SLIME SHOP

A trio of intrepid slime molds must stop a bad guy blob from taking over their crew.

This goofy graphic novel explores the imagined lives of homemade slime molds created by three kids—brown-skinned siblings Bailey and Sophia and their friend Jayden, who is Black—who run a small business concocting, marketing, and selling slime by mail. When they leave their labors, the slimes come to life. Realizing that any one of them could be the next one sold, disgruntled slime Boris takes drastic measures to gain control. His efforts turn tyrannical, and he terrorizes unsuspecting peers, biting some of the other slimes and turning them into zombies. In a melodramatic flourish, he attempts to create an army to destroy the shop. Sparkly pink, supersweet Polly catches on quickly. To counter his cruelty, Polly enlists a few friends to undertake a quest across the neighborhood in hopes of gaining the wisdom of the oldest “Original” slime before facing Boris head-on in a dramatic finale. The slime shop concept, as conceived by Youtube “Slime Queen” Garcia, may seem esoteric for those who don’t follow the hobby, but a peppy, character-driven plot and jewel-toned illustrations of the slime squad’s starring cast quickly mold the popular creative pursuit into a relatable adventure. The story of the young entrepreneurs trying to find their small-business foothold is a loosely conceived but satisfying framing device.

A hilarious, action-packed romp with appeal far exceeding its amorphous appearance.