Sequential State – the comics criticism archive of Alex Hoffman

Tag: first second

  • Review: Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, Written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Rosemary Valero O’Connell

    Review: Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, Written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Rosemary Valero O’Connell

    The 2019 Small Press Expo Ignatz Award nominations were announced last week, and Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero O’Connell’s new graphic novel, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me garnered nominations in three categories, which is a stunning accomplishment. Mariko Tamaki is a well-known author of comics. Her graphic novel This One Summer (illustrated by…

  • Review: Spinning by Tillie Walden

    Review: Spinning by Tillie Walden

      Tillie Walden is one of the youngest celebrated cartoonists currently working. Her comics have been acclaimed by critics and readers alike. Her first three books, published by Avery Hill, have garnered her two Ignatz wins and an Eisner nomination. Her longest work to date, Spinning is a 400-page memoir of her life starting at…

  • Review: Decelerate Blue by Adam Rapp and Mike Cavallaro

    Review: Decelerate Blue by Adam Rapp and Mike Cavallaro

    I recently found a copy of Decelerate Blue at the local library, and picked it up on a whim. I have the habit of doing this for First Second books, which are often in abundant supply in the graphic novel-centric public library space. The book is 200+ pages long, mostly black and white with some color pages…

  • Review: Last Man: The Stranger by Balak, Michaël Sanlaville, and Bastien Vivès As manga continues to become a larger part of comics in the West, it’s no surprise to see manga-influenced comics becoming more and more the norm. We’re starting to see this already as manga-reading kids are growing into comics-making adults. Last Man is…