The second volume in a popular graphic-novel spinoff delves deeper into one dragonet’s past.
Jumping right into the action where previous volume Wings of Fire (2017) left off, the “dragonets of destiny” have escaped captivity and now travel to the underwater realm of SeaWing dragon Tsunami. In the Kingdom of the Sea, outspoken cerulean-hued Tsunami is reunited with her long-lost mother, Queen Coral, and is delighted to have seemingly found her place. However, all is not as it seems in Queen Coral’s court, where the dragonets soon learn that deception and treachery abound. Tsunami is soon faced with a difficult decision: Does she remain with the trusted dragonets or stay with the family of whom she has always dreamed? In Deutsch’s graphic-novel adaptation, Sutherland’s high-fantasy series is lushly sprawling and intricate in its worldbuilding and character development. Holmes’ illustrations are richly imagined, conveying the many action scenes through a vivid lens, and colorist Laiho uses a jeweled palette for the dragons. Some scenes may be tough to follow for readers unfamiliar with the original series, but the fast-paced and thrilling adventures more than make up for this minor quibble. Although all characters are dragons, familiar themes such as acceptance of those who are different and finding one’s place in the world are explored, broadening the appeal beyond dragon devotees.
A mostly smooth adaptation sure to delight fans new and old. (Graphic fantasy. 7-13)Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-545-94221-8
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2018
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The Heffley family’s house undergoes a disastrous attempt at home improvement.
When Great Aunt Reba dies, she leaves some money to the family. Greg’s mom calls a family meeting to determine what to do with their share, proposing home improvements and then overruling the family’s cartoonish wish lists and instead pushing for an addition to the kitchen. Before bringing in the construction crew, the Heffleys attempt to do minor maintenance and repairs themselves—during which Greg fails at the work in various slapstick scenes. Once the professionals are brought in, the problems keep getting worse: angry neighbors, terrifying problems in walls, and—most serious—civil permitting issues that put the kibosh on what work’s been done. Left with only enough inheritance to patch and repair the exterior of the house—and with the school’s dismal standardized test scores as a final straw—Greg’s mom steers the family toward moving, opening up house-hunting and house-selling storylines (and devastating loyal Rowley, who doesn’t want to lose his best friend). While Greg’s positive about the move, he’s not completely uncaring about Rowley’s action. (And of course, Greg himself is not as unaffected as he wishes.) The gags include effectively placed callbacks to seemingly incidental events (the “stress lizard” brought in on testing day is particularly funny) and a lampoon of after-school-special–style problem books. Just when it seems that the Heffleys really will move, a new sequence of chaotic trouble and property destruction heralds a return to the status quo. Whew.
Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 8-12)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3903-3
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Nov. 19, 2019
Categories: GENERAL GRAPHIC NOVELS & COMICS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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SEEN & HEARD
The monster-fighting gang from Wakefield departs on a post-apocalyptic road trip.
In this sixth installment of the heavily illustrated, Netflix-adapted series, quirky Jack Sullivan and his friends June, Quint, and Dirk finally leave their creature-ridden town in search of the ultimate baddie, Thrull, who previously deceived them. The quartet takes their tricked-out ride (an armored RV named Bad Mama) onto the open road (with Jack’s Zombie Squad in tow) to find the Outpost, where they believe a certain monster will be able to give them the location of the evil Tower where they believe Thrull now resides. Of course, the journey is littered with all kinds of nightmarish beasts and pitfalls (including an epic water park battle and slime-dripping baby monster), but the kids persist, armed with their endless gadgets and quick thinking. As the group races toward Thrull, the action culminates with an achingly tantalizing cliffhanger; expect audible groans and vociferous demands for the next installment. Fans of this series will revel in this fast-paced escapade with its recognizable black-and-white illustrations and trademark humor. Readers new to the series or those who are only familiar with the animated show may be a bit put off by this later volume that relies heavily on its own language of monsters and weapons. Jack, June, and Dirk are light-skinned; Quint is dark-skinned.
Good fun with a monster of a cliffhanger. (Graphic fiction. 8-13)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-984835-34-5
Page Count: 250
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
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