This book started by warning us that we would see ourselves and our friends in these characters and it was downright scary (and at the same time comforting) how right that was. This was a flawless, unapologetic and honest rendering of what means to be LGBT.
The comic strips are simple in its style and are mostly black and white but they still have all kinds of jokes and funny details that always make me laugh like Andy's outrageous t-shirts. It reminded me of the political comic strips you can find on the back of newspapers if they were mixed with millennial memes.
The book spans over several years and follows the lives mostly of Andy and Scout and their close group of friends while going through relationships, nights out, coming out parties and hundreds of other sad and happy moments that we all recognize.
One of the drawbacks for me was the absence of a glossary at the end because this is a great book for straight cisgender people to be introduced to LGBTQ characters that are not just gay but a colorful and diverse sample of the LGBTQ experience and all the situations they have to go through every day of their lives that most people are not aware of. While doing it, the authors had to use terms that are not common knowledge for most people outside the community and I can see that creating a barrier for some readers and waisting a learning opportunity.
This book is set and aimed mostly at an American audience, with the 2016 election featuring heavily towards the end presenting us with some of the most heartbreaking scenes in the entire story. While for most liberals, the election was a moment of profound sadness and anger, for a lot of these characters it was a moment of utter defeat, everything that they had been able to accomplish in the past decades suddenly meaning nothing. While a cisgender person would simply shrug it off and wait for Trump's term to end, a lot of these characters first reaction was making sure that all their documents were in order and seeing all the rights and protections that they had enjoyed from until then disappear, their lives being impacted on every front from being able to renew their documents, procure jobs or just go to the bathroom outside their own houses.
While all those experiences are 100% valid I did find that the characters to be sometimes biased to anyone that is not as liberal as them. When I refer to people on the other side of the hile, I'm not referring to Trump supporters or anyone that outright refuses to evolve in their way of thinking but to the people that are both economically conservative and support LGBTQ rights or to people that might be facing someone that is different from them for the first time and don't know the correct etiquette. That bias was partially addressed through when Andy and Scout discussed wanting to go through their lives without constantly having to bow to the pressures of a society that is not yet prepared for people like them.
At the same time, we get to learn about all these new terms, sexual orientations and genders that are only now starting to be recognized and seem to predict the start of a new era of diversity and acceptance, we get to see things like the erasure of LGBTQ rights and historical spaces, everyday scenes of discrimination sometimes within our own community the fear of not being queer enough among many other problems.
It also features a lot of lighter and heartwarming situations that are still didactic in away. One of the problems that were discussed several times was how the ex rule does not apply in the LGBTQ community because the dating pool is so limited that everyone ends up dating or sleeping with someone else's ex and how hard that can sometimes be for the people that do not partake in the hookup culture.
I really loved this story and characters as a whole though and by the end of the book, I felt I was among friends.
Thak you to NetGalley and BOOM! Studios for this ARC.

Grease Bats gave me all the warm fuzzy queer feelings I could have asked for. Scout and Andy's friendship is so accurately millennial and wholesome that it reminds me of my personal relationships with my queer friends. Can you say REPRESENTATION? Archie's art style is cute and quirky and lends itself so well to the story that I couldn't imagine these characters looking any other way. My personal favorite strip was "Case of the Floppies" which talks about the non-binary struggle of getting your period and feeling dysphoric. I highly recommend this to not only people of the queer communities, but really anyone who is looking for an authentic look into the lives of young people in the lgbtq+ community!

This was a fun enough read. It straddled the line between a weekly, gag-centric comic strip and an ongoing story unfolding over time.
I found it fun, but a little tiresome: it was pretty repetitive, and very deep into queer politics. I don't think somebody that isn't frequenting sites like autostraddle or waist-deep in queer theory would find it accessible. Which made it confusing: it's like it's teaching a lesson using advanced vocab, so I'm not sure who it's for. I think the only people who could make heads or tails of it don't really need the message. Yet, it can be nice to be reminded. (Sections on imposter syndrome hit close to home.)
I wouldn't recommend trying to power through it one sitting (like I did): I think it should be enjoyed as it was written, enjoying a few pages or strips every once in a while, as it was originally posted on the site.

This was a very fun and interesting graphic novel, i kind of just fell in love with all the characters. I adored Ari alot. And the nicknames was so cute *-*

Ultimately the grungy art style and layout of the book wasn't for me, but that is a "it's not you, it's me" problem! Highly recommend for anyone looking for some new, non-traditional comic reads.

Easy to pick up for short times or easy to power through and read all at once. I haven't read anything like this and think it's a perfect stepping stone to broaden my graphic novel exposure.

Very cute and inclusive which was nice. It was more of flashes into the characters lives rather than a cohesive storyline. It’s not something you have to sit down and read consistently in order to follow along. It was fun and lighthearted with nice artwork.

*TW/CW for misgendering and discussion on some hard topics like homophobia/transphobia, racism, the 2016 us election, rights to your own body, mental health, etc. It never gets too dark or lets itself be in a sad place without bringing hope and friendship in as well, but still be careful friends.*

What a fun and queer-centered comic! You can tell immediately this is made by a queer person for queer people; there are so many feelings, jokes, and experiences that only people in the community will truly understand. It was so relatable and I felt so seen in so many ways, whether about something funny or difficult or just incredibly specific. It also had a variety of gender and sexual identities, expressions, approaches to queer existence, and personalities that made it more realistic and accessible for people. ~Some~ examples of identities discussed were genderqueer (including the use of they/them pronouns), bisexual, aro/ace, polyamorous, general wlw, and gay.

There's a great discussion on a number of topics that affect queer people (both specific to queer people and things that we just happen to also experience); these included feeling queer enough, figuring out your identity, how you express, burnout from trying to support every cause possible, getting overwhelmed by the state of the world and news and such, and many others.

It had so much wonderful queer friendship content (it's basically the synopsis, just two queer friends and their friends getting into shenanigans); not only did I get to see neverending love and support, but I also got to see them working out issues, accepting each other even when they didn't agree on things, and realizing their own faults/bad ideas and apologizing + working to fix them. The characters were all so lovable and unique and oof I just want to give them all a big group hug.

On top of all this, it's just so fucking hilarious, especially for someone my age who can understand all the references and memes sprinkled throughout. I loved seeing all the funny quotes on Andy's shirts and the single-word hats Scout always had. I have so many screenshots saved on my phone of relatable/funny/self-callout moments. If you're queer, chances are you'll laugh out loud at least once.

There were only a couple of things I would've changed from this or felt weren't as great as they could've been. The first is a somewhat lack of storyline, which to be fair is sometimes intentional in webcomics, espeically this was supposed to be just about their lives in general. But I did wish some topics or things we discussed would be followed up on or appear later as well instead of being in just one "section." The ending was also pretty abrupt and didn't have any sort of wrap-up, but that could just be because this is a first volume or something. Also, while I certainly found nothing wrong with the art style, it wasn't particularly memorable either.

Overall, if you're a queer person who wants more queer-focused content that gets into hard topics but also makes you laugh and smile, pick this up!!! (Once it comes out, at least.)

The artwork was cool but I would have liked their to be a bit more of a storyline to it instead like Nimona where there are individual cereal chapters but they all connect to something much bigger outside of the overall lesson.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
Grease Bats follows Andy and Scout on their crazy, and sometimes bizarre, shenanigans as they try to navigate life, relationships and being their true, best selves.
Andy probably had some of the most interesting shirts and I’m curious where they picked them all up. Andy is very much a extrovert who I couldn’t always identify with because their true best life tended to include a lot of relationships, booze, and drama. Andy is very fun though and while they’re not always super self aware of the things they say and how it can be understood they always do listen to what other people tell them about how it makes them feel and does their best to adjust behaviors accordingly. Usually in the most dramatic way possible.
Scout is a wonderful introvert who just really wants to find a relationship that will be long term. She was typically the more balanced one but she had her moments of being a disaster and it worked because she’s human. She’s not perfect and I just loved her.
The comic also has fun recurring side characters, like their other roommate Ari who is super introverted and watches the drama unfold around her both apprehensively and with no small amount of glee and how it could play out. She is my spirit animal and I adore her. Taylor and Gwen are also amazing additions too.
Grease bats is a crazy fun comic about raw life, it’s ups and downs, and all the relationships that can help us get through it, especially the most important one (in my humble opinion) friendship.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this comic!

Title: Grease Bats
Author: Archie Bongiovanni
Rep: every single character is LGBTQ+. Genderqueer MC and lesbian MC.
Trigger warnings: homophobia, transphobia, misgendering.

This was such a lovely and refreshing comic! The story was super fun, while also delving into more serious topics. I loved how there was little to no romance and this focuses more on friendships and found family.

The lives of the main characters were hectic and full of drama, but I still loved it! The friends they make and the situations they face, while sometimes being OTT, were realistic. I connected to Gwen's character the most, even though she is a side character.

The artwork was beautiful, the lack of colour was a little disappointing, but still lovely.

Overall, I would highly recommend this comic to anyone who loves LGBTQ+ characters, funny but serious situations and the strong connections of friendship!

Interesting but I'm exhausted by the focus on alcoholism, abusive relationship dynamics in queer spaces, and the general ~feel~ of this comic just read a bit too dark for me. I know that there are definitely queers out there who will appreciate and identify with a book like this but I couldn't relate to the characters nor did I feel comfortable with a lot of the content.

★★★,5⭐ | "I'm in the middle of experiencing my feelings." "On... the floor?" "Yeah, where else would I have emotions? A chair?!"

It's hard to review this one because I moderately enjoyed it but I don't have much to say about it.

This is a series of comic strips about two BFF, Andy - a genderqueer non-binary person in a polyamorous relationship and lots of casual sex with people of various genders and Scout a lesbian who can't get over her ex and is tragic at getting dates. Along with three of their other friends they experience the various aspects of life in the queer community with various ups and downs.

Archie Bongiovanni has shown many aspects of queer life from different perspectives with different needs, personalities, and expressions of their queerness. The whole thing is also overflowing with humour but 300 pages of comic strips of mostly slice-of-day with little plot content can be a bit monotonous and personally after a while some jokes started to seem bland and I felt a kind of 'scrolling through social media' detachment.

However, this is mostly just my preferences getting in a way and doesn't mean others can't enjoy it. If you like funny slice-of-day strips about queer life (and perhaps if you don't intend to read the whole thing at once) this is at least worth a try.

I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not at all the audience for this book, but I always like to try out queer graphic novels because my teens clamor for them! I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I'll buy this one. I think the teens would like it, but also I'm not sure if I want to buy a book with so much drinking in it for the teens; I'm just not sure it would go over well in my community.

Thank you THANK YOU to NetGalley for approving my request! I don't often make requests because I always fear rejection, but I'm seriously very grateful for this one. I got this free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

THE EASIEST 5 STARS I'VE GIVEN IN A LONG TIME.

This collection of comic strips caught my eye mainly because of the author, Archie Bongiovanni, who is also the author of A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns, which I have read previously also via to NetGalley. I liked their humour and how they portrayed queerness. It felt like having a conversation with a pal about being queer and just very chill overall. The smoothness with which they manage these topics is amazing. Now, regarding Grease Bats:

Every character is relatable in their own way, or if not relatable at least very very lovable. They are all great and amazing and I want to be friends with them all because they are so precious and incredible. Besides the amazing people in here, the humour is fucking hilarious. Oh, did that f-bomb bother you? Well stay away from these comic strips because they have swear words very often. But SO ON POINT.

I love how Andy doesn't give a fuck about any norm. They are genderqueer, polyamorous and would fuck with any gender so who cares about cisheteromononormativity?
Scout is a butch lesbian who can't get over her ex-girlfriend and just a sensitive mess like almost everyone of us DON'T YOU DARE DENY IT.
Ari is my sapiosexual fantasy; her cleverness turns me on. She's a trans woman and I think she's aro/ace too!
Gwen is my bisexual femme queen! Living her queer life as much as she can!
Taylor is the anxious weird nerd in all of us who doesn't know a single thing about dating because SHYNESS and INEXPERIENCED but also adorable.

I LOVED IT AND YOU SHOULD READ IT SO THAT YOU CAN LOVE IT TOO OKAY BYE.

Amusing and relatable to all genders. I had never heard of Grease Bats before but I guess it's been an online strip for awhile and now it's finally been compiled it! Some cute storylines, some annoying storylines, a mix of everything, but an all-around good time for all.

With amazing art, this strips tell the tale of Andy and Scout. And what tales it is.

From the tales on the job, from the problem that happens oh so much still of misgendering, from their friendship, we feel so much with this two characters that you don't want the strips to end, you want to stick with them and see more of their shenanigans, want to see them happy.

And what a time to be reading a story about trans genderqueer individual! Everyday is the best day, but Pride Month? Amazing feels. A read I would recommend to both my hq/strip reading friends and non reading friends!

I am a very visual reader when it comes to comics and this one just did not work visually for me. I enjoyed the topic and the characters’ voice. The ideas were funny, sometimes awful and very important. However, I came into this expecting a story and not a collection of comics and so in that way, that was my fault. The drawing style is also rougher than I usually read. I recommend this but admit from an artistic point of view, this wasn’t a good fit for me.

I am not going to lie, I really thought I'd love this book but alas! I could not get into this. Either the writing style or the artistic style wasn't calling to me.
That being said, I do think the content itself was wonderful! It was witty and relatable in the best possible way. I fully believe that this will be a favorite among many others.

I genuinely only got 70 pages in and couldn't do it anymore. As someone from the queer community I'm kind of ashamed there's queer people like this.
The fact that you're queer is not a part of your personality and definitely cannot be the only drive of your stories. I know this is a way to cope with homophobia and transphobia, but to be honest I would never in my life be friends with people this obsessed with what they identify as.

It's part of yourself but have some back story, have some interesting hobbies, some more elaborate things.

My only comment I have is: being queer doesn't make your interesting. The comic had potential really, it could've been fun and about queer people but it really annoyed me so much. I know nobody in the queer community who is like this frankly. It's not an accurate representation either.

I won't be posting this review on goodreads because frankly I'm still in the closet, sorry.