Posted in: Collectibles, Review | Tagged: adventure, boom studios, derek laufman, fantasy, kaboom, ruinworld

Ruinworld #1 Review: A High-Energy Fantasy Comic for Kids

Pogo and Rex are a pair of treasure hunters in Ruinworld. Their mission is to explore the desolate keeps and castles of the land, rid them of threats, and return home with the loot within. Rex is the headstrong and eager fox, while Pogo is his pig sidekick. It's Pogo's turn to raid the next keep, and, despite his protests, the pig goes into the keep and finds a treasure chest surrounded by a magical barrier. He removes the barrier but unleashes something far more dangerous on accident.

Ruinworld #1 comes from BOOM! Studios' KaBOOM imprint, signifying it as a comic for a younger crowd than many of its offerings. Ruinworld is kid-friendly, but I still got a kick out of reading it.

It's fast-paced, fun, and has an entertaining duo of leads. Rex and Pogo aren't especially kind towards one another, with Rex being a hotheaded adventurer and Pogo being more suited for a safer line of work. The reason Pogo is even here is because of an admiration for his adventurer father.

Things get dicey for the team early into the book. Rex takes charge on fighting the threat. You want to see these two get along though. They're both likable in their own way, plus it would be better for their survival.

A third individual shows up halfway through the book, and I hope they end up joining Rex and Pogo on their journey.

It is a little too wordy for its own good, but that's the only main flaw in the book.

Derek Laufman's artwork is appealingly cartoonish, with each character having a large head and small body. It allows for a light innocence which plays well to the tone, humor, and the young target audience. It looks nice, and the colors are bright and pop off the page.

Ruinworld #1 is a delightful fantasy adventure for a young reader, but, honestly, it could play to an adult audience well too. The humor is clever, the characters are charismatic, and the art is just damn good. This one earns a recommendation. Check it out.

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