Check, Please!: Year Four

Check, Please! #4

by Ngozi Ukazu

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Romance, LGBT, Queer, Sports, Contemporary

292 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Ngozi Ukazu is an American cartoonist and graphic novelist. She is the author of the online graphic novel series Check, Please!. She studied at Yale University and the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Reviews

[human]

Okay, Imma be real here and just say for the record that I'm never going to calm down about this. I absolutely loved everything about the series, even though there wasn't a clear "plot" and it was about sports, which I usually hate.

The art was absolutely adorable and incredible. I was SO invested in the characters the whole time.

But that ending.

I SCREAMED!

AND MAYBE CRIED A LITTLE!

So I may have seen it coming (sort of), but that did not stop me from loving every. single. moment. of this.

I just.

AKDSLKJALDSKAJSKDJLASJDLAKSJDAKLSJDLADKAJSLKJA

*continues to fangirl*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OHHHHHHHHHHH MYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDD
I'M SCREEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
AKSJDLKAJSDLKAJSLDKJALKJDLKJALSDKJALSKDJALKSDJLASKJSDKA
RTC WHEN I'M SLIGHTLY MORE COHERENT
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Shawna Finnigan]

TW// homophobia

Year Four is one of the better sections of this series. It added some much needed depth to the series with the inclusion of homophobia and the inclusion of a father that struggles with showing outward acceptance of his queer kid.

Other than that though, I mostly found this series to be just an okay read. There were some cute moments and adorable artwork, but it rushes through scenes and it’s not the most interesting LGBTQ+ sports comic that I’ve read.

[Emma Greco]

Holy shit. I am literally crying right now... that was the perfect ending.
I need more.

[sammy]

:")

[Flor ):)]

4.5 estrellas.
Que bonito final

[Natalie]

I am absolutely obsessed with this comic. This is the found family series that I have always searched for, but never found. I am in love with every single one of these characters (SHITTY IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE PROTECT HIM AT ALL COSTS ALSO PLEASE LET THERE BE ANOTHER COMIC WITH LARDO AND SHITTY AS THE MCS I NEED IT LIKE I NEED AIR TO BREAAAATHE). I love love LOVED the hockey team dynamic. The way they became brothers over the books, with the new recruits coming in, was impeccable. It makes me very nostalgic for college as well, and I wish my college experience was as full of shenanigans and these kind of dynamics as this comics was. The scenes where the seniors said goodbye hit HARD. They perfectly hit the nerve of "excitement for the future, but sad for the present, as it is coming to an end." Just amazing. I can't wait to read anything and everything by this author, they might be an insta buy for me (my very first!!)

I also loved Jack and Bitty's relationship-I do wish that there was more buildup before they got together, but the way they grew together was perfect. And I LOVED the fact that, while Jack was afraid to come out to his teammates (afraid not only if their reactions but what it could do to his career), he never wavered on the fact that he wanted to be with Bitty. Too often in media nowadays if there is a non-hetero pairing, there is usually the whole "we can't be together because of my career/family/society" angst and due to that the couple breaks up for a time before they realize that they don't care about those things and just want to be with the other person. Valid feelings, but I didn't want that angst in this comic, and I'm so glad that it wasn't put in there. AND THERE WERE NO JEALOUSY SUBPLOTS THANK GOD. Once they were together they were together and nothing could break them up. Ugh I just love them so much

Also Ransom and Holster have one braincell between them and I love them for it

So long story short READ THIS COMIC ITS AMAZING WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE OR AT LEAST MAKE IT A HELL OF A LOT BETTER

[alyssa]

4.5*

[Jojo]

I don't really get the hype but it was hockey and it was gay and it was in general cute and wholesome so I'm not complaining. Wish they didn't draw Jack to look like a 45 year old dad and Bitty to look like a 7 year old....

The mass hype had me expecting something deeper but it was not the case

[crybby]

my children *sobs*

[bella issa]

4.5
I was hit so hard by the moments on the ice :,)

MY HEART. IT'S FULL.

[Emmaline Savidge]

I finally got my kickstarter goodies so of course that meant I needed to do a year 4 reread. God it really feels like an end of an era now. I can’t wait for Ngozi’s next book, I’ll buy anything that she creates.

[Winnie]

I WASN'T READY FOR THIS TO BE OVER :') :')

[Cienna]

What a great comic series. I love this. Highly recommend for anyone that just wants a happy ending to an LBGT story.

[Salo]

qué bonito. me gustó mucho el final <3

[caleb gao]

4.5!!
BRUH WTF THE ENDING IM CRYING. also domestic jack and bittle <3 i’m love

[Jordan Smith]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA IT'S SO CUTE

[ria]

cute cute cute cute

[Hanna]

This was perfect

[b]

SOBBING I DONT WANT TO BE DONE WITH THESE CHARACTERS

[Alyssa]

This made me cry, in the good way

[Jose Castellanos]

This was just so… 🫂❤️‍🩹

[Brigitte Brase]

so timeless ngozi my hero

[☆]

Dates: 6/1/2020-10/4/2020
Format:
Stars: ★★★★
Grade/ rating: A-
~ Notes:

[rachel]

(4.5/5)

I’m still crying

[Littlebookterror]

I reread the earlier three volumes in preparation for the finale I'm finally getting around to and it truly put me back to when I first discovered this story (back on Tumblr!) and how much joy it brought me. And still brings me joy.
Actually, I think this might have been the first hockey story I ever read? It's funny since I am much more knowledgeable now about the culture and language surrounding the sport, so it was certainly less weird than it was the first time when I learned about chirping from Holster and Ransom.

It feels like I've partly grown up with these characters myself and goddamn, I was invested in them all. For all that there is a romance with our main character, it's the friendships and camaraderie that brings me back to Samwell. Overall, it's a delightful tale and I am sad and happy that it's finished now. I loved it. The vlog framing. The jokes. The pies that pop up everywhere. The Haus. The romance. It just packs a lot of heart.

[Theo]

Check, Please! ending feels like a change of the tide. I want more people to read this series. Heartstopper fans, if you want a series about two cute boys falling in love in college and all the sweetness, get this one too!

I will miss Bitty and his love of baking. However, I cannot imagine trying to bake in the Haus.

It felt too real to have Bitty avoid answering his mother's phone calls after he kisses Jack on TV but hasn't come out to her yet. It also felt real to procrastinate about the last thing you must complete before graduation.

The reveal of Bitty's fear of being checked, in many ways, his hockey origin story, was worked in so gently by Ukazu, who took such care of all the queer readers of Check, Please.

I'll miss this adorable story about queer love, male friendship, hockey, and baking.

[emma ♡ lvs evajacks]

ESTE FINAL!!?!?? 😭😭😭❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

no me lo esperaba porque si que es verdad que los dos primeros volúmenes (o years) de esta novela si que me parecieron un poco sin más (aún así me gustaron, pero sentía que no tenían la suficiente chicha, por así decirlo) PERO ESTOS DOS ÚLTIMOS?? me han parecido absolutamente perfectos. Han sido todo lo que esperaba de esta historia. El deporte, las amistades, el amor, la sexualidad y el descubrimiento y aceptación de uno mismo; y el impacto mediático que tiene en el mundo del deporte masculino (cosa que me ha ENCANTADO leer). Bueno y por supuesto, el arte de la autora me parece una absoluta monada…

en resumen, jack y bittle (y compañía) se han llevado un cachito de mi corazón y los protegería con mi vida🥹🤧

[Micaela]

Perfección. Eso fue este final.
Hermoso. Feliz. Bello. Adorable. Perfecto.
Último año de universidad de Bitty, ¡y qué año! No me voy a explayar al respecto pues #spoilers, pero fue hermoso, intenso, y todo cerró perfecto.
Saber que era el último le dio un gustito agridulce. Devoré estos cómics en dos días, y fueron dos días hermosos que voy a atesorar en mí corazón.
Los personajes tiene un desarrollo hermoso, la calidad del dibujo mejora de principio a fin, y la adorabilidad nunca decae. A veces está bueno un poco de realismo irreal donde la gente logra ser feliz.
La lectura perfecta para estos tiempos aterradores cuando necesitamos algo que nos haga sentir bien y nos dé esperanza.

[Michael]

A perfect ending!
A sports story about coming out, friendship, family, and pies. Sweet, delicious pies! Read my spoiler.
Jack won the cup. Bitty won the champion as the first queer captain in the NCAA. Now he’s a vlogger for his recipes and has a book deal. Jack is on an NHL team. They live together and are engaged! I love how this comic was not afraid to keep moving forward. It could have drawn out-see what I did there-each year and the will they won’t they thing forever. It didn’t. It pushed forward. Happily ever after!

[Rogue]

Conocí a estos chicos como por cinco horas, pero igual lloré cada vez que uno besaba el hielo.

Estos cómics están muy buenos. La trama y la historia son sencillas, pero toca temas profundos de manera correcta. Tiene su toque de drama, aunque todo es muy soft y bonito, en un tono muy ligero. Hay partes que me hicieron reír muchísimo y los personajes me encantaron.





Jack, demasiado fan de todo tu.
Bitty, quiero probar todo lo que cocinas.
Ransom y Holster, que dúo más icónico.
Lardo, queen.
Shitty, favoritoooo.