Blackwax Boulevard: Five Years, What A Surprise (2012-2017)

Record stores might be struggling for survival, but in this warmhearted tribute to the joys of music shopping, they are positively flush with camaraderie. Marsalis, an employee of record store Blackwax Boulevard, is a stuttering nerd whose devotion to vinyl is as impressive as he is insufferable in extolling it. Alongside rockabilly Veronika and metalhead Hardy, they indulge Green Day–loving grade schoolers and preening hipsters alike in the decaying city they call home. Jackson creates an honest, believable world where the cool girl behind the counter struggles with addiction and the quirky owner isn’t always diligent about managing his diabetes. Marsalis’s desire to succeed as an aspiring music critic and community activist, meanwhile, chafes disastrously against his crippling anxiety. The store and its denizens pulse with life, rendered in Jackson’s expertly chunky inking: everything from Veronika’s tattoos to the shop’s eternal clutter feels right-on. Readers won’t just want to visit Blackwax (or get inspired to drop by their real local indie, if it’s still standing) by the last page—they’ll feel like a part of the gang. (Booklife)