As the Crow Flies Graphic Novel Review

As the Crow Flies

Erica gives this comic five starsAs the Crow Flies by Melanie Gillman

As the Crow Flies is a beautiful narrative about a young black queer girl Charlie, who goes to an all-girls and all-white Christian camp.

The camper’s mission is a hike up to a women’s only shine on Mt. Sanctuary, run by Bee and her daughter Penny. The hike is continually mentioned as a (straight, white) feminist act due to a town uprising from Beatrice Tillson, who established the shrine.

Gillman navigates Charlie’s universe through her introspection, her constant battle against microaggressions, and her own growth in coming of age. I felt for Charlie because I too have been at Christian camps like this, where I too didn’t fit the mold of who they were lifting up. And the added intersection of race — which as a young white girl I was pretty unaware of — just adds to the layers. Continue reading “As the Crow Flies Graphic Novel Review”

Letters for Lucardo: Fortunate Beasts Vol 2 Graphic Novel Review

Letters for Lucardo: Fortunate Beasts Vol 2

Erica gives this comic five starsLetters for Lucardo: Fortunate Beasts Vol 2 by Otava Heikkilä

I continue to love this series so much. The pull and tug of Ed and Lucardo’s relationship is just the best. They are absolutely cute one second, and then the next, they are completely in over their heads.

Heikkilä created what is perhaps one of my favorite single panels in all of comics, where Lucardo, after a fight with his father, says, “In summary, father, you’re still an asshole, apology denied, leave me to eat my fucking cake.” All while he has a shit-eating grin on his face with the saddest, heartbroken eyes. Continue reading “Letters for Lucardo: Fortunate Beasts Vol 2 Graphic Novel Review”

Letters For Lucardo Vol 1 Graphic Novel Review

Letters For Lucardo Vol 1Erica gives this comic five starsLetters For Lucardo Vol 1 by Otava Heikkilä

This book is an ooey gooey, sticky sweet romance, and it was exactly what I was looking for. I’m so thankful for Iron Circus for continuing to put romantic erotica comics for women, queer folks, and anyone else looking for this type of content.

The story is told from the point-of-view of Ed, a letters scribe, who’s a queer man and 61-years-old. It’s set right after the typewriter was invented (1868), and Heikkilä does well to show the trapping of the age. Indoor plumbing and soft sheets were things only very rich people could afford.

Ed works for the somewhat mysterious Night Court, which serves both as the governmental and religious bodies for immortals. His best client is Lucardo, a handsome immortal who’s over 400 years old, but turned when he was 33. Their flirting is obvious, but coy. It fits the manners of the time, and it builds a nice anticipation for the reader. Continue reading “Letters For Lucardo Vol 1 Graphic Novel Review”