This psychological thriller of digital discord has some relish, but the real meat may lie in future installments.
A federal agent goes undercover at a college to investigate a social media phenomenon gone out of control in Rahal’s graphic novel.
The opening of this thriller takes cues from a digital-era pastime—social media “challenges.” The one in question here is a seemingly harmless stunt in which wired-up young people eat hot dogs in odd or inappropriate circumstances while streaming the video. When a fatality results (a hot dog thief is shot by an angry store owner), the vengeful online “community” built around the gag (a faceless horde called the Hot Dog Party) spreads rumors that a major hot dog manufacturer uses tainted meat; the collapse of the corporation’s stock leads the government to intervene. Federal agent Cara Cole is tasked with infiltrating a college as a teaching assistant and gets close to a student named Paul Kovac; as a boy, Paul’s selfie showing him eating an oversized hot dog became a viral meme. Now, as a young adult (and secretly behind the Hot Dog Party), he claims that a hot dog maker “exploited his likeness for profit.” He recognizes Cara as law enforcement and seems to ask for her help in dealing with the bizarre cult he’s fostered. Or is the onetime internet phenom playing some kind of mind game? Cara befriends Charlotte, another student close to Paul and a self-anointed influencer. Soon there’s another fatality, and worse. Is Paul responsible, or are other malicious forces at work? Rahal’s timely premise, concerning the potential of an unleashed mob of glued-to-their-phone types (and of heavy-handed law enforcement reaction), recalls various real-life hashtag-boosted movements, from Black Lives Matter and #MeToo to Occupy Wall Street. The nimble, stylized artwork by Italian comics specialist Simeone has echoes of Japanese manga. A violent finale (aside from which the most explicit material is the frequent appearance of F-words) seems to wrap the case up, but the script drops enough hints and loose ends (including dark suggestions of trauma in Cara’s past) to set up a second volume.
This psychological thriller of digital discord has some relish, but the real meat may lie in future installments.Pub Date: Jan. 30, 2024
ISBN: 9781952303777
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth.
Superman confronts racism and learns to accept himself with the help of new friends.
In this graphic-novel adaptation of the 1940s storyline entitled “The Clan of the Fiery Cross” from The Adventures of Superman radio show, readers are reintroduced to the hero who regularly saves the day but is unsure of himself and his origins. The story also focuses on Roberta Lee, a young Chinese girl. She and her family have just moved from Chinatown to Metropolis proper, and mixed feelings abound. Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane’s colleague from the Daily Planet, takes a larger role here, befriending his new neighbors, the Lees. An altercation following racial slurs directed at Roberta’s brother after he joins the local baseball team escalates into an act of terrorism by the Klan of the Fiery Kross. What starts off as a run-of-the-mill superhero story then becomes a nuanced and personal exploration of the immigrant experience and blatant and internalized racism. Other main characters are White, but Black police inspector William Henderson fights his own battles against prejudice. Clean lines, less-saturated coloring, and character designs reminiscent of vintage comics help set the tone of this period piece while the varied panel cuts and action scenes give it a more modern sensibility. Cantonese dialogue is indicated through red speech bubbles; alien speech is in green.
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth. (author’s note, bibliography) (Graphic fiction. 13-adult)Pub Date: May 12, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77950-421-0
Page Count: 240
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Feb. 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet bedtime story.
A boy and his stuffed bear head into the woods.
Having captured readers’ attention with Born a Crime (2016), his bestselling memoir of growing up in South Africa, comedian and television host Noah has written a parable about decision-making. As he puts it in a brief prologue, “It’s about disagreements and difference—but it’s also about how we bridge those gaps and find what matters most, whether we’re parents or kids, neighbors, gnomes, or political adversaries. It’s a picture book, but it’s not a children’s book. Rather, it is a book for kids to share with parents and for parents to share with kids.” With plentiful illustrations by Hahn and in language aimed at young listeners, it tells the story of a small boy so impatient to start his Saturday adventures that he rebels against the rules of his household and heads out without brushing his teeth or making his bed, despite the reminders of his stuffed bear, Walter. “We can’t just run away,” protests the bear. “Your mother will miss you. And where will we sleep? And who will make us waffles?” “We’ll build our own house,” the boy responds. “And we’ll grow our own waffles!” From there, the pair go on their walkabout, encountering a garden gnome, a pair of snails, and a gang of animated coins who have lessons to offer about making choices. Though the author suggests in the introduction that adult readers might enjoy the book on their own, those looking for a follow-up to the memoir or a foray into adult fiction should be warned that this is not that book.
A sweet bedtime story.Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9780593729960
Page Count: 128
Publisher: One World/Random House
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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