One click and this new dimension opens. A panel is the threshold to a dimension of gutters and splash pages. A dimension made of ink and Kirby Krackles. A world where a madman writes of comics and graphic novels. You are about to enter No Flying No Tights.
News From The Fallout is a macabre delight. Any fans of the Twilight Zone or old school creature features looking for a fast paced adventure might find their fix with this mini-series. From the creators Chris Condon (Ultimate Wolverine) and Jeffrey Alan Love (The Thousand Demon Tree), News From The Fallout is a nonstop sprint of a story. This miniseries is set in 1960s Nevada and follows a private in the U.S. Army named Otis Fallows, after a nuclear bomb test goes horribly wrong.
Now, with no disrespect to Chris Condon and the script, this series is carried by Jeffrey Alan Love’s art work. It really is something to behold. It exists as some sort of combination of CRT TV static and shadowpuppetry mixed with pages of background lore. Love conveys just enough detail for your brain to fill in the rest of the horrific details. He’ll show the row of fangs in shadow and the reader can imagine what else it’s hiding. There’s a narrative focus on ash and he takes that opportunity to make every scene feel shrouded in ash as well as emulate the 50s and 60s television technology with a grayscale color palette. It really sets the mood for a Cold War era monster thriller, a haunted nuclear nightmare.
While Love’s artwork is probably the best selling point, Chris Condon’s script is no slouch. Given the limitations of a narrative in six issues, Condon makes every word count. He gives each of Love’s silhouetted characters a distinct voice, making up for the lack of clarity in Love’s chosen style. Along with tight and efficient characterization, Condon created a story propelled by its own moment. Each scene crashes into the next, usually with a great amount of violence. At the beginning and ending of every issue there is background information in the form of within-universe media like menus or redacted military orders. Condon uses these glimpses into the goings on in Atomic Alley to ground the story in some form of reality.
For any librarians looking to expand their adult graphic fiction or science fiction selection, this isn’t a terrible pick. This would be right at home in a read-alikes display with Ray Bradbury or Harlan Ellison. Image comics gives no listed age rating, but I would recommend this to mainly adults based on the horror and violent elements of the entire series.
News From the Fallout By Chris Condon Art by Jeffrey Alan Love Image Comics, 2026 ISBN: 9781534335745
Charlotte Bissett seems to be a pretty average middle school girl in the quaint town of Devilfish Bay. She lives with her internet chef father, Raymond, and her loyal canine companion, Vincent. She is a bookworm and devours any book put in front of her.
However, the cracks in her personal life slowly make themselves clear. Charlotte’s mother had gone missing in the recent past on a boating trip and her father is attempting to move on and begin to date again. On top of this, Charlotte doesn’t appear to have any friends, yet when two kids from her past, Molly and Griffin, move back to town it soon becomes clear why Charlotte is so guarded in her social life. Molly used to be Charlotte’s ride-or-die bestfriend, and yet after Molly moved away the girls had a falling out. Molly wants nothing more than to have a fresh start, but Charlotte is resistant and does her best to avoid Molly. Eventually, Charlotte reveals that the reason she is upset with Molly is because when Charlotte told Molly that a sea creature was responsible for her mother’s disappearance, Charlotte didn’t believe her. It is in that atmosphere of uncertainty and pre-teen angst that Charlotte, taking refuge in her safe place, the school library, is combing the shelves when a book falls off the shelf next to her. The book appears to be bound in green, improperly prepared leather of some kind, the pieces of rotted looking material stitched together in phantasmagoric fashion reminiscent of the Necronomicon from the Evil Dead franchise. The title of the book is “Liber de Monstrum” and true to that name appears to be a grimoire of supernatural information. Taking it home, Charlotte reads from the book, very carefully sounding out the words in an unknown language and upon uttering the last word the windows of her room blow open, the electricity goes out in the area around her house and in the morning Devilfish Bay experiences the first snowfall in fifty years.
On top of these strange occurrences, that day it’s announced that one of Charlotte’s favorite teachers, Mr Cooper, has gone missing and an enigmatic woman with platinum blond hair, who doesn’t appear to be who or what she seems, takes over the class in the interim. Clearly, Charlotte has awoken something or some things from their slumber, and it’s up to her to try and fight these unknown forces. The question is whether her recently returned friends will believe her this time and offer her their help, because it is clear Charlotte cannot fight these monsters alone.
The Girl Who Loves Monsters follows spectacularly in the “kids on bikes” tradition, creating a very real and present danger in a small community and presenting the kids willing to stand up to that danger when the rest of the community can’t see it or believe in it. Charlotte, Molly, and Griffin make a compelling trio bound by their history, common interests, friendships, and burgeoning teenage emotions. In this first volume in the Devilfish Bay series, writer Insha Fitzpatrick sets the scene brilliantly for future adventures and the various mundane trials and tribulations that will also stand in the main characters’ way as they attempt to combat the enigmatic evil that has come forth from the Liber de Monstrum.
The art by Ashley Robin Franklin creates a beautiful balance between the soft, cartoonish style that sets a relaxed tone to the everyday world of the story with the sharp, phantasmagoric elements that truly evoke the horror and supernatural elements. From the first page to the last, The Girl Who Loves Monsters is a compelling read that deals with very relatable parts of adolescence, such as being taken seriously by those around you, mixed with the eerie supernatural elements that could only take place in a small town somewhat set apart from the wider world.
The Girl Who Loved Monsters By Insha Fitzpatrick Art by Ashley Franklin Penguin Random House Viking Books for Young Readers, 2026 ISBN: 9780593690901
Company Age Rating: 8-12
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11) Creator Representation: African-American, Queer, Character Representation: African-American,
Some readers erroneously believe that adult graphic novels should have sophisticated art, particularly in a day and age where art can be easily generated through a computer. “Sophisticated” means, in this case, the artwork has aspects like realistic looking human faces, shading, and color gradation that makes the book look more like a collection of photographs than anything drawn by a human being. It’s important to remember that “graphic novel” is a medium rather than a genre, and a medium can convey a variety of different ideas. For example, Heaven, West Virginia, written and illustrated by Ravi Teixeira, doesn’t need chiseled jawlines or a computer-generated color palette to tell an emotionally wrought story about coming home to find oneself.
The book follows Lamont, a man who has come home to Heaven, West Virginia to stay with his aunt while dealing with the passing of his homophobic father, a religious man who liked to share his bigotry from the pulpit. Learning tea making from his aunt provides a measure of peace, along with his conversations with handsome cowboy Coyote. Threatening to shatter that peach is a monster lurking in the woods, a monster whose eyes glow red and whose teeth are perfect for rending flesh. Lamont sees this creature and knows that it wants to devour him. Unfortunately, Lamont cannot run from this beast. He must ultimately face this monster as well as his own identity.
Teixeira’s seemingly supernatural evil evokes the folk horror traditions of something evil lurking in the woods, but it gets much more mileage in the readers’ minds thanks to his use of symbolism. For Lamont, as for many LGBTQ + individuals from a less than welcoming family, coming home often reawakens some very real traumas as fearsome and brutal as anything with teeth made to tear flesh. However, Teixeira’s story is not all doom and gloom because his Appalachian home provides healing. They demonstrate this thanks to medicinal tea recipes, with ingredients provided by Appalachian soil, interspersed throughout the book’s various chapters. This use of recipes, along with the beast in the woods, also demonstrates Teixeira’s skill with symbolism.
And those symbols are beautifully rendered, even if you can’t see the individual hairs on the beast stalking the woods. Teixeira’s style utilized blocky lines, flat surfaces, and simple colors, but they do a great deal with them. The artwork is clear and vibrant while the characters are still expressive, despite not seeing every wrinkle. Teixeira’s art style ultimately serves the story, especially as it seems to evoke images of Appalachian folk art.
For those who actually inform you of their beliefs that simple art work cannot be considered “sophisticated,” you can give them examples like Art Speigelman’s Maus and this book. The book’s uncomplicated beauty and rustic charm make it perfect for librarians in rural areas like Appalachia, as well as for librarians looking for well-told LGBTQ+ stories.
Heaven, West Virginia By Ravi Teixeira Oni Press, 2025 ISBN: 9781637158746
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+) Creator Representation: Trans , Character Representation: African-American,
Something lurks in the water off the coast of New Marseyland. Something dark. Something unnatural. Something evil. Something that… quacks. The dreaded Moby Duck, a man made monster, ominously waddles to the center of the center volume in the Cryptid Kids series from Sara Goetter and Natalie Riess.
Cryptid lover K is back for a new mystery and a new mysterious creature and she’s bringing her semi-willing friends with her. Fueled by a passionate curiosity and love for weird and unlikely creatures inspired by her great aunt TK, nothing will stop our intrepid scientist from discovering new species… except maybe all a noisy arcade. It is really loud.
The cryptid hunters are going on vacation to the shore where K intends to find the elusive Moby Duck, a creature unlike any other she has studied. Luc, K’s “kinda boyfriend”, is more focused on making a good impression on K’s family while Penny is only allowed to spend time with K with the expressed promise to her mother of “No looking for cryptids, no ‘operations,’ nothing cryptid related at all.” Unfortunately, K and friends are not the only ones looking for the dreaded waterfowl: pirate and cryptozoologist Arrvida Scales is on the hunt with less than savory intentions. But even more devastating than that threat is Penny’s new friend Jo joining them, who seems to be drawing more of Luc and Penny’s attention than K, and K’s dad suggesting that it may be time she gave up the cryptids and generally not getting her.
There’s a lot going on in this graphic—kidnappings, pirates, one eyed seagulls, secret cousins, aliens. The aliens, who resemble jackalopes, really caught me off guard if we’re being honest. But beneath the shenanigans, this is a story about relationships and the way they evolve. K needs to find new ways to connect with her dad. Her dad needs to come to terms with years of anger at his aunt while figuring out how to give K room to grow up into herself.
This is a goofy read and I mean that as the highest compliment. The humor feels very Dav Pilkey adjacent with a dryness that’s at odds with the extreme circumstances of the book. Seasoned partners Goetter and Riess add a sweetness to the story and the characters that make them relatable and real, even with the plot’s absurdity. This is something these married creators are very good at and have displayed throughout their collaborations.
The graphic starts with a peek at Creature Monthly, the K’s zine/scientific publication, that provides an introduction to the central characters and a quick recap of the events from the previous book making this accessible to new readers without reading the first volume. The panels alternate between moving smoothly and steadily through the story to moments of almost frenetic bouncing during big action scenes. Like I said, there’s a lot going on. And I quite liked it.
Cryptid Kids: Moby Duck seems specially built for reluctant readers. It’s visually exciting, supremely silly, and centers around a very real heart that makes this middle grade reader sing. This is the kind of series that kids who say they hate reading can easily lose themselves in.
Cryptid Kids: Moby Duck, Vol. 2 By Sara Goetter and Natalie Riess Macmillan First Second, 2025 ISBN: 9781250899408
Company Age Rating: 8-12
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13) Creator Representation: Queer, Character Representation: African-American,
I won’t lie, seeing this book (or any) pitched as a retelling of The Beauty and the Beast is what caught my eye. I am what the kids call “a sucker.” But we can unpack all that later.
Brielle and Bear might have the vague skeleton of the classic fairy tale it was based on, but it definitely has its own narrative—a fact that I think is a positive for the story.
That being said, this story is a little hard to get into. There is certainly a lot to like, but ultimately this book is the opposite of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.
Brielle is our heroine, and she knows it. She exudes Main Character Confidence and narrates her life using a set of rules that she pulled from her familiarity with fairy tales. She meets Atohi “Bear” Yona while at work at Once Upon A Time University’s bookshop. It’s charmed at first sight, and the story expands on their relationship and the friends they surround themselves with.
Before I get into criticism, let’s look at what slaps:
The art is gorgeous. Brielle and Bear is full of color, whimsy, visual motifs, and beautiful homage to both western-style animation and manga. The atmosphere (and names of every location and character) is very dreamy and perfect for this fairy tale-esque story.
The cast is very diverse. The author specifically wrote that she wanted to create a cast that reflected her time at university, and there was care taken to make every identity unique and specific.
There is some very kind and sympathetic discussion of neurodiversity and physical disability. Brielle has vitiligo, it is seen as running in her family. Bear has dyslexia. One of the things I thought was really beautiful about the story was how much Bear enjoys writing poetry and reading—passions that I do no typically see paired with this particular condition.
Unfortunately, each of these items tend to fall apart under close scrutiny. The art for the settings and environments and locations is so beautiful, but it tends not get center stage with lots of rendering and color. The line drawings are beautiful, but the structures sit with a selected color pallet for the page and remain, well, in the background. It is a logical choice, but it does feel like leaving free points on the floor.
The cast is diverse, but then what? Apart from some phrases in Spanish, this is an aspect of the story that is not referenced or acknowledged. Again, perhaps I have misinterpreted this choice. It might be nice to just see this as a way things are, without it being worthy of commentary.
The vitiligo and dyslexia do pertain to the plot, but it is incredibly minimal. Each character has already overcome the trauma and difficulty that comes with having these conditions. I would say this is consistent through the story as a whole – the stakes are incredibly low. I was never worried about a resolution to an issue, and each issue was small; the biggest one being 2 arguments between Brielle and Bear that are resolved through straightforward communication.
I fear this comic is trying to push its fairy tale origins into its pages, but there really is no need for that. There doesn’t seem to be any magical elements to this world—there are no spells, curses, prophecies, and certainly no beasts. I would have liked to see this story develop on its own, flown far from its magical origins. It sounds like more volumes are coming out, and maybe those books will address some of my concerns, but for now, this story is a slice of cake that is mostly frosting.
Although I personally didn’t enjoy this narrative, I would encourage everyone to look at Doku’s website to look at the visual development journey that these illustrations went on—they are simply gorgeous.
NOTE: Author is black and from England; African-American was picked as creator representation as this was the closest option that is available through NFNT.
Brielle and Bear By Salomey Doku Harper Collins, 2024 ISBN: 9780008617561
Company Age Rating: 13+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: African-American, Character Representation: African-American, First Nations or Indigenous, Disability,
Oh, sure, we’ve all been there. We bust our butts using our super powers and gadgets to save the school and our friends and loved ones just don’t show us any appreciation whatsoever! So, we gotta take the appreciation where we can find it, even if we have to make it ourselves.
Leon: Worst Friends Forever: A Graphic Novel is the follow-up to Leon the Extraordinary. This story explores the fallout of his initial victory against a villain called The Monocle. It turns out that doing heroic deeds doesn’t automatically make you likable. Leon finds himself at odds with his superhero mother as well as his friends at school; his interests have swayed much more into the direction of what he perceives to be acts of heroism at the cost of what it means to simply be a decent person. He’s beginning to let his friendships slip away, his relationship with his mother is becoming strained and difficult, but he fails to grasp the larger implications of these changes.
This is what makes getting through the book difficult: Leon is not particularly likable. The “worst friends forever” component of the story refers to a plot line where Leon has an argument with his good friend Carlos that does get resolved eventually, but it certainly takes its time, and on top of that, the overarching conflict of Leon taking matters into his own hands too rashly and too often is still very present. The final action of the comic sees someone trying to contact Leon’s superhero mother, who is absent, and Leon volunteering to help in her place. This is met with an angry reply of “But I didn’t ask for your help!” Leon ignores the shout, and proceeds in the way he thinks is best. There is a planned third volume and I am hoping that this conflict will be better explored and resolved.
The narrative in Leon: Worst Friends Forever is extremely dependent on the world-building that took place in the previous book. If you are planning on purchasing this, please be aware that it is the second volume in a series of two (so far) and I personally feel that it is not suitable as a standalone narrative. Certainly, more mature readers are going to pick up on context clues about the overall story, but I think younger readers might be a bit confused about some of the smaller details: who exactly knows about Leon’s identity as a hero (other supers, kids and adults alike, flaunt their powers and some don’t – I’m not sure what the delineation is), what his specific powers are (he does not have any – it is not mentioned in this specific volume), who his friends are, how his mother fits into all this, etc. The art is big, blocky, and punchy with a lot of bright colors set against flat and busy compositions – it very much reminds me of a kids’ cartoon.
Leon is hard to like right now, but this is a middle volume, so the story is probably just in its awkward stage.
Leon: Worst Friends Forever: A Graphic Novel By Jamar Nicholas Scholastic GRAPHIX, 2024 ISBN: 9781338744200
Company Age Rating: 8 – 13
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13) Creator Representation: African-American, Character Representation: African-American,
Tabitha—Tabi to her friends—has always been enchanted by Sommerland. When she was little, the Sommerland movies made her believe in true love and happily-ever-afters. Then she visited the Sommerland theme park, where she had a beautiful moment with her favorite character, Princess Madeline. After that, Tabi became determined to get a job at the park. She wants to bring others the kind of joy that visit brought her. And ideally, she wants to do it as one of the actors portraying Princess Madeline.
So far, so good: Tabi gets into the Sommerland High School Summer Program. She may be starting in a pretty unglamorous position—slinging chips and cheese at a nacho stand—but auditions for new character actors are coming up. And in the meantime, she can bring joy to park guests right where she is.
Tabi’s love for Sommerland is undeniable. She is passionate about creating magical experiences for guests—and she’s good at it. Not every staff member at Sommerland has her enthusiasm, but she meets a cute boy named James who loves bringing joy as much as she does—and seems to like hanging out with Tabi, too. Now, if she can just ace her audition, everything will be perfect. This is Tabi’s chance to show her knowledge of, and love for, the Sommerland characters. No one knows Princess Madeline better than she does. Surely the judges will see that.
But character actors are expected to, when in costume, look as much as possible like their characters. And Princess Madeline is thin. All the Sommerland princesses are. Tabi is not. Is this the end of her childhood dream? Or is there another path to becoming a princess?
Tabi is exuberant, kind, and hard-working. After failing her first audition because she didn’t realize dancing would be required, she practices dance steps constantly to be ready for the next audition. She holds onto her dream even as it becomes clear that only a certain type of girl – with a certain type of body – has ever been cast as a Sommerland princess. Well-intentioned and determined, Tabi is easy to like and to root for. She even manages to win over her jaded, skeptical roommate, who ends up helping Tabi and James with an audacious plan.
Sommerland is clearly a Disney analog: it’s both a movie studio and a massively popular theme park sometimes described as “the most magical place on Earth.” It even has its own versions of Disneyland quirks, like hidden kitties (for the Sommerland mascot, Kitty Wise) instead of Hidden Mickeys (images of Mickey Mouse hidden around Disneyland). These details help the park feel lived-in and real, and will be fun Easter eggs for Disneyland fans.
The art is colorful and vibrant, full of whimsical theme park landscapes, fantastical costumes, and a wide variety of uniforms and outfits. The characters are just on the realistic side of cartoony, with expressive faces and postures. There is clear contrast between the bright, magical world of the Sommerland park and the more utilitarian world behind the scenes: employee dorms, costume and uniform storage, actor auditions, and so on. Still, even when Tabi is just in her dorm watching videos, the art is lively and fun.
This is a charming romp with a goodhearted, sympathetic heroine and a fun and interesting setting. Hand it to Disney fans and anyone looking for a sweet, summery romance.
We Could Be Magic By Marissa Meyer Art by Joelle Murray Feiwel and Friends, 2025 ISBN: 9781250379399
Company Age Rating: 12-18
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16), Tween (10-13)
Character Representation: African-American, Black,
For a cat, private investigator John Blacksad seems to like hot water. How else do you explain his latest predicament?
Blacksad’s best friend, the muckraking reporter called Weekly, has been fingered for the murder of theatre director Iris Allen. The cops are also eying Weekly for the disappearance of the actress he’d been seeing. The only defense Weekly has is that he overheard the real killer being ordered to kill Iris Allen by real estate magnate Lewis Solomon.
Somehow, this all ties into the murder of Blacksad’s latest client, a union president who thought someone was out to get him. (It turned out he was right.) It also ties into the sudden reappearance of Alma, the woman who, once upon a time, almost became Mrs. John Blacksad. The trail connecting them all leads to Lewis Solomon and his latest construction project, but the lead detective with the NYPD is more determined to keep Blacksad off the case than he is to learn the truth. This leaves Blacksad with limited time and few resources to track down the real killer and clear Weekly’s name, as he also agonizes over the revelation that Alma got married and didn’t tell him.
I was enraptured when I was introduced to the Blacksad series with Blacksad: They All Fall Down, Part One. I sought out the rest of the series’ English translations, which took some doing as I discovered it in a lull between reprintings. It is ironic then that the publishing of this volume, the second half of the story that started it all for me, almost passed me by. I stumbled across it at my local comic shop during an end-of-the-year sale, trying to find a second book for a “buy 1, get 1 free deal.”
Like Blacksad himself, sometimes I just get lucky.
The only real flaw to Blacksad: They All Fall Down, Part Two is that you need to have read Part One to appreciate it. With that caveat, I went into this volume blind without having reread Part One, just to see how accessible it was to newcomers. To my surprise, the opening pages let you know all you need to know. It’s a small touch, but it is a pleasant one that speaks well of writer Juan Diaz Canales. However, I’m astonished this storyline wasn’t published in a single volume even if it did mean a delay in publishing a full Blacksad adventure in the United States. As in Part One, there is an excellent afterword by translators Diana Schutz and Brandon Kander regarding what few changes were made from the original text due to the ideas not translating literally into English.
The artwork of Juanjo Guarnido is as impressive as ever. Everything looks amazing, from the designs of the various animal people populating this alternate New York City to the beautiful backgrounds. The final sequence is particularly notable, with a sense of motion that is projected so well you would almost swear the drawings are moving on the page.
Dark Horse Comics rates this volume as appropriate for readers 16 and up. I believe that to be a fair assessment. There is less sexual content than in Part One, though there is a bit more casual profanity and violence, particularly as the climax builds and Blacksad closes in on the real killer. I also think the general tone will go over better with older teens and adults, who can appreciate the slow pacing of the mystery. Fans of Film Noir will love it, however, and I think the whole Blacksad series should be a staple of any adult graphic novel collection.
Blacksad: They All Fall Down, Part Two By Juan Díaz Canales Art by Juanjo Guarnido Dark Horse, 2024 ISBN: 9781506743981
Company Age Rating: 16+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Spanish, Character Representation: African-American,
There are monsters in this world. This is a fact that children know all too well, but adults seem to forget as they grow older. The children in the care of retired actor William Jones know it, for all of them were orphaned by monsters.
William has done a fine job teaching his charges to defend themselves. Bullies hold no fear for one who has faced down faeries or a Chupacabra. But the kids aren’t content to avoid what goes bump in the night. They want to fight back. This leads to the formation of the Nightcrawlers; a group of kids who can fight the monsters most adults won’t admit are hiding in their midst.
The Nightcrawlers get their first case when a classmate comes to them about his parents being werewolves. Things are complicated, however, by the arrival of a grown-up charge of William Jones who is out for revenge. For it seems the Nightcrawlers aren’t the first group of young people the old actor mentored and that most of them did not survive the experience!
The influences of The Nightcrawlers are clear, even without reading the introduction by the author where Lopez speaks lovingly of the classic kids’ adventure movies of the 1980s and his hope to emulate that spirit. Goonies and Monster Squad are cited specifically, but the character of William Jones evokes the spirit of Peter Vincent from the Fright Night films. I like the idea behind The Nightcrawlers, in theory. The general concept is ambitious and kids fighting monsters is a beloved, time-honored genre for a reason. The execution, I’m sad to say, is somewhat shaky.
The chief problem is there is a large ensemble and a lot of plot for the first volume of what intended to be an ongoing children’s’ comic series. Most of the protagonists are given little definition through the narrative. Calvin, for instance, has no real defining traits in the text beyond having a crush on his classmate, Victor. We learn far more about Calvin and the other kids from their biographies at the back of the book than we do from the story. (Moving these biographies to the front of the book after the introduction might have helped.) Another problem is that the mythology of monsters is largely unexplained. While I appreciate Lopez not weighing the narrative down with excessive exposition, the confusion of our heroes will prove infectious to the reader. Presumably this will be improved in later chapters, where William will take a more direct hand in instructing the kids on things like whether or not vampires have reflections or garlic hurts them.
The story flow and setting are also often unclear. The point-of-view shifts constantly between narrators, including the villain Greta, whose internal monologue we are treated to long before we have any inkling who she is. The artwork further aggravates this issue. There are no visual cues, apart from one “Present Day” caption early on, to distinguish the flashbacks from the here and now. This causes the flashbacks involving William Jones’ original proteges to seem like they came from nowhere or are detailing a different group of kids at the same time. Similar issues arise in the flashbacks William’s assistant Maryisa has while sparring. It is unclear that the one-panel flash of a young William shouting at her is a flashback and not part of the same scene. Different color palettes for the scenes set in the past or more consistent labels between “Then” and “Now” would have helped immensely.
All that being said, The Nightcrawlers becomes a drastically different book once the action kicks in. While Lopez tackles too much in establishing the setting, he writes a darn good thriller. It is also here that the artwork of Rachel Distler shines best.
The Nightcrawlers is recommended for kids 8-12. I consider that a fair rating. Apart from one use of the word “hell” and general spooky stuff, there’s nothing objectionable for the intended age range. I think this would be a fine graphic novel for those young horror fans ready to move on from Scooby Doo but not quite ready for Stranger Things.
The Nightcrawlers Vol 1: The Boy Who Cried, Wolf By Marco Lopez Art by Rachel Distler Ablaze Publishing, 2023 ISBN: 9781684970582
Company Age Rating: 8-12
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13)
“Once you go out that door, ain’t no safe side, only South Side.”
Fifteen-year-old Darius is living in the South Side of Chicago with his stepdad, little sister Cissy, and memories of his mother who passed away in an act of violence. The event left him with a consistent physical injury to his leg and real, lasting trauma in his mind. He’s tired of living in constant anxiety. It’s a dreary existence, but an opportunity for change presents itself in the form of a crashed Brinks armored car. It’s supposedly blowing money all across the highway – all Darius needs to do is get there, seize the treasure, and be on his way. But no quest is without its trials. First of all, Darius and his crew step out of the bounds of their neighborhood’s neutral zone, which means their safety can’t be guaranteed. To make matters worse, Darius’ best friend, Booger, documents their adventure on social media and word gets out about the truck, the cash, and the trio. They soon become the biggest targets for all of the dangers the South Side can sic at them. Will they make it home or fall victim to the gang violence that pollutes the streets of Chi-Town? What would you do for a life-changing amount of money?
Just as engaging as the story itself, Safe Passage offers a little insight into an unknown (to me) topic: how gang violence and crime in the South Side of Chicago became so prevalent. The title comes from a program that Chicago Public Schools implemented to better ensure the safety of the children who walked to school, the Safe Passage Program, which is still in use today. It consists of concerned community members stationed at certain posts throughout the neighborhood so they can monitor the children walking to school and easily get in touch with emergency services if needed. Although Darius only lives ten blocks from his school, he has to cross through four different gang territories to get there.
The illustrations are done in a painterly monochrome—an interesting juxtaposition against the colorful cast. The flashbacks, all except one, are less rendered than the current timeline, evoking memories that are perhaps a bit frayed at the edges. The book is relatively short, but with very dense exposition and was not a quick read for me, although you won’t hear me complaining—it was interesting and worth the time it took.
Safe Passage is a fascinating read, however I would not recommend this title for readers who are in the young teen category or younger (15 years and below). The depiction of violence and poverty is not gory or graphic, but it is constant and honest. And we can’t forget that this story, although fictional, is rooted in very real human history. Darius and his family don’t exist, but there are many like them and they have gone through similar scenarios. These kids journey through gang territory, trap houses, abduction, unfamiliar settings, and the trauma that comes with such experiences.
The story almost feels like a fantasy in its structure: there are 6 rules that must be obeyed, evoking imagery of old fae and mythic spells; there is a quest with trials and tribulations; there is a heroic trio made up of ordinary scamps who risk their lives for glory. But there is no magic here. Darius’ stepdad does what he can to get working again, the family is facing eviction, and Darius makes certain choices about who he considers his friends and how he spends his time. The reality of life in the South Side makes hope fleeting, but perhaps all the more significant for its rarity.
It should be noted that Safe Passage is a companion piece to G. Neri’s Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty, and that title should be considered if you are thinking of purchasing this one.
Safe Passage By G. Neri Art by David Brame Lee and Low Books, 2024 ISBN: 9781643790343
Publisher Age Rating: 13-17
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: African-American, Character Representation: African-American,
One click and this new dimension opens. A panel is the threshold to a dimension of gutters and splash pages. A dimension made of ink and Kirby Krackles. A world where a madman writes of comics and graphic novels. You are about to enter No Flying No Tights.
Devilfish Bay. She lives with her internet chef father, Raymond, and her loyal canine companion, Vincent. She is a bookworm and devours any book put in front of her. 
be easily generated through a computer. “Sophisticated” means, in this case, the artwork has aspects like realistic looking human faces, shading, and color gradation that makes the book look more like a collection of photographs than anything drawn by a human being. It’s important to remember that “graphic novel” is a medium rather than a genre, and a medium can convey a variety of different ideas. For example, Heaven, West Virginia, written and illustrated by Ravi Teixeira, doesn’t need chiseled jawlines or a computer-generated color palette to tell an emotionally wrought story about coming home to find oneself.
that… quacks. The dreaded Moby Duck, a man made monster, ominously waddles to the center of the center volume in the Cryptid Kids series from Sara Goetter and Natalie Riess.
sucker.” But we can unpack all that later.
ones just don’t show us any appreciation whatsoever! So, we gotta take the appreciation where we can find it, even if we have to make it ourselves.
—Tabi to her friends—has always been enchanted by Sommerland. When she was little, the Sommerland movies made her believe in true love and happily-ever-afters. Then she visited the Sommerland theme park, where she had a beautiful moment with her favorite character, Princess Madeline. After that, Tabi became determined to get a job at the park. She wants to bring others the kind of joy that visit brought her. And ideally, she wants to do it as one of the actors portraying Princess Madeline.
There are monsters in this world. This is a fact that children know all too well, but adults seem to forget as they grow older. The children in the care of retired actor William Jones know it, for all of them were orphaned by monsters.
“Once you go out that door, ain’t no safe side, only South Side.”
