This batch of LGBTQ+ goodness sees a cooking rom-com, a vampire centric(maybe?) manga, an epic science fiction romance between two non-binary characters, an apocalyptic mystery thriller from Joe Hill, and a man struggling with sexual identity and beginning the difficult process of claiming his true self.
CHEF'S KISS SC VOL 01
(W) Jarrett Melendez (A) Danica Brine, Hank Jones (CA) Kevin Wada
Now that college is over, English graduate Ben Cook is on the job hunt looking for something...anything...related to his passion for reading and writing. But interview after interview, hiring committee after hiring committee, Ben soon learns getting the dream job won't be as easy as he thought. Proofreading? Journalism? Copywriting? Not enough experience. It turns out he doesn't even have enough experience to be a garbage collector! But when Ben stumbles upon a "Now Hiring-No Experience Necessary" sign outside a restaurant, he jumps at the chance to land his first job. Plus, he can keep looking for a writing job in the meantime. He's actually not so bad in the kitchen, but he will have to pass a series of cooking tests to prove he's got the culinary skills to stay on full-time. But it's only temporary...right?
When Ben begins developing a crush on Liam, one of the other super dreamy chefs at the restaurant, and when he starts ditching his old college friends and his old writing job plans, his career path starts to become much less clear.
Watch things start to really heat up in the kitchen in this queer YA debut graphic novel, written by Jarrett Melendez, illustrated by Danica Brine, colored by Hank Jones, and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
NOV211574
Why this caught my eye:
It's a cooking comic so I'm pretty much automatically here for it, and Brine's artwork is looking really nice.
VAMPEERZ GN VOL 01 MY PEER VAMPIRES
(W) Akili (A) Akili
Ichika's life has taken a sudden turn. Her grandmother has passed away, so as family and friends come from far and wide to pay their respects, she finds herself in the spotlight as many of these old faces have taken an interest in her youth. As a fourteen-year-old Ichika could be dating. She could be participating in extra-curricular activities. She could be looking to her future. But she hasn't done any of that. All of that will change, when a young guest who she does not recognize visits her home. Aria seems to know quite a bit about her family and property, and while she may be there to say goodbye, she may have found her way into Ichika's heart.
SEP212010
Why this caught my eye:
I like how the solicit says nothing about vampirism, so while the story sounds interesting on its own merits I really wanna check it out just to see what the vampy deal is.
ACROSS A FIELD OF STARLIGHT HC GN
(W) Blue Delliquanti (A/CA) Blue Delliquanti
When they were kids, Fassen’s fighter spaceship crash-landed on a planet that Lu’s survey force was exploring. It was a forbidden meeting between a kid from a war-focused resistance movement and a kid whose community and planet are dedicated to peace and secrecy.
Lu and Fassen are from different worlds and separate solar systems. But their friendship keeps them in each other’s orbit as they grow up. They stay in contact in secret as their communities are increasingly threatened by the omnipresent, ever-expanding empire.
As the empire begins a new attack against Fassen’s people–and discovers Lu’s in the process–the two of them have the chance to reunite at last. They finally are able to be together…but at what cost?
This beautifully illustrated graphic novel is an epic science fiction romance between two non-binary characters as they find one another through time, distance, and war. DEC211788
Why this caught my eye:
Check out Delliquanti's O Human Star when you get a chance, they're a great creator so it's nice to see them getting a release from Random House Graphic.
JOE HILL RAIN #1
(W) Joe Hill, David M. Booher (A/CA) Zoe Thorogood
MINISERIES PREMIERE THE FIRST IN CHRIS RYALL & ASHLEY WOOD'S NEW SYZYGY PUBLISHING IMPRINT LINE OF TITLES AT IMAGE COMICS!
On a seemingly normal August day in Boulder, Colorado, the skies are clear, and Honeysuckle Speck couldn't be happier. She's finally moving in with her girlfriend Yolanda. But their world is literally torn apart when dark clouds roll in and release a downpour of nails-splinters of bright crystal that shred the skin of anyone not safely under cover. RAIN makes vivid this escalating apocalyptic event, as the deluge of nails spreads across the country and around the world, threatening everything young lovers Honeysuckle and Yolanda hold dear.
So begins a gripping 5-issue presentation of New York Times bestselling author JOE HILL's acclaimed novella, adapted by rising stars DAVID M. BOOHER (Canto), ZOE THOROGOOD (The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott), and CHRIS O'HALLORAN (Ha-Ha).
NOV210023
Why this caught my eye:
I'm generally a Hill fan, but I'm actually more here for the Zoe Thorogood artwork.
CALL ME NATHAN GN
(W) Catherine Castro (A) Quentin Zuttion
Born as biologically female, Nathan spends his formative years facing questions without answers, social ostracism from his peers, and incomprehension from his family-because from as early as he can remember, he knows he has been born in the wrong body. But, as his family comes to recognize, a physical identity is harder to change than a piece of clothing or a haircut. So from the moment he is at last supplied with a professional term for his self-diagnosis-"gender dysphoria"-he is able to leave behind his complicated psychological history, the challenges of his self-harming, and his struggles with sexual identity, and begin the difficult process of claiming his true self.
DEC211842
Why this caught my eye:
More books dealing with gender dysphoria and offering this perspective are great to see making their way to the shelves, and SelfMadeHero does quality work so this should definitely be worth checking out.
That's it for this batch, we'll take a look at some horror on the next run!