From studying under J.R.R. Tolkien in university to fighting the rise of fascism in the 20th century to serving as a powerful creative force behind the most famous works published by George Orwell—23rd Street Books dives into the life of Eileen O’Shaughnessy in Mrs. Orwell, written by journalist, author, and filmmaker Andrea Chalupa with art by Brahm Revel.
Mrs. Orwell opens with our introduction Eileen O’Shaughnessy (later Eileen Blair), studying at university under the esteemed Professor Tolkien, partying at night, and chafing against the strict social standards which hold women back in the name of propriety. At a party, she crosses paths with a writer named Eric Blair, who publishes under the name George Orwell.
With shared interests in art and politics, the two find a deeply passionate connection, somewhat to the dismay of Eileen’s brother with whom she lives. From marriage to traveling conflict zones in Europe in search of political movements and armed resistance to the rise of fascism and the brewing storm of what would become World War II, Eileen and her husband find themselves tested as they fight for both their ideals and their lives.
A talented writer on her own, Eileen throws herself fiercely behind supporting her husband’s work, serving as editor, typist, and muse for numerous of his publications, especially influencing his most famous titles, Animal Farm and 1984. With a world in violent chaos and a marriage fraught with turmoil and infidelity, this graphic novel shines a light on two incredibly influential writers—only one of whom remains widely known today.
As discussed in the note at the end of the book, Mrs. Orwell serves as a work of historical fiction that nevertheless draws heavily from recorded fact. It even includes a reading guide for anyone wanting to dive deeper into Eileen’s life. While never shying away from the complexities and failings of either Eileen or Eric, the main focus remains on recognizing and celebrating Eileen’s work and the vital role that art and resistance play in the face of violence. The characters are layered, revealing facets of themselves through engaging and entertaining dialogue, while Chalupa carries us through a great span of time including major historical events on the world stage. It’s a great deal of content to cover in a book of this sort, and if Mrs. Orwell has any flaw, it’s that there’s not quite enough time to unpack some of the history, particularly in the book’s later portion.
Nevertheless, in tackling themes of fascism, war, censorship, art, and media—there’s a wealth of material here that remains all too relevant today. But in addition to uncovering lesser known biography and vital discussions about the nature of creation and resistance, the book is also simply fun to read. Entertaining and often funny, it succeeds on a narrative level as much as a historical one. It’s a feat to balance all these elements, and Chalupa has written a striking story about two passionate, flawed, messy, creative, and highly influential people which brings them to vibrant life within these pages.
And speaking of vibrant pages, Revel’s shifting palate of art is a delight from start to finish. Colors and tones shift across the story, as do the layouts and structures of each page. With a careful eye for pacing and visual storytelling, Revel keeps the art grounded without being afraid to weave in flashes of stylization and dramatic representations of emotions alongside the more focused, powerful moments the book has to offer. Heightening both humor and heartache, Revel’s visuals are a vital aspect of the book’s appeal. The grit feels real, as does the threat of war and death. At the same time, we get soft romantic interludes, mixed realities where fiction intrudes on the present, and appropriate weight given to the heavier themes the book holds in store.
23rd Street Books lists this title for adult readers. There are smatterings of violence, sexuality, and language throughout, but the book never lingers on the more mature elements or presents them in graphic detail. At the same time, with a strong historical focus alongside a range of complex topics and themes, it’s likely the book will appeal most to older readers and those already familiar with Orwell’s work. It could also be a good companion read for older students studying Orwell’s life and writing. Overall, Mrs. Orwell is an excellent read in its own right, while also bringing to life a figure often lost in the obscurity of history. A woman who refused to accept the bounds society placed on her, a fighter who dreamed of a better world, a writer who left her mark for generations to come—more people should know the name Eileen O’Shaughnessy, and this graphic novel is an excellent step in ensuring that her life and accomplishments are not forgotten.
Mrs. Orwell By Andrea Chalupa Art by Brahm Revel 23rd Street Books, 2026 ISBN: 9781250877857
Company Age Rating: Adult
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
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,
From movie star to wartime nurse to mom to UNICEF ambassador, Audrey Hepburn lived a storied life, and author Michele Botton and illustrator Dorilys Giacchetto clearly take great joy in exploring the different eras of this icon in the appropriately named comic, Audrey Hepburn. Starting with the actress’ later years, the creators jump back to when Hepburn was 20 (after she had given up aspirations of becoming a professional ballerina) and move mostly chronologically through her life, hitting on the major film roles and relationships that would shape her career, occasionally stepping back to examine her childhood during World War II.
The back cover features a quote from Hepburn’s son, Luca, that seems to inform every aspect of the comic: “Everyone has their own Audrey.” Indeed, the book’s greatest strength seems to be how the creators depict the multifaceted identity of such a major figure of popular culture. The character is in a constant rotation of hairstyles and attire, suggesting her desire to continually push and reinvent herself. This is reinforced by the chapter title pages, which depict full body images of Hepburn in different poses and outfits, as if she is changing costumes or personas as the story progresses. Botton and Giacchetto see Hepburn as a woman of many dimensions, and take every opportunity to express this visually.
Giacchetto revels in big gestures and facial expressions, bringing a strong sense of cartooning to Audrey Hepburn that is both playful and exceedingly legible. A biography about an actress doesn’t offer over-the-top action, but the artist nonetheless finds subtle ways to infuse movement into the storytelling by relying on dynamic poses that give an energy to scenes that would otherwise feel rather static. Giacchetto’s characters have large eyes, emotive hands and faces, and evoke that classic cartooning style that will be immediately recognizable to even the most casual of Disney fans.
The book is a breezy read, which is usually good, but it also seems to gloss over some of the more intriguing and perhaps less discussed years of Hepburn’s life, notably her time volunteering as a nurse in a field hospital during World War II, as well as her later career as an ambassador for UNICEF. I suspect dwelling too much on these moments, however, would have weighed down an otherwise intentionally upbeat book, so I can’t say their omission is a surprise.
Audrey Hepburn falls into some of the expected pitfalls of biographies, in that sometimes it feels more like a list of historical occurrences rather than a carefully crafted story, but if you enjoy mostly straightforward, step-by-step accounts (or biographies, of course), this comic will feel extremely familiar. If you’re looking for a deeply critical analysis of the complex cultural icon that is Audrey Hepburn, you will not find it in this comic, but what Botton and Giacchetto have done is create a book that has fun in highlighting the successes of an exceptional woman who probably doesn’t get the credit she deserves as an artist and performer.
Audrey Hepburn Vol. By Michele Botton Art by Dorilys Giacchetto NBM Publishing, 2024 ISBN: 9781681123462
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Italian, Character Representation: British,
Whenever war is used as a theme in literature it is typically to serve the trope of condemning war’s costs beyond the buildings bombed and bullets fired. Simply put, according to these artistic endeavors, war changes people and often for the worse. War leaves scars on the body and the mind while also reminding us that people capable of love and compassion are also capable of barbarity and bloodshed. War’s effect on one young man is explored in Hound, a graphic novel written by Sam Romesburg and Sam Freeman and illustrated by Rodrigo Vázquez.
Specifically, it is World War I that serves as the backdrop for this dark descent into humanity’s baser nature. Private Barrow is a good soldier, but his new assignment has him interacting with fellow officers who have become much more than good soldiers . . . and much less. Private Barrow has become part of a unit called the Hounds, due to the shape of their gas masks, and their territory is a strip of land bombarded by mustard gas attacks. To Barrow’s horror, his new unit has formed a strange kind of cult that worships violence and they seek to initiate him. Either Barrow joins the Hounds or he is prey.
At about 96 pages of graphically told story, Romesburg and Freeman’s story doesn’t delve too deeply into the horrors of war, but epistolary captions representing Barrow’s journal does allow the reader to get into his head, not only as he sees what the Hounds truly are, but as he himself must do some violent acts in order to survive. Much of the book is Barrow trying to stay ahead of enemy soldiers and members of his unit who seek to either indoctrinate him or run him to ground. However, despite Barrow’s portrayal as an innocent, he must, as the trope dictates, commit acts that tarnish that innocence. A scene where he has to hide from the enemy is a particularly harrowing one.
As a book about the horrors of war, Vázquez’s artwork depicts a lot of graphic images of death and horror. The men who make up the Hounds are not just changed mentally, but physically. Their teeth are misshapen, their skin is covered in sores and lesions, and their howls are depicted as letters that flow across the page and into the readers’ ears. It’s a story that seems light on action but almost drips with visceral and violent imagery. Vázquez is definitely not shy about letting the red run rampant on the page.
The overall ending of the book is somewhat ambiguous, which may deter or captivate readers, but this book is, overall, a solid complement to an adult graphic novel collection. Perhaps it doesn’t cut deep enough to explore its themes of war and violence, but fans of war movies like Platoon or Inglorious Basterds should enjoy the story and perhaps be fascinated by the personal war within one Private Barrow.
Hound By Sam Romesburg, Sam Freeman Art by Rodrigo Vázquez Mad Cave Studios, 2024 ISBN: 9781952303784
Gotta’ catch them all—“them” being a host of ultra-powerful demons set loose on earth and now largely under the control of an assortment of criminals, altruists, and opportunists. What’s the worst that could happen?
Boom! Studios brings us the opening volley in a new series from Simon Spurrier and Charlie Adlard. In voice over and flashback, the story opens with an introduction to Ellie and her uncle Alfie. Young and naïve, Ellie convinces her uncle to show her a summoning—an act he reluctantly agrees to. The moment… doesn’t go great, but no one dies and it begins Ellie’s introduction to an occult world of magic, angels, demons, and hierarchies far beyond human understanding jotted down in conflicting grimoires and notes scribbled by long-dead madmen.
Twelve years later, Ellie is not the naïve youngster she once was. Other things have changed, too. Alfie is dead, and the circumstances may not be so simple as they first appeared. More immediately, demons, once only summoned by complex rituals, are suddenly appearing at the beck and call of low-level gangsters with only the most basic understanding of magic. Something has changed. And so Ellie sets off with those few people she somewhat trusts, her trusty claw hammer, and all the magical knowledge at her disposal to figure out what happened to Alfie, stop the demonic rampages across the city, and send every one of these beings back to the abyss—even if she has to exorcise each one of them herself.
If only it were that simple.
In Spurrier’s hands, Damn Them All quickly embraces a richly textured mix of noir, dark urban fantasy, and horror. The characters are sharp, the landscape is gritty, and the action draws the reader deeper into this world where there is always some secret or paranormal mystery waiting to be revealed. Not every comic that takes on this scope of storytelling and worldbuilding manages to pull it off, but Spurrier clearly has a handle on the script and the medium to balance all the elements at play here. It’s sometimes a little tricky to keep track of all the players and developments, but the writing quickly brings it all to life and stays strong from start to finish, with snappy dialogue, careful management of time and character jumps, and a bold story that’s only getting started. As great as the demon-hunting adventure is, Spurrier takes the time to go deeper, giving us insight into the complexities of this world and characters, even as incomprehensible beings throw down in the street outside.
Hand-in-hand with Spurrier’s writing, Adlard’s illustrations do a fantastic job creating this world and these characters on the page. With realism that leaves room for stylization, the visuals feel rough and grounded except when reality is interrupted by supernatural forces. As the story continues, these two planes of existence become readily intertwined, as colorful magic courses along gritty back alleys and blood-stained crime scenes. The characters are distinct and diverse, with each page and panel engaging to look at, as investigation moves to action and back again—interspersed with ongoing narration from Ellie and other key characters.
Boom! does not list a specific age rating for this title, but Damn Them All is clearly written for adult audiences. There’s consistent strong language that those familiar with more British styles of cursing may not be surprised by—as well as graphic violence and disfigurement, drug use, and adult situations. The comic has a horror edge to it, but there’s a dark humor running through much of the story that lightens the impact somewhat. The marketing draws an unsurprising comparison to the character of John Constantine, and readers familiar with that brand of gritty but snappy dark fantasy should have an idea of what to expect here. In final summary, Damn them All is not for every collection—but if your readers like mature paranormal noir, Spurrier, Adlard, and the rest of this creative team have created an excellent first volume of a story that should not disappoint readers looking for a complex antihero who’s willing to throw a demon prince through a window just because she’s having a bad day.
Damn Them All By Simon Spurrier Art by Charlie Adlard BOOM! Studios, 2023 ISBN: 9781684159116
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+) Creator Representation: British Character Representation: British
Life on the Isle of Man is peaceful and quiet, and it is driving Kay Farragher mad! An aspiring songwriter and singer, Kay dreams of a world beyond her rural village and caring for her ailing grandmother. She dreams of a life on stage and audiences outside of the pub where she works.
The problem with dreams, however, is that sometimes they become nightmares.
A chance encounter with a young girl named Mona on Halloween Night gives Kay more than she bargained for. Mona claims to have come from a world of eternal twilight, straight from the faerie stories Kay’s grandmother believes in. Soon Kay finds herself neck-deep in that world, where a horseshoe is a weapon, a hero of legend seeks the bride he was promised, and the scoundrels of two worlds seek to scheme their way out of their own dark bargains.
I had high expectations heading into Cold Iron. Apart from a fondness for Celtic mythology and horror tales involving faeries, I am a big fan of Andy Diggle’s writing and have been since his highly underrated run on Hellblazer. I was not disappointed.
Two things distinguish Cold Iron from similar stories. One is the setting, which draws upon the unique mythology of the Isle of Man, rather than the more familiar Irish Leprechauns or the Selkies of Scotland’s Orkney Islands. The other is the lead character Kay, who is developed far beyond being the typical strong female protagonist that takes center stage in many modern horror stories.
Kay is a conflicted character, being both a dreamer and a realist. She delights in entertaining children with spooky tales and songs at Halloween, but she doesn’t believe in the myths her grandmother accepts as gospel. She longs to see the world, but wants to maintain the family farm, even as she rebels against the idea of a comfortable life working in a fish and chips shop and marrying her on-again/off-again boyfriend. These details make Kay seem more sympathetic and more real, grounding the fantastic elements of the story.
The artwork by Nick Brokenshire, with colors by Triona Farrell and letters by Simon Bowland, manages a similar balancing act. Brokenshire proves equally adept at capturing the static beauty of the Isle of Man and in depicting the weird horror of the faerie realm. Farrell uses different contrasting palettes for both worlds, with the vibrancy of the twilight realm offering a firm divide against the stark reality of Kay’s life. Bowland also uses distinctive fonts for the Fair Folk, to subtly hint at their alien nature.
Dark Horse Comics rated this volume as appropriate for ages 12 and up. I think that might be a fair assessment of the story, which has nothing more objectionable than a bit of violence and a few curse words. The artist notes in the back of the book, however, feature some sketches of naked fairies that are a bit extreme for a T-rating. I would shelve this volume in the older teen or adult section just to be safe and since I think the story is more likely to appeal to older audiences, who can appreciate the full horror Mona finds in the future.
Cold Iron By Andy Diggle Art by Nick Brokenshire, Triona Farrell, Simon Bowland, Tom Muller Dark Horse, 2023 ISBN: 9781506730875
Publisher Age Rating: 12+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: British, Irish, Scottish, Character Representation: British,
Love comes in all shapes and sizes, whether it’s between adventurous pirates, burgeoning demon hunters, smooth spies, or even your average couple trying to make it all work. Young Men in Love, edited by Joe Glass and Matt Miner, showcases all these relationships and more, containing twenty stories from queer creators devoted to exploring the romantic hurdles and queer joy of male/masculine couples. This graphic novel boasts a variety of genres: fantasy, sci-fi, paranormal romance, contemporary slice of life, etc., ensuring that each reader will be able to find at least a story or two to enjoy.
Typical of most anthologies, not every story is going to be as hard hitting as the next one. With an average length of four to eight pages, there are some that struggle to break beyond their concept, leaving the reader more with an idea rather than a fleshed out narrative. The majority of contributors, however, manage to pace their stories so that, though we may not spend much time with these characters, they still leave a great amount of impact. Despite the varying appeal of each story, there is an admirable amount of honesty, vulnerability, and love interwoven within them all. An immense sense of pride lives in these pages that comes from an unwavering self-acceptance and the ability to love openly without shame or fear. Moments of loneliness, depression, and doubt play roles in multiple stories, but they always come around to love in the end, whether it comes from a partner or within themselves.
Given the graphic novel’s notable range in terms of content and themes, there are several stories that display aspects of queerness that are rarely discussed in the community. Ned Barnett and Ian Bisbal’s “Another Name” deals with a trans man realizing his identity and coming out to his partner in what was once a heterosexual relationship, highlighting the fears and anxiety that may come with such a discovery. “Act of Grace,” written by Anthony Oliveira and illustrated by Nick Robles, follows a teen expressing religious guilt to his priest, afraid of how his feelings for a boy may conflict with his Catholic upbringing. Editor Joe Glass, along with Auguste Kanakis, throw in a moving inclusion in “Love Yourself,” which has a character experience the fetishization of plus sized men in the community and how validation and love for someone comes from appreciating and celebrating the whole of them rather than a singular aspect. These are all facets to the queer experience that I have seen firsthand, but seldom are they reflected in media tailored to those they are meant to represent. Seeing these conflicts approached and resolved with such depth and respect allows the reader a touch of hope and comfort, even if they may not entirely relate to it.
Intent on including as many voices and experiences as possible, Young Men in Love also gives a tremendous amount of diverse representation in terms of ethnicity and body type. It shies away from solely depicting the stereotypical skinny, white, gay man, as there are several stories with black, brown, and plus-sized protagonists. What’s so refreshing about these depictions is that, aside from “Another Name” and “Love Yourself,” none of the stories make the characters’ backgrounds the focal point of their conflict. They exist as people foremost, without their identities being a source of added trauma.
As there is a separate artist accompanying each installment, there is a vast variety in art styles, ranging from charmingly cartoonish to engagingly realistic. I will forever throw praise onto Nick Robles, who puts so much life into his textures and instills a healthy dose of emotion and drama into “Act of Grace” through his use of lighting and character expressions. There is something Leyendecker-esque about his style where he captures the male form exceptionally well, making it the perfect fit for this collection. I also really appreciated the yellow tinge given to the palette and borders of Paul Allor and Lane Lloyd’s “The Way Home,” producing a nostalgic effect reminiscent of those old comics that had probably been left in the basement for too long. Overall, there is a vibrant rainbow of color throughout the graphic novel, as the reader is treated to vibrant pastels to moody, atmospheric shadows. Each story, as a result, becomes visually distinct and memorable, even if its content may not have lived up to the one that preceded it. None of the art in this graphic novel disappoints, which brings a certain coherence to all the differing perspectives within.
For fans of uplifting romantic stories with happy endings or layered depictions of queer experiences, Young Men in Love will hit that emotional, sappy spot in spades. As a romance comic, the content is fairly clean, with nothing going further than the occasional cuddle or kiss. The featured protagonists range from being young teens to full adults, so it may appeal most to readers fourteen and up. Librarians and educators looking to obtain graphic novels with positive and varied queer representation from queer creators should consider purchasing this title.
Young Men in Love Vol. By Joe Glass, Matt Miner A Wave Blue World, 2022 ISBN: 9781949518207
Publisher Age Rating: 13+ NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Black, Brazilian, British, Canadian, Greek, Latinx, Malaysian, Mexican-American, Bisexual, Gay, Queer, Nonbinary, Trans Character Representation: Black, British, East Asian, Latinx, Gay, Queer, Nonbinary, Trans, Catholic
Lewis Hancox’s teen years were much like anyone else’s, filled with the typical high school drama, perpetual awkwardness, and desperation to fit in. For him, however, it seemed like there were extra hurdles to face, being a girl that had yet to discover that he was actually a boy. In Welcome to St. Hell, Hancox addresses his younger self to guide her through those messy years of hating her body, of being confused at who exactly she’s supposed to kiss, of constantly trying to pass as a “normal girl.” Being a typical teenager, the younger Hancox tries to ignore her older self at every turn but cannot deny that she feels like an alien in her own skin. What follows is a humorous, relatable, and down to Earth depiction of Hancox’s gender exploration and eventual acceptance, told in a way that educates just as much as it entertains.
Welcome to St. Hell’s story is refreshingly grounded, widening its appeal to every kind of audience. Though the author’s transness is the focal point, there are other elements and situations that distinguish Hancox’s experiences from coming solely from a trans standpoint. Anyone who has ever walked a high school hallway will relate to those feelings of just trying to survive that time while also making an identity that’s your own, or something close to it. We all face adversities when discovering who we are, and we all fumble along the way. Hancox utilizes these shared feelings within adolescence to illustrate his journey in a context that anyone can empathize with. This is also added by his inclusion of interviews he conducted with his family and friends, detailing their initial reactions to his coming out and how they came to support him. These interviews allow for a different perspective for both allies and trans youth, delivering moments of education in how to best conduct allyship and shedding light on the effects a coming out may have to both parties.
The one thing that may take some readers out of the comic is the heavy use of British slang, which can confuse those not familiar with it, though they may adapt once they find the comic’s rhythm.
Though it has its moments of heartache, Hancox’s story is ultimately one full of honesty, hope, and humor. Even the presence of Hancox’s older self brings the positivity of a future where trans youth survive and have fulfilling adult lives. While trauma and hardship are incredibly valid in one’s gender journey, a memoir that sets a more uplifting tone to a work of trans survival can bring about a great deal of affirmation in trans youths’ lives.
Matching the tone and feel of the comic perfectly, Hancox’s art style looks like it came right out of a teenager’s prized doodle book. At many points, it reminded me of a lot of different zines, though mainly due to its mostly four panel per page structure and black and white color. The art style lends itself to a lot of great, funny expressions, my favorite being Hancox’s big eyebrows that cover a range of emotions all on their own. It is not an overly ornate comic, sticking more to simple character designs and backgrounds, but will appeal to those who prefer more cartoon-like art and less busy panels.
As the memoir is split between Hancox’s high school and college years, there are some mature topics that come into play, such as alcohol use, gender dysphoria, and eating disorders, and includes some brief moments of cartoony nudity and one use of the T slur. Scholastic has given this graphic novel an age rating of 14-18, which is appropriate given the content listed above, though I’m sure college students may be able to relate to the second half as well. Welcome to St. Hell is best for those looking for representative trans comics, whether as a trans youth looking for validating experiences, especially from trans men, or an ally looking to educate themselves on trans matters. I highly recommend this title to librarians and educators aiming to include a good variety of trans works into their graphic novel collections in terms of tone and depictions.
Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure By Lewis Hancox Scholastic GRAPHIX, 2022 ISBN: 9781338824445
Publisher Age Rating: 14-18
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: British, Trans , Eating Disorder
Scarlett and Sophie Rickard’s The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists adapts a classic work of socialist fiction for a new audience. This retelling of Robert Tressell’s 1914 semi-autobiographical novel follows Frank Owen, a house painter with tuberculosis, and his fellow laborers, dramatizing their experiences with crooked bosses and chronic poverty in a pre-welfare state Britain. The graphic novel draws an unflinching portrait of working-class life, but its tragedies are interwoven with a wryly comic, yet profoundly moving message about power, politics, and the necessity of class struggle.
The book opens with a crew of painters on break, engaged in a contentious discussion of the economic issues that define their working lives. Low wages and lack of job security have left a mark on each man: Owen resorts to doing skilled decorative work for little pay, while facing the prospect of leaving his family destitute should he succumb to tuberculosis; another worker, Easton, is so far in debt that he must take in an unsavory boarder to ensure his young child has enough to eat; and the elderly Linden must continue working to provide for his family, knowing that the alternative is a punishing old age in the workhouse.
Yet The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists is not simply a chronicle of suffering. The painters argue, agitate, and make us laugh as they express political opinions that feel as current in our modern era as in early twentieth-century Britain. This is a didactic novel, which means we’re treated to slightly stagey conversations in which characters wrangle over the root causes of economic inequality and explore its possible remedies. Thanks to Sophie Rickard’s eloquent and economical script, these exchanges are nearly as affecting as the labor struggles that inform them. It’s a joy to watch political dialogue take place not in classrooms or on social media feeds, but in the workplaces and homes of working-class families. Readers may or may not cosign the book’s of-its-time vision of a classical socialist utopia, but many will respond to its central thesis, that progress is possible if ordinary people engage with politics not as a spectator sport, but as citizens acting in solidarity with their fellow workers.
If Sophie Rickard’s script deftly adapts Tressell’s original 600-page epic, Scarlett Rickard’s art brings it to vivid life. Full-color panels recall the sharply observed domestic settings of Raymond Briggs’ adult graphic novels, delivering what feels like a sly satire of bucolic depictions of Victorian and Edwardian Britain. Against dollhouse-like backdrops of houses and storefronts, Rickard portrays the physicality of labor, craft, and housekeeping, reminding us that ordinary people worked hard to construct and maintain the built environments that appear in our favorite BBC costume dramas. Yet there’s also a lot of warmth in these pages; emotionally rendered scenes of holiday celebrations, family gatherings, and acts of friendship bring to life not only the struggles of the working class, but the personal relationships that make change worth fighting for.
In the decades following its original publication, The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists had an outsized impact on labor politics, both in Britain and globally. The Rickards’ adaptation makes this indispensable novel accessible to contemporary readers in an effective new format. This book is an excellent choice for nearly all adult graphic novel collections, and young adult and high school purchasers should also give it strong consideration. Readers should note that, in addition to scenes of violence and worker abuse, this book contains depictions of sexual assault, postpartum depression, and suicide.
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists By Sophie Rickard Art by Scarlett Rickard SelfMadeHero, 2021 ISBN: 9781910593929
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: British Character Representation: British, Chronic Illness
In the imperial Russia of 1916, the city of Petrograd is mired in class warfare and despair. Embittered soldiers languish on the eastern front of the Great War, commoners queue in bread lines, intelligence operatives engage in furtive combat with Bolshevik revolutionaries, and people from all strata of society gossip about Rasputin, the charismatic mystic whose influence with the Tsarina threatens Russia’s stability.
Enter Cleary, a British intelligence officer of Irish extraction who’s been assigned to duty in Petrograd. Cleary isn’t patriotic; in fact, he harbors secret sympathies with Irish revolutionaries back home. But he’s committed to remaining in Petrograd, far from the terrors of the war—even if it means being tasked by distant bureaucrats to solve the Russian problem in a surprising manner. Cleary’s orders are simple: he must arrange the assassination of Grigori Rasputin.
What follows is less spy thriller, more absurdist satire in the “war is hell” tradition of World War I literature. Cleary’s plot is soon co-opted by a pair of dilettante Russian noblemen, whose modus operandi as amateur assassins resembles a Looney Tunes sketch. Rasputin himself is a shadowy opportunist whose political importance is dubious and whose spooky reputation mostly exists in the minds of his fellow Russians. And Cleary is not so much an action hero as a dupe, as he quickly realizes that, when this ill-conceived assassination goes south, he’ll be left holding the bag.
I liked a lot of the storytelling and artistic choices in Petrograd, particularly those that ground the mythology of Rasputin and revolutionary-era Russia in the gritty reality of class politics and global imperialism. In crafting the story of Petrograd, author Philip Gelatt draws on an unsubstantiated theory that British intelligence was involved in Rasputin’s death; though fictionalized, the story draws on a wealth of scholarly sources. Illustrator Tyler Crook elevates the project with evocative sepia-toned art that conveys the calm-before-the-storm atmosphere of a Russia on the verge of revolution.
Yet as spy fiction, Petrograd fell flat for me. Cleary is an intriguing character, a pawn of the British Empire whose need to save his own skin puts him at war with his better self. Yet the other characters who populate this story—with the exception of the elusive Rasputin—feel one-dimensional, without any of the subtleties and hidden motivations that make spy capers so darn fun. Nor did this script really gel for me as an adventure story; scenes are weighed down with dialogue and “as you know, Bob” exposition, with action hijinks mostly confined to the book’s climactic pages.
Ultimately, not only did this flat storytelling make for an unsatisfying read, but it did a disservice to the subject matter. By positioning Cleary as the only fully realized character in the dystopian landscape of wartime Petrograd, this book falls into Orientalist cliché, casting Russia as a backward nation whose inhabitants are nefarious, hapless, and doomed. Cleary may be an antihero, but he’s nevertheless the only character who feels like he has any real agency. A scene near the end places him in a crucial role in the 1917 February Revolution; in other words, Russians aren’t even given full credit for their own political revolution.
Petrograd will appeal to historical comic readers interested in a fresh, unusual retelling of the events of 1916/17 Russia, as well as fans of Tyler Crook’s award-winning art. The comic did rekindle my interest in 20th-century Russian history, from its revolutionary politics to the figure of Felix Yusupov, the queer, crossdressing nobleman who was one of the chief co-conspirators of the Rasputin assassination. While this one was ultimately a pass for me, Gelatt and Crook do succeed in bringing this history to life and making its complexities accessible to general readers.
Petrograd By Philip Gelatt Art by Tyler Crook Oni Press Lion Forge, 2022 ISBN: 9781637150153
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Character Representation: British, Irish, Russian, Queer, Gender Nonconforming
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In the imperial Russia of 1916, the city of Petrograd is mired in class warfare and despair. Embittered soldiers languish on the eastern front of the Great War, commoners queue in bread lines, intelligence operatives engage in furtive combat with Bolshevik revolutionaries, and people from all strata of society gossip about Rasputin, the charismatic mystic whose influence with the Tsarina threatens Russia’s stability.
