Duck! Second Chances

The cover of Duck! Second Chances that I prefer

Published in 2013, Duck! Second Chances by J. Tana Ford is not quite a sequel. Though the title is a clever way of alerting the reader that this is the second volume of a story, it also refers to the self-contained tale of friendship and romance contained within. Second chances abound as characters deal with breakups and hookups, new relationships, the loss of a job and the search for a new one, and the possibilities of the future. There are four friends at the center this time instead of two—Duck and Cat are joined by two minor characters from Duck!—and the action takes place entirely within Boston, allowing it to easily distinguish itself from the previous story.

Like the best serial fiction, it is not necessary to have read the first volume. Like the party that serves as the climax of the loose story, there is no necessary entry point; we are simply welcomed in and allowed to make ourselves at home, the guests of an affable host. There are callbacks to the events of Duck!, of course, but there are as many if not more in-jokes and references that are the hallmarks of any great friendship. The oft-ignored Angel and “Amazonian” Church round out an ensemble that once more leaves the reader wanting to spend as much time with this group of characters as possible.

In fact, Church and Angel threaten to steal the story for themselves, particularly Church, who enjoys a blossoming romance that significantly raises the maturity level of this volume in the best possible way. That’s the closest this volume gets to a plot, and the storytelling is stronger for it. These characters hang out, run races, and make the same mistakes that we’ve known they’ve been making for years even if we’re only being introduced to them within the first few pages.

This is a book for fans of lesbian fiction, stories of friendship, or anyone who’s ever even thought about visiting Boston, but it also transcends those categories by being a fun and enjoyable read and I highly recommend it. Duck! Second Chances was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Graphic Novel. It is available through Northwest Press and comiXology.