For Tara Smith, each day is the same. Get up, take her allergy medication, don’t forget her bracelet, go to school, have no friends and don’t forget to wear her bracelet. Of course, life does have a way of screwing with your routine whether you like it or not. When a power cut blitzes the alarm clock, Tara wakes up late, misses her meds and breaks her bracelet. From there she is engulfed by the extraordinary she wished for, albeit in a totally different manner. Following her flammable outburst, she is captured by the government and given two choices. enroll in their school or ship out to space. Left all alone, with no parents, Tara enrolls and thus begins her not the same routine life.
Writer and creator Jeremy Whitley is no stranger to writing these types of young adult comics. Having recently had a successful run with the Unstoppable Wasp, new readers may feel that he is taking a bit of a chance moving away from an existing comic universe to pursue the types of stories he want to write.  However, Whitley is a veteran of the relationships between younger characters, and females in particular having crafted his style on Princeless and Raven: The Pirate Princess. Stops along the way at IDW for Rainbow Brite and My Little Pony show a writer that is interested in how relationships can work, their problems and the levels of self doubt that can arise from them. In this book, Tara never feels really grounded for large parts of the story. She is besieged by losses, be it routine, family and self-belief. It’s a heady brew for sure, yet Whitley writes in a manner that entrances the reader. The dialogue is sharp, has it’s funny moments and even when familiar characters and tropes are used, it is done with a certain charm. The classmates, all different in shape, size and appearance are, characteristically at least, well observed.
The art and colors are provided by Jamie Noguchi, known for his webcomic Yellow Peril. In this book, his art pretty much follows the vein of many other artists who have trod the boards of the YA stage. That’s not to say that it’s bad; in places it is great! Noguchi gets to play with different body types, thanks to nearly everyone being an extraterrestrial. However his lines are simple, maybe a nod to the intended readerships, as are the panel designs. It’s not until later in the book that characters feel a little “off-model”. Overall though the art is enjoyable, with plenty of facial expressions to help deliver Whitley’s script. Helping out on colors is Shannon Lilly. Between Lily and Noguchi, Tara’s world can look a little basic. Of course, I have no reference never being in school for aliens. However as the various abilities of the student body reveal themselves, things improve. Finally, letterer Wilson Ramos Jr. uses a font the is easy to read that is evenly spaced out and not crammed it to the high number of text boxes.
I am not the target audience for this book. However, there is a sweetness to it, an easy going manner that I quite enjoyed. I am sure that younger readers will get caught up in all the drama, with nuances that seem over the top to me, yet may surprise the target group. Overall, a fun little read, that engages, educates and challenges perceptions of vanity, self-awareness and fledgling relationships.
Writing -Â 4.5 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Colors – 3.5 Stars
Overall – 4 StarsÂ
Written by; Jeremy Whitley
Art and Colors by Jamie Noguchi
Color Assists by; Shannon Lily
Letters by; Wilson Ramos Jr.
Published by;Â Papercutz
School for Extraterrestrial Girls will be available from www.papercutz.com on August 4th 2020.
Please click here to read a preview.
Author Profile
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I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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