Writer: Paul Tobin
Artist: Ron Chan
Publisher: Diamond Book Distributors
Rating: worthy
Other Credits:
Matthew Rainwater - colorist
Steve Dutro - letterist
DISCLOSURE: Unlike the majority of reviews in this blog, I've neither bought this graphic novel nor borrowed it from the library. This is a "galley" copy ebook, supplied by Net Galley. I'm not receiving (nor will I expect to receive or accept) remuneration of any kind for this review. Since this is a new novel, this review is less detailed so as not to rob the writer of their story.
This is a great story for a younger audience. It's really funny and commendably depicts a young boy and girl working as a team, co-opting the mutant plants the girl's somewhat loopy uncle has developed, to fight a massive plague of zombies. The pants are inventively created, as are their attacks, and the zombies are charmingly menacing. The girl is Patrice Blazing, who introduces herself (in Nate's tree house) as a professional tree house investigator. In turn, Nate Timely introduces his self as an aspiring cowboy astronaut. They hurry around their home town thinking up ways to beat the zombies, their brains constantly in peril of either exploding from all the hard thinking they're doing, or of being eaten by the zombies. Eventually they win the day, of course, through pluck, inventiveness, cooperation, ad wise-cracks, and in doing so, and pass on a lesson about the importance of promoting healthy plant growth and fighting pollution. By why do the trees get no mention? Hmm? They're plants too!
In conclusion I recommend this highly, both for its important sub-textual message regarding the environment, and for its good entertainment value.
