Bound To Stay Bound

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Bulletin for the Center... - 09/01/2016 In this new graphic novel series, Charles is not at all happy to be dragged off to Echo City, where his father is renovating the Bellwether Hotel, a seedy, graffiti-covered dive. On night one, a monster appears in Charles’ closet, and of course Dad brushes it off as displacement anxiety. However, another kid in the building, Kevin, knows that monster is the real deal, and better still, he also knows just the person to confront it. Enter Margo Maloo, a wild-eyed, bobbed-haired gal whose business card reads “Monster Mediator.” In three neatly drawn episodes, she calms misunderstandings between monsters and humans before things go south and somebody gets eaten. That troll in the closet is easily assuaged by trading rare Battlebean collectibles with Charles; a ghost with an identity problem releases his trespassing captive; and ogres are reunited with a lost ogre child they think Charles kidnapped. The banter is brisk and witty, and humans and monsters alike boast a refreshing ordinariness unusual in fantasy/horror/hero comics. It’s easy for readers to project onto Charles, a sturdy, baseball-capped fireplug whose quest for the truth (which he publishes on his blog) trumps his fears every time, while the monsters are understandably annoyed by human trespassers and lash out in the only way they know how. An appendix of anthropological (monsterological?) traits is included, and endpapers maps of Echo City (with some suspiciously authorial shout-outs) will orient readers for the next set of adventures. EB - Copyright 2016 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Booklist - 09/15/2016 Charles is grouchy about moving to Echo City to live in the dilapidated apartment building his dad is renovating, and he’s even more outraged when he discovers a real-life monster living in his closet. His new neighbor Kevin is in the know, however, and hands him a mysterious business card for “monster mediator” Margo Maloo, and when Charles avails himself of her services, he’s introduced to an entire monster community dwelling right under his nose. As an aspiring journalist, Charles thinks he has the scoop of the century, but Margo, who’s mysteriously close to the monster community, insists on keeping their investigations off the record. Weing’s affable, stocky figures traipse around the enormous city, the scope of which is heightened by cantilevered points of view and wide-format panels, while his monsters strike that sweet spot between cartoonishly comical and creepy. With a saturated color palette, noirish dialogue, and a thought-provoking message about gentrification, this first in a series (originally published as a webcomic) is packed with warm laughs and smart, spooky mystery. - Copyright 2016 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 10/01/2016 Gr 3–6—When Charles and his parents move to Echo City, their new home is a mostly abandoned apartment building where the family can live for free while doing repairs. The boy is less than thrilled about his rundown surroundings but completely undone by the monster he sees in his room at night. A new friend puts him in touch with Margo Maloo, a young "monster mediator" who introduces him to the troll—Marcus—who lives in his basement, and Charles's opinion of life in Echo City skyrockets. Other stories in the volume involve a lonely, mischievous ghost and a kidnapped baby ogre whose mother thinks Charles is responsible for her child going missing. Throughout, tough, mysterious, motorbike-riding Margo tolerates Charles's bumbling, enthusiastic presence, eventually agreeing to take him on as her assistant, a move that promises future adventures for lucky readers. Weing's colorful drawings reward extended examination; Echo City is rife with monster life, and creepy crawlies turn up in the most unexpected places, but domestic scenes and the city streets also show the artist's keen eye for details. VERDICT This charming graphic novel is ideal for fans of Luke Pearson and Noelle Stevenson.—Stephanie Klose, School Library Journal - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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