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hoatzin's review
What is even happening in this book? I am very confused. Art's nice enough. Story is mystifying. The portrayal of the kids is pretty good though.
leslie_d's review
2.0
As I began Don Wood’s Into the Volcano, Steven Spielberg/Amblin Entertainment came to mind. The Pugg brother’s adventure had that wonderfully familiar 1980s Goonies-ish flair.
Per Aunt Lulu’s request and their father’s consent, the boys are taken out of school and sent to visit their maternal Auntie on an Island with Cousin Come-and-go (the big bald guy in the above image) as their escort. The differences between the brothers (who are in the same classroom) begin when their father breaks the news. Duffy is gun-ho and Sumo is not interested in the least, if not sent into a comical all-out panic. Duffy is game and capable; Sumo is cowardly and inept–or so the story goes.
The boys experience a luxurious beginning in a Limo and Private Jet before being hiked into a ramshackle mobile home and meeting a creepy Auntie. There is talk the boys don’t understand, which is alarming to Sumo who is the much more cautious and suspicious of the two. Then the boys meet the beautiful young woman, Pulina, their Auntie’s assistant. She is deeply embroiled somehow, but, hey, she is hot, and she’s really nice.
The boys are unsure of their role in the expedition into the volcano, but are forced to participate. They speculate some, but a race against time and their survival becomes an overwhelming concern. And soon they are trapped in the tunnels of a volcanic island and are being hunted–or are they? The explanation as to the boys’ role and what has created the boys’ situation (other than the volcanic peril) becomes a bit muddled at the end. I was confused, and not entirely pacified by the “everything is golden” final chapter. I like not-everything-is-as-it-seems, but upon the resolution of their peril I couldn’t navigate the explanation; so much had been turned upside down and inside out.
The characterization is pretty good, beginning with vibrant caricatures most will recognize before Wood adds subtler shades of subversion. The situations are as complex as its characters, and it becomes more and more complicated as the story progresses. The brothers continue in their juxtaposed personalities, which provides a heart within the adrenaline-rush of this adventure story. Here, Sumo retains the greater portion of the spotlight.
Sumo has a strong instinct for self-preservation, which wouldn’t be a horrible or unnatural thing, but coupled with cowardice it is debilitating and dangerous for his companions–to include his brother. Will Sumo be able to overcome his fear? You hope so because he is not the most likable character, inciting an occasional disgust that rivals the feelings toward Auntie. But he is likely the character most can relate to; while we would like to be as effortlessly noble and able as Duffy, Sumo seems more normal–and is certainly more interesting. Duffy does not undergo any real change, and in that the story seems to suggest that it is Sumo who must become more like that ideal. In addition, Sumo takes after his mother’s Islander side of the family; Duffy takes after the Norwegian paternal side. The final ending would reconnect Sumo with his Island roots, establishing the final leg of confidence needed–a nice save from suggesting the Islander needs to be more like the Norwegian. In the end, Wood solidifies the moral into the realm of “become your truer self.”
Many seem very excited by the artwork in Into the Volcano, how each image has been carefully crafted (as opposed to the mass market comic, they say). My initial impression was how each panel looked like a capture of a children’s picture book illustration. With text, you are reminded of the comic form. There is a lot of fine work and movement in the images. The capture of complicated action sequences are impressive. Otherwise, I found the texture and weight of the color and images a bit too heavy. An admitted conflict with my own aesthetic. I would not mind seeing another graphic novel by Don Wood, but I am not so gracious as to think the form is a successful one for this award-winning artist. Maybe a partnership with a storyteller already established in the medium?
Into the Volcano should prove an exhilarating (and informative*) read for its audience. It has character and adventure and enough complications to keep the mystery going, successfully building suspense and fogging up imagined outcomes. For boys and girls alike, ages 8-12; for those who enjoy Amblin Entertainment films, and stories where the young are pitted against the forces of adults, nature, and their own short-comings.
L @ omphaloskepsis
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/2011/08/23/into-the-volcano/
Per Aunt Lulu’s request and their father’s consent, the boys are taken out of school and sent to visit their maternal Auntie on an Island with Cousin Come-and-go (the big bald guy in the above image) as their escort. The differences between the brothers (who are in the same classroom) begin when their father breaks the news. Duffy is gun-ho and Sumo is not interested in the least, if not sent into a comical all-out panic. Duffy is game and capable; Sumo is cowardly and inept–or so the story goes.
The boys experience a luxurious beginning in a Limo and Private Jet before being hiked into a ramshackle mobile home and meeting a creepy Auntie. There is talk the boys don’t understand, which is alarming to Sumo who is the much more cautious and suspicious of the two. Then the boys meet the beautiful young woman, Pulina, their Auntie’s assistant. She is deeply embroiled somehow, but, hey, she is hot, and she’s really nice.
The boys are unsure of their role in the expedition into the volcano, but are forced to participate. They speculate some, but a race against time and their survival becomes an overwhelming concern. And soon they are trapped in the tunnels of a volcanic island and are being hunted–or are they? The explanation as to the boys’ role and what has created the boys’ situation (other than the volcanic peril) becomes a bit muddled at the end. I was confused, and not entirely pacified by the “everything is golden” final chapter. I like not-everything-is-as-it-seems, but upon the resolution of their peril I couldn’t navigate the explanation; so much had been turned upside down and inside out.
The characterization is pretty good, beginning with vibrant caricatures most will recognize before Wood adds subtler shades of subversion. The situations are as complex as its characters, and it becomes more and more complicated as the story progresses. The brothers continue in their juxtaposed personalities, which provides a heart within the adrenaline-rush of this adventure story. Here, Sumo retains the greater portion of the spotlight.
Sumo has a strong instinct for self-preservation, which wouldn’t be a horrible or unnatural thing, but coupled with cowardice it is debilitating and dangerous for his companions–to include his brother. Will Sumo be able to overcome his fear? You hope so because he is not the most likable character, inciting an occasional disgust that rivals the feelings toward Auntie. But he is likely the character most can relate to; while we would like to be as effortlessly noble and able as Duffy, Sumo seems more normal–and is certainly more interesting. Duffy does not undergo any real change, and in that the story seems to suggest that it is Sumo who must become more like that ideal. In addition, Sumo takes after his mother’s Islander side of the family; Duffy takes after the Norwegian paternal side. The final ending would reconnect Sumo with his Island roots, establishing the final leg of confidence needed–a nice save from suggesting the Islander needs to be more like the Norwegian. In the end, Wood solidifies the moral into the realm of “become your truer self.”
Many seem very excited by the artwork in Into the Volcano, how each image has been carefully crafted (as opposed to the mass market comic, they say). My initial impression was how each panel looked like a capture of a children’s picture book illustration. With text, you are reminded of the comic form. There is a lot of fine work and movement in the images. The capture of complicated action sequences are impressive. Otherwise, I found the texture and weight of the color and images a bit too heavy. An admitted conflict with my own aesthetic. I would not mind seeing another graphic novel by Don Wood, but I am not so gracious as to think the form is a successful one for this award-winning artist. Maybe a partnership with a storyteller already established in the medium?
Into the Volcano should prove an exhilarating (and informative*) read for its audience. It has character and adventure and enough complications to keep the mystery going, successfully building suspense and fogging up imagined outcomes. For boys and girls alike, ages 8-12; for those who enjoy Amblin Entertainment films, and stories where the young are pitted against the forces of adults, nature, and their own short-comings.
L @ omphaloskepsis
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/2011/08/23/into-the-volcano/
bethanymiller415's review
2.0
As an adult female, I'm certainly not the target audience for this book, and I don't read graphic novels very often, so I'm certainly no expert. Having said that, I thought that the quality of the illustrations uneven at best. The artwork depicting the scenery of the ocean and the volcano was good, but the faces of most of the characters, especially the two brothers, looked subhuman. Auntie was grotesque. Maybe this was done purposefully, but either way, she was not pleasant to look at. There is plenty of action in the novel, but the plot didn’t make much sense, and the characters motivations were unclear. Overall, I wasn't a fan though having read the professional reviews and some of the Goodreads reviews, I realize I am in the minority, and it's quite possible that I just didn't get it.
corncobwebs's review
5.0
Visually, this was the coolest graphic novel I've read. The volcano imagery was stunning, especially the lava flows. It's funny: When I first heard the title of this book, I assumed it was metaphorical - alluding to some kind of trying experience. But no - it's actually about going into a volcano! Which, by the way, is erupting when the characters go into it, so it ends up being a trying experience anyway. It's totally action-packed, and I liked how the most whiny character (Sumo) ends up being the hero. It wasn't clear to me, though, why Sumo ends up surfing with Come-and-Go at the end of the book - Come-and-Go essentially kidnaps Duffy and Sumo to use them as bait! How do they get to be all buddy-buddy? But really, such complaints are trifles compared to the overall awesomeness of this book. Definitely recommended for graphic novel readers.
megoland's review
3.0
I loved the pictures in this book, and it was very interesting to learn about how volcanoes are formed. However, some of the plot twists carried on for a little too long. The overall message of the story was nice.
misha7094's review
3.0
I really was not enjoying this book for a while. I stopped reading it for more than a week, in fact. At that point, I disliked most of the characters, didn't like the illustrations, and wasn't getting into the story. But once I picked it up again it got much better. I really admired some of the artistry, especially the out-of-focus techniques. I can see why I can't keep this book on my school's library shelves.
library_brandy's review
2.0
Brothers Duffy and Sumo Pugg are a little confused when they’re sent to stay with Aunt Lulu and their cousin Come-and-Go (that's really his name) for 10 days while their parents are away on business, but that’s nothing compared to how confused they’ll be later on. Amid earthquakes and volcano eruptions, the boys are forced to evacuate with trusted family guides into the maze of tunnels under the volcano itself. It’s soon evident, though, that the guides are looking for something… and the boys are the bait they need to find it. With the volcano about to blow any minute, it’s a terrible time for the boys to get separated from the group—but how else will they find out for themselves what their family is searching for?
The art is nice to look at, and the story could be interesting, but it jumps around too much. Parts of the narrative are disjointed, leading this reader to wonder if pages or panels had been edited out and the information not replaced. Chapter transitions are weak—the beginning of a chapter is the same scene and conversation as the end of the previous chapter, or there’s an unexplained shift from one place to another so the reader spends several panels trying to catch up on the action. The brothers are twins, presumably (they’re in the same class at school), but one is written far younger than the other.
Wood has won several illustration awards, but the ability to illustrate a story is not necessarily related to the ability to tell a story in pictures. Wood’s author bio says that he was “fascinated by the possibilities of the graphic novel” and that he worked on this book for five years—but his strength is not in sequential art narrative. Had he collaborated with a writer instead of doing it all himself, it could have been a much stronger book. It’s pretty to look at and the adventure can be compelling, but overall the story doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Recommended for collections where boys are clamoring for more adventure books.
The art is nice to look at, and the story could be interesting, but it jumps around too much. Parts of the narrative are disjointed, leading this reader to wonder if pages or panels had been edited out and the information not replaced. Chapter transitions are weak—the beginning of a chapter is the same scene and conversation as the end of the previous chapter, or there’s an unexplained shift from one place to another so the reader spends several panels trying to catch up on the action. The brothers are twins, presumably (they’re in the same class at school), but one is written far younger than the other.
Wood has won several illustration awards, but the ability to illustrate a story is not necessarily related to the ability to tell a story in pictures. Wood’s author bio says that he was “fascinated by the possibilities of the graphic novel” and that he worked on this book for five years—but his strength is not in sequential art narrative. Had he collaborated with a writer instead of doing it all himself, it could have been a much stronger book. It’s pretty to look at and the adventure can be compelling, but overall the story doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Recommended for collections where boys are clamoring for more adventure books.
pussreboots's review
5.0
Into the Volcano by Don Wood is the last of the graphic novels that made it to the short list of the 2008-9 Cybils. It's an oversized graphic novel aimed at readers ages 9 to 12.
Sumo and Duffy Pugg are whisked away from school to spend ten days with an aunt on a south Pacific island called Kocalaha. What looks like a simple but unexpected vacation from school quickly turns unnerving and perilous. Auntie has plans for them to take part in an expedition inside the no longer dormant volcano.
The characters are well established. As things become dangerous for them it is easy to worry about them. There are some "edge of your seat" scenes. If you like adventure films, you will love Into the Volcano.
The illustrations are colorful and dramatic. The lava looks hot and menacing. The ocean churns with greens and other murky colors.
Unfortunately this book is oversized. It is awkward to hold. It isn't a book that can be slipped into a purse or read in bed. Most graphic novels are slightly smaller than a trade paperback. If they are oversized, they are thin and light weight. This book is neither. It is large and heavy.
Sumo and Duffy Pugg are whisked away from school to spend ten days with an aunt on a south Pacific island called Kocalaha. What looks like a simple but unexpected vacation from school quickly turns unnerving and perilous. Auntie has plans for them to take part in an expedition inside the no longer dormant volcano.
The characters are well established. As things become dangerous for them it is easy to worry about them. There are some "edge of your seat" scenes. If you like adventure films, you will love Into the Volcano.
The illustrations are colorful and dramatic. The lava looks hot and menacing. The ocean churns with greens and other murky colors.
Unfortunately this book is oversized. It is awkward to hold. It isn't a book that can be slipped into a purse or read in bed. Most graphic novels are slightly smaller than a trade paperback. If they are oversized, they are thin and light weight. This book is neither. It is large and heavy.