Transposes

The cover of Transposes

Upon opening the cover of Dylan “NDR” Edwards’s Transposes, one is met with a dictionary definition of the verb that gives the book its title. This would appear to set an academic tone, or one of dry exposition, but jumping to conclusions is the worst thing one can do about this book and its subject. Instead, this definition establishes the tone of variety: of meaning, of form, and of expression. The six different possible interpretations of the word transpose correspond nicely to the six stories presented in this slim volume. Any lingering sense of trepidation one might have from anticipating dusty explanations is completely upended by the playful and frank introduction by the author.

The Pride Volume 1: I Need a Hero

Wraparound cover art by Ricardo Bessa

Anyone could be forgiven for suffering from “superhero fatigue” these days. This genre has long dominated the comics medium, not to mention film and television, seemingly to the exclusion of any other kind of story. It is therefore too easy to dismiss any comic with a cover featuring a man with a cape. Fortunately, there are ways to tell a fresh superhero tale. One of the best approaches is to deconstruct the themes of such a setup and how it relates to the demographic it represents. This is exactly what The Pride does, not just with superheroes, but with the gay community.

Single Issue Showcase: Kim & Kim #1 – “This Glamorous, High Flying, Rock Star Life”

The cover of Kim & Kim #1

The word semi-autobiographical would be probably the last one used to describe a comic about intergalactic queer female bounty hunters, but there is clearly a great deal of personal experience infused in the first issue of Black Mask Studios’ Kim & Kim written by Magdalene “Mags” Visaggio and drawn by Eva Cabrera, with letters by Zakk Saam and colors by Claudia Aguirre. That these elements are in a sci-fi story with clear debts to two very famous animes is a testament to the power of representation in media and genre storytelling.

Memetic

The cover to the trade paperback of Memetic

I’ve decided to continue recommending some of the best gay graphic novels of 2015 with Memetic, written by James Tynion IV, drawn by Eryk Donovan, and colored by Adam Guzowski. Originally published by BOOM! Studios as three oversized issues beginning in late 2014, it was collected in trade paperback in October 2015. It’s a horror comic with a unique gay protagonist as one of its centers and hidden philosophical depths that could be misconstrued as ranting against technology, if the book weren’t tapping into very real anxieties and longings. It upends the expectations of the reader several times along the way to its stark conclusion.

Virgil

The cover of Virgil

I decided to start 2017 by writing about one of the best graphic novels of 2015. (Hey, I’ve never claimed to be timely.) As we face an uncertain future, it is good to remember how difficult it is to be LGBT in other countries, how art can elevate society, and of the necessity of having love in our lives. This may seem like a portentous and pretentious way to begin writing about a “queersploitation” graphic novel that many would wrongfully dismiss as a genre exercise, but this is why it should be taken seriously. I have no doubt Virgil will be discussed for years to come.

Single Issue Showcase: All-New X-Men #13

 This scene doesn't appear in the comic.

I think I’ll end every year by checking in on Iceman. It’ll be a nice way of keeping track of how the character is being treated and my ignorance of all things X-related. I may be looking forward to the Iceman ongoing series, but I doubt I’ll still be able to make much sense of what’s going on. Fortunately, this issue is light on continuity-related shenanigans that would intimidate a new reader or make a seasoned reader’s head spin. There’s some talk of “Egypt and Hank” and the blue kid (whom the intro page calls “Kid Apocalypse” but the Internet calls “Genesis”) has a couple of panels talking about what he would do for Apocalypse, but mostly it’s about young, newly out Bobby Drake’s first time at a gay bar. And it’s just as adorable as it sounds.

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.