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Adrift, But Not Alone

Another author we met at at MFF goes by the name of Utunu. Their book is an adult-themed adventure called Rafts. “Kunet, a young human pearl-diver from a small coastal fishing village, seeks to prove himself. Yet when the gods of sea and sky clash, it wreaks havoc on those caught between. In the wake of catastrophe, he finds himself adrift with an unexpected companion. Torn from their homes and everything they once knew, two strangers must now work together to survive, even as an unlikely relationship blossoms between them.” You can see from the cover just what sort of thing that companion actually is! The illustrated novel is available now at their web site.

image c. 2023 by Utunu

Justice Has Teeth

And one more from Marvel, as they release the Marvel Unleashed trade paperback, compiling four issues of the original comic written by Kyle Starks and illustrated by Jesus Hervas. “When Kraven the Hunter abducts the teleporting hound Lockjaw at the same time as a local scientist mixed up with A.I.M. goes missing, it’s up to Throg the Frog of Thunder, Redwing the Falcon, Chewie the catlike Flerken, Lucky the Pizza Dog, Bats the Ghost Dog and their scrappy new ally, D-Dog to save the day! But there’s more to this case than meets the eye, and something infernal lurks in the shadows. Can feathers, fangs and claws stand against one of the deadliest foes in the Marvel Universe? Or will these Pet Avengers be made to suffer their worst nightmares?” (We’ll ponder that as we travel to Midwest FurFest. See you all next week!)

image c. 2023 Marvel Comics

Who’s A Good Boy?

Yehudi Mercado is a creator we’ve heard about before ’round here. Well now he’s back as the writer and illustrator of a really unusual, nearly-wordless graphic novel “for kids” from DC Comics called Barkham Asylum. “When the Super-Villains of Gotham get thrown into Arkham Asylum, their hench-pets go to the maximum-security pound known as Barkham Asylum. Fur flies when Jester, The Joker’s dog, gets a tough-talking stray cat named Penny tossed into lockup with him. But they’ll have to work together to figure out what the evil Dr. Hugo Mange is up to. And the only way to stop this terrifying team-up is to win the talent show and get visitation with their masters at Arkham on the hill. Because the Joker is sure to help! What could go wrong with that plan?” It’s escaping next February.

image c. 2023 DC Comics

Anything Can Happen — and It Usually Does

Gustav and Henri is a new graphic novel series for younger readers, written by Andy Matthews and illustrated by Peader Thomas. The first paperback volume is called Space Time Cake! No really. “Gustav is a goofy, optimistic and naively enthusiastic pig. Henri is a grounded, pragmatic and quietly sceptical dog. They are as drawn to each other as they are to the weird and ridiculous. Which is a lot. Whether it’s venturing into space to find a lost shuttlecock, or shrinking to the size of microbes to fight a cold, Gustav and Henri are always up for a madcap adventure, so long as they have each other.” Check out their web site too.

image c. 2023 Red Comet Press

Veterans Who Go to the Vet

We’re mostly about anthropomorphic animals around here, obviously, but now and then it’s interesting to find a project about real-life non-humans and their adventures. Such is the case with Four-Fisted Tales: Animals In Combat, a new non-fiction graphic novel by Ben Towle. “In virtually every military conflict in recorded history animals have fought — and often died — alongside their human counterparts. While countless stories of the men and women who’ve served in the trenches, jungles, and deserts of the world’s battlefields have been told, Four-Fisted Tales: Animals in Combat shares the stories of the animals who fought alongside them. From Hannibal’s elephants in ancient Rome to mine-sniffing rats in Vietnam and everything in between, Four-Fisted Tales highlights the real-life contributions of these underappreciated animal warriors. Whether in active combat or simply as companions, these animals served and made their mark on history.” It’s available now from Dead Reckoning.

image c. 2023 Dead Reckoning

The Mouse That Whirrrrred

Multiple Ursa Major Award winner Rick Griffin recently self-published the novel Ani-Droids, a radical re-imagining of his popular science fiction novel Argo from 2011. “In violation of the will of the Collective, Mira McAllister set out to create a new breed of ani-droids that can think for themselves. But when she discovers a mouse-droid with unusual quirks to her programming — and darker secrets besides — she may have set in motion an accidental rebellion… The Collective must not find out. But the Collective is every other ani-droid on Earth.” Ani-Droids is available now in e-book, paperback, and Kindle editions.

image c. 2023 by Rick Griffin

Bok to the Future

Sometimes manga can go in marvelously strange directions. Like things go in Rooster Fighter by Shu Sakuratami. “The neighborhood cock of the walk is more than just an ordinary rooster — he’s humanity’s greatest defender! His opponents may be ten stories tall, but nothing is bigger than his stout heart and his fearsome battle cry — cock-a-doodle-doo!” You don’t say? Well that’s what Viz Media tell us anyhow! Several black & white issues are out now.

image c. 2023 Viz Media

Don’t Wisk the Wath of a Wizard!

Well thank you, Amazon! They pointed us at The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms, a black & white yaoi manga that’s written and illustrated by Nagabe. “Hidden away deep within the woods, far from the prying eyes of the world, lies the Wizdom’s School of Wizarding. There beasts of all kinds gather to live, to learn, and to love. From everyday animals to fantastical creatures, these BL stories are told with a realistic and light-hearted touch.” Somehow we missed this on its initial release, but it’s available now from Seven Seas.

image c. 2023 Seven Seas Entertainment

Raw Men

Hey, thanks! A new recommendation recently came across our desk: Ramen Wolf and Curry Tiger, a black & white manga written and illustrated by the creator known as Emboss. “Meet your new favorite food critics: A chubby wolf named Mita Jiro, and a ripped tiger named Yanagi Kagetora. Kagetora used to eat to live, but that changed when he met Jiro — who lives to eat! Jiro is more than happy to help his striped friend explore the restaurants and delicacies tucked within their city, and he enjoys all their finds with great relish. There’s nothing better than a hot meal to bring two (animal) people together in this deliciously illustrated story.” Comixology has sample pages to check out.

image c. 2023 Seven Seas