Encore!: A Graphic Novel

In this queer rom-com graphic novel for fans of Heartstopper and Bloom, two ex-best childhood friends reconnect again in high school only to discover they might be something more than friends. Based on the popular Webtoon of the same name!

Senior year is in full swing, and Clay's determined to have a good year filled with friends, theater dreams, and newfound confidence. But when his ex-best friend, Aron, suddenly reappears in his life--and his theater class--it throws a wrench in all of Clay's plans. Annoyingly, the two are paired up during an improv exercise, and being vulnerable together onstage swirls up all sorts of old, complicated feelings. Even more annoyingly, Aron is acting like there's nothing weird or confusing about being back in each other's orbits again. Which is ironic, since Aron was the one who ghosted Clay in the first place.

As their class assignment continues and they spend more and more time together, Clay isn't sure he can keep his old feelings buried. But can he trust Aron again, after everything they've been through?

• Ex-Best Friends to Maybe Lovers: Once inseparable, now painfully awkward, Clay and Aron navigate what's changed--and what hasn't--between them.
• A Second Chance at a First Love: Years after things fell apart, reconnection brings back feelings neither of them every truly moved on from.
• Slow-Burn High School Romance: At the start of senior year, emotions feel bigger, riskier, and harder to ignore.
• Theater Kids: Onstage vulnerability encourages emotional honesty that seeps into their real lives.

Miles Toriko Burks is a cartoonist based in California who has been drawing his whole life. He loves to tell the sorts of stories that he likes to see and read, with a focus on creating characters that come from underrepresented identities. When he's not drawing, Miles has a passion for theatre, swimming, and roleplaying in fantasy worlds, which are interests he likes playing upon in his stories. Encore!, based on his popular webcomic of the same name, is Miles' debut graphic novel. To keep up with Miles, visit him online at milestburks.com.