crookedtreehouse's review
4.0
Have you been looking for an all ages book featuring a mostly Black cast, an ice cream truck, robot aliens, hip-hop, and cats. Well, it's finally Your Year.
Sci-Fu is a fun book, if you can stomach 80s style raps as written in the voice of young teenagers. It's silly, beautifully drawn, and perfectly colored. My one issue is that the "terrible" "worst rap ever" is really the same quality as the rest of the rap in the book that's supposed to be "the best ever", but that might be a deliberate joke on the author's part. Even if it isn't, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.
I recommend this for kids, people looking for more all-age books with Black protagonists (and robot aliens), sci-fi fans, people who really like pink and purple in the background of comic panels, readers who scan panels looking for cool detail effects, and fans of cheesy 80s freestyle-style rap.
Sci-Fu is a fun book, if you can stomach 80s style raps as written in the voice of young teenagers. It's silly, beautifully drawn, and perfectly colored. My one issue is that the "terrible" "worst rap ever" is really the same quality as the rest of the rap in the book that's supposed to be "the best ever", but that might be a deliberate joke on the author's part. Even if it isn't, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.
I recommend this for kids, people looking for more all-age books with Black protagonists (and robot aliens), sci-fi fans, people who really like pink and purple in the background of comic panels, readers who scan panels looking for cool detail effects, and fans of cheesy 80s freestyle-style rap.
thenextgenlibrarian's review
4.0
Hip hop, sci-fi and Kung fu come together for an amazing MG graphic novel.
theybedax's review
4.0
The art is amazingly fun, the story is funny and pretty darn cute. I enjoyed every moment and just wish that I could actually hear the epic rap battles happening!
kailey_luminouslibro's review
4.0
Wax is determined to be the best DJ in the world, but when his mixes accidentally answer an interstellar challenge, he'll have to be the best DJ in the universe to protect his family and friends from the robots of Discotopia, where he fights against the evil King using the ancient art of Sci-Fu, a martial art that uses sound waves as weapons.
I'm not much of a fan of rap music, but I am a musician, so I was more than intrigued about a comic that uses music to fight off alien robots! I loved all the rhyming and rhythm. I could almost hear the music in my head as I was reading the book!
The plot surprised me and kept me guessing with lots of great twists. The dialogue is snappy and kept me laughing. The characters have some great development, and I loved seeing how they each interact with each other, building trust and working together to protect their planet.
The illustrations are full of vibrant colors and it gives a very energetic feel to the panels. The fight scenes are wonderfully put together, and the action is clear and interesting.
The world of Discotopia is imaginative and playful. Even though the battles are serious, and we feel the suspense of everything being at stake for our characters, there is also such amusing humor too, so that it never feels too heavy.
A delightful read!
Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
I'm not much of a fan of rap music, but I am a musician, so I was more than intrigued about a comic that uses music to fight off alien robots! I loved all the rhyming and rhythm. I could almost hear the music in my head as I was reading the book!
The plot surprised me and kept me guessing with lots of great twists. The dialogue is snappy and kept me laughing. The characters have some great development, and I loved seeing how they each interact with each other, building trust and working together to protect their planet.
The illustrations are full of vibrant colors and it gives a very energetic feel to the panels. The fight scenes are wonderfully put together, and the action is clear and interesting.
The world of Discotopia is imaginative and playful. Even though the battles are serious, and we feel the suspense of everything being at stake for our characters, there is also such amusing humor too, so that it never feels too heavy.
A delightful read!
Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
hobbes199's review
3.0
Good little middle-grade graphic novel that manages to seamlessly connect sci-fi and hip-hop in 1980s Brooklyn. Some of the references may go over the head of younger readers, but all the knowing inclusions that Mercado adds into the narrative don't detract from the story-telling, so readers won't get drawn out or lost in this.
The art style is influenced by '80s street art, and although a few panels are noisy making it hard to distinguish the voices and stalling the narrative a few times, it adds to the over-all theme of the comic.
Would recommend for readers aged 10-14, and probably parents aged 40-60 too!
The art style is influenced by '80s street art, and although a few panels are noisy making it hard to distinguish the voices and stalling the narrative a few times, it adds to the over-all theme of the comic.
Would recommend for readers aged 10-14, and probably parents aged 40-60 too!
maiakobabe's review
4.0
Set in the 1980s, this brightly-colored action-packed comic stars Wax, a preteen with ambitions of being the best DJ in the world. He raps and scratches with his best friend about his crush, his job working in his uncle's ice cream truck, his fierce little sister, and life in Brooklyn. One day his music sends an unexpected signal into space and an alien ship captures the whole corner of his block and transports in to Discotopia: a world of rapping robots, kung-fu masters, and hip hop battles to the death. It turns out Wax's song has accidentally entered him into a series of dangerous tests with the fate of his family and his world resting in his hands! I was really impressed by how much plot this book very effectively fit into a tight package. It moves quick but never feels rushed. A nostalgic ode to the author's childhood, delightfully playful, and hopefully the beginning of an ongoing series!
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