Susie (she/her) is a queer writer originally from Little Rock, now living in Washington, DC. She is the author of QUEERLY BELOVED and the forthcoming LOOKING FOR A SIGN from Dial Press/Random House. You can find her on Instagram @susiedoom.
College upperclassman Molly Song is set on getting over her ex this semester, but it's hard when she dumps you via email and posts all over social media about cozying up with her study-abroad roommate. After making a pact with her friend Lou to find rebound girlfriends, Molly learns she should be careful what she wishes for.
Meanwhile in France, Molly and Lou’s exes, Yona and Olene, have left their pasts behind. Will their whirlwind trip bloom into a whirlwind romance, or will their journeys to self-discovery put them on different paths entirely?
The end of the year is right around the corner, but it’s not too late to fit in a few more great books, especially if they’re comics and graphic novels. Finish off your 2024 year of reading with some of the best new LGBTQIA+ comics published in recent months. From YA romance to paranormal fantasy to biographical nonfiction, you’ll find a variety of queer identities and genres in this list. We’ve got titles from bestselling creators like Jen Wang, actors and musicians like Nicole Maines and Tegan and Sara, and some debut authors. Even better, most of these comics are single-sitting reads that you won’t be able to put down.
Personally, I’m a huge fan of LGBTQIA+ comics and have made them a consistent part of my reading life. As a writer, when I find myself creatively stuck, I turn to graphic novels and comics for inspiration. The visual storytelling and emphasis on dialogue can often help me get out of my head and approach a plot point or character in a new way. Whether or not you’re a frequent reader of comics, these unique and moving stories are sure to give you a fresh perspective and introduce you to unforgettable characters.
Ash’s Cabin by Jen Wang
Trans nonbinary kid Ash is hurt when their family won’t embrace their new name and pronouns. Convinced they’ll be happiest alone, Ash runs off to search for a secluded cabin in the California woods that they’re convinced their grandfather built before he passed, a cabin they used to dream about living in together. But when faced with real solitude in the wilderness, Ash must reconsider where they truly belong. It’s a beautiful and deeply moving graphic novel by Jen Wang, creator of The Prince and the Dressmaker.
I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner
For a queer regency romantic YA romp, check out Hari Conner’s I Shall Never Fall in Love. George is trying to explore their nonbinary identity in a society that loves binaries. Eleanor is falling in love with George while also trying to find her own path through societal expectations. Meanwhile, Eleanor’s cousin Charlotte faces a difficult decision about marrying for security and status or marrying for love. Drawing inspiration from the works of Jane Austen, it’s a delightful historical graphic novel with a cast you can’t help but fall in love with.
The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All, Vol. 1 by Sumiko Arai
Aya can’t keep her eyes off the cute guy who works at her neighborhood CD shop. She’s so obvious about her crush that Mitsuki, a girl who sits at the desk near Aya in class, can’t help but notice. The twist? Mitsuki is actually the “guy” at the CD store. Although she doesn’t want to embarrass Aya, Mitsuki can’t resist getting to know Aya a little better. The miscommunication makes for an absolutely delightful queer manga love story.
Luminous Beings by David Arnold and Jose Pimienta
What’s a group of teenagers to do at the end of the world (brought about by zombie squirrels) but document it? Dressed in hazmat suits, four friends set off on an adventure to film their strange existence following an apocalyptic attack by undead squirrels. Amidst the chaos, they’re just young people trying to find joy and purpose. With a diverse queer cast and a quirky sense of humor, this is an unforgettable dystopian coming-of-age graphic novel.
Covenant, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 by LySandra Vuong
The first two volumes of the hit paranormal noir Webtoon Covenant are now collected in print for the first time. In a demon-filled world, exorcist Ezra is sent on a mission to protect seemingly normal human Sunny, who has a dark past and a potentially dangerous future. Sunny and Ezra couldn’t be more different, which makes working together to fight demons a challenge. With supernatural thrills, a nuanced exploration of religion, and a slow-burn queer romance, Covenant is a layered story that will grab you right from the start.
Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story by Nicole Maines, illustrated by Rye Hickman
Nicole Maines is an actress, writer, and trans activist who played the role of Dreamer on DC’s Supergirl TV show. Now, Maines has written a graphic novel about the character she played. Nia Nal comes from a family with powers to envision the future through dreams, but it’s Nia’s older sister Maeve who’s set to inherit the gift for their generation. When Nia takes a kickball to the face and starts having strange dreams, it shakes her entire family to the core. Gorgeously illustrated by Rye Hickman, it’s a creative addition to the Supergirl lore.
Tegan and Sara: Crush by Tegan Quin and Sara Quin, illustrated by Tillie Walden
Iconic queer indie pop music duo Tegan and Sara got personal with their first graphic novel, Junior High, in which they fictionalized their own childhoods in Canada as identical twins, discovering their own voices and their love of music. In the sequel, Crush, Tegan and Sara have to balance a big opportunity in a battle-of-the-bands contest and their band’s fast-growing popularity with the drama of being eighth graders, from fighting with BFFs to heart-wrenching crushes. Illustrated by Tillie Walden, a queer artist and creator of the graphic novel Spinning, Crush is a poignant and moving follow-up to Junior High.
Djuna: The Extraordinary Life of Djuna Barnes by Jon Macy
Djuna Barnes was a revolutionary queer writer and artist and the author of the 1936 lesbian classic Nightwood, but her contributions to literary history have largely gone unrecognized. Graphic novelist Jon Macy has unearthed her remarkable life story in Djuna, a biography told in comics. From growing up in a polyamorous family on Long Island to her heyday among literary greats in 1920s Paris to the homophobic reactions to her work, it’s a beautiful and fascinating exploration of a notable queer writer.
Looking for more LGBTQIA+ comics? Check out these great queer comics from earlier this year.
English (US) · 