Categories
The Stack

These Comics Are a Knockout

Congrats on almost making it through another week, nerd friends! I know that weekday stress can make you want to beat something up, so I’ve got some Riot Rec suggestions that will hopefully provide a little catharsis.

Want to make your book club the best club? Sign up for our In the Club newsletter. In the Club will deliver recommendations for the best books to discuss in your book clubs. From buzzy new releases to brilliant throwbacks, the books highlighted in this newsletter will drive your book club discussions. We’ll also share some book club-friendly recipes and interesting bookish updates from all over. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations, plus community features. In other words, we’ll keep you well-met, well-read, and well-fed. Sign up today!

Bookish Goods

A square coaster featuring one and a half comic book panels of Superman brooding in space

Comic Book Coaster Set by TheWoodenPug

What a fun way to keep your tables stain-free! How noble of our heroes to protect your furniture. $25

New Releases

Grace Rosa Vol 1 cover

Grace Rosa Volume One by Himuro

Grace Rosa owes everything to her adoptive father. Not only did he take her in, he also trained her to be the best assassin in the business — and now he is missing. Fortunately for Grace Rosa, and unfortunately for the people who took her father, she has all of the training and tools she needs to find him and exact vengeance!

Evil Eyes Sea cover

Evil Eyes Sea by Özge Samanci

Ece and Meltem are university students in Turkey in the mid-1990s, a time of looming (and frightening) political upheaval. They go in search of sunken treasure in hopes of solving their financial problems, but instead, they find themselves entangled in a dangerous web of everything going wrong with their country.

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

Riot Recommendations

Today’s Riot Rec theme is: boxing! Get into the ring — or at least into your favorite chair — with these sweet comics about the sweet science.

Last on His Feet cover

Last on His Feet by Adrian Matejka and Youssef Daoudi

The year is 1910, and Jack Johnson, a boxer famous for both his race and his extravagant lifestyle, is about to defeat Jim Jeffries, a beloved white boxer, in the ring. This fight, considered among the most important in boxing history, is the subject of this graphic novel, illustrated in black, white, and, of course, red.

Creed cover

Creed by LaToya Morgan, Jai Jamison, and Wilton Santos

Amara Creed has a lot to live up to. Her father and grandfather were legendary boxers. Now it’s her turn to step up and make her mark, but how can she do that when she so easily outmatches everyone in the ring? Amara’s solution is to enter the world of underground boxing — a world she might not be as prepared for as she thinks she is.

Now get out there and punch Thursday in the face!

~Eileen

Categories
The Stack

How About Some Horror Comics?

Okay, so it’s a little too warm to be hiding under the covers, but that chill up your spine is sure to be welcome as the weather gears up for another season of warmth and sunshine!

Want to make your book club the best club? Sign up for our In the Club newsletter. In the Club will deliver recommendations for the best books to discuss in your book clubs. From buzzy new releases to brilliant throwbacks, the books highlighted in this newsletter will drive your book club discussions. We’ll also share some book club-friendly recipes and interesting bookish updates from all over. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations, plus community features. In other words, we’ll keep you well-met, well-read, and well-fed. Sign up today!

Bookish Goods

A bracelet made of black and white beads with two spiral charms

Uzumaki Junji Ito Inspired Bracelet by PrettyPossumTreasure

This lovely accessory evokes the unnerving imagery and black-and-white art that make Ito’s work so memorable. $12

New Releases

Next Stop cover

Next Stop by Debbie Fong

After her brother’s death and her family’s move to a new town, Pia is really struggling. She puts all of her hopes on a road trip that ends at a special lake that supposedly has mystic powers. Maybe the lake can solve Pia’s problems…or maybe the trip itself, and the friend she travels with, hold the true answers.

Curie Society Eris Eternal cover

The Curie Society: Eris Eternal by Heather Einhorn, Adam Staffaroni, Anne Toole, and Sonia Liao

Picking up where The Curie Society left off, Eris Eternal follows a group of young female science geeks as they travel to France to find out who has poisoned a brilliant scientist. Can they stop the culprit and make science more accessible for everyone?

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

Riot Recommendations

Today’s Riot Rec theme is: horror! Why wait for October when you can read these terrifying comics right now?

Specs cover

Specs by David M. Booher and Chris Shehan

This one is for all the kids who ever read a comic and were tempted by the ads for ridiculous, cheap gimmicks. When bullied loners Ted and Kenny find a pair of x-ray specs that contain real magic, they are, of course, excited — and quickly tempted to use their newfound power in all the wrong ways.

Two Graves Vol 1 cover

Two Graves Volume One by Genevieve Valentine, Annie Wu, and Ming Doyle

Death is supposed to escort souls from the land of the living to the realm of the dead. And yet, when it comes to Emilia’s soul, he can’t seem to let her go. And so the two embark on a treacherous road trip that will have momentous consequences for everyone involved.

A white Havanese looks into the camera, her front paws balanced on the frame of an unmade bed

Look, here is my dog Poppy to protect you from all the scary horror comics! Assuming she doesn’t run to hide behind my legs instead…

~Eileen

Categories
The Stack

Breaking Up is Hard to Read About

Well, it’s about time Thursday got here — I’ve been waiting all week! Here is all you need to know about the world of comics as we head into the weekend.

Want to make your book club the best club? Sign up for our In the Club newsletter. In the Club will deliver recommendations for the best books to discuss in your book clubs. From buzzy new releases to brilliant throwbacks, the books highlighted in this newsletter will drive your book club discussions. We’ll also share some book club-friendly recipes and interesting bookish updates from all over. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations, plus community features. In other words, we’ll keep you well-met, well-read, and well-fed. Sign up today!

Bookish Goods

An image of two iPads. One shows an image of the cover to My Manga Journal, featuring a cartoon girl lying back exhausted with a remote control beside her. The other shows an image of the manga library, complete with cover images, tabs, and star ratings.

Digital Manga Reading Journal by BetysDigitalWorld

Do you read too many manga to keep track of? Understandable! Download this digital library to mark when you read each book and what you thought of it. $5

New Releases

Silver Vessels cover

Silver Vessels by Steve Orlando and Katia Vecchio

In school, Joshua learned about a sunken treasure off the Florida Keys. Now it’s summer vacation, and he is determined to find that treasure! Dragging a couple of friends along, Joshua follows a series of clues that may lead him to more than just a long-lost Spanish galleon…

Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. Vol 1 cover

Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. Volume One by Sekka Iwata and Yu Aoki

Like so many young people, Kana is struggling to find a job despite her impeccable résumé. Having a monster disrupt a job interview is just the icing on the cake — or maybe it represents a new opportunity? The anime version of Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. is scheduled to debut later this year, so start reading now!

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

Riot Recommendations

Today’s Riot Rec theme is: breaking up! If you date, odds are you have either been through a break-up or will go through one at some point. Here are a couple of comics that might help.

Static Up All Night cover

Static: Up All Night by Lamar Giles and Paris Alleyne

Virgil Hawkins, AKA Static, is still in love with his ex-girlfriend, but Daisy couldn’t handle dating a superhero and ended the relationship. Now, Virgil’s friends are doing what they can to distract and comfort him, but only Virgil can make the grown-up decision to move on with his life.

Hidden Heartbreak cover

Hidden Heartbreak by Emma Lee

Relationships are filled with ups and downs. Lee’s ill-fated romance started well enough, only to descend into profound unhappiness. In this comic, she chronicles both the high and low points of her relationship — points that might seem familiar to you, too.

All right, folks, that does it for another Thursday edition of the Stack. Both it and the last week of March will be here very soon!

~Eileen

Categories
The Stack

Plant Yourself Right There and Get Reading

Well, nerd friends, you survived the winter and made it to spring! (At least, if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere.) Got any plans yet? Maybe you’ve got a big spring break holiday bash coming up, or maybe you just want to scroll down and find some new comics to read during the warm days ahead. Either way, totally fair!

Want to make your book club the best club? Sign up for our In the Club newsletter. In the Club will deliver recommendations for the best books to discuss in your book clubs. From buzzy new releases to brilliant throwbacks, the books highlighted in this newsletter will drive your book club discussions. We’ll also share some book club-friendly recipes and interesting bookish updates from all over. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations, plus community features. In other words, we’ll keep you well-met, well-read, and well-fed. Sign up today!

Bookish Goods

A black t-shirt with a white printed image of two cardboard boxes, one labeled "comics," stacked on top of each other. Below the image, white text reads "I have issues."

I Have Issues T-Shirt by IceCreamTees

Tell the world about your issues with this punny T-shirt! Comes in multiple sizes and over a dozen colors. (Basic black-and-white works for me, though!) $22+

New Releases

Yakuza Lover Vol 12 cover

Yakuza Lover Volume Twelve by Nozomi Mino

In this series finale, the love affair between Yuri, a college student, and Oya, a yakuza boss, faces one last hurdle: Oya’s mother, who insists that her son marry someone more suited to his station. Can love truly conquer all for this mismatched pair, or is it impossible for them to carve out a place for themselves?

Replay cover

Replay: Memoir of an Uprooted Family by Jordan Mechner

Mechner, a video game designer in a crumbling marriage, considers moving to another country. Nearly 80 years before, his father fled the Nazis as a child. And 24 years before that, Mechner’s grandfather joined the army and fought in World War I. Each generation, forced to move for different reasons, is bound by the universal desire for a better life.

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

Riot Recommendations

Today’s Riot Rec theme is: plants! Much like WALL-E, these comics are obsessed with plants.

LaGuardia cover

LaGuardia by Nnedi Okorafor and Tana Ford with James Devlin

Future’s life was already changing — she is expecting a child — when she makes yet another monumental decision: to smuggle an alien plant into the United States. As she and the plant, named Letme Live, fight for a better world for all, they will have to learn to trust each other with their deepest secrets.

Taproot cover

Taproot by Keezy Young

Hamal’s garden is a place of solace for both him and Blue, a lonely ghost. Their romance is a high point of Blue’s afterlife, but he can never forget that he is still dead…or that Hamal’s ability to talk to ghosts might come at a price too high for Blue to accept. Will Blue have to leave the garden and the man that he loves to save them both?

Let’s head into the rest of the week with a spring in our step!

~Eileen

Categories
The Stack

See These Comics Live and in Person

I love listening to music while I work, do you? But I can only concentrate if it’s instrumental music, like the Ghibli compilation I’m listening to right now. Lyrics distract me, and we wouldn’t want anything getting in the way of today’s newsletter, now would we?

Want to make your book club the best club? Sign up for our In the Club newsletter. In the Club will deliver recommendations for the best books to discuss in your book clubs. From buzzy new releases to brilliant throwbacks, the books highlighted in this newsletter will drive your book club discussions. We’ll also share some book club-friendly recipes and interesting bookish updates from all over. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations, plus community features. In other words, we’ll keep you well-met, well-read, and well-fed. Sign up today!

Bookish Goods

An open pocketknife with a black handle featuring a red, Spider-Man-inspired spider dangling from a web

Personalized Spider-Man Pocket Knife by PersonalizedNYC

The coolest way to make like a Boy Scout and be prepared. Needless to say, keep this out of the hands of the littlest Spider-Man fans! $67

New Releases

Monster Crush cover

Monster Crush by Erin Ellie Franey

It’s immediately clear to Ruby that Ella is not like other girls. In fact, she might not be entirely a girl — or even human — at all. That’s fine with Ruby, but there are others who want to hunt down Ella for nefarious purposes of their own. Can these two teens fight back and find out where they belong?

Tengen Hero Wars Vol 1 cover

“Tengen” Hero Wars Volume One by Yasu Hiromoto and Kubaru Sakanoichi

When Oda and his sister get transported to another realm, they end up living many a history lover’s dream: watching the greatest warriors of all time fight to see who is the greatest of them all! Who wouldn’t want a front-row seat in a tournament like that?

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

Riot Recommendations

Today’s Riot Rec theme is: bands! Most people have probably dreamed of performing onstage at least once in their lives. Here are some characters who really went for it!

Bocchi the Rock Vol 1 cover

Bocchi the Rock! Volume One by Aki Hamazi

Hitori might be the most talented guitarist in her whole high school — but nobody knows it, because she practices in her closet and doesn’t like to talk to anybody! Will performing on stage give her the push she needs, or will it send her running back to her room for good?

A Gift for a Ghost cover

A Gift for a Ghost by Borja Gonzalez

Teen friends Laura, Cristina, and Gloria want to start a punk band. There are just two problems. One, they have no talent whatsoever. Two, their attempts at musical stardom awaken something from the past and compel them to examine the life of an unconventional girl who tried to pursue her own dream over a century and a half ago.

As usual, I will be back on Tuesday. Until then, rock on, nerd friends!

~Eileen

Categories
The Stack

Comics About Religion

First and foremost, let me extend my condolences to the Dragon Ball fans over the unexpected passing of Akira Toriyama. It’s always tough losing someone who brought so much joy into your life, even if you never met them. I hope you are able to find comfort in your fellow fans and in the wonderful works that Toriyama left behind for the world to enjoy.

Bookish Goods

A set of six orange dice with red stars, inspired by Dragon Ball

Dragonball Style Dice (Acrylic Version) by DixonDiceDesign

No matter what your game of choice is, it’s sure to be way more interesting when you play with these Dragon Ball-inspired dice! $25

New Releases

Rainbow! Vol 1 cover

Rainbow! Volume One by Sunny and Gloomy

Boo has a very active imagination. In fact, she often prefers Fantasy Boo to Real-Life Boo — until she befriends Mimi, an extremely real girl whom Boo has an extremely real crush on. But in order to win the girl of her dreams, Boo will have to leave her dream self behind and embrace who she really is!

Setting Sun cover

The Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai, Adapted by Cocco Kashiwaya

Kazuko’s family was once rich and respected. After World War II leaves them destitute, she does what she can to earn a living, support her troubled family, and move past a failed marriage. When the opportunity for happiness arrives, will she give up her morals to pursue it? And what does morality mean in such a changed world?

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

Riot Recommendations

Today’s Riot Rec theme is: religion! With Ramadan, Purim, and Easter all happening this month, now is a good time to look at some comics with religious themes.

As the Crow Flies by Melanie Gillman cover

As the Crow Flies by Melanie Gillman

Charlie has always believed in God. But now, stuck at a Christian youth camp that views her Blackness and her queerness as undesirable, Charlie has doubts. She befriends Sydney, a trans girl and the only other person who can help her through the summer…and who Charlie must help in return.

49 Days cover

49 Days by Agnes Lee

It is a Buddhist belief that a dead person has to travel 49 days after their passing before they are allowed into the afterlife. When Kit dies, she finds herself undergoing that all-important trek, while the loved ones she left behind embark on their own journey towards acceptance and healing.

Whatever you do or don’t believe, good for you! As long as we can agree to respect each other and that comics are awesome, it’s all cool.

~Eileen

Categories
The Stack

Happy (Early) International Women’s Day!

It’s coming up this Friday, nerd friends! And you can bet that we’ll be looking at some neat comics by and about women in today’s newsletter!

Want to make your book club the best club? Sign up for our In the Club newsletter. In the Club will deliver recommendations for the best books to discuss in your book clubs. From buzzy new releases to brilliant throwbacks, the books highlighted in this newsletter will drive your book club discussions. We’ll also share some book club-friendly recipes and interesting bookish updates from all over. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations, plus community features. In other words, we’ll keep you well-met, well-read, and well-fed. Sign up today!

Bookish Goods

An irregularly shaped "rock" of epoxy resin, lit from the bottom, featuring characters from My Neighbor Totoro sitting on a branch inside of it

Totoro Resin Lamp by ResinLampMadebyRV

Look how pretty this is! What a cute and nostalgic way to fill your room with gentle light. $99

New Releases

Army of One Vol 1 cover

Army of One Volume One by Tony Lee and Yishan Li

Carrie Taylor is more than what she seems: she is a fragment of Sister Fortune, a sorcerer who was destroyed in battle by Brother Havoc centuries ago. But as Carrie travels the multiverse looking for her other selves to put Sister Fortune back together, she begins to wonder if the story about her origins is true after all.

Third Shift Society cover

Third Shift Society Volume One by Meredith Moriarty

The acclaimed webtoon is now available in book format! Ellie’s life has gone from bad to just plain weird: formerly jobless and penniless, she now works for a detective with a pumpkin for a head who has her chasing down monsters and developing her heretofore unknown psychic powers! What does this career change have in store for Ellie?

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

Riot Recommendations

Today’s Riot Rec theme is: feminism! Since it’s Women’s History Month, this seemed like the most appropriate topic.

I Kill Giants cover

I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly and Ken Niimura

If a fifth-grade girl came up to you and said that she used a giant hammer to slay giants, would you believe her? Barbara believes that the world is full of monsters that only she can see, but all her peers and teachers see is a rebellious loner. What is the truth — and what will Barbara do about it?

Bitch Planet Vol 1 cover

Bitch Planet Volume One by Kelly Sue Deconnick and Valentine De Landro

Are you a woman with thoughts and ambitions of your own? Then you’re about to be exiled to Bitch Planet, where all such unruly females are contained for the good of the patriarchy. The only question is, will the prisoners work together to improve their lot in life, or will they let personal grudges and squabbles make things even worse?

And now that I’ve got your attention, I will remind my fellow U.S. residents to set your clocks ahead by one hour this weekend. Yes, it stinks, but you don’t want to be behind everyone else come Monday!

~Eileen

Categories
The Stack

The Power of Positive Comics

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

Want to make your book club the best club? Sign up for our In the Club newsletter. In the Club will deliver recommendations for the best books to discuss in your book clubs. From buzzy new releases to brilliant throwbacks, the books highlighted in this newsletter will drive your book club discussions. We’ll also share some book club-friendly recipes and interesting bookish updates from all over. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations, plus community features. In other words, we’ll keep you well-met, well-read, and well-fed. Sign up today!

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

Baker and the Bard cover

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 Vol 1 cover

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 cover

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 cover

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

Categories
The Stack

Farewell to Black History Month

Are you ready for March, nerd friends?! It’s coming up fast! Why not slow down with one of these comics for a while?

2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Sign up today!

Bookish Goods

A collection of colorful stickers, each with a different onomatopoeia, such as "pow," "wham" and "smack."

50 Comic Superhero Emote Stickers by LeftoverBagels

Make everything you own more exciting with this colorful sticker collection! $5

New Releases

Cat + Gamer Vol 4 cover

Cat + Gamer Volume Four by Wataru Nadatani

Riko Kozakura only ever had one obsession: video games. Then, after she adopted a cat, Musubi, she learned to open her world to others (or at least, one other). How will she — and Musubi — react when she brings a second precious kitty into their happy household?

The Cold Ever After cover

The Cold Ever After by Jeremy Whitley and Megan Huang

When Noelani was young, she rescued a princess and remained faithful to her in body and spirit, even as that princess married for duty, became a queen, and bore a daughter. Now, years after their disastrous falling out, the queen returns with desperate news: her daughter is missing, and she needs Noelani’s help to get her back. In this dark fantasy, true love prevails…but not in the way you think.

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

Riot Recommendations

Today’s Riot Rec theme is: civil rights II. I did this theme last February, and I think it’s a good way to close out Black History Month this February also.

Mamie Phipps Clark Champion for Children cover

Mamie Phipps Clark, Champion for Children by Lynnette Mawhinney and Neil Evans

You might have heard about the famous “doll study,” where Black children expressed a preference for white dolls over Black ones because they thought the white ones were nicer or prettier. That study was done by Mamie Phipps Clark and her husband — and it’s just one accomplishment among many in her long, trailblazing career.

The Life of Frederick Douglass cover

The Life of Frederick Douglass by David F. Walker and Damon Smyth

Douglass’s autobiography helped bring national attention to the horrors of slavery and the necessity of abolition. This graphic novel reviews the life of this iconic and influential writer, speaker, and activist who risked his life to escape enslavement, help others find freedom, and fight to end race-based discrimination.

Black History Month may be over, but that doesn’t mean you should stop learning or caring about the history of civil rights. Every month is a good month to read up on your country’s history so you can figure out ways to improve it.

~Eileen

Categories
The Stack

¿Cómo se dice ‘comics’ en Español?

Turns out the answer is “los cómics.” Boy, this language-learning stuff sure is easy!

2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Sign up today!

Bookish Goods

A black tote bag with the word WHAM printed across the side in red letters outlined in yellow

Wham Comic Book Sound Tote Bag by BrightFutureHeirloom

“WHAM” might also be the sound this bag will make when you belt anyone foolish enough to try to steal it from you — but let’s hope you don’t have to find out. $27+

New Releases

Beorn the Littlest Viking Saga cover

Bëorn: The Littlest Viking Saga by Ben Bender

Bëorn wants what any Viking would want: adventure on the high seas and the chance to hoard lots of treasure! The only difference is that he’s a lot smaller than most Vikings. Still, when he learns about a magical island, he won’t let anything stop him on his quest for fame and fortune!

Jean Grey Flames of Fear cover

Jean Grey: Flames of Fear by Louise Simonson and Bernard Chang

Jean Grey is one of the most powerful heroes in the universe — and one of the most troubled. As both a founding member of the X-Men and a harbinger of destruction, she knows it is her duty to save others, but first, she will have to reexamine pivotal events from her own past…and challenge her own memories of them as well.

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

Riot Recommendations

Today’s Riot Rec theme is: translations! Thanks to the mystical art of translating, you can enjoy these comics from other countries in English.

Us cover

Us by Sara Soler, Translated by Silvia Perea Labayen

In this graphic memoir, Sara tells the story of her romance with her partner, Diana, a trans woman. When Diana came out, it made both women realize that they were not who they’d always thought they were — but that they still loved each other very much. It’s a fun, lovable look at one queer couple’s journey to self-acceptance.

Okinawa cover

Okinawa by Susumu Higa, Translated by Jocelyne Allen

This manga covers the long, tragic history of Okinawa’s occupation, which continues to this day as the U.S. military maintains bases there against the islanders’ wishes. It was written and illustrated by a native Okinawan whose love and respect for the island’s traditions shine through in even the most painful panels.

There are a lot of downsides to the internet, but isn’t it great that the internet makes it so easy to find and access stories like these from all over the world? I think that’s pretty neat!

~Eileen