Dramacon, Vol. 1

Dramacon is told in the style of manga, a form of art originating from Japan that is typically in black-and-white. Many novels originally published in Japanese have made their way to America translated into English, but Dramacon is unique in that it originated in America. Dramacon tells the story of comic writer Christie who comes to an anime convention with her artist boyfriend Derek to sell their art. Here, after Derek mistreats her, she falls for the mysterious Matt who encourages her to stand up for herself.

Dramacon is an extremely clever book. First, it highlights the importance of how popular anime conventions have become for young people to attend. It also heavily borrows for the manga styles exhibited in Japanese novels, but puts a very interesting Western spin on it. Dramacon will appeal to both fans of manga and those who are wondering what the craze is all about. Parents should be warned, though, that occasionally a curse word is thrown in, and there's even a scene that almost leads to rape.