Body Music

Maroh, author of the best selling Blue Is the Warmest Color, returns with another look at relationships, this time a series of 21 vignettes set in Montreal. Maroh finds beauty in the mundane and layers it with the complex. From the man second-guessing himself on his way to work the morning after a first date with a younger man to the chronically ill wife screaming at her husband, there’s something relatable for everyone in this book. Maroh’s linework and ink-wash style allow one panel to flow into the next, her use of wordless close-ups give readers a strong sense of intimacy and emotion, and the language is thoughtful and poetic. As a bonus, the diversity isn’t forced: black, Asian, Latinx, trans, gay, straight, bi, polyamorous, old, young, and disabled characters are presented organically. This collection glimpses the lives and choices of a wide range of everyday people with insight and grace. (Nov.)