Spotlight review of a another young adult (YA) original graphic novel (OGN) by Matt Lowder
THE DRAGON PATH written and illustrated by Ethan Young (Scholastic/Graphix, May 2021) Paperback. Middle grade (ages 8-13). Matt's rating: 4.5 STARS OUT OF A POSSIBLE 5 STARS.
A prophecy, a destiny, family secrets, and Chinese culture woven like Howl's Moving Castle meets Fire Power and Avatar the Last Air Bender with inks and lines like Stan Sakai. Glorious middle grade graphic novel.
A motorized village, revealed to be the Wong Clan’s, is returning to their ancestral home, the Old Land. The road is a bad one, like a length of Mad Max territory. With the encouragement of his dubious adviser, Quan, Lord Wong believes that in returning they will fulfill a prophecy. Meanwhile Lord Wong’s willful young son, main character Prince Sing, has been seeing visions about his mother’s death and what initiated his ancestors’ exodus from their homeland in the first place.
When the clan is attacked by the reptilian Dragon Tribe for trespassing and past injustices, Sing is separated from his clan. Presumed dead, Sing is in fact in the company of new friends -- Ming the Mystic and a colossal black-and-white feline with a single horn.
Themes of betrayal and true identities, with magic woven throughout, create an action-packed adventure, though the hero's journey is a bit simple and surface level, its a great introduction to the tropes and admittedly has suprise reveals and promises for more.
The neatly aligned, clean, traditional panels are filled with movement thanks to Young’s line work -- bold, stipple and dash style or hatching and shading. Young’s choice of a color palette and artful use of shading bring a vibrancy and heightened emotional depth to most scenes. Conflicts, pacing, and backstories are interwoven and paced very well, especially for middle grade.
This eclectic world of Chinese culture, fantasy, and nonstop action is worth exploring. This is how you show a story, with movement, use of foreground and backgrounds, and sometimes no dialogue. Recommended. 4.5/5
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