Keiler Roberts creates "more of the same" in the deliciously sardonic Preparing to Bite, an autobiographical, mostly unfiltered, examination of quotidian life as mother to Finn, wife to Scott, daughter to aging parents, and friend to a select few. She compiles what she calls "vignettes of meaningless experiences" into a delightfully droll collection of single-page, black-and-white, line-drawn comics whose simplicity belies Roberts's multilayered observations.
The Covid-19 pandemic still looms, with masks noticeable outside the home. Classes continue online; Roberts queries her students: "Have any of you experienced fomo about a Zoom that you weren't in?" Her easy relationship with daughter Finn is particularly heartwarming--playing video games, taking walks (often holding hands), continuing conversations while on the toilet. Their relationship is also bluntly honest: "It looks like your talent has really decreased," Finn comments about one of Roberts's comics. Meanwhile, Scott is (barely) tolerated--"you bother me wherever you are"--even as Roberts recognizes his kindness in not pointing out her faults. Graphic novelist friend Karl Stevens cameos not only in Roberts's phone conversations but also as a guest on the page, with meticulously detailed panels that are cleverly integrated into Roberts's narrative. Time passes, poignantly marked by the death of the family's older dog and the adoption of another.
Just as Roberts did not quit making comics in The Joy of Quitting, she decides here, too, that she won't quit, "not yet," while Scott queries, "How many times have you quit now?" Will she/won't she might be a repeated discussion, but lucky readers have proof here that she gratefully, glowingly persevered. --Terry Hong