Moonstruck. Vol. 1, Magic to brew /

*Starred Review* The world of Ellis and Beagle's Moonstruck is almost just like ours. People can be thoughtless, relationships are messy, and finding self-confidence takes a lot of work. Of course, there's one big difference­ mythical creatures are everywhere. Our main character, Julie, is a Latinx werewolf, who works at a café with her bff, Chet (a centaur). She's just started dating Selena, who's also a werewolf, but Julie's a bit less sure of herself than her confident girlfriend. When Chet's magical monster parts (i.e., their hind legs and butt) go missing at a magic show, the trio tries to track down the despicable magician responsible. Beagle's art, awash in dreamy pastels and moody lighting, perfectly complements the dialogue and plot, and clever, dynamic panel layouts give the pages lots of compelling visual interest. The refreshing variety of skin tones, gender presentations, and body shapes and sizes (monster and otherwise) emphasizes the overall message of body positivity and an atmosphere of inclusion. For instance, when Julie witnesses Chet's depression and shame after losing their defining feature, she realizes she doesn't need to look like a human girl to feel happy. After all, no one else in her community of mythical creatures is apologetic for who they really are. With jokes, magic, LGBTQ characters, and gorgeous artwork, this series starter has easy appeal for fans of fantasy romance.--Pino, Kristina Copyright 2018 Booklist

The scene is set: a coffee shop; Julie, a bookish barista who moonlights (get it?) as a werewolf; and the diverse friends and feelings that populate her days. The main dilemma begins as her gently genderqueer centaur coworker Chet is transformed into, horror of horrors, a human being without centaur hindquarters. A small-scale quest to restore Chet to wholeness and unmask the maleficent magician who cursed them is mingled with a budding romance, introvert issues, and selections from Julie's favorite mystery comic. Debuter Beagle's bubbly, pastel art is cotton-candy delightful, and the characters' breadth of species, size, sexuality, and otherworldly ability will pique readers' interest. However, the plotting is subtle to the point of being muddled. In every episode of this ongoing comic (this volume collects single issues 1-5), this reviewer puzzled over what was actually at stake for our heroes (confidence, identity, relationships? All or none of these?), floating psychics, Medusa-haired band leaders, and globular ghosts notwithstanding. Verdict Ellis (Lumberjanes) and Beagle, accompanied by artist Kate Leth, colorist Caitlin Quirk, and letterer Clayton Cowles, realize a sweet fantastical world with much to tell, but the stories are slow to build. This series holds promise for fans of fluffy yet woke comics, with a first volume light on plot but big on love and friendship.-Emilia Packard, Austin, TX © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.