Vulnerability is My Superpower: An Underpants and Overbites Collection by Jackie E. Davis
5 of 5 stars
A sweet, instantly relatable diary comic about self-discovery, mental health, relationships, and childhood. From bouts with anxiety and insecurity to the thrill of simple pleasures like secretly trying other people’s coats on at a party, she’s figuring things out as she goes along, navigating domestic life with her husband, Pat (aka “the Purple Guy”), and sharing her most embarrassing thoughts and habits so you don’t have to.
For anyone who struggles with self-confidence or just likes to scrutinize the curious workings of relationships and everyday life, the confessional comic gems of “Underpants & Overbites” will make you laugh, think, and feel less alone.
I’ve seen Jackie’s work on and off over the years, and always found it relatable, but for whatever reason I hadn’t done a deep dive, so to speak, into her comics. I really wish I had.
This books is so beautiful, I can’t even begin to explain my feelings about it, but I will try. Reading Underpants and Overbites is super soft and cozy and relatable, while also making you think because there’s just something about it that hits different. There have been times – while reading this book as well as her other strips – where I have felt that connection with something she mentions and realize that it’s okay to feel a certain way.
The fact that she takes ownership of her feelings and isn’t afraid to be herself makes me feel like it’s okay to feel that way too, even if it’s not the best or healthiest feeling. Because it’s still part of us and it still shapes who we are. She did truly make vulnerability her superpower. And in doing so, gave all of us a bit of it too. I certainly felt better and more accepting of my imperfections and idiosyncrasies.
Some strips are so silly, some are so poignant, and some a mix of both – I sometimes just stopped to stare at the page for a while and let it sink in. A book I’ll certainly be revisiting, and my first 5 star review of the year.
*A review copy was provided to Oh Just Books by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
