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Hugo 2019 graphic novels, starting thoughts
Monstress, Volume 3: Haven, written by Marjorie Liu, art by Sana Takeda (Image Comics) I've got vol 2 and 3 from the library, and I'm planning a reread from the beginning. I'm expecting to love/be horrified by this, and fully expecting to have ranked this highly had it not already won. It deserved the *shit* out of its win, and I'm almost sure I voted for it whatever year that was, but I figure once you win there's almost certainly going to be a someone who deserves their first win over someone who deserves a whole second. *has Feelings*
On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden (First Second) (full webcomic available online) Aaaaand found one that's a worthy higher ranking. This is, seriously, the perfect mix of Woman world and Long way to a small, angry planet, but better than both. A ragtag crew of women (and a non-binary person), many no-big-deal queer, doing odd-jobs around space, having histories and relationships and fully followed-through narratives (I'm looking at you, beloved but flawed Small angry planet). The art is perfect for the medium, and I didn't even mind the flailing about character names (I flail about, trying to remember characer names, a lot, this is not a flaw of the text). ranking HIGH.
Paper Girls, Volume 4, written by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Cliff Chiang, colours by Matt Wilson, letters by Jared K. Fletcher (Image Comics) I'm torn. On one hand, the fourth volume can't stand alone (and nor, really, should it be expected to). But I LOVE this series so much, even though it is written by a bunch of dudes, I am for once willing to overlook that. I'm planning on rating this highly, and also (note to self), nominating the series as a whole for next year because *damn* does it deserve it. Stranger Things about girls, and so much the better for it.
Saga, Volume 9, written by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Fiona Staples (Image Comics) -- I love Saga, a lot, and I plan on catching up with it at some point, but it's already (rightly) won a Hugo, so I'm politely leaving it off my ballot this year *points up*
Black Panther: Long live the king by written by Nnedi Okorafor and Aaron Covington, art by André Lima Araújo, Mario Del Pennino and Tana Ford
I really wanted to like this, but it just doesn't stand alone well at all. This isn't the fault of the volume -- it's almost certainly a volume that's intended for current readers rather than for inducting new ones, but that doesn't make it easy to rank for an award. it's four graphic short stories, and as an outsider I didn't have the space to settle into or connect with the characters, so it fell mostly flat for me. THAT SAID, FANDOM, which on earth am I only finding out NOW that there's a Venom/Black Panther fusion headed by a WoC wheelchair user?? You're all fired! (Okay, Ngozi's only got a total of two short stories to herself across two volumes, one of which is an ableist origin story, but I'm going to keep an eye out for more of this because holy shit).
I'm going to leave this one off my ballot, politely, in a 'I'm not qualified to judge this one' way.
Abbott by written by Saladin Ahmed, art by Sami Kivelä, colours by Jason Wordie, letters by Jim Campbell
30ish pages in and I'm having feeeelings I LOVE Abbott and her support network of resturant/bar owners, dinner owners, gruff bosses, secretaries, cop ex-husbands, and random little old ladies stubbornly walking their dogs at 4am. Abbott is hella brave and well-rounded, and I'd rather shout at the artist than her for throwing away a lit cigarette in a *stable*. Also the art (the...there's going to be a technical term for the cover pages and/or the spreads where the artists deliberately put more detail and effort in because Reasons), the *shading* on her *hands* on the cover is phenomenal. It's going to be a hard call for first place between this and On a sunbeam, I can already feel it.
50ish pages ...If she's had a relationship with bartender's sister I might in fact cry a little at my desk. Oh my HEART.
pages 60-80 Goddamn, I'm really feeling how banter-and-tight-knit everyone is, here, and I'm having more feelings about it. It took me a while to be able to sum it up, but she's the hard-boiled
Finshed YES. THANK YOU. Goddamn that was amazing. ALL of that was earned, including the cheesey lightbringer line, and the characters moving on and the EVERYTHING. Queer happy ending AND character progression. I have so many happy-satisfied-feelings.
Argh. Now I need to choose between a solo-indie artist and a published team for first place. GodDAMMit.
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