Queen Kodiak

by Christopher Greenslate, Riccardo Faccini (Illustrator), Dearbhla Kelly (colorist)

After the death of her mother, an embattled 17 year old moves in with her father on Alaska’s Kodiak island where she befriends a legendary 3000 lb. bear. Unfortunately, the bear’s inevitable capture upsets a millenia-old kaiju grizzly named Queen Kodiak, who will destroy everything in her path to collect her cub.

Following in the massive footsteps of legends like Godzilla and King Kong, comes QUEEN KODIAK, a colossal, super-charged Kodiak grizzly bear... one who survived from the ice-age and who's been irreversibly enhanced by a mysterious geo-thermal energy pulsing in the unknown depths of an Alaskan ice cave. And although QUEEN KODIAK’s been asleep for thousands of years, melting ice and subsequent tectonic activity has disturbed her hibernation. And in her debut graphic novel, she wakes up to find her only cub missing.

But as much as we want to meet her and watch her wreck shop on the pacific northwest (sorry Seattle), our story actually centers on JOEY FOX, an embattled 17-year-old girl, and natural empath, who befriends Queen Kodiak’s cub after a tectonic shift in her own life -- the recent passing of her mother. As a result, Joey’s been sent to Alaska’s Kodiak island to live with the man who left them ten years ago, her state trooper father. In many ways it’s a story about how families survive overwhelming odds.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Young Adult, Fantasy, Teen, Supernatural, Mythology

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 27, 2026

Reviews

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and a solid story. Maybe a series . . ?

[Justice McCray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story has so much heart! It’s full of love, loss, and second chances. Joey is such an easy character to fall in love with and this book is one that you won’t wanna put down.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the art. The story is simple but solid. I didn't love it, but I'd be interested in reading a possible follow up book.

[Morgan E.H. C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

girl teen tries to save folkrail bear against terrible humans.

[Crimson Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Netgalley, for an advanced copy of this graphic novel for an honest review.

In this book we follow Joey a teenage girl who starts happy, but due to her mother's dying she is spun intimate a life of heartache, having to live with her absent father leaving everything she knew behind.

The artwork in this novel is beautiful.
We do get allot of death in this graphic novel ranging from losing a parent to animals, & we see through Joey how this effects her plus we see she is the adventurous type going after the legend of the area she now lives in... I found this an enjoyable read and was emotionally drawn in early and if they did anymore of her journey I would reas them too.

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for this free eARC! All opinions are my own.

After Joey's mother dies suddenly, she is forced to move to Alaska with her absent father. There she makes friends with a giant bear which she ironically names Little Bear. However, when hunters discover Little Bear's existence and kill him, they awaken his mother Queen Kodiak, a supernatural being from local mythology. Queen Kodiak goes on a rampage, and no one is safe from mama bear's wrath. Can Joey sooth the savage beast? #QueenKodiak #NetGalley

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the passing of her mother Joey goes to live with her father in Alaska. There she befriends a Kodiak bear. But when this bear is captured, a Godzilla like Kaiju Grizzly Bear known as Queen Kodiak goes on a rampage to rescue their cub. Only Joey and her father have the possibility of keeping the city of Seattle safe by convincing those in power to release the cub. This was a short and interesting read. Based on the cover, I did not expect this story. But I think it will draw in readers once they know the premise.

[Julie Ditton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watch out Godzilla and Mothra! This modern Kaiju story combines Alaskan folklore, monsters and magic with a teen story about grief, family dynamics and dealing with change. When Joey's mother dies suddenly, she suddenly finds herself in Alaska living with the father she hasn't seen since she was little. He is a ranger, and she is out with him when she wonders into the woods and befriends a giant bear of untold size. Of course everyone says that it was a Kodiak and she is exaggerating the size. When she goes off the next day to find him, her new friend whom she has ironically named Little Bear, saves her from a storm. When he is discovered by others and shot, it wakes the mythical giant mama bear and she comes looking for her cub. It is up to Joey with her empathetic connection with the youngster, to save the city from Mama's rampage. The illustrations tell the story well and the characters are very expressive. the colorist added vibrant tones including auras that reflect moods. The story is a bit murkey when it comes to this aspect. This element is not spelled out in the text, but if you look carefully Joey knowing peoples moods is not just reading body language, but also the aura they give off. In the author interview in the afterward he states that he wanted readers to quickly understand the main character's ability to see things emotionally. It is this power which helps her connect to the bears. The plot makes for a great adventure story that kept me reading. Readers who love a good supernatural adventure will love this story. The cute cover is misleading however and sensitive readers will want to be aware of the death of a parent, and animal cruelty and death in the story.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Birthday sorted, big trip planned, our heroine Joey suddenly loses the person responsible for both – her mother. Her absent father ships her off to where he works in Alaska, where she knows nobody and nothing – but still manages to slip into the local cryptid folklore, when she sees a mahoosive bear. But some people want such legends to be stifled – and some people want such bears to be game...

This is a lively interpretation of the old 'beauty tamed the beast' saw. It's always a welcome thing when you see Alaskan myth on the page – although don't hold me guilty if this isn't authentic – and the mish-mash of this, with the mahoosive bears, and the bereavement, does seem unlikely and incoherent at times, but the pages turn too quickly for you to worry about that much.

What doesn't fully work is the ability Joey has to see auras – we see them, too, in their specific colours, but never get told what they mean, and when this whole visual side of things is merged with the healing touch, some kind of magical spark that the story also portrays, things get a bit woolly. That said, it's nothing compared to the hooey that stands for science that comes later.

All told, this was pleasantly entertaining – no great shakes, but certainly worth a look. The story remains a touch simplistic, perhaps justifying the teen/YA tag I saw it carry, but I didn't see a three star read. This was superior to that, for a quick slice of monster drama, and nudges close enough to four stars to get them.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Maverick and Library Journal Con for the opportunity to read this book. My opinions are my own.

Joey's mother dies suddenly and she is forced to move to Alaska with her father--whom she hadn't seen in many years. She ignores his warnings and goes into the dense forest to find a huge grizzly bear who seems to understand her and keeps her safe and warm during a huge snowstorm. Joey's father creates a search team and they find her protected by the bear, that has been ironically named Little Bear. Unfortunately, greedy hunters decide that they are going to hunt down the peaceful bear and that awakes something much, much bigger...

The story was entertaining and a quick read. I also enjoyed the art, which can often be a big factor in my bias towards a graphic novel. However, there were so many questions that were left unanswered that sort of lowered my rating. Why does Joey view people with some sort of aura around them? Bearzilla is briefly explained, but also not? And then there's a cliffhanger of an ending that says "The End?" I want to know more! If there's a sequel that answers some things, maybe my rating will change.

[Alisha (booksmellz) · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old Joey moves to Alaska’s Kodiak island with her absent dad. There, she befriends a giant bear she names Little Bear. However, hunters discover Little Bear's existence and kill him. When they do, they awaken his mother, Queen Kodiak, a colossal, super-charged Kodiak grizzly bear, who is now on a rampage. Can they save Seattle before Queen Kodiak gets there?

I enjoyed the art of this novel and the fact that this was a quick read, but there were parts of this graphic novel that I felt could have had better transitions from one part to the next instead of otherwise feeling like a giant jump was being made - I would flip pages back and forth to make sure the numbers were in order. There was also some unexplained stuff too - like why can Joey see auras around some people?! Maybe this will be a series, or at least have another book since it ended with “The End?”

Overall, I enjoyed the fast paced story and if I come across a sequel, I’d be sure to pick it up, but I don’t think I’ll be actively searching for it though.

[East of Reality · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art is fun, with Joey seeing emotions — something never discussed in text, but shown through auras around people — and sharing them, as well. The scenes between she and Little Bear are sweet, but the moment when Joey tries to explain to Mama Bear what happened and how sorry she is, the colors of the emotional auras are even more rich and vibrant, much the same as when she and her father finally find a connection together.

There’s quite a bit of animal death in this book, and animal cruelty, and a trigger warning for the death of a parent as Joey loses her mother in the first few pages. Still, it’s a fun adventure with a giant bear destroying cities and trying to eat airplanes, so if you’re looking for a good monster book with a side of family feels, this book might be just what you’re looking for.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Elijah Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Queen Kodiak reads as one part love letter to the Pacific Northwest, one part pandemic grief journal, and one part homage to kaiju stories; and I’m here for all of it. It moves quickly, picking us up in Seattle and dropping us into the middle of Kodiak, Alaska. The art is inviting, and the story is compelling. I flew through the second half as the story built to its climax, and Joey’s journey of grief, advocacy, and growth came full circle.

[Michael Daines · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Queen Kodiak” follows seventeen-year-old Joey, who can see empathic auras on the people around her. When her mother passes, she is reunited with her estranged father, moving from Seattle to an island in Alaska. It’s not where she wants to be, and the only friend she manages to make is with a gigantic grizzly bear. But when harm comes to Little Bear, we find out there’s a bigger bear out there: a mother.

This is a mix of fun and emotional. Not a perfect story, but still an enjoyable read.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good stuff about grief in here, and the relationship between Joey and her father feels realistic. Too many unanswered questions for me, though. What's up with the auras? Are the bears supposed to be acting entirely unlike wild animals? What exactly did Joey's father think would happen when he reported the van his daughter was in stolen?

[David Prantner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. I lived on Kodiak Island in the city for twelve years and this story never made me feel I was there. I’m not sure the author has ever been there themselves. Not saying it’s not an enjoyable story, but it wasn’t for me.

[Ushnav Shroff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of the best, most heartwarming graphic novel reads in a while!

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

good art, decent story. Pacing felt a little quick, would have liked to see Joey befriending the bear more than a few pages to really be impacted by the bear being in danger.