I strolled through the living room of my childhood home on a sunny California afternoon. A random book my 11-year old brother had pulled off the library shelf lay on the table, and I picked it up. The premise— a boy caring for his autistic sister in a magical garden growing rapidly out of control— piqued my interest, and I started to read, having no particular expectations. And I was completely blown away. Mighty Jack and its sequel, Mighty Jack and the Goblin King, are perhaps my favorite graphic novels of all time. They’re written for a middle-grade audience, but I’ve enjoyed them just as much as my younger siblings. The characters are fascinating, the worldbuilding full of mystery, and the artwork fun to look at. Our hero, Jack, is instantly sympathetic, as we see his love for his financially struggling single mother and autistic sister, Maddy. He finds himself in way over his head after Maddy inexplicably instructs him to buy seeds that turn out to be magical. His headstrong neighbor, Lily, gets involved— followed by dragons and ogres. Things only get worse until the climactic disaster that leads into the second book. And this is where the series really stands out. In Mighty Jack and the Goblin King, the stakes are so real that the characters’ fear, anger and love bleed right into your own. The story successfully melds the looming darkness with age-appropriateness for its target audience, and thus becomes capable of seizing the imaginations of young and old alike. The final triumph of goodness is so much more powerful for the genuine threat posed by the monsters our heroes must overcome. Themes: One aspect of Mighty Jack that makes it so compelling is the familial love on display. Jack’s primary goal is to protect his sister, and although his own fear and selfishness sometimes conflict with that, his love for her shines though in the end. Content: The climactic battle in Mighty Jack and the Goblin King has a few panels of blood and violence. My siblings weren’t bothered by it at all, but some Amazon reviews said it gave their little kids nightmares. Conclusion: The two Mighty Jack books are delightful in every way. I’d recommend them to any child or adult looking for an excellent story in graphic novel format. There’s a third book, Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl, which is a crossover with Ben Hatke’s Zita the Spacegirl series. My brother and I eagerly awaited its release, but were sorely disappointed. The plot makes no sense, character development is out the window (except for one touching moment with Lily) and the intimidating villains of the last book are reduced to oafs. On the plus side, the artwork is awesome— I loved seeing portrayals of our characters as a few years older than we last saw them. Mighty Jack and the Goblin King provides a satisfying ending to the series, and in my headcanon, it is the final book.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Progress on Doombear, Rough draft:10%
Progress on The Lore of Yore, third draft:
100%
"In truth, by leaving, I was seeking only one thing. A journey."
-Oathbringer, pg 981 Types of blog posts:
All
|