Flux

It's 2003 in rural Rigsby, Wisconsin: amid the placid, scenic small-town beauty, the teens of Rigsby are roiling with struggles over what might come next, where to turn, and what's standing in their way.

When we first met Jeordie and Jenna, the young couple were just starting to find their footing, but now it seems they're never on the same page. Sex and the occasional joint are the only things they both enjoy, and what if Jeordie doesn't even like the sex? On top of that, it seems like everyone has some kind of problem with Jeordie; his science teacher thinks he's a troublemaker, he doesn't always fit in with his classmates, and as one of the school's few black kids he draws extra scrutiny from the adults.

But everything seems to change one night when Jenna, perpetually plastered, drags him to yet another drunken party packed with people they both dislike. Jeordie tries to steal a moment to himself and bumps into Jenna's friend Bryan, whose sympathetic ear turns into a sympathetic embrace . . . and then more. Jeordie's world is about to be flipped, and not just because of Bryanâ"he has a fateful night in store, and nothing will ever be the same.

S.E. Case's beautifully drawn RIGSBY WI is a refreshingly genuine tale of life on the cusp of something new, and the saga continues here.