Kim Reaper, Vol. 1: Grim Beginnings

After working up the courage to invite her crush Kim to the pub for a drink, university student Becka follows her into a portal, where she discovers that Kim’s goth look isn’t an act: Kim works as a part-time grim reaper, collecting the souls of animals and, eventually, humans. Becka accompanies Kim on a few missions, but she isn’t entirely comfortable with Kim’s career choice, creating a potential roadblock in their relationship. With plenty of hijinks (an amped-up bodybuilder with an army of cats, ghoul-possessed pirate treasure, a plague of zombies) and banter (“Your noodley arms pack such a punch,” gushes Becka at one point), the story has no shortage of entertaining moments. But they play second fiddle to its focus on how one goes about setting boundaries in relationships, especially in the face of trying to make a living. Graley uses a dark, purplish palette to create an atmosphere of otherworldly adventure without resorting to a full-on goth-culture black motif. Her chunky drawing style resists over-sexualizing the girls’ budding romance, and the steady stream of jokes keeps her story’s more intense emotional moments from getting too dire or serious. Ages 13–up. (Feb.)