Xoc: The Journey of a Great White

by Matt Dembicki

Explore the ocean's wonders through the eyes of a great white as it treks from the Farallon Islands off the coast of California to the warm waters of Hawaii some 2,300 miles away. Along its journey, the 17-foot shark encounters natural prey and predators--from skittish seals to brazen orcas--as well as man-made impediments that threaten not only the giant fish, but the balance of ocean's ecology.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Animals, Fiction, Nature, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

120 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2012

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Advertised as the story of a great white's journey from California to Hawaii. In reality, it was just a ruse to beat you over the head on the dangers of polluting our environment and fishing for shark fins. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for stopping these things but this was done so ham-fistedly that the story basically stops for each Public Service Announcement.

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow Xoc as she travels home to give birth. Inovative look at GWS that really addresses their place in the oceanic circle of life and death. This story will open your eyes to some of the most challenging problems facing our oceans today - for both older children and adults - may be too intense for younger children.

[Mathew Carruthers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. The story of a sea creature going about its life - in this case, a journey to its spawning grounds - reminds me various books I read in my childhood, chiefly Holling's "Pagoo" and Henry's "Cinnabar: The One O'clock Fox". The art and narrative work well together as a quick-paced and impactful read.

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Xoc: The Journey of a Great White by Matt Dembicki and Evan Keeling graphic novel scheduled for release on July 25 2012. This graphic novel is an adventure, and a educational story, about the journeys of one great white shark. Xoc, the female great white, is the reader's eyes and heroine. She journeys from the Farallon Islands near California to Hawaiian waters. The 2,300 mile trip is full of dangers, both natural and man made. The images are clear and realistic, fully disclosing the blood and danger that can be found in our waters.

Xoc was an enlightening and interesting read. I knew that many ocean creatures traveled far as a normal part of life, but seeing the larger picture of what even the most fearsome predators can encounter on these journeys is fascinating. While there could have been even more done with the story, more about the journey itself, I think the graphic novel offers enough to keep readers interested and encourage further exploration of the topic. There is not a tremendous amount of depth into ocean life, but there is a realistic look which includes some of the hazards that we create along side the dangers nature provides.

I recommend Xoc to older children, teens, and adults that want a clear and honest look at what mankind is doing to the oceans. I think readers that love learning about sharks, turtles, and other ocean dwellers will enjoy this graphic novel. The details about how whales, turtles, sharks, seals, and man co-exist is eye opening and a little scary.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

So. I was not expecting to be emotionally destroyed by a graphic novel about a shark. But here we are.

I received this through my subscription to Comic Bento, and started flipping through it last night. The next thing I knew, I was finished with it, and I had to take a moment to get myself together.

The premise of Xoc (pronounced "shock") is fairly straightforward: Xoc, our titular great white shark, travels from her colder hunting grounds to the warmer waters of Hawaii. Along the way, she encounters a variety of sea life and perils both natural and man-made The storytelling is straightforward and simplistic, and the artwork is an absolute delight. But the real magic of Xoc is how subtly it works its way into your heart.

A few pages from the end of the story, something unexpected happened that left me gasping out loud. The final page was the kind of thing that makes you sit back and really think about the impact we as humans have on the world.

This is a good book. It’s damned impressive and, based on the large gap between earlier reviews and this most recent batch from Comic Bento readers, it’s sadly unknown.

I’m glad I found this book. I’m glad it is something I can have in my collection now, and something I will definitely be recommending to others.

[Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a longtime comic book collector as well as an avid scuba diver. Portraits of the undersea world are actually not that common in the present offerings from graphic novels or other examples of the comic book medium being published today. Most tend to be unrealistic and fantastic, like Aquaman. The theme of and look of Xoc was therefore a real treat. Scuba divers and the undersea world appeared quite often in the early history of comic books, with titles such as the Sea Devils, the Frogmen, the Aquanauts and Sea Hunt itself.I now find myself looking for and collecting old comic books that have scuba diving or the undersea world as a theme. But unlike these books, Xoc uses modern scientific knowledge to create an interesting and accurate picture of its protaganist, a great white shark. This is not a 'cutesy' animal book, but actually a dramatic story of a great white shark as it struggles to survive off the Pacific coast. The artwork and story telling are dynamic and interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the undersea world and its inhabitants. Hopefully the author will continue to explore storytelling in this environment.

[MechaComicReviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

Xoc: The Journey of a Great White is a comic that doesn’t quite know what to do with itself. For instance, it tries to be educational hitting on topics like trash islands, illegal fishing, and Great White eating habits. But to counter that, it uses both captions to drive the narrative and then speech bubbles for the animals to suddenly talk to each other. Either caption narration or speech bubbles would be fine, but the comic uses both to its detriment. It almost feels like this was a script for a novel instead of a comic because the images and text don’t work very well together, which is the whole point of comics.

The shame is that this comic has a lot of potential: it’s an interesting topic, creative panels and framing, and some good brush work. Overall, though, it feels like a lot of cutting corners and quickly jumping from one subject matter to the next rather than organic transitions while, at the same time, repeating a lot of scenes. My second time reading just felt boring. The way the information and story is presented is bordering on yawn territory, and I’m not sure if my second chance was worth it.

[Liz Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Xoc (pronounced "shock") is a Mayan word for demon fish and it may be the origin of the word shark. This story relates the journey of a great white shark as it travels from the Farallon Islands to Hawaii. A sea turtle accompanies Xoc for a large part of the trek. Matt Dembicki addresses many environmental hazards to sharks and other marine life, such as plastic bags seen as jellyfish, eaten by sea turtles, and shark finning.
I would use the book in parts with elementary age children but I think it would be best used as a book to read freely. I can imagine children would enjoy reading this book with a friend, discussing what is happening and what emotions come up. Young children often love reading about sharks and while some of the pictures might appear scary, I think children can decide that for themselves.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork in this short graphic novel was STUNNING!

Xoc (pronounced shock) is a female Great White Shark who leaves her hunting grounds near California's Farallon Islands to give birth in the waters around Hawaii. Along the way, she is joined by a female Loggerhead Sea Turtle who is returning to the Hawaiian beach where she was hatched to lay her eggs. These two unlikely traveling companions hunt and face danger together for over two thousand miles.

My favorite scene: when the Loggerhead gets to trust Xoc enough that she (the turtle) removes two lampreys who are parasites on Xoc's skin.

Rated only 4 of 5 stars because of the ending which, although realistic, is a bit depressing. (Read in about one hour the same day we picked it up from the library.)

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Xoc was included in the August 2016 Comic Bento box. It fit the theme really well with a shark as the main character. The book follows Xoc on her journey beginning off the coast of California to her destination about 2,000 miles away. There are some very educational moments sprinkled throughout the book, even though they aren't called out as such.

The art is just beautiful and the colors bring everything to life. There are a few different interactions between Xoc and humans, though a couple are indirect. These can be sort of horrifying when you realize the impact we are having on the oceans.

There is a lot more going on here than I would have expected at first. It is worth picking up for the art alone.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Xoc is part of this month's Comic Bento, and something I likely would not have read, had it not been included in the selections. However, I don't regret the time I spent with it. Aimed at a younger audience, Xoc presents a nicely-illustrated look at the habits and life cycle of a great white shark. I could see it being a very informative book for a school-aged audience, and the fact that it doesn't shy away from the dark realities of pollution, over-fishing, and trophy hunting is commendable.

All in all, while I'm not the target audience for this book, I can easily recognize its merits, and would recommend it to any child who has an interest in sharks.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is pretty much what it says on the cover. A great white shark, called Xoc, goes on a migration from the coasts of California to Hawaii for reasons she doesn't understand until she gets there. She has a loggerhead turtle as a companion of sorts for most of the trip and has to avoid the dangers of the ocean which take the form of orcas, dolphins, and a lot of man-made problems like ocean dumping and poaching. An environmentally conscious tale, the book is equal parts wonders of the deep and a plea to treat sharks, and by extension the rest of the ocean, better than humanity currently does.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended for readers in grades 4-8
Such a cool book! This GN is a hybrid between a fictional story as we follow a shark on her migration, and nonfiction facts woven throughout. Readers encounter all sorts of sea life and all sorts of situations, both natural and man made. The author adds a few pages of nonfiction information to support and reinforce where there might be questions on the reader's part. Stuffed with facts, full of action and life and death scenarios. Kids are going to love this!

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book to complete on Earth Day. Lush aquatic art, great ecological message. Dembicki's decision to give speech and somewhat human-like thought processes to Xoc and the other creatures in this book is probably not how I would have told the story, but it does make the comic very accessible to young readers.

[Dolores · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nonfiction graphic novel that reads like fiction. Really depressing fiction, mind you-but still. I really enjoyed how the author managed to educate and inform while still entertaining. This is a book that will really appeal to boys. Although, maybe not for the weak of stomach or the tender of heart.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well written, and it will give you Feels. It will make the fecund and immutable journey of a majestic creature of the deep real to you. (Note to marine biologists, please understand that this was not written to be actually, you know, real. There are definitely worse anthropomorphisms that could have happened, in fairness.)

[Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is a great graphic novel, especially for children. It is filled with information about shark migration and environmental issues facing sharks and other sea life. Best of all, there is an spin-off web comic about one of the book's characters! My kids will eat this one up!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting perspective and good conservation/environmental message but anthropomorphizing the animals by giving them speaking voices makes for an awkward narrative. The book would work better with a third-person narration.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mostly excellent graphic novel about the very real threats facing sharks and other marine life. The writing is occasionally overdone and there are a couple of scientific facts that aren't quite right, but Dembicki doesn't shy away from the grim reality.

[Candice M (tinylibrarian)]

Reviewing for Booklist

[Twan · Rating 2 out of 5]

More Jaws III than the first film.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly solid book, almost like watching a narrated nature documentary. I would never have looked at this without Comic Bento sending me a copy, and I'm glad they did.

[Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable, Thought Provoking Read
Not for the Faint of Heart, But Worth It

[Christina Tang-Bernas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very emotional book. My husband bought it at a local comic book store (he loves sharks), and he wanted me to read it. It took me a long time to finally pick it up, but it was a great read. I think the biggest takeaway from it was how every aspect of Xoc's journey was touched by human intervention, whether it was the garbage island, the sunken ships/planes, the surfers, the fishing boats, etc. It is definitely a call for greater awareness and conservation efforts. I liked the overall storyline. It didn't feel forced in order to fit in a bunch of facts. I thought the relationship between Xoc and the turtle was interesting (and heartbreaking). My only (minor!) complaint is that a lot of the book focuses on how animals don't think or perceive in the same way as humans nor do they have the same motivations, but then the author tries to humanize them by having the animals do "human-like" things or have "human-like" emotions. While I understand that he's doing this so that we can have empathy for Xoc and the other undersea life, I think he should have just stuck with one or the other.

Side note: I love how the author depicts orcas and dolphins as jerks. Sharks are unfairly demonized and orcas and dolphins are unfairly humanized by media, and it was interesting to have these sea animals depicted more accurately.

I would recommend it. it's a quick, educational, and emotionally visceral read. I think children could learn a lot from it, but there are lots of depictions of violence against animals (animals vs. animals, humans vs. animals), so you know your kid best. If you like it, I also recommend reading the free online mini-story of Xoc's pup.

[Matthew Noe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of like a short museum exhibit but in comics form. Read for relevance to climate change though it's less about that than the general ill effects of waste and pollution.

[Dani Shuping · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC supplied by NetGalley

The description of this book really caught my eye in that it made it sound like we get to see the ocean’s wonders through the eyes of a great white shark. I was imagining that it would be something similar to “Planet Earth” or “Planet Ocean” and that we’d have a narrator telling us what we were seeing and explaining how we understand that the creatures of the oceans interact with each other. But...I was left disappointed by the final work.

My biggest issue with the work in the story line and how it was narrated. Since it was a nature story, told from the shark’s perspective, I didn’t expect the characters to have voices. Instead, I figured we would have a narrator speaking to us, allowing us to get into the story and the shark that we were following. Instead it was a strange combination of narrator and giving the creatures that we meet human voices. At times Xoc and the sea turtle talked to each other, in all too human voices, and it just felt unnatural and stilted since it wasn’t done consistently and tone varied from human to narrator. It also took away from the feeling that we were seeing the world through a shark’s perspective. Instead it read more as how a human views the ocean as the creatures at times experienced human emotions, such as shame, which was out of place for the story. The entire story also felt too much like propaganda of how much humans have destroyed the ocean and seeing the world as we see it, vs ocean creatures. Overall it was just a disappointing story.

The artwork itself wasn’t horrible and it had some nice moments to it, such as the fish swimming through the water in their schools and dolphins feeding off of them. I especially liked the fight scenes between the shark and the whales, showing the maneuvers each go through to outwit each other. The coloring was well done and I felt at times like the characters might swim off the page. In fact if I leave out the narration and the text of the characters speaking too each other, I get a much better story one that really is told from the shark’s perspective and view point.

Overall I was just disappointed in this work. Instead of having a story where we get to learn about sharks and other creatures of the sea and how they view the world, we’re given propaganda on how humans have destroyed the oceans and human sounding creatures. I give this book 2 out of 5 stars.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an ARC that I received from NetGalley. I would like the thank the author and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this. This review is my opinion and I was not compensated to write this.

First off, I love sharks. Not shark attacks, but just sharks. They are fascinating creatures. Xoc is a graphic novel that is from a shark's (Xoc) point-of-view for the most part. There are also seals, turtles, and other sea life.

***The below may contain some spoilers. Read at your own risk***

There isn't much of a storyline besides Xoc swimming around the ocean and later having a maimed sea turtle join her temporarily on her journey. While on their journey, they become witness to many things that happen in the ocean. Xoc encounters seals, humans, boats, pollution, other predators and prey, and shark-hunting.

This book is very informative, but at the same time it's also entertaining. The shark, turtle, and seals sometimes "talk" about what's going on. I found the relationship between the shark and the turtle to be amusing. The book helps readers to not only understand sharks and their prey but other important subjects such as pollution and shark-hunting. Which I'm not against shark hunting as a whole, but I do think that sharks are being over-fished. The graphics for this was disturbing to me.

Overall, the graphics are a bit bloody but this is a book about the ocean and with a shark as the main character, so this is to be expected. The graphics are very nice and realistically portrayed. The artist/author did a great job with the pictures. I believe kids and shark lovers will enjoy this one.

3 stars = I liked it.

[Liander (The Towering Pile) Lavoie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Xoc tells the story of a great white shark who is on a long journey. Along the way, the shark is joined by a turtle, whose fin has been damaged by a boat. As the two travel through the ocean, they encounter many dangers, from natural predators to floating garbage patches.

This book would be a good introduction for kids to the negative effects our pollution has on the oceans. Although, some explaining would be required, since I doubt most kids could recognise the oil barrels and other dangers, and they aren't really explained in the book, since everything is from the point of view of the shark, who doesn't know what these things are.

I liked the turtle, and I enjoyed the interaction between the two characters, but the story fell a bit flat for me. And the way the shark talked was too unnatural to be able to read smoothly. (I know, I know, what's unnatural speaking for a shark? But I found the ellipses tiresome. "How much farther... do you plan... on following me?" I didn't quite get what the author was going for with that.)

2 stars, which are entirely for the delightful turtle.

Full disclosure: Free e-book copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.

This review is copied from my blog, The Towering Pile. It was originally published here.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Xoc, a great white shark, sets off on a journey from California's coast to the Hawaiian Islands, pulled by a deep, instinctive compulsion. She'll have to find food and avoid predators to survive her long trek. She'll have plenty of encounters with both, and also with curiosities that are neither. Along the way, Xoc meets a turtle voyaging along the same path. They become odd couple traveling companions.

Xoc, we're told in text that precedes this graphic novel, appears to be the Mayan word that gave English speakers "shark." Additional text at the end of the story provides trivia and context to Xoc's ocean journey.

This book is beautifully illustrated. I'm in the midst of watching the gorgeous documentary series "The Blue Planet," about life in Earth's oceans, and to my amateur eyes the art team on "Xoc" has done a fantastic job at capturing the shapes, colors and motion of the real world -- while making good use of the comic book form to frame the story and telegraph action.

I guess the anthropomorphism of Xoc and her turtle companion are necessary for this small book to have a plot, especially one that's likely to appeal to the grade-school audience this work seems to target. The story is very simple, often violent, and there's no guarantee that anyone we meet in "Xoc" will encounter a happy ending.

[Sita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice artwork and storyline serves to inform and entertain. Personally I'm not too interested in sharks. This was okay, but may be better served for those teaching students about marine life, etc.