The copy LiP reviewed is a backer reward from the Bingo Love Kickstarter campaign in Spring 2017. Since then, Image Comics picked up the book for wide distribution and it will be in stores for Valentine's Day 2018!
Buy from:
Pre-Order from your local comic shop!
When Hazel Johnson and Mari McCray met at church bingo in 1963, it was love at first sight. Forced apart by their families and society, Hazel and Mari both married young men and had families. Decades later, now in their mid-’60s, Hazel and Mari reunite again at a church bingo hall. Realizing their love for each other is still alive, what these grandmothers do next takes absolute strength and courage.
From TEE FRANKLIN (NAILBITER’s “THE OUTFIT,” Love is Love) and JENN ST-ONGE (Jem & the Misfits), BINGO LOVE is a touching story of love, family, and resiliency that spans over 60 years.
BINGO LOVE is the heartwarming, second-chance, family-centered romance I hoped it would be. It's just under 100 pages, but the story spans over 70 years, from the time the two protagonists (Hazel and Mari) are young teens to their last breaths. It's effortlessly inclusive and tells us just enough about the secondary characters to have me impatiently waiting for the promised digital shorts that will follow.
In addition to a central romance that made me cry three times (it's so sweet! that's so unfair! they're getting the happiness they deserve!), the comic is full of the little gems that I love to find in comics, like repeated panels. One such panel is of the Hazel and Mari's linked pinkies. We see it when they're first friends, when they get together, when they're reunited, when they're older and watching their grandbabies. *swoon* Each time, their hands are slightly different, slightly older. It's a thoughtful touch that strings the narrative together nicely.
St. Onge did a fabulous job with the art, moving the characters and their settings through the decades with subtle and not-so-subtle details. Outfits, furniture, and color palettes change, but so do the characters' physical appearances. They gain wrinkles and freckles. Their hairstyles and colors change. When we see the future? There are technological advances that I won't share due to spoilers. You'll have to read to see them.
Though some of the dialogue is a little on-the-nose, it felt like a realistic depiction of the ways in which queer relationships were (and still are) treated by a lot of people. Centering the narrative on a church bingo game brings the religious message to the fore early on and highlights the ways in which communities have changed as time passes. We see Hazel's children examining their preconceived notions about their mother and her happiness, and it's a beautiful thing.
TL;DR - This comic is exactly what I hoped for when I heard about two grandmothers of color getting a second chance at the love of a lifetime. It's cute and sad and endlessly romantic. I hope it sells like hotcakes.
Fables chronicles the world’s most beloved fairy tale characters hiding out in a magically hidden neighborhood within Manhattan. Run out of their happily-ever-after homeworlds by a mighty conqueror known only as The Adversary, these universally recognized princes, princesses, talking animals, heroes, and villains now face a new challenge: adapting to a modern world filled with sex, violence, and lots of moral ambiguity. Mixing mystery, action, humor, and more, Fables follows these cherished characters’ war against The Adversary and their ongoing struggle to survive alongside one another in the modern world. But who is this Adversary that has rocked their lives?
Buy it at your local comic/book store!
A powerful modern day reimagining of Charlotte Brontë's classic novel Jane Eyre. Jane learns that in the world of New York's elite, secrets are the greatest extravagance and she must decide if she should trust the man she loves or do whatever it takes to protect her best friend from the consequences of his deception.
When an older, problematic book is modernized, I have a habit of hoping for the best. I should have learned better by now, though. Despite being adapted by a writer I adore, I still couldn't like the story.
A large part of the problem is that I don't much care for JANE EYRE. I hate Mr. Rochester, and have never been able to understand why Jane Eyre would return to him after his heinous actions are revealed. He's a jerk, and she's gotten away from him. I'd like the story to end there. It never does. Logically, it would follow that I wouldn't like JANE, a modernized adaptation of the classic. I suspect that readers who are fans of Brontë's original will enjoy this version far more than I did.
On to the objective part of this review! The art is similar to gothic classics or the romance comics of the 70's, full of painted scenes with bold brushstrokes and evocative color choices. Panel size and placement is varied throughout, with curious closeups and several two page splash spreads. The writing is fine, but as with most comics, the art carries the emotional weight of the story. The panels leading up to a kiss are tinted red and orange, with closeups that are a bit blurred and hard to decipher, illustrating the chaotic swirl of emotion between the pair.
All of this said, I still hate Rochester, regardless of the pretty art and updated Happily Ever After. Your mileage may vary.
Elizabeth Watson is a young woman trapped between ideals that she can never reach.
Too traditional to take part of her adventurer family lineage and too poor and obscure to be a true society lady, Elizabeth’s fortunes may change for the better with the introduction of famed industrialist Mr. Lovelace in her life. She is soon pulled into his world of industry and conspiracy- where violence is the norm, sky pirates roam the skies and a woman with wings made of brass and steel hunts in the night.
Maiden of the Machine is a Gothic Adventure comic and updates weekly on Mondays and Thursdays. Maiden of the Machine is recommended for PG13/YA level readers for violence, depictions of emotional abuse, and sexual situations.
Maiden of the Machine is a story about a pair of down-on-their-luck sisters seeking adventure. The elder sister (Abhaya, known as Abigail to her cousins) seeks it to make ends meet. The younger sister, Elizabeth (known alternately as Eliza, Lizzy or Bette), finds her curiosity and sense of wonder stoked by a chance meeting with Mr. Lovelace during one of their jobs. (I am also now suspecting that the titulary Maiden of the Machine is neither of the Watson women, but in fact a character who is revealed only about ¾ of the way through.)
The series has been going on for about two years now, and readers should know that the romance doesn’t start until about two years in, but once it starts, it is definitely there! The characterization of the two female leads (both women of color!) is strong, and I have a good sense of how they’ll react to various situations. Despite setbacks, each finds ways to push ahead. The quasi-Victorian setting will also be quite familiar to many, as there is talk of estates, marriages, allowances, and plenty of social awkwardness around “proper” modes of interaction.
It's also a very slow burn mystery - there have been plenty of breadcrumbs dropped so far, but I’ve yet to have an “aha!” moment or feel like I know where the leads go. The fourth main character, Jules, has some kind of ulterior motive, and it may be sinister, but I honestly don’t have enough information to know whether or not I’m guessing correctly. I love the artwork and the Watson women, but I need more connections between the dots for the plot to really hook me. There are recurring motifs (of a dragonfly and of the Lovelace logo) that appear to be in conflict with each other, but the nature of the conflict is unclear, which robs one of the big reveals of a lot of it’s power.
Overall, I’m interested to see where this goes. If you enjoy strong characters and the near-Steampunk setting, I’d encourage you to give it a shot.
(Also, a little shop with some 18+ extras)
A thousand years ago, the last colour in the world faded to grey. Now, after the great archaeological discovery of Queen Sorizahana’s shade-stocked tomb, it stands ready to enter the world again. Ironwell City will become the birthplace of the burgeoning colour industry, where colour is pumped out of factories, poured into perfumed bottles and sold at exorbitant prices to those wealthy enough to afford the luxury.
At least, that’s the plan according to the Five Financiers of the Sorizahana excavation.
One part Prohibition fantasy, one part Robin Hood, and a whole lot of epic heist, Shaderunners follows a group of ragtag bootleggers and bohemians who band together in an effort to steal colour from the wealthy echelons of Ironwell’s high society. Among them: a philosopher, a puppeteer, a gutter rat, an opera singer, a naval officer and a hopeless romantic. Together, they run The Glass Dial, former watch shop and future night club, where all the house drinks run red.
Speak easy, pal, ‘cause the road to ruin is paved with good intentions.
Spinning of from the universe of Sunstone comes a slice of life romantic story about a couple trying to regain the sexual energy from the beginning of their relationship by swinging with other couples. An emotional journey of two people fighting to stay in love.
I really wanted to love SWING. I adored SUNSTONE and was ready for more of the humor, emotional depth, and romance. Unfortunately, Linda Sejic's lovely art couldn't save the awkward writing and construction of this first volume of SWING.
(If you want to read more about the series and the writing team, we interviewed writer Matt Hawkins in May 2018.)
The book is 132 pages, but only the first 100 are the actual story. The backmatter is cluttered with an excerpt from another Sejic project, BLOODSTAIN, and a bunch of information on swinging. How to get into it, the pro's and con's, resources, etc. This is all well and good, but the BLOODSTAIN excerpt comes before the info on swinging, which doesn't make sense. (Perhaps this will be different in the final version?) The book also opens with an extremely awkward two page sex scene written as prose. It's so clinical that any emotion or arousal the writer wanted to elicit is completely lost. [Then he went down on her and we watched. After a minute, I asked her how she wanted it and she said 'doggie' and I f*cked her for a few minutes.] It's just... awkward. Leave it out next time, please. That opening isn't billed as a preface or an intro to swinging, either, though it's clearly intended as such.
It was a relief to finally get to the actual comic, which is much better than the intro. We're led through the two main characters meeting in college, getting together, and then the next eight years of their lives before they find themselves in a romantic and sexual rut. They then try out a swinging club (with a genuinely funny attempt at oral) and the book ends with the heroine inviting her best friend over for a threesome, which goes well. Then... the book is over.
I understand that the series will continue, but I'm not sure that I'll continue with it. I'm so desperate for romance comics that are sex-positive and beautifully illustrated that I very well may, however. This book is both of those things, but the writing is stilted, jumps around, and could have used an editor or a couple of beta readers who read within the genre.
A science-fiction series that asks the age-old question, "What would you risk for a chance at true love?" Meet Teddy, a young woman who lives in a faraway future where time traveling is a common practice and her job is to maintain the status quo by correcting time paradoxes. But when she meets Ano, "a time paradox" and the girl of her dreams, Teddy must decide between fixing the time stream or the love of her life, both of which have unique consequences.
THE INFINITE LOOP is a stand-alone graphic novel featuring time traveling lesbians. Also included? A T-Rex, rule breaking, and a lot of romance. I've given this as a gift twice, to positive feedback. The art is beautiful, with varied composition that fits the wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey story The message is heavy-handed at times, telling readers to go their own way, let people be who they are, love is love, etc. It's a great message, but the story arc was a bit uneven while getting us from time paradox police officer following the law to renegade burning everything down for love.
Leia Weathington’s sword-and-sorcery epic The Legend of Bold Riley is illustrated by Leia and a host of talented artists. “Who is Bold Riley?” you might ask. She has hunted the wildest game and dallied with countless beautiful girls, but still longs to know the world beyond the city walls. Princess Rilavashana SanParite, called Bold Riley, leaves behind her station and sets out to travel through distant lands and find forgotten ruins, fearsome enemies, inscrutable gods and tragic love.
THE LEGEND OF BOLD RILEY is an adventure comic featuring a (bold) princess who fights monsters, seduces ladies, and uses her wits to help people as she travels around Southeast Asia. The compiled book I read (not the standalone issues) includes several short stories, each with a different artist and plot. Riley is smart, beautiful, daring, and kind. I would have gladly spent more time with her.
We've rated it "R" for lots of nudity, violence, and some post-coital snuggling. With several different art styles, you probably won't like every story visually, but the sometimes sad, sometimes humorous, sometimes gory tales are an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.