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Akiko on the Planet Smoo, Volume 1
Distributed by: Random House
Written and Illustrated: Mark Crilley
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: Immature Children
Reviewed by: Justine Manzano
I understand that material aimed at children should be graded on a different level. I am not arguing against this, but the truth is I am also a firm believer that kids have brains (after all they are human). As a writer for young readers, it is that person's job to stimulate their brains. I think that some writers believe when they are writing for children, there is no need for any real thought in the process. At least that was what Mark Crilley seemed to imply with his comic series Akiko on the Planet Smoo.
Akiko on the Planet Smoo is the story of an eleven-year-old Earth girl, named Akiko, who is quite suddenly picked up by cheerful aliens (a fact she does not even seem the slightest bit surprised by) and taken to the Planet Smoo. There, she meets the King of Smoo who picked her out of all the young girls in the universe to find his missing son, Prince Froptoppit. Akiko is shocked by the daunting task. How is she to find someone in a land she has never visited? So, the King lends her several helpers: Mr. Beeba, who is incredibly intelligent, Spuckler Boach, a great adventurer, his robot, Gax, and finally Poog, a strange amorphous blob who always seems to know the way out of every predicament. Together, this rag-tag group of travelers set off on a rather boring and silly adventure that ends with a twist that will make you question why the story was even written.
The only positive thing about this Akiko on the Planet Smoo was the art, which was bright, colorful and well drawn. While the story of Akiko on the Planet Smoo was mind-numbingly stupid, the art does a tremendous job of making this comic akin to a car accident-you cannot look away, it is just too damn interesting!
Unfortunately, art is not what keeps a comic book selling. The sooner the comic book industry comes to terms with the fact that the story sells a comic, the better. The story does and this story would not even fly with 5 and 6 year olds and as a former 5 and 6 year old, I think I have a little experience.
Send your comments and or questions about this article to Jmanzano@ybfree.com.
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