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May, 2020:

One Little Girl Left

Is it really the time for a cute story about the end of the world?  Well, maybe it’s just the sort of light-hearted look at things we need about now. So here is Softies — or the complete title, Softies: Stuff That Happens After The World Blows Up. It’s a new full-color graphic novel written and illustrated by Kyle Smeallie. “When planet Earth just kind of blows up without warning, 13-year-old Kay becomes the world’s youngest chunk of space debris. She’s inadvertently rescued from the vacuum by Arizona, an alien space-waste collector, and Euclid, his erudite cybernetic pet, and from there this unlikely trio blasts off for the most outlandish, hilarious, and occasionally bureaucratic adventure of their lives!” Softies is due this July from Iron Circus comics. While you’re at it, check out the creator on Behance to see the other project that he’s developing, The Actual Witch Society.

image c. 2020 Iron Circus Comics

Dragons. And They’re French.

First Second brings us a popular fantasy comic from France, collected now in one hardcover graphic novel. Kairos is written and illustrated by Ulysse Malassagne. “Nills and Anaelle are looking forward to their first night in their rustic cabin in the woods. But the couple’s idyllic vacation is suddenly thrown into turmoil when a strange flash of light bursts from the fireplace. A portal appears, and out of it spill dragon-like creatures that are armed to the teeth. They grab Anaelle and flee back through the portal, leaving a distraught Nills with a sudden decision: Stay behind, or leap through after her? He leaps. And that’s when things get really weird.” This new English translation is available now.

image c. 2020 First Second

Beware of Fowl Language

Well this slipped by us back in March — and here it is, from Archie Comics no less! “If you like comic books designed to make you laugh that also feature bright and colorful super hero action, giant robots piloted by evil billionaires, and looking at ducks dressed like people, you’ll love Super Duck #1! Super Duck is the greatest hero of New Duck City. Brash, arrogant and virtually unbeatable, he’s defeated all threats to the city and routinely foils the schemes of his greatest rival, criminal genius and corporate billionaire Dapper Duck. However, when Dapper takes to the streets with a giant mechanical monster, will Super Duck prove once more to be the heroic champion everyone knows and loves or is his goose finally cooked?” Super Duck is written by Frank Tieri and Ian Flynn, with art by Ryan Jampole and Matt Herms. As you can see, the publishers go out of their way to point out this comic is for mature readers!

image c. 2020 Archie Comics

Ladies of London

920 London is a new full-color funny animal graphic novel coming soon from Image Comics. “2005, north of London. A doomed romance between two emo kids. More than friends, less than lovers, they’re trying to grow ‘shrooms before the world ends. Send help. Solo graphic novel debut by Remy Boydell (The Pervert), fully painted in watercolor.” It’s due to be released this June.

image c. 2020 Image Comics

Coffee and Canine

At a recent convention (remember those??) we came across End/City, a new full color comic series set in a post-apocalyptic world. “Starbuck, a young maned wolf delights in the finding, understanding, and use of leftover human artifacts. His latest find: An entire coffee shop. With the help from his Read Bird partner Wifi, Ketkii the coatimundi, and Cha the rat, he’s going to open up shop to the animals of the town. Let’s end this city.” Written and Illustrated by Keryn Everett; you can check it out over at IndyPlanet.

image c. 2020 by Keryn Everett

Keep Your Spirits Up!

Oh dear… Is this much cuteness legal? Well, here it is: The Fox & The Little Tanuki, a new black & white manga by Mi Tagawa. “After 300 years, the gods that imprisoned Senzou the Fox Spirit for his arrogance finally set him free. There is only one condition — he can’t have any of his supernatural abilities back until he successfully helps a tanuki cub named Manpachi become one of their magical assistants. Unfortunately for Senzou, there’s no cheating when it comes to completing his task! The magic beads around his neck make sure he can’t wander too far from his charge or shirk his duties, and so… Senzou the once-great Fox Spirit must now figure out how to be an actually-great babysitter to a mischievous little tanuki or risk being stuck without his powers forever!” It’s out there now in paperback from Tokyo Pop.

image c. 2020 Tokyo Pop

Study Them Closely. Very Closely.

And speaking of monsters… It’s time to switch gears and take a look at something that’s decidedly not for young readers. That would be Creature Girls, a new black & white manga series written and illustrated by Kakeru. “Whether they’re part cat, part horse, or part spider, Daisuke has always been fascinated with the uniquely exotic beauty of monster girls. When he finds himself whisked away to a fantastic world full of all manner of demihuman life, he swiftly gets to work meeting (and analyzing!) as many as he can. There’s really only one logical thing for this stranded scientist to do: He’s going to become the creature girl harem king!!” The full title is Creature Girls: A Hands-On Field Journal In Another World (whew!) and it’s available now from Ghost Ship.

image c. 2020 Ghost Ship Manga

Friends Can Be Real Monsters

Something unusual we discovered through Previews recently: The Adventures of Byron, written and illustrated by Chris Hamer. “A special one-shot introducing everyone’s new favorite monsters! What happens when ordinary monsters find themselves in life’s, awkward situations? They call their friends for help. The Adventures of Byron is an all-ages story about just that: friends helping friends, even if the odds are stacked against them! Join Byron, Oswald and Paxton – three monsters with different personalities who all rely on each other no matter what hair-brained idea each may have – in their adventures of surviving boredom, creativity and well, many other things!” Get it now from Scout Comics.

image c. 2020 Scout Comics

Adventures Microscopic

Or at least on a very small scale! Another full-color graphic novel for young readers: Bug Boys, created by Laura Knetzger. “Join two bug friends as they learn about the science of the world around them and the meaning of friendship in this early graphic novel series perfect for fans of Narwhal and Jelly! Rhino-B is a brash, but sweet guy. Stag-B is a calm and scholarly adventurer. Together these two young beetles make up the Bug Boys, best friends who spend their time exploring the world of Bug Village and beyond, as well as their own – sometimes confusing and complicated – thoughts and feelings.” It’s available now in hardcover from Penguin Random House.

image c. 2020 Penguin Random House