Who Made Me a Princess

Spoon and Plutus make their English-language comics debut with a luminous if lightweight reincarnation fantasy manhwa. In this opening volume, a modern woman is reborn as Princess Athanasia “Athy” of Obelia, secret daughter of villainous Emperor Claude. Though she’s a baby in this universe, her adult mind recognizes she’s been transported into the “tacky and childish” romance novel The Lovely Princess, in which Athy ultimately gets executed by Claude after she’s framed for poisoning her more beloved sister. With this foreknowledge, Athy attempts as she grows up to escape the same fate by stealing palace treasures to fund her plot to run away, but her schemes go sideways. Eventually, she’s discovered attempting to sneak out and tries to cozy up to her father, hoping to get on his good side in order to survive. Athy’s drawn in adorable doll-like fashion with baroque costumes and portrayed as a spunky charmer, but the pacing of her shenanigans tends to drag, and her dynamic with the handsome, aloof Claude has creepily romantic undertones. This is easy on the eyes if cringy in places. (June)