Closing out the year that I've been focused mainly on reading graphic novels. Genres of all types are available in the graphic format, and I've sampled quite a few. I won't stop reading graphic novels next year as I really love them, but they won't be my sole focus.
It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood (2022) 196 pages
I love the summary on the back cover. "[This graphic memoir] is an intimate and metanarrative look into the life of a selfish artist who must create for her own survival." The meta use of the graphic form is one of my favorite things about it! The author struggles with anxiety and depression. I will not use the overused word r******** that she hears from so many people at comic conventions that it becomes meaningless. I have empathy and understand some of her challenges with these mental health issues. The different versions of herself are a great visual way to illustrate the way she copes with life. Revealing the script and the process of creating a graphic memoir is fun.
Stone Fruit by Lee Lai (2021) 231 pages
This is about the joys and tensions of a queer couple who are aunties to a six-year-old niece. There is a bit of Where the Wild Things Are. And the hard conversations between couples with the psychological and emotional wounds passed down through families are featured. Intimately emotional as sibling relationships are repaired.
Yucatan 1512 by Alex Vede (2025) 80 pages
This reminded me I wanted to watch the Aztec Batman movie on HBO Max. And it reminded me of the video game Shadow of the Colossus. I loved the visual style. The story is simple and less than 100 pages, but it serves the purpose. Spanish conquistadors search for Mayan gold and slaughter innocents. One rogue soldier helps a Mayan girl escape. The cover image shows the type of creatures that rise to push back the conquistadors. I'm curious to see what else Alex Vede can do as he is just starting his career as an illustrator.
The Reprieve by Jean-Pierre Gibrat (2008) 128 pages
WWII historical fiction from France that is a prequel to the author's Flight of the Raven. Paintings are gorgeous and cozy of this French town under German occupation. The main character is witty and jokes around a lot. Julien deserted conscription by the Germans, goes into hiding, and continues falling in love with a high school girlfriend. The humor and the beauty of the art made me forget the dangers of war and the role of fate/death that cannot be escaped. I did not see the final dramatic turn coming.
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