Another Review at MyShelf.Com

DanielX
Alien Hunter: A Graphic Novel

by James Patterson and Leopoldo Gout
Illustrated by Klaus Lyngeled, Jon Girin, and Joseph McLamb



      Daniel is a teenaged boy who is forced to grow up on his own after the death of his parents—parents who happened to be aliens and bounty hunters. Now Daniel has taken up his father's list of evil aliens and begun tracking down these ruthless alien criminals with the help of his surprisingly useful imaginary friends—useful because imagination doesn't work quite the same when you have DanielX's alien mind powers. Clearly the idea for this book is to make a series where Daniel goes after each of the aliens on the list until he defeats the ultimate bad'un, the creature who killed his parents. DanielX's character borrows heavily from Patterson's previous mutant hero, Max—he has a similar stoic approach to danger, tendency to quip, and vulnerable heart when it comes to friendship and loyalty. Although the book is filled with action and beautifully illustrated, the plot isn't terribly coherent, so it's best to just try to enjoy the ride and not make too much sense of it. For reluctant-reading young teens, I can see a real value in the blindingly fast pace, simple characters and gorgeous illustrations. It just might lure a boy away from the tv for a couple hours of adventures in reading.

The Book

Little Brown and Company
December 1, 2008
Graphic Novel (paperback)
0316004251 / 978-0316004251
Young Adult - Fantasy/Science Fiction
More at Amazon.com
Excerpt
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The Reviewer

Jan Fields
Reviewed 2009
NOTE: Reviewer Jan Fields is the editor of Kid Magazine Writers emagazine and has written dozens of stories and articles for the children's magazine market.
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