More Comics Please! Issue #4

More Comics Please! is a space for comic book reviews: think of it like a friend telling you about their latest read! Today’s comics are When I Was Me: Moments of Gender Euphoria, Leaf Lace, and My Love Mix-Up! Volume 1.

Trigger Warning: Some comics include misgendering, gender dysphoria, and sex.

When I Was Me: Moments of Gender Euphoria is a heartwarming collection of stories of trans joy and self love. This comics collection is like an antidote to so much of the messaging we trans people see in the world: full of light, hope, and positive affirmations.

What It’s About

“‘Gender euphoria’ is the overwhelming feeling of joy a gender-non-conforming person feels when their gender is explored, validated, and celebrated. From being called the right name, to photoshoots with friends, to performing as a different gender in a play; gender euphoria is something that can result from an infinite number of experiences.

When I Was Me is a collection of autobiographical comics about the joyful and euphoric experiences of being transgender, featuring stories from trans people with a wide range of gender identities, ages, and backgrounds! 100% of the team working on When I Was Me fits under the trans umbrella, from pre-press to artists. With 12 interior illustrations and over 60 comics, this book is a wonderful reminder that the trans experience is full of beauty and happiness.”

What Worked for Me

✦ I wept when I first read this anthology; it was so meaningful to me to see so many expressions of trans joy and empowerment. It came into my life at a time that I really needed to see trans joy. I think that the need for stories of trans joy is evergreen, and I’m grateful that this anthology exists. 

✦ My favorite comics in the book involved seeing how trans people’s loved ones supported and loved them throughout their transition. As someone who was told by a family member that they wouldn’t be loved if they transitioned, especially medically, seeing proof that that’s just not true was more meaningful to me than words can ever express. I’m so grateful for this anthology.

✦ It was wonderful to see such a large number of contributors! It gave us a sample of so many different approaches to comics, which is something I love about anthologies like this. It ranges from very simple to complex to semi-realism to abstract to photography-based and more; it’s great for people to see that there are so many ways to make a comic and that we’re not limited to just one kind or another.

✦ For the most part, the lettering in the comics was pretty easy to read. There were a few that were a bit of a struggle for me, but overall, not bad.

✦ As a nonbinary person myself, it was wonderful to see so many nonbinary experiences represented!

What Didn’t Work for Me

✦ I wish we had been able to see a few stories as longer than just a single page! I think some of the stories could have benefitted from a little expansion.

✦ I also would have liked to see a bit more diversity in the comics, too. In particular, I would have loved to see more fat people, racialized people, visibly disabled people, trans femmes, and older people as contributors.

Overall

I give When I Was Me: Moments of Gender Euphoria 4 out of 5 speech bubbles: I really adore this collection, and I’ve turned to it a few times when I need a pick me up or when the news gets a little stressful. It’s a wonderful reminder of the immense joy our community has, and I definitely recommend you pick up a copy for yourself, your questioning friends, your curious kiddos– whoever you think would appreciate the range of trans experiences this shows. I’d also totally suggest that you recommend it to your local library!

How to Read It

Interested in checking it out for yourself? Head over to Quindrie Press get a physical copy or to their Itch.io shop for a digital one!

Read This Next

If you liked this, check out Heartwood: Non-binary Tales of Sylvan Fantasy, Power & Magic: Queer Witch Comics Anthology, Volume 1 and Volume 2, and Young Men in Love

Trigger Warnings: Death of a loved one, grief, loneliness

Leaf Lace is a gorgeous exploration of love and grief and what it means to keep on living when it feels impossible. The pages are absolutely saturated with rich, vibrant illustrations and textures that leaves you craving more. If this is your first experience with Ashanti Fortson’s work, you are in for a tremendous treat!

What It’s About

“Ananke has lived an inconceivably long life spinning the life threads of mortals … including Mnimi’s before the two of them became entwined. As Mnimi’s life approaches its end, Ananke’s grief threatens to unravel the land around them, the sky above them, and her own understanding of life itself. “

What Worked for Me

✦ Ashanti is an incredible storyteller, both visually and with words. The way they explore the difficult aspects of being alive and illustrate it with such tenderness is something I greatly admire and respect.

✦ I love the way Ashanti plays with light. They have a painterly quality that gives their work so much depth and texture that is very pleasing to the eye.

✦ The story had me sobbing, something I consider to be one of the best signs about a book 😂 It was told so lovingly and gently with such appreciation for the difficulty and inevitability of loss and how we must continue for ourselves and our loved ones.

✦ Ashanti’s color palette in this piece is gorgeous. The colors harmonize so well with one another, and they emphasize the emotion of each scene.

✦ I really liked Ashanti’s way of playing with the panels’ shapes and the negative space of the page. It was never just one kind of panel throughout; it was varied and serving of the moment.

✦ The lettering was very easy to read, which is something I always appreciate.

✦ I love the way Ashanti uses yarn, spinning, and knitting to enhance the story’s theme of the bonds we make in life and to life itself. Just *chef’s kiss*

What Didn’t Work for Me

Honestly, there’s nothing about this comic that doesn’t work for me. It’s exemplary of the powerful storytelling that comics offer the world, and Ashanti is a remarkable storyteller, skilled at breathing life into words and visuals. 

Overall

I give Leaf Lace 5 out of 5 speech bubbles: I absolutely loved this comic, and I can’t recommend it and Ashanti Fortson’s other work highly enough. Do yourself a favor and grab a copy of Leaf Lace today!

How to Read It

You can pick up a digital copy or print copy of Leaf Lace at Hivemill.

Read This Next

If you liked this, check out Shades of Fear Horror Anthology, Mamo, and Stone Fruit

My Love Mix-Up! Volume One is such a sweet and endearing queer manga with a great cast of fun and kind characters! It’s low tension, which I very much appreciate as a anxious individual 😂 

What It’s About

“Aoki has a crush on Hashimoto, the girl in the seat next to him in class. But he despairs when he borrows her eraser and sees she’s written the name of another boy—Ida—on it. To make matters more confusing, Ida sees Aoki holding that very eraser and thinks Aoki has a crush on him!”

What Worked for Me

✦ I love how beautiful the art is! The delicate inking of the hair and eyes is especially captivating, and Aruko really gives that fuwa fuwa feeling to those moments that make you hold your breath in anticipation.

✦  I think the beauty of Aruko’s line work is masterfully contrasted with the goofy moments all throughout the book. Artists that can give me lovely, sweet, bashful scenes one moment, followed by puckered eyeballs and jabs with a broomstick are after my own heart!

✦ I love Wataru Hinekure’s low tension script. The older I get, the more I want low tension queer happiness, and Wataru Hinekure delivered! 

✦ I really appreciated that kindness was front and center in this story with not just one character, but the majority of them. As a USian, especially after three years of pandemic-heightened selfishness, I’m saddened by how little I see that in media. I’m grateful for stories like these that emphasize kindness as a strength and positive characteristic.

✦ The story and art flow together seamlessly, with each of the creators’ strengths playing off of one another to create a single cohesive book.

✦ I’m so grateful that this story wasn’t awash with anti-queer judgement from other characters. I always welcome stories that let queer people, especially kids, just get to figure out their feelings and have a romance without having to wade through a bunch of hatred. Makes my millennial queer heart so happy 🥹  

✦ I also love that even though no one was being blatantly anti-queer, the author still gave us a humorous story about discovering your queer identity for the first time!

✦ The lettering was easy to read, which I really appreciated.

What Didn’t Work for Me

✦ I wasn’t a fan of the ableist language sprinkled throughout the book.

✦ The panel lines were a bit thick for me and distracted me a bit at the beginning, but I did get used to them fairly quickly. 

Overall

I give My Love Mix-Up! Volume One 5 out of 5 speech bubbles: I really loved this manga, and I really want you to go out, grab a copy of it, read it, and then come back and talk to me about it in the comments! 😂 

How to Read It

Interested in checking it out for yourself? Here are a few ways you can get your hands on a copy!

Read This Next

If you liked this, check out Sora & Haena, Young Men in Love, and Vampire Blood Drive

That concludes this month’s issue of More Comics Please! What did you think of today’s comics? Have you read any yourself? Are you itching to go check these out now? Let me know in the comments!

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