Artist – Karnessa
Colourist – Hackto Oshiro
Letterer – Micah Myers
After polishing off their pancakes and coffee at the diner, Marissa, Ty, Radwa and Garrett make their way to the cemetery to get drunk and summon a ghost. It is Halloween, after all.
At the cemetery, the group find a nineteenth century mausoleum. Inside is essentially a cabinet of curiosities, including a creepy automaton.
To all the dreamers who seek what is lost: make a wish
Naturally, everyone makes a wish and then … they’re not in New Jersey anymore.
It turns out creepy automaton guy is Tom. Tom wants to attend the ball but he’s missing some teeth and the way he sees it, Marissa, Ty, Radwa and Garrett are just the boozed up kids he needs to retrieve said teeth.
Having only just arrived in Confetti Realms, the kids don’t know the lay of the land. It’s a good thing Tom has a map.
The kids brought their baggage with them so there’s some friendship dramas and misunderstandings to clear up along the way. There’s also a bunch of creatures to meet and bargain with in their quest for the missing molars.
I particularly liked the axolotl wearing pearls and Moira. I wanted to spend more time with Moira and learn her backstory.
I initially really liked our four accidental dimension travellers. However, their arguing distracted me at times from fully appreciating the details of the world they had been transported to and the array of characters that inhabited it.
I loved the artwork and the colour palette. I enjoyed exploring this world but would have liked to have had more of a chance to get to know the creatures I was introduced to there.
This was a fun Halloween read that made me crave pancakes and add riding a giant centipede to my bucket list.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Maverick and Mad Cave Studios for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.
Once Upon a Blurb
On Halloween night, when the moon is full, teenagers get up to mischief. But when an encounter with a giant, sentient puppet in a graveyard sends four teens to a mysterious dimension called the Confetti Realms, they must overcome obstacles in their own friendships – and collect the debted teeth owed to the puppet – in order to make their way home.
But the allure of staying in a fantasy world is a hard one to beat, and going home to their normal lives is starting to sound less and less appealing for some. Will these friends return home?
Featuring a diverse cast of characters, this Tim Burton-esque, comedic, modern, and high-energy story is written by Eisner Award-winner Nadia Shammas, with art by Karnessa and colours by Hackto Oshiro.
Schizanthus Nerd 