Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Vol. 1: BFF

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur

by Brandon Montclare, Amy Reeder, Natacha Bustos (Illustrator)

LUNELLA LAFAYETTE IS AN INHUMAN PRETEEN GENIUS WHO WANTS TO CHANGE THE WORLD!

That job would be a lot easier if she wasn't living in mortal fear of her latent Inhuman gene. There's no telling what she'll turn into - but Luna's got a plan. All she needs is an Omni-Wave Projector. Easy, right? That is, until a red-scaled beast is teleported from the prehistoric past to a far-flung future we call...today! Together they're the most Marvelous Team-Up of all - the Inhuman Moon Girl and time-tossed Devil Dinosaur! But will they be BFFs forever, or just until DD's dinner time? And Lunella soon learns that there are other problems with a having a titanic T. Rex as a pet in the modern-day Marvel Universe. School, for one. Monster hunters are another - especially when they're the Totally Awesome Hulk! Then there's the fact that everyone's favorite dino didn't journey through time alone. Beware the prehistoric savages known as the Killer-Folk - New York City's deadliest tourists! Can Lunella handle all this turmoil... and keep herself from transforming into an Inhuman monster?

Collecting MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR #1-6.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Superheroes, Young Adult, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 25, 2015

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lunella (like lunar = Moon Girl – that’s the level of obviousness we’re operating at here) is supposedly a genius nine year old inventor. And PAUSE! The problem with writing a genius-intellect character is that the writers have to convince you of the character’s extraordinary intelligence and neither Brandon Montclare nor Amy Reeder achieves this. Six pages in, they demonstrate their own stupidity by dropping a clanger that completely shatters the flimsy illusion that Lunella is a “genius”.

Lunella’s in science class and, because this is New York City and not the Deep South, she’s learning about the Theory of Evolution (I’m just ribbing you hillbillies, I knows you guys are edumacated! Mmm, ribs…). And then she snottily complains to the teacher that it’s actually not a theory and that evolution is a proven scientific fact - and I faceplanted.

There are two different meanings to the word theory. The everyday meaning of theory implies something is unsubstantiated or a speculative guess; the word theory when applied in science has the opposite meaning. A scientific theory – like the Theory of Evolution – is a vigorously tested and confirmed explanation of some aspect of our world acquired through the scientific method. Scientific theories ARE facts.

She’s right to say that evolution is a proven fact but wrong in correcting the teacher’s usage of the word theory in its scientific context. That Lunella doesn’t understand this immediately demonstrates how unintelligent she is and took me right out of the story. She’s no genius, she’s on the same intellectual footing as the brainless twerps who point to snow in the winter and say “Guess global warming ain’t real, hur hur hur!”. You can put as many quotes from Gregory Stock and Marie Curie at the start of each issue, you can’t fake intelligence!

There’s no real story in this book but this is yet another title tied into the Terrigen fucking Mist which totally isn’t being overused or feels at all boring! A portal opens up in Lunella’s school and Devil Dinosaur shows up. He’s a red T-Rex – not Jack Kirby’s most imaginative creation. At first he’s as tall as buildings and then later on he fits into a room behind the girls’ bathroom at Lunella’s school. That was about the halfway point and I closed the book there for good. They can’t even maintain a consistency with the character’s size!

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur has unremarkable artwork, barely any story, shoddy writing and completely unconvincing characterisation. This comic is awful. Maybe ten year olds will get something out of it but everyone else should stay well away.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When nine year old Lunella Lafayette finds a Kree Omni-Wave Projector, she means to use it to neutralize her dormant Inhuman genes. Instead, the device accidentally summons Devil Dinosaur and some hairy cavemen who are also looking for the Omni-Wave Projector. Can Lunella and Devil Dinosaur stop the cave men before something horrible happens?

I've heard good things about this book for the last couple years but resisted reading it since I'm a curmudgeon. Since I had some time to kill and felt like justifying my continued Marvel Unlimited subscription, I gave it a shot.

Lunella Lafayette is a nine year old super genius with dormant Inhuman genes she's deathly afraid of getting activated. She's alienated at school since she's lightyears ahead of the other kids and has no friends. Not that she wants them with all the special projects she has in the hopper. Anyway, a Kree Omni-Wave projector dumps Devil Dinosaur in her lap and a beautiful relationship blossoms...

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur feels like a Saturday morning cartoon and would work well as one. You've got the misunderstood kid and her pal, a giant red dinosaur that acts like a protective dog. The look and feel are perfect for getting kids into comics and it's not so mired in half a century of Marvel continuity as to make it inaccessible.

The art style is fresh and cartoony, reminding me of Bruce Timm or Darwyn Cooke at times. I find Lunella to be a fairly believable character. I can't imagine a nine year old genius in the Marvel Universe turning out any different.

The creative team did a stellar job taking an obscure Jack Kirby creation and breathing new life into it, creating a book that could be a gateway into comics for a whole new generation of readers. While I'm keenly aware I'm not the target audience for this, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is one adorable ass book.

Also, the Totally Awesome Hulk is a total ass. Four out of five stars.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot about this book that I loved. In particular, Lunella, our Moon Girl. She's nine, and a genius, and determined not to let her genes rule her. She's an Inhuman (something she figured out herself) and doesn't want to be changed by the Terrigen mists. That's her driving motivation through most of the book. And, secondarily, to be understood. Because she is very bright, very young, very bored, and very much not like most kids her age. I loved her, even when she was frustrating. And I loved her repeating theme that she will determine her own destiny, nobody else and nothing else. Which is what made it a little frustrating when that doesn't happen. Aside from that, the plot is a bit of a mess. It's a bit all over the place, logic is basically out the window, and not much actually happens for long periods of time. I still liked it a lot, though. This could almost be a good all ages book, except that you need a fair bit of background knowledge about the current state of the Marvel universe to get the story.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marvel has created a new book for younger readers. It reminds me of Power Pack from the 80's. The writers give the kids a voice that actually sounds like children. Moon Girl's costume looks like something a little girl would design. It's hideous. I'm surprised it's not covered in glitter. She has a ton of gadgets she's designed, most of which don't work. I'm waiting for the Pinchers of Peril to make an appearance. That's the good.

Now for the bad. There's very little story here and what is here is a bit ridiculous. Lunella is a young genius with the Inhuman gene. She's terrified of the terrigen mists and is looking for a Kree device to help disperse the cloud. She finds the device which turns out to be a portal generator to the past. She brings Devil Dinosaur to the present along with a bunch of neanderthals called the Killer-Folk. This is where it gets really dumb. Within a day, these neanderthals are wearing clothes and speaking English. They even decide to become a gang and start shaking down the neighborhood. It's ridiculous. The rest of the plot mainly consists of trying to hide a dinosaur in NYC.

[Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book!!!

Okay, I'll preface this by saying I was (and still am, not gonna lie) a huge science nerd as a kid so this is really amazing! A young, black, female scientist who's being considered the smartest character in the Marvel universe. I adore Lunella Lafayette.

This is such a cute book! The art is perfect! The relationship between Lunella and Devil Dinosaur is so cute! He's so protective over her and she goes from being annoyed with him ruining her plans to befriending him, as well.

There's real depth here. Honestly, I found the whole Terrigen mists plot useless past the clouds helping to create Kamala. I didn't think about people being scared of being changed and I don't know why because, as I've seen, the changes aren't always good. So here we have Lunella being afraid of what she could become if the Change happens and she's doing her best to stop it. I really felt for her and I wanted to punch Totally Awesome Hulk for telling her she should be happy because "having powers is cool". Um, tell that to the mutants who were feared, attacked and marginalized or tell Bruce Banner who's a walking stormy cloud of angst.

This book even delves into how the American public school system is really just teaching kids repetition. Each time they show her class, the teachers are just saying words and getting the kids to repeat them.

Anyway, I cannot wait for the next volume! This book is seriously in my top 5 comics of the year! I really, really, REALLY hope Marvel realizes how easily they could make a film about this.

5 stars!

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

See, Lunella (the Moon, get it?) Lafayette is a tween genius who wants to change the world, who has the superhero gene but doesn’t want these superpowers which she can get through the (omnipresent Marvel) Terigen Mist so she needs an Omni-Wave Projector to supposedly prevent this, but guess what gets teleported from the past but a Red T Rex (Red? Come on, Stan!) which Lunella teams up with, which makes school an issue, natch, but on top of that The Killer-Folk savages also travel to NYC to destroy it. NP; all in a day's work for a tween kick ass girl genius.

I wanted to love this, get into it as a children’s graphic novel, at the very least, though it’s not for me any more than Squirrel Girl is, so consider the source in this review, but the mania in art and story might appeal to tweens. There’s no real story in this book (volume one) yet but who knows, it could be pretty good. Goofy premise, right? It revives an old lame Stan Lee/Marvel idea and makes it slightly better, maybe.

[Peter Derk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay! Representation!

#Science

#ScienceisUhmazing

#DiversityInComics

...

Have I gone far enough down that people can skip this review? The actual text?

Is it safe to post this as a summary of the book?


Truth be told this is not a 5-star book for me. But I recently learned a lesson about being a white dude who has feelings about comics that feature characters who are not white dudes. And that lesson is: don't.

Well, I SORTA learned my lesson. I now hide my feelings behind a 5-star rating and hashtags, writing them out below because I still have opinions, but I kind of think that when someone sees my stupid mug next to a low-star review of a book with a black female character, they tend to react strongly to that combo. So, I will bury my feelings deep within myself, several lines below the fold, for those intrepid readers willing to trudge on. #I'mDeadInside

The truth is, this is like a 2-star book for me. While it's a thumbs-up on the representation side, I can't really say there was much else I liked about it.

I think it's fair to give a book a thumbs-up for diversity and still talk about why it wasn't so good, and to rate it as a book. It's not the diverse aspects that drove me away from the book. I read the damn thing, and I wanted to enjoy it because, frankly, I thought it would be about a little girl with a giant, super dinosaur, and what's not to like about that?

A few things, it turns out.

Let's do it.

I think a lot of people would argue that this book is for kids, and that gives it a pass in terms of being enjoyable by adults. BUT, why then do we have Moon Boy (the original pal of Devil Dinosaur) BEATEN TO DEATH in the first issue? With blood and everything? That seems like an odd way to kick off what seems to be a fun, kid-oriented series, to me. There wasn't much else I found objectionable, content-wise, so why put that up front?

On the other hand, the content seems to be written as very affirmational towards a younger crowd:

"Fooling everyone was too easy. People see what they want to see. And most people never wanted to see me as anything but a normal little girl. But I have big ideas."

"Doing my best...Fitting in...Doing my best isn't fitting in."

There's a heavy amount of this type of internal monologuing. The tone of which smells, to me, of adults telling kids that they can be great and they can achieve, which they CAN, but the truth of the message isn't really done justice by the delivery. I feel like these moments really reveal the grownup behind the curtain and conflate good messages with good storytelling.

If I may, let's move away from this book for a second. There's this free comic online called Avengers: Saving the Day. It's about the Avengers learning how to use things like savings accounts.

Spider-Man: I can't believe how many different papers the bank uses!

While I think it's totally a good idea to have a savings account, I can't stand behind this comic as a good comic. Is it a good message? Yes. Is it good to take a shot at spreading the word about financial responsibility? Totally. Am I pissed off that someone made an attempt at putting a positive message into the world? No way! Should this comic be canonical and should Spider-Man now be educated on how to use a bank and never again run out of web fluid for financial reasons? Yes, for the love of god, yes.

But does all the goodness, does the intent make it a good comic? No. It's not a good comic. Avengers: Saving The Day is not a good comic. I'm VERY confident in this stance.

And that's how I feel about this volume, though without the confidence because of the other issues at play. It's got great intentions, representation and making kids feel empowered, but my feeling is it's not a great comic.

There's a lack of flow between the scenes and storylines. It feels really disjointed. There's almost no reason that Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur have teamed up, that I can tell. Moon Girl seems fairly non-plussed by a giant red dinosaur, and her parents are even LESS shocked, mostly concerned with her running around out of the house, not so much by the presence of an inexplicable, giant read dinosaur. Thugs capture a dinosaur and put him in a giant cage...in the back room of a museum? The dinosaur rampages through the city and just sort of gets away? Twice? There's a weird Amadeus Cho Hulk scene where I feel like all characters are very off-character (a teen supergenius patronizing a pre-teen supergenius? Wha? Why?). Moon Girl's genius seems to be expressed by making Inspector Gadget devices (count 'em. I count boxing glove thingie, mini helicopter, AND springs in the shoes. Go-Go-Gadget Copyright Infringement Suit!). I don't mean to make a laundry list, just to say that there were a lot of elements that didn't really click into place.

I don't mean to be overly hard on the book, and I don't endeavor to say this book or its message have no right to exist. It's just my opinion that it's not a super enjoyable book if you don't enjoy books by imagining the positive message they convey to young people. If I picture a young lady reading this and feeling good and positive and having a great time, then I feel like a dick for disliking this book. On the other hand, I don't think there are any science genius 9 year-old kids reading my comics reviews, and therefore they will never know I didn't dislike this book. If there are, if you're out there, give me a shoutout. In fact, if you're a science genius OR 9 years old, give me a shout.

Wait, scratch that. If you're 9, stop reading my reviews. And do not contact me on the internet or in person. Jesus Christ, where are your parents?

I think, overall, what I see happening in comics from time to time is something that happened in video games for a while. Video games wanted to be seen as legitimate art, but whenever issues of sexism or representation came out, when feminist critique of games grew more prevalent, these angles were cast off because, "Dude, it's just a game."

Many people wanted video games to be taken seriously, but only when it was beneficial to them. Only when it elevated games to the status of "art." Only when it was positive.

But when games started being critiqued as art and culture instead of as "just games," there was a lot of backpedaling.

This is something I've started to see in comics as of late.

"It's for a younger crowd, so it's not fair to criticize it."

"You're critiquing reality in a story in which people have superpowers."

"Ms. Marvel is the greatest thing ever and any opinion otherwise is objectively wrong."

Comics are an art. There's no doubt about it. And as an art, I think they're open to critique. Even when they're doing good things, they're still open to critique, as comics. The same way a video game that's just unplayable isn't a good game even if it has good goals and spreads a good word.

And as an art, the only way I know to critique comics currently is by delineating the objective and subjective. The only way I know how to talk about them without sounding like a monster is to do it this way:

Objectively, this comic fulfills the goals of bringing diverse representation to the world of mainstream comics in terms of race, age, and science-ness(?)

Subjectively, the experience wasn't enjoyable.

And overall, I would love to read something that fulfills the objective goals just the same or better while also being a better subjective experience.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are alot of comics out there these days that are dark & gloomy, dystopian really. The world is a scary, screwed up place. Yeah, we know that; thanks for the reminder. But this comic, Moon Girl ad Devil Dinosaur, isn't like that. This is a fun-filled, crazy ride through wish-fulfilling fantasy. Sure it's laughable and silly, but it's got a heart as big as ... The moon (or a giant red Devil Dinosaur take your pick).
Devil Dinosaur was never Jack Kirby's greatest creation (although I'm sure there are people who might want to argue that point), but as a long time fan of Kirby's work I must admit that I've read it, and enjoyed it. I would offer that it was inspired by his adaptation, and continuation, of 2001: A Space Odyssey (check out this The Weirdest Sci-Fi Comic Ever Made: Understanding Jack Kirby's 2001: A Space Odyssey for a fascinating examination of that kooky series), although it also features Kirby's adventurous breakneck pacing found in the pages of Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth Omnibus, Vol. 1. So when Marvel announced that there were rebooting Devil Dinosaur I was intrigued to say the least. I was horrified when they killed off Moonboy in the first issue (oops, spoiler) but then I suppose I should have know something like that would happen since the title is Moon Girl and ....
And, of course, the real heart and soul of this comic is Lunella Layfayette: our new Moon Girl. Yes, the very idea of trying to hide a giant red dinosaur in NYC is absurd, but then kids are always trying to do things that an adult would categorize as absurd. Lunella is a charming, inventive genius who knows that brains beat brawn every time and she proves it again and again. Sure doesn't have Tony Stark's experience or his resources, but given time she'll shake the pillars of heaven. So let's hope she doesn't get sucked into his fascist, one-percent, capitalist mindset. Lunella? You go girl! And she will, 'cuz Devil's got her back!

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Individual issue reviews: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6

Total review score: 2.67

What started out as a cute concept with a little girl and her dinosaur, turned into an absurdly illogical story with a main character that became more annoying with each additional issue.

I do want to know what'll happen in the next issue because they decided to play dirty and end with a huge cliffhanger.

I see what you did there, Marvel!

*shakes fist*

[nitya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for my MLIS elective

I know bits and pieces about the Marvel superheroes, mostly from the movies. My (lack of) pop culture knowledge aside, this was really fun and the artwork is top notch. It's lovely to see a smart, resourceful and spirited Black girl as the main character; this representation should be the norm.

I neeeeeeed the next volume now!

Content warning: bullying and some violence (nothing gory, but it's worth including)

[Scarlet Cameo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, I like Lunella and sometimes just want to say to her "shut up and listen" but that's not the correct way to go...but, overall, I want to know what the hell happen to her!!!!

I understand that she's not appealing for everyone, but I was kind of the freak at my school, so yeah! at some point, I an't relate to her and for me, is a likely character. tha part I did not enjoy is that Marvel try to put his famous characters in every new series to help the new character to "bright" a little.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. I know there used to be a Moon Boy and Devil Dinosaur comic book back in the day--mid to late 70's, specifically, a Jack Kirby title, no less. I never read it, but I knew enough to recognize this as a modern take on the concept. Turns out, it's something of a continuation of that title. Moon Boy himself even puts in an appearance.

So, Lunella Lafayette is a pre-teen genius. Like Tony Stark or Reed Richards level of genius. Her body contains Inhuman DNA, and she fears encountering the Terrigen mist, which could trigger a mutation. She’s in the process of tracking down an Omni-Wave Projector, believing she can use it to render herself immune to the mist’s effects. Meanwhile, in the distant past, the Killer-Folk happen to have an Omni-Wave Projector … When they are attacked by Moon Boy and Devil Dinosaur, it sets in motion a chain of events that result in the Projector, the Killer-Folk, and Devil Dinosaur all time travelling to the present, where Lunella and DD become fast friends …

Frankly, it's all more than a bit contrived. But, since the entire premise of the book demands a Moon Girl and a Devil Dinosaur running around present day New York, I suppose it's the best the team could come up with. I spent the entire book alternating between enjoying the goofy fun, and wishing that they could have put just a smidgen more effort into making the goofy fun more plausible. It wants to be a blend of comedy and action, something along the lines of classics like Captain Marvel (Shazam, not Kree. And definitely not "Split!") or Plastic Man or even E-Man (if this were the 1980’s, this book would be drawn by Joe Staton.) As such, it's not on a par with any of those titles, but it's decent fun. There are certainly worse comic books out there ...

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little book but not written for me. It's for the elementary age group or maybe teen, and it's pretty fun but I kind of got bored. Like Ms. Marvel or Squirrel girl I understand their appeal and think it's great for the targeting demographic but just not me. Still, a solid fun story is a solid story, 3 out of 5.

[Bogi Takács · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really troubled by this book in multiple ways. The art is truly wonderful! I thought the story was deeply problematic, and a good example of Marvel trying to introduce diversity by having white, majority writers tackle "diverse topics", instead of hiring diverse writers.

From the moment I saw the back cover, I was worried: "Lunella Lafayette is an INHUMAN PRETEEN GENIUS who wants to change the world!" (Emphasis not mine.) I am a Marvel reader, so I know Inhumans are an in-universe group, similar to mutants. But the word also has a prima facie dehumanizing meaning, and I don't think literally anyone involved with production thought that maybe branding a smart Black girl as INHUMAN on the cover was... not such a good idea. Especially since the target audience is little girls who might be new to all the Marvel terms...

Many spoilers follow:

Lunella is a Black preteen girl and a scientific genius. She knows she has the Inhuman genes, which have the potential of turning her into a being with strange powers if she gets caught in the Terrigen Cloud periodically released by aliens. (I confess right now I am not following many of the core Marvel titles any longer, so I'm a bit confused by this; but it's been a major theme recently.) Lunella does not want to transform and goes to great lengths to prevent it. She relies on her brains instead of her brawn (explicitly stated this way), to obtain a device that might "cure" (sic) her, but the device is snatched from her by her clueless white-dude PE teacher, and he opens a dimensional rift which sets loose a dinosaur and a bunch of (white-looking but hairy) cavemen on the world. Many adventures ensue.

A main theme of this volume is agency - Lunella is trying to show the very resistant world that despite her being a preteen girl with no superpowers, she is capable of doing various things, because she is smart and determined. This would be great, except.... the book's main point is that she fails. The story arc literally ends with her being caught in the Terrigen Cloud and starting her transformation, which she spent the entire book trying to prevent and going to great lengths to do so - even framing it in terms of agency: "I'm the boss of my own body. Nobody gets to tell anybody who or what they can and can't be." and then we see the entire universe responding to demonstrate that no, she CANNOT have that.

This very aggravating message appears consistently throughout the book in many scenes, so it's not just about this one plot cliffhanger that might or might not be subverted in the next volume. Lunella's mom lectures her with "There are some things in life you can't control." SOMEhow the white superheroes never have this talk. (Even the ones who struggle with controlling their powers generally find some device to help them, like Cyclops' glasses or Rogue's gloves, and are in a supportive environment where people help them control their powers. In a world full of superpowered beings, Lunella is on her own.) Then there is the Hulk cameo, where Hulk uses his brawn instead of his brains, brags about his intelligence, and lectures Lunella that she should not do any super-hero-y things. He is the representative of adult superheroes in the story, and in this role, all he has to say is basically a variant on Know Your Place. (We also see an example of divide and conquer tactics by having an Asian person deliver this, as Hulk in this continuity is Asian.) There are so many unfortunate racist implications scattered throughout this book, I can't even.

And sure, real life is a lot like that. I'm not Black, but as a minority person in my country of origin, I also had similar talks (a Marvel comic these days probably won't have anything even slightly negative about the police / the authorities, but some part of me was waiting for that to happen...). So yeah, I see that, as much as I can with a different cultural background; I don't claim to experience what it is like to be Black in the US.

But this is supposedly a cheerful superhero comic. Which is NOT supposed to be about showing the protagonist - and the reader who is supposed to identify with her - that the entire universe, the entire social and PHYSICAL universe is against her and that's Just The Way Things Are... and have her fail in the end. Sure, the system is biased against her. I wouldn't want to erase that, it could ring very false. But can't she just have her moment of triumph at the end? Can't she? In a superhero adventure comic, of all places?

And all that before we get to the IMO lesser problems, like having the cavepeople antagonists completely randomly start a gang. Because I guess that in the mind of the white comic writers, if there is a Black girl character, there must be gangs somehow, but she cannot join a gang, because that would be very obviously racist. So the less obviously racist (but IMO still racist) solution is to have the opponents randomly start a gang and then she can fight against them. (And yes, "cavepeople" is used as a racist insult the world over, and the cavepeople embody many of these racist tropes, down first to the ooga booga language and then the broken English. People not troubled by this were never called Neanderthals, I guess.) "How about no gangs" did not occur to anyone??? Because we are all supposed to assume that the inner city has gangs, I guess. *SIGH* If this is the extent of what occurs to the writers when trying to find something to drive the plot, I... well, I don't want to read their book, thank you.

I am really sad and upset. The topic of someone opting out of superpowers because they are distracting / useless / something else (like Science) is more important could have been fascinating, but even that did not happen. (I deeply dislike the Magical Cure trope, but approached from another angle, this conflict could have said some very important things about the ownership of one's body, dealing with unexpected body things happening, etc.) Alas, the writers literally could not give this much agency to the protagonist in her own series. Coming to think of it: is this some kind of awful metaphor for adolescence, too??


I am in the middle of moving and wanted to relax with a cheerful, fun adventure comic about a Black girl saving the day with the application of Science.

This is NOT that story; you have been warned.

[Damon · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is a waste of time reading this. You could be reading something good. There are so many good comics out there- don't be distracted by money making garbage.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Read as single issues]

Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur is probably the most adorable book you're not reading. Introducing Lunella Lafayette, a little girl with a huge brain, and a huge red dinosaur to boot, the character you're going to fall in love with the second you read this series.

Lunella knows she's an Inhuman, and she wants nothing to do with it. She's already weird, what with being super smart, and no one around her understands. And she thinks she can stop herself changing if she can get hold of the Kree Omni-Wave Generator, and then everything will be alright.

Until said Generator causes Devil Dinosaur and a horde of cavemen to arrive in the present, setting Lunella on a collision course with destiny, and yes, even the Terrigen Mists.

Lunella's such a lovely character, and she'll be an inspiration to all the little girls (and boys too, I expect) that don't feel like they fit in. She's younger than pretty much every other character in Marvel's super-stable, and yet here she is, fighting bad guys with her spring-powered boots and her giant dinosaur pal (who is so cute and yet so scary it's amazing). You really want her to succeed, and when the entire world wants the complete opposite for her, that makes it even sweeter when she does.

The artwork from Natascha Bustos is a huge factor, and the colours give the book an all-ages feel without making it something to easily dismiss. Bustos' art is gorgeously simple and yet very involved. The detail on Devil Dinosaur, the little fires in his eyes and especially his facial expressions make you want to give the big lug a hug, and protect Lunella from everything going wrong in her life.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is the type of diverse, inclusive, adorable book that Marvel seem to be trying to introduce into the racks. It might not break sales records, and it might not last particularly long, but it's a lovely, lovely book that anyone can enjoy, and a great gateway drug for younger readers into the Marvel Universe as a whole.

[Jim Ef · Rating 2 out of 5]

4.8/10
I was in the mood for something light and fun. This was on my radar for a while, so i decided it's the perfect time to finally read it.

Unfortunately it's more miss than hit for me. The biggest issue is the main character. It's hardly the first time we see a genius kid that nobody can understand. If done right, it can work. You should see their brilliance, yet at the same time they should come across like a likeable or relatable. Here she is mostly annoying. There are some moments that make you like her more, but enough to actually care. Devil dinosaur is cool.

The writing overall, i found to be not great. A lot of the dialogue doesn't feel natural and some things are questionable to say the least. Hiding a huge dinosaur underneath your school for example. The main concept is not bad. Usually you have protagonists that want a change and to get powers. Here we have someone who likes who they are and don't want to change. It's the execution i have issues with.

When it comes to art, i have no complaints here. It's cartoony but just enough to also feel like a Marvel superhero book. The colours are nice and vibrant.

I'm definitely not the target audience, so maybe
younger readers will enjoy this one more. Although i didn't love this one, i am thinking of reading the next volume. Maybe it will be less self centered and you can see a different Moon Girl.

[Tar Buendía · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vamos a ver, esto es precioso.

Desde las dudas de Lunella, su deseo por ser entendida, el impresionante color de Tamra Bonvillain hasta el dibujo PERFECTO de Natacha Bustos.

Tierno, ligero y llega al corazoncito. Me hubiera encantado tener este tebeo de pequeña. Además me encanta el detalle de que la protagonista pueda molar vistiendo así.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little all ages comic with some amazing character designs, brilliant colours and dynamic artwork. It's really good to see more diverse representation in comics, and as a white dude who only got into comics when they stopped being quite so white and masculine, I appreciate this, and can only imagine how much more that feeling must be amplified for anyone non-white and non-male. This could have come off as a token gesture but instead they've given us a main character who's well fleshed-out and endearing. She's fierce and determined, but also overly smart to the point where it's somewhat of a flaw. Combined with her great facial expressions, nerdy affectations, and natural look it makes for a very likeable new character. There's a few problems in that a wider knowledge of other Marvel events might have been more useful when reading, and also the dinosaur seems to be an inconsistent size, adjusting depending on what the situation requires. That said, if you're worrying about details like that in a story with time travel, weird mists, superheroes, and the aforementioned giant red dinosaur, you probably shouldn't bother with any Marvel stories at all. I'm not sure it's a comic I'll keep up with, but I love that Marvel are broadening their range of characters to be more inclusive and appeal to more than just white boys, and the kid in me loves the combination of science, dinosaurs and bright chunky artwork. I'm glad this exists and I hope to see more like it in the future.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was my favourite comic out of all the ones i've read so far!

i loved Lunella as a protagonist because she was so fierce and strong, she believed in herself and her abilities and didn't let people speak down on her even though she's only 9 (??) years old. i also think she's adorable and I LOVE that little kids, especially black girls, look up to her and dress up as Moon Girl for Halloween and Comic Con and stuff, it makes my heart so happy :')

i also liked the pacing. usually comics or graphic novels are a hit or miss for me because either the action and plot drags on for ages and it bores me, or it all happens way too fast. this one, however, had perfect pacing!

if comic weren't so expensive, i'd definitely purchase the next volumes to continue reading this series because this was very fun and entertaining!

[Travis Duke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts off as a fun story but rapidly becomes a bit annoying and boring. Moon girl is an inhuman waiting for transformation, rather fighting against it, and boy does she fight against it. I wish I was joking but Moon girl is willing to terrorize the city and her parents just to stop herself from becoming a full fledged inhuman. By chance she meets devil dinosaur who is teleported from another time and what better sidekick to cause havoc than a dinosaur. I know my review sounds harsh it is actually a kid friendly book and I am sure younger people would like it (waves cane around in a flurry). However I wasn't a fan of moon girl and the story is rather weak so I think I am done with moon girl for now.

[Wealhtheow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Lunella Lafayette from the very first page, where she's hiding under the covers inventing and then is almost late to school. I love how unapologetically intelligent and confident she is. Her complicated relationship with her parents, troubled interactions with her peers and teachers, and unexpected alliance with Devil Dinosaur all felt realistic and earned. And I loved that even though she's a super genius, her inventions are still clearly made by a kid, like her weaponized bop-it.

The art is exuberant, with personality, color, and action bursting off every page. I super loved this.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun introduction to a smart headstrong girl and a dinosaur.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insanely cute. Highly recommended.

I get a lot of entertainment/irritation out of some reviews. One gave this one star and most of the text is about how Lunella mistakes the scientific meaning of the word "theory". Took the reviewer right out of the story. Not the nine-year-old potential Inhuman fighting a hypersmart caveman street gang alongside a red semi-intelligent dinosaur that time-traveled from the past. That part was totally believable.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute comic. Not the best as it got jumbled up in several places and lost my interest. But I definitely enjoyed our main character and I really really enjoyed the artwork. I can understand why she was so afraid of the terrigan cloud now and I'm interested in seeing where the author takes this in the next volume.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story. Good thing I'm caught up on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or I might have been a little lost about the Inhumans and the terrigen mist. (Sorry, Marvel universe, if there was a cooler way I was supposed to get that info)
Fun start to a new series-I'm on board for the next installment!

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is a fun read. It's quirky, lighthearted, and manages an engaging story at the same time. The art fits, and I like a lot of what this volume does. It requires the reader to just kind of go with it a little more than some comics, but the end result is worth it.

[Karissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this graphic novel up at my son's school book fair. While some of the concepts were interesting, I thought this was a pretty mediocre graphic novel overall.

I like the concept behind this book but I couldn’t help feeling it was trying too hard to provide us a politically correct and unique superhero. Lunella just happens to African American, female, and really into science and inventing. Lunella is the kind of heroine I love, but it just seemed like her whole demographic was really pushed a bit too hard.

Additionally the dialogue throughout is incredibly poorly done and awkward sounding. At times the frames were be hard to follow. There are also some issues with consistency where characters aren’t where they were a frame ago, stuff like that.

My 9 year old son (who generally loves comics and graphic novels) read this and when I asked him how it was shrugged and said “It was okay I guess, it’s not very well written”. He liked Moon Girl’s final crime-fighting outfit and some of her inventions but generally thought it was poorly done..so we both agreed on that.

Overall this is an okay graphic novel. I liked the concept and the idea of a young mad scientist type of girl out to save the world. However at points it seemed like the book was pushing the concept too hard. Additionally it was just poorly done both from a writing and illustration standpoint. I sadly won’t be reading any more of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. This is one I wanted to love but it just didn’t quite deliver.

[Renay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been pulling this comic from the beginning to support it, BUT I think it really works better as a collected volume (always my problem with issue comics so it's not this comic in particular, it's just the type of reading I am). This is the traditional-loner genius story, except the friend Lunella makes is a giant, time-traveling red dinosaur from the past.

On the surface it's a pretty light comic with lots of homegrown superhero action (I love all Lunella's inventions), but it has some interesting stuff going on about personal agency, how little control you can have over your life and choices when the people with power don't listen, and pretending to be one thing to please other people and how untenable it is when you just want to be yourself without apology. I'm kind of sad it's not being read more widely according to numbers I've seen of the issue sales. It would be a great middle grade comic especially for people who like kid inventors.

This volume sure does end on a cliffhanger, though; I read issues 6 and 7 together and I'm glad. I would have croaked. XD

Fangirl Happy Hour discussion: http://www.fangirlhappyhour.com/2016/...

[Des Fox · Rating 1 out of 5]

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is an incredible waste of your time and money. Bustos' charming artwork is the one bright spot in what is otherwise an inane, illogical, meandering waste of energy, and the worst comic book I've personally read in years. I was pretty stoked for the launch of this one too, being a fan of Rocket Girl, and excited at Marvel's exponential investment in character diversity. Moon Girl is unfortunately full of bad logic and nonsensical consequences, reading more like poorly researched fan-fiction than anything that should ever be produced on a professional level. After a whole trade of eye-rolling nonsense, the book even has the gall to end on a totally deflating cliffhanger, offering zero resolution to any of the book's poorly connected story.

This book is SO bad, and I cannot think of a reason in the world why I would recommend it to anyone. Easily the most regrettable purchase I've made in years.