Bim Eriksson’s dystopia feels uncomfortably close to reality, set in a Stockholm-like city where the Public Health Authority works to eliminate negative emotions—but without addressing the root causes. In this society, the ideal citizen is healthy, strong, and emotionally numb. Betty, however, doesn’t fit in. She hides in the bathroom at Espresso Mouse during breaks, sneaking smokes and googling “How to be happy?” Eventually, her "norm-breaking behavior" lands her in a clinic, where she meets Berina, a mysterious figure in a rabbit mask who knows more than she lets on.

The story draws clear inspiration from Karin Boye’s Kallocain, with echoes of totalitarian surveillance and a chilling focus on public health that recalls early 20th-century eugenics rhetoric. The narrative also explores how concepts of "deviance" are shaped by gender, class, and cultural norms.

As a satire on mental health discourse with a feminist angle, it’s hard not to root for the resistance. But reading it as an allegory for recent pandemic-related restrictions and mass vaccinations adds an unsettling layer. The repeated public announcements urging citizens to "smile" and "cooperate" are particularly eerie.

The book shines most in its intimate moments—like Berina’s awkward attempts at trust-building and the raw depiction of a panic attack—contrasting with some of the more dramatic plot points. While I wasn’t initially drawn to the art style, especially the hollow-eyed characters, I grew to appreciate it, with Berina’s rabbit mask standing out as a favorite visual element.

Some details, like the apparent ease of moving around the city masked, stretched believability. Still, the open-ended conclusion leaves room for a sequel, and despite a few reservations, I’d be curious to see where Eriksson takes the story next.

An interesting story for sure, a not-so-distant possible future. The art is very stylized, and so it felt like it took away from some of the more important moments in this, but that is just my personal preference.

4⭐
In a fascistic society in the not-so-near future, where mental health is grossly policied, lives 20 something year old Betty.

Enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Loved the characters, something about the art work scratches my brain, and with how it ended, I can't wait to get in to the next one!

Thank you NetGalley and Fantagraphics Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book as an ARC! I greatly appreciate it!

While it took me a while to warm up to the weird, grotesque art style of this graphic novel, I came to really love the story and the characters! Betty/Baby is super relatable, and it's feeling more and more like we're approaching a world like hers. It's upsetting that it's so similar to the real world, but it's also inspiring to see Berina and the gals fighting back! This story felt like a prelude, though it's not marked as a volume one, and I'm wondering if there's gonna be a sequel. I'd love to read more about this world!

Five stars out of five for Baby Blue!

I received an eARC copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I fear this is a must read graphic novel for the current social climate. I can't express how captivated I was with Baby Betty's story and the dystopian society she lived in. It was so interesting to see because while it felt different to other dystopian novels I have read from in the past, this also felt so familiar - a little bit like 1984, a little bit like our current reality. It's looking at a world where we are watched continuously by the powers that be who want to ensure we are "happy","stable" and therefore "okay" with the leaders in charge. Baby is relatable because she wants to belong to something, but struggling mentally with societal pressures (be it a physical manifestation of "peacekeepers" or within her own head) weighing down on her. I was a little put off by the art style; it is at once both creepy and uncanny and while I get that this is the style needed for the story, I was just a lil uncomfortable while reading lol. Regardless, I think it's important for readers to see a small, queer resistance movement within a fascist regime and I highly recommend it!

thanks to NetGalley and also Fantagraphics Books for granting my wish with this one!

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i didn't know what this was about, i saw that it was a graphic novel and it was queer and i clicked WISH PLEASE.

first of all, i loved the art in this. you're not getting your standard graphic novel fare of cartoonish characters, the way that people were drawn was really cool and really eerie, i thought the art lended itself so well to the plot.

so betty lives in a world not unlike 1984. there's officers on every street, hunting down people who might be displaying any emotion that isn't blank acceptance and affability despite the fact that there's still poverty in spite of the circuitous grind of meaningless labor. capitalism is in full swing and people have lost their rights to complain about it. betty expresses emotion when she sees her friend jump in front of a moving train. she's taken to a facility and pumped full of iv drugs. there, she meets berina, who the drugs don't seem to be working on.

betty ultimately goes down a rabbit hole with berina, secreting away to places where laws are ignored, queerness is rampant and joyful, and people are bright and expressive and full of emotion and life.

kind of a harrowing read considering the state of the world currently and various acts by politicians to exhibit the kind of control that stamps out the uniqueness and beauty in us all, but i loved reading a work that was so joyfully full of resistance. a great, quick read.

Culture purge, peacekeepers, propaganda. This dystopian graphic novel revolves around a futuristic Swedish society and Betty Pott just lives in it. Betty has always been anxious that she’s different. She doesn’t socialize, she shows uncontrolled emotions in public, and she constantly questions whether she is behaving and saying the right thing. For if there is any deviation than the norm of this society, then you are summoned to the Department of Psychiatry and Public Health. Read on as her life unfolds. It is worth the read.

#ThxNetGalley #BimEriksson #BabyBlue

Baby Blue's back cover summary says it takes place in the not so distant future & given the news thats just come out about the recently confirmed US Secretary of the Department of Health & Human Services wanting to ban psychiatric medication & put people in "wellness camps," this plot lands very close to home.

Betty/Baby is such a relatable character. Her struggle to figure herself out & find her place in the world feels like something any one of us can see ourselves in.

The resounding undercurrent of resistance is heartening. It's so good to be reminded that there are people who will stand up against fascism at any cost. And sometimes that cost is incredibly high.

What happens when the state dictates behavior to the point that sadness becomes a criminal offense? This was a great piece that allowed the reader to see an extrapolation of events already in motion.

Pick up Baby Blue on March 11, 2025.

Thanks to Fantagraphics Books for this ARC.

The plot to this dystopian graphic novel was really intriguing. I had a lot of fun reading it, loved the queer focus, and it seemed like it left the story open for sequels. I'd be interested in reading more.

The only aspects I wasn't a big fan of was the art style wasn't my personal taste, and I'd like to see a bit more nuance when it came to the discussion of mental health/mental illnesses. Right now it feels very much like the stance is no one actually needs their mental illnesses treated and medication is bad, which may not actually be what it's trying to say. There's definitely a lot to be said in terms of over-medication and expectations to behave exactly the same as everyone else or you're categorized as dysfunctional, and I respect the work for wanting to address that. I just don't think in what I hope was only the first volume that it did so in a way which gave acknowledgment to the spectrum of experiences and needs of people who may in fact require treatments of some kind to function as their truest self.

It was a really interesting commentary on fascism. There was a scene where the prime minister is giving an interview and I think it was very well done to show the way political narratives are often spun to the public in order to sow discord. The pacing was also well done, I felt like I followed the world building easily, but revelations were spaced out in a way which kept me ready for more the entire time.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced reader's copy of this book.

This book is a perfect read for the world we live in right now. Betty, later Baby, is sent for treatment after she is seen crying in public. Betty lives in a world where you can't be different, you can't show emotions other than the good ones, and anyone different is either treated or disappears. But in such societies there is always those that will rebel, and this tells their story. I did not like the artwork, but I did feel that it was right for the story.

Bim Eriksson creates a gang of animal-masked women working together to oppose the tyrannical world they live in. When Baby stumbles into this world after an involuntary hospital visit, she is suddenly part of a resistance movement fighting for freedom, personal choice, and autonomy. While the storyline's themes are presented heavy handed at times, the fast-paced action propel the reader forward with a rush of emotions. Those veterans of "social resistance/rebellion" fiction might find Baby Blue lacks some originality, but newcomers/young adult readers will find an invigorating take on justice and direct action that echoes many lived experiences.

The style of the graphic novel is strange and wonderful. The whole thing is done in a muted dark navy. Characters are identifiable by their hairstyles, signature animal mask, or outfit details. Shoulders and torsos are prominent while faces are small and square. The background details are sparse and only accentuated when relevant to the plot.

So many warnings as this books covers a broad range of sensitive but super important ideas- suicide, gun violence, police brutality, forced hospitalization, kidnapping, surveillance, drug use.

[English is not my first language, sorry if there are mistakes]
I would describe Baby Blue as a swedish actualised version of 1984, with a society brainwashed by a kind of personal development policy : Everyone must be happy and productive, anyone who is out of this way is chemically treated, whatever the consequences are.
I found the story good, easy to follow. I felt a bit skeptical about the drawing style at first. It is quite minimalist, with no colours, yet it completely fits with the purpose of the story and with this description of a society where the injonction to be happy seemed to have destroyed all the moments of happiness. Well done!

A beautiful eclectic comic that is reminiscent of 1984, The Giver, and Kill Bill. This is Erikssons take on how fascism could affect Sweden and the rest of the world. I enjoyed the beginning when Baby is 'breaking the matrix.' I feel like a lot of conservative kids have this moment growing up, where they see the other side. The comic is stylistic and perfect for this sci-fi feeling novel. If you're into watching bad b tches take down fasciasts, it deserves a read.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Fantagraphics Books for an advance copy of a graphic novel about a world where your personal emotions are monitored, not for one's own health but because emotions unsettle society, and one brave woman who finds herself caught up in the fight to feel and love the way they want to.

I grew up in a time where comics for all their attempts to be more than stories about old superheroes hitting people or dealing with dead sidekicks, loved to reach for the low hanging fruit. For every attempt to do something new, the old always won out, with a bunch of variant covers to match. It was digging around in boxes at flea markets, that I started finding alternate comics. Comics about drugs and sex that went over my head, but a few about real people, doing real things, that probably went over my head, but stayed with me. Comics can tell a story that touches hearts, makes one questions reality, and reality we are told to believe. Baby Blue written and illustrated by Bim Eriksson and translated from Swedish by Melissa Bowers is a story that seems closer and closer to happening, about a future state that controls everything a person does, so as not to make the society around them uncomfortable, or think about the system they toil under.

The time is sometime soon. Betty is a waitress working in a diner who has a hard time dealing with the present Betty finds herself in. Betty has always hated being who she is, and longs to be like the rest, controlled, and unshowing of emotions, but that is getting harder and harder. Bad things happen around Betty, and a show of empathy gets Betty a free visit to a clinic to stabilize the emotions Betty is feeling. There Betty meets Berina, a foul mouthed free thinker, who like Betty discovers is immune to the chemicals used to stamp out emotion. After later helping Betty out of a bad situation, Berina shows Betty a world she never knew. A world of rebellion against the status quo. Joining the fight, Betty becomes Baby, but soon discovers having feelings might not be a good thing, and could lead to the end of everything she knows.

A very good comic that seems to be about a future that is not that far away. Society prefers that we all wear masks, as many do in this book, to hide not only what we are feeling, but what we are repulsed by. Showing emotions is weak, according to some, though most of those who say that are the most emotive people on the planet. The story is set in Sweden, or thereabouts, but is pretty universal as cops will cop, bad people will be bad people, and certain people will always rebel. The story is good, as well as the characters. There is a lot going on. I did not mention, the book has a soundtrack, Betty loved sad songs, and seemed to be buying songs like illegal drugs. This adds a nice twist to the story. The art is quite good, I love the tint and the world seemed pretty much of today. I liked the masks, and really lost myself in the world that Eriksson created.

A good story for people who like a bit of romance, finding the courage to be who you are, and for interesting art. I know this won a few European prizes and one can see why. An enjoyable tale, and one that makes me interested in reading more by Bim Eriksson.

I liked this a lot! I wish it were longer. Bim Eriksson creates a dystopian universe where citizens must be happy and above all else, must always keep the peace. The main character, Betty, is deemed a dangerous citizen after showing emotion in public, and is forced to receive treatment. She is thrown into the world of the resistance after meeting Berina, who has strayed away from society as a whole. This was a fun read. Maybe a little heavy handed and unsubtle with the social commentary, but it didn't make it unenjoyable to read. I also read the English translation, and I thought it was well done and easy to understand. I thought the art style was really cool! I want to know more about these characters and their journeys. It ended pretty much right after the climax, and it felt like there was more left to the story. I enjoyed reading this either way. 3.5 stars rounded up. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Fantagraphics for this ARC!

I liked the art style and that it was queer and anti-establishment, but it wasn't saying anything new or particularly touching and the plot and characterisation were very simplistic.

This book took me pleasantly by surprise. I went into it with an open-mind and unsure of how I was going to respond to it. I typically go for graphic novels with more colorful and cartoonish artwork, but this artwork was perfect for this story. It was entertaining, insightful, and at times quite funny and the wonky artwork just made it that much better. It's a story about resilience, not living life according to someone else's rules, and escaping a life of totalitarianism. It's also just about figuring yourself out.

Baby Blue was one of the best graphic novels I've read in years! I loved the animation style and the characters and the storyline is very appropriate for our current political climate. I think anyone who reads this book will enjoy it and all of the beautiful illustrations along the way!

As much as many may not want to admit it, the world is moving once again toward conformity and tribalism. It is nice to see that some recognize it and are using their art to illustrate what very well could be our future.

I was happily surprised by how much I enjoyed this story. I have a hard time with dystopian fiction (due to the fact that most of it isn't as fictitious as I'd like it to be lately) but Baby Blue caught my eye due to the interesting art style and queer themes. The story follows Betty who lives in a not-so-distant future that policies mental health and when she is seen crying in public she is sent to a rehab center to help her "get better." From there the story follows a resistance of queer femmes trying to just fight for a place to be themselves.

I wish there was a little more story, especially more backstory on the characters of the Blue House, because this really was a great read. It was a bit quick for my personal liking. The art is interesting as Eriksson likes to play with proportions and textures. I feel that people who look for graphic novels that are out of the norm will be intrigued.