FEBRUARY 2, 2026 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 21
TOONS FOR SWOONS
At the conclusion of Before We Wake , Glock says, “you’re actually left wondering how paranormal it really is. How much of this is an explicit magic and how much of this is an emotional magic?” TAKE TWO Shared history can be difficult to get over. Just ask the stars of Miles Toriko Burks ’ s debut graphic novel, Encore! (HarperAlley, June). In it, high school theater kid Clay navigates the return of his former best friend Aron after Aron ghosted him years before. Burks got his start in graphic novels creat- ing fan art comics for his favorite shows such as Voltron and Homestuck , and in 2020 made the shift to Webtoon, a global platform for manga, comics, and manhwa. Encore! origi- nally began on Webtoon and was picked up by Rose Pleuler in 2022 to take the story from digital to print. For Burks there was an “escapist” joy in “writing a story about a character who looked like me and shared in my transness, getting a love story with a character I would’ve wanted to be with.” At the core of Burks’s debut is a rekindled friendship, placing it firmly under the sec- ond-chance-romance umbrella—a trope the author frequently found himself returning to. “One thing I really like about second-chance romance is seeing how much characters change over time,” Burks says. “You get a time jump, and then this person is so different, but in a lot of ways they’re still the same.” For Clay and Aron, getting over their pre- conceived notions of one another is the true battle they’ll need to face in order to move forward. “I definitely like to explore the way that nostalgia clouds your judgment,” Burks says. “It was fun to explore my own life and go back to the past and ask myself, Why did me and my friend fall apart? with a little bit more understanding.” Thankfully, Clay and Aron are able to reconnect and find a happily ever after. Adeline Kon grapples with a more conten- tious version of a shared past in their graphic novel debut, Just Between Us (Dial, Feb.). When figure skater Lydia Chen’s skating com- petitor Elaine begins training at her rink, Lydia learns to work past their rivalry in exchange for a blossoming friendship. Kon was able to see the romance of the story in the sport it’s inspired by: figure skat- ing. Kon, who fell in love with figure skating
New romance graphic novels for teens hitting shelves this year feature a summer vacation crush, a secret friendship turned something more, a coming out story, and more. —IJ Spring YA Graphic Romances
HEARTSTOPPER, VOL. 6 Alice Oseman. Graphix, July
SOMEDAY PERFECT Kat Schneider. Random House Graphic, Apr. Meg begins to question her faith when she falls for Danny while at a Christian sleepaway camp. STEAM Shaenon K. Garrity and Emily Holden. McElderry, Feb. Genius humanoid Ruby escapes from her secret lab and finds a new home at a campus coffee shop as a barista, where she finds both love and friendship.
In the series finale, Nick prepares to head off to college, and Charlie narrows his focus to becoming head boy. The graphic novels spawned a Netflix adaptation, which will also come to a close in 2026 with Heartstopper Forever , a feature-length movie premiering later this year. LOVE ME TO DEATH, VOL. 1 Tooninmated. Little, Brown Ink, Jan. Necromancer Victor is hired by a grieving groom to bring his bride back to life and finds himself navigating unexpected feelings.
SUNFLOWERS AND LAVENDER Maisy Valais. Yellowjacket, Apr.
When Penny accidentally confesses her feel- ings for Bianca and runs away, they attempt to find each other in a series of comedic errors.
LOVELY RECIPE Myra Rose Nino. Random House Graphic, Feb.
High school senior Sofia turns to peer and chef extraordinaire Anna Marie for help in creating one of her late grandmother’s dishes as their time together in school rapidly comes to an end.
TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL Jenny Han, adapted by Barbara Perez Marquez, illus. by Akimaro and Li Lu. Simon & Schuster, May In this graphic novel adaptation of Han’s 2014 YA novel, first in a bestselling trilogy that was also adapted into a trio of Netflix films, teen Lara Jean navigates the fallout after love letters she’d written as a child are sent to their recipients. TO DANCE THE MOON AND STARS Tasia M.S. and Barbara Perez Marquez. Joy Revolution, July As the future High Priestess of her kingdom, Myra struggles to sacrifice her love of dancing to fulfill her role, and turns to the crown prince for his support.
OUR AIMLESS NIGHTS, VOL. 1 Koumori. Ink Pop, June
Popular Chika and shy Waka may seem like opposites in the daytime, but form a bond by meeting each night at a convenience store.
A SMILE LIKE YOURS Emily Thomas. Kids Can, June
College freshman Riley, who has difficulty rec- ognizing people due to his face blindness, finds a sense of comfort with Malcolm, a new friend for whom he starts to develop feelings.
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