Fence Breakthrough: Quarter Clash #1

Fence (Single Issues) #28

by C.S. Pacat

The competition heats up in the next installment of the GLAAD Award–winning sports drama!

The Kings Row fencing team has successfully made it to the quarter-finals, which puts them one step closer to their goal of beating Exton!

But Aiden, as usual, has started to check out, and worse—no one’s even surprised.

Can Harvard figure out how to keep Aiden’s head in the game before the team falls apart? Or will they be faced with the difficult choice to press on to victory without him?

Return to the high stakes world of Fence with the newest chapter from acclaimed writer C.S. Pacat and internet sensation Johanna the Mad!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Comics, LGBT, Contemporary, Romance

48 pages, Paperback

Published January 7, 2026

About the author

C.S. Pacat is the USA-Today best-selling author of Dark Rise, the Captive Prince trilogy, and the GLAAD-nominated graphic novels Fence.

Born in Australia and educated at the University of Melbourne, C.S. Pacat has lived in a number of cities, including Tokyo and Perugia, and currently resides and writes in Melbourne.

Reviews

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

our long national nightmare (waiting for this issue of fence to be released) is over. unfortunately, i now have an urgent need for the next issue. also unfortunately, all of our other long national nightmares persist.

on balance i’ll still take it as a win

[Katie Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'M CHEWING CARPET JUST LET AIDAN KISS HARVARD ALREADY

[Brigi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god, the flashbacks at Aidan and Harvard's childhood.... crying, Please, these two need to confess and smooch already!!!

[Novels and Nummies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Screaming... Crying... Throwing Up..... MY BABIESSSS

Jan 9: OMG THE COVER CHANGED TO LOOK LIKE CHALLENGERS. I’m so excited!!!

[Kaci · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG. This one killed me dead. Literal tears over a fencing comic. wtf. The burn couldn’t be slower. The torture like a thousand flicks from that damn épée. NEXT!

[agustina · Rating 4 out of 5]

por qué re mil carajos sus subtramas personales son tan tristes???? vos queres que me quiebre otra vez???

ah, y mención especial a esa portada por favor🙏 necesito imprimirla y colgarla en la pared... que grato es el arte por dios

[Emily✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A win for the Aiden lovers. This felt like a strange place to slow down the action in favor of backstory, and I didn't find it very interesting if I'm honest.

TW: parental abandonment, sick/dying parent, hospitalization

[H.K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

That's it? That's the cliffhanger they leave us on? How long am I going to wait for the next issue? I love this series, and I love Aiden and Harvard, but this series's release dates are so frustrating!

[AJ Easterday · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5

Loved getting an issue that was from Aiden's point of view and finally getting to learn about his past! Honestly one of my favorite issues of the series. The slow burn romance continues to torture me though (in the best way).

[Baldeón Kristhel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Que le hicieron a Aiden, DIOS COMO LLORE.
La verdad este capítulo fue escrito y diseñado para quebrar mi estabilidad y hacerme llorar a mares; no tengo pruebas, pero tampoco dudas.
En esta ocasión nos centramos en Aiden y su pasado, como antes era ingenuo y poco a poco tuvo que empezar a cubrirse para que no lo lastimaran más, el abandono de su madre, el quemeimportismo de su padre y las constantes madrastras que fingían interés en él, todo esto acabo con mi niño; y en medio de toda esa tormenta estaba Harvard, quién lo sostuvo; tal y como él lo cuenta, con Harvard tuvo muchas primeras veces y almacenó cada una de ellas en un lugar especial en su memoria.
Todos ya sabíamos (pero ya lo confirmamos) que Aiden está profundamente enamorado de Harvard, pero tiene miedo de perder el único afecto real que ha tenido en su vida, y darme cuenta de eso me golpeo fuerte, porque siento que alguna vez todos nos hemos sentido así.
De los momentos que más me dolieron fue cuando explica cómo sería la cita perfecta para Harvard y que en algún momento el fantaseaba con que esa cita perfecta sea de ambos. Espero que Aiden logre confesarle a Harvard lo que siente, no quiero que mi niño sufra más, porque les aseguro que yo sufriré con él.

[Taryn Palmisano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me level with you. I really like Fence. I like a lot of the characters and I’m here for the ride. But it’s been a long ride (28 issues!). And sometimes not a lot happens in an issue to progress the story. I thought the Harvard and Aiden friendship backstory was an odd placement but I didn’t mind reading it exactly. What I do mind in how long Sej and Nicholas are taking to be anything romantic. Because honestly, honestly, HONESTLY - that’s what I’m really here for and I feel like I’m being toyed with a bit; and it’s making me lose interest. As always the illustrations are dope.

[abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

once again questioning how the fence novels fit into canon but here for the ride regardless

[lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love fence. i do always want to read more than a single or double issue at a time. but i will always wait for the next one!!

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

[Maelle]

i'll give anything for young aiden

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having a million and one feelings about Aiden in this one... as always ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT FOR MORE BUT DOING MY BEST TO BE PATIENT AND GOOD!

[klaying]

JUST REALIZED THIS EXISTED WOI AIDEN MY CHILD LOOKS SO BADASS

[Vivian Lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the blast from the past, but I don’t know if I like Aiden.