LGBTQ Comics: Bingo Love and Kim Reaper

Bingo Love by Tee Franklin, Jenn St-Onge, and Joy San

A word from the publisher: “When Hazel Johnson and Mari McCray met at church bingo in 1963, it was love at first sight. Forced apart by their families and society, Hazel and Mari both married young men and had families. Decades later, now in their mid-’60s, Hazel and Mari reunite again at a church bingo hall. Realizing their love for each other is still alive, what these grandmothers do next takes absolute strength and courage.“

Pros:

• A beautiful depiction of love between two older women of color (a demographic I rarely see depicted in popular media)
• Depicts heartache and trouble in a realistic way without focusing on it
• The “Jackpot Edition,” includes a bunch of extra content

Cons:

• (Nit-pick) Some of the art in the “bonus content” was not to my taste
• (Nit-pick) I have mixed feelings about the ending. On one hand, I think there is something poetic about the main characters, Hazel and Mari, more-or-less dying in each other’s arms (Mari from an unspecified brain issue, and Hazel from what I can only presume is old age / heartbreak). On the other hand, I’ve seen very few pieces of media that address “widowed” LGBT elders, and I can only imagine that seeing Hazel cope would’ve been more impactful, more real. The ending as it stands just felt too “convenient,” for lack of a better word.

Conclusion:

I love the future that this work imagines, and appreciate the past and present it depicts. This was a fast, enjoyable read, so if the premise sounds interesting I would definitely give it a look.

Check it out here.

Kim Reaper (Vol. 1) by Sarah Graley

Here’s the premise (from the publisher): “Like most university students, Kim works a part-time job to make ends meet. Unlike most university students, Kim’s job is pretty cool: she’s a grim reaper, tasked with guiding souls into the afterlife. Like most university students, Becka has a super intense crush. Unlike most university students, Becka’s crush is on a beautiful gothic angel that frequents the underworld. Of course, she doesn’t know that.”

Pros:

• The aesthetic and art style are cute
• It’s nice to see LGBTQ representation in media
• The work is a quick, easy read

Cons:

• I wish Kim and Becka’s relationship had more time to develop. As it stands, the story includes a lot of relationship tropes (e.g. the unrequited crush, the drunken confession, etc). Adding a layer of supernatural shenanigans doesn’t make the rest any more original.
• The “lol random” humor feels a bit dated (e.g. the first encounter with the body builder)
• A part of me appreciates the existence of a larger narrative; clearly this wasn’t meant to be a one-shot. On the other hand, when it came up I mostly just wanted to get back to character interaction and relationship building.

Conclusion:

It’s fun enough, short enough, and cute enough. I’m not chomping at the bit to read the next chapter, though, so I can’t justify giving the work more than a middling score. If the premise speaks to you, this might be worth reading. Otherwise, you can probably skip this one.

Check it out here.

You might also enjoy …

• “My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness” by Kabi Nagata (you can see my review here)
• “After Hours” by Yuhta Nishio

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