cover image My Life in Transition: A Super Late Bloomer Collection

My Life in Transition: A Super Late Bloomer Collection

Julia Kaye. Andrews McMeel, $14.99 trade paper (176p) ISBN 978-1-5248-6046-2

Kaye (Super Late Bloomer) continues her candid journal comics series with an intimate look at her life as a trans woman post–coming out. Having lived openly as herself for three years, Kaye has become more and more comfortable in her own skin, but that doesn’t mean her life has gotten simpler. Kaye attempts to navigate the rocky world of dating in the 21st century, bouncing between iffy experiences with men on hookup apps and turbulent monogamous relationships, while her experiences of gender dysphoria and sexual attraction subtly shift. The arc of the narrative hinges on a messy breakup with ex-girlfriend Liv and Kaye’s slow journey toward healing. Kaye bares her soul via blunt, confessional narration, and occasional flares of expressionism break up her spare, black-and-white cartooning, lending weight to those moments. “We’re just people with the same wants and needs as anyone else,” writes Kaye. By conveying simply that, this collection is a success, illuminating the reality of everyday trans life. (Feb.)