I loved every moment of it.
It was so cute and adorable.
I need more of it!
I cannot wait until we get next volum!
I want to see what happends with the team and Charlie and Liv <3

This was such an enjoyable and cute read!

What I liked:
The illustrations and the color palette were so beautiful and went so well together. The characters were so likable and so unique and you just couldn't help but love them and root form them. The diversity in the graphic novel was also really awesome!

What I disliked:
Though the plot was interesting, it did have some weak areas. It might be because it is the first volume, but I felt that the plot was quite repetitive and bland; since the cast of characters was so cool you didn't really notice it, which was what happened with me. But upon some pondering, I realized the conflict was kind of weak, and that the ending, which was meant to be a cliffhanger, didn't make me feel like I needed the next volume immediately.

Conclusion:
Since the characters were so well illustrated and written, I do look forward to reading the next volume. And even though I had my complaints I didn't really notice them while reading the graphic novel. It was only when I really thought about it that I found some weak areas. In the end, I really enjoyed myself and had some good laughs.

Happy Reading,
Jabnia

Loved this book! I was interested in this initially because I really enjoyed Carly Usdin's Heavy Vinyl, and Avant-Guards has a similar feel. The art is fun and the characters have lots of personality. I'm definitely ready to read more.

This was just okay for me… not bad at all. Just not stand out. However, I am interested to see where it goes.

The Avant-Guards is a fun and quick read. And it has it all! Diversity, blooming love, sports, friends, teamwork, PUPPIES.

I don't read much comics but they are a really good way to bring you back to reading after a slump. And this did exactly that. I loved all the characters and the fact that they were so different, diverse and yet still like of the same. But what I'm always left to miss is deeper character introductions in comics. I feel that I can't get a proper connection with The characters.

All in all this was a great read! It left me craving for more and with a cliffhanger ending. I kind of hate those but it kind of makes sense.
The artwork is amazing and really makes the experience even more pleasant since you have a great story and beautiful art to watch.

Charlie is a transfer student from State trying to find her place in her new school. Olivia is an extrovert trying to get a new NCAA division IV basketball league started including a team from their school. She very actively pursues Charlie to be a part of the team. Charlie has basketball history from high school. Will Charlie join the team? Will she find a group of welcoming and accepting friends? Will there be a team that will be able to compete?
My big complaint is that this book ended too soon! I'm already waiting for book two.

Charlie is a transfer student in Georgia O'Keeffe College of Arts. During the first day, she meets a group of friends, which offers her to join their basketball team the Avant-Guards. As it is a school of art, they cannot find many people interested in it. Charlie had a bad experience with a team in her old school so she rejects their offer right away. However, Liv a girl who was a founder of the team doesn't give up and try to convince her by introducing her into the team. It didn't take them much time until she accepted the offer but also become one of them.

An LGBT graphic book about friendship, love, and passion. I actually didn't know and notice the chemistry between the girls and I was nicely surprised me when it came out. Part I really like about this book is that all characters are very unique and different. The Avant-Guards is a nice fast reader to relax, laugh and run from reality. I can't wait to read a volume 2 and learn more about the characters of the book.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and BOOM! Studios for sending me this ARC copy of the book.

This is such a cute, fun and well-represented graphic novel! I love everything about it. From the plot (yes, I'm a sucker for 'this is a new chapter of my life and I'll leave my past behind' trope), the bold characters that support each other, to the amazing art style itself! The diverse representations and the using of gender-neutral pronouns flow naturally in this book. And excuse me, but I still can't get over how good the art was! I'm a big fan of the color schemes and I love the using of creative layouts for the panel! I'm definitely waiting for Vol. 2!

Thank you BOOM! Box and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the quick-paced storytelling and top-notch art style of The Avant-Guards Volume 1. It’s a multifaceted story, showcasing a diverse group of college students as they navigate the everyday life of college, romance, and extracurricular activities. The characters are easy to relate to, with a little bit of each personality type continually clashing in a fun way. Between the high-energy of the team leader and the reluctance of the newcomer, you see the growth of an unlikely friendship as it blooms into something more. At the root of it all is a love of basketball and the escape of dribbling down a court, focusing solely on the game. It’s a fun, quick read filled with characters you’ll be excited to know.

loved the art style and the diversity!! it’s told a in vignettes and i enjoyed seeing each issue being told by a different perspective. the characters’ friend dynamic was great as well. the story wasn’t too special but i did enjoy the characters quite a bit.

This was such a cute story, and I really loved the whole team and the diversity and how they came together and Olivia and Charlie are the actual cutest things ever!

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for supplying me with an eARC*

This was a really fun quick read filled with sports and all types of people. Queer romances. People with a variety of looks and interests. Highly enjoyable. Has minimal sports lingo, so is easily understandable.

I'm a huge comic nerd, and because I adored Carly Usdin's Heavy Vinyl I was incredibly excited to read this one. Sports? Queer girls? SIGN. ME UP. And this book delivered. The art is incredible, I loved the characters, and the storyline was so much fun to read. I can't wait to continue with this series.

I am not normally a sports book person but I loved this - the sports lingo was minimal and it focused more on the individuals! The mood was infectious and the was a lot of beautiful detail in the artwork. The pacing felt nice and I appreciated the way the interactions between characters played out. Super excited for volume two!

4 stars

This was such a cute book!

“The Avant-Guards Vol. 1” tells the story of Charlie, who transfers to the Georgia O’Keeffe College of Arts and Subtle Dramatics where a group of girls try to recruit her to their new basketball team. And while Charlie is reluctant to join them, especially Liv, the team captain, is hell bent on getting her on the team.

First of all, I loved how diverse the cast of this novel was - wether it be sexual orientation, gender identity, body type, or race. The characters were all completely different in their personalities, but made a great group of friends.
There’s the main character, Charlie, who has bad memories of her old college’s basketball team and who has to be convinced to join the “Avant-Guards“.
Then there’s the team captain Liv, who’s adorably quirky and cheerful without being overly annoying. And of course Ashley, Tiffany (who’s in a coven), the cynic Nicole, and Jay.

Another thing that I liked a lot was the art style. It was amazing - incredibly cute, and the color scheme with its soft colors was very pretty. There was a lot of focus on facial expressions and small details, which I really liked.

Keep in mind that this novel ends on a huge cliffhanger!

“The Avant-Guards” was a fun and lighthearted read with great lgbtq rep, perfect for people who love stories about friendship and sports with just the tiniest hint of romance. I’ll definitely pick up Vol. 2!

- I received a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. -

Disclaimer: I was given an advance reading copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to BOOM! Studios for the opportunity.

Three words to describe this graphic novel? Fun, cute and quirky!

I love how The Avant-Guards was set in a school setting with an up-and-coming basketball club. I was so happy to see queer representation, and the story was not just cute at all. From the moment I started reading, I couldn't put it down!

I'm lying if I'll say that I won't follow this graphic novel, because I really want to dive into the future volumes. I'm not a huge fan of graphic novels, but The Avant-Guards made me want to fall in love with it a little bit more.

Such a fast and perfect read for Pride!

I cannot scream loud enough about this graphic novel. I'm so. It's so. AHHHHH.

The Avant-Guards was absolutely stunning. A diverse cast, with POC, diverse bodies, diverse sexual/romantic orientations and gender identities.
This graphic novel centers on Charlie, a transfer student at Georgia O’Keefe College of Arts and Subtle Dramatics. Lacking friends, she ends up falling for a misfit basketball team with a mixed group of friends. It was wholesome, lovely, and I need the second volume immediately.

Disclaimer: I have voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy from NetGalley, thank you!

I wasn’t at first interested in The Avant-Guards as I am more into fantasy than contemporary most of the time but this graphic novel bought me with a promise of a diverse cast of characters and a lesbian romance. And it was absolutely worth it.

Charlie is a transfer student in the Georgia O’Keeffe College of Arts and Subtle Dramatic (I actually copied the name from the synopsis because I wasn’t able to remember it). She struggles to find herself between new people, a wide choice of clubs and activities she’s not really interested in and on the campus overall. That is until she’s noticed by a yet-to-be basketball club that needs one more member to become a thing and the very enthusiastic team captain Liv and her band of misfits decide Charlie should be that member.

At first, Charlie is absolutely not amused by the efforts to get her on the team. She had bad experiences with basketball teams in the past and isn’t keen on going back to that life. Slowly, however, Liv’s charm and the work the other members put into convincing her starts paying off and Charlie opens up to her new friends and accepts the place in the club.

The plot of this graphic novel is pulled straight out from a sports anime and I absolutely love that about it. We have an enthusiastic character who is very energetic and passionate about the sport they’re playing, their “partner” who kind of don’t want to join the team at first and is a little grumpy and a band of lovable characters surrounding them. It’s casual and heartwarming and the end left me screaming for more because you just can’t dump all their hopes and dreams into the trash after everything seemed to go so well.

The characters are diverse and each one of them has their own personality and charm. Charlie is a quiet and a bit grumpy lesbian who isn’t sure about her place in the new school. Her bad experiences with basketball prevent her to accept the team’s invitation at first but as she learns more about them she decides to give her a chance. Despite that, her anxiety about games doesn’t go away just like that and she needs support from her friends to overcome those fears. Liv is a black lesbian who’s very passionate about basketball and goes out of her way to make the college team a thing but as it’s an arts college her initiative isn’t really popular. She’s very resourceful and basically organized a whole college basketball league on her own just to make her dream about playing come true. She’s also getting over a break up with another member of the team who seems to think they’d split up on good terms but Liv still seems hurt about it. She’s torn between feelings for the other girl and her growing attraction to Charlie who seems to also be interested in her. Their developing romance is really sweet and full of understanding and makes me so happy for them.

Besides that, there is a trans and bisexual character, a character using they/them pronouns and the team members come in all shapes and sizes, each one of them really amazing and with their own style and personality. Their personalities show especially well when they try to recruit Charlie, each one of them doing something they consider the best way of getting someone on their side. They’re an amazing cast of characters and I would love to see more of them in the next volumes.

The art style is lovely. Everything is in soft, pleasant colors, each character is drawn in a way that makes them diverse and incomparable to the others. The scenes when they play basketball are dynamic and clear. It’s just a graphic novel that’s really pleasant to look at.

Overall, The Avant-Guards is a great graphic novel about friendship and following your dreams. It has a diverse cast of characters and a cute lesbian romance. I’d recommend it for people looking for a pleasant, heartwarming read and also those who love sports anime. I will do my best to get my hands on another volume.

I LOVED this one! Oh my goodness, I want more volumes now! This was a super fun and inclusive graphic novel about females playing college basketball. It's a simple premise, and there's a love story that's quickly involved, but it's all sweet. I really enjoyed the characters, how they're all queer and how their personalities and ethnicities were all mixed. The friendship group reminded me a lot about my own friendship group from uni and how we were always together and sticking by each other's side. Although Charlie's character is a bit sullen at first, I love seeing glimpses of her happy side but also about her past--it seems like something big and bad happened to her that badly affected her trust, and I really can't wait to find out what her reason was for moving schools (I don't believe it's only because of no longer playing basketball?)! Liv's character, while mildly annoying, was also sweet and I loved seeing her vulnerable sides. She's such an exuberant, high energy character that seems confident 100% of the time but it's nice to read from her perspective as well.

I really enjoyed the artwork. The work gave me old(ish) school Archie Comic vibes, also with the text/speech bubbles. I loved the colors that are used in the comic, it lends the story an even happier vibe. I liked that there were some moments with a lot of text, but not too often, and that the text wasn't so squished into speech bubbles that they were illegible. Also, did I mention how much I love the name of the comic and the basketball team? Super cool!

There were four issues in this volume but I just want more now. I can't wait for people to read this one because it is funny, quirky and a little bit romantic! Thanks to NetGalley and BOOM! Studios for the free copy in exchange for an honest review. My review will be posted on my blog closer to pub date.

The cuteness! There are only four issues in this volume, but I'm so invested already. Give me more of these characters, please!

We follow the creation of a new women's basketball club, and all the team members are so interesting! There are a few that haven't been properly introduced yet (I expect this to happen in the next issues) but the ones we know are so charming and lovely! Charlie and Liv are adorable together, and I can't wait to know what's going to happen with them.

If you're into comics of girls being awesome, teamwork and sports... 100% recommended. Also, it features puppies, which is always a plus!