Writer Jeremy Whitley
Artist Cassio Ribeiro
Letterer Nikki Foxrobot
Additional Lettering Micah Myers
You have to buy to buy this graphic novel!
Navigating with You – Vol. 1 – Maverick
The graphic novel follows Neesha Sparks and Gabby Graciana on their respected first days of school at Durham Western High School, probably named after a racist.
Neesha is black, lesbian, activist, costume designer, and has spastic diplegia cerebral palsy. Formerly from New York.
Gabby is a bisexual, Puerto Rican -Mexican surfer, who has PTSD, and incredible shoulders. Formerly from Florida.
Both of them find themselves in North Carolina, Ric Flair country, even though I’ve met several people from North Carolina, and none of them have known who Ric Flair is.
They find each other, and find a way to navigate through the junior year of high school.
This is one of those graphic novels you read, then reread, then think about for a full week, and then feel compelled to tell other people about it.
I love the characters so much, I love the art, and the lettering makes it so easy to read.
Neesha is a defender of all, especially of herself and her friends. She immediately starts the book off confronting her principal about his misconceptions of her disability.
Gabby has a mysterious past that once we find out what happened one stormy night, we completely get her on a different level.
These ladies really enjoy manga, especially Super Navigator Nozomi by Hiromu Takeuchi. Don’t worry dear reader, we are treated to pages of Super Navigator Nozomi that may or may not tie into what the ladies are experiencing in their current lives. There are seven volumes of Super Navigator Nozomi, that they are determined to seek out all seven volumes.
Neesha’s parents are divorced, she is currently living with her mother, Holly, and her father still lives in New York City.
Gabby’s father is a widower, and she lives with him, and her two younger brothers, Ian and Alexander, who are not twins.
I adore seeing how Gabby softens Neesha, who didn’t want any new friends, but gets a great one in Gabby.
I really appreciate how supportive their families are with their daughters, and their friends.
At first, I didn’t like Gabby’s father, Gabriel, who came off extremely intense, but then we get more of an understanding of why that is.
We learn about Neesha and Gabby’s romantic pasts. Gabby starts the novel with her boyfriend, Josh, who is a jerk. She’s dated a Caridad, who kissed Gabby, then broke up with her over text a week later.
Neesha has dated Star, who introduced her to anime and manga, and then dated another gal who . . . didn’t have great intentions.
How they receive the seventh volume, had my eyes start tearing up. Such a lovely moment.
There is also a second volume coming out in November, that you have to read!
Shadow and Flame with Magik 