MICHIGANDERS UNITE! Have you tried explaining the U.P. to people from other states? They think it's a myth, it's very frustrating

It was SO GOOD, and so much more interesting and mind-blowing than I expected it to be. Also great motivation for nonfiction comics

#331 was Do Admit: The Mitford Sisters and Me

A biography of six sisters who shaped the 1930’s-through World War II, featuring ties to HItler, Churchill, Kennedy and more. This is the new comic I’ll read whenever I feel low on inspiration.

#330 was Creaky Acres

I have been WAITING for a horse YA graphic novel and Creaky Acres DELIVERED. Nora’s family moves, forcing her to move her best friend (and horse) Hay Fever from a fancy stable to rundown Creaky Acres, full of strange kids and a passel of possums.

#329 was Fate's Bane.

Two women from warring clans fall in love when one becomes the ward to the other’s father. A hidden spring grants them abilities to work curses. Will their love unite families or tear their world apart?
I wanted to like this one but for some reason it didn’t click for me.

#328 was Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

This was my FIRST EVER Sanderson! My mom gave me this in a book swap and I’m going to be honest, that obligation got me through the first few chapters, but I rather enjoyed it!

#326-327 was Check, Please #1-2.

I’m all caught up on new Ukazu content and had to return to what made me fall for her work in the first place. It’s also what made me fall for the sport of hockey in the first place, and since it ‘tis the season, this was the perfect read!

#325 was Dream On

Cassie’s parents don’t listen to her and her best friend is leaving her for the school bully, but maybe winning a sweepstake prize will change all that.

#324 was What the Woods Took

An experimental therapy program sees five teens hiking through the woods, until their counselors disappear and something worse than mandated therapy starts haunting them from the shadows of the trees.

I have hyperfixation and access to WAY too many audiobook apps!

#323 was Flip

This is not a love story, but a self love story, and I like that Ukazu used the body-swap trope to get a character to better understand herself moreso than another person.

#322 was Chasing Sunshine.

This comic was so good that I had to break down it's greatness into sections that became an essay on goodreads, but before that (and most importantly): the dog lives and everyone is gay.

IT'S SO GOOD I'M MAD ABOUT IT.

This book deals with mental issues so lovingly, with a horror story that switches to a found family story so fast that it'll replace the shivers down your spine with tears. 10/10 recommend.

Thirdly, the lettering. If Young doesn't get an Eisner nomination I will be BEREFT. Each character has their own font style, voices in Alex’s head chorus across wallpapers and out of paintings and through windows, it's the most impressive lettering I've seen all year.

Second, the art. This comic is a MOOD. These pages would be kickass on their own in black and white but the colors give it a leery haunted vibe. Bright saturated reds and yellows mark scenes where Alex feels happy and safe, then dull & darken into blues & ochres as his mood and mental state change

All of this would be impressive enough, but it's also quite literally scary in multiple ways. Fear and jump scares can be difficult in a graphic format but this book will have me double checking shadows for weeks.

First is narrative: Young takes horror tropes, a genre that is often damaging to those with mental illnesses, and repurposes them into a story that's as horrifying as it is healing. There are moments of violence, but they aren't used as plot points or to make characters seem volatile.

#321 was The Maiden and Her Monster

Malka lives in a forest plagued by monsters, where the Ozmini Church collects tithes while persecuting her village for their religious beliefs. She reluctantly partners with a golem in order to save her family and learn outlawed magics.