More graphic novels to add to your TBR

We are here to recommend more graphic novels. You can read our previous recommendations here and here.

Young Hag by Isabel Greenberg

You know we love a good Arthurian legend retelling. Young Hag is the first graphic novel retelling the legend we have come across and it did a great job. The colours in the book are very refreshing and the storytelling is done incredibly well, especially as Isabel Greenberg explores the art of storytelling within the book. There is a great feminist spin to the story, and there are also fun quests in the graphic novel that add well to the legend. Those who are not familiar with the legend will learn a great deal here, and those who already love the legend will also adore Young Hag.

 

Blankets by Craig Thompson 

Blankets was first published in 2003 but to celebrate its 20th anniversary, Faber published a new version. The story is Craig’s memoir and details Craig’s childhood from growing up in a Christian family, to meeting his first love in Bible camp. It is always weird to be rating and reviewing memoirs but Blankets did a great job in sticking to the coming-of-age theme and describing childhood and adolescence in a relatable way, even if we didn’t grow up in a family like Craig’s.  

 

Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe 

Our favourite graphic novel series, Lore Olympus, is back with a new volume. Volume 6 collects episodes 127 – 152 from the beloved webtoon and as always, the artwork is gorgeous and the colours are breathtaking. But more importantly, we absolutely love the plot in this volume this time, as it discusses more personal stories of Persephone and Hades. But more importantly, it delves into the topic of sexual assault and women supporting women. 

 

When I Arrived at the Castle by Emily Carroll

A short graphic novel, When I Arrived at the Castle is a lesbian horror tale following a cat woman who arrived at the castle to kill a Countess, and ended up being seduced. The artwork is mesmerising, the colours are stunning. There are also various short stories being woven into the bigger story, leaving readers to interpret the whole story. However, we would have loved if Emily Carroll explored even more in the book because the ending was a little too vague and too many things were left to our own interpretation. For those who love Emily Carroll’s art style though, we recommend checking out A Guest in the House. 

 

Disney Twisted-Wonderland

Disney Twisted-Wonderland originally comes from a Japanese mobile game of the same name and follows a main protagonist who got sent to a magical school where students live in dormitories that are based on Disney villains. The manga adaptation features gorgeous artwork and the men are all very pretty. It is also wonderful to be immersed in this Disney dormitory. With the game being so well established, we hope to explore even more of the world in future volumes of the manga. The franchise is expected to grow to include novels and anime and we are so excited.

 

Tokyo These Days by Taiyo Matsumoto

Tokyo These Days has a very literary-vibe cover and we are absolutely loving it. The pace of the story is on the slow side, as readers follow the life of a manga editor who suddenly quit his job after 30 years. The story gives a glimpse of this industry that is so important to Japan, and also explores a side that people don’t often see — sensei (manga artists) who got suffocated, abandoned, or “used” by the manga world. We can’t wait to see where the story will go and we definitely look forward to reading volumes 2 and 3 when they are available in English.

 

My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 by Mashiro

Del Rey UK is launching an imprint called Inklore and it has everything from manga (from Japan) to manhwa (from Korea). The first book launching under this imprint is My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 by Mashiro, which follows a love story that happens over a video game. As of now, there are 9 Japanese volumes, with the latest just released in April. We can’t wait to read them all as they come out. Volume 1 so far is very easy to get into and there are some cool insights into lives of games. The artwork is also very cutesy. 

 

Under the Oak Tree by P, namu

Under the Oak Tree will be publishing under Inklore this September. Based on the novel of the same name by Suji Kim, also publishing under Inklore this November, the graphic novel follows Lady Maximilian who is forced to marry Sir Riftan under her father’s order. Lady Maximilian, having growth up under an abusive environment, finds it overwhelming to be with Sir Riftan, who is basically a stranger… Volume 1 collects Episodes 1-24 of the webcomic.