And Kibuishi has added to the mix some idiosyncratic and just plain cool story touches: One of Emily's robot companions, Morrie, shows his anxiety in senseless chatter and forehead sweat Emily's favorite protector is pink and looks huggably like a bunny doll. Kibuishi, the author, is a borrower but also a genuine talent - the dialogue is witty, quick and authoritative, the drawings cleanly handsome, and the action goes well over the legal speed limit. The amulet itself tempts Emily to disregard the 'Life Force,' the better to channel its own dark power (a la Star Wars), while a bounty hunter chases good guys around a city in the clouds (that's Empire Strikes Back) and a mysterious character trains Emily in venerable warrior ways. The titular amulet that Emily wears is an all-powerful but dangerous talisman (that's a Lord of the Rings rip) and Emily is thought to be 'The One' - the foretold savior whom a rebel army has been waiting for (like The Matrix).

It's made of fun bits from movies and books we've already enjoyed: a mash-up. But one of the things that makes Amulet a delight - it's actually set to be a movie starring a pair of cute, young Pinkett-Smiths - is its shamelessness. The books' hero is Emily, who inherits a magic amulet and is transported (with her brother, via her basement) to a world called Alledia, where an Elf King is raring to kill her. My brain kept registering objections while some hysterical page-turning left me with a full-blown case of reader's wrist. So how do I explain my guilty pleasure, the graphic novel series Amulet, by Kazu Kibuishi?Īmulet is a derivative schmaltz-fest: obvious, goofy, and a breath-quickening thrill read. Only a bitter-ender could deny that some comic book writers have had a big enough cultural impact - and have come up with resonant enough stuff - to merit a real scholarly look-see.īut in a tiny inner voice, I always told myself real books were not just better, but much more up my particular alley. I was down with that, however reluctantly. It was one thing when academics and hipsters (a horn-rimmed multitude) started wrinkling their brows over comic book artists like Daniel Clowes and Art Spiegelman. How?Īs a book snob, I've fought and lost a lot of rear-guard actions lately. Your purchase helps support NPR programming.

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