Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The glossy pages of this volume offer four longer episodes of Troy and the Trailblazers, a space adventure-comedy, punctuated by shorter episodes of a half-dozen animal comics played strictly for laughs. In a predictable initial sequence ("I'm picking up a huge energy signature in the center of the Archives"), the space gang-vacuous Troy; cynical Jess; their furry companion, Barrus; and robot assistant Blip-defeat their galactic enemies, the Bioteks. But then Troy and friends are offered a reality TV show whose director bamboozles Troy into jettisoning Jess for superstardom ("Trent thinks you're.holding me back," Troy tells the enraged Jess) and reveals himself as Troy's evil twin. In another story, bold, ink-heavy panels pit the manic Monkey against the placid Bunny: "All hail Destructo!" Monkey commands, assuming his latest evil persona. "Take off the helmet and stop being silly," Bunny replies. The surreal Doug Slugman; a Despicable Me clone, Evil Emperor Penguin; a manic housecat-from-hell, Looshkin; and the genial Squid Squad round out the collection. Candybox colors, frenetic energy, and plenty of fart jokes conspire to lure readers from the screen for an evening. Ages 8-12. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-7-This collection presents individual issues of The Phoenix, a comic book published in the UK. In Robert Deas's enthralling "Trailblazers," a well-developed space opera, Troy and his companions visit the Galactic Archives to learn why the Intergalactic Network has been failing. In between chapters of "Trailblazer" are other comics by different authors and artists. Some are short, cartoonish, hilarious adventures, just a few pages long, like "Bunny vs. Monkey" and "Evil Emperor Penguin." There are also much briefer comics (comprised of a single or a few panels) that make random appearances throughout. Though enjoyable, this volume is, like many compilations, disjointed, with offerings that range in tone and artistic style. The work is worth reading for gems such as "Trailblazers," which deserves a stand-alone book, and "Evil Emperor Penguin," whose titular character could easily be the star of his own TV show. VERDICT For larger libraries looking to expand their selection of kid-friendly comics.-Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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