I loved the quick-paced storytelling and top-notch art style of The Avant-Guards Volume 1. It’s a multifaceted story, showcasing a diverse group of college students as they navigate the everyday life of college, romance, and extracurricular activities. The characters are easy to relate to, with a little bit of each personality type continually clashing in a fun way. Between the high-energy of the team leader and the reluctance of the newcomer, you see the growth of an unlikely friendship as it blooms into something more. At the root of it all is a love of basketball and the escape of dribbling down a court, focusing solely on the game. It’s a fun, quick read filled with characters you’ll be excited to know.

loved the art style and the diversity!! it’s told a in vignettes and i enjoyed seeing each issue being told by a different perspective. the characters’ friend dynamic was great as well. the story wasn’t too special but i did enjoy the characters quite a bit.

This was such a cute story, and I really loved the whole team and the diversity and how they came together and Olivia and Charlie are the actual cutest things ever!

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for supplying me with an eARC*

This was a really fun quick read filled with sports and all types of people. Queer romances. People with a variety of looks and interests. Highly enjoyable. Has minimal sports lingo, so is easily understandable.

I'm a huge comic nerd, and because I adored Carly Usdin's Heavy Vinyl I was incredibly excited to read this one. Sports? Queer girls? SIGN. ME UP. And this book delivered. The art is incredible, I loved the characters, and the storyline was so much fun to read. I can't wait to continue with this series.

I am not normally a sports book person but I loved this - the sports lingo was minimal and it focused more on the individuals! The mood was infectious and the was a lot of beautiful detail in the artwork. The pacing felt nice and I appreciated the way the interactions between characters played out. Super excited for volume two!

4 stars

This was such a cute book!

“The Avant-Guards Vol. 1” tells the story of Charlie, who transfers to the Georgia O’Keeffe College of Arts and Subtle Dramatics where a group of girls try to recruit her to their new basketball team. And while Charlie is reluctant to join them, especially Liv, the team captain, is hell bent on getting her on the team.

First of all, I loved how diverse the cast of this novel was - wether it be sexual orientation, gender identity, body type, or race. The characters were all completely different in their personalities, but made a great group of friends.
There’s the main character, Charlie, who has bad memories of her old college’s basketball team and who has to be convinced to join the “Avant-Guards“.
Then there’s the team captain Liv, who’s adorably quirky and cheerful without being overly annoying. And of course Ashley, Tiffany (who’s in a coven), the cynic Nicole, and Jay.

Another thing that I liked a lot was the art style. It was amazing - incredibly cute, and the color scheme with its soft colors was very pretty. There was a lot of focus on facial expressions and small details, which I really liked.

Keep in mind that this novel ends on a huge cliffhanger!

“The Avant-Guards” was a fun and lighthearted read with great lgbtq rep, perfect for people who love stories about friendship and sports with just the tiniest hint of romance. I’ll definitely pick up Vol. 2!

- I received a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. -

Disclaimer: I was given an advance reading copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to BOOM! Studios for the opportunity.

Three words to describe this graphic novel? Fun, cute and quirky!

I love how The Avant-Guards was set in a school setting with an up-and-coming basketball club. I was so happy to see queer representation, and the story was not just cute at all. From the moment I started reading, I couldn't put it down!

I'm lying if I'll say that I won't follow this graphic novel, because I really want to dive into the future volumes. I'm not a huge fan of graphic novels, but The Avant-Guards made me want to fall in love with it a little bit more.

Such a fast and perfect read for Pride!

I cannot scream loud enough about this graphic novel. I'm so. It's so. AHHHHH.

The Avant-Guards was absolutely stunning. A diverse cast, with POC, diverse bodies, diverse sexual/romantic orientations and gender identities.
This graphic novel centers on Charlie, a transfer student at Georgia O’Keefe College of Arts and Subtle Dramatics. Lacking friends, she ends up falling for a misfit basketball team with a mixed group of friends. It was wholesome, lovely, and I need the second volume immediately.

I don’t think I will be able to scream loud enough about how much I love this? It’s so good and wholesome and very funny.

Charlie is a new transfer student at the very small Georgia O’Keefe College of Arts and Subtle Dramatics and doesn’t have any friends yet. She sits alone at lunch and her roommate is definitely not much help when it comes to curing her loneliness.

To start off: The artwork is amazing. The characters are unique and there is so much diversity between them. They had different body styles, personalities, and sexualities. Most of the characters are PoC, Jay is nonbinary, and Nicole is trans. Not to mention the fact that Tiffany is a Black witch! The backgrounds were just as well-done as everything else and, in one case near the end of the volume, very amusing. And the expressions! The practice montage! I couldn’t stop smiling until I was done reading.

I’m not only going to squeal about the artwork, but also about the writing. I loved Liv’s internal monologue and the dynamic between Charlie and Liv. I live for awkward flirting. Liv is just amazing and, at least to me, so relatable. She works so hard and is one of THOSE students. You know the one. The one that is excited to do her homework and loves micromanaging. Bless her. She’s so good and pure.

There’s a large focus on the team and friendship which I really enjoyed. Even if the team was so different, they work very well together when it came to recruiting Charlie or their first official match. They’re obviously supportive of each other and I believe that Usdin handled Charlie’s panic attack very well.

I can’t wait to read more and will definitely be checking out a few of Usdin’s other works.

Disclaimer: I have voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy from NetGalley, thank you!

I wasn’t at first interested in The Avant-Guards as I am more into fantasy than contemporary most of the time but this graphic novel bought me with a promise of a diverse cast of characters and a lesbian romance. And it was absolutely worth it.

Charlie is a transfer student in the Georgia O’Keeffe College of Arts and Subtle Dramatic (I actually copied the name from the synopsis because I wasn’t able to remember it). She struggles to find herself between new people, a wide choice of clubs and activities she’s not really interested in and on the campus overall. That is until she’s noticed by a yet-to-be basketball club that needs one more member to become a thing and the very enthusiastic team captain Liv and her band of misfits decide Charlie should be that member.

At first, Charlie is absolutely not amused by the efforts to get her on the team. She had bad experiences with basketball teams in the past and isn’t keen on going back to that life. Slowly, however, Liv’s charm and the work the other members put into convincing her starts paying off and Charlie opens up to her new friends and accepts the place in the club.

The plot of this graphic novel is pulled straight out from a sports anime and I absolutely love that about it. We have an enthusiastic character who is very energetic and passionate about the sport they’re playing, their “partner” who kind of don’t want to join the team at first and is a little grumpy and a band of lovable characters surrounding them. It’s casual and heartwarming and the end left me screaming for more because you just can’t dump all their hopes and dreams into the trash after everything seemed to go so well.

The characters are diverse and each one of them has their own personality and charm. Charlie is a quiet and a bit grumpy lesbian who isn’t sure about her place in the new school. Her bad experiences with basketball prevent her to accept the team’s invitation at first but as she learns more about them she decides to give her a chance. Despite that, her anxiety about games doesn’t go away just like that and she needs support from her friends to overcome those fears. Liv is a black lesbian who’s very passionate about basketball and goes out of her way to make the college team a thing but as it’s an arts college her initiative isn’t really popular. She’s very resourceful and basically organized a whole college basketball league on her own just to make her dream about playing come true. She’s also getting over a break up with another member of the team who seems to think they’d split up on good terms but Liv still seems hurt about it. She’s torn between feelings for the other girl and her growing attraction to Charlie who seems to also be interested in her. Their developing romance is really sweet and full of understanding and makes me so happy for them.

Besides that, there is a trans and bisexual character, a character using they/them pronouns and the team members come in all shapes and sizes, each one of them really amazing and with their own style and personality. Their personalities show especially well when they try to recruit Charlie, each one of them doing something they consider the best way of getting someone on their side. They’re an amazing cast of characters and I would love to see more of them in the next volumes.

The art style is lovely. Everything is in soft, pleasant colors, each character is drawn in a way that makes them diverse and incomparable to the others. The scenes when they play basketball are dynamic and clear. It’s just a graphic novel that’s really pleasant to look at.

Overall, The Avant-Guards is a great graphic novel about friendship and following your dreams. It has a diverse cast of characters and a cute lesbian romance. I’d recommend it for people looking for a pleasant, heartwarming read and also those who love sports anime. I will do my best to get my hands on another volume.

I LOVED this one! Oh my goodness, I want more volumes now! This was a super fun and inclusive graphic novel about females playing college basketball. It's a simple premise, and there's a love story that's quickly involved, but it's all sweet. I really enjoyed the characters, how they're all queer and how their personalities and ethnicities were all mixed. The friendship group reminded me a lot about my own friendship group from uni and how we were always together and sticking by each other's side. Although Charlie's character is a bit sullen at first, I love seeing glimpses of her happy side but also about her past--it seems like something big and bad happened to her that badly affected her trust, and I really can't wait to find out what her reason was for moving schools (I don't believe it's only because of no longer playing basketball?)! Liv's character, while mildly annoying, was also sweet and I loved seeing her vulnerable sides. She's such an exuberant, high energy character that seems confident 100% of the time but it's nice to read from her perspective as well.

I really enjoyed the artwork. The work gave me old(ish) school Archie Comic vibes, also with the text/speech bubbles. I loved the colors that are used in the comic, it lends the story an even happier vibe. I liked that there were some moments with a lot of text, but not too often, and that the text wasn't so squished into speech bubbles that they were illegible. Also, did I mention how much I love the name of the comic and the basketball team? Super cool!

There were four issues in this volume but I just want more now. I can't wait for people to read this one because it is funny, quirky and a little bit romantic! Thanks to NetGalley and BOOM! Studios for the free copy in exchange for an honest review. My review will be posted on my blog closer to pub date.

This was a super fun and cute novel to read! I love the dynamics between the Avant Guards and it was fun to see them try to coax Charlie into joining their team.

The art style was also great and I love the panels, especially the one that looked like a basketball. The queer rep was also great! I would definitely love to see more!

The cuteness! There are only four issues in this volume, but I'm so invested already. Give me more of these characters, please!

We follow the creation of a new women's basketball club, and all the team members are so interesting! There are a few that haven't been properly introduced yet (I expect this to happen in the next issues) but the ones we know are so charming and lovely! Charlie and Liv are adorable together, and I can't wait to know what's going to happen with them.

If you're into comics of girls being awesome, teamwork and sports... 100% recommended. Also, it features puppies, which is always a plus!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me an eArc in exchange for an honest review!

Honestly, this book was a bundle of cuteness! There's a mixture of characters that all have a unique personality that you can't help but love. Although this is only the first volume in a hopefully extensive graphic novel series, I connected with both our main character, Charlie, and the team captain+possible love interest, Liv. I especially related to Charlie but she moved colleges due to various reasons such as mental health and change of career paths, something that I am dealing with today. The art was stunning and quirky which isn't all surprising since it's done by the ever so talented artist Noah Hayes, who also drew my favorite graphic novel series, Goldie Vance. Most of the teammates on the college basketball team are of colored AND queer and I am so glad we are adding more intersectionality in graphic novels. There's also a non-binary character as well. Anxiety is also depicted well in the story. There's not a whole lot to say since it's a first in a series but if you love a sporty story (without a whole lot of sporty action), I definitely recommend this series!

Appealing directly to the teenage crowd, this is a little bit advanced emotionally for my target age range (3rd through 6th grade) although nothing is inherently problematic. There is nothing gratuitous or explicit and the characters are all super sweet and supportive of each other.

The friendships are great, and the excitement with which our main character (Liv) approaches life and love is endearing.

Totally worth it for teens in the mood for a sports themed romance featuring lesbian girls and their diverse friendship circle.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

THIS GRAPHIC NOVEL IS SO CUTE!!!

Sorry for all the screaming, but!! The Avant-Guards really got me squealing and grinning with all the fluff!!! The story begins with Charlie Bravo, a former basketball star and transfer student at Georgia O’Keeffe College for Arts and Subtle Dramatics, as she tries to find her place in this new environment. During the student activities fair, she meets the Avant-Guards—the barely-formed basketball team lead by the charming Olivia “Liv” Bates—and is invited to join the team. Troubled by her experience with her former team, Charlie hesitates to accept the offer. However, Liv believes Charlie is the missing piece to complete the team—quite literally, they need one more member to be allowed to compete—and with the help of the rest of the members, successfully convinces her to join.

I had so much fun reading about these lovely characters and their shenanigans! They’re so relatable and hilarious. The story focuses on the friendship between the Avant-Guards and a budding romance between Charlie and Olivia, and it’s super sweet! I kept smiling from ear to ear the whole time! What I like best about the graphic novel is its casual diversity. As you can see on the cover, the main cast features mostly people of color. Among the main characters, there are sapphic, trans, and gender non-conforming characters. Their identity is a part of themselves, but it’s not the focus of their characterization and is introduced naturally throughout the story.

In addition to Carly Usdin’s captivating story, the art is absolutely stunning. Noah Hayes’ art style is the perfect choice for this comic. It’s clean and cartoonish, and it adds so much life and character to the story. Rebecca Nalty’s coloring is gorgeous as well. The vibrant colors give the comic such a fun and energetic vibe.

Overall, The Avant-Guards is a very solid graphic novel about queer college students living their messy college lives. I would definitely recommend it to everyone. If you're looking for a quick, fun and very gay read, make sure to check this one out!

This is EVERYTHING. Everything I tell you.

I need the entire series.

Hilarious, relatable, relevant, sweet.. tons of fun.

Love the diverse cast of characters .. love the jokes, the texting features, the internal monologues.. this is so perfectly done I honestly don’t have the words right now. It’s basketball! It’s art school! It’s super queer and fluid! It’s fun/funny n’ cute. Sigh.

Also the MC is totally my mom. Spunky black girl with her own business card and rows of to do lists I stinkin love Olivia.

I am buying this ASAP and everyone else should too!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ugh, its so good. Just too short and I need the next one!! BRAVO to the team who worked on these!! (You’ll get my pun if you read these).

A fun graphic novel about queer team of basketball players (massive plus for BAME and LGBTQA+ representation) ! I enjoyed it although obviously it was really short (volume 1 only) - but I will definitely want to read volume 2, just to find out what happens. The main character Charlie has just transferred to an art college, after promising never to play basketball again. But the captain of The Avnt-Guards is very persistent! I enjoy the banter and dialogue. I admit I am not the biggest fan of this style of artwork, but this is just a personal preference.

The Avant-Guards is such a cute, fluffy graphic novel that follows Charlie who has just transferred to a new college. Charlie struggles at first but finds her feet with the colleges basketball team.

I found the romance between Charlie and Liv to be super cute and fluffy. Not only was the romance and friendship great but the illustrations were absolutely stunning!

It was a super quick read but one that I know I’ll find myself picking up time and time again when I want something quick and cute. I am so excited to read the rest of the series as I think it will be a great one to follow!