Hello, my friends! It’s been a while since my last post, and we have a ton of top-notch new additions to cover, as well as plenty of terrific honorable mentions for you to explore. I’m sure you’re ever-so-anxious to hear what’s new, so let’s just get right to it!
Young Readers
The GiRaft: A Real-Life Giraffe Rescue by Laurel Neme and Elisa Paganelli (Cherry Lake)
Creature books are typically an easy sell for children. Animal-enthusiasts and young future conservationists alike are sure to love the picture book adaptation of The GiRaft: A Real-Life Giraffe Rescue, the true story of the aquatic rescue of a small herd of endangered giraffes that had been stranded on an island by rising Kenyan floodwaters.
This is one of those “you can’t make this up” tales you have to read to believe. It's an incredibly encouraging story about compassion and cooperation, and it serves as an example of the wider effects of climate change. I could see this book inspiring the next crop of wildlife conservationists, climate activists, or maybe some readers will just fall (further?) in love with giraffes (that’s fine too), but regardless, the world gets just a little kinder in the bargain.
Honorable Mentions
Camping Is a Terrible Idea by Kirsten Pendreigh and Tiffany Everett (Cherry Lake)
Savor the Day by Shari Green and Gabby Grant (Cherry Lake)
Sloth & Moth: A Better-Together Friendship by Helen Taylor and Gavin Scott (Cherry Lake)
Middle Grade
The Scary Godmother Compendium by Jill Thompson (Image Comics)
Kids of all ages can rejoice, for while she was missing (and sorely missed) for too long a spell (pun definitely intended), now the entire 500+ page run of The Scary Godmother Compendium is available on our platform once more! This is now the third publisher to give this spooktacular storybook/comic book mash-up a home since it was the little indie title I knew from the early aughts (who else remembers all the amazing stuff to come out of Sirius Entertainment? RIP guys), and to now have the full run of this little treasure accessible all in one place is an absolute Halloweeny treat.
It truly is a classic gem, and while Ms. Thompson’s black & white pages are great, I think you’ll agree that it’s her luscious watercolor work that makes the Scary Godmother stuff so memorable. Think Nightmare Before Christmas meets Where the Wild Things Are, and it even precedes titles like Courtney Crumrin and even Lenore, the Cute Little Dead Girl, as essentially the old skool OG whimsy-goth comic. Now approaching its 30th anniversary, I can promise it hasn’t lost one bit of what made it all so charming in the first place.
Honorable Mentions
Little Witch Academia, Vol. 1 by Yoh Yoshinari and Keisuke Sato (Yen Press)
Speed Reader by Matthew Cody and Zack Giallongo (Andrews McMeel)
Yotsuba&!, Vol. 16 by Kiyohiko Azuma (Yen Press)
Teens
The Book of Murmurs by Candice Purwin (Fantagraphics)
Speaking of watercolors, your readers are in for a real treat, as the compelling visual storytelling in this title is certain to make it an instant classic. Think Dark Crystal meets the Babadook, all done using subdued color schemes and eerily surreal imagery.
The Book of Murmurs includes moments that are scary enough to move it out of a younger reader’s section, yet promises a near-ubiquitous appeal that aims dead center for wherever the true storybook reader in all of us lives. By the time this article is posted, the book will have been brand new to the world for just under a month, yet I wouldn't be surprised if it wins some awards this year, so I’m excited to be among the first to sing its praises.
I’m seriously considering buying the print edition, which, when you consider it, is probably the highest praise I could give a book these days.
Honorable Mentions
Deep 3 by Mitsuhiro Mizuno and Ryosuke Tobimatsu (Tokyopop)
Paper Planes by Jennie Wood and Dozerdraws (Mad Cave)
Twig Vol. 1 by Scottie Young and Kyle Strahm (Image Comics)
Young Adults
Life Sucks (Fantagraphics) by Jessica Abel, Gabe Soria, and Warren Pleece
Brand new titles are terrific, and classic collections finding new homes is encouraging, but what about when out-of-print classics are brought back from the dead? That’s right, I used an undead joke to tee up the YALSA-lauded vampire tale Life Sucks by true comic greats Jessica Abel (La Perdida), Gabe Soria (Batman ‘66), and Warren Pleece (Incognegro).
Seeing this one again, I experienced an honest pang of nostalgia. I fondly remember when the first copy of this book found its way around the Previews bullpen back in 2008, and yet I promise this modern YA vampire tale still totally holds up!
Imagine if your vampire master created you to be his literal wage slave, so he'd always have somebody to work the (dangerous) night shift of his 24-hour convenience store. If that weren’t bad enough, now try to get that cute goth girl from the club next door to give you the time of day… er, night… Life's never sucked so hilariously!
Honorable Mentions
Fights: One Boy's Triumph Over Violence by Joel Christian Gill (Oni Press)
In Utero by Chris Gooch (IDW)
Lindsey Cheng Dates a White Boy!!! by Asia Miller (Andrews McMeel)
Adults
Raging Clouds (Fantagraphics) by Yudori
My selection for this category is easy because you don’t actually have to take my word for it, as it was also just nominated for the 2026 Eisner Awards. It's a challenging piece of historical fiction manga right up there with the likes of A Bride's Story or A Witch’s Life in Mongol, and an absolute must-read-alike for any fans of those terrific titles.
Honorable Mentions
Nerd Inferno: The Essential Evan Dorkin by Evan Dorkin (Dark Horse)
The End of the Arab of the Future: A Youth in the Middle East Vol. 1 by Riad Sattouf (Fantagraphics)
The Pervert by Michelle Perez and Remy Boydell (Image Comics)
That wraps up my most recent recommendations, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve now got a ton of new titles to add to your Comics Plus shelf. Also, be sure to check in every month for new posts featuring the Comics Plus collection, as well as browse our expanding list of past Rob’s Advisory selections.
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