Grease Bats

July 8, 2019
This sincere and hilarious collection of comic strips tosses the reader into the chaotic lives of Andy and Scout: broke, queer, 20-something, ride-or-die best friends forever. When Scout’s crush, Sami, asks the pair to hang out at a bar, Andy (who uses the pronouns they/them) is immediately interested. “Queer night at the hub? Trans night at Magic Bar? Dancing at Purple Unicorn?” Nope: Sami is straight, doesn’t know about Scout’s feelings, and has invited them to a sports bar. Undeterred, Andy pulls on their gayest tank top, jorts, Chucks, and wristbands. They still get misgendered, but Andy ends up making out with a girl in the bathroom and scores free drinks, so the evening is declared a success. Scout and Andy support and heckle each other through failed romance and work problems; they mourn the closing of LGBTQ community spaces; rage at politics; make new friends; and party at every opportunity. The book is aimed at a certain insider set, who will find their milieu mirrored back brilliantly. Bongiovanni’s dialogue, meanwhile, is witty and rife with political commentary. . The scribbly art crackles with life and energy. This series reaches to pick up the mantle set down by Dykes To Watch Out For.