March Staff Picks!

Superman: Son of Kal-El by Tom Taylor & John Timms

This was the first experience I had reading anything centered around Jon Kal-El, Superman’s (very powerful – duh) son, so I can’t speak to how he’s typically written, but this book gave him such a sweet and heartfelt disposition you just can’t help but root for him. Jon, still only a teenager, has to cope with the entire world knowing he’s the son of Superman, the pressure that puts on him, and the additional pressure added from his superhero friends and family, who all know Jon’s powers very well may exceed his father’s. A lot on a kid’s shoulders!

The book also alludes to previous canonical happenings in the world of Jon Kal-El, like the fact that he’s been to the future, but the writers do a great job of making it accessible for those of us just hopping in now. On top of everything, Jon knows how certain things will work out for his family, and, surprise surprise, they’re not great.

Luckily, despite feeling almost completely alone in the world, this story has Jon connecting with an aspiring radical journalist named Jay, and the two (spoiler alert) end up developing a very sweet romance. They even have a full-page kiss, which speaks volumes to how far we’ve come regarding queer representation. Refreshingly, there’s no hand-wringing over it either. Jon doesn’t have a sexuality crisis, and doesn’t seem to feel nervous about this budding relationship, other than typical teenage anxiety. His best friend Damian (AKA Robin) even figures out the two have something going on, congratulating his friend with little fanfare. Jon’s being queer is just about the least stressful thing going on in his life.

I really loved this first installment in Jon’s story, and I’m pumped to read more. I haven’t even touched on the interesting moral qualms we see Jon facing, like “Why doesn’t my dad stop more horrible things from happening if he can? Why is there inequality and violence in a world where Superman exists?” I’m so excited to see how he comes to terms with these questions, and how he veers from his father’s generation in tackling them.

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and art by LeUyen Pham

I’m not usually a “love story” reader, but this was high on my TBR because I’m a big fan of Gene Luen Yang. BOXERS & SAINTS and AMERICAN BORN CHINESE are iconic in both the young adult fiction world and the graphic novel/comics world. And then, as I read the first couple of chapters, I was like “Whoa. This is not a love story. It’s a ghost story! I’m in!”

The book tells the story of Valentina Tran, who loved Valentine’s Day so much as a kid that she had an imaginary cupid friend “Saint V.” But as she grows up, she finds out some tough truths about her parents’ separation, and cute little Saint V becomes a creepy ghoul who says he can protect Val if she gives up her heart. Fortunately for Val, she has an awesome grandma who takes her to a Lunar New Year celebration at her church and she meets two lion dancers, Leslie and Jae. Lion dancing helps her rediscover her love of dance, and maybe it can help her find love too, as well as vanquish her inner and outer demons.

Ok, so there is some love in this book, but I promise there’s a lot more lion dancing, ghostly Saints, and family drama than yearning looks and smooching. I especially loved the creepy ghosts, and the chance to learn more about lion dancing, which was something I wasn’t familiar with at all before reading this book. LeUyen Pham’s limited palette artwork conveys the power and strength of the lion dance movements as deftly as the eerie, quiet of the Saint V appearances. The design for each character is distinct and delightful–not formulaic like you sometimes see with comics (or text novels too!)

I would recommend this book for people interested in reading about ghosts + romance in a fresh context, family lore, and Asian American culture. Age Recommendation: 13+