A scoffing superhero finds it easier to defeat villains than to make new friends in Sophy Henn's delightfully cynical graphic novel series starter, Pizazz.
Pizazz, 9¼, hails from a proud line of superheroes, complete with obligatory cape and costume, much to her chagrin. Pizazz is mortified by her name, convinced she is saddled with "the least cool of all the super powers" and (eye roll) "not particularly thrilled with being SUPER."
Making matters worse, her family has recently moved. Pizazz's overachieving, fire-breathing little sister, Red Dragon, has no trouble settling in at their new school while Pizazz's competitive streak and world-saving experience earn her the dreadful job of class "eco monitor." Flying off to fight super baddies like Farterella and Twerknado leaves Pizazz little time to solve an ecological threat to a nearby park; her Gramps offers a different perspective that helps Pizazz both save the day and make a new friend.
Over 10 action-packed chapters saturated with black ink, Henn (Where Bear?) crafts a resigned, endearingly sarcastic tween who aches for normalcy after her family's recent move. Energetic digital pop artwork calls to mind Roy Lichtenstein with its liberal use of Ben Day-like dots (a spotted printing method) while the mix of full-bleed and spot illustrations delivers high visual impact. Meanwhile, Henn's spirited blend of comic strips, dynamic graphic elements and punchy first-person prose should interest even readers as skeptical as our superhero. Just don't ask Pizazz about her super power... or that llama incident (it's a long story). --Kit Ballenger, youth librarian, Help Your Shelf