Saints (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Though Saints debuted concurrently with Gene Luen Yang's Boxers in 2013, it is considered by many to be a sequel and not just a continuation of the story. Consulting with both Google and Amazon, Saints is a sequel. I felt like it was a sequel. To call Saints the second volume of the story is wrong because that book actually retells many of the events that occurred in Boxers from a different point of view. The story ends right where Boxers ends with the destruction of the Hanlin Academy Library and the fall of the rebelling Boxers. 

I fact my biggest complaint about this award winning work is that there isn't a third volume that tells of what happened after the Boxer Rebellion ended. Boxers is from the perspective of a Chinese villager wanting to free his land from foreign invaders. Saints is from the perspective of a native who finds the family that they always wanted in the foreign bureaucrats' sponsored Catholic Church. I would have liked a third book from the perspective of the victorious 'foreign devils' after repelling the rebellion.

Saints is the story of Vibiana. In the Chinese language, the word for the number four sounds almost like the Chinese word for death. Being the fourth child in her family, Vibiana is considered a pariah. It also doesn't help that  she was born on the fourth day of the fourth month. Her grandfather also blames her for the death of her father, the elder man's son, and names her 'Four-Girl'. The mistreatment causes Vibiana to rebel, making a horrifying scowl at everyone she meets. When taken to a local acupuncturist, she finds friendship and warmth from the man and his wife who teach her the scriptures. Soon the Four-Girl gets baptized by the local Catholic missionaries and is rechristened Vibiana.

Vibiana proclaims her new faith to her family. In response, she was severely beaten for her conversion to Christianity. Vibiana runs away with the missionaries who have been ordered to congregate behind the protective ramparts of the capitol city of Peking.

Working in the orphanage, Vibiana meets a young convert who is in training to become a monk. Love seems to be in bloom between her and the boy. However, when the horde of Boxers lead by volume one's protagonist Bao, arrives at the city gate, the relative safety Peking's defenses offers appears seemingly in doubt. 

Inspired by visions of the French Catholic hero, Joan of Arc, Vibiana decides to quickly learn about kung-fu from her paramour, seemingly inspired to save her new family from the heathen Boxers. Only in a strange twist fate, Vibiana's new found faith in God will result in saving the life of the most unlikely of all people involved in the uprising; an enemy that readers of both volumes had thought was long deceased. 

Boxers, along with Saints was nominated for a number of awards. It won the 2013 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for best young adult literature as well as well as being named one of School Library Journal's best books of the year. Boxers & Saints has remained in print by publisher First Second, with several editions including a a 2-volume boxed set and a deluxe size compendium of both books in a single paperback edition.

Completing this review completes Task #4 (A Graphic Novel Sequel) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Eerie Tales from the School of Screams (Family Comic Friday)

Today's homework assignment: tell an eerie story to the rest of the class.

Over the course of the rest of the school day, 5 children will try to top each other with spooky stories about a town that vanished, a curious ghost, a modern Cinderella being terrorized by her hateful uncle and aunt, a doomed crew aboard a spaceship, and the evil secret behind grandpa's massive stash of treats.

I don't know why it is, but I am so ready for Halloween. I'm slowly seeing things popping up in stores and it's just got me in the mode for cool crisp weather and spooky comics all of a sudden. Of the 5 tales, the one about the mistreated little girl was the most horrific because it was so real. The story about the vanishing village was just a warm up for things to come and the ghost story was more like something from The Twilight Zone, in that it was the twist ending that was the real spine chiller. I liked the outer space horror story. It had a couple of great jump scares and was smartly plotted. Then there was the story about Poppi's candies. It has demons in it and when it comes to horror, that's not really my thing. 

I would love for there to be a sequel to this 2023 anthology from First:Second. I'd also be up for a 1-hour animated special of Eeries Tales from the School of Screams. There was an element of frights on par with that classic series of horror stories from the 1980s, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Amazon has the suggested age range for the book as being for readers aged 8-12. I would slide that scale over a bit to the right and suggest it for youngsters who are a very mature 9 to 13 years of age. 

At over 300 pages, it's one of the bigger reads out there. However, there's not a ton of words. Creator Graham Annable utilizes completely darkened out pages to signal the progression of time. I know from Hitchcock's Psycho, that the greatest horrors occur in the mind of the viewer when events are left unseen. However, from a sustainability factor, those black pages, sometimes 3 to 4 pages in a row, are in my mind wasteful. From the view of my wallet, those extra pages aren't so bad as the book retails for $14.99.

A very good book with original stories ranging in level of scares from 1-9 on a 10 point scale. I hope to read another volume of this. Yet, if the ending is the way things stand with the story of the children of the School of Screams, I am perfectly fine with that decision.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

What Happens Next?: Talent Show Troubles (Family Comic Friday)

Parents and guardians, if you were a fan of Bantam's Choose Your Own Adventure series of books, then you should introduce the young readers in your life to What Happens Next?. While nowhere near as violent as the beloved series that ran from 1978-1998, I did find myself dying pretty quick the first time I tried this interactive graphic novel. True, my death was in a dream. And I was attacked by some pretty pesky sea gulls. But it was a much funnier and less traumatic way to go than some of those CYOA novels.

In Talent Show Troubles, readers guide Megan Hathaway through a very chaotic day. She slept super late! Should she stay home or do her best to make it to school where she's in charge of the talent show? Now Megan has lost her notebook with all of the plans for the event. Does Megan put on an animal act or go with the kid in the sparkly suit? Now one of the teachers wants Megan to pass a note to another teacher in the audience. Should she do it or should Megan start helping her dad who brought snow cones for all?

This book promises over 100 paths. I probably followed about 20 of them before reviewing this book. Talent Show Troubles was just a zany romp that had the added fun of getting to make all of the character's choices throughout. Written and illustrated by Jess Smart Smiley, What Happens Next? continues the tradition of gamebooks, a genre where readers are able to play the part of story navigator. The only difference is that this story is done in graphic novel form!

I've encountered comic book versions of Choose Your Own Adventures before. Usually they involve the reader having to skip panels or follow story threads through to the next page. It's awfully confusing. Smiley makes sure that each decision takes the readers to a separate page making for a smoother transition, allowing the reader to stay immersed in the story. 

If the kiddos enjoyed the misadventures of Megan Hathaway, they can spend another day at school with her in Science Fair Frenzy. Newsroom Nonsense about Megan's time at the school paper will debut in Spring, 2024. Start the school year right with What Happens Next? and watch for things to go wrong for one precocious middle schooler!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Blue, Barry & Pancakes, Book 5: Big Time Trouble (Family Comic Friday)

Blue is a worm. Barry is a frog. Pancakes is a bunny. Together, Blue, Barry & Pancakes are the best of friends.

In this latest adventure, Blue is all set to give a poetry reading to his friends and neighbors. Unfortunately, Blue has a major case of stage fright. Maybe if he had a special item like a lucky penny, Blur would have the courage to perform his show. 

Thanks to Barry's newest invention, a time-travelling helmet, the 3 friends go back in time to meet one of Blue's ancestors in hopes that the distant family member might have something special the nervous worm can use to battle the fears away. But when Blue learns that his all of his poet ancestors had special trinkets to provide them with luck, he's compelled to keep collecting charms from even more relatives. 

Before you know it, Blue has an entire collection of heirlooms. But he's got to have just one more; this time from a Great-Great-Great (okay, I'm gonna stop here, but there are a lot of greats) grandfather who lived during the time of dinosaurs. Once Blue gets that forefather's fetish, the pals can go forward in time, back to the poetry recital. There's only one problem: the giant prehistoric duck that is terrorizing Blue's caveman predecessor just broke Barry's time travel helmet, leaving everyone stuck in the very distant past!

Big Time Trouble is the 5th book in the Blue, Barry & Pancakes series. It's my first trip with these three friends. I just happened to stumble across this book as it was being displayed on the new release shelf of family friendly graphic novels at my local library. This book was hilarious. I laughed out loud several times. While I wasn't happy with the solution of how the three buddies get back to present day, this was a fantastic read. One of which really makes me want to read the other 4 books in the series. 

Real life BFFs Dan & Jason are the creative team behind this book. The duo did a fantastic job. The level of humor and camaraderie is on par with that of another creative duo, Art Baltazar and Franco! I really hope Dan & Jason achieve the same level of success as the Aww Yeah! inspired creative team of which I am a big fan of. 

With some fun & games and a craft activity at the end of this book, the enjoyment of Blue, Barry & Pancakes can continue long after the story is over. And with 4 other books in the series (thus far) families of all ages can keep the amusement going for quite a while. With these extras, parents and guardians of readers aged 5-9 should think of purchasing these books as a way to make the upcoming summer vacation season a time of enjoyment and learning--- while having a great time, of course!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Time Museum Book 1 (Family Comic Friday)

Written and Illustrated by Salt Water Taffy's Matthew Loux, The Time Museum was one of the most refreshing and brilliantly smart graphic novels for older elementary school grade readers that I have read in a very long time. 

In the debut book, young Delia Bean has just learned that her beloved Uncle Lyndon is actually a time traveler. The founder and curator of the Time Museum, it's Lyndon's job to prevent tears in the space-time continuum from destroying time itself.

Seeing promise in Delia's abilities, the youngster is chosen to participate in the Time Museum's intern program. But first, she must earn a spot against 5 other candidates in a trio of tests arranged throughout history, past and future!

During her tests, Delia meets another time traveler. A mysterious man who calls himself the Grey Duke. Is he friend or foe? Or maybe a little of both? 

I completely loved this book. The characters are perfectly written. The concept is creative and there are a bunch of mysteries that I must know the answers to! And I love the relationship, albeit ever so cautious, between Delia and the Grey Duke. It's a lot like the one between the Doctor and River Song. Now, I'd go more in depth on this. But I am afraid I'd spoil things. True, this book was written in 2017. But I would hate to spoil the surprises in this amazing story.

Being a book from 2017 is also a downside to me. Thankfully, there is a book 2 out there for me to read. But that book dropped in 2019. It's 2022 and I don't see a third volume on the horizon. Maybe Matthew Loux wraps things up nicely in that book. But I would hate for such a promising series to be confined to only a pair of reads. 

I guess I'll just have to read that sequel and find out for myself. 

So if the young reader in your life likes time travel, history, intriguing mysteries and maybe some thunder lizards, then a trip through the Time Museum might be in your family's future. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Hawking

I became a huge fan of Richard Feynman thanks to the 2013 graphic novel work by Jim Ottaviani and Leland Myrick. When I feel like being brainy while getting in a good laugh or two, I play the lectures of Feynman on my computer. It's great background noise when you are surfing the web or updating book reviews. 

This was a guy who was building the first atomic bomb one minute and then sneaking out of Los Almos to play bongos at a local club the next. He was so serious and yet chill. And he was fun as well as funny as hell!

So when Previews announced the release of Ottaviani and Myrick's Hawking, I was first in line for the book. I love Stephen Hawking. I read his manga opus, A Brief History of Time when I was in the fifth grade (for fun; not a requirement.) I've followed Hawking career ever since, enjoying his hilarious appearances on The Simpsons, Futurama and The Big Bang Theory. 

So how was this book? Was it all I hoped it would be cracked up to be? In short- NO!

This book was an almost complete 180 turn from Feynman. While Dr. Feynman was the life of the party, Professor Hawking was a massive stick in the mud. Prof. Feynman was willing to accept concepts that didn't gel with his personal philosophy. Dr. Hawking tries to change those rejected ideas to fit into his view of the universe. But above all, this book was boring!

I was hoping for a more personal look at Stephen Hawking's personal life. His struggle with ALS has been in inspiration for me and countless others. While his personal life is glossed upon, this book was more of a treatise on cosmology and physics.

Only Stephen Hawking can make his insanely complex concepts seem simple. Ottaviani and Myrick are no Stephen Hawking. I literally was bored to tears with this book. It's also why it's taking me up till now to have finally completed this. I had to take breaks in order to overtake the mind numbing!

Sadly, Stephen Hawking also seems to have been a bit of a jerk. Understandably, suffering from something as crippling as ALS is enough to make anyone sour. But way before he started to show symptoms, Hawking seemed a bit of an ass. I really felt sorry for his first wife.

Should Jim Ottaviani and Leland Myrick do a third graphic novel based on a famous scientist, I would read it. It's not exactly that the creative team did a poor job on this. The true life of Stephen Hawking wasn't as enjoyable as the myth the late physicist had built up around himself. But I would recommend that they maybe not spending quite as much time on really difficult physics. It just wasn't as enjoyable read as it could have been as I didn't think that the creators really understood the mind of a master thinker; no matter how tarnished his armor now is in my mind.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Kitten Construction Company: Meet the House Kittens (Family Comic Friday)

When Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield and expert on humorous cats recommends a new graphic novel series about funny felines, you follow his lead. That’s why this week’s Family Comic Friday is all about the glorious gato as we review the first volume of Kitten Construction Company!

Kitten Construction Company: Meet The House Kittens
Story and art by John Patrick Green
Published by First Second
Pages: 70+
Retail: $17.99

Marmalade, Samson and Bubbles are all serious about building houses. But as cats, they are only looked at as cute, cuddly and funny! In order to get some respect, the kitties wrangle up some help and decide to show the people of Mewburg that they are the real deal when it comes to house construction!

Upon a recent trip to my local library, I found this book as it was being shelved on the new shelf in the young readers graphic novel section. I asked the librarian shelving it if the book had been popular and she said that it’s constantly in checked-out rotation. I just happened to get lucky when I did to grab it.

Both the recommendation of the librarian, the patrons of the branch, along with a glowing endorsement on the back cover from Garfield’s Jim Davis won me over in giving this book a read and man, am I ever glad that I listened to them all!

Kitten Construction Company was so much fun! I haven’t laughed so hard at something related to those with nine lives this side of a Youtube marathon of cat videos. Disney Adventures’ John Patrick Green obviously knows his felines. He gets the attitudes perfect. When Bubbles is distracted by a laser pointer, Green is flawless in how determined pussycat plumber is to ‘have that red dot!’

The artwork of the cats themselves are just adorable. Each one has personality and style. And all of the character kitties are extremely memorable.

This book debuted late last year. Had I found out about it sooner, it might have been my top hit of the 2018 season. It’s too late to do anything about it now. But better late than never, huh?

Book two in this new series, A Bridge Too Fur, debuts this October. So, before then, if you know of a fan of comic books and graphic novels aged 6-10 years old, check out the Kitten Construction Company. I guarantee that you’ll be so impressed by the antics of these purr-cocious carpenters that you will want them to build all of your future homes and places of business!

Kitten Construction Company: Meet the House Kittens debuted in print and digital platforms on September 4, 2018.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Maker Comics: Fix a Car! (Family Comic Friday)

I’m a big fan of books that can both educate and entertain young readers; especially comics and graphic novels. When I find a really good one, I make sure to share it during Family Comic Friday. This week I am proud to introduce Maker Comics, a new series of graphic novels that teach a variety of subjects, including automobile maintenance! Combing a dramatic narrative with in-depth activities, I wish they made these books when I was younger.

Maker Comics: Fix a Car!Written and Illustrated by Chris Schweizer
Published by First Second
Pages: 128
Retail: $12.99

It’s the first day of Car Club; an extracurricular activity held every Saturday. It’s lead by Mrs. Gritt, the high-school track coach. Whether you are a boy or girl, come join the fun! You don’t even have to be old enough to drive in order to participate. Just be sure to wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty and some sneakers that won’t slip in oil.

Over the course of the next several weeks, members of Car Club will learn a variety of techniques to keep their automobiles running smoothly. From changing a tire to detailing the hood, Mrs. Gritt is there to teach the students the basics of car care. By the time Winter break puts an end to these meetings, our participants might even learn a little bit about themselves!

Go to just about any auto shop in the world and you’ll find these books called ‘Haynes guides’. They are these massive books with extremely detailed drawings of how to repair almost anything in the make and model of car covered in the guide. That’s exactly what author and illustrator Chris Schweizer does in this book. His step-by-step instructions and diagrams show amateur mechanics how to get into the bowels of their vehicles.

I have always loved cars and trucks. But I never had someone to teach me how to perform quality maintenance on an automobile. I really wish I had had something like this book to have shown me the way to do things.

Some of the activities in the car will require an adult. I’m not advocating for an 9 or 10 year old to get this book and start changing the own in their parent’s car battery by themselves. But there are a variety of things that kids crazy about cars can do at just about any age.
The easiest thing for anyone to do in this book is on how to properly clean, wash and wax a vehicle. Sure, nobody likes to clean. But if you start to teach a child with the little things and they take it serious, you can then move on to bigger and more intensive things. Plus, did you know that washing a car can actually keep it from rusting?

Gross Fun Fact- bird poop is so acidic, it can eat away at a car’s paint job!

More advanced projects in this book range from replacing a headlight/taillight to tightening a loose fan belt to changing a tire.

Not everything you need to know about fixing up your car is in the book. Changing spark plugs and rotating tires are some activities hinted upon but not covered. I wish that pumping gas was included in this book. Yes, some states require that a child be of almost driving age in order to use a gas pump. But that’s an important step in keeping your car running that is often overlooked even in driver’s ed.

Currently, there’s only 2 books in the Makers Comics line. But, First Second has several more DIY-style graphic novels on tap to premiere later this year, including ones how to create a superhero costume and how to plant a garden. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the other book currently out on the market by First Second, Bake Like A Pro! Once I do, that will be a focus in my semi-regular column, Cooking Geeky.

Reading Rainbow's Levar Burton has a famous saying. ‘If your kids loves superheroes, then dammit, buy them comic books!’ Forgive the salty language, but the Roots actor is right. Do everything you can to get the next generation reading.

I would amend Burton’s advice to say that if the young reader in your life is interested in cars then buy them this book. Society is losing a number of skilled labor jobs not to immigrant workers but to colleges and other institutions of higher learning. With a focus on computers and math and physics, everyday science skills such as botany and auto mechanics is dying out. Do you know how much a certified mechanic makes in a year? Let’s just say that I had Maker Comics around when I was a kid, I’d have my house paid off within just 1 years worth of work under the hood.

Taking visual learning to the next level, Maker Comics promises to teach valuable and fun skills to car enthusiasts of all ages. A little bit technical at times, this book does go step-by-step. So readers can work on projects at their own pace! A must for anyone who wants to share the experience of working on cars with a special youngster in their life!

Maker Comics: Fix a Car! Debuted in print and digital formats on February 5, 2019.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Is This Guy For Real? The Unbelievable Andy Kaufman

I've been fascinated with Andy Kaufman from a very young age. I remember seeing that infamous scene where Kaufman has fire thrown in his face by Jerry 'The King' Lawler as well as later getting the snot slapped out of him (again by Lawler) on the David Letterman show.

Though Kaufman died in 1984, over the past 3 decades, it seems that interest in the absurdist comedian will spark back up about every 7-8 years. His over-the-top stunts and brilliant bits of surrealism have never really left the public's interest. When such interest in Kaufman reaches it's temporary zenith, I end up reading another biography on the comedy icon.

This biographical graphic novel by Box Brown is a rare triple-triple crown for me. This is the third biography on Andy Kaufman that I have read just as it is also the third work by Box Brown that I have gotten my hands on.

While the other two Kaufman books focus more on his time as a comedian and actor, this 2018 volume, published by First Second, deals more with Andy's life-long love affair with wrestling. I really learned a lot of new stuff that I did not know about Kaufman- especially how he came to be involved with the circuit down in Memphis. I would have liked more focus on Kaufman's personal life as well as his battle with cancer. But the information Brown puts into this book was quite satisfying.

In the early 80s having a big name celebrity involved with professional (I.E. FAKE) wrestling was unheard of. These days, it's not considered unthinkable if a celeb doesn't appear on a wrestling program or premiere event to pitch a new film or music project. Why even our current President of the United States took to the squared circle prior to his political career to get in some free publicity. There can be no doubt, without Andy Kaufman, the WWF (now WWE) and showcase events like Wrestlemania would not be the cultural touchstone that they are today.

I love Box Brown's work. I've been eagerly awaiting this book for well over a year after devouring Brown's story of the video game Tetris. There's a couple of Brown's collections of fiction stories out there for me to read. But I can't wait to see what piece of pop culture history Box Brown has in store for his next work of non-fiction. (Upon further research, the answer to that pondering is Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America, due in stores in April 2019.)

Worth Consuming! 

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Lumberjanes #49 (Family Comic Friday)

Welcome to Family Comic Friday. This weekly column highlights comics and graphic novels that can be enjoyed by the whole family. It's my hope that the books featured not only opens the young readers in your life up to the world of comic books but the joy of reading as well.

This week is all about girl power as we’ll be reviewing the latest issue of Boom! Studios’ award winning series Lumberjanes! Then in our penultimate preview of the 2018 Free Comic Book Day releases, we check out the anthology one-shot Comic Friends Forever, featuring creators such as Hope Larson and Shannon Hale.

Let's get started with my review of …

Lumberjanes #49

Written by Shannon Waters, Kat Leyh

Art by Dozerdraws

Published by Boom! Studios

Lumberjanes is the title nobody thought would or could ever get made. The series was created by the team of Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Brooklyn A. Allen and Noelle Stevenson. These women comic creators saw a lack of material for girls aged 10-13 on the market- especially made by women.

Working with the publisher Boom!, this creative team was able to book an 8 issue miniseries and turn it into a global phenomenon that next month will celebrate it's historic 50th issue!

Lumberjanes follows a group of 5 campers who are spending their summer at Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's Camp for Hardcore Lady Types summer camp. Using their unique talents and endless spirit of adventure, the girls notice some strange things going on in the nearby woods. Weird stuff, like three-eyed foxes and an old woman who transforms into a bear.

Over the past 48 issues, the secret behind these supernatural occurrences has been building up to the 50th mega issue that promises to reveal something.

Now you might be asking why am I reviewing a book that promises to let several cats out of the bag in the very near future. Well, for one thing, this issue reads like a very good starting point. The entire camp is stuck inside the mess hall thanks to a monsoon outdoors. Having all of the main and supporting characters in one place offers new readers a chance to really explore the various personalities that occupy the camps.

A couple of the campers discover a hidden tunnel that runs under the camp. While yes it adds to the overall mysteries surrounding the camp itself, a new reader doesn’t have to have read the previous 48 issues of this series to understand just what is going on. Sure, it helps. But it’s not required.

I want to talk a minute about the artwork and that’s going to lead into a controversial aspect of the comic book. The book is illustrated by German artist Dozerdraws. The artist gives amazing life to each and every character in this book. But there was something about one of the Lumberjanes named Jo that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. So, I did a little research into the character.

Jo is a transgender girl. The child of a gay married couple, Jo a male transitioning to a girl. In no way am I condemning the character or the book. I think Lumberjanes is a good series for children, especially girls. But I add this information because not all parents and guardians may feel that the subject matter of sexuality and gender is inappropriate for their child.

One reason I started doing Family Comic Friday almost a decade ago is one day I was at a comic book store and a frustrated mom went up to the clerk. With a copy of Hellblazer in her hand, she asked if it was appropriate for her 8-year old son. The clerk responded with two thumbs up. ‘Hellz yeah!’, he crooned.

It was at this point I realized that some parents have no idea what comics are age appropriate for their kids, much less nieces, nephews and grandkids. So when I review a comic, I base my score on storytelling, art and editing- not content. But I do feel that I need to let all parties involved know of anything that might be considered controversial or even a little too grown up for the recommended age group. Ultimately, when it comes to letting a child read any book I review, it’s ultimately up to the parent or grown-up to decide. But perhaps, by my reviewing of this series, I might encourage some families to begin a more open dialogue on gender and sexuality.

In terms of my rating, I give Lumberjanes high marks. The storytelling was flawless, though I wish that some of the characters names were given earlier on. In terms of the artwork, it was really good. So good, that I thought one of the characters was really a boy and I was right! I give Dozerdraws high praise for not trying to make Jo look any different than they did. To do so would have hidden Jo’s true persona and I think that in a nutshell is what Lumberjanes is all about- being true to yourself!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Lumberjanes #49 was released in print and digital media on April 25, 2018.

Comic Friends Forever

Written and Illustrated by Hope Larson, Ben Hatke, Shannon Hale, LeUyen Pham

Cover by Vera Brosgol

Rated: All-Ages

Release Date: May 5, 2018

Comics friends forever! First Second presents an amazing Free Comic Book Day anthology that celebrates kids comics, girl power, and the amazing work of creators Vera Brosgol, Hope Larson, Charise Mericle Harper, Ben Hatke, and Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham. Don't miss out on this comic filled with the power of friendship that's great for every kid reader in your store.

This review was published concurrently on Outrightgeekery.com.

Varmints (Family Comic Friday)

Young Ned and his sister Opie are on the hunt for their Pa. Only Opie knows that their father is also the illusive criminal kingpin known as PA. As they search for their missing patriarch, the siblings undertake a number of exciting adventures involving giants, horse rustlers, and a thrilling cross-country race in which the winning gets an exclusive face-to-face meeting with PA!

This book was awesome. Science Comics' Andy Hirsch did such a magnificient job on this all-ages graphic novel by First Second. The story was excellent and very funny and yet poignant at all the appropriate times. Extremely original while mixing in iconic elements from the Old West, Varmints would have ranked on my top of 2016 list if I had found this book in time. But that's okay- better late than never.

The thing I loved the most about this book is the artwork. Back in the 80s and 90s, animator Don Bluth was killing it with such films like An American Tail and the Land Before Time. His flowing style of humor, heart, and song was all the rage in family animated features both with and without Disney.

Varmints feels like a Don Bluth film. In fact, if Bluth's studios with FOX Animation doesn't pick up this book and turn it into a movie, they missed out. Hirsch's artwork jumps off the page. Look at the cover, it appears that Ned and Opie are about to leap off the cover and land in the reader's lap. And there's dozens of amazing spreads just like this cover or even better.

I really am in love with this book. The characters are memorable, especially the animals, like Maggie the burro whom Ned is tricked into buying for the big race. I don't think I will ever forget this book and I hope you readers won't either. Plus, I would not be opposed to a sequel or two detailing more adventures of Ned and Opie. 

Top notch excitement that broken into small chapters for easy read and a very fast pace of action!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Quirk's Quest: Into the Outlands (Family Comic Friday)

 
   Quirk is a commander in the Crutonian army. He's tasked with the mission to explore and document the uncharted lands to the north of Crutonia. But when Quirk's ship, the H.M.S. Gwaniimander runs afoul of some menacing 4-eyed sea-giants, his mission becomes one of survival. 
       Now minus a ship, most of his provisions and half of his crew, Commander Quirk must rely on his skills to complete his mission and hopefully return home a hero. Sadly, Quirk's not the most competent of leaders and dissension is in the ranks. Plus, he's raised the suspicions of a crazed hag who may have kidnapped one of his crew. Thankfully, the pygmy natives of this region are immune to her charms and offer to lead the crew of the Gwaniimander out of the treacherous region and into presumably safer pastures.
       The first book in the Quirk's Quest series was quite interesting. It read a lot like a child's version of Master and Commander- only starring what looks like members of Jim Henson's Muppets gang. I enjoyed what I read and I hope there's going to be at least a second book.
       Amazon rates this book for grades 3-6 and I would have to agree with them on that. Several characters die in the book or at least get severely injured. Seeing Kermit's distant cousin get smushed by  giant boulder might be very unsettling to younger readers. (Who am I kidding, that scene made me sad- and I'm almost 40!) Plus, that creepy old witch is pretty creepy.
        An adventuresome read that breaks the rules of traditional children's graphic novels. This would make a great summer read!

      Worth Consuming

      Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo (Family Comic Friday)

  Charles thinks he's going to hate the new town his parents moved to, Echo City. His father has just been appointed the new caretaker of a former hotel and his family gets to live in the building for free as it's being renovated into an apartment complex. While his room is like a tiny prison cell, Charles does like all the cool stuff his dad finds that past tenants have left behind. An aspiring news reporter, Charles writes about these things on a blog during his downtime. But he's still not happy with the move. 
   One night, while Charles is asleep, something strange comes into his room and steals some of his stuff, including a beloved action. Desperate to get his toy back and eager for answers, Charles is given a business card from one of the new friends he's made in hopes of helping him out.
    Help comes in the form of Margo Maloo, a girl of about 10 whose got some serious street smarts. The young lady also has a mysterious connection with the monsters, goblins, and ghosts that secretly dwell in Echo City and she assists Charles in negotiating with a troll in his building's basement for his missing items. 
    Smelling the scoop of the century, Charles becomes Margo's assistant, documenting away as the young sleuth solves supernatural related crimes for both the humans and monsters throughout Echo City. Why, by the end of the duo's first caper, Charles just might also find himself liking his new hometown.
     Where was this book when I was a kid? It would have been an all-time favorite of mine!
     Where was this book last year? I would have added it to my best of 2016 review! 
     The answer to the first question is that this series wasn't invented yet when I was a kid. As for the latter, the book was floating around the children's graphic novels section, I just didn't notice it until too late. But I'm noticing it now and I love it!
       This 2016 book from First Second is actually a collection of strips from artist/ author Drew Weing. Two years ago, the Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo was started as web-comic that issued forth new pages every couple of days. As is becoming a trend with web series like this one, when an artist has enough source material, and financial backing, they get published in print too!
     Along with a reprinting the first strip, City of Monsters, Weing also includes 2 book-only adventures, The Ghost in the Post and the Ogre's Baby. That's right, you can only find those full-length tales in print. Hopefully, the current adventure of Margo and Charles, Panic in the Attic will see physical publication sometime soon. (I know I could go ahead and read this story online, but I really love paper!)
      The neat thing about this comic is what it really is deep down: Margo Maloo is really Sherlock Holmes. I also enjoy that it's done in such a way without being a knockoff or parody. Still not convinced? Think about it for a moment. Both Sherlock and Margo make excellent deductions. Both have a certain knack with secret societies, informants, and back alley meeting places. And Charles is Doctor Watson, as they both record their brilliant detective buddy's amazing adventures. The only difference is that Sherlock's spooky adventures were always found to be science related; he never dealt with actual monsters.
      I love this new series that is equally parts fun, spooky, and oh so mysterious. The book is recommended for ages 8-12 but I think older kids and adults (like me) will enjoy this graphic novel collection as well. This series is silly at times. But it's also very smart with a lot of the clues being peppered in throughout. Weing's art is really amazing and after the read through each mystery, you're going to want to go back and examine each and every corner of Echo City.
     Drew Weing has created a really awesome little universe here with Margo, Charles, and the monsters who occupy Echo City. It's a place I want to visit again and again. I think the young graphic novel reader in your life will too!

      Worth Consuming

      Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

    

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen

    The graphic novel medium is pretty much an untapped resource when it comes to food. Yet, with it's visual aesthetic, you'd think that this would be the perfect venue for it. Maybe that's because no one's been able to crack the code- until now...

    Lucy Knisley's Relish is a glimpse at her life story and how food has had such an impact on her life and that of her family. Her mother was a superstar employee at Dean & Deluca and later a much sought after caterer in Northern New York. Her uncle ran a trendy Big Apple gourmet shop in the 80s and her father is a consoussier of the Manhattan restaurant scene. 

    Added to this neat tale are several recipes. Knisley draws out pictures of each item and provides unique insight into the selection of products, substitution of ingredients, and other variants. Her pasta carbonara recipe is something that I am dying to try out one day soon.

    This 2013 graphic novel by First Second has a suggested reading of ages 6-12 but really, this is a memoir and tribute to food that any age can enjoy. I think it should be required reading at the culinary school where I teach. It's got some many great insights on food trends, what it means to be a chef, and how food brings people and cultures together.

     A really awesome read that I highly recommend. Be on the lookout for other food related graphic novels by Knisley, like I am: French Milk (2008) and An Age of License (2014.)

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.