PILOT & HUXLEY

A zany, gross-out graphic novel that reads like a madcap, G-rated South Park episode. One fateful morning, the eponymous protagonists find themselves zapped into an another dimension by the Grim Reaper, who has quit reaping souls (there is no “future in death”) and now works as an “interdimensional hit man debt collector” for a gaggle of evil Vorconian aliens. This other dimension is a vast, nauseating mélange of snot, boogers and more snot. The two boys navigate their way through the one-joke, nonsensical land until they face their opponents in a quick, revolting battle. Simplistic art mingles with erratic characterization and inane storylines to form a rather weak series opener. Admittedly funny one-liners aside, the entire narrative feels slapdash, propelled by one deus ex machina after another, a conceit that grows old exceptionally quickly. While the ick factor is high, the actual plot is pretty thin; still, Captain Underpants fans will probably enjoy this mucous-drenched romp. (Graphic fiction. 9-12)