Graphic Novel Review - 'We Are Big Time' by Hena Khan (Writer), Safiya Zerrougui (Artist)

'We Are Big Time' - what a lovely, uplifting, exciting, colourful, fast-paced, and brilliantly balanced all-ages graphic novel about a Muslim school's all-girls basketball team in Wisconsin. It brims with fun and positivity. I was smiling throughout.

I'm not usually into sports graphic novels, but I really enjoyed 'We Are Big Time'. It's such a big, important win for diversity, representation and visibility. I learned a lot whilst I was having fun reading it.

Books like this need to exist for the rep, inspiration, and aspiration, and for education: to teach white people - predominantly Christians, and most vitally, right-wing fundamental Christian extremists, i.e. racists and Islamophobes - that, what do you, Muslims are just like everybody else. And of course they play sports. Of course there are famous Muslim and other Middle Eastern sports stars and athletes. One's faith should not mean they deserve to be dehumanised, and ignored and hidden. (And not all Muslims are POC and from the Middle East, either.)

Faith is supposed to be about peace, love and community, which 'We Are Big Time' brings out in vibes. It's an exhilarating, charming experience.

As well as Muslim communities - examples: showing prayer times and groups, and Aliya Javaid, the protagonist, is of Pakistani and Indian decent, and wears a hijab like the rest of her basketball team - there is Puerto Rican rep in the form of the team's awesome new coach, Jess Martinez. She learns as much from her Muslim girls team as they learn basketball skills from her. All the POC women and girls are awesome here!

Just... what a warm and hopeful sports comic.

Even better, it's inspired by true events!

It also has a new-girl-in-town theme to it. The new girl, Aliya, joins her new school's basketball team and helps to elevate them, and they end up kicking it! As long as she can find and retain her confidence, and balance her studies and get good grades, too.

The comic is big on family and friendship, to go with everything else.

'We Are Big Time' is big. It is hugely, wholeheartedly inspirational. Some scenes, like in the actual basketball games, are choppy, condensed and end abruptly, and it has a bit of a pacing problem, but those are the only real flaws I can find. On the whole it is a triumph.

I cannot gush enough how warm and sweet it is. It is a beacon of hope to the world.

Recommended to everyone.

It is also like 'Huda F Are You?', 'Pillow Talk', 'Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms', and the 'A Story of Hijab' trilogy.

Final Score: 4/5