Xoc Review

Xoc: The Journey of a Great White. Matt Dembicki. 2012. Oni Press. 120 pages.

Rating: 5/5

Xoc was included in the August 2016 Comic Bento box. It fit the theme really well with a shark as the main character. The book follows Xoc on her journey beginning off the coast of California to her destination about 2,000 miles away. There are some very educational moments sprinkled throughout the book, even though they aren't called out as such.

The art is just beautiful and the colors bring everything to life. There are a few different interactions between Xoc and humans, though a couple are indirect. These can be sort of horrifying when you realize the impact we are having on the oceans.

There is a lot more going on here than I would have expected at first. It is worth picking up for the art alone.

Eye of the Drone Review

Eye of the Drone, Suki & Finch Volume 2. Rebecca Merry Murdoch and Muhammad Tauhidul Iqbal Sampad. 2015. Bark and Howl Press Ltd. 120 pages.

Rating: 1/5

Disclaimer: I received an eARC for free from NetGalley.

Eye of the Drone didn't work for me. The character images superimposed over real life photos seems like it would be pretty good, but they weren't integrated well enough and it became distracting. The cover is a pretty fair example of what to expect within.

The other aspect that disappointed me is that there is no introduction to the characters or what they are doing. This is the second volume in the series so the creators may have assumed that readers would already know the background from the first volume. Even though this is directed at children, there should have been some reasonable explanation for what the characters are doing and why. Bits of their mission can be gleaned from reading this story, but it doesn't explain everything.

The characters Suki & Finch are doing research on different feline species around the globe. They are travelling without adult supervision, but they are not alone. There are fantastical elements to this book, such as talking animals and the appearance of Santa Claus and fairies, which would probably make it more enjoyable for young readers. Also, they are being pursued by a drone that is owned by a large timber company, whose owner is concerned that their activities may cause problems for the company.

This book is mainly geared toward being educational, and covers elements beyond the cats that the kids are researching. There is also a continual theme of environmentalism, touching on how human actions are affecting the habitats of wild animals.