GLYN IN MONSTER LAND, from Kevin Philpott on Kickstarter, regales young readers with a fairytale of monsterific proportions when Glyn, the apprentice witch, must escape a dungeon with the help of her monster friends.
The Details
- Written by: Kevin Philpott
- Art by: Louisa Russo
- Colors by: Louisa Russo
- Letters by: Louisa Russo
- Cover art by: Louisa Russo
- Comic Rating: All Ages
- Cover price: $7.99 (estimated)
- Release date: April 2022
Is It Good?
GLYN IN MONSTER LAND is a charmingly cute graphic novel tailor-made for young readers who like monster fun that isn’t too scary. Kevin Philpott’s tale about a witch determined to see the light in life is filled with excitement, friendship, and feel-good moments.
Philpott’s script centers on Glyn, an apprentice witch who accidentally upsets the King of Monster Land, landing her in a dangerous dungeon. Glyn uses her powers and personality to make friends with fellow monster prisoners in the hopes of finding an escape.
What’s great about this graphic novel? Kids are going to love it. You get an eclectic group of not-so-monstrous monsters with distinctive personalities, memorable backstories, and a simple tale about good triumphing over evil. The pacing is brisk enough to keep readers engaged, the dialog contains moments of sweetness and corny dad-joke humor, and the conclusion strikes the right chord for a feel-ending ending.
What’s not so great about this graphic novel? There are two minor nitpicks in the story. First, Glyn has multiple opportunities to use her magic in obvious situations, so failing to do so (to a child) may come off as a head-scratcher. Second, the graphic novel is a long read, which may be a struggle for the attention span of the target audience.
How’s the art? Louisa Russo’s art is pitch-perfect for the story as presented. The character designs are monstrous but kid-friendly. This is one of the few circumstances where cartoonish art is positive and appropriate.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with Lucildor the witch and Gly, her apprentice, riding in a carriage to reach the King’s castle for a gathering of his most feared generals. When the witches arrive, Lucildor introduces Glyn to the King, and the King, in return, asks for a demonstration of Glyn’s power. When Glyn turns a prisoner into a fairy using Light magic, the King is enraged and banishes Glyn to his dungeon.
Glyn hopelessly searches for a way out of the dungeon when she encounters an assortment of monsters who are all prisoners after offending the King and his generals for one reason or another. Using her can-do attitude, Glyn supports, encourages, and wins over the friendship of every monster prisoner she meets.
We conclude the graphic novel with escape plans, thievery, and epic battles.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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GLYN IN MONSTER LAND is a near-perfect graphic novel for young readers who like monsters, excitement, and adventure. Glyn is an instantly relatable, likable character, her adventure delivers plenty of age-appropriate action, and the art is super-strong.
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