With the holidays and Christmas just around the corner this is a great week to think about some presents that kids will really want. OK, sometimes what they really want isn’t what they receive. Specifically we’re talking the best all age comics for this week and call it good timing or effective marketing but there is a great variety of graphic novels that will appeal to kids 5 and up.
For girls aged 5 and Barbie is back! I know, she really never went anywhere, but her presence in print has certainly been lacking until now. Papercutz has released Barbie: Puppy Party, it’s an original graphic novel that ages 5 and up will enjoy. The younger ages will need some helping reading along, however the content will run parallel to their play time activities and toys. Self-guided readers 7 and up will be able to read by themselves to Barbie: Puppy Party. Here is the shocker, Barbie: Puppy Party is not just about being pretty and playing with puppies. There are lots of great messages in the book and it approaches them in a non-preachy way that would otherwise be a turn off for kids.

Also in humor comic books this week Adventure Time #59, Duck Avenger #2 and Looney Tunes #234 are out. Another very enjoyable and quirky graphic novel for ages 9 and up this week is Boom Box 2016 from Boom! Studios. These are all new stories about being in a band, playing music and being a teen. If you’re a fan of Lumberjanes, Goldie Vance, Archie, The Backstagers or more this is your jam. It’s priced at $9.99 and has 44 original pages.
Mickey Mouse also has a new graphic novel out this week, Mickey Craziest Adventures. It has Mickey meeting aliens, dinosaurs and other strange creatures, The art is this book is other-worldly and looks, psychadelic,  strange and not at all Disney, all the while having the charm of a classic Disney cartoon. This won’t be good for a 5 year old, but your 8 year old who needs to be reminded that Mickey Mouse is cool will dig this.
One of the best all age comics this week is Jim Henson Storyteller Giants. Archaia, an imprint of Boom! Studios has put out a couple of these series, Dragons and Witches both had stunning art, magical stories and reminds older readers that art is a part of the comic book world. Part 1 of this 4 part mini-series is about a giant is treated by a village that has no reason to fear him and his quest to improve his reputation. There is a fair amount of reading in this comic and its dreamy, middle Earth appearance won’t immediately attract ‘superhero’ kids. However, this is fabulous on many levels and ages 12 and up who want something fresh, original, beautiful should check this one out.
Western fans are left out in the cold when it comes to comics. This week come inside and read Varmints. It’s an original graphic novel about a pair of siblings traveling the old west looking for the man who shot their mother. This is drawn in a way that comic strip fans will gravitate towards and is very thick, with a longer story than you might imagine. It’s also refreshing to read something set in the past, without a hint of technology. Ages 12 and up will like this simply due to the fact that there is some very mild violence.
The great and funky music in the podcast is from Polyrhythmics. Where is my closest comic book store? Have you heard the podcast-if so, a review on iTunes, Google Play, Podomatic or Soundcloud would be appreciated.
 
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