Reggie-12 - Hardcover

Brian Ralph was a founding member of the influential and now-disbanded art collective Fort Thunder, acclaimed for their artistic melding of influences from comic books, video games, television, and fine art. With his award-winning debut work, Cave~In, Ralph emerged as a premier cartoonist with a visual language all his own. He lives in Savannah, Georgia, where he is a professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Gr 9 Up—In this collection of short comics, Reggie-12, a flying robotic boy, enthusiastically saves the day and repeatedly beats the tar out of an array of flashy villains bent on destroying his city. His absentminded creator, Professor Tinkerton, provides assistance when he remembers to, while his friends Casper the cat and Donald-14 provide sarcastic commentary and clueless advice from the safety of their couch. Drawn in the style of 1950s manga like "Gigantor" or "Astro Boy," Ralph's illustrations are simplistic, yet accurate to the period, while the black and blue coloring give a sleek and sterile blueprint feel to each panel. Although most of the stories are only a page long, everything comes together and runs like a well-oiled machine with many different parts. Epic battles and quirky humorous episodes, such as Reggie's failure to grow a beard or Casper showing appreciation for Reggie temporarily dying in a cool pose, make Reggie-12 fly high and hit hard. It has an indie feel and huge staying power. Fans of Ryan North's popular "Adventure Time" comic series (KaBOOM!) will feel right at home with this over-the-top, hilarious volume.—Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI