faerlie's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I went to Brisnova this year and actually got to meet the authors of this one, however it was at a Dymocks near my workplace where I picked this up. I love supporting new IPs and indie comics, so while I didn't find this one interesting, please don't let it discourage you from buying it - always support your fellow artists!!
Now onto the review...
Pros:
- The art is VERY good. The art style has charm, the inking and colors are absolutely gorgeous and everything pops. There's few moments throughout the book where things look "derpy", and it's clear the artist has a clear grasp on the fundamentals
- The way the powers are illustrated is also very cool, with Felix's power being a standout (seriously, turning into a shadow is fucking cool!! Why didn't I think of that!?)
- Tinker Bell being a foul-mouthed, battle hungry, off the rails warrior is awesome. It's what she deserves, she's had too much pent up anger for too long!! And her redesign is great, I like that I can somewhat tell that's the original Tink we all know and love under there
- Speaking of, the character designs are cute, if not a bit derivative. I've seen them all in plenty of other stories and cartoons before, and the scars and face paint and stickers on cheeks can only set them apart so far
- Despite being derivative though, I can say the cast is diverse. I was pretty happy to see Paco be not only a main character, but an intelligent main character; being a fat boy usually relegates you to the "idiot" role in stories (see: almost all children's films)
Cons:
- Yeah, it's cliche. I hate giving this criticism, as I believe cliches have their places in stories and you can't write a story without some form of cliche, but this really was boring to read. You knew every single thing that was going to happen the moment any slight clue was given to you. It's one thing to utilize cliches in an exciting way, even without adding a "twist" to them - there's plenty of unoriginal stories that are still well written and fun to read! But when every single part of your story follows the exact plot beats of at least 50 other movies you've already seen, it doesn't make you want to read too much more.
- Justin's arc... far out. How many times have you seen in a story an entire group is happy except for one person, and that person gets more and more upset seeing everyone happy, and they eventually turn to the dark side? Thankfully Justin's "evil arc" only lasts a few pages at best, but then that makes you ask... why? Why was it necessary to waste pages on something that had almost no consequences or effect on the story? These kinds of forced conflicts with no leadup and no impact are the worst, simply because they feel more like the author's filling out a How to Write a Story checklist rather than just... writing something new and exciting. You don't need a forced conflict in every story, guys! Whatever YouTube video told you that's a rule for storywriting, it isn't! They're lying to you!!
- I liked maybe two characters, one of which was Tinker Bell. I'm not even sure if Tink counts, because I've always liked Tinker Bell - I've got bias! Bee was pretty much a blank slate, Justin is the edgelord for the sake of edge, I think Felix talked once or twice, and Luz... nearly died? I honestly don't remember her. And I'm going to be honest... Gracie is just not that cute. Maybe it's my age, perhaps my love for cute little orphan kids died with All Dogs Go to Heaven, but this story just kept trying to convince me that the tiny girl with pigtails was so incredibly cute because she said silly things and had puppy dog eyes.
- It was a bit rushed, with not much focus shared around enough to the important details. I'm assuming there will be a volume 2 considering the cliffhanger, but I'd still like a complete story during volume 1 as well. The twist with Bee's mother was especially confusing and out of nowhere.
I ended up sounding fairly negative, and again, perhaps I'm old and no longer the target audience. But I feel defending stories by saying "it's for kids" and letting things get away with being a rehash of every Disney Channel cartoon is unfair. So, because "it's for kids" means it cannot be smart? It cannot take their readers seriously? An adult should be able to take joy in children's media as well - it should have the power to take you back to simpler times, to read to your children and give you both something to talk and think about. This story unfortunately left my brain the moment I put it down. I don't regret buying it - again, the art is gorgeous and I love supporting new comics - but I hope there's some serious improvements in the sequel.
Now onto the review...
Pros:
- The art is VERY good. The art style has charm, the inking and colors are absolutely gorgeous and everything pops. There's few moments throughout the book where things look "derpy", and it's clear the artist has a clear grasp on the fundamentals
- The way the powers are illustrated is also very cool, with Felix's power being a standout (seriously, turning into a shadow is fucking cool!! Why didn't I think of that!?)
- Tinker Bell being a foul-mouthed, battle hungry, off the rails warrior is awesome. It's what she deserves, she's had too much pent up anger for too long!! And her redesign is great, I like that I can somewhat tell that's the original Tink we all know and love under there
- Speaking of, the character designs are cute, if not a bit derivative. I've seen them all in plenty of other stories and cartoons before, and the scars and face paint and stickers on cheeks can only set them apart so far
- Despite being derivative though, I can say the cast is diverse. I was pretty happy to see Paco be not only a main character, but an intelligent main character; being a fat boy usually relegates you to the "idiot" role in stories (see: almost all children's films)
Cons:
- Yeah, it's cliche. I hate giving this criticism, as I believe cliches have their places in stories and you can't write a story without some form of cliche, but this really was boring to read. You knew every single thing that was going to happen the moment any slight clue was given to you. It's one thing to utilize cliches in an exciting way, even without adding a "twist" to them - there's plenty of unoriginal stories that are still well written and fun to read! But when every single part of your story follows the exact plot beats of at least 50 other movies you've already seen, it doesn't make you want to read too much more.
- Justin's arc... far out. How many times have you seen in a story an entire group is happy except for one person, and that person gets more and more upset seeing everyone happy, and they eventually turn to the dark side? Thankfully Justin's "evil arc" only lasts a few pages at best, but then that makes you ask... why? Why was it necessary to waste pages on something that had almost no consequences or effect on the story? These kinds of forced conflicts with no leadup and no impact are the worst, simply because they feel more like the author's filling out a How to Write a Story checklist rather than just... writing something new and exciting. You don't need a forced conflict in every story, guys! Whatever YouTube video told you that's a rule for storywriting, it isn't! They're lying to you!!
- I liked maybe two characters, one of which was Tinker Bell. I'm not even sure if Tink counts, because I've always liked Tinker Bell - I've got bias! Bee was pretty much a blank slate, Justin is the edgelord for the sake of edge, I think Felix talked once or twice, and Luz... nearly died? I honestly don't remember her. And I'm going to be honest... Gracie is just not that cute. Maybe it's my age, perhaps my love for cute little orphan kids died with All Dogs Go to Heaven, but this story just kept trying to convince me that the tiny girl with pigtails was so incredibly cute because she said silly things and had puppy dog eyes.
- It was a bit rushed, with not much focus shared around enough to the important details. I'm assuming there will be a volume 2 considering the cliffhanger, but I'd still like a complete story during volume 1 as well. The twist with Bee's mother was especially confusing and out of nowhere.
I ended up sounding fairly negative, and again, perhaps I'm old and no longer the target audience. But I feel defending stories by saying "it's for kids" and letting things get away with being a rehash of every Disney Channel cartoon is unfair. So, because "it's for kids" means it cannot be smart? It cannot take their readers seriously? An adult should be able to take joy in children's media as well - it should have the power to take you back to simpler times, to read to your children and give you both something to talk and think about. This story unfortunately left my brain the moment I put it down. I don't regret buying it - again, the art is gorgeous and I love supporting new comics - but I hope there's some serious improvements in the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Cursing, Child abuse, Bullying, and Abandonment
Minor: Murder, Mass/school shootings, and Child death
More...