BUNS GONE BAD

Rapscallion rabbit siblings take over their neighborhood park.

In Canada, a group of baby bunnies is known as a fluffle. The phenomenal fluffle in this graphic novel consists of a trio—Biggie, Boingy, and Flop—whose mother hops off as soon as they’re weaned. She heads to Brazil to train as a bunny jujitsu master, and the young rabbits must forge their own way in the world, or at the very least within the bounds of their local park. They have many rivals to contend with, including cheeky chipmunks, sharp-toothed dogs, and a resourceful crew of raccoons. Adorable though they might be, the threesome decide that they’ll have to toughen up to get ahead in life, and so their “reign of endearing evil begins.” In a bid to usurp park power from the raccoons, the bunnies hatch a devious—and hilarious—plan. A folksy, fedora-clad moth who witnessed the fluffle’s rise to power narrates with aplomb. The rabbits’ wacky wiles and high-energy humor are reminiscent of Aaron Blabey’s snarky, silly Bad Guys series, but the real-world environs of city park life (overflowing trash cans and dingy, shadowy restrooms) offer a uniquely delightful locale in which to encounter these affable antiheroes. The characters’ energetic, simplified facial expressions and fast-paced physical comedy amplify the wacky narrative to a charming degree.

Absurd animal antics in a familiarly funny setting.