Reviews - The Graphic Library

Villains are destined to die vol 1 by gwon gyeoeul

6/30/2023

Cover of Villains are Destined to Die volume 1. Penelope is laying on a bed with her pink hair surrounding her. She's in a black dress with red front bodice paneling, and she's holding a dark red rose.

Adapted by SUOL

Our heroine is stuck in a terrible Cinderella-style nightmare, both in real life and as she’s sucked into a popular game! After her mother passes away, her wealthy father reluctantly brings her into his home where her two half brothers treat her horribly. She finally manages to move away by getting into a prestigious university, where she gets addicted to a fantasy romance sim. After defeating the game on the normal mode, she decides to attempt on the hard mode, which is actually playing from the “villainess’s” perspective. She realizes she has much in common with Penelope, the villain, and yet she is still thwarted and killed quickly. Frustrated, she falls asleep, and, upon waking, finds herself in the role of Penelope in the game! Now, she must use her knowledge of the game world and what she's learned from her past to navigate five male characters and convince them not to kill her for the slightest misstep. There's no reset button this time!

My happy marriage vol 1 by Akumi Agitogi

6/28/2023

Cover of My Happy Marriage volume 1. Miyo stands in the foreground in a pink flowery kimono that is being blown in the wind. Behind her is Lord Kudo in his soldier's uniform. Around them are some white and purple flowers.

Illustrated by Rito Kohsaka

Miyo may be the oldest daughter in the prestigious Saimori family, but her step-mother, step sister, and father bear her no love. She is constantly demeaned lower than a servant, and generally abused by the family. When her stepsister gets a marriage proposal, her father decides it’s not good to have Miyo continue to be around the house, so he enters her into a marriage arrangement with a very eligible but purportedly despicable man, Lord Kiyoka Kudo. Miyo tries her hardest to prove she can be a nobleman’s wife, but she lacks refinement and education, and worries Kudo will break off the arrangement and leave her homeless. But what she doesn’t know about Lord Kudo is why his previous betrothals all failed - that he’s not looking for a typical noble woman to be his wife.

Strange vol 2 by jed mackay

6/25/2023

Cover of Strange volume 2. Clea is wrapped in the Cloak of Levitation, which has silhouettes of Wong, Bats the dog, and tentacles. In her outstretched hand is red smoke rising. She is looking over her shoulder with a deadly stare.

Vol 2: The Doctor Strange of Death, illustrated by Lee Garbett and Stefano Landini, pencilled by Marcelo Ferreira, inked by Roberto Poggi, colored by Java Tartaglia, lettered by Cory Petit

Wong has discovered that pieces of his memory have been stolen, so he seeks out some help from the Scarlet Witch in order to recover what he has lost. Some of what is lost could help uncover what the Blasphemy Cartel is and what they've been up to. Clea and The Harvestman must work together to stop the scheme of the Cartel, but Death, who the Harvestman answers to, has a thing or two to say about this team-up.

Die vol 4 by kieron gillen

6/22/2023

Cover of Die volume 4. We see Ash's blood red eye wide open, and her pupil is shaped like a 6-sided die. There are drops of blood around, and a mostly black cover obscures the rest of her face.

Vol 4: Bleed, illustrated by Stephanie Hans, lettered by Clayton Cowles

The group has to come to terms with what they have done to this world and still somehow get home. Ash and Izzy discover much of the secrets of how the world of Die came to be, and what toll it exacted from Sol. They create a plan to reunite with the others in order to go home, but first Ash must make a choice about who to use her Voice on. The reunited party They race to the center of Die to try to stop the vicious cycle between Earth and Die. There, they find more questions and more answers as to how this world came to be.

Fly me to the moon vol 11 by kenjiro hata

6/19/2023

Cover of Fly Me to the Moon volume 11. Tsukasa and Nasa are sitting in a grassy field with a telescope behind Nasa. It's twilight as there are some stars visible above them, but a light blue sky just above the horizon. Tsukasa is in a pink dress, while Nasa is in a brown hoodie and blue jeans.

On the camping trip continued from the previous volume, Nasa and Tsukasa’s friends surprise them with a Wedding Reception to finally be able to celebrate the couple in public. Nasa has to pull it together to make a meaningful wedding toast, which impresses Ms. Tokiko, Tsukasa’s grandmother. Nasa enthralls part of the group with his astronomy knowledge, while Tsukasa bribes the rest with fireworks. The next morning, Ms. Tokiko gives Nasa the Moon Rock and tells him to make Tsukasa happy. When they return from their camping trip, they find out their apartment is almost ready for them to move back in. Nasa also gets a volunteer teaching position at an all girls high school helping to teach coding.

Earthdivers vol 1 by stephen graham jones

6/16/2023

Cover of Earthdivers volume 1. Tad's face is half in the sky, half under water. The portion under water looks like a skull. Sailing right in the middle of his face and the sea are Columbus' three ships. They're all black and have red crosses on their sails.

Vol 1: Kill Columbus, illustrated by Davide Gianfelice, colored by Joana LaFuente

In the year 2112, the Earth has been destroyed by wars, pollution, and more. Portions of the population have already taken to the skies in search of a new planet. But in the desert of Arizona, a group of Native Americans find a cave that sends them back in time. They hatch a plan to save the world and protect their ancestors, but it involves killing Christopher Columbus before he discovers America. The group chooses Tad, who is a linguist and could potentially pass as sailor, to jump back and try to find a way onto Columbus' ship, but this means leaving behind his family in the future and relying on his knowledge of history to help him navigate through the voyage of Columbus.

Spy x family vol 9 by tatsuya endo

6/15/2023

Cover of Spy x Family volume 9. Becky is in a large chair surrounded by clothing and other items.

Yor is still battling a group of assassins aboard a cruise ship, and Anya is trying to help her without putting Loid in danger or reveal her secret. Loid drops Anya off at a child-care on the ship as he discovers there are bombs planted all over the deck. He doesn't trust the on-board police to find them all in time, so he devises a way to help out without blowing his cover. After they leave the ship, Becky invites Anya over for a playdate, and Anya gets to see just how wealthy Becky is. Becky also thinks a lot about how she is in love with Loid, and how best to get rid of Yor and take her place.

The Girl from the other side deluxe vol 2 by nagabe

6/14/2023

Cover of The Girl from the Other Side Deluxe volume 2. Teacher is standing. in the kitchen with Shiva, and they are making pies. They have orange aprons on, but the rest of the scene is mostly black and white.

I've switched over to collecting the hardcover editions of this book, so this review is for volumes 4-6 of the individual tankobon books.

Auntie has come back to the forest with Shiva, and, despite not getting along with Teacher, the two decide to try living all together for Shiva's sake. But, Teacher is not as forthcoming with his pupil as he should be, as he knows what is going to eventually happen to Auntie, even though he strangely seems to be immune to the worst of becoming an Outsider. Later, the guards from the city start to hunt Shiva, so she and Teacher pack up to move across the countryside to another settlement where Auntie had some relatives. The small farming village is already deserted, and the two stay hidden until the snow falls.

Kaiju no 8 vol 5 by Naoya Matsumoto

6/12/2023

Cover of Kaiju No 8 volume 5. Narumi is standing on his giant gun blade in his power armor, looking really bored.

Kafka has been found out as Kaiju No. 8, and he’s fighting for his life against the general of the Defense Forces. He must prove that he’s not fully a Kaiju in order to be spared. In a fight to the death, a moment before he loses all control to the kaiju, Kafka manages to wrest himself free and prove his humanity. He is rewarded with being assigned to the First squad with Kikoru, who is determined to learn everything she can from the Defence Force’s best fighter, Captain Narumi. But, Narumi while be brilliant on the battlefield, he actually seems like a slob and video game nerd who is incapable of efficiently leading a squad.

Die vol 3 by kieron gillen

6/10/2023

Cover of Die volume 3. A 20-sided die is suspended in the middle of the cover with red flames coming out of it. Below is a hand outstretched.

Vol 3: The Great Game, illustrated by Stephanie Hans, lettered by Clayton Cowles

Ash is now queen of Angria, and has become so by trapping the vampire Zamora with her Voice. This makes her rather trapped as well, as she can’t use her Voice to influence anyone else while he remains enthralled. Sol provides a little guidance from his place in the dungeon. Angria comes under attack by Little England while still being attacked by Eternal Prussia. Ash goes to meet with the leader of Little England, who turns out to be a representation H. G. Wells. Wells is convinced that Ash cannot bring peace and stop the world of Die from engulfing the planet Earth. In another part of the world, Matt, Angela, and Chuck are also trying to stop the destruction of the world, but their main objective is to get back home. They find Angela’s daughter, who is a Fallen now and is constantly trying to eat them.

until i love myself vol 1 by poppy pesayuma

6/9/2023

Cover of Until I Love Myself volume 1. Pink, blue, white, and black colors are laid over Pesayuma in a prism. They are crying, and pieces of their body are represented in different quadrants of the cover.

In this memoir manga, Pesayuma-san goes through their beginnings of being a manga artist, reflecting on their childhood, and grappling with their gender and sexuality. In their second job in the manga industry, Pesayuma was sexually assaulted and objectified by a male coworker, and the trauma from this incident left them emotionally scarred and vulnerable for seven years. After finding a new editor in a post Me-Too world, Pesayuma discovers that they could take legal action against their aggressor, but also that their story could be publishable. They reflect on some fundamental people from their childhood and moments that were formative in their life as they journey towards self-discovery.

The witches of silverlake vol 1 by simon curtis

6/8/2023

Cover of The Witches of Silverlake volume 1. The cast of witches are arranged in action poses across the middle of the cover. In one top corner is a red devil with sharp teeth. In the other corner is the skeleton-looking demon who is hunting Elliot. On the bottom of the cover is the skyline of Los Angeles as it looks from certain spots in the Silverlake neighborhood.

illustrated by Stephanie Son

Elliot is starting his first day at a new high school in a new state, having moved from Ohio to California. His mom got a new job as a vice principal at a prestigious private school in the Silverlake neighborhood of Los Angeles. Aside from the culture shock, Elliot has been having weird visions and dreams of a creepy skeleton-looking figure hunting him. Within hours of arriving at school, he becomes adopted by the self-proclaimed weirdos of the school: five witches looking to complete their coven with him as the sixth. He’s arrived just in time for the most powerful moon in centuries. But all of them get more than they signed up for when a vengeful demon starts coming after Elliot and hurting other classmates and teachers in the process. Elliot must juggle his need for acceptance, his past trauma, his new magical powers, and his romantic feelings, all while fighting off an evil cult and their savage demons.

Briar vol 1 by Christopher cantwell

6/7/2023

Cover of Briar volume 1. Briar is in a forest with lots of white behind the ghostly trees. She's draped in an animal fur, covered in blood and scratches, and holding a sword. Her blonde hair peeks out from behind the fur. We can see one eye, and she's glaring at us.

Illustrated by Germán García, colored by Matheus Lopes

Briar Rose slumbers, but it’s not Prince Charming who wakes her, nor is the world as it should be. Rose has been sleeping for nearly 100 years. Her betrothed is long gone, and the world is darker and crueler than when she went to sleep. She discovers a terrible prophecy that foretold how she would destroy the world, and surmises that this was the reason for her deep sleep. Now, along with the violent woman from the North who woke her, Briar is determined to exact revenge on the being who is responsible for her slumber, caring little for the prophecy that hangs about her neck.

Blue box vol 1 by kouji miura

6/6/2023

Cover of Blue Box volume 1. Chinatsu is in a blue jersey and holding a basketball. her short brown hair comes down to her shoulders. She's smiling. Back to back with her is Taiki, who is in a white jersey with an orange towel around his neck.

Taiki is entering his first year of high school and has aspirations to join the badminton team and go to Nationals. He gets to the school gym early every day to practice. But someone else also has similar goals; Chinatsu Senpai, a second-year on the girl’s basketball team. Taiki knows she’s way out of his league, but he still manages to strike up some conversation and establish some mutual sports admiration. He’s content to crush on her from afar, but when her parents move overseas for work, she ends up staying with Taiki’s family to finish high school and hopefully take her team to Nationals!