Superheroes might seem like they’re everywhere, from movies to underwear, but imagine living in a world where men and women with superpowers actually exist and save the world on a regular basis. Comics like Kurt Busiek’s Astro City have discussed what it’s like for mostly regular people to live in a world populated by people with powers, but Athanasia written by Daniel Kraus and illustrated by Dani, takes a much darker look at this concept. It not only explores what happens to superheroes who have lost their lives but what their remains mean for those with more earthbound problems.
Kraus’s tale takes us to Venture City, a town known for its superheroes, and follows young Forrest Molson. Forrest is a recovering addict who is looking for direction after graduating high school, so she goes into the family business. Like her father and grandfather, Forrest helps maintain the grounds at Athanasia, a cemetery housing the fallen members of Venture City’s greatest superhero team, the Dynamic Guild. Frustrated with her life and prospects, Forrest soon makes an astounding discovery: a chemical oozes from Athanasia’s soil that gives Forrest different superpowers. This new drug of choice (and the power that comes with it) soon takes over Forrest’s life. As friends and family try to pull Forrest back from the brink, her brush with superpowers soon becomes her villain arch.
Kraus is an author who’s better known for horror novels like Whalefall and Angel Down, but Athanasia is a horror story that touches upon many modern anxieties. The superheroes of this world mainly appear through their memorials, meaning they are not there when the Molson family, who have a deep respect for their positions as Athanasia’s caretakers, actually need them, illustrating how some heroes fly so high that they miss seeing the people who need their help. However, the truly harrowing moments in this book are when Forrest’s addiction spirals out of control, and she commits acts that both shock and appall readers.
Enhancing this story’s dark tones is Dani’s artwork, which eschews the dynamic colors in most superhero epics in favor of black and white ink drawing. This contrast shows readers that this story takes place far below the eyes of heroes, but the black and white also lets the book’s main villain shine. When the ooze makes its appearance and begins corrupting Forrest in earnest, the ooze (and the energy Dani manipulates when on the ooze) is colored a radioactive green, signifying its toxic nature and the frightening power now at Forrest’s fingertips.
There are many superhero stories that have cemented their status in our pop culture, but there are a multitude of stories, like Alan Moore’s Watchmen, that show the shadowy underbelly of these stories. This book will draw fans of both “Watchmen” and “Astro City” because it walks a thin tightrope of hope, like the kind in superhero narratives, and despair, like when readers take too long a glimpse beneath the capes.
Athanasia By Daniel Kraus Art by Dani Vault, 2025 ISBN: 9781638492818
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
A near apocalypse at the hands of an Aztec Earth goddess has led to the impossible: Pablo Ortiz is popular again. Since the publication of the first Monster Locker in October 2024, Pablo and his friends Takashi and Maggie have been working to banish the demons and mythical creatures that use Pablo’s basement locker as a FastPass into the human world back into their own dimension. Most of our trio is burnt out with all of their monster fighting, but Pablo is feeling the rush of finally being seen in a good way again and is pushing his friends to keep the monster banishing and their social capital up. The problem with being seen, though, is sometimes the wrong things are looking.
Monster Locker: Nine-Tail Trouble, scheduled for release April 21, 2026, sees creators Jorge Aguirre and Andrés Vera Martínez diving back into the world of the first book with a new focus and an equally lovely story. While monster banisher Pablo still acts as the protagonist, this story is really about his friend, the charmingly unhinged Takashi Rosenberg. Takashi is not overly thrilled with their heavily monster focused schedule and has a lot on his mind. He wants to get back to RPGs and becoming a J-Pop sensation and worrying about his upcoming Bar Mitzvah and missing his mom in Japan. Like many children from different, distinct backgrounds, Takashi doesn’t know how to reconcile his Judaism with his Japanese heritage and vice versa. He feels out of place in both, a situation escalated by his parents divorce and his mother’s physical distance. And this also leaves him vulnerable when a new, dangerous monster threatens not just the trio’s school and popularity, but the roots of their friendship.
I loved the first Monster Locker when it came out but felt like the side characters, like Takashi, didn’t get a lot of fleshing out and it’s like Aguirre and Martínez were reading my dream journal. This second volume not only gives Takashi amazing depth and a massive struggle with identity, but pulls folkloric characters from both of his heritages into the story. While the first book was like an ode to Pablo’s Meso American ancestry and Aztec gods, Nine-Tail Trouble sees Kitsune (the Japanese nine-tailed fox trickster) and a Golem (an animated, humanoid chunk of clay from Jew folklore) doing battle, turning Takashi’s internal struggle into a visibly destructive one.
With the shift in focus comes a shift in artistic style. While the first Monster Locker took a lot of visual inspiration from Meso American art, this one pulls in references to Medieval Jewish art to draw in the Golem’s background and soft Japanese watercolor for the Kitsune. It’s lovely to look at and the emotional heft is clear without being overpowering. Takashi’s struggle is universal and makes a powerful framework for this story.As much as I love the focus on Takashi, much like the first Monster Locker, the other characters are not given much time to grow. The story sees many of the characters from the first book return but all, even Pablo, our protagonist, take a backseat. I would love to see more balance between the characters and their growth in future volumes.
Aguirre and Martínez have created a world that has some of my favorite things about graphic novels: the stories are fun and surprising, the characters are unique but grounded in real emotional stakes, and the art is gorgeous. This series continues to please and I can’t wait for more.
Monster Locker: Nine-Tail Trouble By Jorge Aguirre Art by Andrés Vera Martínez Macmillan First Second, 2026 ISBN: 9781250749765
Company Age Rating: 10-14
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Teen (13-16), Tween (10-13) Creator Representation: Colombian-American, , Character Representation: Japanese, Mexican-American, Jewish ,
Jesus “Chuy” Reyes, age 12, starts the story by introducing himself and his best friend, Yael Levy or Yaya. Chuy is super smart and fascinated by all things intellectual—Yaya is a hands-on inventory and can make anything, even if she is a bit goofy at times. When a comet strikes earth and people gain mysterious powers, Chuy is super bummed – not only do these powers not conform to scientific laws, but he didn’t get any! When one of the second-rate supervillains of New Bork City ruins their ice cream, Yaya makes up her mind – they will become superheroes! With Chuy’s smarts and Yaya’s maker skills, the two take on Mr. Anti-Freeze, who is threatening to slimerize all the ice cream in New Bork City!
Florentine’s illustrations are bright and cheery, with lots of primary colors and drawn with clean, sharp lines. Chuy has brown skin, heavy eyebrows that move dynamically to indicate his exasperated moods, including up onto the outside of his pink baseball cap, and square glasses. He’s a tall, sturdy kid who gets a little excited about intellectual pursuits, but otherwise is mostly dragged along by the exuberant Yaya. Yaya, a skinny kid with short blue-black hair, is wildly enthusiastic about everything from superheroing to ice cream, despite the more cautious Chuy’s warnings and her younger brother’s embarrassment. Her family home is decorated to show her Jewish culture and Yoel, her younger brother, wears a kippah. Their villain has brown skin and pink hair.
The story is fairly simple, interspersed with lots of helpful (and random) facts from Chuy and step-by-step guides to making things from sorbet to grappling hooks from Yaya. The story ends with character studies and links to websites with guides for young makers.
Superhero take-offs like this tend to be cheesy, but this story is fully aware of its silliness and plays it for all it’s worth. Chuy’s repeated complaints that he’s NOT a superhero, the ridiculous villain, and Yaya’s wild enthusiasm will make readers giggle along with the author and maybe catch the making bug, even if they don’t want to put on a costume or have a super-powered bag to hold all their tools. While this is unlikely to satisfy readers who want “real” superheroes, it will certainly please younger readers who like funny stories and are interested in hands-on building. A must have for libraries and schools that include a maker space.
Maker Girl and Professor Smarts Vol. By Jasmine Florentine Candlewick, 2025 ISBN: 9781536239584
NFNT Age Recommendation: Easy Readers (5-9), Middle Grade (7-11)
To know Chase Darrow is to love her. But to love Chase Darrow is certain death.
There is something about Chase that draws men to her like flies to honey. Although a more apt metaphor might be ‘like moths to a flame.’ One kiss of Chase’s lips draws the life out of a man, slowly aging him and eventually leaving him dead. Even the men around her she doesn’t kiss just love her and want to make her happy.
The problem is that there’s something within Chase that forces her to seek out company. She’s tried living alone without success. She’s tried throwing herself at bad men who deserve a bad death. She even tried romancing an older man who would be content to just have a beautiful trophy wife to look at. Unfortunately, nothing has worked. Eventually either she or they push for a kiss and the inevitable happens.
When Chase’s latest relationship ends with a dead billionaire, she finally gets the attention of the American government. Thinking she’s some natural-born superhuman, they dispatch their oldest and most powerful home-grown superhuman agent in turn – an invincible slab of testosterone simply known as “The Man.” He has a talent for killing and not much use for empathy. This sets up a long manhunt and a confrontation between the unrelenting and the irresistible. What will prove stronger? The Man’s ability to deal death or Chase’s tainted love?
Originally published as a four-issue miniseries by Vertigo Comics in 1990, Breathtaker is the definition of a cult classic comic. It was well-regarded upon release and saw a trade paperback collection in 1994. However, because it was intended to be a one-and-done story, it fell into obscurity compared to other mature readers’ titles of the age that were longer-running and sought out for film and television adaptations. This may be because Breathtaker is distinctly designed for the world of comics.
No less a luminary than Walt Simonson speaks on this point in the introduction to this hardcover collection. The way a train silhouette becomes a roof to the three panels under it showing a conversation on said train. The way a checkboard pattern sets up the layout of the room beyond. There are many visual tricks like this that might be replicated on film, but nowhere near as well. Marc Hempel and Mark Wheately crafted one heck of a visual extravaganza, with the writer painting several sequences that punctuate key moments of the story.
That story is what truly makes Breathtaker memorable beyond the outstanding visuals. While many comics have explored the idea of a superpower that is more curse than blessing, few have done it with the same political acumen. Beyond the psychological torment Chase experiences as a woman who just wants to be loved despite knowing she is literally poison, Breathtaker examines the paradoxical nature of sex and sexuality in American society and media. Women are encouraged to be sexy yet are looked down upon as harlots who seek to drag good men down. Likewise “The Man” is held up as the epitome of everything a man should be – a cinematic action hero in the flesh – despite being an unpleasant bore.
Breathtaker is rated M for readers 18 and up by Titan Comics and rightly so. With a plot based around love, death, sex, and power, this title requires a certain level of life experience to fully appreciate. Beyond that, it depicts numerous scenes of sexual content and aggressive violence that it should go without saying are not suitable for children.
Breathtaker Collection By Mark Wheatley Art by Marc Hempel, Mark Wheatley Titan, 2025 ISBN: 9781785867354
She can transform into practically any disguise, teleport herself anywhere in an instant, and even turn enemies into swine—all through casting spells by speaking words backwards. In this alternate standalone story of the mystic DC universe superheroine Zatanna, Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer, Skim) and Javier Rodríguez (Batgirl: Year One, Daredevil) bring a new spin on the sorceress supreme in Zatanna: Bring down the House.
This alternate story begins with a spotlight on Zatanna as a young teenager attempting to perform a classic cups and balls trick. Through sleight of hand and manipulation, she manages to make the balls vanish, but fails to bring them back, prompting jeers from a nasty bully who taunts her relentlessly. Fast forward to the present day, and Zatanna appears on stage in Las Vegas conjuring forth a series of illusions. One evening, she spies a mysterious stalker in the audience who has been attending her show consecutively for a week. This stranger identifies herself only as “Stranger.” Meanwhile, back at her apartment, Zatanna runs into another green-haired girl with bunny ears. Who are these characters and why are they appearing at every turn? As the mystery deepens, all roads lead to her late father Zatara.
Reminiscent of scenes spiraling forth from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Tamaki and Rodríguez conjure up a tale of magic and mystery ensconced in a dream-like world. While Zatanna is bereft of all supernatural powers (she continually asserts, “I do tricks, not magic”), fantastical occurrences unfold spontaneously: In the middle of one act, a monstrous demon upends the theater stage; a swarm of rabbits pops up in her apartment; even the cynical wisecracking conjuring magician John Constantine pays her a visit at a diner. Fragmented memories of her domineering father haunt her dreams, which lie at the heart of these deep-rooted mysteries. A noir-like, gothic quality mixed with surrealism and vibrant psychedelics permeate flashback sequences and liminal spaces, strategically rendered through quarter to full-page panels. Rodríguez’s artistic flair blends beautifully into plot, revealing glimpses into Zatanna’s childhood as she wrestles with demons from the past and reactivates her supernatural powers. An added bonus in the back matter features variant cover designs and a handful of character sketches to round things out in this self-contained story.
Quirky characters and a darker version of Zatanna’s father cloaked in mystery and shadows punctuated by flashbacks of Zatanna’s adolescence as a foster child add layers of complexity that expand the mythos of this longstanding mystic of magic, supplementing adult graphic novel collections with a unique foray into the supernatural.
Zatanna Bring down the House By Mariko Tamaki Art by Javier Rodríguez DC Black Label, 2025 ISBN: 9781799500803
Company Age Rating: 17+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Japanese-Canadian,
What would you do if you had only six months to live?
This is the question facing everyone who contracts the G+ Virus. There is no cure. It is definitively lethal.
However, for some victims, it is also the best thing that ever happened to them. Because even as the G+ Virus overclocks the host body, it also allows people to briefly become more of what they are.
Creative people seem to become more creative, perhaps driven to make something that will outlive them. Even the baseline cases somehow become more physically capable.
A rare few, however, become something superhuman.
Death Sentence was an oddly prescient work. Originally published in 2014, it predates the many works of superhero fiction inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, the idea of a disease bestowing superpowers is not entirely original. (George R. R. Martin’s Wild Cards is built around the same general premise.) What marks Death Sentence as unique is its distinctly British flavor and its tight characterization.
The first volume centers around a trio of newly infected G+ patients. Verity is an artist who accidentally kills the government agents sent to bring her in. Weasel is a rock star hoping for a comeback who becomes a fugitive after his powers accidentally kill a groupie. They become the unlikely heroes recruited to stop the third focus character, David “Monty” Montgomery – a comedian whose mind control powers allow him to turn all of London into a captive audience.
The second and third volumes explore the aftermath of the first, as the American and British governments attempt to exploit the most visible expression of superpowers in history. This leads to the introduction of new characters like Roots – a drug farmer who uses her powers to enhance her product and defend her neighborhood.
Writer Monty Nero does a fantastic job of building up the world and the characters. With subversive takes on politics and pop culture, Death Sentence invites comparison to the work of Alan Moore. This seems to be intentional, as Nero references Moore twice in the text. Once with the analogy “like Alan Moore on an acid trip,” and once more with the character of Creighton Baines, a comic writer whose creation is co-opted by masked protesters. (A clear reference to Anonymous and V for Vendetta.) However, while the influence is apparent, Nero still makes the story his own and goes beyond simply mimicking Moore.
The artwork is fantastic across the board, with each section of the story has a distinctive look. Mike Dowling draws the first volume with a gritty, dark aesthetic that evokes memories of classic Judge Dredd comics and the early years of Hellblazer. Martin Simmonds skews a bit more surreal in the second and third volume, as Verity begins to fully master her powers. And Nero takes over the art for the final three chapters of Volume 3, with more traditional comic art as the story skews into more traditional superhero fare.
Death Sentence: The Collected Edition is rated M for readers 18 and up and rightly so. This should be obvious given the back cover blurb screams “Sex, Superpowers, And Six Months To Live.” For those who need more detail, there is indeed explicit sexual content, outright nudity, and multiple acts of sexual violence. There is also physical violence in plenty, with considerable gore. There is also cursing, with liberal use of the F-dash-dash-dash-word. Needless to say, none of this is suitable for children. Adult audiences, however, looking for something in the same vein as The Boys but more dramatic, will be well served
Death Sentence: The Complete Collection By Monty Nero Art by Mike Dowling, Martin Simmonds, and Monty Nero Titan, 2025 ISBN: 9781787741461
Company Age Rating: M (18+)
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+) Creator Representation: Scottish, Character Representation: British, Bisexual,
Ash is struggling with math, with her mom, with life in general. Ah Ma is in charge of her while her mum works long hours, but with Ah Ma dealing with the onset of dementia sometimes it feels like Ash is taking her care of her. When Ah Ma leaves the apartment and night and Ash chases after her, Ah Ma narrowly averts an accident… by FLYING?? Since when can Ah Ma fly? It turns out that every other generation of women in their family have superpowers – and Ash is just coming into hers. It’s really amazing – but also just one more thing to deal with, on top of bullies, school drama, and trying to keep Ah Ma from accidentally revealing her powers to the world. However, with the support of family, friends, and community, there’s hope for a positive resolution for everyone.
Ash is shown with large, round glasses and bowl-cut black hair. Her best friend, Zoe Zulueta, has a long braid and brown skin. Ah Ma has a similar build to Ash, both being stocky with round faces, but has gray hair and a lined face. There is variation in the body types and skin colors of the characters, but there is an odd quirk to the drawings of noses – all are a stronger pink than the characters skin color and though they vary in shape they appear to be added on to the art after its completion.
Although there are action scenes showing Ah Ma and Ash using their powers, most of the drama is more emotional than physical. Ash struggles to balance all of her responsibilities and meet her mother’s expectations while dealing with Ah Ma’s increasing dementia, and she is sensitively drawn showing a wide range of emotions and reactions as she navigates this difficult time in her life.
There is a secondary plot with a group of bullies who are eventually reformed by the efforts of a police officer and, to a lesser extent, the intervention of the superhero duo, but this does not feel as realistic as the rest of the plot – if the boys are truly stealing food and money to care for their siblings, their additional insults, bullying, and physical attacks on other children seem unnecessary. There are a few typos, but only one, on page 86, makes the text confusing to interpret. In addition to sketches of the characters, the creators include some information about dementia.
Readers who enjoy superhero stories that are relatable to their own lives, and who like the fun of imagining what would happen if they had superpowers but still had to live as themselves, will enjoy this lively and thoughtful story. There is also a range of diverse representation, from the setting (presumably the author’s own city of Singapore) to the depiction of a multi-generational family.
Amazing Ash and Superhero Ah Ma By Melanie Lee Art by Arif Rafhan Difference Engine, 2024 ISBN: 9789811450440
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11) Creator Representation: Singaporean, Character Representation: Singaporean,
I’m always interested when Marvel brings out new all-ages, or child-friendly comics. While interest in the classic superheroes comes and goes over the years, there’s always at least a few elementary-age readers who want books about their favorite superheroes and finding titles that are age-appropriate can be a challenge, especially with today’s additional challenges. In 2023, they brought out a new trilogy of Spider-Man chapter book comics by Mike Maihack and they’re continuing the trend this year with a trilogy focused on Iron Man by Dean Hale and Douglas Holgate.
Iron Man loves saving the day and using his tech, but he does not love it when the phones aren’t working… and people start throwing around words like “magic” and “wizard!” When he encounters a strange, octopus-like alien monster, even his suit’s A.I., Franklin, can’t figure it out. Will he have to break down and call in, gulp, a wizard to help? Turns out he doesn’t need to call him – Doctor Strange is already here and ready to chat with the truly massive octopus-space monster that has appeared. But can the two work together to save the day – or will Iron Man let his devotion to tech and competitiveness get in the way of helping others?
Holgate’s art is crisp and contemporary. He keeps the familiar costumes of superheroes, from Iron Man’s suit to appearances by Ms. Marvel and Spider-Man. He even keeps Tony Stark’s iconic facial hair, but gives the art his own unique spin. Stark is a rather weedy little man, who strongly objects to Doctor Strange having a similar mustache. He neatly blends the tech of Iron Man’s suit with the gooey alien creature. With Iron Man in the grip of its green, dripping tentacles, starting at him with its giant, bulging red eye, the suit looks almost like a toy action figure. Readers will also notice a resemblance between the overlays and maps of Iron Man’s suit and the diagrams and flashing lights of Doctor Strange’s magic.
The creators have done a great job keeping the general spirit of the characters – Tony Stark comes off as a rather whiny and immature personality, which is very true to his character – while keeping the comic both appropriate and approachable for younger audiences. A brief resume of Iron Man’s history is included for kids who don’t know it and this will certainly interest them in exploring other characters, both old and new, like Doctor Strange and Ms. Marvel.
Iron Man Something Strange Vol. 4 By Dean Hale Art by Douglas Holgate Abrams, 2025 ISBN: 9781419774591
NFNT Age Recommendation: Easy Readers (5-9), Middle Grade (7-11)
Logan doesn’t communicate like most kids. He’s got an assistive talking tablet and he uses sign language, but even then he can’t always make himself understood. His feelings are hard to parse through and all of the stimulation he’s getting from the outside can just be too much.
But that’s on the outside. On the inside, Logan becomes ThunderBoom, a fearless superhero. ThunderBoom is brave. ThunderBoom is focused. ThunderBoom still uses his hands to communicate and with them he makes himself heard.
ThunderBoom, a new graphic from Jack Briglio and Claudia Dávila, follows Logan as he and his family go to a parade. With a different kid, this would be a pretty standard, every day event, but nothing is standard for ThunderBoom. With ThunderBoom there are ninjas and creepy monsters and Santa. Logan gets separated from his family, but by relying on himself and ThunderBoom he’s able to help himself and a new friend get home safely.
Briglio is doing some very interesting things with this children’s graphic. The perspective switches from a general third person -where we see how stressed and frustrated Logan’s parents are and how much they infantilize Logan- to a much more internal perspective with Logan’s thoughts coming through clearly and concisely. It’s this second perspective where the reader meets ThunderBoom and sees the rich, bold world of Logan’s imagination. Regardless of the perspective, Logan is placed at the center of the story with other characters moving and acting in relation to him.
Logan’s parents aren’t shown as bad or neglectful, but they do seem tense and hover over Logan’s interactions. It would be unfair to say that they treat Logan like a burden, but the challenges of raising a child with different needs is clearly taking its toll. Only his sister seems to believe that Logan is capable. The change of perspective only highlights how much Logan stands out in his world and what a help ThunderBoom is for him. Dávila’s digital illustrations have a soft, roundness to them that’s reminiscent of comic stripe art, a style that matches the short chapters that Briglio breaks the story down into and would appeal to the target reader.
I don’t usually bring the author’s intent into a review, but for this book it’s pretty important. We learn in an author’s note, that ThunderBoom was written for Briglio’s son Lucas who has the genetic disorder Angelman syndrome. While the text never says it outright, Logan portrays a lot of the symptoms Briglio describes for Angelman. Briglio’s stated goal was to show that kids, regardless of their needs “all want the same thing: a happy ending.”
Even before getting to the note, this was a beautiful graphic that showed a kid with alternative communication needs finding ways to interact with his world while still being himself. With the note and with the implication that Logan’s parents are stand-ins for Briglio himself, the graphic has an even deeper impact. The parents are not shown as monsters or martyrs, but they just don’t see how much Logan can do. The honesty and directness in this is really unexpected and wonderful to see.
ThunderBoom is a lovely, authentic depiction of a child who interacts with the world differently and reminds readers that just because someone has a hard time making people understand them, that doesn’t mean they don’t have things to say.
ThunderBoom By Jack Briglio Art by Claudia Davila Kids Can Press, 2023 ISBN: 9781525304965
Aren’t dogs great? Mr. Muffins is an active Corgi that lives with his human Reuben. They enjoy Frisbee and their days at the park. Reuben has his hands full with school and sports life, a very active and loyal Mr. Muffins, and his mom who has high expectations. In Reuben’s family, family comes first, before anything he wants. When does Reuben get to do what he wants? He wishes he had no responsibilities, like Mr. Muffins.
THEN, a spaceship crashes into the park, and an alien tries to kidnap Mr. Muffins because he’s apparently the vessel of a space hero whose light can defeat some invading alien bullies, and then the bullies show up! Phew, that’s a lot. But after a quick text to Mom, Corgi and Human to the rescue! The homework can wait, right? Mr. Muffins (and Reuben) are off to space to defend the homeworld of the Voltarian Alliance from the Hakaran Armada. Mr. Muffins has his paws full leading the Voltarian defense, but Reuben finds ways to contribute too. After all, he has a responsibility to family, right? Mr. Muffin’s responsibility is to save the galaxy, but will he succeed? Two words: Mecha-Corgi! Yikes!
Reuben’s family is Muslim, which adds to a needed diversity. The pages are paced perfectly, and they’re very funny. (“wait….where is she going? …oh. Oh no.”) Mr. Muffins’ flight path is marked by a very Nyan Cat-type rainbow. The frames and gutters are mostly rectangular and traditional, except when they take on a Manga-type trapezoidal arrangement with manpu galore!
This is a very enjoyable story about family, responsibility, the unique relationship between dogs and humans, and being there for friends. It’s appropriate for ages 6-14 and has no violence or adult themes.
Mr. Muffin: Defender of the Stars By Ben Kahn Art by Georgeo Brooks Oni Press, 2025 ISBN: 9781620108321
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11) Creator Representation: Muslim Character Representation: Egyptian-American,
with superpowers actually exist and save the world on a regular basis. Comics like Kurt Busiek’s Astro City have discussed what it’s like for mostly regular people to live in a world populated by people with powers, but Athanasia written by Daniel Kraus and illustrated by Dani, takes a much darker look at this concept. It not only explores what happens to superheroes who have lost their lives but what their remains mean for those with more earthbound problems.
of the first Monster Locker in October 2024, Pablo and his friends Takashi and Maggie have been working to banish the demons and mythical creatures that use Pablo’s basement locker as a FastPass into the human world back into their own dimension. Most of our trio is burnt out with all of their monster fighting, but Pablo is feeling the rush of finally being seen in a good way again and is pushing his friends to keep the monster banishing and their social capital up. The problem with being seen, though, is sometimes the wrong things are looking.
fascinated by all things intellectual—Yaya is a hands-on inventory and can make anything, even if she is a bit goofy at times. When a comet strikes earth and people gain mysterious powers, Chuy is super bummed – not only do these powers not conform to scientific laws, but he didn’t get any! When one of the second-rate supervillains of New Bork City ruins their ice cream, Yaya makes up her mind – they will become superheroes! With Chuy’s smarts and Yaya’s maker skills, the two take on Mr. Anti-Freeze, who is threatening to slimerize all the ice cream in New Bork City!
To know Chase Darrow is to love her. But to love Chase Darrow is certain death.
Ma dealing with the onset of dementia sometimes it feels like Ash is taking her care of her. When Ah Ma leaves the apartment and night and Ash chases after her, Ah Ma narrowly averts an accident… by FLYING?? Since when can Ah Ma fly? It turns out that every other generation of women in their family have superpowers – and Ash is just coming into hers. It’s really amazing – but also just one more thing to deal with, on top of bullies, school drama, and trying to keep Ah Ma from accidentally revealing her powers to the world. However, with the support of family, friends, and community, there’s hope for a positive resolution for everyone.
and goes over the years, there’s always at least a few elementary-age readers who want books about their favorite superheroes and finding titles that are age-appropriate can be a challenge, especially with today’s additional challenges. In 2023, they brought out a new trilogy of Spider-Man chapter book comics by Mike Maihack and they’re continuing the trend this year with a trilogy focused on Iron Man by Dean Hale and Douglas Holgate.
make himself understood. His feelings are hard to parse through and all of the stimulation he’s getting from the outside can just be too much.
Reuben has his hands full with school and sports life, a very active and loyal Mr. Muffins, and his mom who has high expectations. In Reuben’s family, family comes first, before anything he wants. When does Reuben get to do what he wants? He wishes he had no responsibilities, like Mr. Muffins.
