Fun action scenes with compelling characters and tragic consequences make for a thrilling fantasy brawler.
A series built on battles is ready to go all out for its tournament arc.
Are you ready to rumble? Reksha the Breaker is, with her bout in the Citadel’s tournament matching her against a massive, armored foe. It’s the first of several fights in this third volume, all of them serving flashy, hyperkinetic attacks that returning fans will have come to expect by now. As familiar as characters like Reksha, Grom, and Agni may seem, this book shows that they still have mysteries yet to be uncovered. Flashbacks reveal motives and revelations, usually at the most dramatic possible moment, so that both sides of each lethal matchup end up being sympathetic to some degree. Agni, who serves as the heart of the story, searches for a way to win the tournament without having to kill anyone. There’s still plenty of room for humor, such as in the running gag of tournament advertisements (“Have stray harpies taken roost on your roof? Get rid of them now with the help of…”) that hide an important detail in plain sight. Gaming logic continues to apply, from job types to hit points and damage totals that actually matter in combat. Caballes is more than inspired by shōnen manga and fantasy game tropes; they are his tools to twist and subvert, and he’s using them to build a series that’s worth following.
Fun action scenes with compelling characters and tragic consequences make for a thrilling fantasy brawler. (Graphic fantasy. 14-17)Pub Date: Aug. 20, 2024
ISBN: 9781524892463
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Equal parts entertaining and thought-provoking.
Sixteen-year-old Mandy considers herself the anti-Starfire: Unlike her scantily clad superhero mother, she doesn’t have superpowers, can’t fly, and doesn’t even own a bathing suit.
Mandy dyes her hair and dresses in all black to further call out how different they are. Mandy’s best friend, Lincoln, whose parents were born in Vietnam, insightfully summarizes this rift as being down to an intergenerational divide that occurs whether parents and children come from different countries or different planets. Mandy tries to figure out what kind of future she wants for herself as she struggles with teenage insecurities and bullying, her relationship with her mom, and her budding friendship (or is it something more?) with her new class project partner, Claire. Yoshitani’s vibrant and colorful stylized illustrations beautifully meld the various iterations of Starfire and the Titans with the live-action versions of those characters. Together with Tamaki’s punchy writing, this coming-of-age story of identity, family, friendship, and saving the world is skillfully brought to life in a quick but nuanced read. These layers are most strongly displayed as the story draws parallels between cultural differences between the generations as evidenced in how the characters address bullying, body positivity, fatphobia, fetishization and sexualization, and feminism. This title addresses many important concepts briefly, but well, with great pacing, bold art, and concise and snappy dialogue. The cast is broadly diverse in both primary and secondary characters.
Equal parts entertaining and thought-provoking. (Graphic fantasy. 14-16)Pub Date: July 27, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-77950-126-4
Page Count: 184
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Aug. 10, 2021
More of the lively characters, creative attacks, and heart-on-sleeve moments that returning readers will love.
An action-packed tournament arc starts with a bang.
Agni and friends are closing in on the tournament in the Citadel thanks to Valdis and her giant of a father. Characters’ motives and backstories are further revealed, from those who may be nearly forgotten, like last volume’s defeated bandits, to the great wizard Alexander and his friend Alva. Plenty of colorful personalities, both new and returning, collide—to the point that Reksha complains, “There’s not a single normal person in the Citadel.” Meeting a necromancer with an abnormally flexible and stretchy spine can have that effect. Anyone here for the action is served a feast of attacks in magical and melee forms. Dramatic deaths weigh on the core cast to different degrees, further distinguishing everyone’s worldview. True to the series’ battle shōnen roots, characters comment on fights from the sidelines to add context. This series impresses with its ability to continue evolving the visually unique powers depicted while also balancing a quickly expanding cast. Readers will want to start with Book 1 to see how the protagonists teamed up in the first place as well as clock those who make cameos here. Blond, blue-eyed Agni is joined by a supporting cast with varying skin colors. Several buxom, highly sexualized characters with barely covered breasts appear throughout.
More of the lively characters, creative attacks, and heart-on-sleeve moments that returning readers will love. (Graphic fantasy. 14-17)Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9781524881276
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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