Ethan Young

I'm afraid if I mention that post-apocalyptic young adult sci fi with female protagonists has been something of a trend lately, my tone will sound mocking or dismissive. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. I would always rather see another female-led apocalyptic saga than another male-led superhero saga. And as sci fi comics go, The Battles of Bridget Lee: Invasion of Farfall looks particularly exciting. The Battles of Bridget Lee is a new series of young adult graphic novels by Ethan Young, and Invasion of Farfall, the first installment, is due out September 21, 2016. Young is the writer and artist behind last year's acclaimed nonfiction graphic novel Nanjing: The Burning City, and previously won a 2007 Independent Publisher Book Award for Best Graphic Novel for Tails, a semi-autobiographical fantasy comic.

Nanjing: The Burning City is cartoonist Ethan Young's retelling of the Nanjing Massacre of 1937, which was a horrific moment in Chinese history. Young's graphic novel has a detailed, gritty tone to the art that lends an appropriate air of gravity to the subject matter. In support of this graphic novel, which will be released in August of this year, publisher Dark Horse has put together this trailer.

Here's a badly kept secret about me: I love Shaquille O'Neal. Always have. I taste-tested every flavor of Soda Shaq, for crying out loud. Ask me to tell you about my never-written script for Caddy-Shaq someday. Dark Horse comics editor Jim Gibbons and writer/artist Ethan Young clearly feel the same way. As a palate cleanser to cheer themselves up after collaborating on Young's amazing-looking but also emotionally draining graphic novel Nanjing the Burning City, the two teamed up for another, wholly different project in which the Shaq of 1993 is convinced by former Charlotte Hornet Larry Johnson in the guise of Grandmama (remember Grandmama?) to spring ahead to the year 2030 to challenge a mysterious dictator to a game of one-on-one for the fate of the world. You thought the NCAA championship game was big? This is bigger.