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STRANGER TIDES

From the Miles Morales: Original Spider-Man Graphic Novel series

A lackluster outing for a beloved Marvel character.

Spider-Man is swinging in for another fast-paced adventure!

Spider-Man, aka Afro-Latine teenager Miles Morales, is excited to be a celebrity’s plus-one to a new video game launch, but when the party is interrupted by Trinity and Vex, two potential teenage supervillains-in-training, Spider-Man is soon tangled in a web of plans created by the Stranger, a superstrong, superintelligent extraterrestrial with plans to kill half of Earth’s population in the name of justice. The Stranger plans to freeze people in a state of unexplained hibernation and then turn half the population against the other half. The book’s basic plot seems lifted from Avengers: Infinity War. Sure, there are some personal stakes added to this story, as Spider-Man’s friends and family are frozen, and a subplot develops where Miles’ Uncle Aaron is hospitalized after being frozen while driving, but the graphic novel suffers from the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it emotional ways in which these (temporary) losses affect Miles. The exposition in place of plot and fast-paced character development also won’t help readers turn into mega-fans. Miles Morales became incredibly popular because he was a breath of fresh air, adding nuance and depth to Marvel, and this book is going to be read and reread by many fans because of that, but it brings little new to the party. Trinity is brown-skinned, while Vex is light-skinned.

A lackluster outing for a beloved Marvel character. (Graphic novel. 8-10)

Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-338-82639-5

Page Count: 128

Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic

Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022

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THE LEMONADE WAR GRAPHIC NOVEL

A classic sibling rivalry tale that still satisfies to the last drop.

In this graphic novel adaptation of Davies’ 2007 book, hurt feelings propel an intense business battle.

Fourth grader Evan can’t stand the thought of his brainy younger sister, Jessie, skipping a grade and joining his class this fall. Intelligent but emotionally immature, Jessie sometimes misses social cues and wishes she could be more like the gregarious Evan. These insecurities set the stage for a contest to see who can raise the most money selling lemonade this summer. Will Jessie’s book smarts beat Evan’s people skills? The beauty of this story lies in how each sibling’s strengths rub off on the other: Evan brushes up on his math, while Jessie tentatively makes a new friend. De la Vega’s polished cartoon artwork creatively translates Davies’ metaphors to a visual medium. When the author compares the “mean words inside Evan…fighting to get out” to bats, illustrations depict the furry animals emerging from beneath his shirt; Jessie’s negative thoughts take the form of a tiny purple creature irritatingly tapping her shoulder. Tender scenes depict flashbacks of the siblings supporting each other through their parents’ divorce. The book has business savvy to match the emotional beats (each chapter opens with an entrepreneurial definition that relates to the plot), and several scenes feature math problems that readers can solve for themselves. Evan and Jessie appear white; both have friends of color.

A classic sibling rivalry tale that still satisfies to the last drop. (business tips) (Graphic fiction. 8-10)

Pub Date: April 29, 2025

ISBN: 9780063310407

Page Count: 208

Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025

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THE SINGING ROCK & OTHER BRAND-NEW FAIRY TALES

Alert readers will find the implicit morals: know your audience, mostly, but also never underestimate the power of “rock”...

The theme of persistence (for better or worse) links four tales of magic, trickery, and near disasters.

Lachenmeyer freely borrows familiar folkloric elements, subjecting them to mildly comical twists. In the nearly wordless “Hip Hop Wish,” a frog inadvertently rubs a magic lamp and finds itself saddled with an importunate genie eager to shower it with inappropriate goods and riches. In the title tale, an increasingly annoyed music-hating witch transforms a persistent minstrel into a still-warbling cow, horse, sheep, goat, pig, duck, and rock in succession—then is horrified to catch herself humming a tune. Athesius the sorcerer outwits Warthius, a rival trying to steal his spells via a parrot, by casting silly ones in Ig-pay Atin-lay in the third episode, and in the finale, a painter’s repeated efforts to create a flattering portrait of an ogre king nearly get him thrown into a dungeon…until he suddenly understands what an ogre’s idea of “flattering” might be. The narratives, dialogue, and sound effects leave plenty of elbow room in Blocker’s big, brightly colored panels for the expressive animal and human(ish) figures—most of the latter being light skinned except for the golden genie, the blue ogre, and several people of color in the “Sorcerer’s New Pet.”

Alert readers will find the implicit morals: know your audience, mostly, but also never underestimate the power of “rock” music. (Graphic short stories. 8-10)

Pub Date: June 18, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-59643-750-0

Page Count: 112

Publisher: First Second

Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019

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