Author: Mark Andrew Smith and Matthew Weldon
ISBN-13: 9781582409733
Publisher: Image Comics, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon
FTC Disclosure: My copy of The New Brighton Archeological Society was provided by the author for this review. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
About the book:
Out of the ashes of misfortune will rise the next generation of great adventurers!
After their parents are lost on an archeological expedition, four children begin to unlock the secrets of their parents' mysterious lives, discovering a hidden world of mystical artifacts, mythical creatures, and arcane knowledge. Soon they find themselves drawn into a conflict over a great library that has kept two kingdoms at war for centuries, the children must save an enchanted forest, the birthplace of magic itself. Join us as these children become the latest members of the fabled New Brighton Archeological Society, and take their first steps towards their true destiny!
drey's thoughts:
First things first, the reason there are two covers: The larger one on the top left is the actual cover on my copy, and a lovely cover it is, too... The smaller one on the right is the cover that you see when you search for the title (although to be fair, I only searched on Google). Ok, so now that that's out of the way...
When I was first approached to review The New Brighton Archeological Society, I thought, cool! Then I wondered if I even knew how to review a graphic novel. I mean, the last time I looked at one was decades ago. Like, seriously.
But I liked the artwork, and said yes! And I'm glad I did. The children are two sets of siblings--Cooper and Joss, Becca and Benny--and they are adorable. And (mostly) fearless, as children usually are. Orphaned when their parents die in an expedition, the children are sent to live with their godparents, the Macombers. And just like in The Chronicles of Narnia, the children find themselves on an adventure. They run into fairies, goblins, gain a pet slug, run from vampires that speak Chinese (what did those characters say, anyway?)...
The story is fun and engaging, but some parts might be a bit scary for a younger child (like my just-turned-7-year-old, who thinks there are zombies in his closet so he makes his best friend sleep closest to the closet when they're having a sleepover; even though he really doesn't believe in zombies). The artwork is really pretty cool, and I think that's probably all I'm qualified to say at this point! Pick this up for a fun read to share with your kids, or just to check it out yourselves.
Check out some of the artwork at Major Spoilers
drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good
Challenges: 100+
2 comments:
That looks good to me! The artwork is gorgeous and I love that it's in color!
It really is beautiful artwork, Kathy! And the story's fun, too...
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