First Sight
Jade Zhang, 16 pgs, IG: @daikonbaby
A self-described “short story zine I made about queer kids,” First Sight deals with some heavy topics: abuse, self-harm, suicide, and healing.
Two girls lay in a field. One narrates how she fell for the other, and they discuss the issues they’ve had. At least for a moment, they seem to convince themselves that they’re free of it all. Addressing painful topics like this can be difficult, but Zhang does so delicately, making it easy to empathize with.
Zhang’s art is lush. Cool greens and yellows cradle the girls. Dandelions blow around them, trees surround, and it seems as though they’ll sink into the grass. “I think we’re almost there,” muses one to the other. “What do you think we’ll find?”
The answer: “Something powerful!”
Rooting for these girls is easier with each successive page.
