Hayley Westwood
Thank you to Harper360 for sending me an ARC of Incredible Doom from Matthew Bogart and Jesse Holden.
Usually in my reviews I use quotes from the book, but I can't really do that in this case with it being a graphic novel.
Overall, it was easy to read, and didn't take me long to read through Volume 1.
Although this is classed as YA, it did feel as though it could easily be aimed at younger readers too, perhaps a middle grade audience.
I thought some of the tribulations that the main characters are facing in the story - particularly Richard struggling to fit in, Sam's ‘broken family', and Allison being subject to her abusive father - highlight the value of the internet in allowing a way to escape and connect with people you might not otherwise connect with.
Some of these difficult circumstances will no doubt reflect the situations of some younger readers, and so they may feel more of a bond with the characters.
However, I did feel that the characters themselves were a little two-dimensional.
It is tricky creating depth of character in a graphic novel, because you can only ever relay speech, and the characters' environments through images, but the character voices did feel quite similar even though they spanned gender and age.
I do think this will likely be an interesting series for younger readers, especially those who are interested in technology and the evolution of the internet - something that I didn't have as a child, but that everyone takes for granted nowadays.
I don't think I would read more personally, but do think Volume 1 ended at a point that would keep younger readers engaged for Volume 2.
