Ask Me about Polyamory: The Best of Kimchi Cuddles

This debut collection of the Kimchi Cuddles webcomic begins with a flowchart to show the relationships between its various characters, but this is hardly necessary as the comic itself rarely delves into any narrative that could be called a story. Mostly, the book is a series of short strips explaining polyamory and the joys and stresses it brings to those who practice it. Wolf's bright, simple art is lively, but it exists largely in service to the dialogue, which is often explanatory rather than conversational. At times, the character speaking becomes a tiny figure in a panel mostly obscured by the word balloons, leading the reader to wonder whether the subject would perhaps be better served by plain or illustrated prose. Conversations about what love means in polyamory, perhaps eye-opening and sweet at the beginning, become dulled with repetition. A book that focused more on storytelling in the vein of Dykes to Watch Out For could have provided a better window into polyamorous life. (Apr.)