OK, I just finished my second Christmas present – another graphic novel from Alex Woolfson, this one illustrated by the talented Adam DeKraker. And I loved it! But I’m going to level the same complaint against Alex that I have often gotten myself for my novellas.
It’s not long enough.
Now don’t get me wrong. This is a good thing. The main story kept me engaged right through, and I was thrilled with the relationship between the two characters. My anticipation was definitely whetted. Without giving spoilers, it’s hot hot hot. And it’s nice to see such an unapologetically gay character in a comic book. I know, there have been others, but Alex’s characters ring true.
And the interlude story had me laughing my ass off. That’s where the panel above comes from.
As far as the “not long enough” part? Well, there’s a reason. The main part of the novel (there are three) was originally intended to be a one-off for an anthology, as Alex explains in the afterword. But events conspired to convince him into making the project into something longer. As a result, there’s a much bigger story afoot, and we get just the first taste here. But oh, what a taste.
The good news? The longer story is almost halfway done. Alex posts a new page twice a week, and you can read it all for free here:
http://webcomics.yaoi911.com/typ/ete_title_page/
But get the graphic novel too. You can preorder it here:
https://the-young-protectors-vol-1-0.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
It’s a glorious book, beautifully produced, and Alex and Adam (and Veronica Gandini, who did the lettering) have done an amazing job.
Alex and Adam have a new fan.