THE STONEKEEPER'S CURSE
From the Amulet series, volume 2
by Kazu Kibuishi & illustrated by Kazu Kibuishi
The quest to find a cure for her poisoned mother sets young Emily to battling not only minions of the evil Elf King but also the enticements of the power-hungry magical amulet that has fallen into her possession. Taking up the tale where he left off in Book 1: The Stonekeeper (2008), Kibuishi contrives to fill spacious, cleanly separated sequential panels with nonstop and (usually) easy-to-follow action, lots of sound effects (SZRAK! FWOOM! TOK! SZRAK! FWOOM!!!) and, around Emily’s human family, a large cast of colorful characters from shark-toothed elves to a grove of ancient, sentient Gadoba trees. Low on gore but high on fights, flights and scary monsters, the episode hurtles along like the mighty blasts of magical energy that emanate from Emily’s amulet. By the end she has her mother back, but a Mission has emerged to keep her in the otherworld realm of Alledia. Stay tuned. (Graphic fantasy. 10-12)