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Medical Mentions Book Reviews XIX – Comic Strip Edition #3

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Medical Mentions are a group of graphic works. The graphic works reviewed here are books whose primary topics are not medical, and yet they cover a medical topic with some depth at some point in the work. The rest of the work might be fictional or nonfictional, while the medical portion is often technical and five pages or more. The reviewer will usually neither recommend nor discourage reading the work, except when the rest of the work is deemed outstanding or terrible, respectively. Typically, six graphic works will be part of the review with one paragraph for each. Prior Medical Mentions… Read More

Diaries of War – Two Visual Accounts from Ukraine and Russia

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by Lilian Nyamongo Published a year into the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Diaries of War follows Nora Krug’s acquaintances, K, a Ukrainian journalist and D, an anti-war Russian artist. Krug, a visual journalist interviewed K and D on their experiences to create a weekly illustrated diary to raise immediate awareness of the war. Their multifaceted identities and experiences on each side of the border highlight their thoughts on identity, patriotism, citizenship and human desire for normalcy as they weigh options for themselves and their loved ones. Krug’s use of unsophisticated, minimalistic, scrapbook-style art with hand lettering is reminiscent of… Read More

The Woodchipper

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by Niamh O’Brien The Woodchipper is a collection of five stand alone, character-driven short stories that explore the messy, often unglamorous realities of contemporary life. Across all five stories, Ollmann portrays flawed, believable characters whose problems reflect broader issues: underpaid labour, economic instability, burnout, and the false promises of modern capitalism. The afterword ties these themes together, offering a gentle critique of the systems that contribute to the misery and occasional joy of everyday life. For the purpose of clarity, the short stories will be identified throughout this review using “Story Title.” After a deliberately vague workplace incident, Charlie, “The… Read More

The Weight

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by Lorraine Chun, MLIS Content Advisory: This book includes domestic violence. National Domestic Violence Hotline in the United States is 800-799-7233; https://www.thehotline.org/   This book made the top ten adult comics on the Publishers Weekly list for Fall 2025. Melissa Mendes tells a riveting story that involves intergenerational trauma but also highlights how parental love can still prevail and contribute to resilience. Readers are introduced to Marian, who gives birth unexpectedly at her parents’ home. Her parents lovingly welcome Edie, their new grandchild. Still, Marian’s husband seems uninterested and immediately informs his father-in-law that he is moving to another town,… Read More