I’ve said before that Catana’s online comic is up there with Peanuts for me as one of my all-time favorites, and so it makes sense that, like Peanuts, she would have the occasional lull where things don’t feel as fresh. This was the only book I got for Christmas, a surprise for me after getting quite a few last year, and my wife’s grandmother, the one who got it for me, was more concerned with why it had stickers and what I’d do with them (answer: “I don’t know”) than the book itself. But, if I had to pick one book from the list of options I gave them, this was as good a choice as any.
Even when Catana reduces her comics to their barest elements, like she often does in this collection, they still retain a certain charm. And that isn’t to say there aren’t still plenty of moments where I felt seen and understood, like in the last collection of hers I reviewed. Granted, this seems like it was written primarily during the pandemic, so burnout and plenty of other things could’ve played a factor in the final output, which is another reason why I can’t judge it too harshly. Catana, at her best and at her worst, is always a warm hug that is sure to brighten my spirits and remind me of what there is to love about love. Now I just need to find a use for those stickers that came with the book. Any suggestions?
