I should be the target audience for Angel Season Eleven, and as a matter of fact, for a long time I was. I am a long-time fan of both television series, and a long-time comics reader. I’ve read and collected past comics of both Buffy and Angel, two shows whose runs have been extended by additional “seasons” of comics. I have even have gotten collections signed at comics conventions. As an added bonus, Joss Whedon had nothing to do with the creation of this book, so I can breathe a sigh of relief at not enabling him in light of recent accusations. All of this is to say, believe me when I tell you that this latest season… was not very good.
It’s not bad, mind you. The dialog can get a little stilted and exposition heavy, but is largely agreeable. The art is workmanlike, missing a lot of dynamism in the action or layouts, but perfectly easy to follow. Likenesses are fairly accurate, when appropriate. There’s nothing particularly offensive in the construction or the story of this comic. But it’s just so boring.
Even the plot, which as a time travel caper in a series largely about fate and prophecy should be new and exciting, turns out to be a bit of a bottle episode. The broad plot is a time travel paradox visiting Illyria’s origins, Angel’s origins, and a pirate ship. It would honestly be a perfectly fine Doctor Who story, but doesn’t seem to fit with previous Angel tales.
Normally, I would explain more about the characters or the setting in this review, but the book isn’t particularly interested in that, so why should I be? This is strictly for fans of the show and previous comics. There isn’t much attention given to who the characters are or what they can do, or establishing much in the way of personality. The main characters are Angel and Fred/Illyria. There are some interesting wrinkles to Fred’s situation as she shares a physical form with an ancient demon, where previously on the television show it was explained to be just the demon, but things change. Even coming from a fandom background I found myself lost at times. Perhaps I missed a season? Angel’s the same as he ever was at any rate. The rest of his supporting cast is absent, and the book takes place in Dublin rather than California.
The publisher does not provide a suggested age range for readers, but I would recommend older teens or adults. The time travel plot and paradox have hints of Doctor Who and it can be shelved very similarly. The content is about on par with the show, meaning there is horror and violence, but neither is taken to any extreme.
If your library already has the previous season collections of Angel this could be a good addition. Perhaps it makes more sense in company with comics Seasons Nine and Ten. It has been a while since I read those, and my memory is foggy. I would not recommend it as a standalone volume, however. It is unlikely to attract new readers to the series based on the art or writing merits, and will not make very much sense. If you’re just starting, I would recommend finding earlier seasons or the current reboot by Hill and Menikov.
Angel Season Eleven, Library Edition By Corinna Bechko Art by Geraldo Borges, Zé Carlos BOOM! Studios, 2020 ISBN: 9781684155286
Related media: TV to Comic
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
Justice League, Avengers, Power Rangers. As a child of the 90s, those were the big three superhero teams I grew up with, and Power Rangers: Sins of the Future capitalizes on that by being a direct sequel to one of the most popular entries of the series, Time Force. As a standalone released by BOOM!, it holds up well compared to other OGNs in the series and even the ongoing comic.
Time Force, for those unsavvy to the show’s history, follows Pink Ranger Jen Scotts as she travels back in time from the year 3000. Her mission? Stop the evil mutant Ransik, who murdered Red Ranger Alex, and traveled to the year 2001 to change history. Bringing her team of rangers, Jen is shocked to discover Wes Collins in 2001, a direct ancestor of the dead Alex. Becoming the team’s new Red Ranger thanks to some DNA morphing science, Wes joins these rangers in protecting his city.
In the series finale, Wes and Jen profess their love for each other, but to prevent the future from changing, Jen returns back to her time. While the Power Rangers base is destroyed in the fight, Wes keeps his powers and continues to protect his city. Sins of the Future picks up some time shortly after, with Jen coming back in time to fight leftover armies of the show’s big bad, and for a rendezvous with Wes. The two rangers have been seeing each other during Jen’s missions to the past, but the strain of potentially affecting the future as well as ignoring her duties is affecting the relationship.
When Jen goes back to her time, she is shocked to receive an order to terminate her relationship with Wes. To further complicate things, Jen arrives back in 2001 to see that the Power Rangers base has magically reappeared. Something, or someone, is messing with the past and Jen barely discovers this before being attacked by a Black Time Force Ranger. Writer Matthew Erman does a fantastic job of weaving the plot together, and Jen and Wes feel as authentic as I remember from the show. Jen still worries about walking the line between love and duty, and is every bit the strong leader she has always been.
The art by Giueseppe Cafaro, with colors by Francesco Segala, makes great use of light and shadow, but is not as pop art with the colors as Dan Mora’s Power Rangers. This works for the story well, as it is more of an emotional piece focusing on Jen and Wes, but it does mean that the Power Ranger suits aren’t as bright as they were in the show. Nod to cover artists Diego Galindo, for nailing the look of Jen and Wes in both the faces and personalities with Jen warrior posing in the front and Wes supporting her.
As it is a standalone novel, I would recommend it for any library collection that has a Power Rangers fan base or a collection of OGNs featuring strong-willed and driven women. While I could not locate the age rating through the publisher’s site or the pre-published copy, I would recommend it for older teens and young adults, as there is a nostalgia factor at play here.
Power Rangers: Sins of the Future By Matthew Erman Art by Giuseppe Cafaro BOOM! Studios, 2020 ISBN: 9781684156191 Related media: TV to Comic
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
Steven Universe follows the adventures of young Steven and the Crystal Gems as they protect their home, Beach City, its inhabitants, and the planet Earth from the monsters and other Gems that attack it. While Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl rebelled from their own race after falling in love with the Earth, the Homeworld Gems have plans to rule and conquer the planet. Taking place over two tv shows and a movie, the show’s monster of the week formula allows for comics like Crystal Clean to exist in-between the episodes of the show. This volume takes place roughly around season five, post episode “Raising the Barn,” as Peridot is back living in Steven’s bathroom while Steven is more confident in his powers and abilities.
On one of the hottest days of the summer, the Crystal Gems have decided to clean the entire house. As Pearl points out, it doesn’t matter whose mess it is; it just has to go! Eventually getting to the beach, Steven and the Gems are shocked to discover a slimy green substance covering everything. Agreeing to help clean the beach and find the culprit, the Gems task Peridot with building a new gadget to speed up the cleaning process.
I thought author Talya Perper brought each Crystal Gem’s voice to the comic pretty easily, with some standout moments for Garnet and Amethyst early on that I could practically hear in the show. The adventure Perper takes the Gems on also feels ripped from the show, with a focus on the Gems’ interactions with townspeople and having a moral in cleaning up after your own (or anyone’s family).
S. M. Mara’s art also nailed the stylings of the show, with the panels almost seeming like screencaps from the show. A lot of each character’s quirks were well represented in the comic, with Peridot having her nervous sweat marks or Steven’s concerned eyebrows. I’m not going to lie, but I hate when the comic art is different from the animated show it adapts, so I was happy to see a faithful art adaptation for this volume. This is also in part due to colors by Kieran Quigley, as each Gem has a unique color palette that fans would quickly spot if they were off.
This volume is not part of any ongoing Steven Universe series, and would fit into any juvenile graphic novel or comic collection. While the publisher’s website and the pre-published copy do not indicate an age range, Amazon states age 8 to 11 which is likely a good fit for this OGN. The close family vibe, sense of ownership in the community, and moral of cleaning up messes makes Steven Universe: Crystal Clean an easy purchase to recommend.
Steven Universe: Crystal Clean By Talya Perper Art by S. M. Mara BOOM! Studios KaBOOM!, 2020 ISBN: 9781684155071 Related media: TV to Comic
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chosen Ones is a collection of six short stories set in the world of the TV show. The collection was released in 2020, over 15 years after the series finale, and investigates the show’s legacy through five historical Slayers and one story about Buffy herself. Each story explores either how the Slayer was told she was chosen or examines a time in a country’s history where the Slayer worked to make things better for women.
“The Mission” takes places in 1808 America as the indigenous Hutash works against the Spaniards and shows the origins of a Hellmouth, which fans will immediately recognize from the TV show. “The Eating of Men” shows how Silvia must stake her own nanny after witnessing the vampire kill her father in 14th century Bologna—this just after we are shown how much Silvia adores her vampiric nanny and the way this woman encouraged Silvia to develop her cleverness. “Behind the Mask” is a delightful piece that follows Adelaide at a masque ball in 1820 Paris. She’s seen discussing the recent disappearances from other high society events just before being led away from the ball by a mysterious gentleman, where it is revealed that she was hunting him. “Where All Paths Lead” features Buffy and is the most confusing story in this collection. She appears to be trying to stop the opening of the Hellmouth by battling the demon mother amidst little recollections of the past during conversations with a helpful demon full of dire news. “The Hilot of 1910″ is set in the Philippines and combines Western vampire lore and local aswang lore into a story that has our protagonist, Matay, questioning how to define a real demon. Our last story is “The Sisters of Angelus.” Set in 1947 Dublin, Una knows that she is the Slayer, working with her tinkerer grandmother, when her friend is sent to an asylum for unknown reasons. While trying to rescue her friend, Una discovers that the nuns running the asylum are actually vampires who worship Angelus and feed on their charges.
Overall, this collection expands on the diversity seen in the Buffyverse while examining historical prejudice or stereotypes. Each story looks at a cultural aspect or stereotype of women while challenging the truth behind it. The art ranges in style to match the time period or culture while managing to be cohesive, which is not always the case in anthology graphic novels. The artwork does get a bit graphic during the violent scenes that accompany each of the six stories, so it probably shouldn’t be placed in a collection where younger readers will easily find it. If you have adult or older teenage fans of Buffy, this book would do well in your collection as they will pick up on the hints and Easter eggs nestled within these pages. (Fans of Buffy who have been conflicted about reports of creator Joss Whedon’s abusive behavior will likely be relieved to know that Whedon himself has had no involvement with this title.) This collection might also be of interest to anyone that likes to read vampire stories in general, although it may not resonate with them as well if they’re unfamiliar with the lore of the Buffyverse.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chosen Ones By Mairghread Scott, Celia Lowenthal, Alexa Sharpe, and Nilah Magruder Art by Ornella Savarese, Lauren Knight, Moran Beem, and Caitlin Yarsky BOOM! Studios, 2020 ISBN: 9781684155972
Related media: TV to Comic
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
“Into every generation a slayer is born… She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil… She is the Slayer.” This paraphrased opening to the omnibus collection (and TV show) sets up Buffy vs a slew of different monsters every week with the help of her friends and Watcher/school librarian.
Set in Sunnydale, a fictional Californian town, this comic series is set during the high school years of the show Buffy with rotating villains such as goblins, a Vincent Price-esque haunted movie story, and of course, vampires. Characters are witty, quick, and feel very true to their television counterparts, past a few glaring omissions. If you are a fan of the show, the comic starts out roughly in season two and progresses through season three. This volume collects issues 1-10 of the Buffy comic series, originally published in 1998-9, as well as some additional stories from that era.
The book’s main writer, Andi Watson, is fantastic at the character voices and I often thought to myself that these do feel like the characters. There was one particular two-parter near the end about body issues and plastic surgery involving Joyce that felt very out of character for her. However, the television show was known for doing social issue episodes in interesting ways so I thought this was Watson’s crack at that.
Christopher Golden’s featured writing flows like a narrative, in that his pieces read more like prose books with images than comics. He recaps Angel’s narrative and tells some shorter stories of his own, but Christopher Golden also wrote for the Buffy novels of the 90s and early 00s so his writing style here is very similar to those. The initial issue featured writer Jen Van Meter who was great at writing jokes, but the issue felt disjointed with characters seeming to not directly respond to another.
Luke Ross’s art for Jen Van Meter’s piece was also my least favorite with these elongated legs and strange poses for Buffy that did not seem exactly right. However, Joe Bennet and Hector Gomez both had fantastic art throughout. Joe works on most of the series and his Buffy looks like the actress Sarah Michelle Gellar, and other characters mostly follow suit. However, at first Willow looks nothing like Alyson Hannigan as she has a more brunette look until halfway through the series. This would mean nothing for new readers, but this 20 year old comic series reprinting may be intended for those fans who are already familiar with their version of Willow.
I’m not afraid to admit I enjoy Buffy. It was one of the first shows that had a queer character I identified with in the witchy Willow, and had this handsome and intelligent but sometimes mysteriously aloof librarian who definitely impacted my future career choices. While it was disappointing to hear the recent news of Joss Whedon’s abusive treatment of cast and crew in his career, his involvement in these stories seems to have been very minimal. Like Harry Potter, it can be difficult to judge content separate from the original creator, but this omnibus will have appeal to hardcore Buffy fans who love these characters.
At the time of its original publication, this comic was probably intended for teens and young adults. As a reprinting, I would say this is aimed at adults who want that nostalgia wow factor of reliving their childhood. I would also shelve this with adult graphic novels, rather than teen comics or other youth collections. Again, this would probably appeal to fans of the show and not necessarily a larger audience. I would purchase this if looking to add more Buffy to a high demand collection but it is likely not for everyone.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Legacy Edition Book One By Andi Watson, Christopher Golden, Jen Van Meter Art by Joe Bennett, Hector Gomez, Luke Ross BOOM! Studios, 2020 ISBN: 9781684154999
Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious: Defender of the Daleks is a bit of an odd duck. It is a graphic novel collecting two comics that were part of a 2020 multimedia event spread across various Doctor Who novels, comics, games, audio plays, escape rooms and, well, basically every medium with a Doctor Who license apart from the television series that started it all. The oddity is that despite being a small part of what may be the biggest Doctor Who story ever told, at least in terms of its spread across various formats, this graphic novel is remarkably well-contained and serves as a solid introduction to the Doctor Who premise for newbies. While there is a title page that outlines the show’s concept and all the characters, writer Jody Houser does a fine job of slowly bringing readers into the world of the time-traveling alien hero known as The Doctor, while setting up the story proposed by James Goss, who came up with the whole Time Lord Victorious concept.
As the novel opens, The Doctor is suffering from a bout of short-term memory loss and the travel log on their time-ship, the TARDIS, has no record of where they were. This points to a serious paradox having occurred and the possibility that The Doctor was either pushed into a parallel universe or that something altered the history of their universe in a big way. However, that mystery must be put on hold after The Doctor is confronted by a horde of Daleks; the world-conquering aliens that are The Doctor’s greatest enemy. But these Daleks are not looking for a fight. They are looking for a hero.
The Daleks think The Doctor is the only one who can save the universe from The Hond, a primordial race so ancient that even The Doctor’s race thought they were a legend made-up to frighten children. Unfortunately, The Hond are all too real and, in the timeline caused by the paradox, they have advanced to become a major threat. This is something of a problem given that The Hond are a death cult dedicated to destroying every other race in the universe before destroying themselves. To save this reality, The Doctor and The Daleks must form a reluctant alliance.
While the plot of Time Lord Victorious is a standard “Enemy Mine” scenario with two enemies being forced to work together for a greater good, Jody Houser builds upon that basic premise to spin a spirited story. Her grasp of the Doctor’s character is fantastic and fans of the show will likely hear the voice of David Tennant as they read this novel, along with the digital growls of the Daleks. The artwork by Roberta Ingranata also does a fine job of capturing the essence of the show and the appearance of Tennant’s Doctor and the various Daleks. She also offers up a disturbing design for the Hond. The color art by Enrica Eren Angiolini also deserves praise, creating continual interesting visual contrasts, such as with the opening pages in which the cold of space has a subtle blue tint contrasting with the warmer orange shades highlighting the scenes inside the TARDIS.
Titan Comics has rated this volume for readers 12+ and up and I think that’s a fair rating. There’s nothing in terms of content that is inappropriate for teen or tween audiences, being on par with your average episode of the Doctor Who television program. I dare say this book could be safely enjoyed by younger readers, though they may need help with some of the bigger words.
Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious: Defender of the Daleks By Jody Houser, James Goss Art by Roberta Ingranata, Enrica Angiolini ISBN: 9781787733114 Titan Comics, 2020 Publisher Age Rating: 12+ Only Series ISBNS and Order
Title Details and Representation NFNT Age Recommendation: Teen (13-16) Related to…: TV to Comic
Legends are told across the universe of a blue box that shows up in times of great need. It can travel anywhere in time and space and is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Inside this blue box, which is known as the TARDIS, lives a being known as the Doctor. Sometimes the Doctor is old with young eyes. Other times the Doctor is young with old eyes. Sometimes the Doctor is a man. Other times the Doctor is a woman. At all times the Doctor is a champion of the downtrodden, never cowardly or cruel, who stands up against all tyrants, both petty and powerful.
Once, when the Doctor was a young and dashing man, he became stranded on the planet Earth in the city of London in the year 1969, with his companion; a human medical student named Martha Jones. The two had fallen prey to a quantum assassin known as a Weeping Angel; a curious being who displaced people in time and fed upon the potential energy released by that shift in spacetime. They were eventually saved by a clever woman named Sally Sparrow, who reunited the Doctor and the TARDIS… but for now they are still stuck in 1969 with no way out.
Now, an older Doctor, who is a witty livewire of a woman, has found herself in London in 1969 along with her current crew of companions; dyspraxic mechanic Ryan Sinclair, probationary police officer Yasmin Khan and retired bus driver Graham O’Brien. This is troubling, as the laws of time usually do not allow the various versions of the Doctor to cross paths, since this could cause a paradox that could destroy the universe. Unfortunately, a group of Weeping Angels are also now in 1969… and they are not the only alien menace with designs on London town!
A Tale Of Two Time Lords is the fourth collection of Doctor Who stories starring the Thirteenth incarnation of the Doctor published by Titan Comics and the first story to team the Thirteenth Doctor with an earlier incarnation; the Tenth Doctor. Despite this, it is a wonderful story for new readers of the comics and neophytes to the Doctor Who television series. The most fantastic aspect of this story, which is built around the classic Tenth Doctor episode “Blink,” is that Jody Houser’s script walks the reader through everything they need to know about the original episode, the concept behind the Weeping Angels and just how there are more than one version of the Doctor running around, in case you don’t already know. Established fans will not feel talked-down to, however, as there are also s a number of clever nods to the show hinting at the complexity of the Doctor Who universe that shouldn’t scare away newcomers. Indeed, it only encourages them to delve deeper into the lore of the show.
Houser’s script is brought to life beautifully by Roberta Ingranata, who perfectly captures the appearance of the characters from the show. More importantly, Ingranata shows amazing skill as a visual storyteller, and the fast-pace chase scenes that are part and parcel of the Doctor Who experience are well translated into an illustrated fiction format under Ingranta’s pencils and inks. The color art by Enrica Eren Angiolini also deserves praise, being suitably vivid and eye-catching.
This volume is rated 12+ and I think that is a fair rating, if only for the use of language. I am referring, in this case, to the use of advanced scientific terminology younger readers might not grasp and not curse words. There’s nothing inappropriate in the text or artwork, so advanced readers of a younger age should be able to handle A Tale Of Two Time Lords with little issue.
Doctor Who: A Tale Of Two Time Lords By Jody Houser Art by Roberta Ingranata and Enrica Angiolini ISBN: 9781787733107 Titan Comics, 2020 Publisher Age Rating: 12+ Series ISBNS and Order
Title Details and Representation NFNT Age Recommendation: Teen (13-16) Character Traits: Black, British, Pakistani, Mobility Impairment, Muslim Related to…: TV to Comic
Created by Pat McHale, Cartoon Network’s miniseries Over the Garden Wall has enchanted fans young and old with its over the top characters, dark fantasy storytelling, musical numbers, and creative storytelling. The comic series based on the show takes those elements and continues the adventures of the main characters, expanding the world of The Unknown. The newest addition to the comic series, entitled Over the Garden Wall: Soulful Symphonies, written by Birdie Willis and illustrated by Rowan MacColl, combines the show’s scary and musical plot points into a tale that can fit right into the original story.
Greg, Wirt, bluebird Beatrice, and Greg’s frog are still on the road within The Unknown, searching for their way home. They stumble upon a quiet town with no citizens in sight, except for theater owner Sophie and her two dramatic sisters Mezz and Altamira. The boys are invited to audition for the theater’s upcoming production, giving them a chance to exercise their musical skills. The boys are having fun creating new musical numbers, but Beatrice discovers something dark and sinister about the sisters and their theater. The bluebird must find a way to convince them that they are in danger before something terrible happens to them all.
For readers who are familiar with the cartoon series, or earlier comic issues, this title contains the familiar fun and dark whimsy the series is known for. Illustrator Rowan MacColl uses dark shadows and linework to bring up the suspicious atmosphere within the story. Two-page panels are used for most musical performances and plot revealing scenes to enhance the exposure of something serious or charming. The mysterious sisters are drawn with a suspicious appearance to them and their flair for the dramatics is shown within their actions and dialogue, allowing the reader to estimate the reason for the towns’ silence. Writer Birdie Willis has taken the unique qualities of the show and uses them to create a story that can fit right into the original story’s universe. Readers and fans will be reminded of the show’s musical interludes, Greg’s carefree behavior, and little nods to earlier adventures. The final reveal of the sisters and their theater takes a dark and scary turn, but the story ends on a high note (no pun intended) and a segue into the group’s next adventure into The Unknown.
This newest adventure of the Over the Garden Wall series will be well liked by young fans and readers in 3rd to 6th grade. It will make a great addition to any public or school library, especially for collections that have earlier issues of the comics and other graphic novel tie-ins to Cartoon Network shows. Not only will devoted readers enjoy it, those who are looking for a comic that delves into dark fantasy or the mystery genre will be intrigued with this newest adventure.
Over the Garden Wall: Soulful Symphonies By Birdie Willis Art by Rowan MacColl ISBN: 9781684155569 Kaboom, 2020 Publisher Age Rating: 9 – 12 Series ISBNS and Order
Title Details and Representation NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11) Related to…: TV to Comic
The adventures of Wirt and Greg within the dark, mysterious world of The Unknown continue with this newest installment in the graphic novel adaptation of the Cartoon Network mini-series Over the Garden Wall. In Over the Garden Wall: Benevolent Sisters of Charity, written by Sam Johns and illustrated by Jim Campbell, readers will enjoy a new tale of mystery with comical and strange characters and detailed landscapes. Devoted fans and readers will recognize the familial love and protection the characters possess and the strange world they have wandered into.
As they continue on their journey home, Wirt, Greg, bluebird Beatrice, and Greg’s frog stumble upon a woodland hospital run by the Benevolent Sisters of Charity. For Wirt, it’s a dream come true. The poor boy needs some TLC after taking care of his brother and catching a little cold. But for the rest of the group, it becomes a bit of an annoyance. While Beatrice and frog are stuck in an old smelly barn with a sick dog, Greg becomes bored with the constant herbal therapies and pampering from the sisters. As the day winds down to a close, the group becomes suspicious of the sisters’ actions, especially when their care becomes too much to handle.
The charm of the original cartoon series continues in this newest graphic novel. You have the innocence of Greg, the strange behavior of the residential caretakers, the detailed autumn landscape of The Unknown, and the loving bond between the two brothers and their animal companions. Sam Johns’s story is both touching and mysterious, reminding devoted fans and readers the importance of self-care and listening to others when they lend their voice. Jim Campbell uses a pallet of earthen colors for the woodland landscape and bright colors within the hospital’s setting. Montages of the sisters’ care are depicted in small panels, allowing the reader to focus on the character’s actions. The combined character actions and dialogue work very well together, keeping the reader’s attention and allowing the story to flow from one scene to the next. When the story is all said and done, Greg breaks the fourth wall and talks to the readers about old school medical care (leeches, humors, etc.) and is reminded by Wirt that not everything on the internet is reliable when it comes to medical advice and self-care.
Fans of the original mini-series and readers of the graphic novels will definitely enjoy this newest installment of Over the Garden Wall. Public and school libraries will want to add this title to their collection, especially if they have other titles within the series. Young readers in 3rd to 6th grade who enjoy mysteries and dark fantasy will want to give this title a try, as well as the rest of the series.
Over the Garden Wall: Benevolent Sisters of Charity By Sam Johns Art by Jim Campbell ISBN: 9781684156207 Kaboom, 2020 Publisher Age Rating: 9 – 12 Series ISBNS and Order
Title Details and Representation NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11) Related to…: TV to Comic
A prequel to the new Dark Crystal Netflix series comes to you in graphic novel form: Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance: The Quest for the Dual Glaive by Nicole Andelfinger starts us off right before the Netflix series begins.
The story opens up with an attack on a village by a group of Arathim. Arathims are spider-like creatures, but in this incarnation, they are called the Ascendancy. The Ascendancy is a combination of many different Arathim together, which makes them more powerful and can spew out venom. The scene shifts to one of the main warriors in the next village, Ordon. Ordon is offered a position as a Captain of the Skeksis’ army. He is mulling it over when an injured gelfling approaches him. He asks to speak to the Maudra Vala, and warn her of the incoming attack. In the prequel series, the Maudra serves as the matriarchal rulers of the various gelfling clans. It is suggested that the Ascendancy is too powerful for normal weapons and that the ultimate weapon known as the Dual Glaive must be retrieved.
Ordon volunteers to go on the quest, but there is another who wants to join in on the quest. Her name is Fara and she is Maudra Vala’s daughter. Ordon quickly dismisses her help and her mother tells her it is too dangerous. Ordon says a good-bye to his wife and heads off on his search for the Dual Glaive. He encounters one of the Ascendancies and is poisoned by the creature. What he doesn’t know is Fara has secretly tagged along and comes to his aid. She can distract the creature long enough for Ordon to kill it. Fara continues to argue that she would be useful to the quest and seeks to join Ordon. Ordon again dismisses her help and continues on his way.
As a fan of the original Dark Crystal, the one thing I like that the prequel series has brought is an expanded role for females in the stories. Not only do female gelflings have head leadership roles in their society, but some display warrior spirit and go on quests. Fara comes across as an extremely likely heroine who wants to be of service to her clan. Ordon has a hard time seeing her as anything but a youngster who would just get in the way. The story gives her a chance to prove herself and for Ordon to see how wrong he is in easily dismissing her. Fans of the mystics and landstriders will be happy to know they make an appearance in this story.
Any Jim Henson project never fails to amaze with artwork and creativity. The homes of the gelflings reminded me a lot of the hovels in Lord of the Rings. The houses are tiny, made out of stone with hand-carved furniture–homey, but sparse in decoration. Earth tones adorn not only the home but the costuming of the gelfling. When we visit with a Mystic later on in the story, luminescent blues are featured to exemplify magic and soothsaying.
I recommend Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance: The Quest for the Dual Glaive not only for the gorgeous artwork but for giving us memorable stories and characters. Freya is a welcome addition to the universe and for parents seeking strong heroines, this is the perfect choice for them. Most of the violence is in the battle sequences between the Ascendency and Ordon. Nothing too graphic that a tween couldn’t handle.
Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance: The Quest for the Dual Glaive By Nicole Andelfinger Art by Matias Basla ISBN: 9781684155620 Archaia, 2020 Publisher Age Rating: T for Teens
Browse for more like this title NFNT Age Recommendation: Tween (10-13), Teen (13-16), Older Teen (16-18) Related to…: TV to Comic
I should be the target audience for Angel Season Eleven, and as a matter of fact, for a long time I was. I am a long-time fan of both television series, and a long-time comics reader. I’ve read and collected past comics of both Buffy and Angel, two shows whose runs have been extended by additional “seasons” of comics. I have even have gotten collections signed at comics conventions. As an added bonus, Joss Whedon had nothing to do with the creation of this book, so I can breathe a sigh of relief at not enabling him in light of recent accusations. All of this is to say, believe me when I tell you that this latest season… was not very good.
Justice League, Avengers, Power Rangers. As a child of the 90s, those were the big three superhero teams I grew up with, and 
Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious: Defender of the Daleks is a bit of an odd duck. It is a graphic novel collecting two comics that were part of a 2020 multimedia event spread across various Doctor Who novels, comics, games, audio plays, escape rooms and, well, basically every medium with a Doctor Who license apart from the television series that started it all. The oddity is that despite being a small part of what may be the biggest Doctor Who story ever told, at least in terms of its spread across various formats, this graphic novel is remarkably well-contained and serves as a solid introduction to the Doctor Who premise for newbies. While there is a title page that outlines the show’s concept and all the characters, writer Jody Houser does a fine job of slowly bringing readers into the world of the time-traveling alien hero known as The Doctor, while setting up the story proposed by James Goss, who came up with the whole Time Lord Victorious concept.
Legends are told across the universe of a blue box that shows up in times of great need. It can travel anywhere in time and space and is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Inside this blue box, which is known as the TARDIS, lives a being known as the Doctor. Sometimes the Doctor is old with young eyes. Other times the Doctor is young with old eyes. Sometimes the Doctor is a man. Other times the Doctor is a woman. At all times the Doctor is a champion of the downtrodden, never cowardly or cruel, who stands up against all tyrants, both petty and powerful.
Created by Pat McHale, Cartoon Network’s miniseries Over the Garden Wall has enchanted fans young and old with its over the top characters, dark fantasy storytelling, musical numbers, and creative storytelling. The comic series based on the show takes those elements and continues the adventures of the main characters, expanding the world of The Unknown. The newest addition to the comic series, entitled Over the Garden Wall: Soulful Symphonies, written by Birdie Willis and illustrated by Rowan MacColl, combines the show’s scary and musical plot points into a tale that can fit right into the original story.
The adventures of Wirt and Greg within the dark, mysterious world of The Unknown continue with this newest installment in the graphic novel adaptation of the Cartoon Network mini-series Over the Garden Wall. In Over the Garden Wall: Benevolent Sisters of Charity, written by Sam Johns and illustrated by Jim Campbell, readers will enjoy a new tale of mystery with comical and strange characters and detailed landscapes. Devoted fans and readers will recognize the familial love and protection the characters possess and the strange world they have wandered into.
