A lot of life has happened since my last post. I got a second roommate who came with a dog. I’ve been trying to clear out the spare bedroom, which I’ve been using as an office and for storage. I’ve also learned how to help take care of a dog which is brand new to me. I dog sat for a friend many years ago, but now I’m actually living with one. Fortunately, he’s completely taken with me.😀🐶
As for reading, it read quite a bit but did not take time for reviews. These six graphic novels were all quite wonderful and each could have had their own blog entry. Instead, I’ve written brief descriptions and reactions below, ordering them according to how I voted for them for the Hugo Award. If the book is available on Bookshop.org, there is a link for it on the title.
The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo and John Picacio. 5 stars - Incredibly beautiful and colorful art accompanies this relatively short novel about a young girl grieving the death of her grandfather. When he was still alive, he was reading her a story, but now she’ll never know how it ends. Then she meets some beings very much like a kid-friendly version of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, who help her process her grief. This all takes place around the time of Dia de los Muertos.
The Space Cat by Nnedi Okorafor, art by Tana Ford. 5 stars – An easy, happy science fiction story about Nnedi and her daughter’s cat who is a secret space traveler. This book was so sweet and easy, I fell in love with it. The target audience is 8 – 12 years, but I enjoyed every second of it. I loved the art and the happy story about Nnedi and Anyaugo bringing the cat home, the time it took for the cat to warm up to them, and the space adventures the cat has when everyone is asleep.
A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel by Ursula K. Le Guin, adapted and art by Fred Fordham. 5 stars – Gorgeous artwork accompanies this classic story of Ged searching for his shadow. It’s been a while since I read the trilogy, so this novel jogged the memories. I loved that Ged and most of the other characters are finally portrayed as copper colored as opposed to the whitewashed covers of the editions I read. And the relationship between Ged and Vetch was much more intimate and beautiful than I remember. The artwork surprisingly evokes deeper emotions than words alone.
A Girl and Her Fed by KB Spangler, art by Ale Presser. 4 stars – The author provided Act 3 of their webcomic series containing everything published in 2025. This link in the title takes you to the webcomic. It was a bit jarring coming in the middle of things, but I eventually caught on. There’s a prophesy that the current hunky president will die in office. A previous prophecy had been subverted so there’s hope that this prophecy can be subverted as well. A ghostly Benjamin Franklin is behind the assassination attempt, and a ghostly Abe Lincoln gives advice to the president’s children. Intense, but smart and sprinkled with good humor. And there's a talking koala!
Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Last Amazon by Kelly Thompson, art by Hayden Sherman and Mattia de Iulis, coloring by Jordie Bellaire, lettering by Becca Carey. 4 stars – I was not looking forward to this one, not having really been a classic comic book kid. But I was taken by surprise at how much I enjoyed this. It’s another genesis story of Wonder Woman. It’s smart, with an excellent combination of fun and intense. I think my favorite part was when she first appeared to regular humans to save them from giant Lovecraftian sea monsters attacking the West Coast.
The Power Fantasy Volume 1: The Superpowers by Kieron Gillen, art by Caspar Wijngaard, lettering by Clayton Cowles. 3 stars – My least favorite of the nominees, I found this first volume to be very confusing. I didn’t understand the nature of the main characters who have superpowers equivalent to the nuclear arsenal of the US until I read the blurb at the end. The storytelling bounced between scenes and characters too much to keep a coherent narrative in my head. One character starts a cult, one or more want to stop the cult, one’s an artist. As an introductory volume collecting five issues, I was too lost to fully appreciate this work by the well-known writer of The Wicked + The Divine.
