An excellent sequel that readers will devour.
Ayumi’s journey in a new world continues.
Ayumi, Sean, and Reyji have finally reached the city of Zaosz. Here, they plan to take the saigami exam as a team. However, since Ayumi recently migrated to the world of saigami from our Earth, her fire powers are untrained and untested. On the day of the exam, the testers teleport the prospective saigami into a maze, splitting up the team. With a six-shot limit before she’ll be too exhausted to continue, Ayumi is in serious danger as she goes up against the monsters wandering the maze. Despite this, she powers forward, teaming up with Carly in hopes of completing the challenge within the time limit. Meanwhile, Sean and Reyji face their own obstacles in the maze. Once again, breathtaking full-color pages are mixed in with grayscale ones. Ayumi receives the most attention, with a dedicated subplot about her feelings of inadequacy regarding her saigami abilities and her angst upon realizing that, with all of the bustle around the exam, she hasn’t thought about returning to Earth. While the saigami exam takes up most of the volume, the pace remains strong. Some key players in a shadowy conspiracy are also introduced, adding a sinister vibe and giving a much-needed look at the serieswide myth arc.
An excellent sequel that readers will devour. (Manga. 12-16)Pub Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN: 9780760382325
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Rockport Publishers
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Designed to look like a weatherworn comic found in the woods, this outrageously imaginative graphic novel touts itself as the “first extraterrestrial comic book on earth.” Through a series of untitled nonlinear vignettes, the wide-eyed and seemingly innocent-looking alien characters embark on a series of adventures (and misadventures) that capture intrinsically human characteristics. In some episodes, bright, boldly colored cutesy aliens—who bear a toy-like resemblance—juxtapose violent situations, portraying both beauty and horror, in smart cohesion. Evincing the cruelties, the comedies and the oft-bizarre traits of the protagonists through an inventive and unique format, Trondheim distinguishes himself as a trailblazer in the youth graphic-novel market. Readers will be delighted by the wordless tale with its endearing, yet rascally alien characters and the sometimes crude plot that encompasses a variety of motifs, from invoking compassion to scatological humor. Not for the younger set, but an accomplished offbeat selection worth considering. (Graphic novel. 12-14)
Pub Date: May 1, 2006
ISBN: 1-59643-095-8
Page Count: 96
Publisher: First Second/Roaring Brook
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2006
BOOK REVIEW
Funny and clever, but most likely to only satisfy fans who have been with the gang since the beginning.
A group of students at a British school all become friends with a strange new boy who eats onions; one student suspects something odd’s afoot and must discover the truth before it’s too late.
Shauna, Lottie, and Mildred are all second-years at Griswalds Grammar, ready to tackle a new term. This year, however, a new student—orange-haired, onion-eating Lem—has arrived, and despite his aloofness and strangeness, he’s slowly winning over the student body. In fact, soon Mildred and Lottie have fallen under his spell. Shauna is instantly suspicious, since every student befriended by Lem identically affirms that Lem is a "right good laugh when you get to know him." She takes up her cause with a group of bespectacled loners, and suddenly Lem and his secrets might not be her biggest problem. This small-press charmer, based on an ongoing webcomic, is a stylish jumble of pop-culture references, sly humor, eye-catching characters, mystery—and, oddly enough, aliens. As the fourth volume in the series, the mystery itself stands alone well enough, but an abrupt and ambiguous ending may frustrate new readers who aren’t already invested in the series.
Funny and clever, but most likely to only satisfy fans who have been with the gang since the beginning. (Graphic mystery/sci-fi. 12-16)Pub Date: Oct. 21, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-62010-212-1
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Oni Press
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
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