Bad Island

I'm actually much older than this book's target audience. You might be wondering why I bought it then. Well, there are two reasons. The first is that I'm a fan of the author. The other reason is a bit more complicated.If you've read the book synopsis, you're probably thinking this sounds an awful lot like the TV show, "Lost", and - to a degree - you're right. Both stories are about a group of castaways stranded on an island, both have the main narrative frequently inter-cut with flashbacks, and both contain unexplained phenomena that keep piling up. In fact, one or two of the phenomena in "Bad Island" have direct parallels in "Lost" (although TenNapel is good enough to put his own unique spin on them).It goes beyond that though. Imagine if "Lost's" storyline had been 100 % planned out from the beginning and had actually answered all the questions it raised - that every little bizarre thing was given an explanation. If this sounds appealing to you, read on.If I were a betting man, I'd wager that TenNapel found the basic premise of the show appealing, but was turned off by how it was actually handled and decided to vent this frustration by writing and drawing his own take on the concept. Granted, since this was his own take, this means a lot more monsters and a lot less humans...it's still a Doug TenNapel comic, after all.If there is a sticking point (and sadly, there is), it's the characters; or rather, one set of characters. The story is actually two stories that intertwine at the very end: the main story and a subplot told in flashbacks. The characters from the subplot are very good, although they really don't take up much of the book. The characters from the main story, on the other hand, are a little on the...lacking side. They're very likable, don't get me wrong, but they're (for lack of a better word) sparse. For example, the main character Reese has a troubled relationship with his family, but it's never established why. What caused this tension between them? We'll never know, and the fact that we don't know makes them and their growth throughout the story that much less meaningful; we see the "after", but only get vague hints at the "before". To put it more bluntly, the flashback characters have a powerful arc; the main characters...really don't.Still, this is very much worth a buy. If you loved every single aspect about "Lost" and want to see how someone else would have used the same concept, check it out. If you're like me and became disillusioned with how "Lost" dragged things out (and with how they ended the show), check it out. If you have no knowledge of or interest in "Lost", but just want a good story with really cool monsters and visuals, well...need I repeat myself?Click that Buy button and prepare for a real treat.

I've been making my way through a long list of books recommended by a librarian friend of mine. Thanks to her positive review of "Ghostopolis", I checked out the book, liked it, then decided to see what other books the author had under his belt. The premise of this sounded interesting, so I gave it a shot, and though I'm excited to read the rest of Doug TenNapel's works, I think this is one of the weaker entries, in comparison to "Ghostopolis" and "Tommysaurus Rex".A teenager named Reese is bummed to find out that he's being forced to go on a vacation with his (arguably) annoying family, including his worry-wart mom, his go-getter dad, and bratty kid sister. Things then turn from bad to worse when their boating trip is derailed by a powerful storm that leaves them shipwrecked on a mysterious island filled with alien creatures and angry natives that want to kill them at every turn. And as this foursome work together to uncover the mysteries surrounding the island and where it came from, their fight for survival just may help to unite a dysfunctional family.The sketchy art style that made up "Ghostopolis" is back again here, with simple panel layouts that evoke the style of reading a newspaper comic. But the art CAN get detailed, with dramatic lighting and angles when need be. And though this book is mostly geared for younger readers, I'd still recommend it for ages 10 + for more than a few scenes of creatures and characters getting impaled (though it's drawn in a way to not be super graphic).Throughout the story, the family has a nice dynamic with each other, and each one of them use their skills (be it gardening, pet sitting, or football) to survive the island. Admittedly, they're all very basic and fall into the family archetypes (like the concerned mom, the rebellious teen, the whiney little sister, etc). I actually liked the dad the most, and at first, I wondered how and why he was keeping such a cool head amidst all the insanely terrifying things they were coming across. But when he explains why, it turns into a touching moment between him and his son (and probably my favorite part of the whole book).The themes of family and trusting your loved ones actually runs all throughout the book, especially when it's revealed that an extraterrestrial culture is responsible for the island's existence. We're given tiny flashbacks into this unnamed race of giants, and while I would've liked to see just a bit more info about them, it's ultimately not totally necessary. And as the plot flip-flops between the past and the present, we're given two parallel stories about fathers trying to take care of their families, and their sons who want to run away from home and prove themselves.In the end, just a bit more back story and characterization would've been nice, but for what it is, it's okay. It's a simple story, but if you're looking for just a tad more meaty plot or characterization, then read "Ghostopolis".

I'm hardly the target audience--a middle-aged housewife here. But I've enjoyed TenNapel since I read CREATURE TECH, then went on to read what I could get of his over the years. I lost track for a couple years, so now I've caught up with GHOSTOPOLIS (yes!) and this one, BAD ISLAND.His energy,action, weird creatures, humor, familial-love emphasis it's all here. Even the parallels/echoes to Christianity (though not so overt it's preaching, mind you, just influencing some of the visuals/storylines). I mean, to a non-Christian reader, a "hiding place" may have no resonance. A hiding place BEHIND a rock may have no significance. To a Christian, this speaks on another level.So, as in others of his works, his faith seeps in, inspires and shapes, but doesn't at all detract (in the way that people of ideologies/faiths can take a message and just hammer you with it without fun or elegance or reinterpretation).The family misadventure would have been better had we gotten a scene that explained a bit more about the son's issue. But as it is, it works. And the snake-happy daughter (and Pickles) cracked me up. Because of who TenNapel is, I saw coming well in advance Pickles, er, fate. :DThere's always a solid message about love and sacrifice and strength in family and strength in goodness in TenNapel's work, and here it's no different. You overcome...together...with courage and love.Enjoyed it loads! And it's certainly kid-friendly. I'd pass this one to my grandnephew. :D

Not much to read, very simple, but fun with nice artwork.

Amazing for the art work,the story and everything else!

Doug TenNapel commence à se faire un nom dans notre beau pays, avec la publication en mars 2012 par l'éditeur Milady, de ' Ghostopolis ' (2010), probablement le meilleur livre à ce jour de cet attachant auteur américain de romans graphiques accessibles aux pré-adolescents.Doug TenNapel, passé si je ne m'abuse du dessin animé à l'art séquentiel, conçoit et réalise complètement cette histoire, couleurs comprises. 3 ou 4 cases par page maximum, dans un format proche des bouquins sans illustration.Chez TenNapel, il y a toujours une apparence de normalité qui finit par partir en quenouille. Ici, les premières pages montrent inexplicablement des robots maousses-costauds à la manière de Naoki URASAWA (dans ' Pluto, tome 1 ' et suivants, notamment) qui s'affrontent violemment à des arthropodes ou acariens géants. Un "cut" soudain nous transporte vers le quotidien d'une famille de la (upper-) middle-class américaine (papa-maman-grand-fils-fille-en-dessous-de-l-âge-de-raison) qui s'apprête à partir pour une excursion en mer dans un esquif à voile. Une initiative du pater familias, Lyle, qui voit là une bonne occasion de souder les liens familiaux. J'ai vécu, enfant, une excursion familiale en pleine mer. 5 personnes en frêle barque à moteur (Tabur Yak 3, moteur à moins de 10 CV à cause d'histoires de permis) en pleine Mer Méditerranée. Des bancs de méduses partout. Des vagues de plus en plus grosses... Je m'égare...Pour savoir comment cette famille quadrangulaire va faire le lien avec les acariens et les robots géants du début, il faudra lire le bouquin. <amazon spoiler-proof critic guarantee>.A moins de 9 euros au moment de cette chronique, faut-il encore s'interroger et passer à côté d'un auteur majeur du moment ? GhostopolisPluto, tome 1

Recebemos o livro ontem à noite e meu filho já leu metade! Fica mais facil ler em inglês porque as fiuguras ajudam na compreensão.

We have enjoyed all of Doug Tennapel's books. Highly recommended! Can't wait until his next book release. Great storylines & graphics