December 23, 2018

Favorite Comic Books of 2018



Written and illustrated by Vera Brosgol

In this comedic graphic memoir, Vera delves into her childhood experience at a Russian summer camp. All very has ever wanted is to fit in, which isn't easy for a Russian girl in the suburbs. So when she hears about a Russian camp, she jumps at the opportunity to go. Only, it seems that she has a tough time fitting in there, too, with all the girly drama, lack of running water, and involuntary extended stay. And it certainly doesn't help that her brother is having the time of his life...



Check, Please!: # Hockey
Written and illustrated by Ngozi Ukazu

Eric Bittle is a vlogger, former figure skating champion, and he loves to bake, but being a freshman on his university's hockey team is a whole new ballgame for him. As a Georgia native with a relatively sheltered upbringing, he has to balance quite a few new challenges, like coming out to his teammates and learning how to literally roll with the punches––hockey is a contact sport after all! Eric shows determination to stay true to himself and still pursue his many (many!) passions. This book started as a webcomic, so this is book one of two!



Fake Blood
Written and illustrated by Whitney Gardner

At the start of a new school year AJ is finally ready to be cool: everyone around him is changing and it’s time he caught up! And when he’s partnered with his crush––a girl named Nia who is obsessed with vampires––he knows it has to be fate that this is going to be a good year. But things get a little weird when their teacher starts acting odd and, of course, there’s that whole thing about AJ pretending to be a vampire and Nia being an actual slayer… SO many great references to the Twilight Series and Buffy the Vampire Slayer!



Hey, Kiddo
Written by and illustrated by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

In his memoir, Jarrett opens up about his childhood and living with his grandparents while his mom, an addict, attempts to recover and his father, whom he's never met, remains unheard from. Jarrett does everything he can to make his non-normal life seem normal, and as he grows and learns more about who he is and where he comes from, he finds himself falling madly in love with art as a way to express himself. Luckily his two loud, loving, and opinionated grandparents will do anything they can to make sure a young Jarrett never stops pursuing his dream of creating comics.



On a Sunbeam 
Written and illustrated by Tillie Walden 

A weaving together of two separate timelines, On a Sunbeam shows readers that love has no boundaries and second chances are everything. In one timeline we see two girls meeting and falling in love, only to be separated shortly after. In the other, we see an older version of one of those girls traveling through space to rebuild fallen structures––and her own past. Without giving too much away, we see characters show determination in every situation to help the ones they love and keep each other safe.



Peter & Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths
Written and illustrated by Graham Annable


In this early reader (which happens to be the first in a fun new series), we meet Peter and Ernesto, two sloths who could not be more different from each other. Peter is a homebody who feels no need to ever leave their tree, but when Ernesto gets the urge to go on an adventure, the two friends find themselves separated from each other for the first time. Each learns just how much they would do for the other and how adventuring can be super fun, especially when you have a home and friends to return to at the end.



Written and illustrated by Jen Wang

I did a pretty in-depth review of this book a little while ago, which you can find here. Prince Sebastian's family is on the hunt to find him a wife, but Prince Sebastian has his hands full, what with keeping his secret from everyone he knows. When his new dressmaker Frances finds out his secret, though, the two become fast friends and go out on the town together, certain that life couldn't get any better. But Sebastian and his alter ego Lady Crystallia are in for a rude awakening because a secret that big is bound to get out fast.



Written by Kit Steinkellner, created by Sebastian Kadlecik, and illustrated by Emma Steinkellner

Lupe is your average teen who's on the verge of celebrating her quinceaƱera. But when her quince finally arrives, something changes. Something huge. She suddenly has superpowers! But the powers only last as long as she’s fifteen, so she has one year to harness the powers for good and help save the people around her. It certainly forces her to focus on the present, especially when a bad guy at her school suddenly starts making threats.



Written by Wilfrid Lupano and illustrated by Gregory Panaccione

A completely wordless story about love and faith. Every morning a man heads out to sea, leaving his doting wife behind to fish. When he doesn’t come home one day, his wife sets out on a journey to find him, convinced her husband is still alive. Separately he two embark on entire journeys to find each other and once again reunite.



Written and illustrated by Emily Tetri

Tiger has a monster living under her bed, but not the kind you’d think. Tiger’s monster helps fight off nightmares, and the two of them are best friends. But one night a nightmare arrives that even the monster is scared of, so it’s up to Tiger and her monster to fight off the nightmare together. Both characters find themselves taking on new challenges together to fight off evil.




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