Travis Daventhorpe for the Win!

January 15, 2023
A young genius embarks on a hero's quest. Travis Daventhorpe is very smart. Despite his high IQ, however, he has difficulty making friends and is bullied by the odious Derek Devers. He decides to befriend the new girl, plum-tressed Juniper Reyes, an intellectual equal who exudes cool but does not share Travis' overwhelming intensity. One night, while taking his science fair project, the Travbot, on a test flight, he crashes in the woods near his home and discovers a familiar-looking sword in a stone. Travis meets mage Belazar, who tells him that he, Travis, is the prophesied Hero of Solusterra who will conquer the nefarious Dark Emperor, Nol Invictus. When dimensions collide at Travis' science fair will he, Juniper, and Belazar be able to foil Nol's insidious, destructive plot? This first series entry from debut author Molebash is bursting with a ferociously delightful vibrancy, likable characters, swift pacing, fun pop-culture nods, an appealing gaming slant, and vibrant full-color illustrations. With equal measures of zippy antics and action, fans of series like Hilo and Zita the Spacegirl should feel right at home. While the tale may cover well-trodden hero tropes, an unexpected twist will leave readers gasping, whetting appetites for what comes next. Travis and Derek are White; Juniper is Latina, and Belazar is Black. For the win, indeed! (map, player guide, bonus story, artistic process how-to) (Graphic science fiction. 7-12)

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January 23, 2023
A science whiz takes on the mantle of an ancient magical hero in this quirky graphic novel debut, the first in a series, by Molebash. When genius seventh grader Travis Daventhorpe’s scheme to befriend new student Juniper doesn’t go to plan, he winds up returning home with a wedgie courtesy of school bully Derek, and his parents worry for his safety. But Travis’s enthusiasm remains unstifled and he resolves to try again the next day, spending the night upgrading his trusty robot, Travbot. After a wayward experiment results in the duo pulling a sword from a stone, the wizard Belezar appears and declares Travis the Hero of Solustrerra who’s destined to defeat Dark Emperor, Nol Invictus. As the Dark Emperor terrorizes Travis’s quaint town by unleashing all manner of dastardly perils, Belezar, Travbot, and Juniper endeavor to train an ill-prepared Travis. Stats and detailed profiles accompany character introductions and in-universe signage, featured throughout, plants Easter eggs for fans of RPGs. Uncomplicated layouts and simple backgrounds astutely shift the narrative’s primary focus to Molebash’s idiosyncratic character designs and madcap action, rendered in loopy black line and vibrantly saturated tones. Ages 8–12.

February 17, 2023
Grades 3-6 Travis Daventhorpe is an incredibly intelligent kid, but he severely lacks social skills. When new girl Juniper Reyes, who's equally smart, shows up to his school, he does his best to befriend her, with mixed results. Most of his free time is spent with his closest friend, Travbot, a robot he created. During an unexpected flight malfunction, both Travis and Travbot find themselves crash landed in a thickly wooded area with a mysterious sword stuck in stone. Travis frees the sword, releasing a magical mage who tells him an omnipotent deity, Creatrix has chosen him as the worlds savior and that it is now his duty to prevent the evil entity, Nol Invictus, from destroying the multiverse! Molebash's debut graphic novel blends an intriguing sf fantasy story line with refreshing video game-inspired artwork, featuring blocky figure designs, bright colors, and strength stats for each major character. Middle-grade readers who love video game adventures will appreciate this fast-paced comic, and a cliff-hanger ending will keep them on the hook for forthcoming volumes.

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March 17, 2023

Gr 3-6-In his first year of middle school after skipping a grade, Travis Daventhorpe is having an easier time getting bullied than making friends. It doesn't help that he's the smartest kid in school. So when new girl Juniper Reyes shows up, Travis goes all out trying to make sure they become besties. When that fails, he takes solace in a test flight with his homemade robot, Travbot. An unfortunate crash-landing puts him face-to-face with multi-dimensional wizard Belazar, who clues Travis in on his true destiny as the Hero of Solusterra! However, there are forces that do not want Travis to fulfill his potential, including evil king Nol Invictus. Will Travis succeed? Will he even survive the middle school science fair? This graphic novel is an excellent debut for both Travis and Molebash. In addition to the fun and fluid writing and simple but effective art, the book offers several clever references to other works, from Calvin and Hobbes to The Matrix. Molebash uses gaming tropes, and even gives the main characters their own sets of gaming attributes, making the story more accessible and enjoyable. This first entry in a planned series is a great start, but it's not entirely perfect; there's enough story in this one book to spread over multiple volumes. However, the story Molebash tells and the characters he introduces are compelling and will have elementary kids eagerly awaiting the next volume. VERDICT An excellent graphic novel debut that elementary kids will eat up.-Erik Knapp

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