WHAT IF WE WERE

High school besties Nathalie and Marie are back in a new collection that reveals the origins of their yearslong friendship and the eponymous game of hypotheticals they like to play.

The major story arc is a joking wish on a lamp that catapults the girls into a fairy tale. Our heroes are no damsels in distress, however, and their predicament provides a rich setup for exploring the powers of naming and identity. Bookending the primary adventure is a series of episodic one-shots that capture the reality and cringe comedy of being a teen, including scholastic struggles, crushes, and gym class. Readers new to the series are cleverly oriented through several pages of opening character sheets. Yet those unfamiliar with the first collection may struggle to keep up with the repartee and frenzied movement between panels. Interludes, such as letters and an activity book, help measure the pacing without dampening the joy. A poignant two-page spread alluding to the Covid-19 pandemic, juxtaposed with Nathalie’s and Marie’s opposite approaches to lockdown, creates one of several beautiful moments. The teens’ sincere friendship (with a side of good-natured ribbing) is grounded in mutual respect and love. Except for a villain, adults are out of frame or obscured by word bubbles. Most characters appear white; Marie reads Black and has a white grandfather.

A zany, surreal compilation that reframes and celebrates female friendship.