IDW; $4.99

You can meet interesting people in airports; travelers coming and going to see family or friends, going on vacation or a business trip. For Carter Blue and Lee Smith, their meet cute happens when both have flight delays. Carter is an artist who co-owns an ad agency and Lee is a research scientist working for NASA. The pair strike up conversation effortlessly and bond over their love of science fiction. The problem? He lives in Columbus, Ohio and she lives in Chicago, Illinois. Should they pursue a relationship with over 300 miles between them? That’s the question they’ll puzzle through the issue.

Comic books usually aren’t the place to find a romantic comedy, which makes Long Distance interesting from the get-go. Thankfully it deviates from rom-com troupes by avoiding bets, challenges, or misrepresentations and goes straight to a genuinely cute story. Thom Zahler pulled double duty writing the story and providing the art. The dialogue between Lee and Carter is so effortless and sweet that it’s hard not to get excited along with them. The art is charmingly cartoonish, falling somewhere between Garfield and Archie. It’s a great first issue with lots of potential.

-Amanda Sheriff