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That said, each chapter has a self-contained pacing structure that ebbs and flows in an effective rhythm for teasing out tension and tales. The story is told in five chapters and was originally published as five issues, but it has a single-forward moving story instead of feeling episodic. It feels neither too long nor too short and keeps a good forward drive while still pausing to breathe in quiet moments that are welcome for their coziness and dialogue. The pacing is delightful here, which is something I often find minor gripes with in graphic novels. This is a town Jo loves, but one Orla has a painful relationship with leading to her caustic and closed off attitudes that she must learn to abate as the story progresses. But there are plenty of other fascinating characters, such as fae and trolls who Orla must appease like little side-quests in the adventure to save the town of Haresden. The dynamics between Jo and Orla as their friendship (and maybe something more) blossoms in the sunny fields and farms through which they travel on their quest. Isn’t this gorgeous? I mean, you can truly get lost in the art and Mamo is worth owning simply to return to the artwork.Ĭome for the artwork but stay for the story, because Mamo is an excellently plotted tale with plenty to ponder and love and surprise twists-and-turns. It comes alive in color palettes so precisely selected for maximum beauty to deliver you into sweeping vistas of countryside and cozy homes.The character design is also sharp and expressive, and there is such lovely attention to details that draw you in. I can’t scream enough about how much I love the artwork here. As adventurous as it is heartwarming and whimsical, Mamo is a magical story about the ties that bind us, featuring a thought-provoking magical lore and a deeply felt look at the ways we struggle with our personal histories. The pair must find and bury the bones to assuage Mamo’s angry spirit, lest the town be swallowed by the landscape, while also having the right the wrongs of Mamo’s neglect to the land. The artwork is so enrapturing you’ll practically smell the sweet grass and feel yourself ramble on through the fields and forests along with Jo as she aids witch Orla in a quest to collect the bones of her grandmother Mamo, the deceased witch.

It is hard to not instantly fall in love with Mamo as the breathtaking artwork grabs your eye and pulls your entire heart and soul into the idyllic, pastoral landscapes of Haresden, a town where the local witch has recently died and chaos and fae mischief is running amok.

I warned you all I would read every sapphic witch graphic novel that came my way and Mamo by author/illustrator Sas Milledge is setting the bar high for books to read this year.