Billy Johnson and his Duck are Explorers is a comic I read with my son. We love the feeling of traveling and adventure, and the stories remind us of The Adventures of Tintin. Highly recommended!--Writer and artist of the New York Times Bestselling AMULET graphic novel series "Kazu Kibuishi"
Billy Johnson And His Duck Are Explorers is a fun new graphic novel by cartoonist Mathew New and published by Capstone Editions. New's debut is a fun romp that collects four treasure-hunting adventures that are perfect for fans young and old. And that fun begins immediately with the opening sequence. Framed with a song, It introduces the heroes to readers and there's a sense of who they are from the get-go. Billy is a wannabe explorer, over-confident and wanting to make a name for himself. Barace is a talking duck, who happens to also be a college professor and Billy's voice of reason. Together they travel the world looking for treasure while avoiding peril with every turn. New has tried to make each issue as distinct as possible. Each issue is a self-contained adventure, filled with their unique locations (jungles, ruins, desert, caves and more), obstacles, and perils. These are introduced at a steady pace and never dwell too long on any given thing, which means there's always something new for the reader. At the same time, there's a much larger plot that brews in the background opening up the potential for more stories in the future. New's art is visually engaging, with lush environments and expressive characters, while still adhering to his stylist rules. His linework has a consistent thickness to it, which allows him to ad important detail but not get bogged down in the nitty-gritty. Instead, his vivid colours are used to create some of that shorthand and give the environments an additional sense of wonder. Billy Johnson And His Duck Are Explorers shows that New has a strong sense of storytelling too. There are many scenes in which do not require dialogue, instead of telling the story through movement with a 'show, not tell' approach. This ranges from a character breaking into a castle to steal a priceless artefact to seeing what Barace gets up to in his day-to-day life. It's a refreshing take, as sometimes all-ages comics like to explain what characters are doing when it's not always necessary. But it's not all adventure and danger. In the downtime, Billy and is waterfowl pal have moments of vulnerability when they talk about how they feel. Billy and Barace can discuss their frustrations in a very grown-up way and it's a good example to set for young readers. All in all, the Billy Johnson And His Duck Are Explorers is an incredibly fun read. Packed with a strong sense of adventure, character depth, and bright art, kids and adults will equally love this graphic novel. If you pick up this book then you'll have certainly found a treasure worth holding onto. Billy Johnson And His Duck Are Explorers is available from August 1st in good comic book stores, book stores, online stores, and eBay.--Trevor Van As "How To Love Comics"
Billy Johnson's late parents were famous explorers, and he'd love to follow in their footsteps. He has great instincts, but no one at the Explorer's League takes him seriously (mostly because he never has anything to show for his adventures). Along with his trusty duck companion, Professor Barrace, Billy travels the world getting into peril, and at every turn, he's rescued at the last minute by a mysterious being. New brings a great sense of comedic timing to Billy's episodic adventures, which are full of one-liners and over-the-top situations, all rendered in densely illustrated panels full of bright colors, bold outlines, and cartoonish figures. There's a lot to take in, so key details could get lost for kids unaccustomed to the comics format, but some deep mysteries, like Barrace's backstory, the identity of the creature rescuing Billy, and the cloaked figure surveilling him from afar, propel the story forward. While there's no hint of resolution to those overarching plot threads, Billy's madcap exploring, touched with grounding moments of tenderness, is entertaining enough on its own.--Sarah Hunter "Booklist"
Could an ambitious young janitor become an explorer? Young Billy Johnson works as a custodian at the Explorers League, where he aspires to be an Ace Explorer, just like Hal Hardwick. Clad in his omnipresent tie and bearing a sword named Mr. Jabbers at his side, the pompadoured Billy and his best friend--an anthropomorphic white duck named Barrace who is a renowned college professor--embark upon swashbuckling adventures. In this episodic graphic novel, Billy and Barrace set out on four thrilling quests including a trip into a volcano near the ruins of the once-great Monkey Kingdom, the capture of an enchanted ring in the hall of the Ghost King, an expedition to find the mysterious desert-dwelling Atlas Bear, and a battle against magical monsters in the Hero Trials. Once he completes his missions will Billy finally be allowed to join the Explorers League? First-time author and illustrator New's full-color, blazingly paced tale is self-contained so readers may pick up and enjoy the abundant madcap silliness out of sequence. Despite the bite-sized vignettes, there is an overarching and unresolved narrative thread, leaving just enough intrigue to fuel subsequent exploits. While only a handful of humans are present in this volume, Billy and the majority are white; unnamed background characters encompass a more diverse spectrum. A quirky graphic debut. (Graphic fantasy/adventure. 7-11)-- "Kirkus Reviews"
In Mathew New's absurdist graphic novel, a teenage boy and his talking duck seek out adventure in an attempt to prove the boy's worth as an explorer. Billy, a part-time janitor, is really an explorer. With Barrace, a duck who is also a professor of linguistics, Billy travels the world seeking strange places and artifacts. In this collection of four stories, the duo searches a mysterious jungle for a lost monkey kingdom, hunts beneath a castle in England for the ring of the ghost king, tracks a mythical Atlas Bear through a desert, and goes through a series of trials to obtain powerful hero's armor. Each story is irreverent, funny, and unpredictable. The stories are tied together by Billy's quest to join the Explorer's League, an elite group of which his parents, now missing, were important members. His desire to follow in their footsteps, and Barrace's support of this plan, results in emotional depth and fosters a sense of innocence that's suitable for all ages. A mysterious blue figure appears just in time to pull Billy and Barrace out of the direst of circumstances in each story, while an unnamed character seems to be tracking them through their adventures. These intriguing elements make it clear that there are more adventures to come. The book's full-color cartoon illustrations match the playful tone and style of the stories, resulting in a clear sense of space and movement. Onomatopoeia is used to great effect, with flare guns that "tsssssew," swords that "shing" and locks that "klunk," adding enjoyable dimension to the stories. Billy Johnson and His Duck Are Explorers is a humorous graphic novel full of action and adventure.--Catherine Thureson "ForeWord Reviews"
This fast-paced, high-action, thoroughly enjoyable romp has everything from elegant thieves and possible aliens to lost cities and mummy butlers. I spy with my little eye an artist that loves his Tintin. Rip-roaring adventures occur for a boy and his trusty duck companion. Never mind that the boy inevitably fails in almost every case, or that the duck is clearly the smarter of the two. You'll have no trouble following the action, and though we've seen similar types of stories for kids, this is the first comic to do it well. What's not to love?--Elizabeth Bird "A Fuse 8 Production, 31 Days, 31 Lists: 2020 Comics & Graphic Novels for Kids"