{"id":7905,"date":"2012-02-07T08:00:55","date_gmt":"2012-02-07T08:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=7905"},"modified":"2012-02-11T15:16:38","modified_gmt":"2012-02-11T15:16:38","slug":"explorer-the-mystery-boxes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2012\/02\/07\/explorer-the-mystery-boxes\/","title":{"rendered":"Explorer – The Mystery Boxes"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nBy various, edited by Kazu Kibuishi<\/strong> (Amulet)
\nISBNs: HB 978-1-4197-0010-1\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 PB 978-1-4197-0009-5<\/p>\n

Here’s another superb entry into the burgeoning Young Adults graphic novel market that offers a wonderful alternative to Fights ‘n’ Tights furores and interminable extended storylines that will appeal to fans of the art form and fantasy freaks alike.<\/p>\n

Edited by Kazu Kibuishi who created the impressive sorcerous saga Amulet<\/a><\/strong>, this captivating anthology collection offers seven thought-provoking and decidedly different tales by a coterie of animators and comics-creators all turning their fertile imaginations and illustrative talents to expanding and elucidating upon the core concept of an enigmatic container\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

The wonderment begins with a spooky fable by Emily Carroll wherein a solitary and much put-upon girl discovers a very special doll and far more than she bargained for ‘Under the Floorboards’<\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

‘Spring Cleaning’<\/em> by Dave Roman & Raina Telgemeier is a wry and jolly escapade with lazy Oliver finally picking up his toys and discovering a puzzle box he didn’t know he owned. When he tries to sell the thing online all manner of very strange and insistent people start making outrageous and impossible offers\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

Jason Caffoe follows a more tradition route as his young warrior <\/em>overcomes all manner of fantastic odds to win ‘The Keeper’s Treasure’.<\/em> Of course not everybody agrees on what constitutes fabulous wealth\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

‘The Butter Thief’<\/em> by Rad Sechrist sees a little girl discover her grandmother’s ineffable wisdom and magical practicality after freeing a thieving spirit from a kitchen trap and undergoing a startling metamorphosis whilst ‘The Soldier’s Daughter’<\/em> (by Stuart Livingston with Stephanie Ramirez) reveals the true cost of vengeance as young Clara picks up her murdered father’s sword and mission. Mercifully a mysterious stranger shows her another path in his enthralling cask of wonders\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

Johane Matte & Saymone Phanekham display stunning comic timing and astounding fast-paced imagination in the wicked tale of ‘Deet’<\/em>; a much-maligned junior intergalactic shipping clerk dealing with workplace bullying in the most effective manner conceivable after which editor Kazu Kibuishi <\/em>brings the perplexing odyssey of a spectacular close with ‘The Escape Option’ <\/em>as a troubled boy finds an incredible artefact and is presented with an impossible, life-changing, world altering choice\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

These dark, beguiling, funny and enticing adventures blend traditional story elements with an inspired eye for the contemporary kid’s broad spectrum of fascinations: warriors, aliens, robots, cartoon animals, rocket-ships, monsters, isolation, alienation, magical quests and glorious battles; all delivered with sly wit and breathtaking exuberance to create a splendid portmanteau rollercoaster ride of laughter, tears, terrors and triumphs.<\/p>\n

This a perfect introduction or reintroduction to comics for kids of all ages looking for something beyond the ordinary and hopefully the start of a long line of thematic sequels\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

Explorers<\/strong> is scheduled for a March 2012 release in the UK but available for pre-order now in both hardback and paperback editions.<\/p>\n