Karmopolis (Book 1): The Land of Cars

by Nick Bertozzi

Welcome to a world on wheels! It’s nonstop excitement in this nutty graphic novel starring two kids in a fast-paced future. Karmopolis is a world made up of super-highways and super-vehicles! Drivers zip from their wheeled houses to the moving super-mall without ever touching the ground, while the few mysterious Walkers skulk within the highway median. Two young Drivers, Pooja and her brother Om, are out shopping when they accidentally find a beautiful gem. After two angry men demand that they hand it over, a head-spinning adventure begins—Pooja and Om race across Karmopolis in search of the meaning of the gem, with the two creeps hot on their tailpipe. Award-winning cartoonist Nick Bertozzi combines old-fashioned comic book thrills with futuristic frenzy and super-cool diagrams in the endlessly imaginative The Land of Cars.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Childrens, Comics

128 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2025

Reviews

[RatGrrrl]

I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF @ 61%.

There's some interesting ideas here and some of the art almost evokes Moebius doing the Beano or Dandy, but I just cannot fathom who this is for. It feels like a relic lost it time that I can't see modern kids or teens being interested in and it didn't hold any appeal to me as an adult who enjoys comics and can appreciate books aimed at a younger audience.

Absolutely loved and admire the creativity, this just was not for me.

[Patrice A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Karmopolis: The Land of Cars" is a graphic novel that takes place in a world where cars are everything. The story follows two young Drivers, Pooja and her brother Om, who live in a world of super-highways and super-vehicles. In this futuristic world, people live in wheeled houses and travel to moving super-malls without ever touching the ground. The only people who walk are called Walkers, and they are considered mysterious and strange.

One day, Pooja and Om are shopping when they stumble upon a beautiful gem. Two angry men demand that they hand it over, and a thrilling adventure begins. Pooja and Om race across Karmopolis, trying to figure out the meaning of the gem while the two angry men chase them.

The author, Nick Bertozzi, is an award-winning cartoonist who combines old-fashioned comic book thrills with futuristic frenzy. He uses super-cool diagrams to bring the world of Karmopolis to life. The book is full of imagination and excitement, making it a fun read for anyone who enjoys a good adventure.

It's a great choice for anyone looking for a fun and exciting graphic novel. I am an educator and would definitely adapt this book into my curriculum. The book's unique world and thrilling plot will keep readers engaged from beginning to end.
#KarmopolisBook1LandofCars #netgalley

[Christine Lucia Asha · Rating 4 out of 5]

MUST READ BOOKS in every genre:
Thriller Say Goodbye
Memoir The Yellow House
SciFi Murder by Memory
Romance Time Loops & Meet Cutes

I am not so sure this is a children's book...the themes seem to be more complicated than first shown. Also, it seems to have been conceived in another language first then penned in English as some of the words don't seem to be what anyone would ever say.

[TAreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karmopolis by Nick Bertozzi is a great, entertaining and unique graphic novel! It's about a future where everyone uses cars/wheels to move around! Everyone and everything is on wheels! I really enjoyed this premise and I loved the characters from the story. Pooja and Om are so relatable, the villains are silly and villain-y, and overall it's a very entertaining story! I like the art a lot and the colors used. One of my favorite things was how every "building" seemed to have a comics room!

I'm so excited for Book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[M Aghazarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very silly-- I love the puns. The story feels a little disjointed in flow. I would be interested to see where the overarching story is going. There's an interesting stark contrast between the children's view of Karmopolis as compared to the adults in the story

[Eleisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars,
A short read, I did get a bit lost at time, but an interesting story. Great graphics

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just one of the many books that I read in 2025 and forgot to write a review of.