Tag: LGBTQ comics

Review of Low Orbit on Comics Beat

~ Kathryn ~ Leave a comment

I’m honored to have been able to share a review of the recently published graphic novel Low Orbit on Comics Beat. Kazimir Lee’s debut is about dead malls in Vermont, sci-fi fan conventions in New York, epic space adventures, real-life queer identity, and everything in between. It’s an extremely ambitious story, and I’m in awe of the artist’s ability to pull it off with nuance and sensitivity – and also with some fantastic action scenes. Here’s an excerpt from my review:

At the end of Low Orbit, what lingers is the sensitivity with which Lee captures the slow and often painful process of becoming a person. Azar doesn’t find neat resolutions to her problems, and the adults around her remain as flawed as she is. Still, there’s a quiet clarity in how Azar begins to see them as fellow travelers on an uncertain path. Low Orbit is a stunning debut that’s just as fascinating as adolescence itself, and just as full of hard truths and unexpected kinships.

You can read the full review on Comics Beat here:
https://www.comicsbeat.com/graphic-novel-review-low-orbit-boldly-explores-the-intersections-of-fiction-and-identity/

Review of Strange Bedfellows on Comics Beat

~ Kathryn ~ Leave a comment

I’m excited to share my review of Ariel Slamet Ries’s newest graphic novel, Strange Bedfellows. This is a solarpunk romantic comedy that’s set in a utopia but still takes the darkness of human nature seriously. The art is gorgeous, and I very much enjoyed the time I spent in this fascinating world with these beautiful trashfire characters. Here’s an excerpt from my review:

Hardship comes to everyone, and romance isn’t always easy. The soft and hopeful message of Oberon’s story is that the flaws and complications in human ambitions are what make our lives interesting and beautiful. Strange Bedfellows assures the reader that, while we may not ever live in a perfect utopia, we don’t have to give up on our dreams of a kinder and greener future.

You can read the full review on Comics Beat here:
https://www.comicsbeat.com/graphic-novel-review-strange-bedfellows-dreams-of-a-romantic-solarpunk-future/

The Greatest Thing Review on WWAC

~ Kathryn ~ Leave a comment

I recently had the immense pleasure of writing a review of Sarah Winifred Searle’s graphic novel The Greatest Thing for the website Women Write About Comics. Here’s an excerpt:

Searle paints a soft pastel portrait of what it was like to grow up in the 2000s before smartphones and social media. Relatively few people talked about what it means to be gay, but the queer kids nevertheless managed to find each other. The Greatest Thing has no epic kisses or dazzling rainbows or flashy pride parades, just a quiet and gentle acknowledgment that growing up means learning to be true to yourself.

If you’re interested, you can read the full review (here). You can also check out the book’s page on the publisher’s website (here) and follow the artist on Twitter (here). Much appreciation and respect to my excellent editor, whom you can follow on Twitter (here).