The AIPT Comics Podcast returns with episode 399! This week, David Brooke sits down with cartoonist Leah Hayes to discuss her haunting new graphic novel, Identical, from Fantagraphics. Inspired by her experiences as an identical twin, Hayes explores family, identity, and the unsettling possibilities of artificial intelligence. We discuss the story's personal inspiration, her distinctive art style, and plans for a potential film adaptation. Before the interview, David and co-host Alex Schlesinger break down the biggest news from NYCC 2026, including Grant Morrison's James Bond series, Marvel's Webtoon shakeup, and major announcements from Marvel and DC.
The AIPT Comics Podcast returns with episode 399! This week, David Brooke sits down with cartoonist Leah Hayes to discuss her haunting new graphic novel, Identical, from Fantagraphics. Inspired by her experiences as an identical twin, Hayes explores family, identity, and the unsettling possibilities of artificial intelligence. We discuss the story's personal inspiration, her distinctive art style, and plans for a potential film adaptation.
Before the interview, David and co-host Alex Schlesinger break down the biggest news from NYCC 2026, including Grant Morrison's James Bond series, Marvel's Webtoon shakeup, and major announcements from Marvel and DC.
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NEWS
Our Top Books of the Week:
Dave:
Alex:
Standout KAPOW moment of the week:
Alex: Luther Strode #1 (yes, I know it’s an anniversary reprint, but still)
Dave: Midnight Spider-Man #1 (Phillip Kennedy Johnson, ScieTronc)
TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK
JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.
Interview: Leah Hayes - Identical - September 15, 2026.
1. Identical’s main premise is about AI-assisted fertility, but very quickly becomes an intimate story about family and identity. Did the concept start with the speculative technology, or with your own experiences as an identical twin?
2. This is your most personal work to date. After years of illustrating other people's stories, what made this the right time to tell one so deeply connected to your own life?
3. One of the book's biggest mysteries is that readers aren't immediately sure which twin is artificial. How did you approach building that uncertainty without turning the story into a traditional mystery?
4. The graphic novel raises fascinating questions about what makes someone "real." Did your own relationship as an identical twin influence how you think about identity, individuality, and what separates one person from another?
5. The artwork is strikingly minimal. Many pages contain only one or two panels, and the limited blue-and-white palette, combined with the paper-like textures, creates an almost dreamlike atmosphere. What led you to such a restrained visual language, and how did you decide that less would ultimately say more?
6. The emotional connection between the sisters feels almost supernatural, even before the AI elements enter the story. How did you balance the science fiction with the emotional truth of what it's actually like to be an identical twin?
7. The mother makes a morally complicated decision out of love, and the bioengineer believes he's advancing humanity. The book rarely presents easy heroes or villains. Was it important to you that every character believe they're doing the right thing?
8. The sparse pacing gives readers a lot of space to sit with each moment, almost like poetry. Did you always envision Identical moving at this quiet rhythm, or did you discover that pacing through revisions?
9. The ending reframes the story in a hopeful way, with the narrator embracing who she is instead of fearing it. After exploring questions of identity, motherhood, technology, and sisterhood, what do you hope readers are still thinking about after they close the book?