The Last Comics on Earth: Too Many Villains by Joshua Pruett and Jay Cooper & Douglas Holgate - OPTIONAL

The Last Comics on Earth: Too Many Villains by Joshua Pruett, illustrated by Jay Cooper & Douglas Holgate, 258 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Viking (Penguin), 2024. $15 

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Apocalyptia isn't just end of the world, it's comic books! Jack, Quint, June, and Dirk need to come up with a new comic book stat after their first one was a success. They decide to do a bigger, better comic book with way more villains, but it turns out that even tons of villains have to get their ideas from somewhere. The superheroes are on a frenzied dash to crush villains and the mastermind behind them. 

There is color and humor, but this book had so much going on that it became hard to follow. I felt like I needed ADHD medication. There were way too many villains, even though that was the plot point. I realize I am way older than the target audience, though they might be too young to get some of the comedic references. Younger readers will get pulled in by the art and fast pacing though. Though no races or cultures are specifically mentioned, the superheroes have different skin tones. 

Michelle in the Middle 

All the Noise at Once by DeAndra Davis - ESSENTIAL

All the Noise at Once by DeAndra Davis, 384 pages. Atheneum (Simon and Schuster), 2025. $20.

 

Language: R (85 swears 14 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG13 (bloody fight, police brutality, taunting, football violence) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

16yo Aiden wants to play on his brother's high school football team, and it's finally the year they can do it. 17yo Brandon is a senior and the number one recruit in the nation, but when Aiden, who is a good player, but also has autism, has an episode at tryouts, it looks like the boys won't get to play together after all. When a spot opens and Aiden does gets on the team, some of the other players are unhappy, and resent him because they think he's only playing because his brother is the star quarterback. At a team party after a win, one player picks a fight with Aiden, which turns into chaos, the police are called and several boys on the team are arrested. Including Brandon, who as far as Aiden remembers, wasn't involved. But the police say he assaulted an officer and resisted arrest. Aiden feels this is all his fault, and is desperate to clear his brother's name and save his future prospects. 

There's a lot going on in this engaging, heart wrenching, moving story. Davis hits on racism, social issues, high school football, the legal system, and being a child with autism. At one point he confronts his coach with honest questions and anger about how he has been treated by adults - differently because he's black? because he had autism? because of his brother? Those questions don't have a neat easy answer. A good mix of black and white players on the team, as well as a gay couple. A nice companion to Come Home Safe by Brian Buckmire. 

Aiden and Brandon are black, many of the team is too, most are white. 

Lisa Librarian