The Sisters Vol. 7: Lucky Brat by Christophe Cazenove & William Maury

Hunh, I didn’t realize this creative team was basically two dudes, with William Ramos Jr on the lettering. The book feels very authentically female, as it tells the story of two sisters, teenage Wendy and the much younger Maureen, and their hilarious relationships with one another, their family and friends.

Well, story insofar as this is mostly a collection of one-page vignettes loosely revolving around the theme of Maureen being quite the lucky brat (do I betray my older sister sympathies here? Probably.) There’s plot development in terms of Wendy and her boyfriend Mason becoming more serious, and even enduring a bit of a rough patch, but mostly it’s a slice-of-life humor comic. One nice touch were the few interspersed pages showing the sisters as adults looking back on their childhood. Overall, it’s a sweet story with gentle humor appropriate for all ages but especially for Wendy and Maureen’s own demographics. Were I a younger reader, I would be completely charmed.

What I was completely charmed by as an adult was the delightful art that perfectly captures the kinetic energy of being this young, coupled with an adorable expressiveness of both face and motion. And that’s even before you notice all the sly little pop culture references thrown in, as editor Jim Salicrup helpfully lists in the afterword! I thought I’d noticed most of them while peering owlishly at my PC screen the first go-through, but had to go back so I could fully experience and savor all the terrific little Easter eggs hidden throughout.

Ably translated by Nanette McGuiness, this volume of The Sisters is perfect for anyone looking for a little light escapism and humor. Had I encountered this as a young girl/teenager struggling with her own contentious relationship with her annoying younger sister, I would likely be ride or die for this title. It lacks the depth I look for as a reading adult, but is just perfect for any youngster who can read graphic novels on their own.

The Sisters Vol 7: Lucky Brat was published today January 19th 2021 by Papercutz and is available from all good booksellers, including