BATTLE OF THE BODKINS

Max and the merry Midknights return in their second adventure and fight treacherous foes that steal their forms.

With a high ponytail and skill with a sword, Max is training at the Knight School of Byjovia. Her favorite teacher, Sir Gadabout, has left to help King Conrad, and in his place arrives a foul-tempered instructor named Sir Brickbat. As if this wasn’t trouble enough, a spell gone awry floods the kingdom of Byjovia with bodkins, formless foes from another dimension who take on the form of Byjovian residents. As the denizens of the kingdom are slowly replaced with the evil bodkins, Max and the Midknights must try to discern who is human and who is not in an effort to stop the impending bodkin invasion. Like its predecessor, Peirce’s sophomore graphic hybrid carries on its zippy mix of fast-paced prose and visually interesting illustrations, keeping pages flying to the happy ending with its tantalizing cliffhanger. For those new to the series, this adventure is relatively self-contained, rendering it fine for first-time readers (although a recap of the previous volume is included for the curious). While the illustrations are black and white, shading signals different skin tones: Max and two of her best friends read White, and two other Midknights present with darker skin and hair. Secondary and background characters have a range of skin tones.

Consistently entertaining and enjoyable.