by Yu-Ling Kung On the Dark Side of the Moon (2024) is a graphic novel by Beck Kao, an independent comics artist and toy designer from Taiwan and the founder of Uniautomata Studio, which published the book. It is difficult to guess what kind of story lies inside from the cover. The black, landscape-format cover shows only part of the Moon and the title, with no main characters or clear clues about the genre. Once I started reading, I found the story full of unexpected turns. At first, the main character, SYD, is a professional basketball player on the… Read More
Space Junk
review by Karol Kovalovich Weaver Julian Hanshaw’s Space Junk tells the story of four people on a planet whose inhabitants must abandon it for a new planet. A timely work, the graphic novel paints a picture of environmental degradation, social breakdown, and personal trauma. Despite these heavy subjects, Hanshaw shares a message of hope, encouraging readers not to be weighed down by their pasts and the challenges that they face. Four main characters, Faith, Hoshi, Pieter, and Steve, inhabit a planet set to be abandoned. The remaining residents work to pack up food supplies, remove usable buildings, and cull livestock,… Read More