It’s been four long years since the last issue of David Kelly and Robert Kirby’s wonderful Gay Boy With a New Attitude comics anthology, and 10 years since they launched the series. While refreshingly punky and alternative as ever, this 10th anniversary issue is a departure from previous editions in several respects – it’s larger and slicker in both appearance and content, it includes a story from an established queer comic series (“Cavalcade of Boys”), and there’s contributions from and about women.

Many stories are autobiographical and biographical in nature. Of the shorter entries, Kirby (known for his syndicated “Curbside” strip) himself illustrates a few one-pagers, including “Cemetery Boy”, G.B. Jones’ recollection of an encounter with a young Morrissey-esque teenager playing dead in a graveyard.

Adding a dash of humorous life-meets-art-meets-life poignancy, the piece is capped off with an actual photograph Jones snapped of the kid. Kelly also illustrates a few short pieces, including Kevin Lansong’s “Untitled”, in which a nerdy indie rocker boy on the prowl laments his peers’ Abercrombie/Madonna/Twink mindset.

Continuing this romance-is-doomed thread, Tim Fish, whose soap opera-esque

“Cavalcade of Boys” series offers modern, sexy yarns about gay love/lust with a retro romance comic twist, provides “Behind Bedroom Doors”. “Behind”, which ties into “Cavalcade” continuity, also works as a standalone tale of Tighe, a jaded romance-hungry homo, and his depressing encounters with typical whoring gays thanks to a clueless fag hag. Pathetic or lost jabs at romance and sexual connection also drive Steve MacIsaac’s melancholy “Fucking Desperate”, and Ivan Velez Jr.’s amusing “Mickey Dickey”.

More fantastical (and longest) is Andy Hartzel’s “Leaving the Beast”, a not entirely Disney-ready fable. Surely the cutest and funniest inclusions are a few adventures of “Liliane, the bi-dyke”, Leanne Fransen’s chipper alter ego. Liliane finds a leather bar’s population drawn to her androgynous charm – until she dons girly drag.

Art-wise, Boy Trouble #5 is superior to its predecessors, with many distinct cartooning styles on display. Craig Bostick and Jennifer Camper both display clean, juicy inking styles, with a touch of similarity to Jaime Hernandez (who illustrated the last Indigo Girls album). Judging from “Remember Fleece?” I’m sure that illustration isn’t Tony Arena’s inborn talent, but it’s compensated for by his almost conversational memoir of punk rock youth and a fluffy-haired crush. The bizarre drag-queens-in-a-gym-freakshow “Diva

Athena”, my least favorite inclusion, is admittedly a first time out for artist Joel Steinpreis. Yet his loopy visions suggest a potential future Emily Hubley. It’s laudable that Kirby and Kelly are still open to creative newcomers and challenging their audiences, yet reassuring that they also maintain an overall high, accessible level of quality for comic loving indie-minded queer boys and girls.

A handy bio section at the back includes contact info (and amusing personal ad-esque write-ups) for most of the writer/authors in case your appetite is whetted for more of their work. Trouble this fun shouldn’t be hard to find, so if things go well, a paperback collection of the rare issues 1-4 will follow.