It Rhymes With Takei
Writers: George Takei, Steven Scott, and Justin Eisinger
Artist: Harmony Becker
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
Publication Date: June 2025
With the new graphic novel It Rhymes With Takei, George Takei offers a profoundly personal and unflinching view of his life, weaving historical context that also provides a portrait of America. Heavily tinged with Takei’s own personality, the book is a cheerful reminder that while things are difficult, we need to have the courage to defend what is important to us. Publisher Top Shelf gives Takei fans plenty to sink their teeth into. In addition to the personal and historical elements, this book is Trekkie heaven, with a ton of celebrity cameos throughout. What cuts through all that is a message that we have to be proactive and be the change we want to see. It all adds up to a book that is an inspiring — and simply lovely — look at an icon of our time.
Takei’s first graphic memoir, They Called Us Enemy, is already a must-read comic, and It Rhymes With Takei is sure to join the list. There is a magical thing that happens as George not only witnesses but also participates in various moments in American history through his activism. This is a dense graphic novel at 336 pages, but that’s what works best about it because the book gets to cover so much. The connective tissue to the graphic novel is Takei’s struggle to come out publicly as gay, which he did not do until he was 68 years old. He is deeply involved in numerous causes, including political campaigns, the Vietnam War, and the Civil Rights Movement. Still, despite being vocal about so many other causes, he was cautious about being vocal about LGBTQ+ movements. Having a chronological approach to storytelling highlights what is at stake and how brave Takei is for rising to the occasion. There is a real momentum that the book gains as it enters the second half because you are invested and want to root for George Takei.
The art by Harmony Becker is gorgeous; the faces are incredibly expressive, and the colors really stand out on the page. I loved the parts where George would be embarrassed, and the art style would shift more towards a manga style. It made the joke and punchline part that much better. And Becker lends gravity to the sober parts of the story as well; it’s truly incredible work, and kudos to IDW Publishing for reuniting this team.
Structurally, we follow Takei’s early years of his life, being put in an internment camp during WW2 with a feeling of anxiety never goes away. Takei’s experiences as a young boy leave him with a restlessness that makes him want to fit in, at times causing him to conform so he wouldn’t draw attention from others. “To show the world a character…that was almost my full self, but not quite. Something similar but not the same. “Almost like a rhyme,” writes Takei. It’s easy to see how this marks the beginning of Takei’s acting career, which would later develop into a love for the theatre. We see him get his big break and then dip his feet into local Los Angeles politics. The story really hit its apex when Proposition 8 was passed by California voters in 2008. It brings tears to your eyes to see Takei and his partner, Brad Altman, deal with it and make the decision to come out publicly.
Overall, It Rhymes with Takei is an important book that we need in this current political era. The scope of this graphic autobiography goes beyond dealing with sexuality. It’s about coming to terms with and accepting who you are and your place in your community. Look, times are tough everywhere, but if you do what you can, take it day by day, it all might turn out…
It Rhymes with Takei is available here via Top Shelf and in bookstores everywhere
Read more great reviews from The Beat!
