fernandie's review
3.0
Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
quietjenn's review against another edition
3.0
I can see this being popular with kids. It’s very Cartoon Network.
mxmaggie__'s review against another edition
3.0
I personally would give this graphic novel a "meh," but I think tweens will like it. A very silly narrative, a comedy fantasy/mythological world, and a slew of fun characters pushing the plot forward. Nico Bravo is a human who feels quite at home in At Vulcan’s Celestial Supply Shop where they sell anything you can imagine to Gods and adventurers a like. Nico works with Lula a sphinx and Buck a Unicorn still haunted by the unicorn wars. When a very undeserving adventurer buys the coolest sword Vulcan has created, and takes it to go kill the guard dog of Hades; Nico kicks into action to try and prevent all the dead from rising back to Earth. A whimsical story that would be a good stepping stone book for readers hoping to get into Percy Jackson, though not a story with any particular depth.
bluehairedlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
A fun story about a boy who works at a magic shop where all the gods and adventurers get their tools and magic supplies. Nico works with a unicorn with a wonky horn and a sweet sphinx that can kind of fly, and their boss is Vulcan, god of making awesome things. When an adventurer comes in for supplies to kill Cerberus, the three-headed dog protecting the gates of Hades, Nico knows he has to stop her because Cerberus is the only thing standing between the living world and all the shades of Hades.
What follows is adventures through different realms, a never-ending unicorn war nobody believes is read, and various godly shenanigans. This is a delightful start of a series and a way to introduce kids to various types of mythological pantheons.
What follows is adventures through different realms, a never-ending unicorn war nobody believes is read, and various godly shenanigans. This is a delightful start of a series and a way to introduce kids to various types of mythological pantheons.
angebrown's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
academianut's review against another edition
3.0
A fun middle grade graphic novel packed with references to mythology, but a bit convoluted in the different plots, and characters aren't fully developed - but it's a series, and so that will probably happen in the sequels. A promising start.
sionna's review
4.0
Nico Bravo is a fun story about a young staff member of a supply shop trying to stop a monster hunter, a descendent of Beowulf, from killing Cerberus. While I’m torn between liking and not liking the artwork, I’m totally a fan of the story. And honestly, this is just me being super picky about artwork when I have no right to be.
Nico is a great character, I loved the inclusion of a Unicorn war veteran who fought in a war no one else believes in, and all the mythical references were great fun. I liked Eowulf and thought it was cool our monster hunter was a girl ready for adventure.
I love how the mythical people and creatures are portrayed. There are a lot of myths brought up. While the main focus here is Greek because of Cerberus & Hades, there is mention of many others and not all Western. I hope if this truly is a series that we'll see inclusion of even more non-Western mythical people and creatures.
This book is goofy fun even if I wasn’t always on board with the dimensional traveling and such. I do hope this is a series.
Nico is a great character, I loved the inclusion of a Unicorn war veteran who fought in a war no one else believes in, and all the mythical references were great fun. I liked Eowulf and thought it was cool our monster hunter was a girl ready for adventure.
I love how the mythical people and creatures are portrayed. There are a lot of myths brought up. While the main focus here is Greek because of Cerberus & Hades, there is mention of many others and not all Western. I hope if this truly is a series that we'll see inclusion of even more non-Western mythical people and creatures.
This book is goofy fun even if I wasn’t always on board with the dimensional traveling and such. I do hope this is a series.
emtobiasz's review against another edition
Thanks to FirstSecond and Netgalley for a review copy. Review to come closer to the release date.
destdest's review against another edition
4.0
“There are all kinds of monsters […] Don’t be one. (pg 173)”So much fun! The world’s really imaginative with lots of lore and mythology. Nico, a normal boy, a war-veteran unicorn, Buck, and an Egyptian pyramid-cat, Lula all work in a magic-RPG-adventure quests warehouse store. I thought Buck was majorly fun.
mldavisreads's review against another edition
3.0
Middle Grade Graphic Novel, based on mythology. Nico works at Vulcan's Celestial Supply Shop with Buck and Lula. Vulcan creates the merchandise and the other three run the store. When Vulcan creates a display of magical swords, there is one that is more powerful than the others. But it's not a pre-order, it's waiting for a hero to come claim it. Nico is not convinced that Eowulf (descendant of Beowulf) is the hero with that destiny. But she wants the sword to slay monsters, specifically the 3-headed dog that guards the entrance to the Underworld. Nico sees the peril in leaving said entrance unguarded, so follows behind her to try to mitigate any damage she might do.
An interesting take on mythology-- Vulcan's Shop served creatures and gods from many different cultures. I loved the trading cards featured throughout the story to explain who some of the minor characters were as they popped up. A good story, but it was a bit hard to follow. There was a lot going on visually in the background and multiple dimensions, which sometimes made it hard to focus on the plot. I enjoyed the story though and would try another in the series.
An interesting take on mythology-- Vulcan's Shop served creatures and gods from many different cultures. I loved the trading cards featured throughout the story to explain who some of the minor characters were as they popped up. A good story, but it was a bit hard to follow. There was a lot going on visually in the background and multiple dimensions, which sometimes made it hard to focus on the plot. I enjoyed the story though and would try another in the series.