May 1, 2022
Holy sequel, Batpig! In this thoroughly enjoyable graphic follow-up to Batpig: When Pigs Fly (2021), Gary the pig and his alter ego, Batpig, return for more goofy adventures. Harrell's tale is broken into three vignettes consisting of two longer chapters and a shorter interstitial section. In "The Class That Wouldn't End!" Gary and his best friends, Brooklyn (a bat) and Carl (a fish), head to math class, and it seems like time is barely passing. They're caught in a collective haze of boredom--even Brooklyn, who loves math, notices it. The trio soon discovers that time is slowly inching along thanks to the evil, vengeful Time Guy (the name Timekeeper was already taken). Batpig must now figure out how to make time fly if they ever want to escape the monotony of endless fractions. The briefer middle story, "Aquarium Dreams," stars Brooklyn and Carl and sets the stage for the final tale, "Lights, Camera, Chaos!" This closing story is a comedic delight, with a pompous Hollywood superhero, meddling pastel aliens, a giant kitten/bee chimera (adorably monikered the Bumblekitten), and a deluge of stinky gym socks. No sophomore slump here: Harrell's newest offering blends snicker-suffused action with a gentle emphasis on the importance of friendship. In Gary's world, animals and humans coexist; humans (both young and old) are depicted with a range of skin tones. More hilarious, high-energy, hammed-up hijinks. (Graphic fiction. 7-12)
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