Investigators, the new 500 pound gorilla in all age graphic novels

Waves are a common thing amongst the tides, life and publishing. There will never be another middle grade book series as this. The best all age comic book that we’ve seen in ages has just ended its run. There are no new great all age graphic novels. We have points to counter all of those, but let’s tackle that last one first. A great all age graphic novel is one that’s fabulously entertaining for elementary aged readers without babying down the content. This way it can also be enjoyed by those in middle school, high school and those adults that read to children. For all of those in that sentence check out Investigators by John Patrick Green. This is legitimately laugh out loud funny for adult readers, but is probably intended for readers as young as six.

Granted, those younger readers will need help with some of the words. However, what they’re unable to read will be offset by how much fun the person who’s reading the book to them is having. I was the first one in my family to read Investigators. I was laughing in bed beside my wife. She’d look over at me, see the two alligators on the cover, her husband laughing at the book and then she’d question her life’s decisions.  

I told her the book was funny. Then she helped read it to our eight-year-old and found herself laughing as much as I did. There is one particular panel that had both of them cracking up for different reasons. For the older readers there’s a very dry, droll current of humor that’s present throughout the book. For the younger readers there are puns that they’ll get and LOTS of action.

Even the title, Investigators, has you kicking yourself for not thinking of it earlier. Alas, that’s why other people write or illustrate books and you do what you do. Now, it’s me rethinking my life’s decisions.

We’ve enjoyed John Patrick Green’s other books, but Investigators is next level stuff. For those in elementary through middle school this is as good (or better!) than Captain Underpants or Dog Man. If your child liked either of those titles then Investigators is one that they’ll chomp down on effortlessly.

In this debut all age graphic novel we see Mango and Bash, our two alligators eager to be on another case from S.U.I.T, Special Undercover Investigation Team. They impersonate bakers, meet scientists and so much more that there is action and humor on every page.

Investigators has a silly, earnest, manic energy about it that few graphic novels we’ve seen have in them. From the cover you’ll get a sense that the book doesn’t stop moving once it starts and that is the case. Once you get the first book in this series from :01 First Second Books you’ll look ahead to mark your calendar for the next chapter. For us, that’s September 29, 2020 when Investigators: Take the Plunge is supposed to be released.

There are affiliate links in this post, because, alligators.