Clever if rough-hewn concept bearing at best a chancy resemblance to its literary models.
Four classic tales, considerably reworked to feature the Dark Knight and various foes and associates.
The creators of the Secret Hero Society series (kicked off with Study Hall of Justice, 2016) turn from middle school to another fertile milieu—classic tales. The creators follow wooden “Waynocchio” on his quest to become a “real Boy Wonder”; send the butler Alfred into Wonderland to rescue his costumed charges from the “Jokerwacky” and “Harley Queen”; cast Nora “Mrs. Freeze” Fries as the Snow Queen, who seeks help from Batman to thaw her captive husband, Mr. Freeze; and reimagine “The Princess and the Pea” as a series of interrogations by police seeking a hefty stolen diamond. As dialogue constitutes the only text in all but one of these, readers unfamiliar with the originals may have trouble following at least the first two. Moreover, Batman himself takes only a supporting role in all but “The Snow Queen.” Still, from the Cheshire Catwoman on, the characters (all white), though largely drawn as children or at least with young faces, will be recognizable to fans of DC comics and films. Being loosely drawn and brushed in transparent inks, the art has a quick, sketchy look reinforced by impressionistic backgrounds in both the spacious panels and unbordered larger scenes.
Clever if rough-hewn concept bearing at best a chancy resemblance to its literary models. (Graphic fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4012-8340-7
Page Count: 192
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2020
More life lessons abob in poop jokes, boasts, and mythological references on the way to a bit of world-saving.
The Norse god of trickery gets another lesson in ethics when Thor’s hammer is stolen.
Confined to Midgard (Earth) in the form of 11-year-old Liam Smith by (as he puts it) “Poo-Poo Head Odin” until he can learn better behavior, the god of pranks continues the schooling begun in Loki: A Bad God’s Guide To Being Good (2022). This time, he not only gets past major jealousy when Valerie, his one human friend, bonds with newly met fellow horse lover Georgina, but overcomes his deeply ingrained sense of self-righteousness to help save more than just this world from Frost Giants. Actually, along with folding in frequent glancing references to Norse myths, the author has salutary messages for much of the immortal supporting cast (and readers, too). Loki, his protestations of innocence ignored, is not only automatically accused of stealing the hammer of Thor, but turns out to have been framed by one of his Asgardian victims. A multitude of cartoon scenes, pages of sequential panels, and spot-art sight gags like a bag of dog poop labeled “MY LIFE” mingle with the boastful, self-absorbed preteen’s records of his misadventures, including exchanges with his developing conscience and an admonitory magic journal that displays his wildly variable virtue score. Georgina and a teacher present as Black, the rest of the cast as White.
More life lessons abob in poop jokes, boasts, and mythological references on the way to a bit of world-saving. (Graphic adventure. 9-12)Pub Date: May 9, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5362-2630-0
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Walker US/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
By turns gripping, haunting, and tender, this collection is a winner.
Descend into a world of magic, misfortune, and mischief in this comics anthology of South American folklore.
Retold by an array of artists and writers with roots in South America, these 12 stories run the gamut from bittersweet to eerie. Rick Lazo’s “The Muki’s Deal” kicks it all off with aplomb. Visiting a small Peruvian mining town, Kori fights off boredom by searching for little creatures known as Mukis. Entries offer clever modern takes on these traditional stories; in Rodrigo Vargas’ subversive Chilean “The Bum Who Tricked the Devil,” a man strikes a deal with the devil—here depicted as a loan banker—to save his sister from debt. Ghoulish humor, suspenseful twists, and a range of artistic styles make this an immensely appealing work. Recurring themes (respect for nature, survival in the face of oppression) pop up throughout, and a range of heroes, dreamers, and survivors step into the spotlight to prevail over foes familiar and fantastical. In Shadia Amin’s terrifying Colombian tale “Madre de Agua,” a sick girl is healed by the Mother of Water in the light of day and, in turn, must save her brother from the creature’s deathly grip under the shadow of night. In Lore Vicente’s stellar, titular tale, the prince and his lover must travel many miles separately to break the Lizard Witch’s curse and reunite.
By turns gripping, haunting, and tender, this collection is a winner. (Graphic anthology. 10-12)Pub Date: April 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781638991212
Page Count: 200
Publisher: Iron Circus Comics
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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