The Power of Positive Comics

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Hey, nerd friends! I’m going to start March by making his newsletter as upbeat as possible, so get ready for some inspiring titles!

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Bookish Goods

A poster featuring a head shot of Chris Reeve's Superman rendered like stained glass. At the bottom, it reads "HOPE: Someone or something that may be able to provide help; someone or something that gives you a reason for hoping"

Hope 12″x18″ Motivational Art Print in Stained Glass Style Featuring Superman. by BeistelArtStore

This is one in a series of motivational (or, in the one featuring Deadpool, slightly less motivational) posters based on comic book characters! $16

New Releases

The Baker and the Bard by Fern Haught

Hadley is a musician always on the lookout for inspirational adventures to fuel their craft. Their friend (or more?) Juniper is a baker’s apprentice always willing to go the extra mile, even if it means foraging for rare mushrooms. When their ambitions lead them to a mystery in need of solving, will they be up to the challenge?

Ranger Academy Volume One by Maria Ingrande Mora and Jo Mi-Gyeong

When Sage gets the unexpected chance to join the Power Rangers, she, of course, can’t get on board fast enough! But with an existential threat to Ranger Academy looming, Sage must quickly learn to overcome her instinctive distrust of everyone (herself included) to save the day.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

Today’s Riot Rec theme is: optimism! It seems like there’s less and less reason to stay positive some days, but here are two comics that argue in favor of a sunnier outlook.

Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder

Losing your mother at any age is terrible, but Tyler lost hers while barely an adult. Though understandably devastated, she manages to keep on living by making room to acknowledge her grief while still allowing herself to feel the joy of new experiences.

Those Who Helped Us by Ken Mochizuki and Kiku Hughes

Multiple comics have been written about the horrific treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II. This one, with a blend of fact and fiction and a minimalist art style, highlights the non-Japanese who remained kind, helpful, and supportive in the face of widespread, normalized prejudice.

A white Havanese with her ears pulled so far back you can't see them looks up at the camera with an expression resembling an open-mouthed smile. Her front paws are on a chair and one of them looks like it's reaching for you.

Look how happy Poppy is in this picture! It’s hard to stay pessimistic for long when such unbridled joy still exists in the world.

~Eileen