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A review by leslie_d
Into the Volcano by Don Wood
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/