GOOD MORNING, SALWA

A misdialed phone call leads to an unexpected romance amid political scandal.

This series opener takes place in Dawlat Al-Harir, a fictional nation inspired by Middle Eastern and Asian countries, where some inhabitants can turn into animals or divine the future. On New Year’s Eve in 1997, a photographer named Huang Zhen calls what he thinks is a charity helpline to process something terrible he discovered about his family. To Zhen’s surprise, his call is picked up by a sexline operator named Zach Kartal, and they hit it off. Zhen and Zach grow closer as they continue their phone calls. Khan’s illustrations of their expressions and body language effectively reveal their feelings for each other during moments of silence in their conversations. When Zach begins hanging out with Musa, a university student from the esteemed Faris family, Dawlat Al-Harir’s latest scandal spills over into his life. This first of three volumes collecting entries from the webcomic BUUZA!!, which was previously published on WEBTOON, weaves together slices of its characters’ daily lives, a budding long-distance romance, and complicated political drama. Khan’s loose illustrations and muted color palette imbue the novel with softness. While the story is character-driven, detailed panels of Dawlat Al-Harir’s cities, lush with plant life and texture-rich interiors, ground readers in the setting. By the end of this entertaining volume, several exciting secrets remain to be unveiled.

This queer, magic-tinged romance will leave readers anxiously awaiting the next volume.