BiG NATE: I Can't Take It! (Family Comic Friday)

I'd been sitting on this book on my to-read pile for some time now. To my surprise, BiG NATE isn't an all-ages graphic novel; it's a comic strip! big NATE, as the series is spelled in syndication, has been in American newspapers since 1991. Originally, the strip was supposed to focus on Nate's dad, a balding divorcee who is the greatest middle aged athlete in the world. (At least in his head!) However, series creator Lincoln Peirce changed the focus on the strip to Nate and his misadventures at school, as he found those experiences much more humorous.

Nate Wright is actually a very intelligent child. Despite his failing grades, Nate is a chess prodigy. His over-active imagination, that we see unfold in his drawings, are what bogs Nate down in his 6th grade classes. It's also what prevents Nate from being as successful on the playing field as either a right fielder or the goalie for his soccer team. Honestly, Nate needs to skip a grade or two, as the material is just too boring for him. However, if Nate was to be seen as the genius he is, instead of a sloppy misfit dreamer, a lot of the humor of this series would be gone. 

Readers get to enjoy a full year of Wright family hijinks and I was thrilled. Many strips made me laugh. The humor was just so creative and quirky. Plus it was great to find a new series on par with Bill Amend's Foxtrot, which is my favorite newspaper humor strip of them all. 

If you're a cat lover, you might have some issues with BiG NATE. Terrified of felines, he's a certified dog person. Unfortunately, Nate's dad won't let him have a dog. So, Nate takes a job as a dog sitter for one of his neighbors. No matter how much Nate's ward, Spitsy proves that cats are way smarter than canines, Nate's devotion to mutts never falters. 

With almost 3 dozen collections of strips, families that fall in love with Nate and friends will have endless laughs. Plus, BiG NATE is now a computer-animated series on Paramount+. So when you need to rest your eyes, you can keep the chuckles going on your screen!

Lots of fun for not only the whole family, but for the whole calendar year! 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.