Staff Picks
Queer Comics For Teens
- Thomas M.
- Sunday, June 09, 2019
Collection
Below is a list of graphic novels featuring queer leads for teen readers. They range from realistic to fantastical, but they share a theme of acceptance and pride in who you are.
My Brother's Husband, Vol. 01
Published in 2017
Yaichi is a work-at-home suburban dad in contemporary Tokyo; formerly married to Natsuki, father to their young daughter, Kana. Their lives suddenly change with the arrival at their doorstep of a hulking, affable Canadian named Mike Flanagan, who declares himself the widower of Yaichi's estranged gay twin, Ryoji. Mike is on a quest to explore Ryoji's past, and the family reluctantly but dutifully takes him in. What follows is an unprecedented and heartbreaking look at the state of a largely still-closeted Japanese gay culture: how it's been affected by the West, and how the next generation can change the preconceptions about it and prejudices against it.
DC Comics
Bombshells. Vol. 01, Enlisted
Published in 2016
"The ultra-popular statues from DC Collectibles come to life in their own ongoing comic book series! Learn the story behind this alternate reality where the Second World War is fought by superpowered women on the front lines and behind the scenes! It all begins with the stories of Batwoman, Wonder Woman and Supergirl. Collects DC Comics: Bombshells #1-6"-- Provided by publisher.
DC Comics
Bombshells. Volume 1, Issue 1-6, Enlisted
Published in 2016
The incredibly popular DC Collectibles line is brought to life in these stories that reimagine the course of history! As Word War II rages across Europe, the Allied forces issue a call to arms for the greatest heroines the world has ever known: THE BOMBSHELLS! KATE KANE, the all-American Batwoman; DIANA OF THEMYSCIRA, warrior Princess of the Amazons; KARA STARIKOV and KORTNI DUGINOVNA, defenders of Mother Russia; and MERA, royal daughter of the legendary Atlantis! With aid from their allies at home and abroad, these mighty women will turn the tide of war and defend those inviolable rights of Truth, Justice and Freedom. From writer Marguerite Bennett (BATGIRL, EARTH 2: WORLD'S END) and featuring artists including Marguerite Sauvage (HINTERKIND), Laura Braga (WITCHBLADE), Bilquis Evely (DOC SAVAGE), Mirka Andolfo (CHAOS) and Ming Doyle (CONSTANTINE: THE HELLBLAZER) comes DC COMICS: BOMBSHELLS VOL. 1: ENLISTED.
Young Avengers
Omnibus
Published in 2014
"The Young Avengers are reinvented for the 21st century as Wiccan, Hulkling and Kate 'Hawkeye' Bishop unite with Kid Loki, Marvel Boy, Prodigy and Ms. America. Someone has to save the entire multiverse. They're someone. No pressure, right? As a cosmic horror emerges from the shadows of the past, the Young Avengers race desperately across dimensions - but once they take on the gig to save reality, they may never be able to go home again! Meanwhile, Kid Loki is up to something. Surprise, I know. Fight scenes! Kissing! Fake IDs! Kissing! Drama! Conflict! Plentiful feels! (a.k.a. 'meaningful emotional character beats' for people who aren't on tumblr.) And oh yeah, nightclubs!"-- summary from Forbidden Planet web site.
As the Crow Flies
Published in 2018
"Charlie Lamonte is thirteen years old, queer, black, and questioning what was once a firm belief in God. So naturally, she's spending a week of her summer vacation stuck at an all-white Christian youth backpacking camp. As the journey wears on and the rhetoric wears thin, she can't help but poke holes in the pious obliviousness of this storied sanctuary with little regard for people like herself -- or her fellow camper Sydney."--Publisher's description.
That Blue Sky Feeling. Vol. 2
Published in 2019
"High school senior Noshiro has finally broken down the emotional walls that his gay classmate, Sanada, had put up, and their new friendship is growing. But when Sanada's childhood friend Ayumi reveals that she's always the scene with a crush of his own, their situation gets even more complicated."--Page [4] of cover.
The Imitation Game
Alan Turing Decoded
Published in 2016
A biography of the mathematician, reveals the story of an eccentric genius, olympic-class runner, and groundbreaking theoretician whose work is still influencing the science and telecommunication systems of the modern world.
Fence. Vol. 01
Published in 2018
"Nicholas, the illegitimate son of a retired fencing champion, is a scrappy fencing wunderkind, and dreams of getting the chance and the training to actually compete. After getting accepted to the prodigious Kings Row private school, Nicholas is thrust into a cut-throat world, and finds himself facing not only his golden-boy half-brother, but the unbeatable, mysterious Seiji Katayama... Through clashes, rivalries, and romance between teammates, Nicholas and the boys of Kings Row will discover there's much more to fencing than just foils and lunges. " -- Unedited summary from page 4 of cover.
Fence. Volume 1, Issue 1-4
Published in 2018
Novelist C.S. Pacat (Captive Prince) and fan-favorite artist Johanna the Mad team up for a new series perfect for fans of Check, Please! and Yuri!!! on Ice. Nicholas Cox is determined to prove himself in the world of competitive fencing, and earn his place alongside fencing legends like the dad he never knew, but things get more complicated when he's up against his golden-boy half-brother, as well as the sullen fencing prodigy, Seiji Katayama.
Nimona
Published in 2015
Indies Choice Book of the Year * National Book Award Finalist * New York Times Bestseller * New York Times Notable Book * Kirkus Best Book * School Library Journal Best Book * Publishers Weekly Best Book * NPR Best Book * New York Public Library Best Book * Chicago Public Library Best Book The New York Times bestselling graphic novel sensation from Noelle Stevenson, based on her beloved and critically acclaimed web comic. Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel has been hailed by critics and fans alike as the arrival of this talent. Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are. But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.
Nimona
Published in 2015
"Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are. But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit"-- provided by publisher.
Honor Girl
Published in 2015
"Maggie Thrash has spent basically every summer of her fifteen-year-old life at the one-hundred-year-old Camp Bellflower for Girls, set deep in the heart of Appalachia. She's from Atlanta, she's never kissed a guy, she's into Backstreet Boys in a really deep way, and her long summer days are full of a pleasant, peaceful nothing . . . until one confounding moment. A split-second of innocent physical contact pulls Maggie into a gut-twisting love for an older, wiser, and most surprising of all (at least to Maggie), female counselor named Erin. But Camp Bellflower is an impossible place for a girl to fall in love with another girl, and Maggie's savant-like proficiency at the camp's rifle range is the only thing keeping her heart from exploding. When it seems as if Erin maybe feels the same way about Maggie, it's too much for both Maggie and Camp Bellflower to handle, let alone to understand" -- provided by publisher.
Check, Please! Book 1, #Hockey!
Published in 2018
"Y'all... I might not be ready for this. I may be a former junior figure skating champion, vlogger extraordinaire, and very talented amateur pâtissier, but being a freshman on the Samwell University hockey team is a whole new challenge. It's nothing like co-ed club hockey back in Georgia! First of all? There's checking. And then, there is Jack... You see the problem."-Page [2] of cover.
Paper Girls. Issue 1-10
Published in 2017
From BRIAN K. VAUGHAN, New York Times bestselling writer of SAGA, and CLIFF CHIANG, legendary artist of Wonder Woman, this gorgeous oversized deluxe hardcover is the perfect way to experience the first two storylines of the smash-hit series that The Chicago Tribune named one of the "Best Books of the Year." In the early hours after Halloween of 1988, four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls uncover the most important story of all time. Suburban drama and otherworldly mysteries collide in this critically acclaimed story about nostalgia, first jobs, and the last days of childhood.
Paper Girls. Vol. 01
Published in 2016
In the early hours after Halloween on 1988, four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls uncover the most important story of all time.Suburban drama and supernatural mysteries collide in this series about nostalbia, first jobs, and the last days of childhood -- page 4 of cover.
On a Sunbeam
Published in 2018
In two interwoven timelines, a ragtag crew travels to the deepest reaches of space, rebuilding beautiful, broken structures to piece the past together; and two girls meet in boarding school and fall deeply in love, only to learn the pain of loss.
Spinning
Published in 2017
Ignatz Award winner Tillie Walden's powerful graphic memoir captures what it's like to come of age, come out, and come to terms with leaving behind everything you used to know. It was the same every morning. Wake up, grab the ice skates, and head to the rink while the world was still dark. Weekends were spent in glitter and tights at competitions. Perform. Smile. And do it again. She was good. She won. And she hated it. For ten years, figure skating was Tillie Walden's life. She woke before dawn for morning lessons, went straight to group practice after school, and spent weekends competing at ice rinks across the state. Skating was a central piece of her identity, her safe haven from the stress of school, bullies, and family. But as she switched schools, got into art, and fell in love with her first girlfriend, she began to question how the close-minded world of figure skating fit in with the rest of her life, and whether all the work was worth it given the reality: that she, and her friends on the team, were nowhere close to Olympic hopefuls. The more Tillie thought about it, the more Tillie realized she'd outgrown her passion--and she finally needed to find her own voice.
Taproot
A Story About a Gardener and a Ghost
Published in 2017
Blue is having a hard time moving on. He's in love with his best friend. He's also dead. Luckily, Hamal can see ghosts, leaving Blue free to haunt him to his heart's content. But something eerie is happening in town, leaving the local afterlife unsettled, and when Blue realizes Hamal's strange ability may be putting him in danger, Blue has to find a way to protect him, even if it means . . . leaving him.