Graphic Novel

Rune: Tale of the Obsidian Maze (Rune #2) / Carlos Sánchez

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Rune: Tale of the Obsidian Maze (Rune #2)
By: Carlos Sánchez
Genre: Graphic Novel, YA, Fantasy
Number of Pages: 160
Published: November 4, 2025
Publisher: Flying Eye Books
Dates Read: February 3, 2025
Format: Library Book / Hardcover	ISBN: 9781838741631

Chiri and Dai have stayed in Puddin’ to learn more about magic and sword now that the Shadow King is trapped in a bottle. One day, their group gets attacked by skeletons that bring them an invitation to the Obsidian Maze. The Darkness created two other Heralds besides the Shadow King, one is trapped in crystal inside the Obsidian Maze: The Midknight. Chiri and Dai must face the obstacles of the maze as well as the taunts from the Shadow King before they fight the Midknight.

As with the volume before, this book is beautifully drawn and has such an eye catching color palette, after every page you can find me engrossed in the background and details.

I still love the way Sánchez draws Chiri and the sign language she uses. 

This volume for sure gives the vibe of more to come (I would hope so with the ending that was given anyway!), which makes me super excited to keep an eye out for them. I’ve been getting them as requests for my library but have plans to purchase my own copies of them for sure.

Overall, it is still an amazing, action packed, background filled, beautiful graphic novel that middle grade readers and above would enjoy (even adults!).

Hello Sunshine / Keezy Young

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Hello Sunshine
By: Keezy Young
Genre: Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Horror
Number of Pages: 384
Published: September 23, 2025
Publisher: Little, Brown Ink
Dates Read: January 19, 2026 - January 19, 2026
Format: Library Book / Hardcover	ISBN: 9780316509473

When a troubled teen disappears from his small town, his loved ones go on a paranormal journey to save him from his inner demons.

It’s taken me a while to review this book simply because trying to put into words how amazing I think the author did in showing and handling the character’s mental health struggles was brilliant and impactful. Every member of the group had their own journey throughout this story and each arc felt complete at the end. I appreciated the struggle Noah had between religion and his sexuality, I was a little nervous about it going into this, but that turned around pretty quickly.

I’m a huge Hawkeye fan, and the artwork in this graphic novel really reminded me of Matt Fraction’s 2010’s Hawkeye. The art style, color, and texture of the panels gave the perfect amount to make it supernaturally and horror-y at the same time. 

Without getting into too much of the storyline due to spoilers, I just want to say that the mixture of what was real and what was only available to the one character was phenomenal and well taken care of. With both the visual and the dense dialog pages, Keezy Young showcases the losing of one’s mind by mental illness more effectively than I’ve seen with a graphic novel in a long time.

Between Snow and Wolf / Agnes Domergue, Hélène Canac (Illustrator)

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Between Snow and Wolf
By: Agnes Domergue, Hélène Canac (Illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Fantasy
Number of Pages: 88
Published: November 16, 2021
Publisher: Magnetic Press
Dates Read: December 30, 2025
Format: Hardcover

Lila lives with her father on a snowy island where he has protected her from a curse and a demon. One day, when he is away for longer than originally planned, Lila decides to go looking for him, even though the snow scares her. Once outside, she discovers a forest asleep under all the snow and is populated by spirits and a white wolf.

I legit grabbed this graphic novel off the shelf at Barnes & Noble and then never let it go. The art definitely took my attention for its Studio Ghibli likeness but also I loved the color pallets (I am a sucker for when a character’s hair color is naturally a unique color like purple). 

Some of the dialog was a little choppy, especially from the statues, which I know are supposed to be the haikus but it didn’t ever really catch on to it easily.

I’m not sure of the Japanese fairy tale this is inspired by, but it is about a courageous little girl who, though she’s scared, faces her fears with the help of her frog friends.

Overall, still a cute and adorable story with beautiful art that anyone needing a cozy read would enjoy.

The Tale of a Thousand Faces (Rune #1) / Carlos Sánchez

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The Tale of a Thousand Faces (Rune #1)
By: Carlos Sánchez
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Middle Grade
Number of Pages: 144
Published: June 4, 2024
Publisher: Flying Eye Books
Dates Read: December 28, 2025
Format: Library Book / Paperback

Chiri and best friend Dai live in an orphanage right next to the deep, dark forest. On a scavenging mission to find new ingredients for her culinary experiments, Chiri lands them in the secret kingdom of Puddin’, a hidden place plagued by the Thousand Faces Monster and inhabited by all sorts of magical creatures. Befriending witches, bards, ogres and sorcerers, can the friends make it back to the human world and, more importantly, can they evade the darkness that awoke upon their arrival?

When I heard this graphic novel had a Deaf character who used sign language, I immediately requested it for our collection at the library. Then, I actually read what it was about and got even more excited about reading it!

This did not disappoint me in the slightest! I gave it five stars and immediately put it (and volume 2) in my Amazon cart to purchase when I have some extra funds. 

Gorgeous artwork that reminded me a bit of Studio Ghibli with a pink, yellow, and purple-y color pallet that just makes everything pop. There’s all kinds of stuff in the background, including Runes that the author shows you how to decode in the back of the book (so you can always read it twice to see what the messages say!).

This has been one of the greater graphic novels I have read where the portrayal of a Deaf character was done well. I’m more fluent in ASL over BSL (which is what some of the signs are based off of), but I could still pick up some stuff here and there. And a little tidbit without giving away anything in the book – knowing sign language is a superpower!

Overall, I’ve already been showing this off to all of my artsy friends so they can enjoy the artwork within the pages, but also all of my fantasy graphic novel readers I feel like would also enjoy this because world building is super fun!

The Love Report (Volume 3) / BéKa, Maya (Illustrator)

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The Love Report (Volume 3)
By: BéKa, Maya (Illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade
Number of Pages: 112
Published: April 15, 2025
Publisher: Hippo Park
Dates Read: December 26, 2025
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Grace has decided to confess her feelings to Abe. But when she shows up to tell him, she overhears him on the phone with someone who cannot be “just a friend”. Grace teams up with Lola to investigate who the mystery girl is and they immediately go to Charlie, the girl who knows everybody’s business. But Charlie has her own secret: she’s dating Abe!

I’m not one to usually care too much about romance, especially in young adult / middle grade, as a thirty-three year-old woman, it’s not my story. But I picked up the first volume of this series simply because of the cover and the beautiful artwork, and even though it has a heavy focus on romance, it’s not only about romance. In this particular volume, Abe actually deals with believing he’s “ugly, but nice”. New student Gabriel talks to a figment of his imagination and of course gets bullied by Sean for it. When Adele gets her period for the first time and has horrible cramps, a male physical education teacher makes a joke of it and refuses to believe her pain. There’s an “ugliest couple” contest going around (run by Sean). Collette even sends a risky photo to Sean, who uses it as blackmail against her.

Besides the amazing artwork and beautiful color pallet, this graphic novel is more than just romance, so don’t let the name scare you off!

Overall, I enjoyed how this book really focuses on the tween drama of “first” loves. Of course, it is with a bit of a French twist, so it’s a slightly different viewpoint than America, but still fun and enjoyable. Readers who like Raina Telemaier would also enjoy this as well.

The Book of Purrs: Everyday Thoughts from Your Feline Friends / Luís Coelho

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The Book of Purrs: Everyday Thoughts from Your Feline Friends
By: Luís Coelho
Genre: Graphic Novel
Number of Pages: 96
Published: October 22, 2024
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Dates Read: December 26, 2025
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

From internet artist @purr.in.ink comes a collection of comics filled with affirmations and encouraging reminders from your favorite felines. 

I’ve been following @purr.in.ink on Instagram for awhile now and never made the connection that they created a book with these funny, yet encouraging, little voids of love. So, imagine my surprise when I randomly found this on the shelf at the library!

Each page is a new cat giving advice and positivity on conquering the day ahead. You can read it front to back or open at random to enjoy.

Any cat lover would enjoy flipping through this book and seeing these adorable and inspiring cats.

North for the Winter: A Christmas Graphic Novel / Bobby Podesta

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North for the Winter: A Christmas Graphic Novel
By: Bobby Podesta
Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 352
Published: September 2, 2025
Publisher: First Second
Dates Read: December 25, 2025
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Virginia’s not entirely sure how to explain she did see a reindeer fly in the forest while her Dad was fixing the car. But, a lot has changed for her – she’s just lost her mom, she’s in a new city, and everything is just hard, no one’s going to believe her. But, when she reluctantly confesses what she saw to her neighbor, Benny, he doesn’t question it and is convinced there’s a mission they must partake in. Little do they know that not only is a hunter after the reindeer, but so is the US Government!

You know what’s funny about this? I had just talked with my brother-in-law about the misprint of the Santa phone number and how that’s what started the Santa Tracker on Christmas morning. I then went home and read this graphic novel! How fun!

The first thing that drew me into this was the artwork, which the author and artist, Bobby Podesta, is a Pixar animator so that totally makes sense as to why I was immediately drawn to this (I love anything Pixar), but also I wanted something Christmasy to read and what’s more Christmas than saving Christmas?

The artwork overall, including the color palette, really sells the setting of the 1950’s – the clothing, the cars, the decorations of the department store (was really comparing it to my favorite Christmas movie, A Christmas Story). It overall has a very cinematic feel to it while reading – almost storyboard-y.

The story itself was of course about saving Christmas, but also dealing with changes and grief.

Overall, super cute and fun Christmas graphic novel with eye catching illustrations. I think this would be perfect for middle grade readers, even if they may be in the age group where Santa doesn’t exist anymore, I still think they would have a good time reading it.

Rose Wolves: Out of the Blue (Rose Wolves #2) / Natalie Warner

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Rose Wolves: Out of the Blue (Rose Wolves #2)
By: Natalie Warner
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Number of Pages: 152
Published: December 2, 2025
Publisher: Shelf Productions
Dates Read: December 21, 2025
Format: Library Book / ebook

A young girl has a special bond with the magical rose wolves in the forest. She shares the magic with her mom and they enjoy picnics and days with the wolves. But when winter creeps in, the young girl is distraught when she finds the rose bush has withered and died in the cold. Her mother takes a remaining sprout from the rose bush and keeps it in their home, nurturing it.

The young girl is too upset about her wolves and stays in bed. Her mom tries to console her with funny hairstyles, cupcakes, and knitting. During the first snow of the season, a surprise comes from the mom’s sapling that may just bring the girl out of her funk.

I adored the first book, so I was pretty giddy when I saw the second book was out on Hoopla through my library.

Even with no words, the emotions of the young girl processing her grief of her missing friend is evident. The first book in the series had hues of rose while this book is hues of blue, which match very well with the theme of “Out of the Blue” where blues and greys can represent depression. Even when the young girl’s depression is lifted, the graphic novel still continues in blue hues to show it can still be beautiful.

There were quite a few years between the two books, and I would love to see it continue, curious if other hue colors would be the themes.

Overall, this is a wonderful, wordless graphic novel about grief that all ages could appreciate.

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees (Issues #1-#6) / Patrick Horvath, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (Letterer)

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Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees (Issues #1-#6)
By: Patrick Horvath, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (Letterer)
Genre: Graphic Novel, Horror
Number of Pages: 152
Published: September 17, 2024
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Dates Read: December 9, 2025
Format: Library Book / eBook

Samantha Strong’s cardinal rule: Don’t murder the locals; the city is just beyond the forest and has plenty of potential victims. Sam has worked too hard to build a cozy life and have her thriving business in the small town of Woodbrook – the last thing she wants to do is disturb the peace. So, imagine the exasperation when Woodbrook’s own meets a grisly death. Now Sam will do everything it takes to find her rival before the town self-destructs.

The best way to describe this graphic novel: think Winnie the Pooh meets Dexter. It’s such a crazy concept to have beautifully drawn scenery and characters and then the next page is a brutal murder, it most definitely elevated the story for me.

You’re also kind of in this weird, “Who do I root for?” spot while reading this because Sam is her own serial killer, but then there’s another Woodbrook resident who is killing and now those murders may get framed to her (or someone else). Like, yea, she should probably get caught so she’s not killing anymore, but also, you don’t want her framed for something she didn’t do!

Overall, it was a fun read that I think any horror fan would enjoy (yes, even with the artwork!).

Neopets: The Omelette Faerie / Rebecca Mix, Luiz Fernando Da Silva (Artist), Heather Burns (Illustrator)

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Neopets: The Omelette Faerie
By: Rebecca Mix, Luiz Fernando Da Silva (Artist), Heather Burns (Illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade
Number of Pages: 112
Published: October 22, 2024
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Dates Read: November 23, 2025
Format: Library Book / eBook

Based on the popular online game, Neopets, comes the first in a graphic novel series.

The Giant Omelette’s legend states that hundreds of years ago, a gigantic dinosaur laid a massive egg. That massive egg split open and started to bake in the sun. Ever since, a giant omelette has been cooking on the Tyrannian Plateau and each day, hungry Neopets approach the massive omelette and get a slice. 

Sabre-X and his Petpet Fang guard the omelette every day but one day the omelette isn’t there. The two partner up with a disgraced Fire Faerie named Seraphina and their Petpet. Together, the group travels across Neopia to restore one of the most popular items.

I grew up not only with Neopets.com but also had my own handheld Kougra Neopet that I took with me everywhere. This was a very fun, nostalgic read that brought back a lot of memories. I’m glad Neopets is coming back (I know it never really left, but still). This graphic novel definitely explained things to new readers (and players!).

Overall, this is super cute, super nostalgic. I’m excited to read more.