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The Other Side: An Anthology of Queer Paranormal Romance by Melanie Gillman, Kori Michele Handwerker
mx_madster's review
5.0
Everything about this is great. My only qualm (and it's tiny) is that there are a *lot* of ghosts and relatively few other things. But still. New favorite comic ever.
trans_ishtar's review
4.0
Ahhhh, I loved this! My favourite stories were Ouija Call Center, Shadow's Bae, and Pulpit Point. So sweet and cute!
ljrinaldi's review
4.0
This is a fun volume of short cartoon stories that are paranormal with a queer theme. Some are better than others, of course, but a good, fine collection. We have ghosts falling in love with humans. Humans falling in love with vampires. One cute one was a woman trying to contact her lover from beyond the grave, and he doesn't want anything to do with her, so the Ouiji Call Center intermediatry pretends to be her ex. There is a haunted motorcycle. There is a haunted house that doesn't want to be fixed up. And there is even a haunted microwave.
All great fun, and as the introduction says, back in her day, there were no queer books out there, but there were paranormal, and that was close enough.
I think there was originally a kickstarter, but is now generally available.
All great fun, and as the introduction says, back in her day, there were no queer books out there, but there were paranormal, and that was close enough.
I think there was originally a kickstarter, but is now generally available.
emmylux7's review
2.0
Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars
The main thing this anthology has working against it is quantity over quality. Out of the 12 stories featured only 4 captured my attention enough to want to look up these other authors works. The rest felt rushed, too short, & underdeveloped. Despite this, I love that these are all stories written by queer authors/artists. If anything I hope these stories helped a younger queer reader feel less alone; & more anthologies like these continue to be made.
The main thing this anthology has working against it is quantity over quality. Out of the 12 stories featured only 4 captured my attention enough to want to look up these other authors works. The rest felt rushed, too short, & underdeveloped. Despite this, I love that these are all stories written by queer authors/artists. If anything I hope these stories helped a younger queer reader feel less alone; & more anthologies like these continue to be made.
emeelee's review
3.0
The Other Side is a comic anthology of 19 queer paranormal romance stories. All in black and white, there's a rich diversity of art and story styles. Many of the characters are POC* and non-binary in some way, with many different queer relationships represented. (*With art, it can sometimes be difficult to tell exactly how a character might identify racially/ethnically. Unless it was specifically indicated in the text, I won't be attempting to assign race/ethnicity other than generic "POC" in my review.)
Naturally, I enjoyed some of the comics much more than others; such is the nature of the beast when in comes to anthologies. The biggest problem with some of the stories is that the comics were too short for proper plot or relationship development. However, some of the shortest pieces were totally wonderful-- it all comes down to proper pacing and knowing how to plan a short comic story, which unfortunately some of the artists seemed to lack. There also is an overabundance of ghost stories in the collection; I'd have liked to see a wider range of the "paranormal", which encompasses so much potential. (Plus, ghost stories by nature mean that someone is dead, which in this case is often a queer person.)
My favorites of the collection were:
♡Black Dog by Fyodor Pavlov
MLM. Native American (Abenaki).
In some stories, the Black Dog is an omen of death. For the hunter, the Black Dog becomes a companion.
Really loved the art style. This is an example of a short comic that makes good use of its limited space and doesn't feel too rushed or constrained.
♡En-bae & Boo by Sfé R. Monster
Non-binary, Asexual. POC.
A cryptozoologist and a ghost who met online have their first IRL date at the Canadian Abnormal News Network Convention.
Super cute, I really like Monster's artwork. The cryptozoologist character had "enby" and "ace" pride badges on their backpack, which was a really cute way to verify their identity on the page. There wasn't much of a plot, but having the relationship be pre-established helped the romance not feel rushed. Love the puns in the title.
♡Ouija Call Center by Mari Costa
WLW. POC (Black).
The ouija operator (who connects the calls between the living and the dead) ends up falling for one of the callers.
Such a creative idea, and the artwork was cute. I loved that the caller just wanted to tear their dead ex-boyfriend a new one, but ended up having a sweet conversation with the operator instead.
♡Shadow's Bae by Bitmap Prager & Melanie Gillman
Non-binary. POC.
Shadow isn't their society's idea of a good monster-- not scary at all. Shadow bonds with Tumeric, a human who also exists outside of the prescribed norms of their society. Together, they help each other face down their bullies and find happiness.
A little bit Monster's, Inc., this was an adorable tale about finding the places and people where you are free to be yourself, and standing up for the freedom of those you love.
♡Third Circle Pizza by Laurel Varian & Ezra Rose
Non-binary. POC.
Moss and Saul only ever see each other at Third Circle Pizza, where Saul always seems to be working. In fact, Saul's been working there for decades without seeming to have aged. Moss soon figures out that Saul is a slave, bound to work at the restaurant forever... or until someone finds a way to free him.
Great artwork, and a fun, imaginative story. Could have used some more backstory about Saul and his captors, but otherwise has good plot development.
♡Till Death by Gisele Jobateh
Non-binary. POC.
A pack of ghosts help their living loved ones fight against the gentrification of their neighborhood.
Very sweet tale, and I loved the moral at the end: "Just because you're not long for this world doesn't mean you should stop caring about those still in it."
♡Tierra Verde by Margaret Kirchner
WLW. POC, Latinx.
Winona is hired to deal with the lonely spirit who has been compelling townsfolk to drown in the river.
Lovely art, great creepy atmosphere. I liked that I couldn't tell where the plot was heading, it felt very original.
Honorable Mentions:
♡Dive by Natasha Donovan
WLW. Native American.
An old woman tells the story of the time fire was stolen from the village, and how she journeyed with an otherworldly being to steal the fire back.
I liked the art style, although the people's proportions were odd, and the flow of the speech bubbles was sometimes hard to follow. The story was a little bit sparse, but I really liked the ending.
♡EMMA-FZR 400RRSP by Mary Verhoeven
WLW.
When Frankie buys a bike to fix up, she doesn't expect the previous owner to be haunting it. Though hostile at first, Emma and Frankie soon bond over their shared love for the bike.
♡Pulpit Point by Amelia Onorato
MLM. POC.
The ghost of a drowned sailor haunts the new lighthouse keeper
♡Bare Bones by Britt Sabo
MLM. Possibly transgender?
A fixer-upper house seems to be rebelling against the owners attempts to fix it up, until a close brush with death helps them both re-examine their enmity.
♡Yes No Maybe by Kate Leth & Katie O'Neill
WLW. POC.
A tenant uses a Ouija board to contact the benevolent spirit who's been cleaning her apartment.
The Rest:
♡Halo by F. Lee & Rainy
MLM.
A reverend encounters the spirit of a man who committed suicide because of unrequited love.
♡Beneath My Breath Above My Gaze by Kou Chen
MLM? POC?
A man hikes a mountain throughout his life, partially due to a nature spirit that protected him from a hornet when he was a child.
♡Rabbit Stew by CB Webb
WLW.
An elderly women prepares a meal (with some invisible help) to celebrate her anniversary with her departed lover.
♡Fifty Years by Sarah Winifred Searle & Hannah Krieger
MLM. POC.
A vampire abducts a thief to interrogate him for gift ideas for his anniversary with his ghost lover.
♡Appliance by Kori Michele Handwerker
MLM. POC.
Indy tries to find out why Tony is haunting his new-used microwave.
♡Airspace by Aatmaja Pandya
WLW. POC.
Lark uses her telepathic abilities to teach Shirin to play guitar. Unfortunately, more than just guitar skills are revealed when the two share a headspace.
♡Threnody by Bishakh K. Som
WLW. Indian.
An old woman who feels lonely and out-of-touch with the modern world tries to find solace by devoting herself to worshipping the divine Mother. A younger worshipper seems determined to interrupt her peace, however.
Naturally, I enjoyed some of the comics much more than others; such is the nature of the beast when in comes to anthologies. The biggest problem with some of the stories is that the comics were too short for proper plot or relationship development. However, some of the shortest pieces were totally wonderful-- it all comes down to proper pacing and knowing how to plan a short comic story, which unfortunately some of the artists seemed to lack. There also is an overabundance of ghost stories in the collection; I'd have liked to see a wider range of the "paranormal", which encompasses so much potential. (Plus, ghost stories by nature mean that someone is dead, which in this case is often a queer person.)
My favorites of the collection were:
♡Black Dog by Fyodor Pavlov
MLM. Native American (Abenaki).
In some stories, the Black Dog is an omen of death. For the hunter, the Black Dog becomes a companion.
Really loved the art style. This is an example of a short comic that makes good use of its limited space and doesn't feel too rushed or constrained.
♡En-bae & Boo by Sfé R. Monster
Non-binary, Asexual. POC.
A cryptozoologist and a ghost who met online have their first IRL date at the Canadian Abnormal News Network Convention.
Super cute, I really like Monster's artwork. The cryptozoologist character had "enby" and "ace" pride badges on their backpack, which was a really cute way to verify their identity on the page. There wasn't much of a plot, but having the relationship be pre-established helped the romance not feel rushed. Love the puns in the title.
♡Ouija Call Center by Mari Costa
WLW. POC (Black).
The ouija operator (who connects the calls between the living and the dead) ends up falling for one of the callers.
Such a creative idea, and the artwork was cute. I loved that the caller just wanted to tear their dead ex-boyfriend a new one, but ended up having a sweet conversation with the operator instead.
♡Shadow's Bae by Bitmap Prager & Melanie Gillman
Non-binary. POC.
Shadow isn't their society's idea of a good monster-- not scary at all. Shadow bonds with Tumeric, a human who also exists outside of the prescribed norms of their society. Together, they help each other face down their bullies and find happiness.
A little bit Monster's, Inc., this was an adorable tale about finding the places and people where you are free to be yourself, and standing up for the freedom of those you love.
♡Third Circle Pizza by Laurel Varian & Ezra Rose
Non-binary. POC.
Moss and Saul only ever see each other at Third Circle Pizza, where Saul always seems to be working. In fact, Saul's been working there for decades without seeming to have aged. Moss soon figures out that Saul is a slave, bound to work at the restaurant forever... or until someone finds a way to free him.
Great artwork, and a fun, imaginative story. Could have used some more backstory about Saul and his captors, but otherwise has good plot development.
♡Till Death by Gisele Jobateh
Non-binary. POC.
A pack of ghosts help their living loved ones fight against the gentrification of their neighborhood.
Very sweet tale, and I loved the moral at the end: "Just because you're not long for this world doesn't mean you should stop caring about those still in it."
♡Tierra Verde by Margaret Kirchner
WLW. POC, Latinx.
Winona is hired to deal with the lonely spirit who has been compelling townsfolk to drown in the river.
Lovely art, great creepy atmosphere. I liked that I couldn't tell where the plot was heading, it felt very original.
Honorable Mentions:
♡Dive by Natasha Donovan
WLW. Native American.
An old woman tells the story of the time fire was stolen from the village, and how she journeyed with an otherworldly being to steal the fire back.
I liked the art style, although the people's proportions were odd, and the flow of the speech bubbles was sometimes hard to follow. The story was a little bit sparse, but I really liked the ending.
♡EMMA-FZR 400RRSP by Mary Verhoeven
WLW.
When Frankie buys a bike to fix up, she doesn't expect the previous owner to be haunting it. Though hostile at first, Emma and Frankie soon bond over their shared love for the bike.
♡Pulpit Point by Amelia Onorato
MLM. POC.
The ghost of a drowned sailor haunts the new lighthouse keeper
♡Bare Bones by Britt Sabo
MLM. Possibly transgender?
A fixer-upper house seems to be rebelling against the owners attempts to fix it up, until a close brush with death helps them both re-examine their enmity.
♡Yes No Maybe by Kate Leth & Katie O'Neill
WLW. POC.
A tenant uses a Ouija board to contact the benevolent spirit who's been cleaning her apartment.
The Rest:
♡Halo by F. Lee & Rainy
MLM.
A reverend encounters the spirit of a man who committed suicide because of unrequited love.
♡Beneath My Breath Above My Gaze by Kou Chen
MLM? POC?
A man hikes a mountain throughout his life, partially due to a nature spirit that protected him from a hornet when he was a child.
♡Rabbit Stew by CB Webb
WLW.
An elderly women prepares a meal (with some invisible help) to celebrate her anniversary with her departed lover.
♡Fifty Years by Sarah Winifred Searle & Hannah Krieger
MLM. POC.
A vampire abducts a thief to interrogate him for gift ideas for his anniversary with his ghost lover.
♡Appliance by Kori Michele Handwerker
MLM. POC.
Indy tries to find out why Tony is haunting his new-used microwave.
♡Airspace by Aatmaja Pandya
WLW. POC.
Lark uses her telepathic abilities to teach Shirin to play guitar. Unfortunately, more than just guitar skills are revealed when the two share a headspace.
♡Threnody by Bishakh K. Som
WLW. Indian.
An old woman who feels lonely and out-of-touch with the modern world tries to find solace by devoting herself to worshipping the divine Mother. A younger worshipper seems determined to interrupt her peace, however.
vaniavela's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Suicide