Our friends at IDW Publishing have an awesome autumn new release for those youngest of trick-or-treaters. While Little Jackie Lantern isn’t your typical comic book, it’s a whimsical board book for readers in grades 1-3 who just can’t wait for Halloween!
Little Jackie Lantern
Written by Tom Waltz
Illustrations by Jessica Hickman
Colors by Mickey Clausen and Peter Zaragora
Published by IDW Publishing
Pages 12
Retail: $7.99
Poor Jackie Lantern. He’s been afraid of Halloween ever since he was the age of 2! It’s all those ghosts and ghouls and goblins. With help from his mom and best buddies, will this be the year Little Jackie Lantern conquerors his fear of All Hallow’s Eve and learn that sometimes being scared can also be fun?
Little Jackie Lantern is perhaps the shortest book I have ever read or reviewed for Family Comic Friday. Being from IDW Publishing, I was expecting a traditional graphic novel. Instead it’s a very short board book! I guess board books can be considered graphic novels for very young readers…
The story itself was delightful. Writer Tom Waltz pens a melodic poem about a child’s hesitations with Halloween. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle author explains that it’s okay to be afraid. Sometimes frights can even be a little fun. But someone, such as Jackie, can’t enjoy being scared if they will never face their fears.
The artwork is perfect for readers aged 5-8. Jessica Hickman’s touch is very expressive with vibrant Fall season colors. Plus, the not-scary use of bats, black cats and other Halloween fare make for an enjoyable Autumn holiday read that they’ll want to read again and again.
Little Jackie Lantern debuted in print on Wednesday, September 11th, 2019. However, as of press time, Amazon is sold out of its current inventory. The website does not expect a reorder until October 25th. It's not too late to find this great Halloween board book. But it might be a little bit of a challenge.
Happy Hunting!
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
This review was concurrently published on Outrightgeekery.com.
Things have literally crumbled for Master Splinter. It's Christmas Eve and on what is typically a very festive night, the family is solemn and separate.Though he now has control of the Foot Clan, Splinter's relationship with his sons, The Turtles, has been damaged, possibly beyond repair. April has gone into hiding. An ally has died and none feel like celebrating. Everything seems to be balanced on the edge of a knife. Enter the ghost of Splinter and three other spirits who show Splinter scenes of the past, present and future in hopes of changing the ninja master's fate.
I was both greatly intrigued and disappointed by this comic. First of all, the solicitations for this book talk greatly of the Dicken's A Christmas Carol plot device. In 1990-91, during a reissue of the Michelangelo Christmas Special, an all-new story was added. It too was done like A Christmas Carol. So, I was interested to know if that tale was being reprinted in this issue or not.
It was not!
Thus, my disappointment. It is not that I am unhappy that the story has not been re-released. What I am not pleased with is that a different kind of storyline couldn't have been used. Yes, it has been about 30 years since the original TMNT Christmas Carol story was done. But couldn't co-creator Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz have borrowed from something else to be original? It's a Wonderful Life would have worked here. Maybe even The Gift of the Magi or even an all-new take on the holidays would have been better than reusing that same old storyline...
This book came out like a week ago or so. I've heard from a couple of fans that they were disappointed in this issue. As I've not really been up-to-date on the current Turtles, I don't really know what I have been missing and such. But I have heard that this story does little to move the action. Since the writers at the end of this book ever say that this Christmas tale was meant to act as a pause in the drama, I would have to agree.
This issue wasn't awful. There was some festive moments. And since Splinter's previous life as Hamato Yoshi takes place in feudal Japan, in which Christmas was a non-entity at that time, it was refreshing to have a look at a non-Christmas past. The art was also quite good. Godzilla's Dave Wachter has a style very similar to those very earliest of Ninja Turtle comics.
While this story has a quite classic style to it, I think I prefer my Turtles done more light-heated. I'm going to say it, my Turtles are from the cartoon and TMNT Adventures comics from Archie. Still, if you like the Turtles and you are needing a jolt of holiday cheer that isn't cloying, this is a pretty good 2018 offering!
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.
