Pandora's Legacy (Family Comic Friday)

Welcome to another edition of Family Comic Friday! I hope you are all as big of fans of mythology as I am for today’s selection is full of epic heroes, villains and creatures. This week, I will be reviewing Pandora’s Legacy from Kaboom! This 2018 graphic novel modernizes the Greek myth of Pandora’s box and blends in folklore and legends from around the globe!

Pandora’s Legacy
Written by Kara Leopard
Art by Kelly and Nichole Matthews
Published by Kaboom!
SRP: $9.99

Trevor and his sisters, twins Janet and Charlie, are just about to beginning summer vacation at their grandparents house when their beloved cat Po, escapes his carrier. Fleeing into the woods, the siblings chase after their cat and make an amazing discovery. In the middle of the woods is a derelict cottage filled with ancient looking statues. When Trevor breaks a vase that one of the statues is holding, the siblings unknowingly release an army of mythical creatures. For you see, that Grecian urn was in fact Pandora’s box!

The siblings aren’t flying blind as they attempt to retrieve the monsters unleashed. Their cat Po now houses the spirit of Greek hero Prometheus and can now talk. He explains that the Trevor, Janet and Charlie are descendants of Pandora and the next in a long line of protectors of her fabled box of monsters.

However, with the original container now in pieces, the children will have to rely on the only thing that remained with Pandora- hope! Can they devise a new way of capturing the missing creatures? It’s just possible that the key to locking the monster back into their prison has been in their possession since before this adventure began.

Kara Leopard (Mr. Hare and Mr. Bear) pens an amazing tale that promises to be the first of a series. The idea of a family of protectors of Pandora’s Box is quite similar to Buffy, The Vampire Slayer. Only replace bloodsuckers with gorgons, mermaids and other creatures of myth and fable.

I really liked all of the characters in this book. However, I think Kara Leopard has a huge problem on her hands. The best character in the book non-fatally sacrifices their freedom to save the day. The writer has got to figure out a way to bring him or her back because that character steals all of the best parts of this story!

I also feel like I need a Greek-to-English dictionary in this book. The main characters are Greek Americans and they use Greek words sprinkled throughout their conversations in English. Yet, there's nothing like an Editor's Note to explain what is being said. I felt a tiny bit lost in translation at times because of that. Some young readers might feel the same. (Something to consider if there is ever a sequel.)

The art by twins Kelly and Nicole Matthews (Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy) was quite interesting. Though Pandora’s box is a Greek myth, I am thinking that the monsters she set free weren’t all from that same part of the world. The creatures in this book have features identifiable from Japanese and European mythology as well as Greek. Plus aren’t Chupacabra’s from Mexican and Puerto Rican folklore?

As I mentioned earlier, Pandora’s Legacy looks to be the start of a new comic/graphic novel series. Published by Kaboom!, I went to their website in hopes of finding out more about a second book. However, there isn’t anything indicating a sequel. The initial announcement for this volume was posted during the publisher’s countdown to Comic-Con last year in July. So perhaps a second book will be unveiled around the same time and manner this year.
As always with Family Comic Friday, I rate a book on it’s artistic quality. However, I also inform parents and guardians of areas that may not be suitable for all-ages. This is an entertaining book perfect for ages 8-12. Older readers who are fans of Percy Jackson will dig this book too!

There is a couple of scary monsters who attack the children at various points. Those situations are that which some younger readers might find a bit too much Also, one of the minor characters has same sex parents. While there’s nothing explicit or condemning about that, I mention this as I understand that different parental units have different parenting styles. I also mention this as I know that many same sex couples have a desire to find age-appropriate graphic novels such as Pandora’s Legacy which are friendlier and more open to all lifestyles.

Kaboom! has a real winner here! There appears to be a near unlimited source of monsters and villains out there that need returning to Pandora’s box. But if Leopard and the Matthews’ twins want to get book two to be as good, if not better than this one, they’re all going to have to find a way to bring that mystery character back from their exile!

Pandora’s Legacy debuted in Print and digital platforms on December 4, 2018!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

This review was concurrently published on Outrightgeekery.com.