Batulaby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 6 Livingston is a regular fruit bat until he's bit by a vampire bat, but he chooses to become a hero thanks to the teachings of a werewolf spider.The creators of this comic have worked on series like Ben 10 and Spongebob Squarepants, and this book is geared toward the younger side of that audience. Older readers will enjoy the fact that it's a book about bats and a spider (I know I did), but the story is very simple. This is the type of story book that you start reading to your little one until they begin reading it for themselves. Each page is a beautiful full-page color illustration with a small paragraph of text. The pictures alone make it something I want to have in my library (of course, I'm kind of partial to things like bats and spiders); the coloring is beautiful. I especially love the scene when Vlad is attacking the Orchard's one big tree and there are tons of bats with scared little expressions. The front and back inside covers also have some line-art of bats, which is a nice touch (plus, some kids may be able to draw the characters from looking at these). The designs are great. Livingston is a cute bat, and when he's Batula he definitely is a superhero. Vlad is mildly scary-looking, but that's partially due to his hairy, bulging biceps and shoulders (plus, he's huge). He's a cross between a villain and a bully, which comes across as "bad" but not scary. Drina is the only girl in the story (she's purple, as opposed to the blacks, greys and browns of the males), and she's both the potential love interest for Livingston and the damsel in distress. All of the other male bats are equally in danger from Vlad, so it's sad to see they went with the trite damsel-in-distress plot point. Heroes can rescue anyone! Wulf is my favorite character next to Livingston, and I love that they made him a werewolf spider instead of just a wolf spider. His head / face design is reminiscent of an ancient Japanese master (complete with the red headband with a white circle in the middle), and he trains Livingston how to fight. I was a bit surprised that Wulf survives his attack from Vlad with no side-effects, but I guess the creators assume that kids will just accept subconsciously that since he's a werewolf he can't become a vampire too. Overall, a very cute and fun read. However, I can't help wishing the story was a bit more powerful. Written: December 6, 2012
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