Graphic Novel Review - 'Navigating With You' by Jeremy Whitley (Writer), Cassio Ribeiro (Artist), Nikki Foxrobot (Letterer), Micah Myers (Letterer)

Artemis Crescent's 1000th review.

For such a momentous, astronomical, moonstone milestone, and such a beautiful and fabulous feat, I've decided that 'Navigating With You' by Jeremy Whitley and Cassio Ribeiro would be perfect for this occasion.

Because it's a graphic novel that nearly has it all for me: it is about a blooming, well developed LBGTQ+ love between two POC girls; it's about finding and reading manga; it's diverse and geeky as all the constellations seen in the night sky; it deals with serious issues such as trauma, mental illness, disabilities, and abusive relationships; its art is fantastic and the settings are gorgeous - you really feel like you're there with the amazing girl duo; and mostly, it is about life and living it. It is not singularly slice-of-life, it's the whole cake. It is not coming-of-age as much as it is growing and healing into it.

It is about hope - hope for the little things that can turn into big, life changing things, and a hope that, despite everything, despite how unbelievably horrible things are right now, it will get better.

Reading 'Navigating With You' gave me a profound sense of love and hope in all the messiness - the messiness of being human in a crazy world, where anything can happen.

And all the goddesses know that we all need every scrap of hope we can find right now in this fucked up world of ours. When every sense of right and wrong, of good winning and evil being punished, of knowing what's moral and ethic, of what is basic common sense, that we have been taught and have believed in our whole lives - not to mention believing wholeheartedly that there is some good in everyone, that true evil can't possibly exist in humans, and that there exists some justice - have been systematically destroyed, and we are left feeling utterly confused, devastated and enraged beyond comprehension - when real life no longer makes sense - sometimes a fictional yet more realistic story like 'Navigating With You' can ground you and give you peace of mind and an almost quiet understanding. And the tools to, well, navigate it all, safely, securely and sanely.

When something as creative, diverse and hopeful as 'Navigating With You' can be allowed to be published as it is, it reminds you that no matter what happens, there are still good people in the world. People who have no problem imagining a better, brighter, happier world, for others to believe in, and therefore strive for.

No matter what. No matter how long it takes.

'Navigating With You' is about Neesha Sparks, a disabled Black girl activist and costume designer, who wears braces on her legs and is reluctant to use a wheelchair, and is originally from New York, and is new at a high school in Durham, North Carolina; as is Gabby Graciana, an Hispanic surfer girl from Florida, who immediately tries to befriend the stoic Neesha. Neesha is a lesbian, and Gabby is bisexual. Neesha has physical disabilities, and Gabby has internal, mental issues such as low self-esteem, depression and PTSD.

Anyway, Neesha finds out that Gabby has a geeky side, and loves a classic manga series, 'Super Navigator Nozomi', which she was a fan of too, but now her manga collection is lost. Gabby doesn't have the manga anymore either. Neither girl ever finished the series, which is out of print!

So it becomes their goal, their mission, their book club bond, their journey, to find all seven volumes of 'Super Navigator Nozomi' wherever they find them - like in a library sale, a church thrift store, a yard sale, a magic bus bookshop, anywhere in the North Carolina state. It begins as a competition to see who can find and read each volume first.

Along the way, the girls' romance develops, and it parallels how 'Super Navigator Nozomi' progresses as well in its development, in surprising twists and turns (that are not just about its spaceship racing premise).

It's messy, tragic, with plenty of ups and downs, yet beautiful, deliriously and deliciously funny, and full of emotional conflicts and struggles. It's a beautifully imperfect graphic novel.

It is about life, and navigating it in a healthy way. It's enough to make you tear up and sob by the end of the life-altering, life-affirming journey. Of two geek girls in love who have to face reality - to come out the other side feeling fulfilled and whole again, together and as individuals.

That's the gist of 'Navigating With You'.

(The plot kind of reminds me of a better version of 'How to Repair a Mechanical Heart' by J.C. Lillis.)

After all that, I feel I have to take a moment to gush about my favourite character, Gabby Graciana.

She reminds me of Irma Lair from 'W.I.T.C.H.' and a female Luffy from 'One Piece' (and seeing as the comic does reference 'One Piece' occasionally, I'm sure this was intentional). (Hey, and she's like Bedelia from Jeremy Whitley's 'Princeless' series. Hmm.) This girl who exudes energy, cheerfulness, optimism and perseverance like she came out of a manga herself, but is hurting dreadfully on the inside. She is not as "cute" as she first appears. Gabby can't escape her tragic past, and she is always pressured - by herself, her family, her teachers, and her colossal dick of a boyfriend - to do everything right. To be perfect, when she is struggling with burdens no one her age should. She hides it under a chipper, can-do attitude and naïve façade, but soon, when she is with Neesha, who will come to like her for who she is - to love every part of her - Gabby peels off her mask and starts to cry. A lot. The tears she's been holding inside her pour out to the surface, and it is a relief.

The courage to show one another's vulnerabilities is sign of love and acceptance and shared experiences. Gabby, rising above the rest of her, is a beach girl who loves surfing, and wearing the dresses - yard sale oldies and cosplay - Neesha makes for her.

Neither Gabby nor Neesha are each other's Manic Pixie Dream Girl. They are far too complex for that. And they both have close-knit, supportive families (though Neesha has a distant divorcé dad), who are 100% aware and involved in their lives.

They are one of the best queer couples I've seen in comics.

Both have been in bad relationships in the past, too. Neesha has had girls who didn't understand or accept her disability and the discriminations she faces, and who used it to take advantage of her for their own gains. To treat her like a prop. Gabby had a summer fling with a girl, and for over half the comic she's with a toxic monster of a boyfriend (who thankfully we only see through their phone calls and texts). He is every red flag in the book and out the book towards the stratosphere. He crosses so many lines there is a special place in hell reserved for him. Seriously, fuck that guy. Fuck him for his words, his ignorance, his closemindedness, his selfishness, his possessiveness, his nastiness, his black hole level thoughtlessness, everything. Fuck him for treating Gabby like he does; for hurting her. Fuck him for damaging her almost beyond repair. I'm glad we don't spend much time with that fucknut. He deserves nothing. Not even me remembering his name.

Well, to add a bit of lightheartedness now, 'Navigating With You' contains practically every geek/otaku's dream - not only manga, but cosplays, cons, figurines, weird novelty items, and pop culture easter eggs (there're 'Sailor Moon' and 'Borderlands' references). Alongside abusive relationships, it talks about consent, PTSD triggers and episodes, sexist school dress codes, colonialism and confederacy and slave owners, and which Muppet the girls think is kind of sexy. Wholesome stuff.

An additional note: Neesha's mum is the best.

PHEW! There you have it: my 1000th review, transcending over 1500 words.

It's such a relief and catharsis to read and then write about 'Navigating With You'. I need it and other books like it at this moment; the inexplicably darkest in human history. We will always need and deserve diverse books and other media.

My geek girl, manga-binging side also appreciates it.

In darkness, there is light and hope, as long as you remember that you are not alone. Together, we are strong. We are unbeatable in anything.

We will get through this. Death and violence can never win. Progress is forever moving forward, and is inevitable. It's for the sake of human survival, and survival always wins out in the end.

As does love.

Heck, I've been saying these things ad nauseum since I started writing book reviews, over ten years ago.

'Navigating With You' - it mirrors my complex, cluttered, chaotic, heartfelt and lovely 1000th book review. May it represent every facet of human progress, and the fight for equality, love and peace, even if it takes a 1000 more times to reach it in reality. To navigate it accordingly.

I'll write it again: it is all around beautiful imperfection.

To quote the anime 'Kino's Journey': "The world is not beautiful, therefore it is."

Final Score: 4/5