This action-packed graphic novel gives a modern twist to an old notion.
A super-strong boy strives to follow in the footsteps of his heroes in Bullock’s YA graphic novel.
Aided by his noisy humanoid cheetah best friend and hype-man, Pepper, Ja’Khari hopes his unexplained phenomenal strength will help him achieve his goal in life: to become one of the Monarchs, a revered fighting force known and admired throughout the galaxy. It’s an ambitious dream for a boy living in the futuristic human settlement known as The Bloks. Ja’Khari and Pepper head to the Big Brawl, where a large amount of cash and “a crack at Big Bruce’s Monarch crown” are the prizes. Ja’Khari runs up against the neighborhood bullies, brothers Jug and Jar Gallon, who “have issues with their milk glands that make them look like grown men when they are only 10 years old.” Ja’Khari squares off first with Jug, overcoming his stench and then knocking him out (he fears he killed the boy) with a head butt. Ja’Khari resuscitates the lad by jumping on him, and Jug awakes bawling. Jar moves to avenge his humiliated brother and soon gains the upper hand. Unfortunately, Jar’s sure-to-be-epic battle with Ja’Khari ends in a cliffhanger. Bullock has a background in animation, and that experience shows in his comic’s kinetic style. His characters’ expressions also help to propel the action along. The story might in fact have been a better fit for animation, as it includes nearly as many sound effects as it does passages of expository text. The narrative doesn’t proceed very far over 64 pages, with one fight concluding and a second battle starting. The work’s strength is its depiction of the friendship among its characters, between Ja’Khari and Pepper and even between the oafish Gallon brothers, all of whom look out for each other. There’s little character development, but this is only the first book in the series; there should be more time and space for the cast to develop in future installments.
This action-packed graphic novel gives a modern twist to an old notion.Pub Date: Dec. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9798987909935
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Black Sands Entertainment
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A sparse, beautifully drawn story about a teen discovering her heritage.
In this YA graphic novel, an alienated Métis girl learns about her people’s Canadian history.
Métis teenager Echo Desjardins finds herself living in a home away from her mother, attending a new school, and feeling completely lonely as a result. She daydreams in class and wanders the halls listening to a playlist of her mother’s old CDs. At home, she shuts herself up in her room. But when her history teacher begins to lecture about the Pemmican Wars of early 1800s Saskatchewan, Echo finds herself swept back to that time. She sees the Métis people following the bison with their mobile hunting camp, turning the animals’ meat into pemmican, which they sell to the Northwest Company in order to buy supplies for the winter. Echo meets a young girl named Marie, who introduces Echo to the rhythms of Métis life. She finally understands what her Métis heritage actually means. But the joys are short-lived, as conflicts between the Métis and their rivals in the Hudson Bay Company come to a bloody head. The tragic history of her people will help explain the difficulties of the Métis in Echo’s own time, including those of her mother and the teen herself. Accompanied by dazzling art by Henderson (A Blanket of Butterflies, 2017, etc.) and colorist Yaciuk (Fire Starters, 2016, etc.), this tale is a brilliant bit of time travel. Readers are swept back to 19th-century Saskatchewan as fully as Echo herself. Vermette’s (The Break, 2017, etc.) dialogue is sparse, offering a mostly visual, deeply contemplative juxtaposition of the present and the past. Echo’s eventual encounter with her mother (whose fate has been kept from readers up to that point) offers a powerful moment of connection that is both unexpected and affecting. “Are you…proud to be Métis?” Echo asks her, forcing her mother to admit, sheepishly: “I don’t really know much about it.” With this series opener, the author provides a bit more insight into what that means.
A sparse, beautifully drawn story about a teen discovering her heritage.Pub Date: March 15, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-55379-678-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: HighWater Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 28, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Flipping awesome.
After a wish goes wrong, a girl and her crush must figure out how to break a body-switching curse.
Chi-Chi Ekeh feels invisible. Like her previous crushes, hot varsity swimmer Flip Henderson—yet another rich white boy at her Texas boarding school—seems unaware of her existence. With only weeks until graduation, Nigerian American Chi-Chi’s friends Esther and Yesenia dare her to ask Flip to Senior Festival. But Flip accidentally shows her promposal video to the whole class—and immediately turns her down. Embarrassed, Chi-Chi flees, but her innocent remark—“I just wish Flip Henderson liked me”—has unexpected consequences. After falling and hitting her head, Chi-Chi wakes up in Flip’s body, and he in hers. Freaked out beyond belief and regularly switching bodies, Chi-Chi and Flip work with Esther and Yesenia to break the curse. Meanwhile, forced to see herself through someone else’s eyes, Chi-Chi must confront uncomfortable feelings. There’s much to love about this book. The fully realized and sympathetic characters, sincere and humorous development of friendships, and protagonist’s relatable and bittersweet emotional journey will keep readers engaged, eager to reach the resolution. Ukazu carefully balances tough topics like self-hatred, depression, and suicidal ideation with funny feel-good moments, deftly rendered in her characteristically expressive style. The dynamic and engaging illustrations bring to life a heartwarming story of self-love, acceptance, and true connection.
Flipping awesome. (author’s note) (Graphic fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9781250179517
Page Count: 320
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
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