This graphic novel is such an explosion of color and concepts and fantastic elements. It was a treat to read! Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC copy.

I loved seeing all of the scary but fascinating things that Oberon’s mind conjured up and the creative ways that he found to deal with them, Kon’s
chill/annoying way of just showing up and trying to help.

This was a very richly, colorfully illustrated graphic novel that takes place on a planet called Meridian, where most people are born superhuman (they’re called Ghosts). I really liked the art style and the lettering scratched a really specific itch in my brain. However, the story was a little bland and I wasn’t really sure how Oberon’s magic was working. I liked the diverse representation - especially with having a Black trans young man as the main character - but I do wish the story was more cohesive!

The best part about this was the art, that has its own sort of dreamy watercolor charm~

I think this one tried to tackle too many things all at once: their relationship, Oberon's anxiety/mental health issues, his powers, etc. I will say the author/artist handled the heavier topics with grace, but it all felt like too much to deal with in a singular graphic novel.

Honestly, though, I loved the premise of this just not the execution. I think I would love to read this as a book with it being more fleshed out or made into a series of volumes instead of just one.

This just unfortunately ended up being not my cup of tea, however, I do understand why a lot of people liked this one. Sidenote: I'm not a vibe reader. I try to be—I really do—but I struggle to get through things if I can’t figure them out or if the writing, grammar, etc., is full of errors (the writing in this one was overall fine besides being a bit confusing). I mention this because in fact, I would still highly recommend this if you want to read something kinda tripy, with lots of queer representation, gorgeous artwork, and a mc who deals with anxiety.

This is just beautiful in every possible way.

The artwork is lovely, especially when it comes to the dream magic. Strange Bedfellows reminded me why I love queer graphic novels so much, because the illustrations in this really bring the story to life. I love these characters so much, I just wanted to hug them and help them along their journey.

I don't want to say too much more, but I highly recommend this one.

In an extraterrestrial civilization where people could be superhuman, Oberon suddenly has the ability to conjure something from his dream in reality. That’s when his high school crush started to appear.

The said high school crush, Kon, has not been seen in years and no one knows what happened to him. First Oberon believed that he’s just a fragment of his dreams just like other objects that he could conjure out of thin air, but apparently, its much more than that

The illustrations are so dreamy and I love the concept of not-so near future post-earth apocalypse with high tech being integrated with human lives. Oberon and Kon’s dynamics were also fun to witness, but sometimes i couldn't comprehend what actually happened in the scenes. The jumps between panels were too wide IMO, and i need more details on the magic system because most of those things were just mentioned in passing. Overall still enjoyed this, though.

Strange Bedfellows makes for a beautiful and emotional science fiction / fantasy graphic novel that will engage a wide array of readers. Growing up on a space station in a family of "ghosts," or siblings with unusual powers, Oberon's always felt that he has to fight to be the smartest and best at everything to make up for his lack of powers. Then a very public breakdown leads him to drop out of university, drifting and unsure what to do next—until his dreams start leaking into his life.

We first meet Oberon in a dream, where he's rescued by a handsome knight in a tower, falling through the sky, and into a high school hallway spilling papers in front of his crush, Kon. Action flows between broken panels lending a dreaminess to the vibrant illustrations, propelling the reader forward to find Oberon awake in bed, tangled in sheets with his alarm blaring. He makes his way to a doctor's appointment where he discovers that the headaches and disorientation he's experiencing aren't able to be explained away by any of the tests they've run on him, leaving him confused. When dangerous creatures from his dreams start showing up in real life — and Kon, the beautiful guy he had a crush on in high school keeps popping up in his subconscious and not leaving him alone — he starts to wonder if he may have developed some unusual powers after all. (And maybe still has a crush on Kon).

It's a beautifully illustrated graphic novel that I'm excited to see in person, too, and will recommend to graphic novel fans of queer romance, science fiction, and fantasy alike.

A well crafted story that will tug your heartstrings in all the right places. It's hard to get enough of Kon and Oberon's relationship, and a second reread made me enjoy it even more. I appreciate how the dynamic of growing up with an immigrant family is handled in a setting about exoplanet habituation.

What a concept and execution! Reading the synopsis, I was dubious that such an intense concept could be brought to justice, but I shouldn't have doubted Ries! The artwork is bright, colorful, and provocative. The characters were easy to relate to and understand. And the general story captivated me from the beginning and kept my attention with twists and turns.
Oberon's family specifically made my heart melt- not only a lovely found family but a supportive group of blood relations for our queer protagonist felt heartwarming and refreshing. And the way that the story follows Oberon's healing journey from loneliness- my heart!!
This GN would make a wonderful addition to a YA or adult graphic novel collection. Planning to recommend this to my local library!

This is such a great graphic novel! The story line is so interesting. I feel the illustrations perfectly match the vibe. They are beautiful, dream-like, and vibrant. As for the themes, identity, interpersonal relationships, and personal boundaries are explored. I also love the comedic relief throughout the story. I’m looking forward to re reading it as a physical copy.

I really loved the illustrations and the color scheme—they truly brought the story to life for me. However, I found the plot unengaging and lacking intrigue. Additionally, the font was difficult to read, as it felt too cramped and smushed together. Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t an enjoyable read for me.

This story is beautiful because it goes through life lessons. Also how people deal with emotions. Oberon is a late ghost that discovers his powers after dreaming wonderful and beautiful things. What I like about Oberon he’s growing a lot and he’s learned to let people in. Also, he has amazing powers that are able to save people and create happiness. The connection that Oberon and Kon have is magnificent because right away you get to tell how much they mean to each other. From the way, they are caring, helpful, and just want to bring each other happiness. What I like about Kon even though he is in Oberon dreams, mind. He likes Oberon and wants to help him with his powers. He just doesn’t wanna leave him alone. And I like the fact that they’re with each other every step of the way on this journey. There was a plot twist that I did not see coming. Then it started to all make sense. I enjoyed reading about these two very much. The art style is so beautiful and colorful. And the characters and representation in this book was well done.

A fantastic story with stunning art and gorgeous characters! I loved that this story was absolutely unpredictable - I kept being surprised and delighted by the characters, plot, and concepts. The world building is really cool and gradually revealed. Set in the future, in a world with super powers and world changing technology, the roots of the story come from every day human problems. The main characters grapple with family expectations, isolation, anxiety, self-doubt, and flounder in the age old question "what do I do with my life?" The cast of characters is very diverse and queer, and I love all the different designs! Highly recommend!

Confusing script and art. I couldn't follow it, the pace was too consulted and I felt I was missing something important. Not for me.

Strange Bedfellows is a wonderfully queer graphic novel with a trans MC, found family, and themes of discovering and finding oneself through the chaos of life. Oberon is a fantastic main character that is extremely relatable and has a powerful growth throughout. It's hard to think this is a oneshot as it packs such a punch with a very unique storyline and setting. The future world the author has created is beautifully inclusive and with stunning art and colors this was a joy to read!

I am not just saying this because I've been a fan of Ariel Slamet Ries since Witchy, but: STRANGE BEDFELLOWS OWNS. YOU GUYS. IT'S REALLY GOOD. DON'T MISS THIS BAD BOY.

Ariel Ries' art and storytelling continues to be beyond reproach. Like hot damn. The art rules, you guys. The color. The textures. The panel composition. It is all tasty as hell. And the story itself hits a great balance between funny and emotional, with really charming, grounded characters—genuinely liked everyone—and a fun mystery, plus friggin' cool worldbuilding to pull it all together. (I especially liked all the slang, and the "in-universe" texts like, ads and group chats and science articles, etcetera.)

I don't think Ries reinvented the wheel here or anything, and it wasn't especially hard to guess where the story was going, but that's not a bad thing. I enjoyed the ride. It was compelling. I am compelled.

Seriously though really funny too. I am going to quote some of my favorite lines out of context below.

1. "i'm just slapping your fish"
2. "boobling"
3. "learn about carcinization, you heathen"
4. "could a hallucination do this?" "YES"
5. "don't say milked"

5/5, thanks again to Harper and NetGalley for the ARC!

Good Gawd! Ariel Slamet Ries knows how to make my knees quake. This was absolutely perfect in every single way imaginable. The quickest way to my heart is to have a lovable queer character as the MC. Then bringing in a found family (as well as a really supportive blood relation family) and a story that mixes highs and lows to keep me on my toes, is definitely a recipe for success, for me at least.

In the future, not too far, but far enough that humans live on a different planet, Oberon wakes up to find out he has powers. Normally, you learn around your 9th birthday if you’ve gained “ghost” powers, but he’s in college. He’s spent his whole life thinking he’s the only child of his parents to be “normal.” So this comes at a surprise, but it’s what he’s always wanted. He’s able to manifest his dreams. Kind of like corporeal illusions, Obi can make his dreams come alive… until he wills them gone again.

How does he find this all out? His childhood crush, Kon, magically appears one day out of the blue. He’s kind of like a wake up call from his loneliness, as well as a realization that he is special. In a weird, and yet beautiful, effect of all of this, he begins to fall in love with his own dream-crush… which I kind of saw coming. But what I didn’t see coming was for that same dream crush to…….. wait! I don’t want to tell you. 😅It’s a spoiler.

Let me start (not actually, because we’re 4 paragraphs in) by telling you that the art for Strange Bedfellows is BREATHTAKING! The author uses such vivid colors in their work and it kept me entranced like the creepy snake from The Jungle Book. I couldn’t look away! I needed to know how the story ended. HOW COULD THEY MAKE THIS WORK?????

It wasn’t until about half of the book was completed until I realized that the MC is trans. I thought he was beautiful before, but the character got scar tattoos under his pectorals to look like top surgery for “long before” (our time). It was such a beautiful sentiment and I couldn’t feel the joy in it. LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!!!!!

I need more books like this in my life!!! If I could give it more stars than 5, I would.

Strange Bedfellows is a creative and endearing futuristic graphic novel following our MC Oberon as he comes to terms with what he wants to do with his life and grapples with family and societal pressures to have it all figured out. He's been through some tough times recently, and just discovered that he is bringing his dreams to life, starting with a dream version of his old high school crush, Kon. Kon accompanies Oberon as he solves the mystery of the dream creatures and his budding powers. Interspersed throughout this story is snippets into Oberon's family dynamics, friend group, and past experiences that are all weighing heavily on him. I really enjoyed the world building, with this new alient planet complete with extensive terraforming and gardening and the emergence of superpowers as a result of the exodus from Earth centuries ago. The artwork is both whimsical and psychadelic with really interesting looks into Oberon's dreams before they manifest into reality. The relationship between Oberon and Kon is very sweet and the ending was heartwarming! My only gripe, which may only be specific to the digital version, is the font was difficult to read and gave me a headache.

I enjoyed this a lot! The art is gorgeous, obviously, and I found the story really compelling. It did take me a little to get into and fully understand what is happening, as this is not a comic to sit you down and explain everything to you. In the end, though, I think that worked in this book's favor, as it reminds me a lot of dreaming, when you are just thrown into whatever simulation your brain has come up with with no idea what's happening. I felt like the depiction of anxiety and mental health was really well done and relatable. Would definitely recommend!

Beautifully illustrated story about second chances and finding yourself after trauma. Giving this a 4 out of 5. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I came for the artwork and I stayed for the story. The line between reality and fantasy is blurred, and the art style definitely conveys this fact, which admittedly can be a bit confusing at times. I really identified with the protagonist Oberon as someone who experienced burnout while in school and struggled to find themselves again after the flames settled.

Strange Bedfellows is a gorgeous graphic novel about a boy, Oberon, who develops the power to summon things from his dreams. Kon, his childhood crush who mysteriously disappeared, is one of his hallucinations and helps him control his powers. They live in a different world with many advancements, and we learn a bit about what happened to Earth along the way, as well as details about why Oberon deferred college. The art and world are luscious, and I loved the building connection between Oberon and Kon. I will definitely read Ries' next work. Thanks to HarperAlley and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.