New Release: RUINED

RUINED by Sarah Vaughn, Sarah Winifred Searle, and Niki Smith
(First Second Books, Nov 2023)

The whole town is whispering about how Catherine Benson lost her virtue, though they can never agree on the details. Was it in the public garden? Or a moving carriage?

Only a truly desperate man would want her now―and that’s exactly what Andrew Davener is. His family’s estate is in disrepair, but Catherine’s sizeable dowry could set it to rights.

After the two wed, Catherine finds herself inexplicably drawn to Andrew. But could falling in love with her husband tear her marriage apart? In this richly detailed Regency romance, duty and passion collide in a slow-burn tale of intertwined fates.

Select praise for RUINED:

• Shelf Awareness starred review: “Readers looking for a quieter Bridgerton or a more diverse, steamier Austen novel will love this graphic novel.”

• Booklist review: “Sure to be a delight for fans of the show Bridgerton and other similar adaptations… Modern Austen fans should take a look.”

• “Ruined is a gorgeous historical romance you’ll immediately fall for.” - Culturess.com

New Release: A GUEST IN THE HOUSE

A GUEST IN THE HOUSE by Emily Carroll (First Second Books, Aug 2023)

After many lonely years, Abby’s just gotten married. She met her new husband―a recently widowed dentist―when he arrived in town with his young daughter, seeking a new start. Although it’s strange living in the shadow of her predecessor, Abby does her best to be a good wife and mother. But the more she learns about her new husband’s first wife, the more things don’t add up. And Abby starts to wonder . . . was Sheila’s death really by natural causes? As Abby sinks deeper into confusion, Sheila’s memory seems to become a force all its own, ensnaring Abby in a mystery that leaves her obsessed, fascinated, and desperately in love for the first time in her life.

Select praise for A GUEST IN THE HOUSE:

• Booklist starred review: “Carroll brings her deliciously disquieting style to this gothic tale of a new marriage and the sinister secrets lurking beneath the veneer of cozy domesticity.”

• NPR review: “What makes Carroll’s work such a compelling read are the visuals, which are consistently surprising and expertly move from one stylistic tactic to the next, each creating its own particular mood. A Guest in the House rests on atmosphere, delivering an uncanny, wild ride.”

• “Emily Carroll is the master of comics horror, we can only thank whoever blessed/cursed her with the gift to creep under the skin and thrill with visceral image as only she can. Reading A Guest in the House is to feel small and sad and longing, but curious, sensual, forbidden - then terrified, trapped, racing to an end you can’t look away from. I loved it, of course I did!!”
  - Kate Beaton, creator of Ducks

• “With the hypnotically brilliant A Guest in the House, phantasmagoria meets family psychodrama. I’m left agape and haunted, and wanting more.”
  - Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World

New Release: PRISM STALKER: THE WEEPING STAR

PRISM STALKER: THE WEEPING STAR by Sloane Leong
(Dark Horse, July 2023)

The planet Eriatarka grows more inhospitable as it’s colonization at the hand of the Chorus continues.

Vep and her fellow students are reaching the end of their basic combat training in the pneumatic arts and begin to exercise their abilities outside the colony-city of Elefstris. Their objective: subdue the unruly planet bent on scouring the Chorus’ presence from its surface. But what exactly are they subjugating? And what will the cost of conquering be?

Select praise for THE WEEPING STAR:

• “Prism Stalker rewires your brain with every page turn, leaving you both entranced by its invention and emboldened by its indignation. This is big-idea sci-fi of the highest order, and a rare depiction of the alient that feels truly and thoroughly ALIEN.”
  - Ezra Clayton Daniels, author of Upgrade Soul and BTTM FDRS

• “The most visually innovative graphic novel in years, Prism Stalker pairs stunning art with a richly layered sci-fi thriller… Book of the year, hands down.”
  - Alex de Campi, creator of Dracular, Motherf**ker! and Twisted Romance

• “Electrifying and hallucinatory… like a psychic bomb exploding in your conscience. It’s a nuanced meditation on settler colonialism in space. But it’s also a mind-blowing, eyeball-melting trip through biological cities and sentient planets, full of flesh-ripping battles and satisfyingly incomprehensible alien life. The gorgeous, wild characters in this book will blast their way into your heart and refuse to leave.”
  - Annalee Newitz, author of The Terraformers and Autonomous

New Release: WASH DAY DIARIES

WASH DAY DIARIES by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith
(Chronicle Books, July 2022)

Wash Day Diaries tells the story of four best friends—Kim, Tanisha, Davene, and Cookie—through five connected short story comics that follow these young women through the ups and downs of their daily lives in the Bronx.

The book takes its title from the wash day experience shared by Black women everywhere of setting aside all plans and responsibilities for a full day of washing, conditioning, and nourishing their hair. Each short story uses hair routines as a window into these four characters' everyday lives and how they care for each other.

Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith originally kickstarted their critically acclaimed, award-winning slice of life mini comic, Wash Day, inspired by Rowser's own wash day ritual and their shared desire to see more comics featuring the daily lived experiences of young Black women. Wash Day Diaries includes an updated, full color version of this original comic—which follows Kim, a 26-year-old woman living in the Bronx—as the book's first chapter and expands into a graphic novel with short stories about these vibrant and relatable new characters.

In expanding the story of Kim and her friends, the authors pay tribute to Black sisterhood through portraits of shared, yet deeply personal experiences of Black hair care. From self-care to spilling the tea at an hours-long salon appointment to healing family rifts, the stories are brought to life through beautifully drawn characters and different color palettes reflecting the mood in each story.

At times touching, quiet, triumphant, and laugh out loud funny, the stories of Wash Day Diaries pay a loving tribute to Black joy and the resilience of Black women.

Select praise for WASH DAY DIARIES:

• Publishers Weekly starred review: “The motif of wash day— as the women wash their own hair and others', go to the salon, and get braids—invites the reader into the rhythm of their lives, with welcome inclusivity of queer romance, as well as non romantic story lines. This subtle but heartwarming homage to friendship, feminism, and reconciliation sings.”

• Polygon review: “Smith's charming and inviting art invites comic book readers old and new to lose themself in this joyful and touching celebration of Black joy and sisterhood that cements the duo of Rowser and Smith as one of comics most powerful creative teams.”

New Release: GRAVENEYE

GRAVENEYE, written by Sloane Leong, illustrated by Anna Bowles
(TKO Studios, Nov 2021)

What if a haunted house was not the horror, but the people who dwell within it?

Isla lives alone in a large mansion deep in the woods. She has hired the young Marie to help her keep the big house tidy, but Marie brings demons of her own into Isla's domain.

Her house has seen its share of blood, horror, and the depths of the human soul. Cursed with sentience, it is destined to observe the terrors that lurk inside each and every one of us.

Select praise for GRAVENEYE:

• "GRAVENEYE is a lush, bloody, gothic feast. A kaleidoscopic mix of desire, hunger and revenge. Home is where the transformed heart is." — Paul Tremblay, multiple award-winning author of the national bestseller The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts.

• Comics Beat review: “Leong and Bowles have crafted an unforgettable piece of horror fiction that easily stands as one of the best of the year. Like the mansion in the story, Graveneye offers readers multiple doorways into its narrative. They each carry a forbidden sense of danger to them, as if you were intruding on a life that’s excruciatingly private. And yet, the invitation to intrude is there, and you should.”

New Release: THE SHORT WHILE

THE SHORT WHILE by Jeremy Sorese (Archaia, Nov 2021)

After a party, two men accidentally swap their jackets and are thrust into a most opportune meeting.

In each other they find what they’ve been missing. Love. Companionship. Trust. Honesty. Vulnerability. And they find everything they feared. Tragedy. Loss. Loss of self. Loss of freedom. Loss of each other.

Acclaimed cartoonist Jeremy Sorese presents a tragic but redemptive love story about two men who meet, quickly fall in love, and then find themselves falling apart when an unexpected event changes both their lives forever.

Select praise for THE SHORT WHILE:

• “THE SHORT WHILE is a thrilling triumph that poignantly conveys how queer people experience trauma and how new events can cause eruptions that heal old wounds. It is a spiritually transformative sci-fi thriller that proves Sorese's artistry is boundless.” — Sasha Velour

• Publishers Weekly review: “…A bravely messy story about dealing with trauma, on a personal and a societal level, and searching for happiness in an imperfect world.”

New Release: THE CONTRADICTIONS

THE CONTRADICTIONS by Sophie Yanow (Drawn & Quarterly, September 2020)

Sophie is young and queer and into feminist theory.

She decides to study abroad, choosing Paris for no firm reason beyond liking French comics. Feeling a bit lonely and out of place, she’s desperate for community and a sense of belonging. She stumbles into what/who she’s looking for when she meets Zena.

An anarchist student-activist committed to veganism and shoplifting, Zena offers Sophie a whole new political ideology that feels electric. Enamored―of Zena, of the idea of living more righteously―Sophie finds herself swept up in a whirlwind friendship that blows her even further from her rural California roots as they embark on a disastrous hitchhiking trip to Amsterdam and Berlin, full of couch surfing, drug tripping, and radical book fairs.

Select praise for THE CONTRADICTIONS:

• 2019 Eisner Award winner for best webcomic

• Publishers Weekly starred review: “Appealing both to indie comics fans on the cusp of coming-of-age to those looking back decades to their own youthful follies, this assured, smart chronicle is a winner.”

• "The Contradictions is a masterpiece. Sophie Yanow’s tale of hitchhiking around Europe under the spell of a sulky, fixie-riding anarchist is a pitch-perfect portrait of youthful disillusionment and self-discovery. Yanow’s impeccable ligne claire drawing seems to mathematically cancel out everything nonessential in her panels, and the effect is surprisingly, even transcendently, emotional." - Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home

New Release: WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE CASTLE

WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE CASTLE by Emily Carroll (Koyama Press, April 2019)

Emily Carroll has fashioned a rich gothic horror charged with eroticism that doesn’t just make your skin crawl, it crawls into it.

Like many before her that have never come back, she’s made it to the Countess’ castle determined to snuff out the horror, but she could never be prepared for what hides within its turrets… or what unfurls under its fluttering flags.

Select praise for WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE CASTLE:

• Paste Magazine review: “Her full-bleed pages and limited palette, her incongruous close-ups, her weird shading and her unexpected teeth all surgically peel back your skin.”

• Publishers Weekly review: “Carroll’s fans will best appreciate this slim poetic work, as it delivers on her standards, and envelops the reader in a world that’s tense, haunting, and genuinely scary.”

• Women Write About Comics review: “When I Arrived at the Castle feels like slipping into a rich velvet robe only to find that its red color is from centuries of bloodstains.”

New Release: KARMA PATROL

KARMA PATROL by Kate Miller
Curiosity Quills Press, April 2016

As a karmic account enforcer, Jade Bailey makes sure that what goes around comes around. Jade has dedicated her life to Karma Division, and in return she's expecting her own personal fairytale, complete with her dream job and love at first sight with a tall, dark, and handsome soulmate.

After more than a decade of waiting, her destined soulmate still hasn't turned up, but a stellar annual performance review from the Powers That Be puts Jade at the top of the promotion list. All she has to do is maintain her territory's karmic balance until the selection process is over. Naturally, a deranged shooter picks the next day to start a rampage that threatens to destroy the karmic balance of Midtown West - and, incidentally, any chance Jade has of earning that long-awaited promotion.

Unwilling to give up despite warnings from her boss, who knows the shadowy Destiny Division won't appreciate Jade's interference, Jade starts her own investigation. In the next shooting, she nearly becomes a victim herself, but she can't prove her near-death experience is anything but a coincidence. Detective Luke Jackson, Jade's unwitting and extremely unwilling soulmate, arrives on the scene to investigate. Instead of falling head over heels in love with her, Luke suspects her of being involved in the murders.

If Jade wants her fairytale ending, she’ll have to convince her soulmate she isn’t a killer while trying to catch the real culprit, a task made more difficult and infinitely more dangerous when Jade becomes the killer’s next target.