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Animorphs Graphix #5
The Predator: The Graphic Novel
The wildly popular, bestselling sci-fi series by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant returns in a new full-color graphic novel series, adapted by Chris Grine.
Marco never wanted to be an Animorph. He didn't want the ability to change into any animal he touches. And he certainly didn't want to be one of a handful of kids that are the planet's only defense against a secret alien army.
His friends know why he feels the way he does. He's worried about his dad -- the only family Marco has left. If anything happens to him, his father will be alone.
But something big is about to change for Marco. Something that could finally give him a reason to fight.
Marco never wanted to be an Animorph. He didn't want the ability to change into any animal he touches. And he certainly didn't want to be one of a handful of kids that are the planet's only defense against a secret alien army.
His friends know why he feels the way he does. He's worried about his dad -- the only family Marco has left. If anything happens to him, his father will be alone.
But something big is about to change for Marco. Something that could finally give him a reason to fight.
210 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 20, 2024
19 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
K.A. Applegate
251 books486 followersalso published under the name Katherine Applegate
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
September 4, 2024
This is the fifth in Chris Grine’s take on K.A. Applegate’s beloved (by me, at least) ANIMORPHS series. The things that have bothered me about his work from the beginning are still in full effect here. One additional complaint I have, just to get right into it, is something that I brought up briefly in regard to the third book: the heavy reliance on title cards reading “Soon”, “Later”, “Then”, etc. to transition between scenes. It has the effect of moving the story along too quickly, limiting its impact. The speed with which we move from Marco’s sad moment with his dad mourning the loss of his mother to the reveal near the end of the book that, surprise, Eva is still alive as Visser One causes the twist to lose its power. The heavy reliance on this scene-cutting technique in general makes the narrative feel choppy. I’m afraid this is in some respects just a limitation of the graphic novel format. There’s just no way to spend the sort of time on the characters’ inner struggles that the material requires, and in written form sudden changes in time and locale aren’t as jarring as they are in a visual medium.
These concerns aside, there’s actually a surprising number of things which do work in this entry. First of all, I think that this is the most violent of the graphic novels so far. It’s not that I’m filled with a bloodlust, but that the source material is heavy on the sickening reality of the violence the Animorphs engage in and endure; the trauma they experience is informed by the severity of what they’ve lived through. To do ANIMORPHS right requires an unflinching view of the violence committed by the characters, both the good and bad guys. There are three specific scenes which jump out at me in this book: (1) During a scene in which Ax panics while at the mall and demorphs to his Andalite form, a human-Controller mall cop threatens Ax with a TASER while sneering that he will take him to Visser Three, after which Ax whacks the weapon out of his hand with his tail blade—slicing off a pair of the man’s fingers in the process; (2) During a later scene in which the Animorphs morph ants and are then attacked by a competing colony of ants, their appendages are shown being chewed through and off by the enemy insects; (3) In the course of a battle scene toward the end of the book, Ax uses his tail blade to cut cleanly through a Hork-Bajir Controller’s face, with the alien’s nose and mouth severed from his body. Each of these moments shocked me, and that’s exactly what the violence in these books ought to do.
The ant morph is one of many dark moments in the ANIMORPHS canon, as the team struggles with the hive mind mentality of the creatures and are later ambushed by the enemy ant colony. I do still think that these scenes lack some of the punch they had on the page, unfortunately. However, there is some consolation in a later sequence that sees the Animorphs are trapped on Visser Three’s Blade Ship beginning to accept that they may have been defeated. It’s surprising how much emotion is conveyed in the image of each of the team still in their “battle morphs” (though, honestly, given how cartoonishly Grine draws his human characters perhaps having the characters transform into animals for the emotional beats is a good choice). And I loved the sad exchange between Marco and Rachel here, with Marco asking, “We gave them a pretty good fight, didn’t we? Our little circus. We did some damage to them.” And Rachel replying, “Yes, we did.” I don’t recall off the top of my head if this interaction occurred as written in the original, but even if it did I do believe that the graphic novel version adds some depth to the scene.
Speaking of Rachel, Grine has a pretty good history of showing in detail how horrific the morphing process is, which is one thing I’ve appreciated all along, and here my absolute favorite moment of the book is an image of Rachel morphing to elephant in preparation for battle. The panel focuses on her hands alone, fingers splayed on the ground as her arms balloon out with the massive weight of the elephant. The image makes it appear that the crushing weight of the elephant body on Rachel’s hand is liable to snap her fingers. I showed the image to my wife and it made her uncomfortable to look at, which is exactly the reaction I hoped she would have. It’s an uncomfortable visual! But that’s what makes it so astounding.
There are two final things I want to mention. First, during that early scene where Ax is in a mall—a sequence that begins with an establishing shot of the outside of the building with a thirty-foot sign reading simply “THE MALL”—he has a freakout after experiencing taste for the first time, going around stealing French fries, slices of pizza, and, yes, Cinnabon “sticky buns” from people in the food court. A group of mall cops, including the previously referenced human-Controller confront him and one tells Ax not to think about running. Moments later, Ax is tearing off and the mall cop yelps, “Hey! I said not to think about it! You were thinking about it the whole time!” This is a pretty funny little joke which I’m fairly confident is not found in the source material but is instead an addition Grine made. Second, the very last moments of this book do work very well. Marco is at his mother’s graveside and at first bears a look of sadness, but in the very final frame of the graphic novel his expression turns to one of anger and hatred. That turn, I think, works really well visually without the need for any accompanying narration.
There have always been some bright spots in each of the previous installments in the graphic novel version of ANIMORPHS, but there are several in this entry in particular. This doesn’t overcome the issues I have with it, in particular the lessened narrative and emotional impact caused by the clipped pacing, but it does feel somewhat heartening to be able to identify such moments of strength. I still can’t ever imagine myself being completely won over by Grine’s version of the story, and I already have concerns about how he’ll manage Book #6, which I just recently re-“read” in audiobook format, but I’m sticking with it and it’s nice that there’s sometimes something that makes the read worthwhile.
P.S. One issue with the visual format is that it draws attention to how absurd the mechanics of the plot are. For instance, here Jake, Marco, and Ax evade capture by human-Controllers by climbing into a supermarket lobster tank and morphing lobsters. How did they manage this with Ax in particular? There’s an image of water slopping out of the tank as Marco climbs in last, but the water is mysteriously gone when the baddies enter the scene. Also, it strains credulity to think that Yeerks seeking one or more Andalites would wander around a lobster tank blubbering “Where did they go?” without considering that maybe the Andalite(s) have morphed the lobsters. Another scene is the lengthy one near the end where the Animorphs are captured by Visser Three. They remain in morph as they are rounded up and herded onto the Blade Ship, and then they are held together in a prison cell—an elephant, wolf, tiger, hawk, and gorilla. Obviously the Animorphs remain in morph because they don’t want the Yeerks to know they are actually humans, but the fact that they remain in animal form while incarcerated feels a little weird. I don’t think it comes across as so awkward in the original book; although it does happen in the same way, you’re not forced to think about the logistics the way you are when seeing a visual representation of the moment. So although there are occasions where the graphic novel format admittedly does create a level of depth that the written word can’t reproduce, there are also occasions where the format unfortunately undercuts the story.
These concerns aside, there’s actually a surprising number of things which do work in this entry. First of all, I think that this is the most violent of the graphic novels so far. It’s not that I’m filled with a bloodlust, but that the source material is heavy on the sickening reality of the violence the Animorphs engage in and endure; the trauma they experience is informed by the severity of what they’ve lived through. To do ANIMORPHS right requires an unflinching view of the violence committed by the characters, both the good and bad guys. There are three specific scenes which jump out at me in this book: (1) During a scene in which Ax panics while at the mall and demorphs to his Andalite form, a human-Controller mall cop threatens Ax with a TASER while sneering that he will take him to Visser Three, after which Ax whacks the weapon out of his hand with his tail blade—slicing off a pair of the man’s fingers in the process; (2) During a later scene in which the Animorphs morph ants and are then attacked by a competing colony of ants, their appendages are shown being chewed through and off by the enemy insects; (3) In the course of a battle scene toward the end of the book, Ax uses his tail blade to cut cleanly through a Hork-Bajir Controller’s face, with the alien’s nose and mouth severed from his body. Each of these moments shocked me, and that’s exactly what the violence in these books ought to do.
The ant morph is one of many dark moments in the ANIMORPHS canon, as the team struggles with the hive mind mentality of the creatures and are later ambushed by the enemy ant colony. I do still think that these scenes lack some of the punch they had on the page, unfortunately. However, there is some consolation in a later sequence that sees the Animorphs are trapped on Visser Three’s Blade Ship beginning to accept that they may have been defeated. It’s surprising how much emotion is conveyed in the image of each of the team still in their “battle morphs” (though, honestly, given how cartoonishly Grine draws his human characters perhaps having the characters transform into animals for the emotional beats is a good choice). And I loved the sad exchange between Marco and Rachel here, with Marco asking, “We gave them a pretty good fight, didn’t we? Our little circus. We did some damage to them.” And Rachel replying, “Yes, we did.” I don’t recall off the top of my head if this interaction occurred as written in the original, but even if it did I do believe that the graphic novel version adds some depth to the scene.
Speaking of Rachel, Grine has a pretty good history of showing in detail how horrific the morphing process is, which is one thing I’ve appreciated all along, and here my absolute favorite moment of the book is an image of Rachel morphing to elephant in preparation for battle. The panel focuses on her hands alone, fingers splayed on the ground as her arms balloon out with the massive weight of the elephant. The image makes it appear that the crushing weight of the elephant body on Rachel’s hand is liable to snap her fingers. I showed the image to my wife and it made her uncomfortable to look at, which is exactly the reaction I hoped she would have. It’s an uncomfortable visual! But that’s what makes it so astounding.
There are two final things I want to mention. First, during that early scene where Ax is in a mall—a sequence that begins with an establishing shot of the outside of the building with a thirty-foot sign reading simply “THE MALL”—he has a freakout after experiencing taste for the first time, going around stealing French fries, slices of pizza, and, yes, Cinnabon “sticky buns” from people in the food court. A group of mall cops, including the previously referenced human-Controller confront him and one tells Ax not to think about running. Moments later, Ax is tearing off and the mall cop yelps, “Hey! I said not to think about it! You were thinking about it the whole time!” This is a pretty funny little joke which I’m fairly confident is not found in the source material but is instead an addition Grine made. Second, the very last moments of this book do work very well. Marco is at his mother’s graveside and at first bears a look of sadness, but in the very final frame of the graphic novel his expression turns to one of anger and hatred. That turn, I think, works really well visually without the need for any accompanying narration.
There have always been some bright spots in each of the previous installments in the graphic novel version of ANIMORPHS, but there are several in this entry in particular. This doesn’t overcome the issues I have with it, in particular the lessened narrative and emotional impact caused by the clipped pacing, but it does feel somewhat heartening to be able to identify such moments of strength. I still can’t ever imagine myself being completely won over by Grine’s version of the story, and I already have concerns about how he’ll manage Book #6, which I just recently re-“read” in audiobook format, but I’m sticking with it and it’s nice that there’s sometimes something that makes the read worthwhile.
P.S. One issue with the visual format is that it draws attention to how absurd the mechanics of the plot are. For instance, here Jake, Marco, and Ax evade capture by human-Controllers by climbing into a supermarket lobster tank and morphing lobsters. How did they manage this with Ax in particular? There’s an image of water slopping out of the tank as Marco climbs in last, but the water is mysteriously gone when the baddies enter the scene. Also, it strains credulity to think that Yeerks seeking one or more Andalites would wander around a lobster tank blubbering “Where did they go?” without considering that maybe the Andalite(s) have morphed the lobsters. Another scene is the lengthy one near the end where the Animorphs are captured by Visser Three. They remain in morph as they are rounded up and herded onto the Blade Ship, and then they are held together in a prison cell—an elephant, wolf, tiger, hawk, and gorilla. Obviously the Animorphs remain in morph because they don’t want the Yeerks to know they are actually humans, but the fact that they remain in animal form while incarcerated feels a little weird. I don’t think it comes across as so awkward in the original book; although it does happen in the same way, you’re not forced to think about the logistics the way you are when seeing a visual representation of the moment. So although there are occasions where the graphic novel format admittedly does create a level of depth that the written word can’t reproduce, there are also occasions where the format unfortunately undercuts the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2024
This one feels all over the place and really misses Marco's voice. :(
March 14, 2025
For the most part, it seems like each of these graphic novels have the same strengths and weaknesses; the question is, how do they affect that particular adaptation?
Kind of badly, in this case. This book was a major turning point for Marco's character, but the format really doesn't do well with interiority; his family issues don't even come up until more than a third through the page-count, because while the prose version could bring it up earlier, Grine waits until his dad actually appears in the story. And again, I suspect part of the problem is that he's required to keep these books at about 200 pages; especially in the third act, we really needed some more time to let things sink in. Like, this part:
We read all this in one panel, with gorilla!Marco and a thought bubble. Wouldn't it be so much stronger over the course of a page, with multiple flashback panels illustrating those memories?
One thing that's different about this book: during the ant-morphing scene and its aftermath, the POV shifts from Marco to Rachel describing things to Tobias. I'm tentatively open to the idea of these comics not strictly following their "canon" narrator, but I really don't think it worked here. Partly because it took away from seeing how this freaks out Marco enough to finally quit, but mostly because it was just overly descriptive. I feel like a few panels depicting an ant's (lack of) thoughts would have been creepier than Rachel trying too hard to convey it.
I know this seems like a lot of complaints, but it's honestly not terrible. These are hard stories to adapt, but unfortunately, I feel like a lot of the tricks Grine tries to do it don't quite land.
Kind of badly, in this case. This book was a major turning point for Marco's character, but the format really doesn't do well with interiority; his family issues don't even come up until more than a third through the page-count, because while the prose version could bring it up earlier, Grine waits until his dad actually appears in the story. And again, I suspect part of the problem is that he's required to keep these books at about 200 pages; especially in the third act, we really needed some more time to let things sink in. Like, this part:
When did it happen? Had they taken her much earlier? Was she already a Controller those last years when she was with us? Was it a Yeerk who'd come to my bedroom to say good night? A Yeerk, handing our the presents on Christmas morning? A Yeerk, singing in the church choir?
We read all this in one panel, with gorilla!Marco and a thought bubble. Wouldn't it be so much stronger over the course of a page, with multiple flashback panels illustrating those memories?
One thing that's different about this book: during the ant-morphing scene and its aftermath, the POV shifts from Marco to Rachel describing things to Tobias. I'm tentatively open to the idea of these comics not strictly following their "canon" narrator, but I really don't think it worked here. Partly because it took away from seeing how this freaks out Marco enough to finally quit, but mostly because it was just overly descriptive. I feel like a few panels depicting an ant's (lack of) thoughts would have been creepier than Rachel trying too hard to convey it.
I know this seems like a lot of complaints, but it's honestly not terrible. These are hard stories to adapt, but unfortunately, I feel like a lot of the tricks Grine tries to do it don't quite land.
August 21, 2024
I thought this adaptation wasn’t as good as the previous ones. For some reason in this one, Rachel looked like a guy. And stop calling Cassie “Cass.” It very clearly in the books says no one called her Cass except Ronnie after the end of the war.
I still love that they’re adapting these books, they’re my favorites!
I still love that they’re adapting these books, they’re my favorites!
September 6, 2024
Lobsters and ants – this was a double-whammy for new horrible experiences with morphs, and Marco was lucky enough to have to do both. Though I think all those tidbits of Marco shining forth in the previous few books stole some of his thunder in this one – a good 30 pages - namely, the ant experience, was Rachel relating the action to Tobias after the fact. Hence the 4 stars instead of 5. Given how much of the ant horror was based on internal monologue/description, it’s not surprising Grine framed it as describing it to someone after (with Rachel/Tobias making the most sense). But it is surprising in that it meant Marco got shorted some POV in his own book, even if most/all of the text was as usual taken directly from the novel.
However, even if Marco lost just over 30 pages of personal thunder, the remaining 160 rang out loud and clear for him. Grine did an excellent job portraying Marco’s struggle to continue taking risks with the second anniversary of his mom’s death around the corner, especially with the lobster and ant close calls. Just as Marco could never once forget, neither could we forget what he was facing. And once on the Blade ship…talk about a whammy, right in the feels, from beginning to end. There was even enough room in this installment to include about 5 pages of preview for the 6th book, and so far as I know as of 9/6/2024, the last one Grine is adapting, which comes out in early 2025.
I hope they find someone else to pick up the mantle and take on the next set of adaptations…. After all, wouldn’t that be cool to have a graphic novel artist adapt 6 in a row, enough to get through one “round” of narrations, then switch to someone new? So they don’t get too exhausted. And there could even be overlap in production times so after the first set or two, the later books are ready to go already because the illustrators started working before the six before them were done? If wishes were horses…
Adaptation notes:
Page 19: “I … did not mean to offend.” is attributed to Jake by a speech bubble, but it is actually Ax who says that (in the novel) and who should say that.
Mall scene: Randy Shack is totally Radio Shack! Since they’re out of business, I wonder how much copyright infringement it would have been to call it by what it was…? I’ll take the acknowledgement, though (my dad worked at Radio Shack for many years, until the bankruptcy). bummer that Cinnabon couldn’t be name-dropped directly – “sticky bun” just isn’t quite the same as Cinnabon “Bunz-uh”! But oh, Ax’s expressions! Him running from one table of food to another! *chef’s kiss*
Page 75: In the woods, Ax is working on the distress beacon, but he’s morphed human. In the original text, he’s using thought-speak, and at this stage in things, that means he’s in his Andalite form (it’s not until much later in the series that he uses thought-speak while morphed a human). Plus, given he’s more accustomed to his own, slimmer, more numerous Andalite fingers, it would be most likely he would do fine electronics work with his natural hands, not morphed human hands. After all, they are likely far enough from Cassie’s farm,
Page 86 – I like Marco’s ants joke, that’s also a Grine Original.
Pages 87-120: Their experience as ants slipping in to Chapman’s house is related as Rachel telling Tobias in her room after the fact what happened. This works really well for being able to do a combined show-and-tell for the events, being able to narrate the feelings and such, but this is a Marco book. Instead, 30+ pages are Rachel describing something. It could have been a good opportunity to establish something that is never quite clearly established, even in the novels, but only assumed, and which I think makes sense: that the Animorphs are writing their experiences down and we are reading their journals.
Page 169: < And then there would be others like you, you filth! > -- oops, this bubble should be Ax speaking (so blue on blue bubble), not Visser Three (red on red).
However, even if Marco lost just over 30 pages of personal thunder, the remaining 160 rang out loud and clear for him. Grine did an excellent job portraying Marco’s struggle to continue taking risks with the second anniversary of his mom’s death around the corner, especially with the lobster and ant close calls. Just as Marco could never once forget, neither could we forget what he was facing. And once on the Blade ship…talk about a whammy, right in the feels, from beginning to end. There was even enough room in this installment to include about 5 pages of preview for the 6th book, and so far as I know as of 9/6/2024, the last one Grine is adapting, which comes out in early 2025.
I hope they find someone else to pick up the mantle and take on the next set of adaptations…. After all, wouldn’t that be cool to have a graphic novel artist adapt 6 in a row, enough to get through one “round” of narrations, then switch to someone new? So they don’t get too exhausted. And there could even be overlap in production times so after the first set or two, the later books are ready to go already because the illustrators started working before the six before them were done? If wishes were horses…
Adaptation notes:
Page 19: “I … did not mean to offend.” is attributed to Jake by a speech bubble, but it is actually Ax who says that (in the novel) and who should say that.
Mall scene: Randy Shack is totally Radio Shack! Since they’re out of business, I wonder how much copyright infringement it would have been to call it by what it was…? I’ll take the acknowledgement, though (my dad worked at Radio Shack for many years, until the bankruptcy). bummer that Cinnabon couldn’t be name-dropped directly – “sticky bun” just isn’t quite the same as Cinnabon “Bunz-uh”! But oh, Ax’s expressions! Him running from one table of food to another! *chef’s kiss*
Page 75: In the woods, Ax is working on the distress beacon, but he’s morphed human. In the original text, he’s using thought-speak, and at this stage in things, that means he’s in his Andalite form (it’s not until much later in the series that he uses thought-speak while morphed a human). Plus, given he’s more accustomed to his own, slimmer, more numerous Andalite fingers, it would be most likely he would do fine electronics work with his natural hands, not morphed human hands. After all, they are likely far enough from Cassie’s farm,
Page 86 – I like Marco’s ants joke, that’s also a Grine Original.
Pages 87-120: Their experience as ants slipping in to Chapman’s house is related as Rachel telling Tobias in her room after the fact what happened. This works really well for being able to do a combined show-and-tell for the events, being able to narrate the feelings and such, but this is a Marco book. Instead, 30+ pages are Rachel describing something. It could have been a good opportunity to establish something that is never quite clearly established, even in the novels, but only assumed, and which I think makes sense: that the Animorphs are writing their experiences down and we are reading their journals.
Page 169: < And then there would be others like you, you filth! > -- oops, this bubble should be Ax speaking (so blue on blue bubble), not Visser Three (red on red).
August 22, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up
A solid adaption of The Predator. Unlike with previous installments I felt that there were some weird choices with how the pacing/storytelling played out in this one. Specifically the way horror of the ants was shared as Rachel telling Tobias about it — felt like an odd choice, especially given that it was a Marco POV story originally.s
A solid adaption of The Predator. Unlike with previous installments I felt that there were some weird choices with how the pacing/storytelling played out in this one. Specifically the way horror of the ants was shared as Rachel telling Tobias about it — felt like an odd choice, especially given that it was a Marco POV story originally.s
June 14, 2025
C'est toujours un plaisir de lire la série Animorphs en BD. On a ici un aperçu des sujets plus durs qui sont à venir et je crois que Chris Grine a fait un excellent travail de condenser cette histoire pour qu'elle fonctionne en BD tout en laissant les émotions des personnages ressortir.
Il y a toujours une légère confusion quant à qui parle lorsqu'ils sont transformés, mais heureusement ça n'enlève à rien l'histoire captivante des Animorphs.
Il y a toujours une légère confusion quant à qui parle lorsqu'ils sont transformés, mais heureusement ça n'enlève à rien l'histoire captivante des Animorphs.
May 14, 2025
4 / 5
God, I love Marco and Ax
God, I love Marco and Ax
August 3, 2025
This volume reaffirms my feelings that this series is interesting but definitely not something I want to revisit much. I feel vicarious stress when reading about their mishaps, and book 3 in particular felt like they just got into trouble for little benefit—at least in the prior book they rescued "Ax" and got an ally.
Here, the main point of concern was to establish Marco's reluctance to keep getting into scrapes; he starts out by helping an old man , deciding that it really isn't worth it for him in specific to keep doing what they're doing, since he already lost his mom and how could he put his dad through the ritual grief of having to visit TWO graves?
(Marco works through this, of course, through about the most unfortunate twist ever. Yikes.)
Main point of confusion for me is Marco's dad looks curiously identical to Jake, so their whole post-nightmare conversation was confusing for me. That's something I don't speak up about as much as maybe I should, that "old" (or older) people are often drawn such that you can't really tell they're older than the young(er) characters—in Enchanter, the creator confesses to having a fetish for older women, but the "older woman" is drawn identically to a young(-looking) girl and is only discernable as older by context. Here, the context is calling Marco "kiddo" and what they're talking about. Doesn't help that Marco is mixed-race and his dad looks more like Jake's dad.
I think this is a great adaptation, don't get me wrong! It's also kind of nice reading the story mostly in order through the graphic novels vs. the original series I can only find in random installments. Recommended for fans of the series, of course, though this is a very bad starting point (as is normal for any series with a long-running story).
Here, the main point of concern was to establish Marco's reluctance to keep getting into scrapes; he starts out by helping an old man , deciding that it really isn't worth it for him in specific to keep doing what they're doing, since he already lost his mom and how could he put his dad through the ritual grief of having to visit TWO graves?
(Marco works through this, of course, through about the most unfortunate twist ever. Yikes.)
Main point of confusion for me is Marco's dad looks curiously identical to Jake, so their whole post-nightmare conversation was confusing for me. That's something I don't speak up about as much as maybe I should, that "old" (or older) people are often drawn such that you can't really tell they're older than the young(er) characters—in Enchanter, the creator confesses to having a fetish for older women, but the "older woman" is drawn identically to a young(-looking) girl and is only discernable as older by context. Here, the context is calling Marco "kiddo" and what they're talking about. Doesn't help that Marco is mixed-race and his dad looks more like Jake's dad.
I think this is a great adaptation, don't get me wrong! It's also kind of nice reading the story mostly in order through the graphic novels vs. the original series I can only find in random installments. Recommended for fans of the series, of course, though this is a very bad starting point (as is normal for any series with a long-running story).
March 10, 2025
The Animorphs are trying to help young alien Ax return to his home. To do that, they need to get him a spaceship. To call down one of the spaceships, Ax needs some parts to build a transponder which means a trip to the mall and breaking into Chapman's home to steal one vital part. All these missions are super risky, and as the anniversary of Marco's mom's death approaches, he feels the danger more and more. He can't leave his Dad all alone.
Well, the Animorphs go out of the frying pan and into the fire in this one. It doesn't end in a great spot for any of them, and Marco learns something stunning about his mom. I really don't care for the artist's depiction of female characters in this series. He makes them all look so masculine it is hard to tell male and female characters apart from the illustrations. Just a person complaint. The story seems true to the basics of the original from what I know, and is introducing this series to a new generation.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: Some ants attack invader ants (among which are the Animorphs) so they are screaming about limbs getting hacked off and being cut in half. Thankfully transforming restores them to full health. 2 of them almost get cooked when in lobster form.
Ethnic diversity: Marco is Hispanic American, Rachel is Black, the others are white American.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Plots to take over the planet, the kids feel like they are Earth's last defense against secret invasion, one kid is dealing with grieving his mom and discovers
Well, the Animorphs go out of the frying pan and into the fire in this one. It doesn't end in a great spot for any of them, and Marco learns something stunning about his mom. I really don't care for the artist's depiction of female characters in this series. He makes them all look so masculine it is hard to tell male and female characters apart from the illustrations. Just a person complaint. The story seems true to the basics of the original from what I know, and is introducing this series to a new generation.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: Some ants attack invader ants (among which are the Animorphs) so they are screaming about limbs getting hacked off and being cut in half. Thankfully transforming restores them to full health. 2 of them almost get cooked when in lobster form.
Ethnic diversity: Marco is Hispanic American, Rachel is Black, the others are white American.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Plots to take over the planet, the kids feel like they are Earth's last defense against secret invasion, one kid is dealing with grieving his mom and discovers
April 27, 2025
Reading these is so nostalgic for me! And it's interesting what I remember and don't remember about each book.
*Spoilers*
What I remembered about this book before opening the graphic novel:
- It was the first one with Marco's POV, and it had a purple cover with him morphing a gorilla
- Marco discovers that his mom, presumed dead, was actually snatched by the Yeerks and is now Visser One (a high-level commander)
- Marco gets almost killed in gorilla form toward the end of the book, and it's gross and scary before he barely manages to morph back to human, healing himself
For some reason, the graphic novel cut out that scene! I guess there's a possibility I am misremembering which book it happens in, but I don't think so. Maybe they decided it was too similar to the scene earlier in the book when they almost get killed in ant form.
There was a lot I forgot completely! And there were scenes that I remembered once I started reading them, but had forgotten were in this book (like Ax going wild for food at the mall).
Ha, reading books full of mortal peril with protagonists who are, like, thirteen hits a LOT different now that I am a full adult and a parent. When I was reading these at twelve, the Animorphs were super-cool slightly older kids who I wanted to be. Now I'm like SOMEONE PROTECT THESE LITERAL CHILDREN! I think the illustrations underscore how young our heroes are - the big eyes and the slightly scruffy hair make them all look sooo young. Which they ARE!
*Spoilers*
What I remembered about this book before opening the graphic novel:
- It was the first one with Marco's POV, and it had a purple cover with him morphing a gorilla
- Marco discovers that his mom, presumed dead, was actually snatched by the Yeerks and is now Visser One (a high-level commander)
- Marco gets almost killed in gorilla form toward the end of the book, and it's gross and scary before he barely manages to morph back to human, healing himself
For some reason, the graphic novel cut out that scene! I guess there's a possibility I am misremembering which book it happens in, but I don't think so. Maybe they decided it was too similar to the scene earlier in the book when they almost get killed in ant form.
There was a lot I forgot completely! And there were scenes that I remembered once I started reading them, but had forgotten were in this book (like Ax going wild for food at the mall).
Ha, reading books full of mortal peril with protagonists who are, like, thirteen hits a LOT different now that I am a full adult and a parent. When I was reading these at twelve, the Animorphs were super-cool slightly older kids who I wanted to be. Now I'm like SOMEONE PROTECT THESE LITERAL CHILDREN! I think the illustrations underscore how young our heroes are - the big eyes and the slightly scruffy hair make them all look sooo young. Which they ARE!
March 30, 2025
Marco isn’t sure that he and his friends are making the smart choice. Fighting back against the Yeerk invasion is important, but they’re just four kids, a hawk, and a young Andalite warrior. Not much of a defense force against overwhelming odds. But he’ll join in for one last mission if it means Ax can go back to his home planet and return with an army that will help defend Earth. As long as this mission to steal a Yeerk ship doesn’t end up being his last, which he thinks might be true almost as soon as they see enemy forces.
I’d been waiting for a book from Marco’s perspective for a while, and I liked it more than I thought I might. He’s often annoying with his joking and his worrying, but he’s more level-headed in this book and still takes big risks to help his friends. I appreciate that he’s trying really hard to keep his dad in mind, not wanting to leave his dad alone if something were to happen to him and his friends while on a mission. He’s made his choice to be done, to stay with his family, and then in this book he learns something hugely important that may just change his mind and keep him in the fight until the Yeerks are defeated. The whole group of friends also get themselves into the most dangerous situation yet and without a little help from an unexpected source, they wouldn’t have made it home. A very tense story this time and I’m excited for more.
I’d been waiting for a book from Marco’s perspective for a while, and I liked it more than I thought I might. He’s often annoying with his joking and his worrying, but he’s more level-headed in this book and still takes big risks to help his friends. I appreciate that he’s trying really hard to keep his dad in mind, not wanting to leave his dad alone if something were to happen to him and his friends while on a mission. He’s made his choice to be done, to stay with his family, and then in this book he learns something hugely important that may just change his mind and keep him in the fight until the Yeerks are defeated. The whole group of friends also get themselves into the most dangerous situation yet and without a little help from an unexpected source, they wouldn’t have made it home. A very tense story this time and I’m excited for more.
May 20, 2025
Who doesn't love Ax?
Things heat up considerably in this Marco-centric installment of the series. Now safe from the bottom of the ocean, Ax is determined to make his way back to the Andalite homeworld. The only trouble? He doesn't have a ship. While stealing a Yeerk ship is an incredibly risky move, the Animorphs are on-board with the plan so long as Ax will alert the Andalites to how dire the situation is on Earth. Maybe the Andalites will then come to Earth's rescue sooner. What could possibly go wrong with this plan?
The artwork is, as always, fun. Chris Grine doesn't shy away from the more horrific aspects of the Animorphs morphing and his adaptation of the book is both thoughtful and compelling. This book does a lot to humanize Marco and bring home to the reader just how complicated his living situation and inner life are. In a lot of ways this brings home how 'real' the Animorphs books are. The issues that Marco is facing, while exaggerated, are still all-too human and commonplace in the lives of many kids. This is what genre fiction does best, in my opinion, and part of what has stuck with me about this series over the years.
Also, man, I've never looked at ants quite the same way since reading this book.
Things heat up considerably in this Marco-centric installment of the series. Now safe from the bottom of the ocean, Ax is determined to make his way back to the Andalite homeworld. The only trouble? He doesn't have a ship. While stealing a Yeerk ship is an incredibly risky move, the Animorphs are on-board with the plan so long as Ax will alert the Andalites to how dire the situation is on Earth. Maybe the Andalites will then come to Earth's rescue sooner. What could possibly go wrong with this plan?
The artwork is, as always, fun. Chris Grine doesn't shy away from the more horrific aspects of the Animorphs morphing and his adaptation of the book is both thoughtful and compelling. This book does a lot to humanize Marco and bring home to the reader just how complicated his living situation and inner life are. In a lot of ways this brings home how 'real' the Animorphs books are. The issues that Marco is facing, while exaggerated, are still all-too human and commonplace in the lives of many kids. This is what genre fiction does best, in my opinion, and part of what has stuck with me about this series over the years.
Also, man, I've never looked at ants quite the same way since reading this book.
October 21, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Four Stars for The Predator: The Graphic Novel
The Predator: The Graphic Novel delivers a pulse-pounding mix of sci-fi action and primal fear that fans of both The Predator franchise and Animorphs will appreciate. Like Animorphs, it captures that same blend of alien menace, moral tension, and human resilience—only here, the violence and suspense are turned up to eleven.
The artwork is striking, with cinematic panels that practically drip with tension and atmosphere. Every page feels alive with motion, from the hunt through the jungle to the desperate fight for survival. The Predator itself is rendered in all its terrifying glory, a perfect mix of power and mystery.
The story moves fast—sometimes too fast—but it never loses its grip. It’s got that same “what would you do when faced with something beyond human?” energy that made Animorphs so compelling, just filtered through a darker, bloodier lens.
Stylish, brutal, and surprisingly thoughtful, The Predator: The Graphic Novel is a solid addition to the franchise and a fun read for anyone who grew up on the alien warfare and moral complexity of Animorphs.
The Predator: The Graphic Novel delivers a pulse-pounding mix of sci-fi action and primal fear that fans of both The Predator franchise and Animorphs will appreciate. Like Animorphs, it captures that same blend of alien menace, moral tension, and human resilience—only here, the violence and suspense are turned up to eleven.
The artwork is striking, with cinematic panels that practically drip with tension and atmosphere. Every page feels alive with motion, from the hunt through the jungle to the desperate fight for survival. The Predator itself is rendered in all its terrifying glory, a perfect mix of power and mystery.
The story moves fast—sometimes too fast—but it never loses its grip. It’s got that same “what would you do when faced with something beyond human?” energy that made Animorphs so compelling, just filtered through a darker, bloodier lens.
Stylish, brutal, and surprisingly thoughtful, The Predator: The Graphic Novel is a solid addition to the franchise and a fun read for anyone who grew up on the alien warfare and moral complexity of Animorphs.
December 6, 2024
Having never read these as a child, I’m constantly surprised by how dark the storylines are in here. There is some serious trauma for these characters. It’s never easy, and I mostly hated the Androlites in this book, because he’s basically an entitled brat for the most part.
Let’s face it though, the highlight of these books are the weird and grotesque morphs. Though I do feel we were cheated out of one this time around. There’s a bit of a teaser as the group starts to change, them the next cell is them all finished. I was incensed.
Seriously though, they need to pick up the speed of release of these books. One a year for a storyline that already exists? Unless they plan to still be plodding away into the next century (in a very literal way, this series went on forever) then someone needs to give them a hand and churn these babies out faster.
Let’s face it though, the highlight of these books are the weird and grotesque morphs. Though I do feel we were cheated out of one this time around. There’s a bit of a teaser as the group starts to change, them the next cell is them all finished. I was incensed.
Seriously though, they need to pick up the speed of release of these books. One a year for a storyline that already exists? Unless they plan to still be plodding away into the next century (in a very literal way, this series went on forever) then someone needs to give them a hand and churn these babies out faster.
March 22, 2025
Much like past reviews of mine since this is now book 5, I'm going to just highlight core things I like and dislike.
Positive: The story is strong and developing at a good pace.
Negative: Carlos doesn't get to fully express himself in this graphic novel vs the book. I assume based on restrictions for page length that this is why we can't fully dive into his development.
Positive: The animal characters are drawn beautifully.
Negative: The humans are drawn poorly with the same face and eyes. Causing the girls to look like boys, and vice versa. This has been a big peeve that the drawings of our main characters need to be reworked. This still hasn't been seen, 5 novels in.
I'll keep reading on ad Animorphs was a fun series to read and this just shortens key moments and makes them visual reads instead.
Positive: The story is strong and developing at a good pace.
Negative: Carlos doesn't get to fully express himself in this graphic novel vs the book. I assume based on restrictions for page length that this is why we can't fully dive into his development.
Positive: The animal characters are drawn beautifully.
Negative: The humans are drawn poorly with the same face and eyes. Causing the girls to look like boys, and vice versa. This has been a big peeve that the drawings of our main characters need to be reworked. This still hasn't been seen, 5 novels in.
I'll keep reading on ad Animorphs was a fun series to read and this just shortens key moments and makes them visual reads instead.
September 4, 2024
This series adaptation continues to be really fun. It’s not high literature but it’s good popcorn adventure scifi storytelling. The twist with Marco towards the end feels like a fun payoff/escalation of story elements that have been building for a while. Glad Ax isn’t removed too quickly from the narrative (I feel like he will be eventually though…). Has some repetitive moments and the ant bit is creepy but we’ve also been in these moments before where an animal type takes over one or more of the kids — maybe that’s just part of the genetic makeup of this series? Also a strange point where Marco cheers for the two Vissers to kill each other in a way that made me think it was maybe a coloration issue and that line was meant for another character?
September 21, 2024
Finally! I have been looking forward to the next book for ages, and when I checked this time, it was here!!! Great stuff as always, a fantastic adaptation. I like the choice to have R tell T about the ant event. It did make me wonder how else you could do it, and I think the alternatives would have made less sense. I also really liked all the time we got to spend in battle morph. Lots of beautiful pictures.
Only thing I was worried about was a few errors in the color of thought speak bubbles. At one point I really had to think hard about what was happening when Ax and Visser 3 spoke.
I also imagined both of Marco’s parents with darker hair, but that is ok :)
Overall! Really great book. Can’t wait to hear the podcast Animorphs Anonymous talk to Chris Grine about it!
Only thing I was worried about was a few errors in the color of thought speak bubbles. At one point I really had to think hard about what was happening when Ax and Visser 3 spoke.
I also imagined both of Marco’s parents with darker hair, but that is ok :)
Overall! Really great book. Can’t wait to hear the podcast Animorphs Anonymous talk to Chris Grine about it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2024
Rounded up. A weird choice to have the dreaded Ant PTSD Scene™️ told as a flashback that Rachel is telling Tobias, given that this is a Marco POV book, but a well-done adaptation in all other aspects.
Art-wise, FANTASTIC morphing scenes and great depictions of anyone who isn't a human. Will never not be annoyed that all of Grine's faces, eyes, hair look nearly the same, especially given the ethnic diversity of the Animorphs themselves. He has gotten sliiiightly better about this over the course of the series, but it's still a pain point for me.
Art-wise, FANTASTIC morphing scenes and great depictions of anyone who isn't a human. Will never not be annoyed that all of Grine's faces, eyes, hair look nearly the same, especially given the ethnic diversity of the Animorphs themselves. He has gotten sliiiightly better about this over the course of the series, but it's still a pain point for me.
July 19, 2025
3 stars (I liked it)
It has been a bit (a little over a year) since I read book 4 in the series and there were definitely things (like the character of Ax) that I did not remember.
This does a decent job progressing the story and showing Marco's hesitancy in continuing to help the group. However, I thought it was weird how the POV shifted to Rachel during the ant morph part.
I'll keep reading since I already have the 6th book checked out from the library but I'm not positive that I will continue after that one.
It has been a bit (a little over a year) since I read book 4 in the series and there were definitely things (like the character of Ax) that I did not remember.
This does a decent job progressing the story and showing Marco's hesitancy in continuing to help the group. However, I thought it was weird how the POV shifted to Rachel during the ant morph part.
I'll keep reading since I already have the 6th book checked out from the library but I'm not positive that I will continue after that one.
September 8, 2024
if there's one thing chris grine's art excels at its the absolute contempt visser three has for all lifeforms. made all the more impressive by visser three not having a mouth to traditionally sneer with! i totally forgot how much happens in this book but damn its great, the absolute defeat in the animal forms as they resign themselves to a fate worse than death--marco's impressive speech to give them hell on their way out, each one of these gets better than the rest!
April 5, 2025
Oh man, it's the ant book. That, and
The thing about this is that I watched the Nickelodeon live action series episode that covered the same content as the book this was adapted from. It makes me sad how much of that show is squandered potential. Two adaptations from the original, this one being stellar and the TV show being terrible.
But yeah, the ant book. Dark stuff for a "juvenile" book.
The thing about this is that I watched the Nickelodeon live action series episode that covered the same content as the book this was adapted from. It makes me sad how much of that show is squandered potential. Two adaptations from the original, this one being stellar and the TV show being terrible.
But yeah, the ant book. Dark stuff for a "juvenile" book.
July 21, 2025
I definitely was surprised about the newest introduction whew.
I still love these books and find so much heart and lessons that can be taken from being completely outmatched on a genocidal level. My favorite lines
" Fall Down seven times, get up eight. It means don't ever just lie there. Always get up. You always come back for more. Maybe you die but you never surrender."
I still love these books and find so much heart and lessons that can be taken from being completely outmatched on a genocidal level. My favorite lines
" Fall Down seven times, get up eight. It means don't ever just lie there. Always get up. You always come back for more. Maybe you die but you never surrender."
July 31, 2025
I loved it about The Predator. When his father, who has been severely depressed ever since Marco's mother died. Marco and his team are searching the documents on the Yeerk computer, they went at the Pool ship. Then Marco was surprise about The Visser One is Marco's mother. When Marco will see his mother again in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2024
Another hit with two exceptions: the narrating from Rachel while they turned into ants was pretty strange given it’s Marco’s book, and towards the end they had the wrong colors for some thought speak which made it a bit hard to determine who was speaking.
September 13, 2024
Loved this! I read it aloud to my 6yo and 5yo sons. I had previously read the regular version of this on my own. I still think the ending is a little rushed—only a few pages left! How will they ever make it out? And then they always do.
Read
September 16, 2024It's so fun getting to revisit this series. Not sure how the ant scene got past the publishers and in the hands of children, but I'm glad it did. I have never forgotten that scene, and I bet neither has anyone else. And now a new generation will be scarred for life. :)
October 13, 2024
The sense of terror portrayed in this series is still good.
Note: There are color-coded bubbles for when each character morphs, but it would help to have a designator for their name because I lose track of whose talking.
Note: There are color-coded bubbles for when each character morphs, but it would help to have a designator for their name because I lose track of whose talking.
November 2, 2024
Amazing and horrifying to see it adapted as always.
I think the ants will always be more horrifying from the novels perspective, but it's still horrible to see their morphing in action, haha.
Can't wait to see how they handle the next books.
I think the ants will always be more horrifying from the novels perspective, but it's still horrible to see their morphing in action, haha.
Can't wait to see how they handle the next books.
August 24, 2024
At this point I’m just reading these to keep up with my Discord group, but they’re a decent way to spend an hour or so.
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