Early Book Review: Last Pick by Jason Walz

Last Pick by Jason Walz is the first volume of Jason Walz's dystopian graphic novel trilogy. It is currently scheduled for release on October 9 2018. The kids last picked are humanity's last hope. Three years ago, aliens invaded Earth and abducted everyone they deemed useful. The only ones spared were those too young, too old, or too “disabled” to be of value. Living on Earth under the aliens’ harsh authoritarian rule, humanity’s rejects do their best to survive. Their captors never considered them a threat—until now. Twins Sam and Wyatt are ready to chuck their labels and start a revolution. It’s time for the kids last picked to step into the game.

Last Pick is a very well written and drawn graphic novel. Sam and Wyat are a team, the twins only have each other since the aliens took their parents. They are focused on survival, and the hope that Wyatt's skills will help them find their parents. Sam goes out on scavenging trips to find what they need, but she also helps others get food and whatnot along the way. They end up facing bigger challenges as more aliens appear and their actions make the aliens look weak.They need to stay free, find their parents, and help the others that remain with them find and keep hope. Tall order for two newly minted sixteen-year-olds, but they might have the skills, intelligence, and more that they need. I like that the relationship between the twins, and their natures, is shown. I like that while Wyatt is different, and his sister has struggled with that, she has his back and sees his good qualities as greater than her own 'normalcy'.  The aliens are also not all the same, or all powerful and evil, I liked the use of one that is more like use in mentality than different. I liked the action, and the introduction and building of the world and characters. I am engaged and still thinking about the world and characters, and eager to see what will happen next. Although, I am not thrilled with the level of cliffhanger.

Last Pick is a great start to a series. My biggest issue with the book is that it left me with too many questions and not enough answers. I wanted some kind of resolution, and felt like ?I was left we a bigger question than the one that started the story. 

Book Review: Shattered Warrior by Sharon Shinn, Molly Knox Ostertag

Shattered Warrior is a graphic novel written by Sharon Shinn and illustrated by Molly Knox Ostertag.  It is ten years after Colleen Cavanaugh's home world was invaded by the Derichets, a tyrannical alien race bent on exploiting the planet's mineral resources.  Most of her family died in the war, and she now lives alone in the city. Aside from her acquaintances at the factory where she toils for the Derichets, Colleen makes a single friend in Jann, a member of the violent group of rebels known as the Chromatti. One day Colleen receives shocking news: her niece Lucy is alive and in need of her help. Together, Colleen, Jann, and Lucy create their own tenuous family. But Colleen must decide if it's worth risking all of their survival to join a growing underground revolution against the Derichets. 

Shattered Warrior is a graphic novel that begins as a story about survival and struggles in a world as a second class citizen. I liked Colleen's resilience and strength- and while she is not afraid of taking risks for what she deems the greater good she is not overly reckless. I liked the character development and the extended cast of supporting characters. I think the us verses them was a little too easy- even though there were good and bad people among every group in the book, the Colleen and the resistance too easily dubbed the Derichets as worthy of death. While that might have been for effect- the current political climate makes me a little too sensitive to this kind of attitude. Although, it could very well have been part of the author's intention to open people's eyes to the dangers of this kind of attitude I have found those with that mindset see nothing wrong with that idea and would take this as further validation. 

Shattered Warrior is a thought provoking graphic novel, but I think there are issues that could have been further or better explored. The artwork, characters, and conflicts are well done and interesting. It was a good graphic novel, I just thought that it could have been even better and was hoping for more.