Graphic Novel Review: Little Monsters Vol. 1

Published by: Image Comics

Written by: Jeff Lemire

Illustrated by: Dustin Nguyen

Ages: 16+

In a large city, seemingly not too far in the future, a group of kids run the streets playing games. To our readers’ eyes, this black and white world looks bleak and post-apocalyptic, but the children are having a great time. When one of them informs the rest of the approaching dawn, another hiccup in the story shows itself…

… these children know to stay away from the sunlight.

… and there are no adults around.

… and they aren’t sure how long they have been there or even how long they have lived.

LITTLE MONSTERS VOL 1 is the story of a group of post-apocalyptic vampire children, left to fend for themselves in a large city where adults never venture, and the vampires who turned them have yet to return to claim them. Contrary to what we would consider established vampire lore, none of these children have tasted human blood, yet they have lived a long time. Will their entire world change with the arrival of an injured adult, trapped under rubble and needing help?

Jeff Lemire (SWEET TOOTH, DESCENDER, GIDEON FALLS) is one of my favorite graphic novel and comic book authors, and this story seems destined to join the favorites pile. The unique choice to leave the world black and white, highlighting only with color very sparingly, adds to the bleakness of the story, while using children in these villainous and yet also innocent roles echo of LORD OF THE FLIES.

Ages 16+

ADAM FISHER, Reference Associate

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Adam Fisher

Adam Fisher has worked for more than a decade at Lane Libraries in Fairfield, Ohio, where he is a Reference Associate. He creates and leads programming for all ages, manages the graphic novel, sci-fi/fantasy, and magazine collections at his branch, and has recently seen great success with his self-created Escape Room programs. He writes reviews for everything he reads and can be found on Goodreads @FisherAd80 and on Twitter @adamreadscomics.

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