all age comic books | Page 15 of 21

Bird & Squirrel: On Fire, a go-to graphic novels for kids (and adults)

In a recent podcast we talked about the differences between a graphic novel and a trade paperback. Essentially, a graphic novel is a new story or previously released group of stories, such as five issues of a comic book. A trade paperback is usually a thicker compilation of previously released comics; more often than not, in black and white. Having said that, Bird & Squirrel: On Fire is the fourth graphic novel by James Burks that traces the adventures of the self titled heroes. It’s also the most enjoyable all age graphic novel that we’ve read since Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy.

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New all age comic books for February 8, 2017

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There are some great new all age comic books this week. There are also some jamming new graphic novels, as well as trade paper backs out. What’s the difference between a graphic novel and a (TPB) trade paperback? It’s a subtle difference that is sometimes used interchangeably, but initially a graphic novel was an original story, written and drawn in comic book style. A trade paperback used to mean a collection of previously published comics or comic strips. However, now the line is blurred and people use the term graphic novel far more than trade paperback. For our purposes though, we still use TPB when it refers to previously published comics or strips.

We mention that because Bird & Squirrel: On Fire, Bunny Vs. Monkey Vol 2, Doctor Who: Supremacy of the Cybermen, Moby Dick and Newsprints are some great all age graphic novels that are new this week. Bird & Squirrel and Bunny Vs. Monkey will be great for ages 6 and up. They’ll laugh to themselves as they read it and kids as young as 5 will still enjoy both books with the help of someone to read it.

Another great all ages graphic novel is FukuFuku Kitten Tales 2. This is from New York Times bestseller Konami Kanata whose story about a stray cat will appeal to ages 5 and up who love animals. FukuFuku Kitten Tales 2, like the new graphic novel we’re highlighting has a manga feel to it.

Newsprints is about a young orphan girl who disguises herself as a boy in order to work at a newspaper. This is all about her friendships, being true to who she is and how to deal with it-all set against the backdrop of a war. This is a graphic novel that will appeal to readers 9 and up.

Moby Dick is brought to you as a graphic novel that sticks very close to the classic novel. Taut, real and presented in black and white as Captain Ahab chases a mythical beast. Doctor Who Supremacy of the Cybermen is the collected mini-series of the self entitled, very entertaining story.

Proving it’s not all graphic novels this week are Scooby Doo Where Are You and Spongebob Comics. Both of these all age comic books will appeal to boys or girls ages 5 and up. Some kids might need help reading the words, but ages 7 and up will be able to read through them at their own speed without assistance.

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, but a porthole opens up and sucks heroes from one dimension to another. But wait, this time it’s really entertaining. Justice League Power Rangers teams up the two and the first issue really exceeded expectations. The Power Rangers get sucked into the dimension with Justice League and are forced to get along with these new heroes(?), as well as themselves, plus fight Lord Zedd and get home. This min-series will be great for ages 8 and up, has super hero action, plus lots of team work and fun fish-out-of-water situations with the Justice League.

Other super heroes in all age comic books this week include, Ms. Marvel, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and Miraculous.

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New all age comic books for February 1

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Are you headed to the comic book store this week? There are lots of new all age comic books this week, some of which will appeal to kids as young as four years old. There are two milestones this week, issue #326 from Mickey Mouse and #50 from My Little Pony are out. Technically it’s issue #17 from Mickey Mouse, but they’re picking up the vintage numbering system from a couple of years ago when it stopped at 326. For My Little Pony it’s a whole new ride, issue #50 is thick with bright pages and presents the end of a story arc.

Two science fiction all age comic books that you’ll want to keep an eye out for are Invader Zim and Spookhouse. Spookhouse is from Eric Powell, who some adults might know from The Goon or Hillbily. If you know his work from those comics you should know that Spookhouse is entire OK for children. One look at the realistic monsters in this comic lets you know that they’re creepy and not the faux monsters that kids might encounter elsewhere. This is all age monster OK for kids 5 and up. For those on the younger set you’ll want to read it with them, but their older siblings will be able to read it by themselves and have a hoot.

Invader Zim #1 is being re-released for only $1! This comic book, based on the Nickelodeon show has fabulous science fiction art, a goofball story with aliens, heroes, space ships and a couple of cats.

Cats rule the internet and were worshipped in Egypt, you’ve seen the meme. Hero Cats is one of those all age comic books that simply gets better with more issues. Issue #15 out this week and really shows how much the action has increased since the series started. This one is all about Rocket and explores his origins. It also has the art by character creator Kyle Puttkammer.

This is also a busy week for Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Doctor Who and many others. Where is my closest comic book store? The music in the podcast is from Jessee Spilane over at Free Music Archive.

Did you listen to the Daddy Mojo podcast? If so, please give it a rating on whatever service brought you to the podcast-it’ll help more people know about this weekly feature as a comic book resource.

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Best all age comic books for January 25

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After a relatively low number of new all age comic books last week things are roaring back with a balanced, massive load of new comics. This is the kind of week where there is something for everyone, regardless of their reading level or how long it’s been since they stepped food into a comic book store. Let’s take a look at the Disney books this week. Every couple of week’s Joe Books releases their Disney all age comic books and each one of them has a certain target.

This week a new Job Book comes out and Disney Pixar Cars #1 is certain to be a hit with ages 5 and up. While some may (rightfully) have questioned the caliber of Cars 2 the film, its marketing and retail presence in terms of money earned puts it in the same league as Star Wars, Harry Potter and even Toy Story. Disney Princess #9, Disney Pirates of the Caribbean #3, Disney Darkwing Duck #7 and Disney Frozen #5 are also out. These Joe Books are fun to read, have great art and really suit their characters well, spelling out their movie adventures to a solid comic book story effectively.

In other humor comic book young readers can dig into Scooby Doo Team Up, Looney Tunes and Simpsons Illustrated. Those first two books are especially attractive due to their $2.99 price point.

For superhero all age comic books you’ve got a chance to jump into issue #3 of one of the best superhero titles we’ve read in years. Batman Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures has a series of portholes opening up between Gotham and NYC with many of Batman’s classic villains meeting the heroes in a half shell. Granted the whole ‘porthole’ concept is familiar and possibly overused. However, the result in this comic book is so fabulous that even adult readers will eagerly buy into the plot device.

What makes Batman Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures so great is that it’s respectful to the all age audience. It delivers action, humor and great characters without dumbing them down or making it seem like a ‘kid comic’. This is one of those comic books that parents and kids will read together and enjoy every moment of it.

This week also has the graphic novel Voltron Legendary Defender out. It collects all five issues from the Lion Forge mini-series. Voltron is packed with action, bright colors and a story that will really hook readers 6 and up. It’s also a smart comic book where the team has to rely on their brains, as well as, their brawn to accomplish things. Much like Batman TMNT it accomplishes this without belittling it’s readers.

Still more: Lumberjanes, Over the Garden Wall (great for those folk story kids, with a touch of Adventure Time), Plants Vs. Zombies and more. It’s a great week to see what all age comic books are out there introduce your young reader too-guaranteed there’s something form ages 5 and up.

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Batman Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 review

Call it the end of year madness (coupled with the fact that we got the flu) and the continuing march of time, but we never reviewed Batman Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2. This comic book came out a couple of weeks ago and is one that needs to be on your reading radar for the fact that it blends together two super franchises so well into an all age comic.

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Jim Henson’s The Storyteller Giants #2, large and in charge

The Storyteller is the titular character created by Jim Henson in the late 80s to weave together various stories. He’s accompanied by his trusty dog who is usually resting by the fireplace. Think of the Storyteller as a kid-friendly version of the Crypt Keeper from Tales From The Crypt. This incarnation of everyone’s favorite chattering grandfather is Jim Henson’s The Storyteller Giants. Previously the Storyteller introduced us to dragons and witches, but this time he tells us tales of giants.

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Best all age comics for January 11

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It’s technically not the first week of the year. However, with the kids back in school it feels like a new day and the new comic books this week reflect that. After last week’s very few new releases this week presents some gangbuster options for the best all age comics that’ll appeal to kids 4 and up.

Let’s get the ‘older’ comics out of the way first. And first up is one that’s old school indeed. Official Making of Little Trouble in Big China documents the inception and production this classic film. This is a full on book meant for adults, so it’s loaded with big words and lots of reading that kids 12 or under might not want to do. However, for fans of the film this is a must-read. It has hundreds of behind the scenes pictures, casting stories, interviews (both pre and post) with most of the stars and digs into the ideas that made up that gonzo film. As if you needed another excuse to see Big Trouble in Little China, this book will motivate you to watch it again.

The other comic book this week that is intended for teen audiences is Justice League Power Rangers 1. This six-issue mini-series brings together the Justice League and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers when one of the rangers is zapped to another universe thanks to sabotage on one of the teleporters. It’s a franchise that needs life meeting a franchise that’s got the wind at its back. Ages 13 and up will be fine for this comic book, having said that, ages 11 and up will want to read it and probably be OK with it.

Now for young readers aged 4 and up they have lots of super choices this week. There are Little Golden Books for Grumpy Cat, Wonder Woman, Doctor Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy. When I was a kid Little Golden Books meant lame tales about lost puppies in the mountains. No more as that series of books has a character or super hero that will accommodate the good-night assisted reading books, as well as, the young reader books.

A close cousin to them are the Step Into Reading and World of Reading books. Both of those series and new super hero oriented books out this week. They’re shaped more like a traditional book, rectangular in nature and might appeal to those young readers who are put off by the square Little Golden.

Digging into the best all age comics for the week sees a new series of Angry Birds Comics Game. Issue #1 is out and a new series simply means that it’s a fresh start for this surprisingly fun comic book that has contained stories in each comic. Spongebob Comics #64 has a Nyan Cat homage on the cover. This is a go-to comic each month and should be considered if you’re looking for something fresh to read.

Do you like your comics a big more along the fable lines? Issue 2 of Jim Henson Storyteller Giants brings a worldly view to giants. The art is some of the best you see in all age comics and the story is great for any age. Its subject matter probably won’t interest those under 10, but for those who want something that tells a great story you won’t do better than this.

Where is my closest comic book store? Did you listen to the podcast? The music in the podcast is from Broke For Free.

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The best all age comic books for January 4

It’s the first week of 2017 and it brings us a nice collection of comics, especially for young girl readers. The best all age comic books for young readers can vary depending upon what your reader likes, but this is a week that there is something for everyone. The youngest science fiction (and any Star Wars) fan will enjoy Star Wars Little Golden Book, I Am Stormtrooper. They’re so much more than just a clone, aren’t they? Written from the perspective of a Stormtrooper, this Little Golden Book is just what your 2 year old Star Wars fan wants to have read to them.

Another favorite science fiction franchise is Doctor Who and this week has many of their individual doctors starting their new year of comics. The tenth, eleventh and twelfth doctor start their new season of comic books. These comic books have too much reading for younger kids to enjoy. However, if they’re 10 or older; or just love Doctor Who then this will be OK for them. The violence is on par with the show and will feature some life/death situations, but also has the humor and heart to go along with it.

Marvel has a corner on the superhero all age comic books this week. Marvel Universe Avengers Ultron Revolution #7 and Marvel Universe Ultimate Spider-Man vs. Sinister Six, digest vol. 1 are out. Ultron Revolution is economically priced at $2.99, while the Spider-Man digest collects four issues of the comic book for $9.99.

In humor all age comic books it is all for the girls, in addition to having lots of Disney releases. Boo World’s Cutest Dog Walk In The Park is a graphic novel about an 8-year old girl’s birthday party, a Pomeranian and other cute dogs. It collects all of the issues from the mini-series from Dynamite Entertainment.

Is your child a fan of the mouse? Mickey Mouse that is. If that’s the case then almost every Disney comic book has a new issue out this week. However, the one that really piques my interest is Mickey Mouse Mysterious Melody. This is a European tale that twists the mouse up, but still leaves his all age appeal intact. Mysterious Melody wonders what would happen if Mickey never achieved stardom? The art is fabulous and the story is refreshing and will hook in readers 5 and up.

Where is my closest comic book store? Be sure to tag any photos from new comic book day with #NCBD so you can see what others are reading.

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