BOOM! Studios has released the first Volume of Misfit City in softcover.
Misfit City is written by Kirsten Smith and Kurt Lustgarten, illustrated by Naomi Franquiz, colored by Brittany Peer.
This young adult story centers around a US coastal city, Cannon Cove Oregon. where not much is going on. Old buildings are being torn down to make way for development. There’s a small museum in town, where props and other memorabilia from the “Gloomies”, a movie that was filmed there in the 80’s.
Life for the young ‘misfits’ revolves around them hanging out, working in fast food joints, and socializing. Until an old map appears. One that promises pirate treasure: maybe even doubloons!!
It’s just a matter of getting all the girls organized to search for it, cracking the cryptic code, and keeping the map out of the hands of the nasty mean people who keep trying to steal it! Oh, and there are bullies in town who make life very unpleasant for the Misfits.
The tale is well told, and will appeal to its target audience: teen comic fans who enjoy the girl-centric adventure! These girls have their share of issues to deal with; lost love, overbearing parent figures, and yes, bullies.
The dialogue is smooth and strong, the humor sharp and only occasionally crude (there are a puzzling amount of poop jokes). The artwork by Naomi Franquiz is okay, and I was very impressed by Brittany Peer’s color work. It brought welcome atmosphere to the art, which I found to be labored at times.
This volume collects the first four issues in the series. It ‘ends’ continued, that is, it leaves a cliffhanger and unresolved storyline. We’ll just have to wait for Volume 2, due in May 2018.
BOOM! Studios’ Misfit City Volume 1, softcover. $14.99 for 115 pages, including covers, variant covers, and character designs. Suggested rating Teen +
Newsdesk