Briony Hatch

While other 15-year-olds are interested in makeup and making out, Briony Hatch is preoccupied with the magical world of her favorite book series, "The Starling Black Adventures." But when she comes to the end of the series' final novel, Briony is left to face reality: her parents are getting divorced, she is moving to her dead aunt's house, and she has no idea how to be a proper teenage girl. The Skinner sisters (The Art Room) have done an outstanding job of making Briony sound like an adolescent; she is a bundle of emotions that often conflict, and as a result she is frustrating and heartbreaking all at once. Although the lettering feels awkward and some of the panels lack depth, the rendering of the main character is delicate and subtle. Simple lines reveal classic teen gestures such as an insecure slouch or a nervous hunch.