 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | DEL REY | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | TOMAS MONTALVO-LAGOS /
ELIZABETH HURCHALLA | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | WESTERN / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 96 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | A | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 08/25/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 11/16/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | SCOTT CAMPBELL |
Zak Saturday and the first family of cryptozoology – the Secret Saturdays – are about to set off on an action-packed adventure! Zak and his parents, Doc and Drew, must rely on their powers and their knowledge of cryptids to stop the nefarious V. V. Argost from recovering the dreadful Kur stone. But can they stop him before he unleashes an ancient evil on the world? I’m impressed with the story and the action in this new kids manga/comic, The Secret Saturdays. It’s also a Saturday morning cartoon (go figure), so if you like the book, you can also certainly watch the show. This is an interesting product in the way that it is made: It’s actually a comic made by taking still frames from the television show and formatting them into a comic. Throw in some word bubbles, and you’ve got yourself a Secret Saturdays comic ready to go! This first book is a good introduction to the Saturdays. Doc, Drew, Zak, Zomodoo, Pinkerton, and the Crytids are a crew that sticks together. This team is vaguely reminiscent of the Incredibles, with a super mother and father, powered kid, and pets. It’s an easy, yet compelling read with art straight from the series that gives the reader the first part of the quest to save our world from V.V. Argost and his evil ways. Two stones have been procured by the evil Argost, and the third is located in Manaus, Brazil. Togetherness seems to be the key to this team of intrepid agents, and what will always allow them to win the day. It’s a good message for kids, while still managing to entertain them fully and keep them coming back. This book series is a great way to back the television series and create more interest in the franchise. It also gets fans of the show to read books, so it’s a positive thing for the kids. This should prove to be a fairly popular book series once it gets going and puts out a few more volumes!
IN SUMMARY:
The Secret Saturdays is a great new kids series that is sure to entertain it’s audience, while also teaching them the value of team work and family togetherness. It’s not often you can work in these really positive messages into a super hero book for kids, but The Secret Saturdays manages it with style! |
