Welcome back to Waiting on the Trade, a comics book club for people who don’t have time for monthly comics!

In this episode, guest host Bryce Manning lets Netflix’s suggestion algorithm be our guide, as we discuss the first volume of Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper.

This Month’s Discussion Questions

1. Do you think this story would have been better as a novel?
2. How do you feel the lettering style adds to the story?
3. How is Nick and Charlie’s relationship a positive example of a same-sex relationship?

Explanations, Observations, and Links of Note

• Behold, Heartstopper‘s special Google search animation!
• So I couldn’t find the Oseman Q+A Pat mentioned, but I did find out there is a Nick and Charlie novella, which gives Pat a leg to stand on in his “would this have worked as a novel” discussion (though the novella includes comic pages).
• Here’s a Reddit discussion of why Boys’ Love comics are so popular among women.
• If you also can’t wait to read more Heartstopper, here’s a link to its Webtoon page (my preferred platform).

Follow-Up Recommendations

If you liked Heartstopper, we think you might also like:

• Hero.
• The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal (for mature readers).
• My Love Story!! (which we discussed here).

Also, I stumbled upon this list of queer comics recommendations from Polygon, if you need even more suggestions.

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New to the show? Waiting on the Trade is a monthly comics podcast, run by two gents who don’t have time for monthly comics. If you’d like to get in touch with us, you can email us at WaitingOnTheTrade@gmail.com.

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As always, thanks for listening!