InFurNation Rotating Header Image

Fantasy

The Girl and the Goat-Sucker

Interesting graphic novel we stumbled across from Harper Collins Publishing: Saving Chupie by Amparo Ortiz, illustrated by Ronnie Vazquez. “Violeta Rubio only has one goal in mind for her first-ever trip to Puerto Rico: Help Abuelita reopen her beloved restaurant. The only problem is that Violeta’s whole family thinks they can do it without her. Now Violeta doesn’t have anyone to hang out with or anything to do. But when best friend duo Diego and Lorena need help capturing the rumored chupacabra, Violeta sees her chance to change all that. What she isn’t expecting is to run straight into the beast. Only… he isn’t as monstrous as everyone assumes. Sure, he’s got some scales and spikes, big red eyes, and pointy fangs — but he’s totally puppy and loyal to a fault. Violeta must find a way to keep Chupie hidden and convince her newfound friends that he isn’t anything to be scared of.” Check it out now, in hardcover.

image c. 2024 Harper Collins

They Just Move In One Day…

Tender yaoi for feline fans, courtesy of Dento Hayane. “Matoi Souta is an overworked office worker tired of his life. Then, on his way home from a long day of work one day, he decides to watch a traditional Japanese play. But something strange happens. He could have sworn he saw one of the actors has cat ears. It turns out that the man is actually a bakeneko — a shapeshifting cat from Japanese folklore. And then, the cat speaks: ‘From now on, you will be my mate’.” The Cat Proposed is available now from Tokyo Pop.

image c. 2024 Tokyo Pop

She and HER Canines

Utterly out-of-nowhere department. Thanks to friends we stumbled upon Nightbitch, an upcoming horror-comedy starring Amy Adams (Enchanted, Arrival), based on a 2021 novel by Rachel Yoder. Adams stars as a suburban mom not only struggling with raising her young son, but also wrestling with resentment over having to give up her previous life as an artist. Oh, and at night, she’s turning into a domestic dog. Yes. The film is directed by Marielle Heller, and it’s coming to theaters on December 6th. Check out the first trailer — but be warned, it does have some naughty words!

image c. 2024 Searchlight Pictures

What Ho, Ye Kaiju!

Talk about and-now-for-something-completely-different: “Before humanity had successfully traveled the entire globe, it was believed that monsters ruled the oceans just beyond the horizon. “Here there be dragons…” was written on maps to denote the areas people dared not go.That is, until Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the seas, visiting foreign lands and collecting treasure. That’s what history tells us, at least, but history does not have the full tale. Monsters did lurk yonder, living on an island that still doesn’t appear on any map, and among them was the king of them all…Godzilla!” See? Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons collects the 5-issue series (written by Frank Tieri and illustrated by Inaki Miranda) into a single graphic novel. Look for it now from Random House.

image c. 2024 IDW Publishing

Friendship Is Weird

Another interesting graphic novel we came across: Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures, written and illustrated by Jason Pamment. “Ember is a tiny boy (literally) all alone in a giant world who longs to fit in. His dream may finally come true when his adopted guardian, Lua, a warmhearted sea turtle, escorts him across the ocean to a school for little creatures on the mysterious Puzzle Island. This hidden place is brimming with fantastical life, and as Ember explores the lush forests and deep caves, he’s filled with wonder and curiosity. There’s only one problem — his new classmates don’t seem at all interested in being his friend.” Check out the sample pages over at Books of Wonder.

image c. 2024 Harper Alley

Monsters with a Difference

The Cryptid Kids are off and running with their first graphic novel, The Bawk-Ness Monster, written by Sara Goetter and illustrated by Natalie Riess. “Penny swears that when she was a little girl, a creature called the Bawk-ness Monster — half sea serpent, half chicken — saved her from drowning. Now, years later, she’s about to move away to a new city, and before she goes, she needs the help of her best friends, Luc and K, for a vitally important mission: seeing ‘Bessie’ one more time. But in their quest to find Bessie and give Penny the send-off she deserves, the kids stumble into a whole new problem: Cryptids are being kidnapped by an evil collector, and only Penny, Luc, and K can save them!” Available now in hardcover or paperback, from First Second.

image c. 2024 First Second Books

Fox with Honor

We’ve been missing out on this — so it’s good to get caught up! Kitsune is a full-color comic miniseries written by Luca Frigerio, with art by Emanuele Ercolani. “Kitsunichi Shimitzu is a ronin, a samurai who has become masterless. After twelve years of absence, he returns to his native lands and discovers that his master’s son is a weak man. Bandits terrorize the population, and strange rumors of a powerful enemy spread. Torn between past mistakes and a chance to redeem himself, Kitsunichi will have to fight for his life.” Familiar story, yes, but do give it a chance — by checking out the issues available at Scout Comics.

image c. 2024 Scout Comics

The Drummer and the Dogs

This one has been sitting on our to-write-about list for a while — ’bout time we got around to it! The Dog Knight is a graphic novel written by Jeremy Whitley (well-known for their involvement with various My Little Pony comics) and illustrated by Bre Indigo.  “Frankie knows who they are. They’re a drummer, they’re nonbinary, and they’re… the Dog Knight? One day Frankie is a relatively normal middle schooler, with relatively normal challenges, like finding the perfect outfit to wear during their drum solo during the upcoming band concert. The next, they save a friendly golden retriever from bullies and suddenly find themselves in a giant magical doghouse, with a funny looking helmet, talking to a group of dog superheroes called the Pawtheon about a job offer. If Frankie can prove that they possess the six dog virtues of loyalty, kindness, honesty, justice, stubbornness, and smell, they will be named the Dog Knight and be given the power to fight alongside the Pawtheon and save the world from the forces of chaos. Maybe there is more to Frankie than they thought?” Look for it now from the Feiwel & Friends imprint at MacMillan Publishers.

image c. 2024 MacMillan Publishers

Centaur of Attention

Centaurs is a manga series from Ablaze that we recently stumbled across, written and illustrated by Ryo Sumiyoshi. “An epic fantasy adventure set in an alternate medieval Japan, where humans co-exist with the mythic half man/half horse beasts known as centaurs, or “jinba”. The centaur race were long revered as deities in ancient times; however, with the advent of the sengoku (warring states) period, humans started to enslave and use them for military purposes due to their speed, stamina, and ability to communicate in human language. Centaurs living in the plains were rapidly subjugated; in contrast, large numbers of centaurs living deep in the mountains were still free due to their relative isolation.” See what happens when one of them is captured — and now he’s determined to escape back to his mountain home.

image c. 2024 Ablaze Manga