Breaks is a beautifully drawn and written graphic novel series by Emma Vieceli and Malin Ryden. While ostensibly an LGBTQ story about a damaged teen living in the UK who's trying to get by in high school, it's actually much more about bullying — and the regret of bullying. It's a thoughtful and well-executed story with engaging characters and a more mature tone.

I read the first two volumes of the series in 2020 during the height of the pandemic (amazing how much reading I got done that year!) but the books actually date back to 2017. Now they're being reissued with a release date in March — and I'm delighted to learn that there's a Volume 3 which was published in 2024! I'll review that in the near future.

Because I love these books so much, I wanted to give them a special shout out here. Each book is summarized below with ordering links. Enjoy!

BREAKS, VOLUME 1: Cortland Hunt has made some dangerous mistakes. Now he's waiting quietly for those mistakes to catch up with him. Ian Tanner coasts through life denying the spark of anger beneath his laid back exterior. When school politics and personal lives become a battleground, the pair find that what they share may just be their only safe haven. 
Breaks is the story of two young men discovering who they were, who they are, and who they will become. It's a love story . . . but a bit broken.

BREAKS, VOLUME 2: Ian and Cortland are all too aware that the bubble they've made for themselves can't last. Shifting relationships and tested friendships may be the least of their worries, though, as they learn more about each other and the pasts they'd rather leave behind. Familial legacy, fragile ambition and potentially devastating secrets; their budding relationship is going to need a stronger foundation than secrecy if they want to face what life has in store for them together.

BREAKS, VOLUME 3: School is over, adult life beckons, and new beginnings lie before Ian and Cortland as their relationship deepens. But when Ian's father is released from prison, questions of trust and deceit threaten to tear them apart. The boys will walk a dark path together as the shadows of the past try to claim the present. The answers to all their questions will be revealed in this final volume, and some may prove dangerous beyond their wildest imaginings...

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HERE BE SPOILERS.
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If I had to choose two DC characters to battle it out in a no-holds-barred contest, my choices would be Jason Todd / Red Hood versus the psychopath who murdered him — The Joker. Talk about a grudge match! Fortunately, the DC KO series just provided this. 

So what is the DC KO series? Following the events of the "DC All In" saga, Darkseid created a new reality called the "Absolute Universe," and plans to conquer the main DC universe. The only way for the DC heroes to stop him is through gladiatorial "death tournaments" held across a five-level arena. DC Comic fans can participate in an online challenge to predict the winner of each tournament for a chance to win prizes, including being drawn into a future comic.

The Joker officially killed Jason Todd in Batman #428, released in 1988. I won’t rehash the complicated developments that saw Jason rise from the grave and recast himself as Red Hood, but you can read about it in-depth here: Jason Todd's Empty Grave. Suffice to say, that Joker’s actions have haunted Jason ever since. As Jason describes in the opening panels of the comic: 

This comic book was released in late December 2025. See your local comic book store about obtaining a copy. ​

RELATED FEATURES: Red Hood Collection | Jason Todd's Empty Grave | When Jason Todd Helped Save Superman | Batman Collection

True epics encompass large themes and heroic characters who deal with world-changing events, and in the world of young adult fiction there aren't many of these. Okay, J.K. Rowling wrote one, but like her tale of a boy wizard most YA epics are fantasy books or paranormal romances which masquerade as something much grander.

But when I came across Code Name Verity I knew I'd found that rarest of offerings for the teen reader – a true epic novel. I'd even say that author Elizabeth Wein's tale of friendship between two young British women caught up in the midst of World War II holds up quite nicely to similar adult novels, the type which might've been penned by James A. Michener, Colleen McCullough, Ken Follett or Leon Uris.

The story's told by two protagonists. The first is a confession from "Verity" (her codename), who's been caught spying for the British in German-occupied France in 1943 and is being interrogated and tortured by the Gestapo. Verity's admission is a way to buy time, even if only in small parcels, and she knows. As a spy, she has no privileges afforded to other prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention. Her life is forfeit, but as long as she can tell her tale and let the Germans believe she has information they need, she'll continue to survive. Her narrative becomes a loving dissertation about her best friend, a country girl named Maddie (code named Kittyhawk) whose serving the Allied cause as a civilian pilot. The second half of the book is told from Maddie's point-of-view and deals mostly with her trying to discover Verity's fate and then rescue her from the clutches of the SS.

As both women acknowledge, had there not been a war on, they would've never met nor become friends. Verity was born to Scottish aristocracy, was raised in a castle and educated abroad. A stint at a German boarding school has made her prolific in the language and she's recruited into the world of high-stakes espionage for which she has an unusual affinity. Not only can she affect different accents, but can manifest both personalities and lives from thin air. Maddie. on the other hand, was raised by her grandparents and grew up working with her hands. In a world which belongs to men, Maddie's a talented mechanic and a skilled pilot. Both women have benefitted from the reality of war which has broken down sexual stereotypes and allowed them to excel in areas usually reserved for males. Both are aware of this, and they wonder if their independence and freedom will continue once the conflict is over?

While reading Code Name Verity, I wondered how younger readers might handle the complicated plot, themes centered around equality and independence, and the much larger historical references. Would they appreciate the awesome amount of research which Wein clearly put into this novel? Even teens with an interest in World War II probably won't have any familiarity with most of the topics addressed, and certainly not some of the literary and cultural references. But if books can provide teachable moments — and good books always will — then this really isn't an issue. The roles of women in noncombat roles working on the English homefront and behind the scenes is a fascinating peek into a part of World War II which receives little attention but is quite inspiring. And while I'd recommend the book to almost anyone, it will resonate more with young women as it wonderfully details the unique intimacy between female friends.

Verity and Kittyhawk are effusive in their love for each other, distraught over their frequent separations, and determined to protect each other during the time in human history when probably no one felt truly safe. Their story truly is, well, epic.

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