LARP!, Volume 1

December 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-A teen boy accepted by both the cool crowd and the geeks struggles to keep his identities separate in this fast-paced but uninspired comic. Just before moving to a new town, nerdy Pete experienced a growth spurt leading the cool kids at his new school to take him in as one of their own. He discovers he is actually great at tennis, and the cheerleaders fawn over him. However, he also becomes friends with two other classmates, one of whom happens to be a super cute girl, who are involved with the local live-action role-playing (LARP) club. Pete tries to maintain these two separate lives and keep them unknown from each other, but when they inevitably collide, he must decide who he truly is. While this book has some fun elements, particularly the LARP scenes, as a whole it feels unoriginal and relies too heavily on stereotypes. The female characters in particular lack any complexity and are all thin with large breasts, which the male characters are often mesmerized by. While some readers may connect with Pete because of his interest in Firefly, Star Wars, and other fandoms, they won't be engaged by the shallow character development and the overall unbelievable story. The simplistic black-and-white art is busy but still easy to follow. The ending paves the way for more adventures, as this is the first of a planned series. VERDICT Aimed at the stereotypical "fanboy," this unfulfilling work lacks depth.-Jenna Friebel, Deerfield Public Library, IL

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