Natacha Bustos

Lunella got her hands on a possible Kree device that she believes she can use to stop the inhuman genes in her body from transforming her into a monster. Devil Dinosaur is sent from the prehistoric past to keep the device out of the hands of the evil Killer Folk, a time traveling band of bad to the bone cavemen. Phew. It’s a lot of plot. But it’s also a really great exploration of a young girl’s understanding of her own identity AND a story of a burgeoning friendship between dinosaur show more and girl. I really loved it. show less

Ooooh!
11:21 pm 30 November 2016
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (2015-) #13 - Natacha Bustos, Brandon Montclare, Amy Reeder, Amy Reeder
Everyone is trying to deal with the fact that Moon Girl - or Luna or Lunaella - is the smartest person on the planet. That being said, I loved seeing her parents reactions, I loved seeing the scientist as they had to deal with Devil as well as Moon Girl.

I also loved seeing Moon Girl attempt to get a grip on her powers. It doesn't turn out how she expected: show more either she travels into the future or she has a really weird dream. I hope it's the dream option: the whole extended scenario was funny, but it painted her as so good that everyone was crawling over each other to get her help and ended up making her solve issues like world peace. Without the backstory on how this happened, it seemed too easy and cheesy enough for me to roll my eyes a little.

The ending, however, was perfect and sets up the next issue nicely. It also makes it clear that people are paying attention to her, one of her worries. No one saw her, no one respected how smart she was, no one noticed.

People are looking now, and I like that they are. I hope this ends up well for her, because she deserves that. This series can be funny, serious, and heartwarming all at the same time - and I love that about Moon Girl. I love Devil Dinosaur, too. Mrooo!
X-Men Graphic Novel Comixology favorite character avengers related read in 2016 show less

This book is not funny or charming enough to get away with not having the plot or characters' actions make any sort of sense. Squirrel Girl could get away with hiding a dinosaur in a school basement, Moon Girl cannot.

So it’s been since, oh, last July since I’ve picked up and reviewed a Marvel Comic collection, which means I’m probably about due to do so. As you all know, Marvel isn’t really my scene, though I don’t begrudge people who like it (sure wish that some people would extend me the same courtesy when I say I’m a DC Fan, but oh well, no matter…). But I do have to say that I applaud Marvel in it’s quest to be more inclusive in it’s stories, even if a number of those stories show more don’t quite gel with me. However, I couldn’t pass up “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” when I laid my eyes on it at work recently. I had heard of it in passing, but kind of forgot about it… Until “Vol 2” was on our new Teen display. I of course had to grab “Vol.1” in that moment. Because hey, a story about a genius, African American little girl who teams up with a friggin’ DINOSAUR has got to be something special!!

And for the most part it was! It’s a pretty genius idea to take an old title like “Moon Boy and Devil Dinosaur” and reframe it in a way that can introduce a new character like Lunella, a character that adds a new and needed perspective and representation. Lunella is clever and precocious, and while sometimes it teeters towards a little on the twee side she is supremely charming and very three dimensional. It was refreshing to see a character who doesn’t strive to be special when it comes to supernatural super powers, and in fact shies away from them. Lunella knows that she has the potential to transform into something inhuman because of her genetics should the Terrigen Cloud (that has transformed others) come in contact with her. And unlike some of those others, she does not want that, so she is trying her best to stop it. So I liked that she is super great and smart and clever, and in this story that’s considered enough for the reader to look up to. Which isn’t to say she doesn’t have her troubles. She is isolated from her peers, isn’t stimulated enough at school, and has frustrations that no one takes her seriously because she’s a little girl, even though she is quite possibly the most intelligent character in the Marvel Universe. So seeing her try and prove herself was one of the main cruxes of this story, and definitely had a lot of emotion to it.

And then there’s Devil Dinosaur, a character from Marvel’s past that makes a ROARING COMEBACK. GET IT? In spite of the fact that this guy is an honest to God dinosaur, and has no spoken dialogue outside of noises, the illustrators did a really good job of portraying exactly what he’s feeling in any given moment through his facial expressions and body language. I LOVE me some dinosaurs, and Devil Dinosaur is absolutely delightful, and surprisingly nuanced as well. Well, sometimes. One of the appeals of this book was seeing a cute little girl interact with a giant theropod, and seeing them build a genuine affection for each other. While I think there’s still some room to grow for them in their friendship (boy is Lunetta impatient with him much of the time), you can tell it’s the start of something that is going to be very adorable and filled with a lot of heart.

Not totally certain about how I felt about The Hulk (I guess the Amadeus Cho version? I didn’t know, I had to do some research) showing up and beating up on Devil Dinosaur, even if it was to further the plot along. I know that Marvel really likes to keep their characters integrated and constantly making appearances in each others stories as of late, but that doesn’t sit well with me. I’m not here for the nods to other characters in the Marvel franchise, and hey, maybe I’ve figured out one of my problems with Marvel in this moment as I type this out. Bottom line, let Lunella and Devil Dinosaur shine on their own!

The art is also pretty cute, as the colors jump off the page and both Lunella and Devil Dinosaur are totally adorable. So I’m fairly certain that I will probably keep going in this series, because it’s pretty adorable and a fun read. And it ends on something of a cliffhanger for Lunella and Devil Dinosaur. Enough so that I want to know what happens next. Lunella and Devil Dinosaur have charmed me completely! I just hope that the next one doesn’t have any pesky cameos. show less