snchard's review
3.0
Clearly targeting those on the 80s nostalgia bandwagon, but at least it had some substance and charm to it. The flashback scenes were cleverly illustrated. There were a few plot points that kind of vanished, but it was an entertaining story, so I didn't really mind.
gabriele_queerbookdom's review
3.0
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Chad, Steve and Drew, three high school jocks, are inadvertently frozen in 1988 by a disastrous cryogenics experiment, only to be revived in 2019, a nerd-ruled future.
In a time when the 1980s nostalgia has engulfed the world, Planet of the Nerds perfectly hits its mark, reminding of a past era with humour and nevertheless staying contemporary.
The graphic novel is as an easy, fun read with its fast-paced plot, offering interesting little twists, and its realistic and relatable characters. Drew, in particular, shines over them all as a smart and proactive young man, despite society.
Decidedly recommended: Planet of the Nerds can entertain young and old alike in its unique way.
Chad, Steve and Drew, three high school jocks, are inadvertently frozen in 1988 by a disastrous cryogenics experiment, only to be revived in 2019, a nerd-ruled future.
In a time when the 1980s nostalgia has engulfed the world, Planet of the Nerds perfectly hits its mark, reminding of a past era with humour and nevertheless staying contemporary.
The graphic novel is as an easy, fun read with its fast-paced plot, offering interesting little twists, and its realistic and relatable characters. Drew, in particular, shines over them all as a smart and proactive young man, despite society.
Decidedly recommended: Planet of the Nerds can entertain young and old alike in its unique way.
jennmarshall27's review
5.0
In Planet of the Nerds we meet a group of jocks (Chad, Steve, and Drew) from the 80s. Chad has a huge problem with a nerd named Alvin. So much so, he follows him after school convinced he is up to something. When they find Alvin’s secret laboratory there is an accident and the three jocks are frozen. Thirty years later they are thawed when the site was being cleared to build a Chipotle, but this isn’t the world they remember and they are not adjusting well.
The story is a lot of fun but doesn’t shy away from the negative aspects of the 80s. As a child of the 80s, I appreciated the references to payphones and the lack of chip choices. I also love that it wasn’t romanticized. So many times you only see the neon colors and big hair that the 80s was so famous for. Planet of the Nerds also includes the subtle racism, homophobia, and ableism that was so prevalent also. Drew is encouraged to attend good “football” colleges instead of the Ivy League he wants to attend because he is black. The slang and insults can be a little jarring to us today, but there is a good balance between being historically authentic and reminding us that we have come so far in understanding that words have power and do hurt. Those old insults get the boys into trouble more than once.
My favorite thing about the art is the background details. In one panel there is a poster of a van with a warning. Someone is using candy to abduct children and I could not stop laughing because I remember sitting through those classes in elementary school warning us that there was a stranger in a van around every corner with a puppy or candy, just waiting to get us. There is also a very powerful scene with Drew when he sees Miles Morales for the first time. The dialogue says, “You guys. It’s the coolest Spider-Man’s black now.” The look on his face shows all of the excitement of someone seeing themselves in a comic for the first time.
I added Planet of the Nerds to my pull list and read it every month. I will definitely be purchasing the trade when it comes out October 29th. It is a fun look back on the 80s and how far we have come. It captures the rise of nerd culture so well and has wonderful one liners that remind us that even though we have come so far, we still have a ways to go. All of this is in a fun silly story about being out of place in a different time.
The story is a lot of fun but doesn’t shy away from the negative aspects of the 80s. As a child of the 80s, I appreciated the references to payphones and the lack of chip choices. I also love that it wasn’t romanticized. So many times you only see the neon colors and big hair that the 80s was so famous for. Planet of the Nerds also includes the subtle racism, homophobia, and ableism that was so prevalent also. Drew is encouraged to attend good “football” colleges instead of the Ivy League he wants to attend because he is black. The slang and insults can be a little jarring to us today, but there is a good balance between being historically authentic and reminding us that we have come so far in understanding that words have power and do hurt. Those old insults get the boys into trouble more than once.
My favorite thing about the art is the background details. In one panel there is a poster of a van with a warning. Someone is using candy to abduct children and I could not stop laughing because I remember sitting through those classes in elementary school warning us that there was a stranger in a van around every corner with a puppy or candy, just waiting to get us. There is also a very powerful scene with Drew when he sees Miles Morales for the first time. The dialogue says, “You guys. It’s the coolest Spider-Man’s black now.” The look on his face shows all of the excitement of someone seeing themselves in a comic for the first time.
I added Planet of the Nerds to my pull list and read it every month. I will definitely be purchasing the trade when it comes out October 29th. It is a fun look back on the 80s and how far we have come. It captures the rise of nerd culture so well and has wonderful one liners that remind us that even though we have come so far, we still have a ways to go. All of this is in a fun silly story about being out of place in a different time.
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