I loved this book so much! It is set in the future, where humanity has expanded and moved to Mars. We follow a girl called Clem, and her robot SENA, who have moved to Mars for an internship with Clem’s idol. While working at the internship, Clem meets a personal build humanoid robot named Kye. Soon, Kye starts to malfunction, and the only one who can help him is Clem. They both have to delve deep into their pasts to solve what’s going on, and they become very close along the way. This book is filled with mystery, romance and secrets hidden in the past. 10/10 recommend!

Sonic The Hedgehog Volume 4: Infection is Sonic-speed thrills from cover to cover! Dr. Eggman is gone for good. A happily retired handyman, he’s a threat no longer — or so everyone thought. Now, a new foe has emerged from the shadows and signs are pointing to the return of the doctor’s dark side. As Eggman’s allies slowly increase in numbers, Sonic must rush to find him again. It won’t be easy, though— the devious doctor and his fiendish friends are cooking up a new superweapon that even Sonic and friends can’t contain!!! Combing Ian Flynn’s story writing skills and the art of Adam Bryce Thomas, Diana Skelly, Tracy Yardley and Jack Lawrence, Sonic The Hedgehog Volume 4: Infection is a real treat!

Sonic is back for more way-past-cool adventures in Ian Flynn’s Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 3: Battle For Angel Island! Neo Metal Sonic, the super-powered steel nemesis, has conquered Angel Island and claimed the Master Emerald as his prize. Now, Sonic, alongside Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, and the rest of the Resistance fighters, must prepare for the fight of their lives in order to prevent Neo Metal Sonic from reviving Dr. Eggman’s terrifying Empire. As the battle goes on, though, Neo Metal Sonic becomes increasingly stronger. Can Sonic stop the robot’s rampage, or will he succumb to the “perfect version” of himself? With awesome art by Tracy Yardley and Evan Stanley, no Sonic fan will be able to resist Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 3: Battle For Angel Island!

Ready for more exciting adventures? Sonic The Hedgehog Volume 2: The Fate of Dr. Eggman has just that! Since Dr. Eggman’s mysterious disappearance, Sonic has been dashing around the world hunting for him — and whoever is controlling his robot army. But when Sonic, with the help of the Chaotix Detective Agency, finally locates him, he’s in for a big surprise! And that’s not all— Shadow, Sonic’s grim rival, is also hunting for Eggman. While dealing with this problem, Sonic also must uncover the true identity of the Eggman Empire’s new leader. Sonic will have to be at his fastest if the day is going to be saved! Written by Sonic super-enthusiast Ian Flynn and featuring art by Tracy Yardley, Adam Bryce Thomas, and Evan Stanley, along with tons of fantastic cover art, this comic collection is essential for any action lover!

Having only really experienced Kate Beaton's web comic, Hark! A Vagrant and her sillier material, I was interested to see how a graphic novel of her life would play out on the printed page. I was shocked to find her somewhat whimsical style had so much emotion for a story that was assuredly a difficult one to tell. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands is as gripping as it is frustrating that such working conditions remain this dangerous for women.

Telling the story of how Beaton paid off her student loans from art school in the fastest way possible, Ducks highlights the misogyny and sexism present in the (frankly) male-dominated field of petroleum. Working on the oil sands isn't safe in a physical sense, but add to that the "hanging with the guys" tropes that eventually lead to assault. It was hard to read sections of this book, knowing that men should be better than this. Beaton pours her trauma out on the page and it stuck with me in a way that only a graphic novel like this could convey.

I'd say that this book should be required reading for both men and women going into these fields, but I know it probably wouldn't change anything. There's too much inertia to effect the significant changes that would need to happen. This shouldn't lessen discussions about the depression, substance abuse, and suicide that men in these jobs endure, but instead highlight the tenuous strengths and inevitable weakness of humans pushed to their breaking points. For some, though, it is a lifestyle. For the lucky ones, they make it out alive in as little time as possible—which is still long enough to have lasting negative effects on their lives.

A deeply moving memoir about women working in a male-dominated field, I give Ducks 5.0 stars out of 5.

The Infinity Particle is about a futuristic world where humans have colonized Mars and have advanced technology. Clementine is a young girl who has just moved to Mars to get a start at a new life. She is working with her hero, as she is one of the most talented people to work in the field of robotics. On her first day, her and her personal robot SENA meet Kye, a personal humanoid robot built by Clem’s hero. Soon, Clem finds out her hero is not who she believed her to be, and Kye is malfunctioning. Clem and Kye have to work together to solve this mystery, and in doing so, they unearth both Clem and Kye’s troubled pasts, and they grow closer together. It’s a great book!

I like this book a lot because of how cute and funny it is. The way this book is written makes it very exciting to read. Link is shown how he can positively interact with any type of living creature. His cute companion Peeko that's been with him since a chick is adorable and such a fun character to have in the book. The way the art is drawn makes the whole thing cuter and more adorable than to how it could have been if it wasn’t drawn in this style.

The second part of the Ocarina of Time is a well drawn and written book. It was interesting seeing all the changes that happened in seven years after Ganon won and got the triforce. There are funny moments in it when Link with a child's mentality and an adult's body confuses people with how he does things. It’s cute when Link meets people and animals he made friends with seven years ago where he remembers it so well. The bonus story with the entirely new character Rouro was an interesting way to see Link help animals/people when it doesn’t involve fighting a monster.

Bone is one of those comics I’ve always been aware of but haven’t gotten around to reading until now. It’s interesting how the visual style of the titular characters evokes an older style of comics, while the other characters in the world feel more modern. The storytelling runs at a pretty fast pace that kept me turning the pages to see what happens next. There’s some pretty good humor here, as well as tense situations to keep it from becoming too silly. I can definitely see the appeal and why it’s been a notable comic since its origins in the early 1990s.

My only qualm with this book has to do with the main characters. The three “Bones” feel out of place in the fantasy realm, let alone our world. It also took me a while to distinguish visually between Fone Bone and Phoney Bone, which was only aided because this book mostly follows Fone. These characters are quite expressive for their simple design, which helps. I understand their simple white design would make producing the (originally black and white) comic easier, but they’re so jarring when everything else is so detailed.

It's funny how the Japanese isekai genre has picked up in recent years, only to have been solidly pre-dated by Bone. The concept of a group of people being transported/lost in an unfamiliar fantasy world is a huge genre today. The fantasy world-building Jeff Smith does in this first volume definitely holds to a lot of fantasy tropes while also taking humorous turns that make the world unique. I’m glad I picked up the colorized version of this first volume and I’ll definitely be reading the next volume when I get the chance.

A bold take on the isekai genre in an American style, I give Bone, Vol. 1 4.0 stars out of 5.

It's a rare treat to find a graphic novel with well-rounded characters, an interesting story, and an art style that has range. Even if it started as a webcomic, Nimona shows a surprising amount of depth for the medium. Sure, some of the early parts were clearly encapsulated in a serial format, but they were a quick way to introduce the characters and setting. When the story has some room to grow, it gets even better. It's definitely a page-turner, and I devoured it as fast as I could.

The heart of Nimona is its characters. Flipping the hero's journey on its head and focusing on the villain's perspective was a fun touch. Nimona's chaotic nature was a fun contrast to Lord Ballister Blackheart, who just wanted to do his villainous revenge alone. Perhaps the biggest surprise was how naturally the book handles LGBTQ+ themes. None of it felt forced or odd, even in a science fantasy setting. It was just there, with no winking nods or awkward attention brought to it. Then again, it was also a fantastic adaptation of the "enemies to lovers" trope—or would it be "lovers to enemies"?

As someone who likes to write science fantasy stories, I absolutely loved the science fantasy setting. It has all the trappings of a medieval time, just with video chats, laser guns, and dragons co-existing in a way that makes perfect sense. This is the kind of thing I can completely get behind. If anything, I hope this book inspires more writers to jump into this genre, as I desperately want to read more books like this. It's like the best parts of sci-fi and fantasy brought together in an awesome (but also deeply moving) story.

A science fantasy graphic novel with excellent characters, story, and art, I give Nimona 5.0 stars out of 5.