Tag: WebComics

Great Graphic Novels (#GGN2024) Featured Review: Unfamiliar, Vol. 1 by Haley Newsome

  • Unfamiliar, Vol. 1
  • by Haley Newsome
  • Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
  • Publication Date: December 6, 2022
  • ISBN-13: 9781524876838

Unfamiliar by Haley Newsome, based on her webcomic of the same title, follows plucky kitchen witch Planchette as she and her rabbit familiar, Winston, move to a witchy town in search of like-minded friends. Unfortunately, her new abode has raised the wrong kind of spirits–ghosts to be exact. Using her predicament as an opportunity to meet new friends, Planchette pulls together an unlikely group of witches and familiars to solve her problem. 

Newsome’s cute, expressive illustrations present characters that all feel unique and likable in a warm, dusky color palette. Upbeat, fast-paced storytelling packed with easy humor, feel-good vibes, and a sprinkle of queer romance make difficult subjects like loneliness, death, and anxiety go down easy. Magic is largely non-violent and used as a fun support, like an umbrella that functions as a personal rain cloud for a character who is feeling extra sad and wants everyone else to know it. 

This comic’s group of underdogs will appeal to teens who enjoy witchy stories of friendship like the Witch Hat Atelier series by Kamome Shirahama or the Netflix series Little Witch Academia. The easy yet quirky comedy is also a good fit for fans of Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe and the Bee and PuppyCat comics and animated series.

—Adam Wheeler

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: September 27, 2022
Release Date: February 21, 2023
Release Date: March 14, 2023
Release Date: April 11, 2023

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.

Great Graphic Novels (#GGN2024) Featured Review: Tower of God, Vol. 1, by SIU

  • Tower of God, Vol. 1
  • by SIU
  • Publisher: Webtoon Unscrolled
  • Publication Date: November 2, 2022
  • ISBN-13: 9781990259906

Welcome to the Tower. Everyone’s dream is to ascend to the top. Hundreds will try; few, if any, will rise. So what are the chances for an average kid like Twenty-Fifth Bam? In volume one, Bam is taught the rules of the Tower by its rabbit-like guardian, Headon: each level is its own world, with new rules, characters, challenges, and bosses. Bam will be tested in every imaginable sense, competing with friends and enemies he meets along the way on his quest to find his lost friend, Rachel, who entered the Tower before him. How will he find her, and how will he survive?

Tower of God has been bound into print volumes for the first time after years of popularity on Webtoon. While the transition from web to print stumbles a bit in this first volume, readers will hardly notice once they are swept up in the mysterious worldbuilding and crisp, visually-rich artwork typical of South Korean manhwa. While there is violence and nail-biting suspense, the author wisely gives readers moments of levity through backstory, relationship building, and a little humor.

Hand this first volume of Tower of God to teens who love Solo Leveling by Chungong. Fans of dark science fiction survival stories like The Hunger Games and Netflix’s Squid Game will also be hooked on this series. Gamers will find familiarity in the Tower’s levels and world bosses, and be eager to discover which skills (and secrets) Bam will need to survive each new challenge.

-Kelly Blue

Other Nominated Titles

Release Date: September 1, 2022
Release Date: October 11, 2022
Release Date: September 27, 2022
Release Date: October 25, 2022

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.