RaveLibrary JournalAn immersive character-study of one of the most controversial figures in sports history ... Lyrical narration and powerfully evocative black-and-white illustration combine for an uncommonly propulsive, completely immersive biography.
Emma Grove
RaveLibrary Journal... an unflinching exploration of how our identities are formed and maintained ... Grove draws on her background in animation to render pages of conversation dynamically, switching angles to signal a change in point of view, and creating a sense of distance between her characters to convey their failure to understand one another, or else zooming in to create unexpected intimacy as they navigate Emma’s complex experience and examine her determination to live on her own terms ...A masterfully crafted, fearlessly vulnerable memoir stressing the importance of coming to terms with trauma in order to better know oneself.
Murasaki Yamada tr. Ryan Holmberg
RaveLibrary Journal... [a] masterwork from one of alternative manga’s most important and influential figures ... In this seminal feminist alt-manga, Yamada revealed her protagonist’s complex inner life through poetic prose and fluid, expressive linework reminiscent of fashion illustration but keyed to depict complex emotion. A brilliantly realized, keenly insightful, resonant character study.
Michael Deforge
RaveLibrary JournalDeForge continues to establish himself as one of the most thoughtful and imaginative voices working in any popular art form today ... While Ginni is essentially the protagonist, DeForge’s restless imagination finds him following a number of fascinating tangents. He explores the intricacies of bird society with numerous subplots, such as the passionate love affair between a kiwi and a penguin, along with the misadventures of a stranded human astronaut ... DeForge’s often hilarious, sometimes cutting satire is made more impactful by the sense he’s driven less by anger than compassion for those trapped in absurd, faltering systems. Not to be missed.
Kate Beaton
PositiveLibrary JournalAn unflinchingly honest coming-of-age memoir and unforgettable depiction of capitalism’s dehumanizing effect on the individual.
Nick Drnaso
RaveLibrary JournalDarkly gripping ... Drnaso’s mastery of pacing and tone, plus his knack for developing characters through specific detail and natural dialogue, results in an incisive exploration of alienation that is increasingly unsettling as it builds to a shocking conclusion.
Jordan Crane
RaveLibrary JournalCrane exhibits virtuosic mastery of sequential narrative and page design, seamlessly shifting through time and space and layers of reality to capture his protagonist’s increasingly frantic stream of consciousness. The effect is occasionally nerve-wracking, but brilliantly effective; tales so interior rarely deliver such visceral impact ... Crane’s magnum opus is a stylistically adventurous evocation of how fear and grief create barriers to genuine intimacy. Not to be missed.
George Orwell
RaveLibrary JournalBrazilian illustrator Fido Nesti employs a muted color palette and a tight nine-panel layout to stress the gloomy, hopelessly claustrophobic existence of those pinned under Big Brother’s thumb. An excellent adaptation of the novel.
Ethan Hawke
PositiveLibrary JournalThe second collaboration between Hawke and Ruth is an emotionally complex hard-boiled thriller.
Guy Delisle
RaveLibrary JournalA carefully observed portrait of a time and place, as well as a deeply personal coming-of-age tale. Not to be missed.
Margaret Kimball
RaveLibrary Journal... compassionate, enthralling ... In lesser hands these stylistic decisions may have resulted in an alienating sense of disorientation, but through unwavering honesty and sheer storytelling skill, Kimball creates an intimate portrait of the complicated, conflicting emotions that arise when one is confronted with a family member’s mental illness while highlighting how trauma reverberates across generations ... An empathetic, uncommonly nuanced, and thoroughly brilliant family saga presented with real daring and true artistry.
Jerome Mulot, Florent Ruppert, and Bastien Vives
RaveLibrary Journal... a thrilling, high-octane action spectacle that puts the big-budget Hollywood blockbuster Fast and Furious franchise to shame ... Readers will devour this action-packed, wildly sexy, witty, and ultra-cool crime story built around the complicated relationship between three charismatic women and rejoice to discover a note at the end promising they’ll return for further adventures in future volumes.
Lisa Hanawalt
RaveLibrary Journal... highlights the development of [Hanawalt\'s] singular worldview and absurd sense of humor that eventually led to her becoming widely acclaimed ... A brilliant collection from an audacious and boldly inventive cartoonist with a distinct and necessary perspective.
Kuniko Tsurita, Trans. by Ryan Holmberg
RaveLibrary JournalA long overdue and revelatory collection of masterfully crafted and deeply affecting stories.
Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and Jacob Phillips
RaveLibrary JournalWith this Eisner Award–winning volume, expanding stories first serialized in the Criminal series, the incomparable team of Brubaker and Phillips once again prove themselves among the best creators of crime fiction in any genre.
Gebe Trans. by Edward Gauvin
PositiveLibrary JournalThis odd blend of sf and satire of consumer culture raises more questions than it answers, but who needs answers when the cartooning is this elegant and the questions are this fascinating?
