BILLY JOHNSON AND HIS DUCK ARE EXPLORERS

Could an ambitious young janitor become an explorer?

Young Billy Johnson works as a custodian at the Explorers League, where he aspires to be an Ace Explorer, just like Hal Hardwick. Clad in his omnipresent tie and bearing a sword named Mr. Jabbers at his side, the pompadoured Billy and his best friend—an anthropomorphic white duck named Barrace who is a renowned college professor—embark upon swashbuckling adventures. In this episodic graphic novel, Billy and Barrace set out on four thrilling quests, including a trip into a volcano near the ruins of the once-great Monkey Kingdom, the capture of an enchanted ring in the hall of the Ghost King, an expedition to find the mysterious desert-dwelling Atlas Bear, and a battle against magical monsters in the Hero Trials. Once he completes his missions, will Billy finally be allowed to join the Explorers League? First-time author and illustrator New’s full-color, blazingly paced tale is self-contained so readers may pick up and enjoy the abundant madcap silliness out of sequence. Despite the bite-sized vignettes, there is an overarching and unresolved narrative thread, leaving just enough intrigue to fuel subsequent exploits. While only a handful of humans are present in this volume, Billy and the majority are white; unnamed background characters encompass a more diverse spectrum.

A quirky graphic debut.