10 Excellent Comics to Read for the Debut of American Born Chinese on Disney+
Posted on May 22, 2023
by Franco V
American Born Chinese, based on Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel of the same name, is debuting on Disney+ with an all-star cast featuring Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Daniel Wu. To celebrate the show and in conjunction with Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, let’s take a look at must read comics by and about Asian and Asian American authors and characters.
The Good Asian by Porsnak Pichetshote; art by Alexandre Tefenkgi; colors by Lee Loughridge; letters by Jeff Powell
The Good Asian follow’s detective Edison Hark as he investigates crime in 1936 Chinatown. This noir detective story stars the first generation of Americans to come of age under an immigration ban.
After reading this graphic novel, join the Library on Thursday November 2 at 7 p.m. as we welcome Pornsak Pichetshote for a special Toledo Comics Art Festival edition of our Online Comic Book Group, where we’ll be discussing The Good Asian with Pornsak himself!
The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
This beautifully illustrated and emotional story is an evocative memoir about the search for a better future and a longing for the past. Exploring the anguish of immigration and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family, Bui documents the story of her family’s daring escape after the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s, and the difficulties they faced building new lives for themselves.
Cook Korean!: A Comic Book with Recipes by Robin Ha
64 recipes presented in comic book format. It doesn’t get easier or more fun to cook than this.
Let’s Make Ramen!: A Comic Book Cookbook by Hugh Amano and Sarah Becan
OK, so I know in the title listed above I said it didn’t get more fun to cook than THAT comic book cookbook, and I may have lied. But in my defense, if there’s anything I’ve learned from Let’s Make Ramen! it’s that making ramen from scratch is intensive and beyond my cooking abilities. I’ll take food from my favorite ramen joint instead and just cook the occasional instant stuff at home.
New Super-Man by Gene Luen Yang
In this version of Super-Man, a young man in Shanghai obtains incredible powers and begins to form his own Justice League.
Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang; art by Gurihiru
This comic is based on the 1946 The Adventures of Superman radio show storyline “The Clan of the Fiery Cross” in which Superman…smashes the Klan. Both a coming of age story for Superman himself (you’ll notice that this book stays true to earlier renditions of the character, who took giant leaps across telephone wires instead of you know, flying) and a story of eliminating hate, this is not only one of my favorite Superman stories, but quite possibly my favorite superhero comics of all time.
Made in Korea by Jeremy Holt; illustrated by George Schall
If you’re worried about the ramifications ChatGPT and other AI will have on the world, this may or may not be the comic for you, which features the adoption of a Korean girl by an American family, with the added twist that the girl is an AI.
Palimpsest by Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom
A memoir about the author’s own adoption from Korea to Sweden, this comic explores the hidden stories of adoption and who owns those stories.
My Brother’s Husband by Gengoroh Tagame
This manga explores the family dynamics between a single dad, his daughter, and their brother-in-law/uncle who was previously married to the father’s estranged gay twin, tapping into the state of a largely still-closeted Japanese gay culture, how it has been impacted by the West, and methods for how we can all overcome prejudice.
Donut Feed the Squirrels by Mika Song
This is the first book in Mika Song’s Norma & Belly comic series for children. Norma and belly are hungry squirrels, and they can’t quite resist the temptation of some delicious donuts. Hijinks ensue.
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