HOW TO MAKE A PEANUT BUTTER, JELLY AND KUNG FU SANDWICH

In this action-packed graphic offering, a nervous young boy and his fearless robot companion fight to save everyone’s favorite sandwich fixings from a nefarious fowl.

Marvin, a fretful, white 9-year-old, is always anxious about the antics of his best friend, Kung Fu Robot, a 9-foot-tall crimson automaton with good intentions that usually end in comic disaster. Kung Fu Robot is intent on making the perfect peanut butter, jelly, and kung fu sandwich, but dangers—such as chunky peanut butter, beeping ninjas, and an evil chicken—lurk around every corner. Through a series of madcap chases, karate chops, and giggleworthy adventures, the pair seeks to save the beloved sandwich items, all while not making Marvin’s mom angry. Boisterous action propels the story’s characters, and silliness reigns supreme. Bays’ art takes on an appealingly novel-feeling, retro-tinged style, utilizing a muted palette of primary colors and distinctively grouped, irregularly shaped panels. The exploits of Marvin and Kung Fu Robot burst from their panels in a dizzying array of sound effects and motion. An accompanying app is available for download, promising to offer sound effects when the book’s pages are scanned. With an animated feel and its breakneck velocity, Bays’ creation is an interesting marriage of print and digital comics and creates a multidimensional feel for young action aficionados.

A zanily cluttered exploration of format and style that transcends its pages into the digital world