Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula (Family Comic Friday)

  

 Poor Princess Decomposia! Her father, the king, is a bit of a hypochondriac and hasn't left his bed for years. Thus, the Princess has become the unofficial official head of state. With very little time to herself and even fewer friends, she's very lonely, overworked, and unappreciated. So when the castle cook quits suddenly, the Princess must act quickly and she immediately hires a pastry chef who happens to be a vampire without fangs but a very mean sweet tooth.

    Armed with Count Spatula's vast array of culinary masterpieces, Decomposia is on the verge of finally succeeding as the Underworld's de facto leader. But as their friendship grows, a budding romance between the princess and chef begins to blossom. Soon, Decomposia starts to find time for herself and actually enjoy life. But when the rest of the castle staff begin to gossip that the zombie Princess is falling for a vampire, will the two live happily ever after or will the king put an end to this affair before love finally gets a chance to bloom?

    Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula is just such a great book. I love the title which is a play on Dracula. I thought the art though a little rough, was very whimsical and appropriate for this story. The plot was excellent and the dialogue was very clever. Each character had their own unique voice and dialect. And Imagination! WOW! Besides the numerous unique monsters that appear throughout this book (including a super creepy eyeball creature) the recipes that Spatula devices are culinary dreams!

As a professional chef, I think this book was neat and something needed in the comic book world. There're all sorts of titles devoted to superheroes, scientists, writers, soldiers, reporters, and the like. But where are the graphic novels about chefs? 

    If you've got an aspiring chef home then this is the book for them!  This is the type of book that as a kid if I read this, it would have inspired me to have become a chef a lot sooner that I did. It's got wonder, whimsy, and most of all heart. It's a true winner.

    The only thing I wish this book would've done was to explore the monster realm a little more. There's quite a bit about the goings on of the castle. But considering how wondrous the castle employees are, I'm sure the residents of the Underworld are just as creative. Maybe there'll be future volumes of the adventures of Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula. We can only hope!

A very quick read, this book, published by First Second, is geared for those in grades 6-10. It teaches valuable lessons about delegating, honesty, and friendship. Also, if you read a little between the lines and look at the potential romance of a zombie and a vampire, there's also a little lesson about race and how it can transcend cultures and overcome prejudice. Who knew graphic novels could be so deep?

   Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.