ARC Review: The Avant-Guards, Vol. 1 by Carly Usdin & Noah Hayes

The Avant-Guards, Vol. 1 by Carly Usdin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Charlie transfers to the Georgia O’Keeffe College of Arts and Subtle Dramatics, she struggles to find her feet, but winds up exactly where she belongs…in the school’s (terrible) basketball team.

As a transfer student to the Georgia O’Keeffe College for Arts and Subtle Dramatics, former sports star Charlie is struggling to find her classes, her dorm, and her place amongst a student body full of artists who seem to know exactly where they’re going. When the school’s barely-a-basketball-team unexpectedly attempts to recruit her, Charlie’s adamant that she’s left that life behind…until she’s won over by the charming team captain, Liv, and the ragtag crew she’s managed to assemble. And while Charlie may have left cut-throat competition in in the dust, sinking these hoops may be exactly what she needs to see the person she truly wants to be.

From Carly Usdin (Heavy Vinyl) and artist Noah Hayes (Wet Hot American Summer, Goldie Vance) comes an ensemble comedy series that understands that it’s the person you are off the court that matters most.

Collects The Avant-Guards #1-6

Charlie enters Georgia O’Keeffe College for Arts and Subtle Dramatics with no idea where she’ll belong, but then gets recruited by the school’s fledgling basketball team where she finds her place. The two main beats of the storyline in this first volume is Liv convincing Charlie to join the team, and then their first match. The story is mostly light-hearted, with a slice of life vibe, as we get to know the various team members, and is mostly through the viewpoints of Charlie and Liv, the latter having a crush on the former. Additionally, the cast of characters is incredibly diverse, with representation of different races, sexualities, religion and genders. And to add to the cute factor, there is a puppy adoption drive that happens after the match! Overall, it is sweet and upbeat, and I am looking forward to future volumes.