A swashbuckling space adventure with a diverse cast sure to capture comic-lovers.
A junior partner on a spaceship crew is sent on a universe-defying adventure in Visaggio’s graphic novel.
In the far-off 41st century, Vigil Virgo is the daughter of two “archaeoxenologists” who were thrown out of the scientific research organization called “the Intelligence” when they discovered now-lost evidence that their universe was constructed and abandoned by an extradimensional civilization. After their disappearance into the night following their expulsion, Vigil has mostly been raised by their longtime friend Odysseus Rex. Vigil is determined to not follow in her parents’ heretical footsteps (“my parents were crackpots”), but after being denied her research subject by the Intelligence, she decides to join Odysseus’ spaceship crew as junior partner. The partnership works well until they come across a mysterious artifact they refer to as “the sarcophagus.” Initially unable to glean any information from the strange black box, when Vigil discovers a map hidden within its depths after an unexpected and up-close encounter, she’ll do anything to discover the secrets of the universe that those coordinates offer—even if she’ll never be the same after. Oeming’s illustrations are lively and expressive, with page layouts that keep the eye moving inexorably onward. Some scene transitions are too fast-paced to follow––Vigil’s first encounter with the sarcophagus abruptly cuts from her arm being subsumed by the mass to a newly introduced character with little setup––and the flashbacks can be confusing as the reader tries to figure out when or where the characters are. The eventual introduction of alternate versions of the cast charting different paths becomes harder to parse as the narrative progresses. While Visaggio’s dialogue is bursting with character, it doesn’t make up for the opaqueness of the story and the confusing twists and turns taken by the plot. However, Soma’s use of color is a great addition to the art and text, signaling changes in mood, amplifying certain emotional beats, and serving as a subtle indication for changes in time or place. This is an SF adventure that starts off with a bang and ends with a head-scratch—hopefully, subsequent volumes will answer more questions.
A swashbuckling space adventure with a diverse cast sure to capture comic-lovers.Pub Date: Jan. 21, 2025
ISBN: 9781545815878
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Using modern language, McDonald spins the well-known tale of the two young, unrequited lovers. Set against Nagar’s at-times...
A bland, uninspired graphic adaptation of the Bard’s renowned love story.
Using modern language, McDonald spins the well-known tale of the two young, unrequited lovers. Set against Nagar’s at-times oddly psychedelic-tinged backgrounds of cool blues and purples, the mood is strange, and the overall ambiance of the story markedly absent. Appealing to what could only be a high-interest/low–reading level audience, McDonald falls short of the mark. He explains a scene in an open-air tavern with a footnote—“a place where people gather to drink”—but he declines to offer definitions for more difficult words, such as “dirges.” While the adaptation does follow the foundation of the play, the contemporary language offers nothing; cringeworthy lines include Benvolio saying to Romeo at the party where he first meets Juliet, “Let’s go. It’s best to leave now, while the party’s in full swing.” Nagar’s faces swirl between dishwater and grotesque, adding another layer of lost passion in a story that should boil with romantic intensity. Each page number is enclosed in a little red heart; while the object of this little nuance is obvious, it’s also unpleasantly saccharine. Notes after the story include such edifying tidbits about Taylor Swift and “ ‘Wow’ dialogs from the play” (which culls out the famous quotes).Pub Date: May 10, 2011
ISBN: 978-93-80028-58-3
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Campfire
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2011
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