Max has the powers of every princess ever . . . too bad she just wants to be a detective.
Budding detective or princess in training? These are just a few of the questions Princess Maxine Titan must ask herself on her tenth birthday. See, turning ten is the very important day when every princess meets her very own fairy godmother and receives a special gift. When Max is bestowed with the powers of every princess in the known universe she longs to reject this clichéd royal convention and follow in the footsteps of her greatest heroes: Philip Marlowe! Sherlock Holmes! Miss Marple! Poor Max fears her detective career may end before it starts, that is, until her baby brother is kidnapped...
Written by Kelly Thomspon (Jem and the Holograms) and illustrated by Brianne Drouhard (Harpy Gee), Mega Princess follows Max and her trusted steed Justine (aka “jerk pony”), as they navigate strange new powers, wonderous lands, and their own conflicted friendship in an journey to find out who took Prince Bobs and what greater forces are at play in the kingdom.
KELLY THOMPSON has a degree in Sequential Art from The Savannah College of Art & Design. Her love of comics and superheroes have compelled her since she first discovered them as a teenager. Currently living in Portland, Oregon with her boyfriend and the two brilliant cats that run their lives, you can find Kelly all over the Internet where she is generally well liked, except where she's detested.
Kelly has published two novels - THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE KING (2012) and STORYKILLER (2014) and the graphic novel HEART IN A BOX from Dark Horse Comics (2015). She's currently writing ROGUE & GAMBIT, HAWKEYE, and PHASMA for Marvel Comics and GHOSTBUSTERS for IDW. Other major credits include: A-Force, Captain Marvel & The Carol Corps, Jem and The Holograms, Misfits, Power Rangers Pink, and the creator-owned mini-series Mega Princess.
Kelly's ambitions are eclipsed only by her desire to exist entirely in pajamas. Fortunately pajamas and writers go hand in hand (most of the time). Please buy all her stuff so that she can buy (and wear) more pajamas.
Fun graphic novel about a biracial princess named Max whose fairy godmother gives her the powers of princesses everywhere. All the powers. Which is kind of disappointing, since what Max really wants is to be a detective, not some kind of super-princess. When Max's baby brother disappears, though, it's the combination of detective skills and princess powers that helps on her quest to find and save him. The fairy tale and other princess references are satisfying for those in the know, and you've got girl power and a talking pony - what more could you need?
Cute enough even if written for very young readers. Mega Princess has the powers of all the princesses ever, so it was sort of fun to work out which fairy tale princess would have the appropriate power to solve the current crisis. And I liked seeing the riddle of the river crossing with a fox, chicken and sack of grain presented and solved as part of the story.
All Max wants to be is a detective. But when you are a princess, well that just doesn't work out in everyone else's eyes. As a princess, Max is expected to do princess things, not run around solving mysteries. Even when her fairy godmother shows up, does she gain any useful powers, well she certainly doesn't think so, at least at the beginning. However, when her little brother, and all other princes across the kingdoms are kidnapped, Max has the chance to discover how, with a little bit of out-of-the-box-thinking, useful princess powers can be. Thus, Mega Princess, and Mega Pony (Max's magically armoured stead) are born. Mega Princess is a delightful and funny all-ages graphic novel that lets children know that they don't have to be limited by the "role" that they are born into. They can be what they want, and they can even reconcile both sides of their life as long as they keep their minds open. Problems in this story are also often resolved by working with others, listening, and thinking things through. It overall has a very positive tone. This is only supported by the sweet-looking character designs (Max is adorable and a bit cheeky with her gap-toothed grin), and the colourful presentation. Mega Princess is another great comic in the growing line of comics that show that being a princess (aka a girl) does not necessarily mean that you have to be passive. Being a princess means that you get to be cool, and have your own adventures!
One of the blurbs touts this as being for people who loved Kate Beaton's The Princess and the Pony, between which and Kelly Thompson as writer, I was sold. Alas, I didn't entirely agree; obviously this is super-subjective, but for me Drouhard's art doesn't have that same instant handle on cute which Beaton managed there. She does, however, have a real gift for sarcastic expressions and nonplussed reaction shots, and it's when the story leans into these that it comes most alive. Fortunately, there's plenty of opportunity for that in the story of a young princess who would much rather be a detective, even if she's a bit hazy on the specifics of how that works, and who on her tenth birthday gets the combined powers of all princesses from a deeply unprofessional fairy godmother. (Yes, I also wondered how widely 'all princesses' was drawn. This world seems to have the same films we know, and the same fairytales, from which most of the powers we see derive. But one of Max's first thoughts is super-strength, which doesn't work, so clearly She-Ra isn't counted for these purposes. Since it's not a Marvel book, Leia and Shuri would presumably present legal difficulties, but what about the various princesses of Adventure Time, whose comics are also published by Boom, and which is a good guide to the general vibe of these adventures? We just don't know)
This young princess wants to be a detective, but her fairy godmother gives her all the princess powers. Because that's what she is, right? A princess! So she gets the powers of every princess! She's a princess omnibus! A composite princess! So when her brother goes missing she decides to use the princess powers to be the detective she wants to be- alongside her pony who has magic battle armour or whatever. It's cute! It's silly but it's fun. The main character, Max, can get obnoxious sometimes, but her pony Justine is cool. And I like that we get a biracial family at the heart of the story.
SUPER CUTE. I loved all the different kingdoms and that Max really wants to be a detective. It's a very gentle read, and would be perfect to introduce a kid to graphic novels.
This is an absolutely adorable comic, if you like Kate Beaton's Princess and The Pony you'll love this. The art and coloring are fantastic, the book feels so alive and animated.
Summary: This graphic novel is about a powerful princess who desires to be a detective. When her younger brother is kidnapped and she goes on a journey to find him, she has the opportunity to use both her royal and detective abilities.
Characteristics that Support the Genre: This book is considered a graphic novel because it combines words and pictures and is written in the style of a comic book.
Mentor Writing Traits: I would use this book as a mentor text to teach the writing trait of voice because the author uses a fresh, fluid voice to imaginatively portray the characters and settings in animation-influenced words and pictures.
Classroom Integration: This book would be an excellent independent reading choice for a student who enjoys comic books or princess stories or who benefits from illustrations.
An adorable adventure story filled with humor, suspense, and mystery. This is a great graphic novel. Written as a classic mystery story, with plenty of misdirection, this book takes the princess trope and turns it on its head. A sleuthing princess, an evil queen who isn't all bad, and a punk rock fairy godmother named Amber- this book is pretty amazing.
Loved the illustrations. They are all very cute.
I also fell in love with the characters at first sight. Max and Justine (a.k.a. Jerk Pony, a.k.a. Mega Pony) are hilarious and sassy. I loved their budding friendship. Equipped with Max's super sleuthing skills and magical princess powers and Justine's awesome technology and sarcasm, this is an unbeatable (and lovable) team!
Ten-year-old Princess Maxine wants to be a detective. But, as an heir to the throne of Titan, her royal duties come first. Moments before her birthday celebration, Maxine receives a visit from her new fairy Godmother, Amber. Amber gives Maxine magical powers, such as being able to understand and communicate with her pony, Justine, but Amber leaves Maxine with some cryptic advice. When the princess's little brother, Bobs, is kidnapped, the whole kingdom panics. Maxine enlists the help of Justine, and the two of them set out to find the young prince. Will Maxine's detective skills help her solve the case of the kidnapping, or is there more danger than both she and Justine can handle? Read this amazing, adventure-packed graphic novel to find out!
Picked this up to read on my lunch as it was a SLJ Top 10 of the Year pick.
A cute, fun and quick tale. Main character Max was pretty bratty and obnoxious to start, but she grew as a character over the course of the book and by the end was a lot more likable. Same thing for Justine (the pony). I would have liked to see them cooperate more with other characters (like the other princess who was only there a couple pages). Readers will easily recognize the variety of fairy tale tropes that are rampant here and probably enjoy the fun that is poked at them.
Enjoyable and something I will definitely hand out once I have already gone through my favorite recs.
This was so much fun, I’m a little disappointed I waited so long to read it. In a way it reminds me of I Hate Fairyland, but this one you could read with your kids. A sassy princess does not want to be a princess but wants to be a detective. She just had her 10th birthday where her fairy godmother gifted her with all princesses powers. And she will need them all to find and rescue her baby brother Bobs. All ages would enjoy this books, and yes in some areas it feels like its written for 10 year olds (because it is) but that doesn’t matter. It’s a fun and sassy adventure for all. +16 #TBRread
Miss 7 really enjoyed this. A heroine with a sarcastic pony with awesome powers; a fairy godmother who looks 'teenage street cool'; a princess who wants to be a detective and ends up adventuring, rescuing princes, and using her newly acquired magical princess powers to be kickass. Miss 7 is very disappointed that there are not more Mega Princess books.
Miss 7 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.
A slow start leads to a fun finish in this charming graphic novel about a princess who wants nothing more than to be a great detective. We have all of the great fairy tale tropes including evil queens, fairy godmothers, powers, magic ponies, warring kingdoms, etc. rolled into one story about Mega Princess Max, her Mega Pony Justine, and their detective quest to find Max's brother and all the other kidnapped princes.
A fun and cute kid's fantasy graphic novel about a princess who is smart, kind, brave, and doesn't need any help from a prince to save the day.
This was a fun book and light in nature. Great for a child that likes princesses and wants to also get a little bit of adventure thrown in. The kid nature does feel a little forced and cliched at parts of the story. It is also very predictable plot wise, but understand this is coming from someone that is obviously not the intended age range of the collection. For that age range, parents, I would recommend this title x1000. For adults though, probably best to hand it off to a kid in your family. They will get more from it.
Issues 1-5 of Mega Princess comic have been published together in this charming graphic novel for children. I appreciated a few subtle details and the cute graphics. Mega Princess wants to be a detective (or, really, anything other than a typical princess) and when her brother goes missing, she gets seizes the opportunity. A touch of magic and a grumpy pony complete the story!
I recommend this cute graphic novel for libraries serving children ages 8-10.
Age: 2nd-4th grade Fairytale: Princesses Identity of Protagonist: Unidentified mixed (black hair, brown skin) Identity of Colorist: Argentinian
Fantasy and mystery intertwine in this graphic novel about Max, an aspiring sleuth who also happens to be a princess graced with the powers of all the famous princesses. Her pony sidekick has the annoyingly humorous personality of Garfield which adds some fun banter between him and Max.
Maxine is a princess but really wants to be a detective. When her little brother goes missing, she finally gets the chance to use her skills. The characters are loveable, there is a lot of fun in there and the language gives it a additional edge. Nice illustrations too. I would recommend to all ages, adults and kids alike. Reading level more or less 7+.
An adorable story about Max, a biracial princess who just wants to be a detective instead. The story is heavy on the theme of not judging others and not giving up, but in a funny & heartwarming way that is not preachy. I loved the Todd character! There are so many little side characters that are hilarious & adorable that you will fall in love with.
Budding detective and princess Maxine I turns 10, gets a wild gift from her kooky fairy godmother and goes on a mission to rescue her kidnapped baby brother, with trusty/bitchy pony Justine at her side. Hilarious, charming, adorable, fun, with wonderful art and colors. I laughed a lot.
A hilarious examination of what a princess is and what a princess can be. The expressions in this comic are great, and because it's not as well known as many of the other comics it's a great one to recommend to kids looking for new comics.
Very young, very cute, a good introduction to graphic novels for those in chapter books. You do get a bit of character development and fighting assumptions on all sides. Much simpler, but sense of humor wise it probably would be good for phoebe and her unicorn fans and vice versa.
A fantastic, fun-filled story about a princess who breaks all the stereotypes. I loved all the nods to the film noir/detective genre and how Max used the skills of traditional fairytale princesses to solve the case and rescue her brother.
Bayıldım! İyi ki şans vermişim. Çocuk kitaplarını seviyorum. DC Zoom ve Ink serileri için heyecanlı olma sebebim de bu. Umarım böyle eğlenceli, sivri bir zeka ve ince mizahla yazılmış eserler okuruz. Kelly Thompson'ın ne kadar iyi bir yazar olduğunu zaten biliyordum, güvenim perçilenmiş oldu.