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Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur: Digest Size Collection #1
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur: The Beginning
Lunella Lafayette is a 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. Just when she thinks she's found a solution, Lunella's life is turned upside down when a red-scaled beast is teleported from the prehistoric past to a far-fl ung future we call…today! Together they're the most Marvelous Team-Up of all - Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur! But will they be BFFs forever, or just until DD's dinner time? When the Terrigen Cloud fi nally finds Luna Lafayette, her transformation isn't what you might expect! The most wanted T. rex in NYC is running out of places to lie low - a problem that won't get any easier when our darling duo undergo a body swap! It's a big change-up that will see Luna spending a freaky Friday (or whatever day it happens to be) as Devil Dinosaur, and vice versa! Luna's got a huge future in the Marvel Universe, if only she can survive the present! Collects Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1-12.
288 pages, Paperback
Published February 5, 2019
18 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Amy Reeder
143 books114 followersAmy Reeder is an American comic artist known for her work on titles such as Fool's Gold, Madame Xanadu, and Batwoman.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
July 29, 2020
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur have two fun, light-hearted adventures in this collection. The first is against a team of time traveling cavemen (Cavepeople? One of them is a woman.). The second is against Kid Kree, a child rival from the Kree Empire and perhaps a bit more. The art is beautiful. I particularly like the facial expressions on Devil Dinosaur. He's like a big puppy! The one thing that could make this better would be a bit more action.
November 1, 2019
this was SO MUCH FUN.
my nine year old self (who could only dream of being as badass a lunella) is quaking.
my nine year old self (who could only dream of being as badass a lunella) is quaking.
October 1, 2019
This contains Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Vol. 1: BFF and Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Vol. 2: Cosmic Cooties. I've reviewed those volumes individually & accidentally picked this up in the hopes that it was a volume I hadn't read yet.
What IS new is this tome also contains the first adventure for Marvel Rising , a team up between Squirrel Girl and Ms. Marvel! I'm definitely excited & can't wait to read the first volume!
What IS new is this tome also contains the first adventure for Marvel Rising , a team up between Squirrel Girl and Ms. Marvel! I'm definitely excited & can't wait to read the first volume!
April 14, 2020
A really charming new comic book series, Moon Girl is a fantastic heroine and I want a Devil Dinosaur of my own! (7+)
*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. Please do not use it in any marketing material, online or in print, without asking permission from me first. Thank you!*
*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. Please do not use it in any marketing material, online or in print, without asking permission from me first. Thank you!*
October 5, 2019
This review will deal with: 1) How I feel about the narrative quality and pathos (spoiler-free!); 2) How I feel about it as a comic (in the context of comics as a format, and within Marvel), and finally 3) How I feel this book would be suited to kids!
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is a book I’d been dying to pick up for ages, both because of its quiet hype in my favourite pop culture circles, and because I adore colourist Tamra Bonvillain’s work - her work on Gerard Way’s Doom Patrol run is stunning, and in Moon Girl she definitely delivers that same look and feel I expect from her!
My expectations are generally... shall we say, “tempered” when it comes to Marvel books (in comparison to smaller publishers or independent press) since even some of my favourites tend to be kind of cheesy and weird with pacing, but this was one of the books I can’t help but find charming! Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is a sort of buddy cop-ish story about nine-year-old super genius Lunella Lafayette, who longs to change the world, who yearns to be recognised for her accomplishments and potential, and who strives to ‘cure’ her inhuman gene - and the story also follows the giant dinosaur summoned to the present day by ancient Kree tech, who worms his way into Lunella’s life and becomes the closest thing she has to a friend.
Lunella’s race to undo her Inhuman gene before terrigenesis awakens it provides a genuine unexpected sense of stakes in this book, since until now, when reading Marvel content, I’d never really considered the Terrigen cloud as something one would dread happening, but something that just... occurs. And seeing it be used as a source of fear for Lunella was really fascinating to me.
The friendship between Lunella and Devil Dino feels genuinely quite sweet, even though the pacing can feel a bit janky between the times when he’s her closest friend, and the times when she hates him. I feel this does have a couple of justifications though, one being that nine-year-olds really ARE just like that (and, not to rag on other reviewers, but seeing the reviews under the individual volumes, it really looks like people forget she’s... not supposed to be written as a mature adult). Another justification being that there are time jumps between some scenes, and also just the general industry issues with the American monthly serial issue publishing format. The way mainstream American comic publishing is structured generally leads to jolty pacing because of the constrictive page-per-issue limit, the way story arcs have to be structured, and the fact that many writers at major studios fear they have to jam in as much story as they want to get with this character before they risk their series being ended and their rights to writing the character being revoked.
Something I liked about Lunella was that she’s framed by the narrative as Good, and she IS good at heart, but she’s also very mean sometimes, and her mean actions don’t negate the good she does - instead they offer her a source of growth, especially for future volumes. I feel like that’s something rare for girl characters, especially in fandom-driven pop culture mediums, where they often risk audience backlash if they don’t start out as perfect or near-perfect people, and it’s especially great to see in a character of colour.
I think it also does a great job (as great as a mainstream corp’s cape comic can do) of giving insight into how Messy ‘gifted children’ can be emotionally, especially in environments where they are bullied and/or have their potential stifled. As someone who grew up at times feeling my worth was tied to my ‘smartness’ I can attest that I was both bullied and was also kinda mean sometimes! All kids are mean at least sometimes! And I also look back regretting how much time I didn’t spend with other kids - meaning I can see this book from both Lunella and her parents’ perspectives, while also seeing flaws in both parties. Her parents struggle to understand her, while she also struggles to understand the world in general, and feels isolated by it, and the writing and art work together in a way that does frame both sides as empathetic. It’s why I feel some negative reviews (mainly on the individual volumes this book collects) that specifically attack her character are a bit unfair in their expectations of... a kid... in a book for kids...
I will say that one of my main format criticisms was that there’s a double-page spread in nearly every issue, which doesn’t read well in a thick book like this that heavily curves inwards towards the spine when open (you sometimes can’t see whether the panels are connected between adjacent pages or if they break), and I had to reread over those spreads every time when i realised the panel reading order too late. Thankfully, it’s not too clunky, and usually doesn’t affect the reading experience too much even if it’s read wrong.
Overall, honestly this was a very cute, fun, campy, and light-hearted book that I really enjoyed reading very much, and think would be really fun for kids and teens, especially young girls who think Doing Science is cool! There’s a quote from a famous scientist at the beginning of every issue (usually women scientists), so it would make a nice jumping point to help kids research these name-dropped scientists for themselves, with some encouragement! I think it would work well for fans of Miss Marvel, Squirrel Girl, and similar fare, and I’d also co-recommend it with books like The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day by Christopher Edge, other specific Marvel comics like The Unstoppable Wasp: G.I.R.L. Power, and films like A Wrinkle In Time*! If you’re looking for a book for a curious young person in your life, or for yourself if you like the other comics I mentioned, this may be a good fit for you!
*I haven’t read the A Wrinkle In Time book, and can’t yet recommend it!
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is a book I’d been dying to pick up for ages, both because of its quiet hype in my favourite pop culture circles, and because I adore colourist Tamra Bonvillain’s work - her work on Gerard Way’s Doom Patrol run is stunning, and in Moon Girl she definitely delivers that same look and feel I expect from her!
My expectations are generally... shall we say, “tempered” when it comes to Marvel books (in comparison to smaller publishers or independent press) since even some of my favourites tend to be kind of cheesy and weird with pacing, but this was one of the books I can’t help but find charming! Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is a sort of buddy cop-ish story about nine-year-old super genius Lunella Lafayette, who longs to change the world, who yearns to be recognised for her accomplishments and potential, and who strives to ‘cure’ her inhuman gene - and the story also follows the giant dinosaur summoned to the present day by ancient Kree tech, who worms his way into Lunella’s life and becomes the closest thing she has to a friend.
Lunella’s race to undo her Inhuman gene before terrigenesis awakens it provides a genuine unexpected sense of stakes in this book, since until now, when reading Marvel content, I’d never really considered the Terrigen cloud as something one would dread happening, but something that just... occurs. And seeing it be used as a source of fear for Lunella was really fascinating to me.
The friendship between Lunella and Devil Dino feels genuinely quite sweet, even though the pacing can feel a bit janky between the times when he’s her closest friend, and the times when she hates him. I feel this does have a couple of justifications though, one being that nine-year-olds really ARE just like that (and, not to rag on other reviewers, but seeing the reviews under the individual volumes, it really looks like people forget she’s... not supposed to be written as a mature adult). Another justification being that there are time jumps between some scenes, and also just the general industry issues with the American monthly serial issue publishing format. The way mainstream American comic publishing is structured generally leads to jolty pacing because of the constrictive page-per-issue limit, the way story arcs have to be structured, and the fact that many writers at major studios fear they have to jam in as much story as they want to get with this character before they risk their series being ended and their rights to writing the character being revoked.
Something I liked about Lunella was that she’s framed by the narrative as Good, and she IS good at heart, but she’s also very mean sometimes, and her mean actions don’t negate the good she does - instead they offer her a source of growth, especially for future volumes. I feel like that’s something rare for girl characters, especially in fandom-driven pop culture mediums, where they often risk audience backlash if they don’t start out as perfect or near-perfect people, and it’s especially great to see in a character of colour.
I think it also does a great job (as great as a mainstream corp’s cape comic can do) of giving insight into how Messy ‘gifted children’ can be emotionally, especially in environments where they are bullied and/or have their potential stifled. As someone who grew up at times feeling my worth was tied to my ‘smartness’ I can attest that I was both bullied and was also kinda mean sometimes! All kids are mean at least sometimes! And I also look back regretting how much time I didn’t spend with other kids - meaning I can see this book from both Lunella and her parents’ perspectives, while also seeing flaws in both parties. Her parents struggle to understand her, while she also struggles to understand the world in general, and feels isolated by it, and the writing and art work together in a way that does frame both sides as empathetic. It’s why I feel some negative reviews (mainly on the individual volumes this book collects) that specifically attack her character are a bit unfair in their expectations of... a kid... in a book for kids...
I will say that one of my main format criticisms was that there’s a double-page spread in nearly every issue, which doesn’t read well in a thick book like this that heavily curves inwards towards the spine when open (you sometimes can’t see whether the panels are connected between adjacent pages or if they break), and I had to reread over those spreads every time when i realised the panel reading order too late. Thankfully, it’s not too clunky, and usually doesn’t affect the reading experience too much even if it’s read wrong.
Overall, honestly this was a very cute, fun, campy, and light-hearted book that I really enjoyed reading very much, and think would be really fun for kids and teens, especially young girls who think Doing Science is cool! There’s a quote from a famous scientist at the beginning of every issue (usually women scientists), so it would make a nice jumping point to help kids research these name-dropped scientists for themselves, with some encouragement! I think it would work well for fans of Miss Marvel, Squirrel Girl, and similar fare, and I’d also co-recommend it with books like The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day by Christopher Edge, other specific Marvel comics like The Unstoppable Wasp: G.I.R.L. Power, and films like A Wrinkle In Time*! If you’re looking for a book for a curious young person in your life, or for yourself if you like the other comics I mentioned, this may be a good fit for you!
*I haven’t read the A Wrinkle In Time book, and can’t yet recommend it!
September 6, 2019
Collects editions 1 to 12. Each 1-6 & 7-12 is its own story arch, but you should start with first six as the second arch starts where the first arch ends. Having some Marvel Universe knowledge helps.
March 18, 2022
Dieser Comic war genau das, was ich brauchte, ohne dass ich aber wusste, dass es genau das war. Der Humor ist klasse, die Story packend und spannend – und zugleich gab es auf den einzelnen Seiten und Bildern so viel zu entdecken, dass ich gar nicht so schnell durch den Comic geflogen bin, wie es sich anfühlte.
Auch der Charakter von Lunella Lafayette – aka Moon Girl – ist einfach klasse. Eine toughe Neunjährige, die nicht nur einen riesigen, furchteinflößenden Dino mit flammenden Augen zurechtweisen kann, sondern auch dem Hulk eine Ansage macht … Und das alles auf eine herrlich süß-freche Art, die mich immer wieder zum Lachen gebracht hat. Und trotz dass es auch um ganz normale Probleme einer Heranwachsenden geht, ist die Handlung zugleich alles andere als kindlich und langweilig. Vor allem, da es die »ganz normalen« Probleme einer Neunjährigen, die zugleich die intelligenteste Person auf diesem ganzen Planeten und ein Inhuman ist, sind.
Der Stil des Comics war nicht sonderlich besonders, sondern eben ein schicker, moderner und gängiger Marvel-Stil, wie ich ihn nicht anders erwartet hatte. An manchen Stellen kamen ein paar cartoonige Elemente dazu, die vor allem beim vereinfachten Hintergrund auffielen. Das passte super zum gesamten Konzept von Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.
Alles in allem einfach nur ein toller, spannender und zugleich einfach lebensfroher Comic, von dem ich mir die Fortsetzungen direkt bestellen musste, kaum hatte ich die letzte Seite gelesen
Auch der Charakter von Lunella Lafayette – aka Moon Girl – ist einfach klasse. Eine toughe Neunjährige, die nicht nur einen riesigen, furchteinflößenden Dino mit flammenden Augen zurechtweisen kann, sondern auch dem Hulk eine Ansage macht … Und das alles auf eine herrlich süß-freche Art, die mich immer wieder zum Lachen gebracht hat. Und trotz dass es auch um ganz normale Probleme einer Heranwachsenden geht, ist die Handlung zugleich alles andere als kindlich und langweilig. Vor allem, da es die »ganz normalen« Probleme einer Neunjährigen, die zugleich die intelligenteste Person auf diesem ganzen Planeten und ein Inhuman ist, sind.
Der Stil des Comics war nicht sonderlich besonders, sondern eben ein schicker, moderner und gängiger Marvel-Stil, wie ich ihn nicht anders erwartet hatte. An manchen Stellen kamen ein paar cartoonige Elemente dazu, die vor allem beim vereinfachten Hintergrund auffielen. Das passte super zum gesamten Konzept von Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.
Alles in allem einfach nur ein toller, spannender und zugleich einfach lebensfroher Comic, von dem ich mir die Fortsetzungen direkt bestellen musste, kaum hatte ich die letzte Seite gelesen
May 11, 2021
BFF (#1-6). A light and charming book, with two main characters who are a joy to meet. Never has Devil Dinosaur been cuter and Moon Girl is awesome. This book is also one of the few to make good use of Marvel's temporary obsession with the Inhumans: MG+DD uses the threat of Terrigen Mist as a metaphor for the fear of the changes of puberty. This book is a bit too decompressed for its own good, with the story getting a bit repetitive over its six issues as a result, but otherwise, this is a joyful read [4/5].
Cosmic Cooties (#7-12). This continues to be a light-hearted but shallow book. It doesn't have quite the joy of the first book, perhaps because there's no evolution in the depiction of the two main characters. But oh my, does Reeder lean into the metaphor of terrigenesis as puberty, as it turns Moon Girl into an uncontrollable, raging monster. The main plot, about Kid Kree isn't that interesting until the last issue or so, and it has the same problem of the last volume of being quite decompressed. [3+/5]
Cosmic Cooties (#7-12). This continues to be a light-hearted but shallow book. It doesn't have quite the joy of the first book, perhaps because there's no evolution in the depiction of the two main characters. But oh my, does Reeder lean into the metaphor of terrigenesis as puberty, as it turns Moon Girl into an uncontrollable, raging monster. The main plot, about Kid Kree isn't that interesting until the last issue or so, and it has the same problem of the last volume of being quite decompressed. [3+/5]
June 23, 2020
Rubella is a complete queen. She deserves so much more than she is given. At least she has Devil Dinosaur!
May 31, 2022
Finally finished this!!! I really liked it! I have never read any Marvel comic books and this was a really fun one. Lunella is a kick butt little girl who is super smart and trying to save the city. This was full of adventure and action. I hope Disney+ makes a show about her one day!
October 13, 2021
Reprints issues 1-12 of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.
I loved the original run of Devil Dinosaur as a kid, so this brought back all of the nostalgic vibes, in spite of it bringing Devil Dinosaur out of prehistory and into the modern Marvel Universe continuity.
Nine-year-old Lunella Lafayette is a brilliant mind stuck and bored in a New York public school. She is also a carrier of the inhuman gene, and terrified of the transformation that could happen if she is exposed to the terragen mists, which have been activating the powers of other inhumans around New York. Devil Dinosaur is, well, a dinosaur, but he pretty much plays the big slobbering dog role in this story.
Add in a timeshifted tribe of "Killer Folk", a kree boy with big ambitions and some daddy-issues, and guest appearances by Ms. Marvel and (Amadeus Cho) Hulk for a fast-moving story that brings the Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur pairing into the ranks of Marvel's New York based heroes.
That fast pace does hurt things a bit. Interactions between Lunella and her parents come as generic fare, as do a lot of the school scenes. Lunella herself is a nice blend of snarky and clever, but the story doesn't do enough to show how brilliant she is. Devil Dinosaur is wonderfully expressive, but there is not much potential for character development there.
And character development is what this story needs. "Captain Kree" gets a simple, but satisfying story arc, and the interactions with Amadeus Cho and Kamala Khan show good potential, but need more space to grow.
The Killer Folk are not very interesting villains, but are used sparingly, and are mostly absent from the second half of this volume. I can't say that I am particularly eager for their inevitable return.
What I would like to see is more of Lunella Lafayette. She has great potential here, but in twelve issues, we are still seeing only the beginnings of that potential.
I loved the original run of Devil Dinosaur as a kid, so this brought back all of the nostalgic vibes, in spite of it bringing Devil Dinosaur out of prehistory and into the modern Marvel Universe continuity.
Nine-year-old Lunella Lafayette is a brilliant mind stuck and bored in a New York public school. She is also a carrier of the inhuman gene, and terrified of the transformation that could happen if she is exposed to the terragen mists, which have been activating the powers of other inhumans around New York. Devil Dinosaur is, well, a dinosaur, but he pretty much plays the big slobbering dog role in this story.
Add in a timeshifted tribe of "Killer Folk", a kree boy with big ambitions and some daddy-issues, and guest appearances by Ms. Marvel and (Amadeus Cho) Hulk for a fast-moving story that brings the Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur pairing into the ranks of Marvel's New York based heroes.
That fast pace does hurt things a bit. Interactions between Lunella and her parents come as generic fare, as do a lot of the school scenes. Lunella herself is a nice blend of snarky and clever, but the story doesn't do enough to show how brilliant she is. Devil Dinosaur is wonderfully expressive, but there is not much potential for character development there.
And character development is what this story needs. "Captain Kree" gets a simple, but satisfying story arc, and the interactions with Amadeus Cho and Kamala Khan show good potential, but need more space to grow.
The Killer Folk are not very interesting villains, but are used sparingly, and are mostly absent from the second half of this volume. I can't say that I am particularly eager for their inevitable return.
What I would like to see is more of Lunella Lafayette. She has great potential here, but in twelve issues, we are still seeing only the beginnings of that potential.
December 2, 2021
This was really cute and really colorful and almost exactly what I hoped it would be. I wish the writing were a bit tighter, but I guess I can appreciate how committed it is to having Luna act her age. Even a super-genius nine-year-old is going to be annoying sometimes, and that's reflected here, for better and for worse (in equal measure, I'd say). The plots are fun and introduce a lot of clever, enjoyable scenarios for Luna and her dinosaur, but the execution is often shallow and lacking in any genuine tension. It's a comic for kids, so I'm not expecting high-stakes, but I think it could've developed the family dynamic more so the reader cared more about what Luna's parents thought.
But again, this is a comic for young kids, and I think it totally succeeds at that. It gives audiences an easy gateway into the world of Marvel (and the Inhumans, specifically) while still focusing the story on Luna/Moon Girl and making sure she has plenty of agency to be her own kind of superhero. The art is irresistibly charming, too, with vibrant colors and a generally great style that leaps off the page. Some of the layouts and double-page spreads are knockouts, too. Even if the writing was hit and miss for me, I was never anything less than thrilled by the book's visual identity. I'm definitely interested in continuing with the series because even with my quibbles, I couldn't help but get invested in Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.
This gets a very solid 3.5 stars from me, but Devil Dinosaur gets 10 stars because he's the bestest dino-boi, and I love him with all my heart and soul.
But again, this is a comic for young kids, and I think it totally succeeds at that. It gives audiences an easy gateway into the world of Marvel (and the Inhumans, specifically) while still focusing the story on Luna/Moon Girl and making sure she has plenty of agency to be her own kind of superhero. The art is irresistibly charming, too, with vibrant colors and a generally great style that leaps off the page. Some of the layouts and double-page spreads are knockouts, too. Even if the writing was hit and miss for me, I was never anything less than thrilled by the book's visual identity. I'm definitely interested in continuing with the series because even with my quibbles, I couldn't help but get invested in Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.
This gets a very solid 3.5 stars from me, but Devil Dinosaur gets 10 stars because he's the bestest dino-boi, and I love him with all my heart and soul.
December 4, 2019
It was a rather pleasant surprise to discover my library had a copy of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur: The Beginning and I checked it out right away.
I enjoyed this comic. All the art was high quality and the story telling was pretty good too.
The villains in the first half, The Killer-Folk, were kind of weak and annoying as villain characters go but Lunella’s character and her growing friendship with Devil Dinosaur made me want to keep reading. The second half had a much more entertaining villain in Kid Kree and I enjoyed this story much more because of it.
Overall this was a good comic and I hope to continue the series (hopefully my library has the next one so I can do so sooner rather than later).
This isn’t a bad place to start with Marvel comics as you only have to have a little background knowledge of the concepts of the Kree and Inhumans and the characters Kamala Khan a.k.a. Ms Marvel and Amadeus Cho a.k.a. The Hulk, you can figure out anything else as you go. (I mention this as comics have a tendency to start series partway through a storyline making it confusing if you’re new and discover that Volume 1 isn’t the beginning of a series *cough* eyes Young Avengers *cough*)
No content warnings but some concepts and storylines and complicated enough that I’d recommend this for teen and up audiences rather than middle grade.
I enjoyed this comic. All the art was high quality and the story telling was pretty good too.
The villains in the first half, The Killer-Folk, were kind of weak and annoying as villain characters go but Lunella’s character and her growing friendship with Devil Dinosaur made me want to keep reading. The second half had a much more entertaining villain in Kid Kree and I enjoyed this story much more because of it.
Overall this was a good comic and I hope to continue the series (hopefully my library has the next one so I can do so sooner rather than later).
This isn’t a bad place to start with Marvel comics as you only have to have a little background knowledge of the concepts of the Kree and Inhumans and the characters Kamala Khan a.k.a. Ms Marvel and Amadeus Cho a.k.a. The Hulk, you can figure out anything else as you go. (I mention this as comics have a tendency to start series partway through a storyline making it confusing if you’re new and discover that Volume 1 isn’t the beginning of a series *cough* eyes Young Avengers *cough*)
No content warnings but some concepts and storylines and complicated enough that I’d recommend this for teen and up audiences rather than middle grade.
November 8, 2021
Lunella Lafayette is an excellent character: a pre-teen genius trying to figure out who she is and her place in the world. As she does this, not only does she have to contend with being the smartest person in her school, she's also worried about the terrigen mist, winning a Lego-building competition, and the giant, red, time-displaced Devil Dinosaur who has become her sidekick and who protects her with the fierce loyalty of a dog. As Lunella tries to navigate her less-than-usual life, becoming the homemade super-hero Moon Girl along the way, she gets a helping hand from guest-stars Ms. Marvel and The Totally Awesome Hulk.
With a well-written story, compelling characters, and fabulously fun, vibrant art, Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur: The Beginning is an enjoyable, exciting, uplifting graphic novel.
With a well-written story, compelling characters, and fabulously fun, vibrant art, Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur: The Beginning is an enjoyable, exciting, uplifting graphic novel.
February 25, 2021
How could you not love this? Lunella Lafayette is a precocious nine year old with big dreams but big nightmares as well. As will happen in the Marvel universe, hijinks ensue and Devil Dinosaur, cavemen, Hulk, Ms. Marvel, Kree soldiers, and Lego get involved. It sounds ridiculous. It is fabulous. The art by Natacha Bustos is a perfect match for the book. This book is wonderful for all ages. Overall, a sincere treat to read.
January 21, 2021
Collects #1-6 (BFF) and 7-12 (Cosmic Cooties)
BFF: 5/5
LOVED IT! Really cute protagonists, terrific art, kooky bad guys, and a nice, simple story
Cosmic Cooties: 4/5
Also lots of fun, with great art, an interesting superpower, and a very cool villain premise that's sadly wrapped up rather abruptly... and some weird Lego product placement.
Overall, excellent.
BFF: 5/5
LOVED IT! Really cute protagonists, terrific art, kooky bad guys, and a nice, simple story
Cosmic Cooties: 4/5
Also lots of fun, with great art, an interesting superpower, and a very cool villain premise that's sadly wrapped up rather abruptly... and some weird Lego product placement.
Overall, excellent.
December 19, 2019
Such a cute book! Perfect if you have younger kids who are wanting to get into comics.
January 20, 2020
This is hilariously adorable and super relatable. I only wish I had found this in middle school.
May 22, 2025
Lunella ama la scienza, ma non quella che si insegna nelle scuole “normali”. Dove le lezioni dedicate alla materia non sono quella gran roba. Dove tutto quello che la professoressa spiega, la giovane lo conosce anche meglio di lei.
A casa, i suoi genitori sono preoccupati perché entrambi vorrebbero che si comportasse come una bambina qualunque e stringesse amicizia con qualche ragazzo della sua età. Una richiesta inconcepibile per Lunella: nessuno dei suoi coetanei comprende la sua passione per le invenzioni. Sono tutti troppi presi da questioni che lei reputa superficiali e a considerarla una “Miss-so-tutto-io”. E poi, per la ragazzina non ha senso impegnare le sue energie nel tentativo di farsi degli amici. D’altronde, quando finalmente verrà accettata in una “scuola vera”, per geni che, come lei, hanno grandi idee e fanno della propria intelligenza il super potere più utile, sarebbe costretta a lasciarseli tutti alle spalle…
La sua ossessione per la progettazione e la riparazione di dispositivi tecnologici, oltre a essere qualcosa per cui è naturalmente portata, è strettamente legata alla paura del cambiamento. Uno stato d’animo che la terrorizza (più di un grosso lucertolone rosso spuntato da un varco spazio temporale) da quando ha scoperto di possedere il gene inumano, quello che, attivandosi, potrebbe trasformarla per sempre. Uno scenario che quando diventa realtà lascia Lunella di stucco: pur non essendo cambiata nell’aspetto e nel carattere, ora è in grado di scambiarsi di mente con Devil, il dinosauro.
Una novità che la mette di fronte ad ancora più perplessità: troverai il suo posto nel mondo? Il suo scopo? Ci sarà qualcuno che le starà vicino? Ci sarà, invece, qualcuno che proverà a rendere la vita impossibile? C’è ancora qualcosa che può imparare? Riuscirà a farsi degli amici super cool come Ms. Marvel? Ce la farà a non fare la figura dell’idiota? Riuscirà a liberarsi di quel rettile inutile, senza cervello, e tornare una semplice umana? Ma, soprattutto, è davvero questo ciò che pensa? Ciò che vuole?
Un po’ commedia, un po’ “fumetto di formazione”, “Moon Girl e Devil Dinosaur” è l’inizio di un’avventura davvero divertente (e, mi auguro, promettente)!
A casa, i suoi genitori sono preoccupati perché entrambi vorrebbero che si comportasse come una bambina qualunque e stringesse amicizia con qualche ragazzo della sua età. Una richiesta inconcepibile per Lunella: nessuno dei suoi coetanei comprende la sua passione per le invenzioni. Sono tutti troppi presi da questioni che lei reputa superficiali e a considerarla una “Miss-so-tutto-io”. E poi, per la ragazzina non ha senso impegnare le sue energie nel tentativo di farsi degli amici. D’altronde, quando finalmente verrà accettata in una “scuola vera”, per geni che, come lei, hanno grandi idee e fanno della propria intelligenza il super potere più utile, sarebbe costretta a lasciarseli tutti alle spalle…
La sua ossessione per la progettazione e la riparazione di dispositivi tecnologici, oltre a essere qualcosa per cui è naturalmente portata, è strettamente legata alla paura del cambiamento. Uno stato d’animo che la terrorizza (più di un grosso lucertolone rosso spuntato da un varco spazio temporale) da quando ha scoperto di possedere il gene inumano, quello che, attivandosi, potrebbe trasformarla per sempre. Uno scenario che quando diventa realtà lascia Lunella di stucco: pur non essendo cambiata nell’aspetto e nel carattere, ora è in grado di scambiarsi di mente con Devil, il dinosauro.
Una novità che la mette di fronte ad ancora più perplessità: troverai il suo posto nel mondo? Il suo scopo? Ci sarà qualcuno che le starà vicino? Ci sarà, invece, qualcuno che proverà a rendere la vita impossibile? C’è ancora qualcosa che può imparare? Riuscirà a farsi degli amici super cool come Ms. Marvel? Ce la farà a non fare la figura dell’idiota? Riuscirà a liberarsi di quel rettile inutile, senza cervello, e tornare una semplice umana? Ma, soprattutto, è davvero questo ciò che pensa? Ciò che vuole?
Un po’ commedia, un po’ “fumetto di formazione”, “Moon Girl e Devil Dinosaur” è l’inizio di un’avventura davvero divertente (e, mi auguro, promettente)!
April 7, 2024
this was so much fun! i adored lunella for being a precocious nine-year-old struggling with her inhuman identity, and i never knew i would come to love a clifford-the-red-dog devil dinosaur this much. this book did a great job of setting up the inhuman situation without being too info-dumpy or confusing, and the plot was engaging for me throughout. the cavemen were interesting villains, but i enjoyed the kid kree plotline a bit more (especially thinking about how his upbringing and relationship with his family somewhat parallels moon girl's), so i hope we see more of him in the future. the cameos from hulk (amadeus cho) and ms. marvel were lots of fun, and i also really liked to quotes from famous scientists at the start of every issue. so glad there are more volumes to read!
say what you will about marvel vs. dc, but marvel absolutely does a better job about creating plot lines and characters that connect and have significance in a greater world, imo. even if moon girl never gets her own disney+ show, seeing her internal conflict over being inhuman and her interactions with other superheros creates a sense of a bigger world. at least in the modern middle-grade/ya space: not that everything has to be interconnected, but i have read far too many dc standalones that tell an origin story but don't go anywhere.
say what you will about marvel vs. dc, but marvel absolutely does a better job about creating plot lines and characters that connect and have significance in a greater world, imo. even if moon girl never gets her own disney+ show, seeing her internal conflict over being inhuman and her interactions with other superheros creates a sense of a bigger world. at least in the modern middle-grade/ya space: not that everything has to be interconnected, but i have read far too many dc standalones that tell an origin story but don't go anywhere.
February 25, 2021
A disappointment. Very weak and confusing plotting, with too much repetition & exposition. The art was alright, often cluttered. Moon Girl has great potential as a character and the message behind the title is important but as an introduction, it fell flat. I may not be the right reader for this material as I often struggle with “super-genius” characters — their creators & writers aren’t super-geniuses themselves and thus the characters often come off as less smart than they are supposed to be or the plot relies too heavily on gimmicky subterfuge to enforce their character’s brilliance. This problem is why I struggle with reading Marvel: too many super-geniuses who do dumb stuff constantly and can’t seem to solve the simplest plot problems.
August 1, 2022
Ich weiss nicht, das Buch hat mich nicht gepackt. Der Plot war irgendwie überall und nirgends, alles war etwas verwirrend. Schnell und aktionreich, aber nicht kohärent und spannend.
Lunella wir als genial beschrieben, aber abgesehen davon das sie tolle Gadgets erfindet merkt man nichts davon, das sie wirklich so klug ist. Meist verhält sie sich wie ein normales, nerdiges Kind.
Obwohl ihre Eltern sie mehrfach zu Hausarrest verurteilen, macht sie eigentlich immer was sie will, sie muss sich an gar nichts halten. Die Superkräfte, ihre Technologien, alles ist ziemlich unerklärt und unerklärlich. Ich hatte meist keine genaue Ahnung was eigentlich los ist oder warum etwas los ist. Lunella hatte meist keinen wirklich sinnvollen Plan. Devil Dinosaur war aber ziemlich cool.
Lunella wir als genial beschrieben, aber abgesehen davon das sie tolle Gadgets erfindet merkt man nichts davon, das sie wirklich so klug ist. Meist verhält sie sich wie ein normales, nerdiges Kind.
Obwohl ihre Eltern sie mehrfach zu Hausarrest verurteilen, macht sie eigentlich immer was sie will, sie muss sich an gar nichts halten. Die Superkräfte, ihre Technologien, alles ist ziemlich unerklärt und unerklärlich. Ich hatte meist keine genaue Ahnung was eigentlich los ist oder warum etwas los ist. Lunella hatte meist keinen wirklich sinnvollen Plan. Devil Dinosaur war aber ziemlich cool.
June 29, 2024
Reading these early issues again with my daughters was really fun. This time I was a bit more conscious of what was being said in the story, and having watched the animated series with them, I found the original comics here are a bit heavier in tone. Lunella is more alone here and it amplifies the struggles she faces and the hurdles she needs to overcome. There's a really good feeling of what it is to be her, a smart girl stuck in a community that doesn't understand her, and a realistic portrayal that shows her still acting as a child emotionally. Of course, all of this in the context of a comic book with a giant dinosaur! Looking forward to reading the next books with the girls.
November 27, 2019
I'm a late bloomer when it come to comics/graphic novels so perhaps the age demographic this was written for is a few segments below mine BUT I still thoroughly enjoyed the tale and as a person that has loved and values children's books, I recommend folks getting this for the young girls in your life.
I asked the comic store staff for something with a) a female author and/or b) female protagonist. He quickly delivered on both. Moon Girl's primary asset is her intelligence, she's into all things STEM, is brave and takes no shit from anyone. Fabulous example for girl & women everywhere.
I asked the comic store staff for something with a) a female author and/or b) female protagonist. He quickly delivered on both. Moon Girl's primary asset is her intelligence, she's into all things STEM, is brave and takes no shit from anyone. Fabulous example for girl & women everywhere.
December 8, 2019
Although I loved the original Moon Boy and Devil Dinosaur, Moon Girl and DD did not disappoint. The writers the artists, colorists, inkers all did their jobs and the story is entertaining and fun. I love the idea that the Terrigen mist didn't really change Lunella, just added somthing that she has not learned to control. Kid Kree is a funny character and her fourth grade class adds color and fun to the story.
I want to keep reading her story and learn more about her transformation into the inhuman that she is. Brandon Monclaire and Amy Reeder - I applaud your work!
I want to keep reading her story and learn more about her transformation into the inhuman that she is. Brandon Monclaire and Amy Reeder - I applaud your work!
September 4, 2024
I watched the Dinsey+ show first, and found this comic. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was a really fun read! It's more tragic than the show I feel like. Without Cassie, and without as much of an understanding family (at least compared to the show,) Lunella's isolation is so much more apparent, and she questions herself so much more with the whole inhuman subplot. It's a different dynamic, but it's still Moon Girl saving the day with her smarts rather than brute force, and of course, silly shenanigans with Devil Dinosaur.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2022
I adore Lunella and Devil Dinosaur. It killed me whenever DD was upset.
It's been a while since I read a comic book, so I'm not sure whether this is normal for comics, but the pacing was weird, like the conversations/plot snapped, crackled, and popped from here to there.
Also, I'm disappointed Kamala didn't talk more with Lunella to find out what the problem was--what Lunella's concerns were. It didn't feel like something Kamala wouldn't do.
It's been a while since I read a comic book, so I'm not sure whether this is normal for comics, but the pacing was weird, like the conversations/plot snapped, crackled, and popped from here to there.
Also, I'm disappointed Kamala didn't talk more with Lunella to find out what the problem was--what Lunella's concerns were. It didn't feel like something Kamala wouldn't do.
February 24, 2020
Lunella Lafayette is one smart cookie! I enjoyed learning the origins of one of the smartest character in the Marvel Universe.
I absolutely love how Lunella was visualized by Natacha Bustos an Afrolatinx illustrator.
Smart, black, into #science, amazing purple glasses, hangs out with a T-Rex...yeah this girl is a badass!
I absolutely love how Lunella was visualized by Natacha Bustos an Afrolatinx illustrator.
Smart, black, into #science, amazing purple glasses, hangs out with a T-Rex...yeah this girl is a badass!
December 27, 2022
I thought this was great. Moon Girl is still figuring out herself, and I love Devil Dinosaur. The artwork is great. The dialogue is easy to read to our kids. I wish there were slightly less thought boxes and more dialogue. I just love the fact that they swap bodies at the worst possible times.
January 29, 2023
This was great! Lunella is such a fun character to read. I love how she's just done with all the adults sh!t. I didn't really get the Devil Dinosaur, but I guess I'd have to go back and read more comics to get his story.
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