ESCAPE FROM THE LIZZARKS

In a richly imagined amphibian-vs.-reptile world, Herk, a small, but plucky Nnewt, must face the viciously villainous Lizzarks after they destroy all that he holds dear.

Herk lives a happy life, spending his days with his beloved mother and magician father, helping them watch over their eggs and playing with his dear sister, Sissy. However, Herk's legs are a bit too small, and he can't make it out of the water to walk on land with the other Nnewts. Change comes quickly for Herk when one day a savage band of Lizzarks—a fearsome race of lizardlike creatures—descends upon his home and his village. Transformed by his ingenuity, sheer will and a bit of his own magic, Herk ventures out into the unknown to avenge his family. With this first in a new series, TenNapel has seamlessly transitioned his webcomic into print and masterfully blends just the right amount of exposition and plot to effectively hook new readers. Though a strong first installment, this lacks a bit of the charm his last few books (Tommysaurus Rex, 2013; Cardboard, 2012; Ghostopolis, 2010) have had, though it certainly doesn't lose any of TenNapel's trademark brilliant imagination.

A promising first offering; now let's see where it goes.