Strays

A literary graphic novel about loneliness, connection, and survival in the modern city. Perfect for readers of Adrian Tomine and Chris Ware, Strays is an evocative story about the fragile ties that bind people together in an increasingly isolated world.Chris W. Kim's Strays is an enigmatic and visually stunning graphic novel set within the rhythms and routines of modern urban life.A young man flees a disaster at home and comes to live in the city with his sister. Looking for stability, he takes a job as a deliveryman, spending his days navigating apartment buildings, crowded streets, and fleeting encounters that reveal both the closeness and distance of city life.As he travels his route, he repeatedly encounters old friends and former acquaintances. What begins as a welcome source of connection gradually becomes more complicated as he discovers that many of them are struggling in their own ways. Their requests for help force him to confront difficult questions about responsibility, compassion, and the limits of what one person can do for others.At once a character-driven drama and a subtle social parable, Strays explores the realities of precarious work, social isolation, community, and belonging. Through a series of interconnected encounters, Chris W. Kim examines how people drift through one another's lives, searching for purpose and connection while carrying burdens that often remain unseen.Rendered in Kim's richly detailed and distinctive graphic style, Strays captures both the beauty and unease of contemporary city life. Quietly profound and emotionally resonant, this literary graphic novel offers a moving reflection on friendship, empathy, and the challenge of maintaining human connection in an increasingly fragmented world.