Sas Milledge

The Night Circus meets Romeo and Juliet, in the YA DC 'verse.

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through NetGalley.)

DC's new line of YA and middle-grade graphic novels provide an excellent entry point into the publisher's extensive catalog, and The Lost Carnival: A Dick Grayson Graphic Novel is no exception. I love comic books, but mostly stick to newer series/those based on other media I already love (think: Pretty Deadly / Firefly), since DC and Marvel's decades-long show more history can be intimidating. (Where to start!?) Luckily, these are standalone stories that don't require a whole lot of knowledge about the characters going in.

Here, Dick Grayson - the Robin to Bruce Wayne's Batman - is a teenager living in modern day America. In keeping with the character's original backstory, Dick comes from a family of acrobats; along with his parents, the Flying Graysons spend their summers traveling and performing with Haly's Circus. Unlike the original incarnation, his parents are not mowed down by the mafia.

Rather, Dick is feeling somewhat alienated: bored by days that seem to blend into one another; unchallenged by the Flying Graysons' predictable routine; and longing for a "normal" childhood. As if that's not enough, the very fate of the circus rests on the Graysons' (admittedly well-toned) shoulders: the circus is hemorrhaging customers, most notably to The Lost Carnival, a decadent affair that somewhat mysteriously threw down its stakes right across the way from Haly's, seemingly overnight.

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As tensions rise between the competing groups of carnies, Dick finds himself caught in the middle, torn between his family and the enthralling Luciana. Unlike his BFF Willow's magic, Luciana's powers seem to be the real (read: supernatural) deal: when her uncle calls forth menacing, Swamp Thing-like creatures, it's up to Luciana to prevent them from escaping. The deeper Dick and Willow dive into the world of The Lost Carnival, the more bizarre things get. Can teenage love really conquer all? (Spoiler alert: No. No, it can't.)

This is a really fun and surprisingly sweet story that's an intoxicating blend of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, Romeo and Juliet, and the DC 'verse, with a YA spin. Even though the plot proved somewhat predictable, it's still a fun ride. Dick is interesting enough, but it's the supporting characters that really captured my imagination: Luciana, Willow, Quinn, and the employees at The Lost Carnival. And the carnival itself, naturally, which is all kind of magical and mystifying.

I devoured an ARC, so I'm not entirely sure what the finished art will look like - but what I saw was lovely indeed. The colors mostly alternate between a moody blue and glitzy gold-ish, occasionally coming together for that extra pop. Dick is a cutie, and the rep here is great. (You've got to love that there are not one, but two families of POC magicians.)

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http://www.easyvegan.info/2020/05/12/the-lost-carnival-by-michael-moreci/ show less

Spoilers for the first volume abound below.

Buffy and Willow must go on a quest for a soul stone to prevent Xander from turning into a vampire but the price that must be paid will be high, particularly for Willow. Meanwhile, Spike and Dru continue to make steps towards their goal of opening the Hellmouth.

Still continues to be a lot of fun and I'm really enjoying the arcs Bellaire is building for these characters while still having plenty of fun and action to enjoy.

Trigger Warnings: Mention of past child abuse

Mamo was the local witch of Haresden. After she passes, her granddaughter, Orla, returns to find the town in a mess. She really doesn’t want to get involved, but a local girl, Jo, convinces her. Together, they track down the roots of all the chaos to make team

The art for this novel is beautiful - it’s one of the reasons I picked it up (But also any stories about young witches will almost always grab my attention), it reminded me so much of show more Studio Ghibli. Not only did the cover catch my attention right away, but it kept my attention all the way through the novel.

The only reason I didn’t give them 5 stars is because I kind of wish we got to see more of the community through Jo’s eyes and see why she deeply loves it so much. She mentioned it and there were some things here and there, but we saw mostly Orla’s upbringing and why she didn’t like the town because of the memories of growing up.

This is a stand alone volume (I believe), but I wouldn’t mind seeing more of these characters and their future. There is so much Jo has to learn and much more Jo has to teach. I could see this being a series, but it stands wonderfully on its own as well.

Overall, a great read with beautiful, adorable artwork. I’ve already recommended it to two others before I even finished writing my review. show less

Michael Moreci’s The Lost Carnival: A Dick Grayson Graphic Novel features illustrations by Sas Milledge with Phil Hester, colors by David Calderon, and letters by Steve Wands. The story focuses on Dick Grayson at Haley’s Circus with his parents. Unlike in the traditional Batman canon, Dick is an older teen and his parents are alive and well. One night, a rival circus turns up in the same town and they have grander shows and – apparently – real magic. Dick befriends and falls for show more Luciana, the daughter of the Lost Circus’s magician. Meanwhile, his best friend Willow begins looking into the Lost Circus. Her uncle, Lodz, is desperate to learn the secret of their magic. The two circuses find themselves drawn into conflict while Dick struggles to keep the peace even as he feels less connected to circus life after spending his whole life growing up in it. Dick and Luciana’s relationship forms a star-crossed Romeo and Juliet romance against the backdrop of internal and external conflicts. Moreci, Milledge, and Hester’s original story honors the legacy of Dick Grayson while also showing how it may be reinvented for new readers. show less