The final summer of theater camp is a tumultuous time for Ashton Price, who uses the pronouns they/them, in this story by Robin Easter for middle grade readers. Ashton is crushing on Ivy Santos, a longtime friend who is also the lead in “Ella,” a musical retelling of Cinderella. Will Ashton be able to successfully stage manage the show, pull off some theater magic and reveal their feelings for Ivy? And will it be all for naught if they later attend different high schools? Raise the curtain and see. (Little Brown. Available now.)
X-Men: The Wedding Special
Mystique and Destiny, two villains turned frenemies of the mutant heroes, are celebrated in this anthology, which has five new stories culminating in their wedding. Also included are a chronicle of the couple’s past appearances and an interview with Chris Claremont, the writer who created the characters more than four decades ago. These reveal how their relationship was initially depicted with coded language. Their endurance makes this comic feel like a victory lap. (Marvel Entertainment. Available now.)
Seoul Before Sunrise
Seong-ji, a young woman in Seoul, begins to lose touch with Ji-won, one of her only friends, when the two women end up at different universities. Seong-ji distracts herself with school and by working late at a 24-hour grocery store. There, she meets an enigmatic older woman who entices her to take part in some night excursions, including entering apartments while the residents are out. The story, by Samir Dahmani, is painted in watercolor, which heightens the magic realism of some scenes. Seong-Ji is soon inspired to revisit her feelings for Ji-won and to seek a resolution. (Humanoids. Available now.)
Becoming Who We Are
This nonfiction anthology for middle school readers presents a different kind of origin than is typically seen in comic books. It features nine profiles of trans people, looking at their childhoods and what they’ve accomplished as adults. The subjects include Brooke Guinan, who followed in the footsteps of her father and grandfather, becoming a firefighter in New York; Robbie Ahmed, a singer-songwriter and educator; and Robbi Mecus, a forest ranger in the Adirondacks who died in April, who built a community of L.G.B.T.Q. rock climbers. (A Wave New World. June 4.)
This story by Jen Wang is about Ash, a quiet and smart 14-year-old nonbinary character with the weight of the world on their shoulders. Ash is struggling to get their parents to better understand them and is worried about the state of the Earth. Ash decides to find a secret cabin in the California wilderness that their deceased grandfather claimed to have built. The goal is to live off-the-grid and in solitude (except for their dog Chase). Ash’s planning is meticulous, but things do not go as expected. (First Second. Aug. 13.)
Navigating With You
There are details about Neesha Sparks and Gabrielle Graciana, two students who meet on their first day at a new high school, that create vivid portraits. Neesha, who has cerebral palsy, laments the stools in her chemistry class: Without back support, and with her feet not touching the floor, it “feels like falling, which I do all the time.” Gabby, after a costly move by her family, can’t buy the manga for Neesha that they both love. She cries, thinking about asking her father for $15 for the purchase. Readers will root for the girls as their friendship becomes a romance in this story by Jeremy Whitley and Cassio Ribeiro. Maverick. Aug. 13.
Alan Scott: The Green Lantern
The Green Lantern (Alan Scott) debuted in 1940. He had a long career, had children who also became superheroes and married one of his femmes fatales. In 2020, a story revealed that Alan was gay and since then, readers have seen him slowly embrace his identity, but usually only in stolen moments in ensemble comics. This collected edition of a recent six-part series, written by Tim Sheridan and drawn by Cian Tormey, fleshes out his early years, details his romances with men and depicts the societal and personal pressures that impeded his authentic self. (DC. Sept. 24.)
A Quick & Easy Guide to Coming Out
Coming out is not necessarily quick or easy, which this reference manual is honest about from Page 1. But Kristin Russo, the writer, and Ravi Teixeira, the illustrator, who appear as characters, narrators and guides, try to explain what one can expect and give advice on coping. One section emphasizes self-care, while another discusses how identity is not set in stone. “There isn’t a limit to how many words you can use or how many times you can shift in how you relate to your identity,” Russo says. This is the latest in the “Quick & Easy” series that also includes books “Asexuality,” “They/Them Pronouns” and “Sex & Disability.” (Oni Press. Sept. 24.)
