Great New Queer Comics

In this graphic memoir, Theo Parish recounts what it takes for a nonbinary person to feel at home with themself. Even though Theo grew up in a house with relaxed gender roles, the expectations of the outside world often made them feel like they had to fit in a box. Homebody combines comics with journal-like entries to tell the story of how they found meaning and comfort in being wholly and unconditionally their trans and nonbinary self.

The creator of the incredible hit-sensation webcomic Check, Please! has a new graphic novel about an art student playing softball? Yes, please! When Molly Bauer learns her full-ride scholarship has vanished on the first day of school, she gathers up a ragtag group of other artists to help her fight the system through a loophole: if they win a single softball game, they’ll receive a massive athletic scholarship. Can they succeed in art and softball while really trying?

A college student possessed by a fox spirit is saved from a creep on the bus by another college student. Pretty embarrassing — especially the part where Yukuri calls his ears “cute” — but it’s not like Akiha will ever have to see him again, right? Right?? Pure fluff and adorableness in comic book form.

Pink-haired Boo Meadows is more at home in her imagination than in real life. Probably because her real life has kind of sucked lately. But when a new girl shows up at school throwing punches, she wonders if she’s finally found someone who can help her learn to stick up for herself. As Boo and Mimi grow closer, though, Boo will have to decide whether she can prioritize the real world when her fantasies of being a magical girl have kept her going for so long.

Vampire. Roller. Derby. Need I say more? Mina was an ice skater on the road to Olympic glory before she fell at a major competition and was kidnapped by a bunch of vampires who needed a human to finish out their supernatural roller derby team. Between crushing on the team captain and trying to figure out how to survive in this supernatural world, she has her work cut out for her. Can she learn to be a team player after years of skating alone?

In this queer King Lear reimagining, the cheer team is rocked when its captain steps down only months before graduation. Cheer captain Leah has decided she needs to take some time to focus on her future instead of her squad. But without their captain to lead them, the cheerleading team descends into disarray — especially when a pair of power-hungry twins take over and pit the cheerleaders against the basketball team.

Ariel Grace Jones feels it in their bones that this is the year for their band to make it big. The garage punk band they sing lead vocals for, Baby Hares, is going to be their ticket out of Chicago’s Southside. But as the realities of postgrad life begin to weigh on them and conflict in the band reaches an all-time high, Ari starts to wonder if their dreams of making it in the music industry are over. A local punk icon taking interest in them could be just the boost they need, but is Ari really ready to let their bandmates and punk rock dreams go?

Professor Arjuan Mance explores what it means to be a Black person at the intersection of gender and sexuality. Decades of trying to figure it out for herself are condensed into the pages of this compelling graphic memoir, including how double-dutch jump rope, viola players, and being mistaken for her father figure into it all.