A fun, magical, time-hopping update on a decades-old TV series.
In this YA graphic novel based on a short-lived 1990s cartoon series, a football team takes up the mantle of King Arthur’s knights.
In the Middle Ages, Morgana and her warlord, Viper, manage to defeat Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, banishing them to Morgana’s Cave of Glass. To further cement her victory, Morgana binds Merlin to the battlefield, where he’ll be stuck for eternity, watching as she conquers Camelot. Fortunately, the magic-wielding Lady of the Table manages to free the wizard’s spirit, allowing him to travel throughout time to find 12 men to take on the mantle of the Knights of Justice. In the present day, a young man named Arthur King has just led Chalopin High’s football team, the Knights, to victory against the Warlords. While the teammates discuss the game in the locker room, they’re transported back to the Middle Ages, where Merlin and the Lady of the Table explain that they’ve been chosen as the world’s best chance to defeat Morgana, and that “for a time” they shall be the new King Arthur and the Knights of Justice. The Lady of the Table grants them knowledge of various combat strategies and gives Arthur the legendary sword Excalibur. But if the true King Arthur couldn’t defeat the most powerful sorceress in the world, how will this Arthur and his teammates succeed? In this graphic novel suitable for ages 12 and older, writer Corallo and illustrator Cardinalli present a thrilling story of teamwork, magic, and legends that updates the original material upon which it’s based. This reboot features a diverse cast, including characters of various ethnicities, and (unlike the original animated series) a same-sex relationship. Overall, this entertaining, well-illustrated graphic novel maintains the visual style of its source, although it’s somewhat bloodier, as well as darker in tone. Although this book contains a complete story, there are hints at the end that this may be the first of a new graphic-novel series, and readers will likely be eager for more.
A fun, magical, time-hopping update on a decades-old TV series.Pub Date: April 23, 2024
ISBN: 978-1960578600
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Maverick
Review Posted Online: Feb. 14, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A few rough bits but inventive and visually stunning.
A young witch whose magic has been burned away undertakes healing journeys both physical and metaphorical in this graphic novel that was first serialized on Instagram.
Mingling riveting illustrations that incorporate fades, flashbacks, and other cinematic effects with a typographically venturesome narrative, Dhaliwal tells a tale of heroic exploits in which allegorical elements are never far beneath the surface. Burned at the stake but rescued by a pair of helpful (if often annoying) witches on a quest of their own, dark-skinned young “Singe” goes in search of her real name and the rest of her burned-away memories, as well as her lost magic, while her body slowly recovers. Along the way to a climax on the shores of Perish Lake, she meets other witches—notably Smoke Witch, a collective gathering of burnt but still aware ashes that rides the night wind—and engages in desperate struggles with three powerful, vividly portrayed demons: Disgust, Doubt, and Despair. The author’s imagination and graphic skills outpace her literary chops, but there’s plenty of entertaining friction and bonding in the colorfully wrought cast, and more than enough action in the plot to make it easy to overlook awkward phrasings and inappropriate word choices. Said plot does take some arbitrary turns, perhaps so that the ending can be left conveniently open. Still, it’s a grand adventure in a richly articulated setting, featuring a racially diverse cast and clever twists aplenty.
A few rough bits but inventive and visually stunning. (Graphic fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: May 28, 2024
ISBN: 9781770466999
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
An action-packed, magic-filled exploration of natural resource abuse.
A coven of problem-solving witches takes on a mission that tests their friendship and bonds.
Witches Anadil, Hester, and Dot are summoned to Red Isle when the animals of the Dark Lands are found starving after sludge kills all the vegetation. Mother Sorastra, the leader of the Dark Lands, confronts Prince Lexius of the neighboring Light Lands, arguing that he’s abusing nature’s gift of raaka, a resource used to power clever inventions. But Prince Lexius blames Mother Sorastra for breaking a truce and causing the pollution. The conflict escalates when citizens of the Light Lands are murdered, and their facial features are erased. Pale, white-haired Anadil, brown-skinned, black-haired Hester, and Dot, who has brown skin and Afro-textured hair, arrive in time to stop the outbreak of war and attempt to solve the mystery of the face-stealing killer. When a coven of witches impersonating the trio appears, Anadil, Hester, and Dot must overcome their bickering and work through hurt feelings in order to band together and bring peace and balance to Red Isle. This graphic novel features cleverly realized characters: Anadil with her team of magical rats, Hester with her pet demon, and Dot with her ability to summon confectionary are memorable leads. The relationship between Anadil and Hester adds a hint of romance to the story, and the environmental themes add real-world relevance. Vivid illustrations with saturated colors create a fantastical backdrop for the fast-paced storyline.
An action-packed, magic-filled exploration of natural resource abuse. (Graphic fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9780062979681
Page Count: 272
Publisher: HarperAlley
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
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