Intense, imaginative visuals pair well with the futuristic fight between idealism and oppression.
Lubchansky’s second graphic novel melds dreamlike horror and anthropology in a story about seeking utopia in a hostile world.
In 2081, Lucius Pasternak, a young transgender academic, gets a commission to conduct an anthropological study of a radical luddite group, the Spiritual Association of Peers, in what was formerly a town called Simplicity in New York state. Lucius relocates from the industrial, smoke-belching, walled-in New York City Administrative & Security Territory to this community in one of the Exurb Zones. The whole project is funded by the Van Wervel Trust, which is working to establish a museum. The evil Mr. Van Wervel is also the mayor of the NYC-AST and looks like an early 1900s political cartoon of a monopolist. When Lucius arrives in Simplicity, the colors on the page transition from the gray and radioactive neon of the city to yellow sun and green plant life. The community was established in the 1970s, and it still exists in a similar form decades later, after the dissolution of the United States. Lucius is eager to interview subjects and start documenting his ethnographic findings, but the people don’t trust him at first, until he begins working the land alongside them. Although he was meant to observe, the freedom that the community members display with their feelings and bodies seduces him into becoming a participant. Lubchansky shows that nature is just as dangerous as the industrial city through the darkness of the forest and the gory violence that starts to encroach on the closed-off commune. Lucius’ relationship with one of the leaders, Amity, is thrown into jeopardy when he finds that his employer is planning to bulldoze the community in Simplicity to build the museum along with futuristic luxury apartments. Instead of returning to the city to share his findings, Lucius stays and tries to parse his dreams of a giant, Lovecraftian creature. Lucius and Amity seek out the dangers lurking in the woods around the enclave, and come across a dystopian conspiracy meant to crush their way of life.
Intense, imaginative visuals pair well with the futuristic fight between idealism and oppression.Pub Date: July 29, 2025
ISBN: 9780593701126
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Pantheon
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth.
Superman confronts racism and learns to accept himself with the help of new friends.
In this graphic-novel adaptation of the 1940s storyline entitled “The Clan of the Fiery Cross” from The Adventures of Superman radio show, readers are reintroduced to the hero who regularly saves the day but is unsure of himself and his origins. The story also focuses on Roberta Lee, a young Chinese girl. She and her family have just moved from Chinatown to Metropolis proper, and mixed feelings abound. Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane’s colleague from the Daily Planet, takes a larger role here, befriending his new neighbors, the Lees. An altercation following racial slurs directed at Roberta’s brother after he joins the local baseball team escalates into an act of terrorism by the Klan of the Fiery Kross. What starts off as a run-of-the-mill superhero story then becomes a nuanced and personal exploration of the immigrant experience and blatant and internalized racism. Other main characters are White, but Black police inspector William Henderson fights his own battles against prejudice. Clean lines, less-saturated coloring, and character designs reminiscent of vintage comics help set the tone of this period piece while the varied panel cuts and action scenes give it a more modern sensibility. Cantonese dialogue is indicated through red speech bubbles; alien speech is in green.
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth. (author’s note, bibliography) (Graphic fiction. 13-adult)Pub Date: May 12, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77950-421-0
Page Count: 240
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Feb. 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Lush visuals bring this thoughtfully constructed tale to life.
Wondrous visitors encounter a desperate pocket of humanity.
Lori, a white orphaned teen who’s finally been adopted after bouncing around various foster homes, awakens to discover that nearly everyone has disappeared. The rapture? Maybe. She runs into her classmate Annette, who has brown skin and curly black hair, and they partner up to scavenge for food. The pair tries to evade several threats, such as the large Wolves and a gang called The Dogs. Supernatural Giants arrive, seemingly from space, speaking an impenetrable language of “musical chiming and weird bass-rhythms.” Lori and Annette then meet Beatrice, an older white woman who shares important observations about the Giants and Wolves. The tone of the story then subtly shifts from post-apocalyptic desperation to one that’s somewhat playful. After a certain point, a visual element that appears early on takes on clear significance and meaning in the context of the story at large, offering a subversively humorous twist for readers to consider and a creative element that deviates from other alien invasion narratives. Hans’ artwork and paneling fill each scene with wonders. An interaction with a giant sees the red, violet, and pink figure standing against a bright, otherworldly white-and-blue backdrop with dark contours. Elsewhere, Lori and Annette pause at night as they behold ominous shadows, their foggy breath forming clouds, and they hear a “KRRNCH” sound. The quick-moving plot wraps everything up neatly.
Lush visuals bring this thoughtfully constructed tale to life. (character designs) (Graphic science fiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2024
ISBN: 9781534387072
Page Count: 104
Publisher: Image Comics
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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