Two nonbinary youths who meet as kids ally against fascism in this spacefaring graphic novel with a Star Wars feel. When researchers from a peaceful science commune land on a planet to collect data, child researcher Lu, who is Black, follows an ion trail to an abandoned transport shuttle. There, Lu finds light brown--skinned Fassen, the sole survivor of a Fireback Brigade resistance shuttle that crashed after an attack by the Ever-Blossoming Empire. Though Lu wants to help Fassen, Lu cannot break their community's rules, which stipulate "never, ever" getting involved in the intergalactic conflict. Not wanting to leave Fassen stranded, though, Lu fixes the ship's communication equipment, creating a secret channel for continued communication. Years later, Fassen, a junior-grade medic cadet with the resistance, is on a mission gone wrong when they use the channel to reach solo researcher Lu--an action that transports Fassen and a squadmate across the empire, directly to Lu's location. In jewel-toned art that foregrounds figures and technology, Delliquanti's (O Human Star, for adults) tropey comic offers a variously inclusive cast, including incidental nonbinary representation, and explores themes of nationalism, imperialism, and revolution. Ages 12--up. Agent: Jennifer Linnan, Linnan Literary Management. (Feb.)

Two young adults forge a profound connection amid an intergalactic war. Lu is a curious young explorer who belongs to a scientific commune that prioritizes research and knowledge while staying neutral in the conflict brewing around them. While exploring some wreckage, Lu stumbles upon Fassen, a young member of the resistance who has lost their parents in a shuttle crash. Lu helps Fassen return to the Fireback Brigade--the "biggest resistance force the Ever-Blossoming Empire's ever seen"--but the two keep in touch, communicating secretly and becoming fast friends. As the story progresses, they both grow into their respective roles--Fassen's bravery and desire for combat get them switched from a medical path to a soldier's, and Lu continues to research mysteries of the universe with Field, their mobile AI unit. All is well until Fassen discovers the exalted Fireback Brigade may not be as perfect as it seems. Delliquanti's art entrances, combining dynamic scenes with bold, surprising color schemes to create a spellbinding interstellar universe. Characters frequently upend gender norms, such as Sgt. Bda Gr Sertig, who uses she/her pronouns and sports a thick beard and unibrow. Lu is fat and has dark skin; Fassen is brown-skinned, and the rest of the cast includes a variety of genders, skin tones, and body shapes. Charming, kinetic, and colorful in more ways than one. (concept art, author's note) (Graphic science fiction. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.