As bland and dated as the protagonist.
After 820 years, a vampire awakens from slumber in this uncredited translation of a South Korean WEBTOON manhwa.
Cadis Etrama Di Raizel emerges from his coffin in an empty building, with no knowledge of his whereabouts or how long he’s slept. Attempting to blend in by wearing a white jacket, pale gray shirt and trousers, and white jabot—copying “the most common attire” he sees on people in the streets—Rai follows Shinwu, a formulaic delinquent with a heart of gold, to Ye Ran High School, where he discovers his devoted servant, Frankenstein, in charge. Completely unfamiliar with the modern Korean language and culture, Rai enrolls at Ye Ran to help with the adjustment. Not long after Rai awakens, a pair of violent henchmen with supernatural powers arrive in the area under orders from “the higher-ups” to find Rai’s coffin. With little planning or fleshed-out motivations, the henchmen begin targeting humans, focusing on Rai’s new classmates. This opening volume covers the first set of entries of the original online series. The central characters have pale, peach-toned skin. Yuna, the only named girl in the story, functions as a potential love interest and a rescuable plot device. Rai adheres to the trope of a stoic, superpowered protagonist, revealing little more than glimpses of a personality. Occasional moments of humor add appeal, and while there is high-stakes action, its suspense is blunted by the thin worldbuilding.
As bland and dated as the protagonist. (Graphic adventure. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 31, 2023
ISBN: 9781998854011
Page Count: 288
Publisher: WEBTOON Unscrolled
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
An action-packed tale for those thirsty for more superhero stories.
Grammy Award–winning artist Keys co-authors a YA superhero graphic novel bearing the title of her hit song.
Smart, quiet 14-year-old Loretta “Lolo” Wright struggles to stand up for herself until, on what should be a routine trip to a convenience store, her 16-year-old brother, James, is mistakenly accused of stealing by the police. When the officer slams her brother to the ground, Lolo’s powers manifest for the first time. Meanwhile, Michael Warner, who lives in the same Brooklyn housing projects as the Wrights, is rejected from the football team for being too small. He develops exceptional fighting abilities and shortly afterward gets involved in working for a drug dealer named Skin. When Skin sees a video of Lolo levitating the cop who assaulted James, he wants to recruit her as well, and he tries to extort protection money from Lolo’s dad, who owns a moving business. Lolo must convince Michael to choose a different path; it’s only by working together that they can defeat Skin. Featuring dizzying shifts among multiple perspectives, this full-color graphic novel presents vibrant, expressive characters set against mostly simple, bright backgrounds, with extreme violence depicted in gory detail. The narrative briefly explores class issues and racial stereotypes, but while the setup is intriguing, the momentum fizzles and the pieces never quite come together. Most main characters are Black; Skin reads as White, and secondary characters appear racially diverse.
An action-packed tale for those thirsty for more superhero stories. (Graphic fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: March 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-302956-9
Page Count: 256
Publisher: HarperAlley
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
Another page-turning volume with intriguing character development.
The stakes skyrocket in this thrilling series continuation.
John, the school zero, finds himself growing closer to the boy who’s his polar opposite in their private school’s social hierarchy—but Arlo’s intentions may not be as pure as John’s. While John genuinely wants to befriend him, Arlo might be more interested in pushing John’s buttons in order to see whether he’s really as powerless as he claims. While John ultimately makes an irreversible decision, Seraphina makes her own momentous choice: She’s done being controlled by her family, and her friendship with John motivates her to follow through and persist until she’s free. Though they have an emotional, much-anticipated reunion, going back to school might not be so easy now that Seraphina is being targeted by a mysterious group who pose a serious threat to her life. The higher-ups in the school hierarchy start to suspect that there’s more to the militia group EMBER, who are targeting superheroes, than the press lets on. The complex characters are neither clearly good nor unambiguously evil, and their problems and the dangers they face escalate in this volume as relationships become more strained and complicated, bringing people to their breaking points. The bright, colorful illustrations bring to life this intense story, which features exciting pursuits and even more thrilling fight scenes. The art strongly expresses characters’ emotions, particularly during battles.
Another page-turning volume with intriguing character development. (extras) (Graphic adventure. 14-18)Pub Date: July 2, 2024
ISBN: 9780358521228
Page Count: 320
Publisher: HarperAlley
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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