Tripping Over You, Volume 2, from Suzana Harcum and Owena White, picks up not long after the first graphic left off, showing unlikely couple Liam and Milo navigating their maturing relationship. This slice of life romantic comic was adapted from real life couple Harcum and White’s webtoon in February and promises more volumes to come. Fresh out of high school, the pair are growing into young adults and trying to allow their relationship to grow with them. Liam and Milo are in a very interesting phase, kind of semi-out to their families (who bring their own baggage into their relationship) and striving to make room for each other as their lives grow fuller. Liam doesn’t know what he wants out of his future and Milo seems plagued with self doubt, but they keep circling back to find comfort in each other. This volume catches our couple at a very real, very vulnerable time where a high school relationship can evolve into an adult one or where it can flounder under the weight of growing up.
This is a sweet story that young readers can easily connect with. The art is incredibly cute with Harcum and White using a style that hits me as a kind of Disneyified Manga: characters with big eyes and bold lines in a world of saturated color. It is very easy to read and honestly just pretty. Liam and Milo give classic black cat/golden retriever energy and seem hyper aware of the struggles that can come with relationships where people have different needs and communication styles. While this comic does show a growing young adult relationship and the intimacy that comes with it, there’s nothing explicit on page or even suggested and I would probably recommend it as young as 6th or 7th grade, depending on the reader. There are a couple of shirtless scenes and implied sex and Liam still hasn’t kicked his smoking habit from book one. But with that, their relationship maintains an innocence that will keep it accessible to a wide range of readers.
The plot beats were a bit of a hang up to me. The small domestic moments of our couple meeting new people, fighting to find time together, struggling with demanding families, and eventually moving in together feel almost like filler, like all of these moments are leading towards conflict in a future volume. The most striking of these involve Milo’s new friend Hebert, an American theater student. There isn’t immediate conflict but there is definitely unresolved tension and Hebert’s motives are questionable at best. Many of the plot points feel unresolved. Liam still does not have a clear career path and Milo still seems uncertain in aspects of their relationship. All of these things made this feel less like a step in their story and more like laying groundwork for the next book.
But honestly, I don’t know if I care. It was still a lovely read. The characters are ones you want to spend time with and their relationship is easy to invest in. It’s sweet and loving and a ready made next read for my Heartstopper fans. Parts of it do come off as wish fulfillment, particularly the moment where Liam comes out to his father. But queer kids deserve as much wish fulfillment as they can get. I can’t help but worry that these boys will have a tough time ahead of them, but my fingers are crossed for a happy ending.
Tripping Over You, Volume 2 By Suzana Harcum Macmillan First Second, 2026 ISBN: 9781250330734
Company Age Rating: 14-18
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Lesbian, , Character Representation: Queer, Jewish ,
Stories can make you sigh for all sorts of reasons. Frustration, contentment, resolve. Angelica and the Bear Prince, published by Random House Graphix in October 2025, pulls a deep, comforting, swoon-like sigh from the reader, at least this reader. This is a cup of cocoa of a graphic novel. A warm, joint popping hug of a graphic novel. A fully broken-in hoodie of a graphic novel. It’s the best kind of sweet, romantic, comfort read.
Angelica and the Bear Prince, author/illustrator Trung Le Nguyen’s follow up to the award winning The Magic Fish, is a very loose reimagining of the Norwegian fairy tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon. It follows Angelica, Jelly to her friends, who is picking herself back up after hitting a pretty serious burnout wall. Jelly is an over-achiever and a people-pleaser who got so wrapped up in her desperation not to disappoint people that she ran herself right into the ground.
With perfect timing for her to realign herself, Jelly gets an internship at the theater company that was her happy place as a child. She gets to spend the whole winter stage managing her favorite play with her best friend Christine who is starring opposite the play’s lead and the theater’s mascot Peri the bear in Jelly’s favorite play. The mascot whose social media account Jelly has developed a pen pal style relationship with. The mascot who is embodied by a figure from Jelly’s past who is desperate to reconnect with her. The reveal here and the shift in their relationship takes a while to develop but is so, so satisfying.
Per Nguyen, this is a story about grief and it drips off every page. The grief that comes with growing up, grief of mourning a loved one, grief of dealing with mental health struggles. And with all that heaviness, this is an incredibly light, hopeful graphic, partially because of Nguyen’s stunning art. The illustrations are like a manga processed through a Disney lens, giving the graphic a bright, beautiful flow that is incredibly easy to read. The characters feel lived in and real and their hopes and struggles are incredibly relatable. The story is romantic and sweet and so beautifully told.
One of my favorite things about this graphic is that all the characters are given room to grow. So frequently in stories like this anyone who is not the central romantic couple just fade into the background, but Nguyen doesn’t fall into that. Jelly’s mom, still mourning the loss of her own mother, is anxious and uncertain and desperate to help her daughter grow while keeping Jelly her little girl. The stern manager of the theater is learning how to keep loving after their own loss and massive life changes. Christine, who easily could have been relegated to the barely-seen-best-friend role or the focus of Jelly’s jealous for landing the lead role of the Princess in the play, is a ride or die bestie throughout both being there for Jelly to lean on and going to her for support when she realizes her relationship isn’t what she deserves.
Angelica and the Bear Prince is such a lovely, cozy graphic. Teens and preteens alike can easily get wrapped into the romance and coming of age elements of the story and the focus on transformation and growth. It’s a legit pleasure to read.
Angelica and the Bear Prince By Trung Le Nguyen Penguin Random House Graphic, 2025 ISBN: 9781984892669
Company Age Rating: 12+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16), Tween (10-13) Creator Representation: Vietnamese, Nonbinary , Character Representation: South Asian, Trans, Anxiety, Depression
Eighteen-year-old Autumn is in her senior year of school and works in a coffee shop. It seems like a humdrum life, but what she’s going to do after graduation eludes her. Her dad left a couple years ago, and her mom doesn’t have any money to send her to college. So, her future holds just work, and for not enough to live on by herself. Is this all there is?
Then, a boy from her school (who owns a bookshop) and an imaginary friend from her childhood (who’s a… well, it’s not explained right away… ) pop back into her life through a series of increasingly unlikely events. Statues of animals in the park speak to her, tiny glowing fairy lights find her in the park, her hands start *glowing*, and a HUGE guardian troll named Fred finds her and then disappears! The coffee job suddenly seems soothingly boring after that. But strange people keep finding her. Just when a dark, purple-suited man with a Van Dyke shows up and threatens her, her MOM shows up and defends her! (With her same glowing hands and eyes!) Why won’t anyone tell Autumn what’s going on? All she keeps hearing is “not now”.
The art is sharp edged, with broad marker inking, and is somewhat two dimensional. Washes of color help portray the light values and keep the art more interesting. It reminds me a bit of Mike Mignola’s art, back in the first days of Hellboy, or his graphic novels of Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser. And just like those comics, this spooky tale starts with a teenager’s discovery that the world isn’t exactly what she thought it was. It’s filled with creatures, fae, and dark powers. Who IS Autumn? Who is her mom? Adolescent anxieties and rites-of-passage sync perfectly with this story, which flows smoothly and should interest teens and young adults. Autumn is challenged to decide who she wants to be. But she needs to figure it out soon, because Mr. Purple-Suit’s threats are getting louder and more powerful. (OTOH, isn’t it useful when the baddies just TELL you what nefarious plans they have? Bad call, Mr. Purple Suit. And stop the mansplaining, would you?)
No adult situations, and minimal violence. Suggested for the young adult section.
The October Girl, Book 1 By Matthew Dow Smith Mad Cave Studios, 2025 ISBN: 9781960578594
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16)
After her acclaimed graphic memoir, Ephemera, Briana Loewinsohn explores a fictional account of her adolescent years in the graphic novel, Raised By Ghosts. Set in the 90’s, through her years in middle and high school, the story follows Briana traveling between the houses of her divorced parents as she finds friends, music, and art.
Loewinsohn has a distinct style to her writing and illustrations that lends itself well to remembered stories. The text is primarily in journal entries, juxtaposed against comic panels illustrating her daily life. The words are filled with emotion and metaphor, and the watercolor illustrations are toned down in shades of brown. Just as in Ephemera, her book in memory of a lost mom, Raised by Ghosts, feels like a delicate remembrance of Loewinsohn’s past.
Briana’s journal entries are written on top of illustrated torn journal pages. Through these journals we see the inner world of a young girl struggling to find a place at home and school. In the illustrations she is taking the bus to school and struggling through class. At home it is quiet and the houses are lonely with parents who are only just glimpsed through overheard comments, half-hearted replies, or shouted demands from off the page. In high school the illustrations show her with new found friends and smiles on her face, but home is still lonely and quiet, with little more than traces of either parent to grace the panel illustrations.
“Maybe years later all these hours will blend together into one eternal day. Long days on a bus that goes nowhere and will never end.” Lowinsohn’s attention to her writing and illustrations, elevates the beauty of this graphic novel. The words themselves are beautiful. I found myself collecting quote after beautiful quote. The journal pages are all handwritten. It is not a handwritten font, but rather handwriting, that evolves as Briana the character ages. There is little dialogue until her older years, as her friendships deepen and those conversations grow in importance, so the bulk of the story is told through the journal.
There are other characters in the book other than Briana, parents who are never physically seen on the page, except for the hand of her mother. Siblings are mentioned once but never seen or heard. Her friends are on the page though, such as Clera, Emily, and Jacob. However, the story is at its very core Briana’s. The others have no arcs or growth. Briana’s sense of self, existence, is defined by the absence of her parents and the presence of her friends, and that is how they are included in the story.
Briana truly finds herself when she finds art. The illustrations transform, as she slips into the pages, embraced in a way that no one else could. The surreal illustrations seep with emotion and capture more truth for Briana than the realism throughout the rest of the book.
Just as with Ephemera, this book is stunning, from top to bottom. It is a beautiful exploration of the inner life of a girl discovering herself and the world around her. It is highly recommended for anyone who loves beautiful emotional stories.
Raised by Ghosts is written for the young adult market. It may not fly off the shelf since it is not a typical graphic novel, and may not find its people among those readers. However, those who are looking for books that revolve around emotion more than plot will adore this read. When imagining who I will hand this book to, it is my poetry readers who I think will most cherish the book. Buy it, read it for yourself. It is beautiful and you won’t regret it.
Raised by Ghosts By Briana Loewinsohn Fantagraphics, 2025 ISBN: 9798875000508
Company Age Rating: 14-18
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16)
While not the first graphic novel to be written about the atrocities of the Holocaust (and surely not the last), Ginette Kolinka’s Adieu Birkenau approaches the subject with a surprising amount of levity and accessibility. The comic splits its time between the present (well, the present of 2020), in which the 95-year-old Kolinka re-visits the Auschwitz-Birkenau prison camp with a group of students, and the events of the past. Kolinka recounts her early life in France, her large family’s attempt to escape Nazi persecution, and most notably the experience of trying to survive in camp as she was being abused, humiliated, and dehumanized.
Kolinka and her co-writers J.D. Morvan and Victor Matet present her time in the concentration camp with a matter-of-factness that avoids the dramatic, emotionally-wrought approach one might expect of a Holocaust survivor’s story. This comes across less as objectivity and more so like a survivor who has almost curated her memories so as to not be incapacitated by them. Indeed, memories seem to be a major theme of Adieu Birkenau.
It’s difficult to read Adieu Birkenau without viewing it in the context of the great tradition of memoirs that use comics and graphic novels as a way to process extremely traumatizing events, such as They Called Us Enemy, Persepolis, March, and especially Maus. Like those books, Kolinka’s work is deeply concerned with memory, and how it plays a role in processing grief. Kolinka is exceedingly upfront about how her memory is unreliable and that her tendency to block out some of the most horrendous aspects allowed her to survive. This is cleverly conveyed visually, as figures in the camps are often depicted as dark, vaguely human-shaped clouds, as if Kolinka can only remember the slightest impression of them. In the back half of the book, panels often contain scenes from both the past and present, as if to remind the reader that these events long past are still very much alive today.
Artists Cesc and Efa bring a sense of whimsy and warmth to the art that seems more informed by the animation of Disney or Studio Ghibli than most comic illustration. Characters have soft, rounded features, and big, expressive eyes that give the reader an immediate glance into their thoughts and feelings. The playfulness of the line work contrasts greatly, however, with the subtle brown and gray tones that characterize much of the graphic novel and add to the dreariness and despair of recounting life in a prison camp.
Although Adieu Birkenau is recommended for adults, there is very little that would make it inappropriate for younger readers–especially if you’re looking for an accessible way to introduce them to the horrors of the Holocaust. There are brief depictions of nudity in recounting the ways the Nazis forced the prisoners to strip down in the camps, but it’s handled very carefully and clearly used to highlight the sense of embarrassment and dehumanization that Jewish prisoners were subjected to. The most gruesome imagery one might expect to find in a comic written by a Holocaust survivor is also not explicitly shown–which certainly ties into the way that Kolinka repressed the worst aspects of her experience just to survive.
If you like stories that put a human face on big, overwhelming tragedies, like the previously mentioned Maus, then Adieu Birkenau will be right up your alley. Kolinka approaches the subject matter with much more humor than, say, Art Spiegelman, but she doesn’t gloss over the ways that trauma sticks with survivors and how our memory plays an important role in processing such horrors. It is a worthwhile addition to the hugely important genre of comics by creators trying to make sense of real world horrors.
Adieu Birkenau By Ginette Kolinka, Jean-David Morvan, and Victor Matet Art by Ricard Efa and Cesc F. Dalmases SelfMadeHero, 2024 ISBN: 9781914224232
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: French, Jewish Character Representation: French, Jewish
Miyuu Seno had dreams of becoming an artist. Those dreams were shattered when her application to art school was rejected. With no other plan for her life after high school, she submitted to her mother’s plan for a safe and secure life.
Five years later, Miyuu is completely miserable. She’s working the safe office job her mother always dreamed of, wearing the clothes and makeup her mother picks out, and trying to attract the handsome young accountant her mother pegged as prime husband material. Ironically, that plan goes south when Miyuu gets him alone and he says that he likes her… because she is “a pale, pitiful imitation.”
Incensed and outraged, Miyuu leaves her mother’s house with nothing but the clothes on her back and a blank canvas—the last one she had from her teenage years. Now, homeless but hopeful, Miyuu hopes to make her dreams come true at last, becoming a real artist, getting accepted to art school, and finding a boyfriend who appreciates her true self.
The Essence of Being a Muse is a perfect opening to what promises to be a wonderful slice-of-life series. Aya Fumino does a fantastic job of establishing the setting. More importantly, she firmly sets Miyuu up as a protagonist we want to root for and see succeed.
Miyuu is immediately sympathetic, trying her best to succeed at being a dutiful daughter and competent office worker. When she seemingly fails at that, she questions everything in her life and concludes that she’d rather fail being happy and authentic than endure another day aspiring to mediocrity. Granting that this is standard RomCom fodder, Fumino largely avoids the usual tropes… at least until the last chapter.
It is here that the narrative shifts to Kairi Nabeshima, the accountant whose harsh words inspired Miyuu to abandon her life. We see the earlier scenes play out from his perspective and learn of his own shattered dreams of becoming a male model. Far from being sympathetic, however, he views Miyuu as being like him—a wannabe who never will be, which makes him like her.
In a lesser series, this would set up an immediate romantic subplot. Instead, Kairi’s half-hearted efforts to ask Miyuu out after she starts to find success in her new life are rightly shot down. This is a welcome change from the romance manga where the heroine can’t move on from her old flame and starts to see something decent in him.
The artwork is of similarly high quality to the scripting. For the most part, Aya Fumino’s art fits the standard Shojo aesthetic. There are novel touches, however, such as the perspective and pencils becoming jittery whenever Miyuu is upset. This is most apparent during the fight with her mother but comes up for a few panels later when she is trying to sketch something for the first time in years and starts crying. It is almost as if Miyuu is drawing the comic herself but cannot steady her hand or see clearly through her tears.
This volume is rated T for Teen, meaning audiences 13 and up only. I believe that to be a fair rating. There is no violence or bloodshed, beyond some vivid shouting matches and Miyuu cutting her feet after leaving her home barefoot. There is no nudity, though Miyuu does go home with Kairi and he opens her blouse before she tells him she seriously just wanted to talk before their all too honest conversation. All in all, there is nothing inappropriate for a teenage audience, who will benefit from the book’s themes of following your dreams, being true to yourself, and not entering into a relationship just to be with someone.
The Essence of Being a Muse, Vol. 1 By Aya Fumino Yen Press, 2023 ISBN: 9781975360979
Company Age Rating: T Related media:
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Japanese, Character Representation: Japanese,
The thought of robots may conjure images of memorable characters featured in The Terminator, Star Wars, or even Futurama, but Katerina Cupová’s adaptation of Karel Capek’s unappreciated play offers an intriguing view of automatons (and our place among them) from the perspective of an early 20th century Czech playwright.
R.U.R. primarily follows the exploits of Helena Glory, head of the League of Humanity and daughter of a powerful president, who infiltrates the island factory of Rossum’s Universal Robots, where robots are manufactured in order to improve the lives of humans. Helena believes that robots have the same rights as humans and should be liberated from their servitude, a view not shared by the humans running the factory—including Harry Domin, the dismissive and naive general manager of Rossum’s Universal Robots, who reveals that the origins of robot manufacturing are rooted in greed (shocker). Harry eventually forces Helena into marriage, and over the next decade, robots become more pervasive throughout the world. We soon discover (as is common in stories of robot oppression) that they are in fact more human-like than expected. Needless to say, things quickly go south for Helena, Harry, and the other humans of R.U.R., as the robots seek freedom.
Between Cupová’s prescient plot and Cupová’s energetic, playful art, it’s genuinely surprising that the original play was written in 1920. Capek touches on themes that have become so central to science fiction in the century following R.U.R. that they’re practically cliche: the dehumanization of workers due to advances in technology, the freewill of machines, the dangers of playing God, and the steep sacrifices of so-called “progress.” Recent questions surrounding the use of Artificial Intelligence suggest that the ideas addressed by Capek are even more timely today than a century ago.
Flipping to any page of R.U.R. will reveal Cupová’s loose, expressive style that perhaps belies the themes of conformity, automation, and the loss of the human spirit. The artist relies on bold, primary colors, an ink wash/watercolor-like aesthetic, and simplified figures that evoke both newspaper comic strips and picture books. By sticking to a limited palette, Cupová’s is able to draw your eye to important characters, especially during scenes in which bright, yellow-tinged humans are surrounded by a sea of nearly identical blue robots. She seems averse to preciseness (and rulers), making it very clear that a human being produced this comic—an interesting decision that seems very deliberate in light of the story’s concerns about the devaluation of humanity. Indeed, she is noticeably un-robotic and un-clinical. Particularly unusual is Cupová’s use of word balloons, which, in addition to being jagged and seemingly haphazard, tend to snake around the page, stretch across whole panels, and intertwine with each other. Despite pushing 300 pages, R.U.R. moves quickly, relying on only the most necessary of dialogue and letting the beautiful imagery do most of the storytelling.
At times, R.U.R. verges on the melodramatic, as the bleeding heart Helena looks further into the tragic ways profits and productivity are favored over freedom and individuality, but it’s executed so well and so undeniably accurate in its assessment of contemporary capitalist society that it’s easy to forgive. Of course, if any of R.U.R.’s themes seem banal, it’s only because of how overwhelmingly they have invaded so many popular science fiction narratives of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Although R.U.R. deals with some heavy ideas, there’s very little within its pages that would be inappropriate for younger readers. Anyone seeking a robot rebellion that resembles a bloodbath will simply not find it here, as much of the violence is either implied, happens between scenes, or is presented in such a cartoonish way that it feels completely removed from real world suffering. If younger YA readers of sci-fi are looking for something a little more thought-provoking, R.U.R. would certainly be a great entry point, especially if they’ve already been introduced to some of the complicated ethical questions surrounding A.I.
R.U.R. is a highly under-discussed classic of science fiction, so I suspect fans of the genre will enjoy seeing where so many of the tropes and themes of robot fiction originated. Unfortunately, despite R.U.R.’s almost incalculable influence on pop culture, there are so few ways to experience Capek’s play, but Cupová does an excellent presenting the source material in a way that’s surprisingly breezy and accessible without shying away from big, philosophical, and often uncomfortable ideas within the original text. If you’re into Blade Runner, the 2004 Battlestar Galactica reboot, Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, or Asimov’s I, Robot then the questions raised by this comic will feel extremely familiar and have you rethinking not only the consequences of unhindered technological advancement, but what it means to be a human being.
R.U.R. Rossum’s Universal Robots By Katerina Cupova Art by Kateina Cupová Rosarium Publishing, 2024 ISBN: 9798986614687
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Czech,
Before there were ideas, symbols, rituals, and worship, witchcraft must have come from somewhere. The question is: from where?
While there are hundreds of books that answer that question, there is also opinion on what witchcraft means. What if there was a simple and graphic way to tell that history without being overwhelming or confusing.
This is where Witchcraft: A Graphic History comes in.
Written by Lindsay Squire, who runs the popular Instagram and Facebook account @thewitchintheforest, she takes this question head on. With art by Italian artist Lisa Salsi, Witchcraft: A Graphic History takes the reader through the basics of the history of witchcraft using a younger alternate Lindsay as she interviews Biddy Early, one of the first, if not the first, witches recorded in Irish history.
Our story begins at the turn of the 19th century where young Lindsay meets Biddy Early in the forest. At first trepidatious on meeting Biddy, Lindsay’s family are very conservative church goers and do not want Lindsay around Biddy, Lindsay learns that a witch is in fact many things including a herbalist, medicine woman, and healer. Using their education of the natural world (primarily plants and flowers), these women referred to as witches were who you went to if you were feeling ill, needed medical attention, or needed a tonic. Because these women (mostly women) were independent, refused to conform, and knowledgeable about the natural world, they were seen as a threat to the local populace. Many of these women were beaten, killed, or banned from their homes.
Biddy Early tells the history of witchcraft to Lindsay as they gather plans in the forest. Witchcraft stretches back into time and there have always been witches. While most were treated badly, many were treated as goddesses in their own right.
As the history lesson continues, we have a secondary plot of the village’s thoughts on Biddy. Biddy has helped many villagers with their aches and pains but the local pastor wants to see her at least banned from the village if not eventually put to death. As Lindsay learns more about the natural world, and witchcraft itself, we watch the drama unfold around them. In the end, Biddy’s home and life are restored and Lindsay has taken on the role of Biddy’s assistant, wanting to be one of these women who help the world around them.
While the basic history of witchcraft is told, with Biddy at the center, the history of Biddy and witchcraft are scant. While the reader learns about different types of witches (green witch, hedge witch, solitary practitioner, and more) and the tools of their trade (cauldron, grimoire, besom (broom)), we do not learn that Biddy married four times or that she would live a very long life. The graphic novel is short (only 130 pages) and more details and history could easily have been added without adding fluff to the story.
I could not find much about Lisa Salsi other than she has an Instagram account, has worked on other books, and writes her Instagram captions in Italian. But! Despite the lack of information on the artist, her work caught my eye immediately. Salsi’s work presents the story in a calm and understated manner. To be sure, I would have thought given the subject the colors would be wild, deep, and colorful but no, the palette is neutral, colors are muted, and the application is watercolor like.
The language is written at roughly an 8th grade level and is very direct and not superfluous. While there is no grade or reading level attached, this graphic novel could easily be assigned and understood by a young adult. What is told in the book is enough to whet the appetite for a deeper understanding of witchcraft, herbalism, botany, Biddy herself, and other witches from Ireland and across Europe.
Witchcraft: A Graphic History Vol. By Lindsay Squire Art by Lisa Salsi Leaping Hare Press, 2024 ISBN: 9780711295254
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
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,
“Once you go out that door, ain’t no safe side, only South Side.”
Fifteen-year-old Darius is living in the South Side of Chicago with his stepdad, little sister Cissy, and memories of his mother who passed away in an act of violence. The event left him with a consistent physical injury to his leg and real, lasting trauma in his mind. He’s tired of living in constant anxiety. It’s a dreary existence, but an opportunity for change presents itself in the form of a crashed Brinks armored car. It’s supposedly blowing money all across the highway – all Darius needs to do is get there, seize the treasure, and be on his way. But no quest is without its trials. First of all, Darius and his crew step out of the bounds of their neighborhood’s neutral zone, which means their safety can’t be guaranteed. To make matters worse, Darius’ best friend, Booger, documents their adventure on social media and word gets out about the truck, the cash, and the trio. They soon become the biggest targets for all of the dangers the South Side can sic at them. Will they make it home or fall victim to the gang violence that pollutes the streets of Chi-Town? What would you do for a life-changing amount of money?
Just as engaging as the story itself, Safe Passage offers a little insight into an unknown (to me) topic: how gang violence and crime in the South Side of Chicago became so prevalent. The title comes from a program that Chicago Public Schools implemented to better ensure the safety of the children who walked to school, the Safe Passage Program, which is still in use today. It consists of concerned community members stationed at certain posts throughout the neighborhood so they can monitor the children walking to school and easily get in touch with emergency services if needed. Although Darius only lives ten blocks from his school, he has to cross through four different gang territories to get there.
The illustrations are done in a painterly monochrome—an interesting juxtaposition against the colorful cast. The flashbacks, all except one, are less rendered than the current timeline, evoking memories that are perhaps a bit frayed at the edges. The book is relatively short, but with very dense exposition and was not a quick read for me, although you won’t hear me complaining—it was interesting and worth the time it took.
Safe Passage is a fascinating read, however I would not recommend this title for readers who are in the young teen category or younger (15 years and below). The depiction of violence and poverty is not gory or graphic, but it is constant and honest. And we can’t forget that this story, although fictional, is rooted in very real human history. Darius and his family don’t exist, but there are many like them and they have gone through similar scenarios. These kids journey through gang territory, trap houses, abduction, unfamiliar settings, and the trauma that comes with such experiences.
The story almost feels like a fantasy in its structure: there are 6 rules that must be obeyed, evoking imagery of old fae and mythic spells; there is a quest with trials and tribulations; there is a heroic trio made up of ordinary scamps who risk their lives for glory. But there is no magic here. Darius’ stepdad does what he can to get working again, the family is facing eviction, and Darius makes certain choices about who he considers his friends and how he spends his time. The reality of life in the South Side makes hope fleeting, but perhaps all the more significant for its rarity.
It should be noted that Safe Passage is a companion piece to G. Neri’s Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty, and that title should be considered if you are thinking of purchasing this one.
Safe Passage By G. Neri Art by David Brame Lee and Low Books, 2024 ISBN: 9781643790343
Publisher Age Rating: 13-17
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: African-American, Character Representation: African-American,
couple Liam and Milo navigating their maturing relationship. This slice of life romantic comic was adapted from real life couple Harcum and White’s webtoon in February and promises more volumes to come. Fresh out of high school, the pair are growing into young adults and trying to allow their relationship to grow with them. Liam and Milo are in a very interesting phase, kind of semi-out to their families (who bring their own baggage into their relationship) and striving to make room for each other as their lives grow fuller. Liam doesn’t know what he wants out of his future and Milo seems plagued with self doubt, but they keep circling back to find comfort in each other. This volume catches our couple at a very real, very vulnerable time where a high school relationship can evolve into an adult one or where it can flounder under the weight of growing up.
Random House Graphix in October 2025, pulls a deep, comforting, swoon-like sigh from the reader, at least this reader. This is a cup of cocoa of a graphic novel. A warm, joint popping hug of a graphic novel. A fully broken-in hoodie of a graphic novel. It’s the best kind of sweet, romantic, comfort read.
to do after graduation eludes her. Her dad left a couple years ago, and her mom doesn’t have any money to send her to college. So, her future holds just work, and for not enough to live on by herself. Is this all there is?
After her acclaimed graphic memoir, Ephemera, Briana Loewinsohn explores a fictional account of her adolescent years in the graphic novel, Raised By Ghosts. Set in the 90’s, through her years in middle and high school, the story follows Briana traveling between the houses of her divorced parents as she finds friends, music, and art.
Birkenau approaches the subject with a surprising amount of levity and accessibility. The comic splits its time between the present (well, the present of 2020), in which the 95-year-old Kolinka re-visits the Auschwitz-Birkenau prison camp with a group of students, and the events of the past. Kolinka recounts her early life in France, her large family’s attempt to escape Nazi persecution, and most notably the experience of trying to survive in camp as she was being abused, humiliated, and dehumanized.
other plan for her life after high school, she submitted to her mother’s plan for a safe and secure life.
Katerina Cupová’s adaptation of Karel Capek’s unappreciated play offers an intriguing view of automatons (and our place among them) from the perspective of an early 20th century Czech playwright.
from where?
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.
“Once you go out that door, ain’t no safe side, only South Side.”
