ExtraOrdinary

October 15, 2021
Grades 10-12 When Charlotte wakes up at the hospital, she's the only survivor of a school bus crash and has the uncanny and disturbing ability to see a person's death in their reflection, including her own, which is how she learns about Eli Evers, the man who's destined to be her killer. Set in the universe of Schwab's Villains series, this comic (plus a linked short story) hints at the plot of Vicious and Vengeful, but the main story focuses primarily on Charlotte as she learns about Eli's dogged quest to exterminate other ExtraOrdinaries (EOs) and joins forces with some other EOs to stop him. Bal�m crisply draws the action, and his character designs, full of lantern jaws and exaggerated limbs, are lithely dynamic. Fans of superhero comics will be gratified to find a lot of the hallmarks of the genre here--quippy dialogue, cinematic action, secret identities, and twisted motivations--though readers who have background knowledge of the central conflict and main characters of Schwab's novels in the series will get the most out of this.

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November 5, 2021

Schwab (The Secret Life of Addie LaRue) returns once again to the universe of her Vicious and Vengeful superhero graphic novels. In this new installment, which takes place in the years between the action of Vicious and Vengeful, we are led through the origin story of series favorite Charlotte Tills, as she develops the strange ability to see people's deaths in reflective surfaces. It's a welcome addition to the Vicious universe, and Schwab continues to impress with the amount of depth she gives to her characters. Additionally, the artistry and coloring collaborate wonderfully to enhance the existing tones and emotions of each scene. The graphic novel itself is enhanced by its high-quality pages; even the lettering demonstrates a strong eye for detail and further supports the story by conveying the mindsets of the characters and scenes. VERDICT This title will succeed in both YA and adult graphic novel collections and will be a welcome addition to collections holding Schwab's other works.

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 22, 2021
This graphic spin-off from Schwab’s X-men-esque Villains series takes up a promising character, in the in-between chronology of two prose titles, but despite all the graphic potential of moody teenagers wielding super powers, the comic version comes out lackluster. After a fatal bus crash, Charlotte wakes up and finds she’s not only been brought back to life, but can see how anyone will die by looking at their reflections. Her eventual death, revealed to her in such a vision, will be at the hands of the immortal Eli Ever, who’s trying to kill all “ExtraOrdinaries” (EOs) like her, as he believes them to be “an affront to God.” Charlotte determines, rashly, to seek Eli out and face him head-on. After being saved from a trap, Charlotte meets fellow EOs, who bring her into their techie clubhouse and explain that Eli’s in a special superhero prison. But Charlotte’s not going to wait around for him to get out, and instead engineers a jailbreak. These badass-in-theory characters spin too rapidly through the expository-heavy script to develop motivations; whereas Schwab’s novels excel at characterization through action, that level of depth’s lacking in the slim comic (and it doesn’t help that the main villain spends most of it locked up). Balám’s art trends junior, with characters drawn a little too cute and rosy-cheeked, the gore and violence splattered on after. Schwab’s dedicated fan base will still pick it up, but are likely to grumble.