Cave Pictures Publishing 2019
Created by Rick Rekedal
Written by Jason Brubaker & Rick Rekedal
Illustrated by Jason Brubaker
Coloured by Jason Brubaker & Adrian Amarteifio
Lettered by Simon Bowland
Guided by the three Shape Sovereigns, Tripp and Zeno search for their classmate Chazz and Tripp's father, who are trapped inside their favorite video game. In the process, Tripp discovers he can create objects out of the Shapes that make up reality. His extraordinary abilities may be the key to stopping BlackHat, the mysterious hacker whose black holes threaten all of existence!
Oh I am having way too much fun with this one. Ithe love the idea of it and while it isn't exactly groundbreaking or new it is tried and true. Utilise the game to find a champion and to make matters even more complicated the boy is something of a coward and socially inept. Of course there is also the fact of who's responsible for the way certain things are and that is a complication that I am thrilled to see happen. This is able to blend the Last Starfighter and Star Wars in a way that bends Tron into it's mix that seems to enthral readers'. Yes indeed there are many things to enjoy and I have to credit the boys because the writing and dialogue is just incredibly fabulous.
The way that this story is being told is extremely well done. The story & plot development we see through how we see the sequence of events unfolding and how the reader learns information is done in a way that's entertaining and with care. The character development here is amazing to see play out here just to see Tripp grow, change and evolve as the story moves forward. The pacing is nice and strong and it brings us the twists and turns beautifully as it helps with the ebb & flow of the book. The overall structure of the book is really great to see and this helps the reader really enjoy the story.
Personally I am really enjoying the way that Tripp and Zeno are being fleshed out and interacting with one another. The dialogue and who knows more is something I wasn't expecting and I find to be incredibly marvellous. Also the way that this is able to convey awe and wonder and the innocence and hope that youth has in these pages, it lifts the spirits in a way that is welcome and that I want to feel more of. The boys have made something completely magical and Cave Pictures really knows how to find and support some amazing books.
The interiors here are utterly phenomenal! The sheer amount of creativity and imagination that is on display here is mindbogglingly good and the homage to Escher is sensationally well done. I love the boys work together and how the awe and wonder of the art coincides with the same in the same ways. The linework and the attention to detail that we see including the colours that work as linework is all so beautifully rendered. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a superb eye for storytelling. I love the way we see the hues and tones within the colour create the shading, highlights and shadows.
This is a great series so far and it is perfectly suited for all ages. Adults can read this and see the past, kids read this and see now and if your really lucky you can see both of those and the future as well. This would be great in a stocking stuffer and passed around the house to talk about over dinner, devices free of course. Check it out, share the love and call your shop for yours today!