January Staff Picks!

The Chromatic Fantasy by H.A (he/him)
[18+ comic] Jules is a trans man trapped in his life as a nun. The devil that the convent guards against offers him a deal to escape: an illicit tryst and lifelong possession. Jules takes the deal, and begins his new life as a criminal who’s impervious to harm. He soon meets Casper, another trans man and a poetic thief, and together they steal, lie, and cheat their way through bewildering adventures, and develop feelings for each other along the way. But as Jules and Casper’s relationship deepens, so does the devil’s jealous grasp…

Sometimes, a piece of art has a feeling or vibe that overpowers its narrative. There is still an adventure, but the feelings of the characters are the resounding effects of the work. A potentially hot take of mine is that comics don’t always need a clear story, as long as they have a strong feeling they are getting across (such as It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth). Chromatic Fantasy is one of those comics. The art is so tender and beautifully drawn, depicting complicated characters and their relationships with such ridiculous humor and care at the same time. There are many rants in the story that will be familiar to all my trans masc or genderqueer friends. I can’t recommend this comic enough; the world needs more comics like this one!

Housecat Trouble by Mason Dickerson
This absolutely delightful read is a perfect way to lift your spirits during what can be an otherwise dreary month! While Housecat Trouble is aimed at younger readers, I found it hilarious, thrilling, and touching as an adult. Our protagonist is a kitten named Buster, who lives the housecat life of luxury with his human. However, upon being left alone for a night, Buster quickly discovers something is very wrong in his humble abode, and with the help of two spunky street cats (with quite the back story), our little guy sets off on an adventure to make things right.

This book made me laugh out loud, and–yes I’m being serious–tear up! Housecat Trouble comes packed with humor both kids and adults can enjoy, stunningly adorable art, and a surprisingly deep thread of grief and loss that comes to a satisfying semi-conclusion (there has to be some material left for the sequel!).

I especially recommend this book to cat lovers, who will get a kick out of the premise, which relies on the concept that humans are helpless against evil spirits without their house cats. If you’re lucky enough to have a feline friend, you’ll definitely want to give them a big squeeze (or head scratch, depending on the kitty) after finishing this one.

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou by Hitoshi Ashinano
“A quiet cup of coffee as the world winds down.” That’s the feature blurb on the back of the Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou volume 1 deluxe edition I read as I flipped through it at Vault of Midnight, a cool comic book shop in Detroit. There’s so much hustle and bustle at the end of the year, so quiet, slowing down, and caffeine sounded like just the thing.

The “world winding down” refers to the setting of this manga series, which takes place in a future Japan, many years after environmental catastrophe has ended most of human civilization. It’s the twilight of humanity, and the protagonist, Alpha, an android, runs a small cafe in a seaside town. The story unfolds in leisurely vignettes that show Alpha exploring what’s left of the land with her ever growing found family of neighbors, other androids from the city, and even a mythical sea creature or two. There’s melancholy–sure, it’s the end of the world–but there’s also peaceful beauty and simplicity.

This is an older series that was originally released from 1994-2006, and it shows in a few aspects of the art style–for example the elderly neighbor’s design is caricature-ish and not in an intentional artistic choice way. However, the attention to scenery, and details of how the last of us live holds up, and it’s a pleasure to soak up these details. The deluxe editions of this manga that Seven Seas is currently releasing are lovely too with full color pages throughout and full color art at the end. I’m always happy to start a manga series that is finished as this one is. The fifth omnibus will be released in the Spring and concludes the series.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this series for people who are looking for an off the beaten path, classic manga that will surprise you with its apocalyptic yet soothing tales. There is some non-sexual nudity of a sea creature woman, and alcohol consumption by adult characters, but other than that, my recommendation for this series is 14 and up, especially for regular manga readers.

Starman Compendium by James Robinson and Tony Harris
There’s a Starman Compendium
Waiting Here for You
He’d Like for you to read it
But we think it’ll blow your mind
There’s a Starman Compendium
Waiting Here for You
It told us to recommend it
Cause it knows the experience is worthwhile!

Phoebe’s Diary
by Phoebe Wahl
You might recognize author/illustrator Phoebe Wahl from her popular picture books Little Witch Hazel, The Blue House, Backyard Fairies, and others. Phoebe’s Diary is a departure from her juvenile writing. This young adult book is an almost-true illustrated diary about the adventures and misadventures of Phoebe, a perfectly imperfect teen figuring out who she is. It’s a bare all book that will have you laughing, crying, and quite often cringing as Phoebe navigates confusing crushes, new love, family responsibilities, school, and changing friendships.

Phoebe Wahl’s signature hand-drawn art style effortlessly ages up for this young adult read. This isn’t your typical graphic novel with pages of panels, instead you’ll find a smattering of illustrations (big and small) across each spread. Sometimes they feel like companion illustrations to the text similar to a picture book, but most often they feel like the intimate entries of Phoebe herself.

This book made me feel like I was reading my own teenage diary. I never kept a diary to give myself a chance to revisit and process my experiences as a young person. Her book was a balm for my inner teenage soul, and would be so reassuring to teens in the thick of it.

Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O’Malley
Scott Pilgrim is about– you guessed it, Scott Pilgrim. He’s a Canadian Bassist who’s between jobs and, despite being in his 20s, dating a highschooler. Everything flips upside down when he meets the literal girl of his dreams Ramona Flowers. Not only does he have to break the heart of his underage girlfriend, but he has to win Ramona over by defeating her seven evil exes. For a mysterious reason, every one of his dream girl’s exes have formed a league dedicated to killing him!

Scott Pilgrim kind of feels like the Rocky Horror Picture Show of graphic novels, in the way that it’s a total cult classic that exists within a very narrow niche of insane absurdity levels. You finish reading Scott Pilgrim and ask yourself “What did I just read?” in the best way imaginable.

It’s a classic Bryan Lee O’Malley story, following a main character who is just flat out not a good person… pursuing another character who is also just flat out not a good person.
Every single character introduced is so well written and entertaining that each one could have their own spinoff. The comedy of Scott Pilgrim is my favorite part. It’s quick, dry, witty, and delightfully absurdist. It just has lots and lots of charm. Music plays a large role in the story, and guitar tabs are in the actual novel for the songs played!
It also has strong retro video game motifs, so if that’s your kind of thing, it’s a must read.

It’s my obsession, and it should be yours too. Also watch the movie Scott Pilgrim v. the World, and the brand new anime Scott Pilgrim Takes Off!

Fairy Tail by by Hiro Mashima
In the magical world of Earth-Land, a young ambitious girl with Zodiac powers named Lucy, meets a fun loving boy named Natsu, who’s a member of the famous Fairy Tale mage guild! After Natsu and Lucy work together on a mission to save some innocent civilians, they become partners working together to complete missions at the guild! This story is a classic and perfect for lovers of any shonen manga like Naruto, My Hero Academia, and One Piece! The characters are incredibly unique and well written, making it hard not to be fully invested in this magical group’s adventures. It’s definitely a can’t miss story!