Heartstopper by Alice Oseman meets KPop Demon Hunters in the tenderly romantic and intrepid YA graphic novel Kloud 9.
Star children are born out of stars and are "supposed to use their magical abilities to fight off threats and help protect the system" around the star that birthed them. Silver-haired, light-skinned Cosmoturr Col Al'neyr (aka "Cosmo") is a star child who, now a young man, must become a Star Soldier. Unfortunately, he hasn't yet developed his magic powers, making his demanding mentor, Andromeda, believe him "fragile and weak." Earth-born, brown-skinned Kal, jaded after 11 foster placements, has chosen isolation over abandonment. But when Cosmo's spaceship is struck by an asteroid and he crash-lands on Earth, Kal can't resist helping the injured stranger. Kal nurses Cosmo back to health, and the two boys become nearly inseparable. Cosmo is hiding something and Kal knows it, but the boys develop feelings for each other anyway. When Andromeda appears in Earth orbit to retrieve Cosmo, the boys escape in Cosmo's spaceship, initiating a suspenseful chase across the stars.
Kloud 9: The Star Soldier blends endearing romance with invigorating action. Artist Dominic Bustamante intersperses longing glances and bashful blushes between his inventive and highly detailed kaleidoscopic alien worlds and fluid fight scenes. His panels are borderless and overlapping, creating a quick moving visual and textual plot. Bustamente and coauthor AJ O. Mason's graphic novel is told entirely through dialogue, allowing for a charming love story to ignite. An open-ended finale will likely leave many readers eager for more. --Alanna Felton, freelance reviewer