Jasmine Walls

while the "volume 1" on the graphic novel collection does give me some hope that this series is going to continue, i haven't been able to find any news of plans to do so. regardless, i can heartily recommend this graphic novel if you like a) tabletop roleplaying games (especially d&d, as "dice & deathtraps" is not only a legally distinct stand-in for the world's most popular ttrpg, it even shares its acronym!), b) queer/trans representation, and c) good stories well told!

(also, if you're show more like me, orcs & half-orcs, as the de facto party leader is a half-orc ranger. it doesn't affect the story much, but it does provide some exceptionally lovely eyecandy if you're a weirdo like me who goes wild for green skin & tusks.)

the narrative gives us both an in-game & out-of-game perspective, with the latter being fairly more prominent page count wise, but there's still plenty of in-game stuff, and the two play off of each other nicely to help tell the story. in general the first few pages of each issue show the backstory of the game (a detail that i love is that the game got started at what was originally supposed to be a gsa meeting) and one or two focus characters per issue, while the majority of the issue takes place in the present day.

as alluded to earlier this comic has some absolutely fantastic representation both in terms of none of the characters being white and in each of them being some stripe of queer or trans! the dm is nonbinary, one player is ace who is explicitly in a queerplat relationship with one of the other players, another player is a trans guy. just, y'know, heck yeah!

i don't necessarily want to describe the entire plot, but there is a pretty big interpersonal conflict that arises in the titular last few sessions (so yeah the title isn't quite accurate, but "the last session" is a bit more catchy/title-y than "the last few sessions," so i get it). and importantly (to me, anyway), while there is clearly one side of the conflict that is more at fault than the other, the comic empathizes with everyone involved, which is just always going to be my favorite kind of conflict.

i really liked this comic, and again even though there is no indication of it at present, i'm nevertheless super hopeful that the "volume 1" on the cover is an omen of future volumes to come! show less

Billie Mae, Loretta, and Cheng Kwan make up the Night Storms, a magic racing team in a 1950s South where people like them - nonwhite, queer - aren't supposed to have magic. But winning races is their ticket out, to more tolerant and inclusive places. Mattie and Emma join the team, hoping to earn enough to pay for a waiver to keep their own magic, instead of having it sealed away, or being taken to a government school, like their cousin Luella was. The sense of community is strong, and the show more injustices they face almost palpable - based, of course, on real historical injustices like Jim Crow laws, the KKK, and Indian boarding schools. Billie Mae and Loretta are Black, Luella is Mexican and Choctaw, and Mattie and Emma are Black and Choctaw; Emma uses sign language, and Loretta wears a leg brace. Cheng Kwan is Chinese American.

Quotes

"No. It ain't selfish to wish for what was stolen." (Billie Mae to Luella, 78)

"It's okay. Some days you just gotta yell and throw rocks. Long as they ain't aimed at nobody." (Billie Mae to Luella, 123)

"Rest is just as important as hard work. Magic wears you out more than you know." (Luella to Mattie and Emma, 142) show less

I picked up this book because it was a graphic novel about witches racing on brooms. And I got so much more than that!
Set in the 30' in Mississippi - but in an alternate, magical universe - we follow the stories of six witches of color, who have to practice their magic illegally because of unjust magical laws in place. For the money, and for the thrill, they enter (illegal) broom races as a team. But racing is dangerous, not only because it is a risky sport, but because government agents are show more determined to find and arrest the racers...
Along the way, they will have to face personal challenges and institutionalized racism. Make no mistake, this world might be a magical one, but it echoes the real history of the US. The protagonists are black and/or native Americans, who are not equal to white citizens under the laws (of magic, at least), who face the threat of boarding schools, and the political project of erasing their culture (and their magic).
If you are not yet convinced that you should read this book, let me add that the pace is excellent, that I have been moved, and then holding my breath for what might happen in the next pages, and felt a full palette of emotions at the end.
To summarize, this is a beautiful story with great art, in which you will find color, queerness, magic, female power and sisterhood... And did I mention, broom racing? A must-read! show less

Loved it! A brilliant and resonant integration of magic and reality into a period of American history that is all too often portrayed as entirely white, entirely straight, and entirely without joy. The art is beautiful and unembellished, which works really well with the story. Enjoyable for folks of all ages and a good opener for talking about the aspects of our history that some people are telling us not to talk about anymore.