The energetic French graphic trilogy Magda, Intergalactic Chef, by Belgian creatives Nicolas Wouters and Mathilde Van Gheluwe, kicks off with the high-flying adventure The Big Tournament, translated by Ann Marie Boulanger.
Tween chef Magda is not watching the time while foraging with Grandma in the verdant forests of their planet, Azuki. Luckily, her father appears to remind her that "today's the big day!" In just 10 minutes, one of Azuki's "most important cultural events" will commence: a cooking competition for nine- to 13-year-old chefs to create vegan menus using only local ingredients. The winner among the 20 contestants will advance to the great intergalactic tournament, held every four years on planet Tamaris. Despite difficult (dishonest) opponents, Magda levels up. She discovers, though, that the next challenges are less about the food and more about potentially preventing "an all-out economic war [already] raging behind the scenes."
Wouters is an ingenious storyteller, inserting mysteriously provocative hints throughout: who's the "cherished heroine, Broccoli?"; what's the 60-year-old "tragic Banshi incident?"; why does Grandma have beef with celebrity food journalist Minga Verde?; and why is the IG77 intergalactic summit so interested in cooking? Most will be revealed, but an "every man for himself"-cliffhanger cleverly preps readers for book two. In explosive full-color images, Van Gheluwe creates worlds bursting with imaginative flora and fauna. Characters are enhanced with striking wardrobes and chronic idiosyncrasies (Hector really needs a tissue). Author and artist embolden tenacious Magda, a vegan force of nature poised to save the whole galaxy. --Terry Hong