Drama in literature can be experienced as an exciting, emotional, or unexpected series of events or set of circumstances. Well-written drama builds tension by creating narrative friction between characters through situations that test them while also driving the plot forward. Well-illustrated portrayals of dynamic tension allow readers to study those characters and situations more closely, deepening either their ability to relate to both, or their gratitude for not experiencing it themselves.
It’s often like lurking behind a closed door to overhear a private conversation. The reader is safely outside the conflict and any consequences, but has the thrill of being first to hear situational developments that were not meant for anyone else’s ears.
Dramatic literature, including comics and manga, is also a way to indulge human curiosity without experiencing direct harm or consequences. After all, who doesn’t enjoy the guilty pleasure of someone else’s drama? Our newest curated list, Save the Drama, features a variety of reads that are not just for your mama — and I’m serving the tea with six recommendations to cover every age and interest level.
Nina in That Makes Me Mad! by Steven Kroll and Hilary Knight (Astra Publishing House)
Being a young child can be frustrating: You have little control over your life, a barely formed ability to regulate emotions, and everything feels so big and important. In that spirit, a lot of things make Nina angry. Adults insist they know what she likes (they don’t!); she is often misunderstood; her siblings get more attention and can be annoying; playtimes get interrupted just when they finally get exciting; and adults are full of broken promises.
Nina in That Makes Me Mad captures the everyday melodrama of a young child’s life in a way that is at once lighthearted yet authentic. Mild, cartoonish nudity is featured in the context of bathtime and baby changing. While this may exclude this title from some public storytimes, the realistic fiction is perfect for family bedtime stories. Nina’s explosive temper is a good example for young children of what their own outbursts might look like, which can support social emotional learning outcomes as they build awareness of the impact of their actions.
Fans of the children’s classic Eloise will recognize the work of illustrator and co-creator Hilary Knight, who portrays Nina’s battles with bubbly word balloons and believably childish body language. Part of TOON Books’ collection of leveled readers, it includes a simple guide for how to read comics with kids, further supporting family use.
Soupy Leaves Home by Cecil Castellucci and Jose Pimienta (Dark Horse)
Abused and dehumanized, Pearl “Soupy” Plankette leaves her abusive father and home without looking back. Disguised as a boy, Soupy meets Remy “Ramshackle” Renault, an 1880s traveling hobo who takes “him” along on a journey across America. Soupy is looking “to get warm,” emotionally and physically, deciding to travel south to California by way of illegal railroad-riding. The historically accurate setting creates a rich backdrop for the friction that builds as we learn that Ramshackle has his own inner demons to face. In Remy and the other hobos, Soupy finds healing and connection in a dangerous world that she never had with her cruel father despite the roof over her head and assurance of steady meals. Despite all that Soupy gains from road life with Remy, his rapidly deteriorating health coupled with instability in the hobo ranks threatens the life they’ve carved out together.
Jose Pimienta’s artwork lends a dreamy quality, and book club discussions could include how the colors progress throughout the story. Pimienta plays with what is real and what is imagined, as we see the stark reality of a hobo’s life juxtaposed against the whimsical daydreams shared by Remy and Soupy. This is an uncharacteristically quiet story for young adult comics writer Cecil Castellucci, who is better known for her work on large franchises, including Star Wars and Critical Role. She is adept at good character development, and couples that with attention to detail and careful research of the period and locations.
Back matter includes a train map of Soupy’s cross-country adventures, an explanation of hobo signs the characters use to communicate, and a list of books that inspired the creators in crafting the story. The latter, which includes Journey to the Center of the Earth, makes for convenient readalike recommendations for further exploration.
Sheets by Brenna Thummler (Oni Press)
Marjorie Glatthas knows too many ghosts since her mother’s death. Some are literal, like ghost boy Wendell, while others appear blurry, like the man who once was her father, and is now barely a wisp of his former self due to his grief. Balancing middle school bullying, supporting her little brother, working for demanding clients at her mom’s laundromat, and managing her dad’s emotional disappearance, Marjorie is under tremendous pressure. She is also forced to endure taunting and ribs from Mr. Saubertuck who will stop at nothing to capitalize off the family’s hardships. Chomping at the bit to acquire the laundromat so he can turn it into a premier yoga retreat, Saubertuck goes so far as to sabotage client’s orders and spread rumors all over town.
Meanwhile, Wendell the ghost boy has wandered away from the ghostland and finds the Glatt’s laundromat a lovely place to play. Unfortunately, his actions cause chaos for important client orders and put even more strain on Marjorie and the business.
Writer-illustrator Brenna Thummler uses a limited palette of muted colors to underscore the quiet grief underlying everything in Marjorie’s life. With few supporters in her small town, she manages everything while memories of her departed mother and better days linger.
Sheets is the first volume in a popular trilogy, all three of which are now available on Comics Plus. The overall series is a heartfelt study of the quiet drama people endure, often without others ever knowing, but also of the resilience of young people to overcome obstacles. Marjorie’s story is a popular one because readers will both relate to and root for her.
The Summer Hikaru Died, Vol. 1 by Mokumokuren (Yen Press)
Six months after Hikaru returns from going missing in the mountains, his best friend Yoshiki still feels uneasy. Maybe it’s the way Hikaru claims to not remember that lost week, or that he now pronounces common words as if he’s never heard them before, yet consumes all aspects of life in a voracious, almost inhuman demeanor. When Yoshiki questions him directly, Hikaru easily admits to being an imposter, but makes Yoshiki promise not to tell because he doesn’t want to have to kill him. Meanwhile, animals and the elderly react violently to not-Hikaru, but somehow Yoshiki’s desperation to have his friend back outweighs his anxiety about the imposter.
While teen manga often showcase light-hearted drama, The Summer Hikaru Died has a depth of emotional character development that maintains interest as the tension builds. Our disbelief in Yoshiki’s willingness to accept not-Hikaru is suspended as the story unfolds to portray the depth of their lifelong friendship and explores Yoshiki’s loneliness. Drama crackles each time the two attempt to reconcile their shared experiences before Hikaru’s passing with the not-Hikaru of now.
Mokumokuren’s illustrations are all in black and white, but panel shapes and page layouts are frequently manipulated to ramp up the sense of dread and chaos. The lettering by Abigail Blackman also varies, helping the reader navigate conversations, which are the bulk of the story, with inner thoughts, background sounds, and empathic yelling. Many panels include written words crowding the backgrounds, usually portraying unsettling animal and nature sounds, enhancing the feeling that all is not right in the small village surrounded by mysterious woods. Translation notes from Ajani Oloye are included at the end and add nuance that English-speaking readers may have otherwise missed. While the plot is creepy enough to make this a skin crawling experience for adult readers, this story contains no foul language or nudity, and violence is quick or occurs off-panel.
Part of an ongoing series, this is an extremely solid, age-appropriate read for teens, as well as a gripping manga showcase for adults.
Joe Hill’s Rain by Joe Hill, David M. Booher, and Zoe Thoroughgood (Image Comics)
Honeysuckle and Yolanda have an idyllic romance, the kind Honeysuckle believes can never end. But it only took one otherwise gorgeous day in Colorado, when crystal nails fell from the sky without warning, to take away the only happiness Honeysuckle ever knew. With Yolanda dead, Honeysuckle embarks on a treacherous journey across a nail-riddled wasteland, filled with dangerous and scared strangers, to deliver the news of her passing to Yolanda’s father.. The road trip through unexpected horrors feels similar to The Walking Dead’s “unafflicted humans are the real horror” theme, yet remains fresh through well-crafted characterization and careful storytelling.
While tension certainly exists between the characters and the environment, the most raw drama occurs between Honeysuckle and herself, as she constantly evaluates and re-evaluates her own will to continue on. It’s an examination of how grief deflates the human spirit, while the afflicted simultaneously find new reasons to continue moving through life.
Adapted for comics from Joe Hill’s novel, David M. Booher maintains the heartbreaking love story, and Zoe Thoroughgood highlights it through achingly lovely illustrations. Thoroughgood is particularly adept at capturing both characters in a loving, flattering light, while unflinchingly examining the horrors of their fates.
A Boy Named Rose by Gaelle Geniller (FairSquare Graphics)
Rose is a new Parisian stage-dancing sensation, growing theater crowds at his mother’s club, Le Jardin, and earning a persistent frontrow admirer. Loved, mentored, and adored by three professional dancers known as The Flowers, he must focus on perfecting exciting routines and resist the distraction of nightlife and romantic intrigue.
As Rose grows both in his dancing and identity, exploring dresses and presenting as a woman in public, he faces scrutiny from the real world. Despite the support of his mother and inner circle, not all of Paris is as understanding of a femme-presenting young man who was born and raised at the infamous cabaret. The real drama of this tale, however, stems from how Rose’s very existence challenges the status quo that exists outside the supportive walls of Le Jardin. Plagued by his own doubts and insecurities, Rose nevertheless remains steadfast in his identity, and the resulting friction drives the plot in a continuously uplifting way.
Filled with florals and casually topless dancers, there is a refreshing freedom to this Eisner-nominated story (translated from French by Fabrice Sapolsky), balancing still-relevant modern themes through a delightfully European lens. Gaelle Geniller’s artwork is breezy yet intricate, inviting readers to drink in each page at length. Overall this is a wonderfully scripted and drawn graphic novel that is all-at-once thought provoking and whimsical.
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Moni Barrette, MLIS is the Director, Collection Development for LibraryPass, as well as former President of American Library Association’s Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table, and co-founder of the nonprofit Creators, Assemble! Inc. As a former public library manager, Moni won the California Library Association PRExcellence Award (2018 & 2019) for library events aimed at underserved adult library users, and has proven success using comics to increase library circulation. She is a frequent panelist at San Diego and New York Comic Con, San Diego Comic Fest and Wonder-Con, hosting industry networking events and providing instruction to educators and librarians.
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