netgalley ARC - a way too relevant dystopian comic with an intriguing art style and a concept that hooks you right away. Berina is kind of everything.

Baby Blue has a drawing that catches your attention because of the very personal style, with men and women with disproportionately large chests.

The title is a declaration of intentions, since we are facing a group of adults who live in a dystopia in the style of Brave New World, with their medical treatments to stay within what is expected of them, and therefore, they never face negative emotions that can turn them into mature adults. But it also refers to the loneliness of the different and how difficult it can be to adapt or, at least, live knowing that you’re not like the others, that you doubt and have feelings.

The ending seemed to me quite forced, though, but not in itself, but in the way it was brought about.

As a dystopian piece, I found this engrossing--I've read some graphic novels like this that try to be too esoteric and end up alienating the reader, but this world actually seems plausible (scarily enough). The art style isn't my favorite, but the proportions are very fun.

60/100 or 3.0 stars

I think it might be an issue that there is no dialogue in the entire thing. I wanted to see what the story was saying as much as I could with just the art. I enjoyed what Erikkson was doing with this story, but the lack of dialogue made it difficult. The artwork was also not working for me at all. I won't be posting this on Goodreads since a good part of the story in this ARC version is missing.

thank you netgalley & fantagraphic books for a copy of this book in return for an honest review ! <3
i have to say, i liked this a lot more that i thought i would on first glance.
“baby blue” follows betty, as she is caught crying in public, and is captured by peacekeepers and administered treatment in this dystopian society. whilst undergoing this treatment, betty meets berina, a loud, brazen, and carefree lady, who betty instantly shares a connection with. together they explore the dark truths of their society, they explore the world of the resistance, and they explore each other.
now i have to say… i really didn’t like the art style at first. the art of betty almost makes her look grotesque, and the fact berina has a bunny-head really confused me at the beginning. but the more i read the art style started to grow on me, especially due to berina. ugh she’s so cute. i just had to get the hang of eriksson’s unique and zany art style, and whoo boy was it fun to look at.
now back to betty…. she was um…. a bit boring if im honest. she didn’t seem to have too much substance, especially compared to berina who was well fleshed out. i’m not too mad that betty was surface-level though as she acted as a great audience surrogate to introduce readers to the world of “baby blue”. shout out berina ugh i loved her. also shout out gay people i love gay people 🔥
the plot was pleasant. i felt like the story didn’t go anywhere at the start, and i was a bit worried, but once the resistance plot kicked off all my worries were erased. it was honestly great from that point onwards. no complaints about the plot. the only teeny tiny complaint i did have is that i wish the social commentary went deeper. topics were touched on but it didn’t feel like they were explored much deeper. but also this is a graphic novel so im not expecting mf crime and punishment or something in terms of social class. i think this is just a case of me being pedantic, but ill be honest and mention it because honestly that’s the only reason this wasn’t a 5-star for me ! if i was someone who rated on quality, easy 5-star.
lowkey this was great. this superseded my expectations, and i had a great time . it was fun, it was brutal, it was sad, it was joyous. it was a lovely experience.

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!