The Hazards of Love (2015)

Synopsis

Amparo’s deal with the talking cat was simple: a drop of blood and Amparo’s name in order to become a better person. Their mother and abuela would never worry about them again, and they’d finally be worthy of dating straight-A student Iolanthe. But when the cat steals their body, becoming the better person they were promised, Amparo’s spirit is imprisoned in a land of terrifying, flesh-hungry creatures known as Bright World.

With cruel and manipulative masters, and a society that feeds on memories, Amparo must use their cleverness to escape, without turning into a monster like the rest. On “the other side,” Iolanthe begins to suspect the new Amparo has a secret. After the cat-in-disguise vanishes, Iolanthe’s left to search for answers with a no-nonsense medium from the lesbian mafia – the only person who might know the truth about Bright World.

From: Oni Press

Notes on This Title

The focal characters of this series are primarily latinx. The main character is nonbinary queer agender, while the supporting cast includes a queer latinx woman, a gay latinx man, and a latinx trans man.

Awards

2022 YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens

Reviews

“For all the weirdness though, at its heart this is a love story, and one rooted deeply in queer identities. Iolanthe in particular is on a journey of her own, going from unsure if she “swings in [Amparo’s] general direction” to being the only person close enough to them to realise they had been replaced. Iolanthe’s growing comfort in her sexuality is accompanied by significant growth from the quiet, sheltered library girl readers first meet, and it’s a joy to behold. While the webcomic roots lead to some pacing irregularities – the online version updates twice weekly, and that cadence can still be felt in page transitions at times, particularly early on – The Hazards of Love pulls readers into its compelling, strange reality as easily as Amparo is pulled into Bright World.” (Source: Bear World Magazine)

Interviews

Women Write About Comics: “A Conversation with Webcomics’ Stan Stanley

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