A review by jbeoin
My Aunt Is a Monster by Reimena Yee

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Content Note: age appropriate mentions of death of parents, fire, social isolation, abduction, mild violence 

This was such a great comic! I really loved seeing a disabled main character (especially a disabled, racialized child!) being treated with respect for her autonomy and given the support needed to become an adventurer. The art was so playful and fun, and it touched on some difficult topics in age appropriate ways, too. I also really love that it humanized the adults without making the management of those adults' feelings the responsibility of the child. 

I did get a little frustrated with the inclusion of so many text heavy snippets of news articles and such because they took me out of the moment a lot for some reason. I felt like I had to slow down and make sure I wasn't missing important info to the story rather than enjoying a rounding out of the world. However! I do think it's a fun inclusion that a lot of people would enjoy! 

The adventure parts were fun, too, and I enjoyed watching how everything came together at the end. Overall, this was such a sweet story told with love and care for the disabled character and her family, and that warmed my heart. Definitely recommend picking up a copy!

Note: While I've had my eye on this comic since it came out, I didn't put two and two together to realize it was by a Cartoonist Cooperative co-founder until I checked it out through Libby! I'm a member of the Cooperative and one of the co-managers for its members-only newsletter, but that hasn't influenced my opinion or review of the comic.