COMIC FIRSTS • Free Comic Book Day 2016 Kids Edition

[quote]Comic Firsts, a feature where I talk about the first issues of comics that I’ve bought, received, or borrowed. It’s all about first impressions, what I like or didn’t like about the issue, and whether I would keep reading it beyond the first issue.[/quote]

In May, I attended my first Free Comic Book Day, and it was quite an experience that I would love to repeat again. The people, the love for comics, I loved it. Part of Free Comic Book Day meant that they were giving a bag of free comics you can take home with you. I managed to grab a couple of issues before they ran out, and the comics that were aimed for a younger audience were my favorite.

Camp Midnight
Steven T. Seagle (writer) & Jason Adam Katzenstein (artist)
April 27, 2016
Image Comics

What happens when you’ve been sent to the wrong summer camp? What if this camp turns out to be nothing but monsters?

Written by Steven T. Seagle and illustrated by Jason Adam Katzenstein, this free comic previews the original graphic novel, Camp Midnight, which tells a story of Skye, who has been sent to a camp at Summer and refuses to fit in no matter what. She soon finds out this camp is full of monsters—in the truest sense. These are the monsters that go bumping in night—or midnight in this case.

I love what I read so far. I love how brave and accepting Skye is. She doesn’t care that these campers and staff are monsters. She befriends Mia, a girl-monster who’s afraid of revealing herself. I love the messages this comic explores like everybody has a monster in them, we should embrace our truest self, and it’s okay to be scared.

The art and coloring of this comic is so pretty. The coloring, especially. There’s so many shades of color in each panel. In one panel, you’d get a red; the next, it’s a sky blue with hints of green; then, there will be three panels in dark blue. I haven’t figured out the pattern of the coloring, but I’m just so mesmerized by it all.

It’s a perfect comic for all seasons, especially during the Fall because of Halloween.

Would I continue to read this graphic novel? Yes, I would want these monsters in my life.

[note note_color=”#BFD1D1″ text_color=”#ffffff”]Camp Midnight is already out, so if you want to get add it to your TBR on Goodreads or get yourself a copy, go for it from your local comic book store, or these online retailers: Amazon · Barnes & Noble · The Book Depository · Indigo · Comixology. Or borrow it from your library. [/note]

Hilda
Luke Pearson (writer and artist)
2010-2015 (depends on the book)

A little blue-haired girl and her trusty sidekick/pet takes on a world with trolls and magic!

Meet Hilda, a blue haired girl who lives in the city of Trolberg, and her fox-deer-like pet, Twig. This comic preview kicks off with they pair chasing after a small group with legs, carrying a little house on it. On their chase, they see trolls encased in stone, which confuses them since it’s not supposed to be there, but realizes they entered the other side of the wall. After saving the little house and the tiny creatures that live in it, she frantically returns home for dinner, where her suspicious mother asks her what she has been doing all afternoon.

Hilda is so cute! You can see how Hilda and her pet, Twig, would get into so many adventures. They don’t necessarily seek it; it just happens to them, and they embrace it wholeheartedly. And the art is absolutely fantastic!

Would I continue to read this comic? Yes! I’d love to see what kind of adventures Hilda and Twig get themselves into.

Junior Braves of the Apocalypse
Greg Smith & Michael Tanner (writers) & Zach Lehner (artist)
July 8, 2015
Oni Press

I cannot disagree with the statement that Junior Braves of the Apocalypse is “The Walking Dead for kids”! It’s very kid-friendly, and not as grisly or heavily brutal as The Walking Dead.

This comic particular issue follows a Boy Scout-like group called the Junior Braves, who have been busy learning survival tactics in the woods and oblivious to what has gone on outside in the world. When they return home from camp, they find themselves in a surprise zombie apocalypse that has destroyed their home in the Pacific Northwest. Nowhere and nobody is safe anymore. With this zombie apocalypse, the Junior Braves have to rely on each other and use the things they learned to survive in this world where zombies are trying to kill them (and probably eat their brains because that’s what zombies do, right?).

I really love the art in Junior Braves of the Apocalypse. It’s done in black and white with green shading, which adds a dark and ominous touch to the scenes. It makes me think of black and white zombie flicks, but more well-done. The art is something I can see young readers enjoying.

Would I continue to read this comic? Although I don’t really like things with zombies in it, I would read this comic. This issue made me pumped to read more.

[note note_color=”#BFD1D1″ text_color=”#ffffff”]Junior Braves of the Apocalypse • Vol 1: A Brave Is Brave is already out, so if you want to get add it to your TBR on Goodreads or get yourself a copy, go for it from your local comic book store, or these online retailers: Amazon · Barnes & Noble · The Book Depository · Indigo · Comixology. Or borrow it from your library.[/note]

Have you read any of these comics? Do these intrigue you?