Long distance relationships are hard; add senior year of high school on top of it, and you’ve got a recipe for heartbreak. These are the pitfalls that Gabby and Neesha will have to resolve in Navigating With You Vol. 2, written by Jeremy Whitley, illustrated by Felia Hanakata, colored by Linden Cahill and Juancho! Velez, lettered by Carlos M. Mangual, and with a cover by Volume 1 artist Cassio Ribeiro.
Maverick, the YA imprint of Mad Cave Studios, is giving fans a second installment of the Ringo Award and Harvey Award-nominated series, Navigating With You. This is a heartfelt, POC-led, must-read for anime-loving and/or queer teens. “I think this story is important because as fun as falling in love is, it’s way easier than being in a relationship – even one as deep and important to them as Neesha and Gabby’s. I think we do queer folks a disservice when we pretend that finding your first love means all the hard work is over.” said author Jeremy Whitley.
Navigating With You Vol. 2 is about the very real, very hard task of keeping a long distance relationship going even as your life goes through massive changes. It also introduces a whole new expanded cast of characters in both Neesha and Gabby’s lives for readers to fall in love with. I know readers who loved the first book will love this one, and even a few readers who thought the first book wrapped things up too neatly might find something in here that appeals to them”, added Whitley.
Maverick continues to bring young readers graphic novels about identity, independence, and the personal struggles that shape who we become. “When Maverick first approached me with this book, I fell in love with the premise at first sight,” said artist Felia Hanakata. “Anime? Manga? Bookclub? Long distance relationship? Sign me in!”
Hanakata added “As someone who had a long distance relationship for over a decade, it is such hard work and a huge commitment, and I’m so happy to be able to draw Gabby and Neesha’s! The art and editorial teams were great and understanding, letting me do what I do best: drawing the subtle nuances of relationships. The anime part was such a treat too — I got to flex my flashy shounen muscles. Readers who love cozy romance with deep characters, nuanced friendships/relationships, and anime will definitely love this one!”
Navigating With You Vol. 2 goes on sale November 25, 2026 in both hardcover for $21.99 and paperback for $16.99. Final order cutoff for comic shops is November 2, 2026.
