Author/Artist: Askel Aden
Publisher: First Second
Released: June 10, 2025
Find it on Storygraph | More Graphic Novels
Summary:
It’s safe to say that Misha and their mom have a complicated relationship. Misha has been spending more time with extended family, courtesy of their mom always being on the go. However, Audrey has suddenly decided that a road trip is exactly what they need to fix their bond.
That’s awkward enough, but it gets worse: as Audrey keeps calling it a mother/daughter getaway. Naturally, things go downhill from there, but these two will have to find a common ground if they want to make it home.
Review:
Okay, so you pitch a graphic novel to me and you promise it’ll be just Spirited Away, with a dash of A Very Goofy Movie vibes, and you just know I’m gonna read it. So, I did! Love, Misha has some very solid comps, but it lives up to those set expectations.
The tale begins with an unwilling road trip, well, unwilling from Misha’s perspective. Their mom has this crazy scheme about repairing their bond with one vacation (it doesn’t work like that, no matter how much the movies try to sell this idea). In other words, this story comes out swinging. We have tension and emotional stakes right off the bat, and they haven’t even stepped foot in the car.
Parents and children not seeing eye-to-eye is a tale as old as time, but Love, Misha makes it hit hard. Their inability to connect begins with abandonment, but also includes a parent who struggles with appropriate pronouns. It then takes grand leaps through a magical world, and it is something entirely new because of it.
The artwork is delightfully whimsical, especially when it comes to portraying the more ethereal parts of the story. I loved the magical world, characters, and little details the creator snuck in here and there. It made for a perfect experience.
Highlights:
- Fantasy Adventure
- Magical Car Trip
- Realm of Spirits
- LGBTQ+
Warnings:
- Misgendering
- Absent Parenting
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