A masterful blend of action and emotional depth.
In McMillen’s graphic novel, an instructional booklet for a “lost” video game tells a larger story.
There is an old video game that the unnamed narrator vividly remembers but no one else can recall. “So,” the narrator tells the reader, “I started drawing this...instructional booklet. To convince myself that it was real. Or...reassure myself that I just made it all up.” Illustrated in a deliberately sketchy style that recalls the art of creative middle-schoolers filling their notebooks with cool battles, the book introduces the game’s narrative in a dialogue-free prologue: Dr. Atta, a scientist and creator of his “son,” Attaboy, is killed by a machine called Motherboard, prompting Attaboy to seek revenge. Alongside Motherboard and her “mechazoid menagerie,” there’s the mysterious Skrapper, a character who appears early on and leaves the narrator puzzled as to whether he was a friend or foe. McMillen’s presentation of different characters and his depiction of gameplay—sometimes in scribbled colors and a graffiti-like style, other times in double-page pastel spreads that recall the work of comic-book legend Jack Kirby—capture the haziness of memory. Sometimes, especially toward the beginning of the story, the action resembles that of an old arcade game. At other times, it feels so immersive that it seems to transcend mere gaming, suggesting a memory beyond what one could experience through the simple pixels of a 1980s video console. As the narrator advances in the game, his personal story gradually unfolds: The game was a gift from his mother, who had left his abusive father when the narrator was young; she had always tried her best to compensate for the difficulties in his life, even if it meant allowing him to immerse himself in games. As the parallels between the gameplay and the narrator’s life story become more pronounced, the narrative shifts from an account of a fascinating lost diversion to a metaphor for confronting early loss. Interweaving these elements, the story become a resonant memory piece.
A masterful blend of action and emotional depth.Pub Date: May 28, 2024
ISBN: 9781545811757
Page Count: 88
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Review Posted Online: April 8, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A sweet bedtime story.
A boy and his stuffed bear head into the woods.
Having captured readers’ attention with Born a Crime (2016), his bestselling memoir of growing up in South Africa, comedian and television host Noah has written a parable about decision-making. As he puts it in a brief prologue, “It’s about disagreements and difference—but it’s also about how we bridge those gaps and find what matters most, whether we’re parents or kids, neighbors, gnomes, or political adversaries. It’s a picture book, but it’s not a children’s book. Rather, it is a book for kids to share with parents and for parents to share with kids.” With plentiful illustrations by Hahn and in language aimed at young listeners, it tells the story of a small boy so impatient to start his Saturday adventures that he rebels against the rules of his household and heads out without brushing his teeth or making his bed, despite the reminders of his stuffed bear, Walter. “We can’t just run away,” protests the bear. “Your mother will miss you. And where will we sleep? And who will make us waffles?” “We’ll build our own house,” the boy responds. “And we’ll grow our own waffles!” From there, the pair go on their walkabout, encountering a garden gnome, a pair of snails, and a gang of animated coins who have lessons to offer about making choices. Though the author suggests in the introduction that adult readers might enjoy the book on their own, those looking for a follow-up to the memoir or a foray into adult fiction should be warned that this is not that book.
A sweet bedtime story.Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9780593729960
Page Count: 128
Publisher: One World/Random House
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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