Graphic Novel Review – Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Vol 1 by Amy Reeder, Brandon Montclare, Natacha Bustos (3/5 stars)

Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Graphic Novel/Superhero
Length: 136 pages
Publisher: Marvel
Release Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN-13: 978-1302900052
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Moon Girl series
Source: Bought
Rating: 3/5 stars

“LUNELLA LAFAYETTE is a preteen super genius who wants to change the world-but learned the hard way that it takes MORE than just big brains. Fearful of the monstrous INHUMAN genes inside her, life is turned upside down when a savage, red-scaled tyrant is teleported from prehistoric past to a far-flung future we call TODAY. The pair are many things, and together the most amazing Marvel Team-Up.

COLLECTING: MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR 1-6.”

I picked this graphic novel up at my son’s school book fair. While some of the concepts were interesting, I thought this was a pretty mediocre graphic novel overall.

I like the concept behind this book but I couldn’t help feeling it was trying too hard to provide us a politically correct and unique superhero. Lunella just happens to African American, female, and really into science and inventing. Lunella is the kind of heroine I love, but it just seemed like her whole demographic was really pushed a bit too hard.

Additionally the dialogue throughout is incredibly poorly done and awkward sounding. At times the frames were be hard to follow. There are also some issues with consistency where characters aren’t where they were a frame ago, stuff like that.

My 9 year old son (who generally loves comics and graphic novels) read this and when I asked him how it was shrugged and said “It was okay I guess, it’s not very well written”. He liked Moon Girl’s final crime-fighting outfit and some of her inventions but generally thought it was poorly done..so we both agreed on that.

Overall this is an okay graphic novel. I liked the concept and the idea of a young mad scientist type of girl out to save the world. However at points it seemed like the book was pushing the concept too hard. Additionally it was just poorly done both from a writing and illustration standpoint. I sadly won’t be reading any more of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. This is one I wanted to love but it just didn’t quite deliver.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge
– Graphic Novel Reading Challenge

Geybie's Book Blog says:

March 7, 2017 at 1:57 am

I used to love reading comics when I was in junior high school and enjoeyed them so much. And then years later, a twilight book. It was very different than written novels, for sure, but interesting. Want to read another one in the near future.
Thanks for sharing! And Congratulations for winning the New Release Challange! 😀

2017 Reading Challenge – Graphic Novel/Manga Reading Challenge – Hidden in Pages says:

March 10, 2017 at 1:12 pm

[…] Raina Telgemeier 10. News Prints by Ru Xu 11. Bird Boy Vol 2: The Liminal Wood by Anne Szabla 12. Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Vol 1 by Amy Reeder, Brandon Montclare, Natacha Bustos 13. The Rise of Herk (Nnewts, Vol 2) by Doug […]

2017 Reading Challenge – You Read How Many Books? – Hidden in Pages says:

March 13, 2017 at 1:45 pm

[…] Chronicles, Book 2) by Kelsey Cole 34. Magic for Nothing (Incryptid, Book 6) by Seanan McGuire 35. Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Vol 1 by Amy Reeder, Brandon Montclare, Natacha Bustos 36. Final Girls by Mira Grant 37. The Rise of Herk […]