The Last Kids on Earth
Ten years ago, Max Brallier ended the world for the first time with the illustrated middle grade reader The Last Kids on Earth, a funny romp through a zombie and monster infected post-Apocalyptic suburbia. The interceding decade brought about nine books, three seasons of a Netflix animated series, and now a graphic novel.
This new graphic novel, still written by Brallier with art by Brian Churilla, follows the original book very faithfully, introducing readers to our everykid protagonist 13-year-old Jack Sullivan who sees himself as “…totally not a hero. Totally not a tough guy. Totally not fighting giant monsters” as he fights a giant monster. Jack is joined by fellow survivors and former classmates Quint, June, and Dirk as the four try to figure out how to navigate this new, adult-free world and the perils that await them at every turn. Cleverness and curiosity are both key to survival and the kids’ differences add to their collective strength. Despite the extreme circumstances, the characters are intensely real. They are incredibly well drawn, realistic kids who may be caught up in the wild adventure of the zombie world around them, but they are also scared or lonely or overwhelmed. They are kids who felt forgotten or alone. These are characters the target readers see themselves in and want to grow with.
It’s tricky to review a graphic adaptation of an illustrated chapter book, especially one that stays this true to its source material. Churilla’s art mirrors the style and aesthetic of the original illustrations by Douglas Holgate, with only minor changes in sharpness and the depth that comes with full color art. The characters still look like their original concepts as do the monsters and the only real difference in the story is the formatting. The graphic is a nice, quick read and, like the original, will appeal to Captain Underpants and Diary of a Wimpy Kid readers.
The graphic version of The Last Kids on Earth is not doing anything new: it’s the same story with almost the same illustrations. There’s even a 4th wall breaking joke about it on the back cover, with Quint mentioning a sense of deja vu. But it’s also not trying to be new and it doesn’t need to be. It’s still fun and it’s still exciting and it still strikes a cord with its readers. I’ve had to hide my copy while working on this review because my kids kept trying to steal it from me. All three of them, with ages from 7 to 14, read the original and all three have been fighting me for their turn with this. They don’t care that it’s not new. They care that it’s there.
Sometimes graphic adaptations are a chance to update narratives and change perspective with changing sensibilities or to expand a universe or otherwise give readers something unexpected. And sometimes they’re a chance to see the thing you loved in a slightly different way. This adaptation doesn’t reinvent the wheel because the wheel still works. This new version not only has the potential to give longtime fans something new to enjoy, but to introduce new readers to the series.
The Last Kids on Earth The Graphic Novel Vol. 1
By Max Brallier
Art by Brian Churilla
Penguin Random House Viking Books for Young Readers, 2024
ISBN: 9780593622162
Company Age Rating: 13-18
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16), Tween (10-13)
