Black Canary: Ignite (Graphic Novel Review)

I received Black Canary: Ignite for this feature. Opinions expressed are my own.

Meg Cabot, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Princess Diaries makes her graphic novel debut with Black Canary: Ignite, the latest middle grade graphic novel from DC Zoom.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Princess Diaries comes Black Canary: Ignite, Meg Cabot’s first graphic novel! With expressive and energetic art by Cara McGee to match the trademark attitude and spunk of Meg Cabot’s characters and dialogue, this mother-daughter story embraces the highs and lows of growing up without growing out of what makes us unique.

Thirteen-year-old Dinah Lance knows exactly what she wants, who she is, and where she’s going. First, she’ll win the battle of the bands with her two best friends, then she’ll join the Gotham City Junior Police Academy so she can solve crimes just like her dad. Who knows, her rock star group of friends may even save the world, but first they’ll need to agree on a band name.

When a mysterious figure keeps getting in the way of Dinah’s goals and threatens her friends and family, she’ll learn more about herself, her mother’s secret past, and navigating the various power chords of life.

Black Canary: Ignite is an inspirational song that encourages readers to find their own special voices to sing along with Black Canary!

 

Cara McGee is a BFA graduate of SCAD’s Sequential Art Program. Since graduating in 2010, she has worked on a number of personal mini comics, as well as many comics, covers, and illustrations for companies like DC, BOOM!, IDW, and Cards Against Humanity. She currently lives in the woods in the middle of nowhere, and travels as much as her schedule allows.

Graphic novels are CRAZY POPULAR right now with both boys, girls, tweens and teens! They give you the excitement of a comic book but they are much longer to give the reader a more in depth story. In Black Canary: Ignite Dinah is a girl who is in a band with her friends. There’s just one problem– she has a supersonic voice that shatters glass! In all these new DC Zoom comics I really enjoy seeing these superheroes learning to work with their powers but that they have friends and family and a normal life as well. This story gives you a strong girl character with zero romance and my 11 year old daughter LOVES it. I will admit Big Sis is obsessed with graphic novels right now so she begged to read this one after I mentioned it to her. She finished it and then read it again the next day. She told me she “loves it” and that she wants MORE. I must be the last person around to read a book by Cabot but I did enjoy reading this one and it makes me want to read her more famous works as well. I am a big Cards Against Humanity fan so it was exciting for me to see McGee’s exciting illustrations while reading this graphic novel. This is an exciting middle grade graphic novel and would be especially great for reluctant readers and for girls that are into super heroes and excitement.