Comic Corner Roundup: May
“Comic Corner Roundup” is a segment that compiles mini-reviews of comics, graphic novels, and manga that I’ve read recently. Here are my reviews for the month of May which features stories a girl meets dinosaur, a pop superstar, and a story of friendship.
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Vol. 1: BFF by Amy Reeder, Brandon Montclare, Natacha Bustos (Illustrator) (2016)
Synopsis: That job would be a lot easier if she wasn’t living in mortal fear of her latent Inhuman gene. There’s no telling what she’ll turn into – but Luna’s got a plan. All she needs is an Omni-Wave Projector. Easy, right? That is, until a red-scaled beast is teleported from the prehistoric past to a far-flung future we call…today! Together they’re the most Marvelous Team-Up of all – the Inhuman Moon Girl and time-tossed Devil Dinosaur! But will they be BFFs forever, or just until DD’s dinner time? And Lunella soon learns that there are other problems with a having a titanic T. Rex as a pet in the modern-day Marvel Universe.
Review: I have had this on my physical TBR for forever! What attracted me to this series was not only the synopsis but the POC rep/Black Girl Magic. The story follows Lunella (MC) who is incredibly smart and is fascinated by the wonders of the STEM field. She’s a bit hard-headed, calculating, and gets in trouble for her many science projects. She meets and instantly befriends Devil Dino who comes through a mystical time portal and the two learn to understand each other.
The first volume does a great job setting up the series, getting invested into Lunella’s world, and learning a bit of a cliffhanger at the end. Lunella’s personality can be a bit of a turnoff since she’s brash and unapologetic, but really she just wants to be understood by others. She wants to be praised for accomplishments not ostracized from everyone. I think that is a story that can be enjoyed from a wide audience and the colors in the artwork bring out the vibrancy of the story. I love Lunella’s character design.
Final Verdict:
Awkward (Berrybrook Middle School #1) by Svetlana Chmakova (2015)
Synopsis: Cardinal rule #1 for surviving school: Don’t get noticed by the mean kids.
Cardinal rule #2 for surviving school: Seek out groups with similar interests and join them.
On her first day at her new school, Penelope–Peppi–Torres reminds herself of these basics. But when she trips into a quiet boy in the hall, Jaime Thompson, she’s already broken the first rule, and the mean kids start calling her the “nerder girlfriend.” How does she handle this crisis? By shoving poor Jaime and running away!
Falling back on rule two and surrounding herself with new friends in the art club, Peppi still can’t help feeling ashamed about the way she treated Jaime. Things are already awkward enough between the two, but to make matters worse, he’s a member of her own club’s archrivals–the science club! And when the two clubs go to war, Peppi realizes that sometimes you have to break the rules to survive middle school!
Review: This middle grade graphic novel follows the life of Peppi Torres and her adventures at school. It’s a tale that is relatable to a wide audience, but is geared towards younger readers. It has themes of growing up and feeling awkward, which is something that everyone experiences in their life. These themes made it very easy to connect with the story and got me invested into the characters.
I love Chmakova’s artwork (I’m a big fan of her manga, Dramacon) I like that’s it’s diverse and showcases a variety of people. I also liked how the story touched on bullying and fitting in. Peppi’s first encounter with Jamie gets off to a risky start, but once they get past the initial misunderstanding they become great friends. It was cute to see the art and science club battle head to head and grow to understand each other. This graphic novel is heartwarming, relatable, a good reminder to never be afraid to be ourselves.
Final Verdict:
Jem and the Holograms #1-2 by Kelly Thompson (Author) (Artist), Ross Campbell, Amy Mebberson (Illustrator)
Synopsis: SHOWTIME, SYNERGY! Meet JERRICA BENTON–a girl with a secret. She and her sister KIMBER team with two friends to become… JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS! But what does it mean to be JEM today?
Review: Though I didn’t grow up with Jem & The Holograms I was introduced to it through my mom (a few years ago) and I fell in love with the show. The nostalgia for old cartoons and reboot of this classic got me hooked into this story. The comic takes the story and gives it a more modern twist. The characters get some updates while still paying homage to their original looks.
The first couple of issues set up the story well its enough to get the reader wanting more. It introduces the story to new readers and invites the fans of the original story. One of the things I noticed about the artwork is that it is so colorful! Characters like Synergy and panels where the Holograms and Misfits play live jump right off the page. It encompasses the strong vibes of the music being played and the character personalities. I also how they switched plot aspects up. I’m looking forward to reading more.
Final Verdict:
What comics, graphic novels, or manga have you read lately? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. If you have any recommendations feel free to share those as well.
Love the cover on the first one! The only graphic stuff I’ve read this month is Debbie Tung’s Book Love. Super cute and totally relatable.
I love the illustration and colors used for Moon Girl but didn’t like the story at all. It just didn’t work for me, which was disappointing because I was looking forward to it since it features a character of color.