Young girls' adventure goes
Hawaiian, as Xeric Grant winners Julie Yeh and
Jack Hsu give us the first of Poppie's
Adventures.
Randy:
In addition to sketches, food,
drink and great company, one of the many boons
that Don and I received from attending San Diego
this year was a whole bunch of new review
material. First on the list is a new entry in the
young readers adventure genre, a Xeric Grant
winner named Poppie's Adventures.
Don:
The creators have crafted
something in the Nancy Drew vein, and it's
delightfully light and entertaining read. The only
flaw here is that the writer seems to
overcompensate on exposition for the younger
readers at which this project is clearly targeted.
Poppie's
Adventures: Serpents in
Paradise
written by Julie
Yeh
illustrated by Jack
Hsu
published by Way Out Comics
Don:
Poppie Field is a college
student who's taking some time off to experience
the working world, and she lands a freelance
writing gig. She, along with shutterbug James
Hamamura, is tasked with developing a travel
magazine article about vacationing in Hawaii, and
it promises to be the most relaxing job Poppie
could ever hope for. Unfortunately, she didn't
count on encountering an unusual smuggling
operation and Egyptian cultists.
Randy:
On the back page of this book,
the creators list among their influences Tin
Tin, Asterix and Hayao Miyazaki. I definitely
get that sense from Poppie's Adventures,
especially the former two, as the book is aimed
squarely at a young reader and seems designed as
much to impart information about a place and its
culture as to tell a story. My initial thoughts
upon seeing this would be that it would be along
the lines of Leave it to Chance, but it
skews a little younger than that, reminding me
more than anything of a Hardy Boys mystery.
Don:
I think my favorite aspect of
the book is how Poppie's expectations keep proving
to be off the mark. She hopes for fantasy -- to be
pampered at an exclusive resort and possibly hook
up with a Prince Charming type -- but she gets
adventure instead. Her disappointment doesn't
cripple her either. She rolls with the punches, so
to speak, and it makes for a better balanced title
character.
Randy:
Yeh's storytelling is
bright and fun, light on the actual tension and
danger (which is probably good for a younger
readers' book) and light on characterization, but
heavy on information and plot. There's a certain
lack of subtlety in the work, from the boyish
personality of Ham to the overly telegraphed
reveal of how the snakes are getting to the
island, but while that makes it less attractive
for older readers, I think younger readers will be
charmed by the story and find it much easier to
follow than many comics, which are aimed over
their heads. In addition, what Yeh lacks in
subtlety she makes up in enthusiasm, and it's hard
not to be swept up in the likable go-getter nature
of Poppie or the interesting stories of Hawaii.
Don:
You touch upon my only real
misgiving about the book. Yeh is so focused on
making this story accessible for younger readers
that she repeats the necessary information over
and over again. The script renders the two-page
primer that precedes the story completely
redundant, for example. Still, there's no denying
the educational (and entertainment) value in the
plot and script; I even came away from the book
with a few new nuggets of information.
Randy:
Jack Hsu's artwork is likewise
clean and bright, and I was surprised to learn
that this was Hsu's first experiment with coloring
a comic, because the colors are terrific. They pop
off the page, and while they are more primary and
less textured than the work of experienced
comic-book colorist, that primary color look works
perfectly for the tone of the book and really
makes the art shine. In terms of style, Hsu's work
reminds me most of Tom (True Story Swear to
God) Beland. He's got a good eye for
exaggerated expressions, but he grounds it in some
strong detailed backgrounds that give the story a
sense of place. And the action sequences flow
smoothly as well. Hsu is a film illustrator and
architect by trade, but the style and strength of
his work would have led me to believe that he was
an animator.
Don:
I see what you mean. I see a
strong Disney influence in his work here,
especially when it comes to his depiction of James
"Ham" Hamamura and the leader of the cult. The
colors are quite strong -- not garishly bright --
and I have to admit to being impressed with the
lettering. The unique font is in keeping with the
lighter tone of the story.
Randy:
Older readers may find
Poppie's Adventures to be a bit slight, but
this book definitely hits its mark in terms of
appealing to younger readers. Poppie's
Adventures strikes me as a series that could
uphold the legacy of globe-trotting adventure
comics like Tin Tin, and comic fans with
young children might want to put this book into
their hands.
For more information on Poppie's
Adventures, visit
