Les Normaux. Janine Janssen. S. Al Sabado. HaperCollins. 2025. $30.
If you’re looking for something fun, breezy and with heart, then check out the new graphic novel, Les Normaux, which collects the popular LGBTQ+ webcomic for the first time. This is the story of boy wizard meets boy vampire set in Paris with a cast of supernatural characters. It’s like a cross between Bewitched and Emily in Paris.
These kind of soap opera comics are not without a certain amount of repetition and slow-paced narrative but that goes with the genre. I think it takes a magic touch to set the right tone and find ways for the characters to resonate with the reader and that is what the book’s creator, Janine Janssen, achieves. This comic is in the tradition of coming-of-age tales, with a witty sense of humor and an empathetic spirit, that will appeal to any reader. The artwork by Jansen, along with backgrounds and design by S.Al Sabado, compliment this comic’s upbeat vibe.
Our story kicks off when a young man grows weary of living at home and strikes out on his own. In no time, Sebastien is in a whirlwind of intrigue. No sooner has he set foot on his path to freedom than he crosses paths with Elia, a young man after his heart. Sebastien is a wizard-in-training. Elia is a seasoned vampire and fashion influencer. Paris and adventure, or misadventure, awaits. For those new to this webcomic, you can find it at Webtoon, where it has accumulated 95,000 subscribers and 8 million views since it began in 2021. This new book, published by Avon, an imprint of HarperCollins, collects the beloved webcomic for the first time as a graphic novel.
