comics interludes: Stepping Stones, Killing and Dying, and Intro to Alien Invasion

As I've been home for more than two months, I've found myself (finally) reading through my backlog of comics I've checked out from the library (thank you extended due dates!) It's fun to dip into a book I can read in a single sitting, and it helps keep my reading momentum going. Here are three I've read this month:

Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley

Y'all know I love Lucy Knisley's graphic memoirs and comics, so I was excited to read her debut middle-grade graphic novel, which is inspired by her childhood. When Jen's parents get divorced, she has to leave New York City and moves to an upstate farm with her mom and her mom's boyfriend. His two daughters only live with them every other weekend. All three help sell at the farmer's market. As always, Knisley's art is lovely. I struggled with this graphic novel because I found it to be very sad. Because we only see things from Jen's perspective, and she's so young, the wisdom and perspective of Knisley's memoirs isn't present in this book. And Jen's mom's boyfriend is kind of a jerk. Perhaps to children also navigating divorce and their parents dating, this would be a source of connection and help them know they're not alone, but it just made me sad, especially knowing it was based on true events. It's the first in a series, called Peapod Farm, and I liked it enough to keep reading the series (because if Lucy Knisley writes it, I will read it.)

Rating: 3 out of 5
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: May 5, 2020
Source: library

Killing and Dying by Adrian Tomine

This collection of six short stories has been on my shelf for years. Tomine is a veteran author and illustrator, but it was my first experience with him. Each of the six stories was incredibly different, both in tone and style. As a collection, there wasn't cohesion, but I quite liked the differences. Individually, I didn't necessarily love any of the stories, but I liked all six, and they all made me think. 

Rating: 4 out of 5
Length: 128 pages
Publication date: October 6, 2015
Source: library

Intro to Alien Invasion by Owen King, Mark Jude Poirier, and Nancy Ahn

This graphic novel is pretty bizarre, so it took me some time to get into it and get a feel for its tone. Once I did, I quite enjoyed the ride, but some readers may find it vulgar or abrasive. Admittedly, I am partial to campus novels, lesbian pop culture references, and dark humor, and this graphic novel featured all three in spades. It was a fun read that had flashes of brilliance and improved as it went on. It's good; it could have been great.

Rating: 4 out of 5
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: September 15, 2015
Source: library

Want to read for yourself? Buy from an independent bookstore or Amazon.