Fires above hyperion

Patrick Atangan's autobiographical graphic memoir follows his own romantic life through a run of LGBT-centered stories about love and its endings. The chapters move from clumsy early meetings to the discovery that a promising new partner was already taken, and finally to the relationship breakdowns that seem impossible to avoid. Atangan treats these episodes with a bleak, deadpan wit, mapping out the hazards of dating as a gay man. The book pairs the awkwardness of its subject with a cartoonish, self-deprecating tone, and it will appeal to readers who enjoy candid stories about modern dating told with a dark edge.