Octopus Pie (2016), Volume 1

Starred review from February 8, 2016
In this collection of the first two years of the long-running webcomic, Eve’s boyfriend abruptly dumps her, and she finds herself in need of a roommate—a need filled by Hanna, a young woman Eve hasn’t seen since preschool (they’re now in their 20s). Together, they attempt to make a life in Brooklyn, where Eve works at an organic grocery store and marijuana-fueled Hanna runs a pastry company, Bake ‘n’ Bake. As the wonderfully diverse cast of flawed characters stumble through laser tag wars, renaissance faire shenanigans, a bizarre Halloween party, and shallow Brooklyn art shows, they confront their own shortcomings and desperately try to find (and keep) love. Gran’s (Marceline and the Scream Queens) cartooning is top-notch, as is her pacing; the wit is far more sophisticated than a typical “gag a day” strip. Part send-up of the borough’s hipster residents, part soul-searching slice-of-life saga, Gran’s work dissects what it means to be a modern 20-something. Agent: Hansen Literary.