A dynamic series installment sparkling with visual invention.
A group of teenagers unravel intertwined mysteries on a magical island.
Sorceline begins the second installment of her titular series in an incapacitated dream state, while eccentric Professor Balzar recounts the strange particulars of her parentage to his attentive adolescent apprentices. There are vampires involved and dark and stormy nights. But that story is superseded by current crises as an unseen villain plots to gain complete control of the Isle of Vorn and its many mystical creatures. The book heads down many narrative paths, mixing fantasy, mystery, and horror with family drama and teenage angst. To pack so much action into a brief graphic novel, however, entails more telling than showing, and characters frequently impart backstory and worldbuilding details in unintegrated expository text boxes. Though the tale feels overstuffed at times, the visual world of Vorn is stuffed with otherworldly delights. Gnomes, dragons, gargoyles, and chimera inhabit fantastical landscapes and imposing buildings; cryptid creatures buzz through the air and congregate beneath floorboards. A blend of jewel tones and autumnal hues evokes a comfortable mood that tempts readers to linger in the island’s secret spots even if there might be danger lurking around the corner. With thoughtfulness and teamwork, Sorceline and her peers face their foe in a manner that sets them up quite transparently for future quests. Sorceline has dark hair and pale skin in subtly vampiric style, while Professor Balzar presents White and the apprentices are diverse.
A dynamic series installment sparkling with visual invention. (profiles of featured mythical creatures) (Graphic fantasy. 9-14)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2023
ISBN: 9781524882310
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
A thoughtful, humorous, community-centered exploration of identity and Buddhism.
Stories of Buddha’s past lives help a young boy “find [himself] in the moment.”
Binh and his siblings, who are of Vietnamese descent, can’t believe they’re spending the weekend at a silent meditation retreat. Binh would rather play his Game Boy so he doesn’t have to meditate and inevitably think about the bullies at school. It is only when Sister Peace tells stories about the Buddha and his past life that Binh is able to imagine himself entering a video game–inspired world and thus process his feelings of shame, isolation, and anger. With each Jataka tale, Binh’s awareness expands, and so, too, does his ability to be present for and helpful to those around him. A welcome addition to the handful of middle-grade stories featuring Buddhist protagonists, this exploration of identity and Buddhist principles will find an audience with young readers who love Raina Telgemeier but aren’t quite ready to level up to the complexity and nuance of Gene Luen Yang’s epic American Born Chinese (2006). The video game elements are compelling, although they understandably diminish as the story progresses and the protagonist’s inner life grows. Warm fall colors and luscious black lines anchor the story as it transitions among flashbacks, stories, and the present day. Filled with talking animals, the parables can be a little heavy-handed, but the witty banter between Binh and the narrator during fantasy sequences provides levity. (This review was updated for accuracy.)
A thoughtful, humorous, community-centered exploration of identity and Buddhism. (bibliography) (Graphic fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2023
ISBN: 9780759555488
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Little, Brown Ink
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
PERSPECTIVES
Briskly paced, expertly crafted, and stocked with surprising twists and nuanced characters.
A young warrior battles inner ghosts and a rival to the throne in this series kickoff.
Switching to a graphic format, Myklusch returns to the elusive island of Imagine Nation, the setting of his Jack Blank novel series, where belief is the ruling principle. Dreaming of measuring up to his dead parents, Skerren takes center stage in a battle for the crown of Varagog, where it’s always 1404. He faces Zorn, the son of a displaced ruler who fled years ago following the cybernetic Rüstov’s invasion attempt. Orlando’s art effectively showcases Imagine Nation’s racially and culturally distinctive residents and settings as the high-action plot shifts scenes beyond Varagog to Faerie and futuristic Hightown—until an evil alliance in the Night Lands that threatens everyone on the island is revealed. In combat scenes, the artist also substitutes sprays of black Night Lander goop for red blood, rendering swordfights somewhat less gory. To the pleasure of returning fans (and comics readers in general), Jack and his fantastically rubbery-blue friend Allegra step in to help, and in a Marvel Universe–style twist, a conflicted older retainer nursing a devastating secret later plays a crucial role. Happily, for those readers who aren’t fans of never-ending plotlines, this volume offers enough of a resolution to work as a stand-alone.
Briskly paced, expertly crafted, and stocked with surprising twists and nuanced characters. (Graphic fantasy. 10-13)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781665928182
Page Count: 312
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2024
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