A new full-color graphic novel for young readers: It’s called The Wondrous Wonders, written and illustrated by Camille Jourdy. “Hurt by her parents’ divorce and struggling to accept her new step-family, she decides to run away and live alone in the woods. But she soon discovers that she’s far from alone. Jo stumbles into a fantastical world full of tiny elves, talking foxes, and mischievous, multicolored ponies known as the Wondrous Wonders. Her new friends are on a mission: Rise up against Emperor Tomcat, the tyrannical leader who rules the enchanted forest they call home. Can Jo find the courage to vanquish an evil empire and get back to her family before dinnertime?” Find out now, in hardcover from Macmillan. (Merry Christmas and a Blessed Solstice!)
Books and Trade Paperbacks
One Little Spark
The Dragons of Ember City is a new full-color graphic novel series for young readers, created by Shane Richardson and Sarah Marino (both of whom are animators at Nickelodeon). The first book in the series is called Happy Spark Day. “Drake, Li, and Runa are three young dragons in Ember City, where a dragon’s spark is their special power and every dragon’s spark is unique. Ember is a city that burns brightest when its citizens use their sparks to help each other and their community. The more they use their spark, the brighter Ember City glows and provides for all its dragons. Can Drake, Li, and Runa learn to get along after uncovering their powers?” All this and more from Simon & Schuster.
This Would Be… Bad…?
And now for something altogether different… Night of the Living Cat, a new black & white manga created by Hawkman and Mecha-Roots. “A virus spreads across the world, transforming all humankind into wild, slavering, furry beasts: Cats, to be precise. Those few survivors who remain human take refuge in the dark corners of the earth as they fight back against the feline horde. Kunagi, a man with no memory of his past yet a deep knowledge of cats, struggles to hold on with only his wits and a will to survive. Yet the virus transmits merely through cuddles, and Kunagi finds kitties so hard to resist! Is his willpower strong enough to withstand this hair-raising cat-tastrophe?” Find out from Seven Seas.
Cat-Spiracy
We missed out on The Evil Secret Society of Cats — but maybe we found out just in time! It’s a full-color manga series written and illustrated by Pandania. “They may seem cute and cuddly, but these kitties are up to no good! Under the direction of the purple-caped Feline Commander, the Evil Secret Society of Cats schemes against humanity in a series of humorous stories as adorable as they are diabolical. After all, the complex nature of cats is part of their charm.” Several volumes are available now from Seven Seas.
Not Yet Ready to Rumble
Missed this before, but we came across it now… Team-Up: El Toro & Friends, a graphic novel for kids by the award-winning artist known as Raul the Third. “El Toro and friends make a great team! But that wasn’t always the case. A long time ago, they went to Ricky Ratón’s School of Lucha, learning everything from strength training to patience. When it comes time for one final test, El Toro and friends have to decide whether working alone is the best way to go or if teaming up might make things easier… and more fun!” It’s available now from Versify.
Adrift, But Not Alone
Another author we met at at MFF goes by the name of Utunu. Their book is an adult-themed adventure called Rafts. “Kunet, a young human pearl-diver from a small coastal fishing village, seeks to prove himself. Yet when the gods of sea and sky clash, it wreaks havoc on those caught between. In the wake of catastrophe, he finds himself adrift with an unexpected companion. Torn from their homes and everything they once knew, two strangers must now work together to survive, even as an unlikely relationship blossoms between them.” You can see from the cover just what sort of thing that companion actually is! The illustrated novel is available now at their web site.
Finding His Own Kind. Maybe.
Back from MidWest FurFest, and of course we have a lot to talk about! One person we met was Daniel Becker, an author with a brand-new self-published anthropomorphic science fiction series to his credit. The first book in Daniel’s American Feral series is called Imprint. “Waking up drugged, confused, and blindfolded, a human teenager named Ghent Sparrow is kidnapped by Primes: Half-animal half-human hybrids created by the military. They suspect Ghent of being a Prime himself. Brought to the Prime capital Kingdom, Ghent is offered a chance to represent humanity as the first human soldier in the Prime army. Knowing there may be no world for him back in the United States as a hybrid, Ghent accepts the offer and is initiated into the Prime Liberation Force. He must battle the rigorous training from his wolf commander, being threatened by Evolutionaries (who seek to exterminate humanity), and learn his place in society as the bottom of the food chain… which makes him question his humanity in a world of beasts.” Book two in the series, Identity, is also available.
Justice Has Teeth
And one more from Marvel, as they release the Marvel Unleashed trade paperback, compiling four issues of the original comic written by Kyle Starks and illustrated by Jesus Hervas. “When Kraven the Hunter abducts the teleporting hound Lockjaw at the same time as a local scientist mixed up with A.I.M. goes missing, it’s up to Throg the Frog of Thunder, Redwing the Falcon, Chewie the catlike Flerken, Lucky the Pizza Dog, Bats the Ghost Dog and their scrappy new ally, D-Dog to save the day! But there’s more to this case than meets the eye, and something infernal lurks in the shadows. Can feathers, fangs and claws stand against one of the deadliest foes in the Marvel Universe? Or will these Pet Avengers be made to suffer their worst nightmares?” (We’ll ponder that as we travel to Midwest FurFest. See you all next week!)
Half-World Full-Force
Needless to say it’s been a good year for Rocket Raccoon. And Marvel Comics have been right there to remind us how things first got big, with the release Rocket Raccoon: Marvel Tales #1, a new compilation of the original Rocket Raccoon comic series from 1985. “Acclaimed writer Bill Mantlo teamed with superstar-in-waiting Mike Mignola to present Rocket’s first solo adventure as Guardian of the Keystone Quadrant! When Rocket’s girlfriend Lylla is kidnapped by the mercenary Blackjack O’Hare and held captive by Lord Dyvyne, one of the most powerful creatures on Halfworld, it’s up to the galaxy’s deadliest weapons expert to go in – guns blazing – and save the day!” This trade paperback brings together all four issues with some brand new artwork.