lines Books
$25.99

The publisher says:
With eleven brand new comics created by legendary and upcoming writers and comics artists, Partisans flips a new page in the popular understanding of anti-Nazi and anti-fascist resistance. Through vivid illustrations and compelling narratives, Partisans brings to life the struggles and triumphs of those who resisted fascism. Within these pages, readers will encounter stories of resistance from the rugged mountains of the Balkans to the urban landscapes of occupied Europe. This comics collection reminds us that the fight against fascism is far from over and that the courage and sacrifices of those who came before us continue to light the way. Partisans is a must-read for anyone interested in history, social justice, and the transformative power of history and art. Contributors include: Francesca Bannerman, Isabella Bannerman, Luisa Cetti, Gary & Laura Dumm, Sandy Feinberg, David Lasky, David Lester, Summer McClinton, Kevin Pyle, Sharon Rudahl, Trina Robbins, Daniel Selig, Anne Timmons, Seth Tobocman & Raymond Tyler. 148pgs colour paperback.

Peter Kuper, author of ‘Insectopolis: A Natural History’, says:
“Visually stunning and deeply informative, Partisans demonstrates why comics are such a powerful and potent art form. This book brilliantly delivers the histories that will give us the heart to fight current threats to democracy at home and abroad.”


A Quick and Easy Guide to Healthy Relationships
by Mariah-Rose Marie
Oni Press Inc.
$9.99

The publisher says:
It can be difficult to navigate a lifetime’s worth of relationship patterns to clearly see the best ways to treat the folks we care about—and be treated well in return. In A Quick & Easy Guide to Healthy Relationships, Mariah-Rose Marie offers a cheery, articulate, and fun-to-read guide to navigating, recognising, and reenforcing positives patterns in friendships, romances, families, and work connections, all while taking care of your own head and heart in the process. From tips for engaging in difficult conversations, advice on communicating boundaries, and resources for strengthening bonds, this guide can help you make your relationships stronger and healthier than ever. The latest volume of the critically acclaimed, bestselling A Quick & Easy Guide series of educational comics. 96pgs colour paperback.


Shook! Songs of the Dark Sirens
by Alitha Martinez, Micheline Hess, Colleen Douglas and more
Dark Horse / Second Sight Publishing
$24.99

The publishers say:
Eight chilling tales of horror from some of comics most renowned female creators of colour. Following the hit horror anthology Shook! A Black Horror Anthology, in partnership with Second Sight Publishing, Dark Horse Comics is proud to present Shook! Songs of the Dark Sirens. This anthology explores horror from a woman’s perspective, at the intersection of fear and terror, through the lens of the female experiences in horror narratives. This second volume contains eight tales of terror by a cadre of award winning and nominated women creators and artists of colour, including Alitha Martinez, Shakealia “Shake MacAudacious” Finley, Tananarive Due, Micheline Hess, Raeghan Buchanan, and Colleen Douglas. The art of Kimbrea Whaley is showcased on the iconic cover. 160pgs colour paperback.


The Space Cat
by Nnedi Okorafor & Tana Ford
First Second
$22.99 / $14.99

The publisher says:
Invaders from outer space have descended on Nigeria. They have no idea whose home they’re messing with. Ah, yes, the luxurious life of a well-loved cat. It’s the best. And Periwinkle has it the cushiest. But there’s more to this pampered pet than meets the eye. He’s not just a house cat. He’s a space cat. By day, he’s showered with scritches, cuddles, and delicious chicken fillets. By night, he races through the cosmos in his custom-built spaceship. Between epic battles with squeaky toys and working on ways to improve his ship, Periwinkle is never bored. And when his humans decide to leave the United States and move to the small but bustling town of Kaleria, Nigeria, he’s excited to explore his new home―even after he learns that many Nigerians hate cats. After all, a born adventurer like Periwinkle doesn’t shy away from new experiences. But not everything in Kaleria is as it seems. Soon enough, Periwinkle finds himself on his most out-of-this-world adventure yet, right here on Earth. 176pgs colour hardcover / paperback.


Tall Water
by SJ Sindu & Dion MBD
Harper Alley
$26.99 / $18.99

The publishers says:
From Stonewall Honour–winning writer SJ Sindu, author of Shakti, and celebrated illustrator Dion MBD comes a powerful coming-of-age teen graphic novel that follows one girl’s journey to Sri Lanka to reconnect with her long-lost mother during the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. Perfect for fans of Persepolis and Almost American Girl. Ever since she turned sixteen, Nimmi has wanted to see her mother. Though she has a loving but overprotective father and a budding relationship, she yearns to travel to Sri Lanka to confront the mother who refused to leave the island during a war, not even for Nimmi’s sake. Her father is going back for the first time as a reporter on assignment, but he refuses to take her, deeming Sri Lanka too dangerous. But then Nimmi’s mother appears to her in a dream, asking her to come find her, and Nimmi knows she must go. Her father is livid when he sees her at baggage claim, but by then it’s too late, and he reluctantly agrees to help Nimmi make contact with her mother. In Sri Lanka, Nimmi tags along with her father and his guide, past checkpoints and armed soldiers and increasing hints of the war that rages there. However, the day after Christmas, disaster strikes and a tsunami ravages the island. Stranded amid the devastation and destruction, can Nimmi reunite with her mother? Through her journey, Nimmi might just learn that the person she most needed to find was herself. 256pgs colour hardcover / paperback.


Tarot: A Graphic History
by Valentina Grande
Leaping Hare Press
$19.99

The publisher says:
Pamela Colman Smith: artist, occultist, true bohemian. Her illustrations defined the iconography of the classic tarot deck, but she is all too often forgotten. Born in London in 1878, Pamela moved to Jamaica with her parents at the age of eleven and then to New York to study art. She dropped out of college following her mother’s death in 1896, and after her father died in 1899 she found herself back in London, joining the infamous Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a secret society dedicated to the study of occultism. It was there that she met Arthur Edward Waite, with whom she created the classic Rider-Waite Tarot deck that is still in print today. This beautifully illustrated graphic history tells the tale of Pamela’s life and relates it to the iconic cards she helped to create, from the Fool, the beginning of every new adventure, to the Magician, who focusses energy, to the Hanged Man, who helps us see things from a different perspective, until finally we embrace the World and fulfil our destinies. With tarot expertise and a foreword from Lindsay Squire (The Witch of the Forest), this is a unique take on a perennially popular subject. You’ll never look at a tarot deck in the same way again. 128pgs colour hardcover.


This Place Kills Me
by Mariko Tamaki & Nicole Goux
Abrams Fanfare
$26.99 / $19.99

The publisher says:
A compelling, propulsive YA graphic novel mystery from acclaimed Eisner Award–winning author of Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, Mariko Tamaki, and Eisner-nominated illustrator Nicole Goux. At Wilberton Academy, few students are more revered than the members of the elite Wilberton Theatrical Society—a.k.a. the WTS—and no one represents that exclusive club better than Elizabeth Woodward. Breathtakingly beautiful, beloved by all, and a talented thespian, it’s no surprise she’s starring as Juliet in the WTS’s performance of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. But when she’s found dead the morning after opening night, the whole school is thrown into chaos. Transfer student Abby Kita was one of the last people to see Elizabeth alive, and when local authorities deem the it-girl’s death a suicide, Abby’s not convinced. She’s sure there’s more to Wilburton and the WTS than meets the eye. As she gets tangled in prep school intrigues, Abby quickly realises that Elizabeth was keeping secrets. Was one of those secrets worth killing for? Told in comics, letters, diary entries, and news articles, This Place Kills Me is a page-turning whodunnit from award-winning writer Mariko Tamaki and acclaimed illustrator Nicole Goux that will have readers on the edge of their seats and begging for an encore. 272pgs colour hardcover / paperback.


Tripping Over You Vol. 1 (of 3)
by Suzana Harcum & Owena White
First Second
$25.99 / $17.99

The publisher says:
The first volume of a young adult graphic novel series about the long and winding romantic relationship between an energetic theatre kid, Milo, and his withdrawn classmate, Liam, perfect for fans of Heartstopper. The infamous theatre kid Milo and wallflower Liam are unlikely friends connected by a mutual feeling of being misfits in their boarding school. As their friendship and bond develops, unspoken romantic feelings start to bubble up and complicate everything―misunderstandings and bruised eyes aplenty. But with their graduation soon approaching, Milo gathers the strength to finally confess. They begin dating in secret (for fear of Liam’s strict father finding out), but their relationship becomes more difficult to hide over time and they must decide if they are ready for what the future has in store for them. Tripping Over You is perfect for readers who want more than just the moody teen problems and the ‘getting together’ stage. It’s a story that throughout the three volumes, progresses until they are out of college, showing the relationship mature and change as the characters move through different stages of their lives. 240pgs colour hardcover / paperback.


Trumpets of Death
by Simon Bournel-Bosson, translated by Edward Gauvin
Lerner Books / Graphic Universe
$31.99 / $17.99

The publisher says:
One rainy night, Antoine gets dropped off at his grandparents’ remote house in the middle of the woods. He’s stuck between a doting grandmother and a grandfather openly hostile to his presence, and time crawls by while he waits to hear from his parents. When Antoine ventures out with his grandfather to forage for mushrooms, intergenerational conflict and mysterious forces of nature culminate in a fearsome hunt through the forest that will resolve their differences once and for all. Simon Bournel-Bosson is a graphic designer and comic artist based in France. After earning a higher diploma in Applied Arts at La Martinière in Lyon, began working in graphic design and art. Together with Maxime Gueugneau, he co-wrote two illustrated reports, En Diagonale in 2017 and Azur in 2021, for Kiblind editions. The Trumpets of Death is his first graphic novel. 240pgs colour hardcover / paperback.


The Weight
by Melissa Mendes
Drawn & Quarterly
$29.95

The publisher says:
A relative’s depression-era diary inspires a young woman’s journey to adulthood. Edie comes into the world calmly as the adults around her rage. Her father is a cruel man who beats her mother regularly and much of Edie’s young life is spent trying to escape this tyrant. “Why doesn’t she ever cry?...Gives me the creeps.” Of course, being a child means she lives a child’s life―she still has laughter-filled sleepovers and outdoor adventures with the local rat pack of kids still too young to work. But Edie’s heart grows callous as her father becomes drunker and angrier. Melissa Mendes’ pastoral cartooning captures the openness of rural America―soft breezes, tall grass, whirring grasshoppers, rainstorms, skinned knees. But all the while, the cruelty, the disappointment of man lurks behind the barn and in the trailer. Life can be stubbed out as easily as a cigarette tossed in the dirt. One moment all focus, next, gone without a thought. Will Edie find herself repeating a cycle or will she be free like she felt as a child? 580pgs B&W paperback.

Posted: May 25, 2025

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My Books

1001 Comics  You Must Read Before You Die edited by Paul Gravett


Comics Art by Paul Gravett from Tate Publishing

Comics Unmasked by Paul Gravett and John Harris Dunning from The British Library