Member Reviews

Love the art style and the story! It is a great read for audiences of all ages. Highly recommend for the family.

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'Inferno (The Campbells #1)' by Jose Luis Munuera is an adventure comic about an ex-pirate and his family. I couldn't help but feel that this was somehow in the middle of the story.

Campbell was once a fierce pirate. He had a wife and two daughters. Then his wife was killed and he was left to raise his two daughters. So he disappeared and everyone thought he was gone, until he showed up again. Now a pirate named Inferno is out to find him and do away with him and his daughters.

The story starts and I felt like we were supposed to know all about Campbell, but flashbacks helped to fill in the story. The story ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so just be prepared for that. The art is pretty good for an adventure comic like this.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

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The art and story are reminiscent of a 60's era Disney movie. It's full of adventure, danger, and intrigue.

Campbell is a semi-retired pirate raising his 2 daughters after his wife was killed. Meanwhile, there are several other factions on the lookout for the Campbell family. I was intrigued enough to be on the lookout for future volumes.

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Sometimes you just can't outrun the past.

The Campbells follows a retired pirate who's hung up his sword in order to raise his children. Done with the swashbuckling life, all Campbell wants to do is give his kids a normal life. Unfortunately, the villainous Inferno has other plans, and sends the pirate Carapepino to get rid of the whole family.

This is a middle-grade graphic novel, the first in a series. The story was cool, and I enjoyed the wordplay at times. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the art style. It was too caricaturish for my tastes, and the more action laden the scenes, the less I liked the art. Our older cubs had a mix of like and dislikes. Mainly, it was boys who enjoyed it and not the girls. Perhaps explains my lukewarm feelings?

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Europe Comics for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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The first half of this book was a bit rough. It could be the difference of culture but I struggled with the story - it just wasn't connecting with me. The second half, though, went by way too fast.
The art is decent. I wish the lettering was a bit more clearer but the overall art was engaging and colorful.
The one thing about this story is there is a lot of build-up and then it's over. I would like to have seen it a bit longer just to give me a sense of the story before it was over. I'm not sure there was enough there to stick in my mind when I go looking for a new book.

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The fun starts on the title page, with a funny image of a pirate swinging on a rope with his kids hanging on for dear life behind him. That sets the scene nicely. Actually it starts on the cover, because for a few seconds I seriously thought that was Bruce Campbell.
The way we get background is with the brother reading his older sister’s journal. Had no idea pirate kids are generally no different than suburban kids, especially when it comes to school.
The smartest character is the head leper.
“Lovedumbefied!” I like when they invent new words.
I can totally hear Bruce Campbell’s voice saying the girl’s name: Nutel-la. Though sometimes the look is more Billy Campbell. The artwork is cartoonish, with no attempt to be realistic. There’s silly dialogue and juvenile humor. One of the pirates is named Carapepino, which translates to Cucumber Face.
Too many plots, too many pirates, but it’s kinda likeable.

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4.5 Stars
The beginning of a fun and entertaining family pirate saga in graphic novel form, The Campbells has some cool illustrations and typical but witty text. This installment includes a cast of characters that will win over most readers and a plot that will bring fans back for more.

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Three and a half stars for what is a slightly superior pirate adventure yarn for the young readers of comic books. There is a fair bit that is right about this - a pleasantly convoluted story, with multiple teams of pirates swapping sides and allegiance, a crocodile ridden as a getaway vehicle, and Asterix-styled word-play on character names, but I think it could have gone further. The artwork is fine until it gets to the action scenes when it's pretty much a mess, with its juvenile, caricaturish cartoon style (which amongst other effects fails to let you know we're dealing with girls at the beginning), and it clearly isn't complete without further books in the series (which has reached four parts so far in the original French, and seems to have finished at that). Still, as far as this goes it is harmless fun.

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A fun graphic novel for junior readers. Pirates stories are always a plus.

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I was scrolling through NetGalley looking for something quick and easy to read which brought me to Inferno. The cover is really well done and the rest of the artwork is just as good. The storyline was cute and kept my attention as well. Parts of the story even tugged on my heart strings.

I wish there was more to this book though. The ending left me wanting more and more so I really hope that there is a next in the series.

All in all, this was a cute graphic novel that was able to tug on my heart strings. I will definitely continue on in this series when available.

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