In Real Life #[nn]

Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang's In Real Life presents a striking split-cover image: on one side, a girl sits curled with a laptop, and on the other, her bold, wild-haired avatar stands ready for action with a weapon in hand — a vivid visual contrast between the digital and the physical. Wang's linework and coloring give both figures a distinct energy, the muted tones of the "real" side yielding to vibrant purples and pinks in the virtual world. Published by Macmillan in 2018, this is a thoughtful graphic novel that wears its themes right on its cover.