| We’ve seen a host of accolades for books from our indie comics publishers this summer, including an Eisner winner, Lambda award finalists, picks recognized by the Children’s Book Council, and an Ignatz nominee.
Read about these celebrated books below, and preview forthcoming graphic novels already garnering praise, including a memoir on grief, a superhero anthology, an account of running the world’s most difficult race, and more.
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In the aftermath of a devastating loss, Júlia finds herself living with her unemployed brother in their grandmother’s beach house, uncertain of what comes next. Júlia tries to convince her family and friends that she’s doing fine, but when her garden plot is destroyed one night, Júlia becomes obsessed with finding the culprit: A mongoose whose existence no one else seems to believe in.
In a starred review, Booklist says, “Mosi thoughtfully and compassionately follows Júlia’s halting journey through the stages of grief and mourning, coming to terms with difficult emotions, and learning how to unpack the symbolism that only comes with overwhelming preoccupation, brain fog, and loss. A poignant portrait of mourning, grief, and recovery.”
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When he was a teenager, Jesse Mechanic’s mother passed away after a long struggle with cancer. In this graphic memoir, Mechanic looks back at the ways this experience followed him throughout the years, from struggling with school and dealing with grief to slowly figuring out a life for himself.
A starred review from Publishers Weekly says, “Such reflections will ring painfully familiar to anyone who has stumbled around in the darkness of grief. This vulnerable graphic memoir cuts deep.” Kirkus Reviews notes, “Mechanic’s illustrations are vibrant and richly detailed, and his use of patterning is especially impressive. . . . A raw and eloquent graphic memoir about the shifting nature of grief.”
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The Adventures of Lion Man
by John Jennings, Yvette Lisa Ndlovu, Bill Campbell, Damian Duffy, and David Brame
Rosarium Publishing • August 2025 • 9798986614670 • iPage
In 1947, Orrin C. Evans created one of the world’s first Black superheroes—Lion Man. Appearing in the only issue of All-Negro Comics, superhero history was forever changed. Readapted and remixed for modern times, this anthology features Afrofuturistic tales, spy thrillers, and further adventures that bring Lion Man out of the past and into a bold new future.
Booklist calls the book “a love letter to and celebration of characters that have lapsed into the public domain.” Publishers Weekly adds, “This dynamic and Afrofuturistic anthology reimagines one of the world’s first Black superheroes. . . . This satisfying entertainment lends fresh life to Black comics history.”
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Italy’s Tor des Géants is one of the world’s most difficult races, a journey that spans two hundred miles through difficult mountain terrain over five days. In The Last of the Giants, Sam Hill takes on Tor for a third time—after failing twice before. Amid exhaustion, hallucinations, and unforgettable encounters both real and imagined, he pushes the limits of body and mind to discover more about himself and his place in the world.
Inspired by the real-life experience of ultrarunner Doug Mayer, this graphic novel blends fiction and reality, with a unique inverted format that can be read one way, then the other.
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An Eisner Winner and More Celebrated Graphic Novels
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Children’s Book Council Graphic Novel Picks
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The Children’s Book Council recently recommended three middle grade titles from Consortium publishers on a list of graphic novel selections:
- Pearl of the Sea by Anthony Silverston and Raffaella Delle Donne, illus. Willem Samuel (Catalyst Press)
- The Rez Doctor by Gitz Crazyboy, illus. Veronika Barinova, Azby Whitecalf, and Toben Racicot (Portage & Main / HighWater Press)
- Little Moons by Jen Storm, illus. Ryan Howe (Portage & Main / HighWater Press)
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For more in comics, check out our Fall/Winter 2025-2026 catalogs featuring forthcoming graphic novels:
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