I'm really not that into sports stories. They usually feel so derivative; the over-zealous competitors, the drama to be the very best, the struggles that make the games look cheap. This however has none of that. There's still a basketball team, but the focus is purely on the characters and their interactions. Charlie wants to find out who she is as a person but is still struggling with her anxieties. Liv meanwhile is energetic and wants to find where she fits in. She doesn't let her achievements go to her head and she's still anxious about what she really wants to do. Liv's struggling with her own expectations though. It's through her that the series gets its focus on. The rest of the cast however is something that people feel like they can genuinely have a good time with. The humor is light, and even when they're in the background, they make the world come to life. If anything, this series and its creator are going places.

Review to come tomorrow on blog/goodreads.

I received this graphic novel from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

Meet Charlene, or Charlie Bravo. A transfer student to this college she is in for a heap of trouble and fun as she walks around for clubs and meets the Avant-Guards, a wannabe basketball team that just needs one more player (where have we seen this setting before, ah yes, so many places :P). They want Charlie. I was wondering why because Charlie didn't seem like the girl to do basketball, but it turns out she was actually in varsity (which makes me wonder what happened).

I have to say I wasn't always a fan of Olivia, having her POV at times did help, but otherwise I am not too big of a fan of pushy characters. I get that you need a team member to complete your team, but pushing, hedging and whining and even getting other peeps to help out just went WAY too far for me. If I was Charlie I would have said a big fat no to Olivia and just turned away. Olivia needs to chill out. She is also way over the top with everything, it is like she can't do anything normally without exaggerating the fuck out of it. Again, not a character trait that makes me happy.
And sure, she had her cute moments, and I loved seeing her swoon (at least that is how I saw it) over Charlie. :P

I quite like Charlie, I love how tough she is, and how she kicks some big ass with basketball. And we do eventually find out more about what happened to her and why she isn't doing more basketball.

We see how the team gets started and we see how just after one training they have a match? Whut? Why so soon? It seems very weird to me. But oh well, whatever floats their boat I guess. I would rather have done some more practices and then maybe ease into playing matches. Some of these peeps haven't played ever or for a long time. So yeah, the match? Exciting as it was, it was so unbelievable I was laughing my ass off. I am sorry, a team, just created and totally with almost zero experience except for a couple of the group does all that? HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. *coughs*Sorry. That really made no sense to me. And I am deducing some points for that. Sorry, if you want me to root for a team at least make it all believable. I get that this is fiction, but come on this is just ridiculous.

The romance (blossoming for a big part of the book) between Charlie and Olivia was just adorable. I loved seeing it happen in both of their POVs, especially Olivia's made me smile. I was definitely rooting for these two gals to get together and start dating.

Though I was laughing hard when these two were getting cosy while behind them the coven was lighten crap on fire. :P

OK, my wrist and hand would like some kisses, because dang this ecopy wasn't working right. I had to scroll like mad to even get anywhere and with 116 pages + having to zoom in 2x as to be able to read it, my hand and wrist are now dead. x.x

The art was fabulous, I so so so so love the style of it. It is cute, funny, colourful and fits so well with the story and the characters. I also loved that we got some extra artwork at the ending of the volume.

All in all, with the exception of the unbelievable match and the way over the top Olivia, this was cute and fun. I definitely want more of it and I can't wait for the next volume to come out.

I knew I would love this book, based on my love of Usdin's previous comic, Heavy Vinyl. But I ended up loving it even more than I anticipated. The characters have strong, distinct personalities and it was fun to watch Charlie get to know each of her teammates. I also loved the humor this book is infused with, especially when it comes to the college and team names. I eagerly anticipate the next book!

This was SO MUCH FUN! I absolutely loved the characters and I cannot wait to read more of their story. My only complaint is that I wish this had been longer! Not a ton happened in this first bind up and I NEED MOOOOOORE

I cannot open the file, therefore I cannot review the content of this graphic novel. I was looking forward to reading this, but have tried several times and cannot get it to open. Looks like a cute story, so maybe I'll purchase it when it comes out.

I’ve been slowly trying to branch out into other types of books and I am so glad I gave The Avant-Guards a chance. I absolutely loved everything about this graphic novel. I played basketball when I was in high school and had such close relationships with the girls on my team, so I really enjoyed watching Charlie find her place on the team. While the team is small (and not the best), I loved the representation and diversity seen within the players. Plus, the art is so colorful, vibrant, and fun! I can’t wait to see what happens next in Volume 2.

This was a really great way to start a series! I loved the introduction we were given to all the characters, I loved the diversity we were given, and I loved the blossoming dynamic between Olivia and Charlie. I think Olivia is such a sweet and relatable character and anyone who is bossy, over-bearing, micro-manages and refers to kisses as "smooches" is close to my heart. This was such a cute and quirky beginning and I can already tell it will be such a fun ride.

I have been trying to beef up my sports related book knowledge for reader’s advisory, (it’s not my favorite subject, personally) and The Avant-Guards is a graphic novel that I not only think YA basketball fans will enjoy, but one that I also really liked.

The art was colorful and fun – I was drawn to this ARC initially on the cover art – and definitely enhanced the interactions and emotions expressed between the characters. I would say that this is definitely a character-driven set of stories. Charlie walks right into a group of lovably quirky friends on her first day at a new college, and even though they can be eccentric and pushy, I loved all of them by the end of the volume.

This is a great suggestion for readers interested in diverse reads.

This is definitely one I will be buying for my school library.

While it appeals less to my own personal tastes I know it will be a big hit with teenagers.

There is great representation of different cultures, races, sexualities and personalities that will appeal to young people.

The illustrations are clean, colourful and engaging. I would have liked deeper character development and maybe a bit more attention to Charlie's backstory and her anxiety. However, this may come in future volumes of this series.

Thanks to Boom! Box and Netgalley for this advanced copy.

I’ve been hovering between ‘will I or won’t I?’ since I first saw this graphic novel listed on NetGalley. I loved the blurb but sports and I don’t mix so well, unless movie marathons or TV series hurdles somehow became Olympic events while I was busy binge watching.

I saw some early reviews of this Volume that told me I didn’t have to adore basketball to fall in love with this story so I finally decided to give it a go and, great news! Those reviewers were right! You don’t need to know anything about basketball to appreciate this graphic novel.

Charlie has recently transferred to Georgia O’Keeffe College of Arts and Subtle Dramatics and is not interested in playing basketball, not even after meeting the rest of the potential team: Liv, Ashley, Tiffany, Nicole, and Jay. Liv is persistent though. She and the rest of the Avant-Guards wear Charlie down and she finally agrees to join the team, just in time for their first game.

This story has great diversity, with POC, LGBTQIAP+ and mental health all represented, which I appreciated. Although basketball brings the characters together, the focus is on friendship and having fun.

I loved Noah Hayes’ illustrations. They brought the personalities of each of the characters to life and drew me into the story. I don’t usually mention the colours used in graphic novels separately but I wanted to acknowledge Rebecca Nalty, who coloured this graphic novel, as it was the colours on this cover that initially caught my eye and made me want to read the blurb.

I really like the entire team and want to get to know them all better. While it was Liv’s enthusiasm that hooked me initially, the positivity, diversity and snippets of banter between the friends were what made me want to join their team. I’ll definitely be continuing to read this series. I’m even looking forward to the potential romance, despite being a fairly staunch romantiphobe.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and BOOM! Box, an imprint of BOOM! Studios, for the opportunity to read this graphic novel. I’m rounding up from 4.5 stars.

*Received via NetGalley for review*

A serviceable graphic novel about a transfer student rediscovering her love of basketball and making friends. I had a slight issue with the characters looking too young for college, but they're well drawn and colored.

I got to read a digital advanced copy of Avant-Guards Vol. 1 through NetGalley, and it is exactly the light-hearted summer read I was looking for!

Avant-Guards Vol. 1 is the start of a hilarious comic series, following the highs and lows of a art school’s brand-new basketball team! The characters struggle to amass enough players to begin their team, and if they can’t recruit Charlie (The schools newest loner) then they won’t be able to join the league. Charlie has her own reasons not for joining, however fun and interesting her prospective teammates seem.

Carly Usdin created a really compelling story about a group of diverse and personable teens in Avant-Guards. Her art is stunning, and shows the characters emotion so clearly. I cannot wait to read future issues of Avant-Guards!

Avant-Guards Vol. 1 will be released on September 3rd from Boom studios!

My Recommendation-
I would recommend this book for fans of Lumberjanes, The Backstagers, and for people who enjoy reading Webcomics. It’s a quick read, and perfect for people who don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to a huge novel

This was a nice comic about a newly formed and diverse basketball team with a cute developing f/f romance. I really like the art and it made the story easy and relaxing to follow. There's also not a lot of basketball talk and the focus is more on the characters and friendships, at least so far, which I personally really liked (confession: I kind of...don't like basketball lmao).

If I have the chance I'm going to check out the next volume whenever it comes out and if you like light-hearted queer comics that display a variety of genders, races and sexualities (and if you like sport comics) this is definitely something you need to check out!

Great diversity of characters in this graphic novel. Super cute and fun.

Thank you NetGalley and Boom! Box for the Arc

I REALLY REALLY REALLY LOVE THIS GRAPHIC NOVEL!

Omg! The representation is so on point. For example there are POC, different sexualities are represented, there’s a character who’s non binary and so much more.

I loved this graphic for so many reasons, it was so adorably cute. I enjoyed seeing them work together as a team and even when they were playing against another team, there was no girl on girl hate or any issue as such.

I cannot wait till I get to read the second volume of this cause after that stupid plot twist at the end that’s made me so restlesss.

Highly recommend to everyone who enjoys reading quick and extremely pretty graphic novels :)

I received an early copy through Netgalley. But that doesn’t effect my opinions or thoughts about me book as all thoughts are my own

Once again, Boom! Box studios bringing us the best graphic novels!
Everything about this is perfect. The art is perfect, it's just so much fun to read and look at. The story is really enjoyable, I'm looking so forward to finding out what happens in the next book. The characters are diverse and real, real people with real differences.
If you like Lumberjanes, Giant Days, those sorts of graphic novels, then you will love Avant-Guards.

Thank you to Netgalley and BOOM! Box who gave me an ARC in return for an honest review.

This is a really fun graphic novel perfect for those who love the genre I like to call "Gay Sports" which has really become popular later and includes books like the All For The Series, Check Please and animes such as Haikyuu (I know not technically gay but you do get a lot of gay subtext there!)

I really love how diverse the cast of this comic is both. With people of different races, sexualities and even someone who uses they/them pronouns.

This looks like it can grow to be a very funny light read however I do feel like the plot has been rushed at some points and also that we don't know very much about the characters and I hope this is something the author will delve into in later updates!

I thought this was a super cute story; girls with dreams of sports in an artsy school, and LGBTQ+ themes.

3.5 stars⭐


This book is about:

Charlie who transfers to a new college and is convinced to join the school's (terrible) basketball team by the team captain Liv and the rest of her crew. Thorough it, she makes new friends and although she's decided to leave hardcore competition behind her back, Charlie realises that maybe going back to her passion is just what she needs.


Pros:

There is such a diverse cast of characters: there are individuals of different races, sexualities and a character who uses they/them pronouns.

I particularly liked Olivia/Liv: she is funny and made me laugh a few times and I love how determined she is to convince Charlie to join her team.

The artwork is also really pretty and reminded me of an old cartoon I used to watch when I was little.


Cons:

I would like to have had more background information on all of the characters, especially Charlie, because I feel that there is a lot we aren't told regarding her past experiences at her previous college.

In addition, I believe that the storyline is really just starting, although that is probably due to the fact that it is a very short graphic novel and the first volume in a series.


Final thoughts:

Overall, I really enjoyed my time reading The Avant-Guards, Vol. 1 and, in my opinion, it has lots of potential so I can't wait to see what the authors do in the next volumes!

Reviewing graphic novels/comics (especially just one volume) is harder for me, because there's less to go off, but I do know that I really loved this! It basically follows our main character Charlie who's just transferred to an artsy school and gets whisked up into this squad trying to form the first basketball team, The Avant-Guards.
It's full of diversity, which made me so happy--of the main characters, only one is white/looks white-passing. There are also a lot of queer characters: two trans characters from my memory (one uses a binder), one character who uses they/them pronouns, and several girls who like girls. A minor character also wears a hijab, and there are a variety of body types involved.
The art style was so beautiful and clean, and I loved when they'd have a cool patterned background with snippets of characters on top, almost like a scrapbook. The coloring (of scenes and general backgrounds) was so bright and pretty without being too much.
The storyline itself was fun, not mind-blowing but still very solid and enjoyable. And that ending, aah, I wasn't ready for a cliffhanger! So excited to read more.