Story: 3 stars 
 Art: 4 stars 
 Graphic novel series opener in the fantasy adventure genre for middle grade. Lots of action right from the beginning, but not quite enough character development. The pace is so fast and the characters introduced so briefly that it is difficult to follow the story line at times. This is compounded by the fact that this story isn't as well-constructed as Doug TenNapel's other books. For example, there is a long-lost brother who is never mentioned until page 165. But the art is very good and the story is interesting enough that I feel compelled to read the second book in this series. This first installment ends on a serious cliffhanger. Be aware that there is violence and several deaths, including both parents.