This batch features a gay science-fiction adventure time travel tale, a nonbinary dog knight, a period piece set in in 20's Paris, a horror/satire exploring what it's like to exist as a transfemme person in a man's world, and an new English translation of a celebrated historical LGBTQIA+ graphic novel.
SAINTED LOVE #1
(W) Steve Orlando (A/CA) Giopota
New York City. 1907. Malcolm Irina is the greatest inventor the world's never heard of, and his lover, John Wolf, is the toughest bare-knuckle boxer in the city. Irina's crowning invention, the Chronocorridor, is nearly complete. He dreams of whisking himself and Wolf away to a time when they can live and love freely. But when crazed Detective Felt raids Irina's lab, the couple dive into the freshly powered up portal to escape capture.
Steve Orlando (Eisner+GLAAD Nominated writer of Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man 2099, Wonder Woman) and Giopota (artist+creator of beloved webcomic Mothersea) hurl you across time with Irina and Wolf, as they encounter famous queer people throughout history and fight back against all who would see their names and love erased!
JUL232076
Why this caught my eye:
Glad to see the Kickstarter do well, check out the campaign for some previews.
DOG KNIGHT HC GN VOL 01
(W) Jeremy Whitley (A) Bre Indigo
A nonbinary middle schooler saves a dog from bullies and is offered the chance to become the Dog Knight, protector of a magical pact between humans and dogs, in the first book of this humorous and heartwarming middle-grade graphic novel series.
Frankie knows who they are. They're a drummer, they're nonbinary, and they're . . . the Dog Knight?
One day Frankie is a relatively normal middle schooler, with relatively normal challenges, like finding the perfect outfit to wear during their upcoming drum solo. Then, they save a friendly golden retriever from bullies and wake up in a giant magical doghouse, with a funny looking helmet, talking to a group of dog superheroes called the Pawtheon.
If Frankie can prove that they possess the six dog virtues of loyalty, kindness, honesty, justice, stubbornness, and smell, they will be named the Dog Knight and be given the power to fight the forces of chaos.
Maybe there is more to Frankie than they thought?
MAR231522
Why this caught my eye:
Couple months late to highlight this (ditto on the next few entries), but A) we need more nonbinary rep in comics, B) we love Jeremy Whitely for his work on Princeless, and C) dogs.
A BOY NAMED ROSE TP
(W) Gaelle Geniller (A) Gaelle Geniller
Paris. The 1920s. Rose is a boy and, like all the girls he's spent time with since he was born, he wants to dance at "Le Jardin", the cabaret managed by his mother. As Rose blossoms into a 19 year old young man, he discovers love and tries to find his place in a society that's not ready to welcome true love between two men with open arms.
Created and beautifully drawn by Gaelle Geniller, A BOY NAMED ROSE is going to make you fall in love with this story, set in Art Deco Paris and where a young man discovers who he really is in a place filled with entertainment and drama. What is Rose's place in the world? Is he just a boy? Is he a girl inside? Rose just wants to be accepted for who he really is and live, love and dance as free as he can be. A beautiful LGBTQIA+ tale from a time where loving differently was a challenge, A BOY NAMED ROSE will move you, in all its subtleness and tenderness.
APR231447
Why this caught my eye:
Check out Geniller's gorgeous artwork.
BOYS WEEKEND HC GN
(W) Mattie Lubchansky (A) Mattie Lubchansky
Part satire, part horror, Boys Weekend explores what it's like to exist as a transfemme person in a man's world, the difficulty of maintaining friendships through transition, and the more cult-like effects of masculinity, "hustle" culture, and capitalism-all through the vibrant lens of a surreal, scary, and immensely imaginative romp.
Newly-out trans artist's assistant Sammie is invited to an old friend's bachelor weekend in El Campo, a hedonistic wonderland of a city floating in the Atlantic Ocean's international waters-think Las Vegas with even fewer rules. Though they have not identified as a man for over a year, Sammie's college buddies haven't quite gotten the message-as evidenced by their formerly closest friend Adam asking them to be his "best man." Bad enough that they have to suffer through a torrent of passive-aggressive comments from the groom's pals-all met with zero pushpack from supposed "nice guy" Adam. But also, they seem to be the only one who's noticed the mysterious cult that's also staying at the hotel, and is ritually dismembering guests and demanding fealty to their bloodthirsty god.
APR231746
Why this caught my eye:
I really love that pitch. You can check out a bunch of Lubchansky's work at the Nib.
PARALLEL TP
(W) Matthias Lehmann (A/CA) Matthias Lehmann
Karl Kling's story is one of revelations, and these he has addressed in a letter to his daughter, Hella, who had disowned Karl many years ago. Karl's letter is a cri de coeur from a father to a daughter he never really got to know, and he comes clean to her about his failed marriages, his fractured family relations--and his love for men.
Taking place between the end of World War II and the 1980s, Parallel chronicles Karl's efforts to comply with social norms in order to keep his sexuality a secret. It also paints a picture of a life torn between conformity and rebellion, and the cruel realities of twentieth-century German society, where homosexuality was proscribed and punishable until 1994. Matthias Lehmann poignantly depicts the story of a decades-long yearning to live an open and free life, and the price Karl and those he loves must pay for it. It is also a story of finding the courage to finally tell the truth no matter the obstacles...or the cost.
APR231724
Why this caught my eye:
This popped up on radar a few months back, glad to see it translated and distributed by Oni.
That's it for this batch, we'll check out some horror on the next round!