THIRSTY MERMAIDS

In this rollicking graphic novel, three fun-loving mermaids go in search of booze and—with a bit of magic and one another’s support—try their luck as landlubbers.

“Merfolk” Pearl, Tooth, and Eez are best friends, swimming the deep and salvaging ancient alcohol from shipwrecks to fuel their frivolity. But when their last bottle runs dry, Eez calls upon her powers as a sea witch to trade in their aquatic bodies for human forms so they can get another round straight from the source: dry land. The trio struggle with their transition to a life with legs (and the need for clothes and employment), but a kindhearted bartender shows them the ropes—and introduces them to earthly delights like omelets. The cast is wonderfully diverse, depicting a variety of races, genders, sexualities, and body types, and even the three mermaids are distinct—Pearl with a classically fishy tail, Tooth with the flukes and horn of a narwhal, and Eez with the long, flowing tail of an eel. Leyh neatly marries the book’s themes of friendship, acceptance, and diversity of experience with fantastical elements (like deep-sea deities) and boisterous humor (plenty of belching and use of the b-word). The kinetic, manga-influenced art style (popping with outsized emotions and slapstick) particularly delivers on the comedy and fun. The book breezes along, grounded by the characters’ kindness and affection for one another.

A bright, bold shot of fun with a chaser of feels.