Meredith Laxton – The Hub

Great Graphic Novels Roundup Art — Due to the large number of nominees, not all titles are shown here. See full list below.

Each quarter, the Selected Lists teams compile the titles that have been officially nominated to date. These books have been suggested by the team or through the title suggestion form, read by multiple members of the team, and received approval to be designated an official nomination. At the end of the year, the final list of nominations and each Selected List’s Top Ten will be chosen from these titles.

The Apothecary Diaries, v.1. By Natsu Hyuuga. Art by Nekokurage. 2020. Square Enix Manga, $10.99 (9781646090709).

Maomao is a palace servant who was sold into service to the Emperor. After saving one of the Emperor’s heirs, she is promoted to food taster, where she is able to use her skills as an apothecary.

Artie and the Wolf Moon. By Olivia Stephens. Lerner Publishing Group / Graphic Universe, $16.99 (9781728420202).

Artie discovers that her mother is a werewolf and that she has abilities of her own. While attempting to discover what happened to her missing father, she comes across other supernatural enemies.

Asadora, v.3. By Naoki Urasawa. VIZ Media / VIZ Signature, $14.99 (9781974720118).

When she was young, Asa survived a devastating typhoon, but on the same day saw a mysterious footprint in the town where she lived with her family. Now older, Asa becomes involved in a mission to stop the creature who made the footprint.

Asadora! v. 1–3 by Naoki Urasawa
VIZ Signature / VIZ Media
Publication Dates: January 19, 2021; April 20, 2021; July 27, 2021
ISBN: 9781974717460; 9781974720101; 9781974720118

The story starts with an apocalyptic monster attack, but the real story of Asadora! begins in the 1950s with a young girl, Asa Asada. She is sent out in a storm to look for a doctor to deliver yet another baby for her family when she is kidnapped by mistake by an unlucky former pilot, Kasuga. Everything changes quickly when a massive storm hits Asa’s hometown, and the two work together to fly a plane to search for Asa’s family and other survivors. The two see a mysterious giant tail amidst the damage but manage to escape danger and reunite Asa with a few of her younger siblings. Years later, when Asa is 17, she is performing as a stunt pilot, and she has become part of a small found family with her siblings, Kasuga, and Kinuyo, who runs a diner. Asa is recruited to find and destroy the creature she saw before the Olympics in Tokyo begin. Volume 3 ends with Asa agreeing to help, hoping to find her remaining family.

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