Broughtupsy

At once cinematic yet intimate, Broughtupsy is an enthralling debut novel about a young Jamaican woman grappling with grief as she discovers her family, her home, is always just out of reach

Told through an intimate and atmospheric first-person account, Broughtupsy is a queer diasporic chronicle of twenty-year-old Akúa’s return to her native Kingston, Jamaica, after living in the U.S. then Canada in the decade following her mother’s death.

The reason for Akúa’s return is a woeful one: her younger brother Bryson has just passed from sickle cell anemia, the same sickness that took their mother. Unmoored and in mourning, Akúa returns to Kingston to hopefully reconnect with her estranged older sister Tamika, her last living sibling, and to bring her brother home. As the two sisters visit significant places from their childhood, Akúa is confronted with the difficult realities of being gay in a deeply religious family, of feeling separate from her home culture after years of living abroad, and of battling the grief of losing her mother then brother at pivotal moments in her young life. Along the way, she meets Jayda, a bashful queer woman who shows her a different side of Kingston and gives her a glimmer of hope of how to be at peace with her sister and herself.

At its core, Broughtupsy asks us: what are we willing to do for family? What are we willing to do to savor the feeling of home?

Standard and Primary covers are widely available through general retailers. They often have higher print runs and can be cheaper, especially during sales.

In contrast, Direct Market (DM) and variant covers are primarily sold in comic shops. DM editions tend to have more limited availability and may be more valuable to collectors.

The main differences lie in artwork style, availability, price, and collector appeal. Ultimately, the choice between standard and variant covers depends on personal preference, budget, and individual collecting goals.

Comic book enthusiasts have various formats to choose from when collecting their favorite stories.
Here's a brief overview of the main types:

Omnibus

• Large, hardcover collections
• Usually contain complete runs or extensive story arcs
• Typically 800-1000+ pages
• Higher price point, often €100-€150

Oversized Hardcover (OHC)

• Similar dimensions to omnibus, but thinner
• Collect shorter runs or story arcs
• Usually 300-600 pages
• Priced between €30-€50

Hardcover (HC)

• Standard-sized hardcover books
• Collect 6-12 issues typically
• Similar dimensions to single issues, but with a hard cover
• Priced around €25-€35

Trade Paperback (TP)

• Softcover collections
• Standard comic book size
• Usually collect 4-6 issues
• Most affordable option, typically €15-€25

Other Formats

• Absolute Editions: Oversized, deluxe hardcovers (mainly DC Comics)
• Compendiums: Massive paperback collections
• Graphic Novels (OGN/GN): Original stories not previously released as single issues

The choice between these formats often depends on personal preference, budget, and collecting goals. Omnibus and OHC editions offer larger artwork and more content but at a higher price, while TPs provide a more affordable way to collect complete story arcs