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Bully Wars
Bully Wars
Tout au long de leur scolarité à Rottenville, Spencer, Edith, Ernie et bien d'autres ont dû subir les brimades incessantes de la plus grosse brute de l'école, Rufus Ruffhouse. En rentrant au lycée, ils n'auraient jamais imaginé que les choses puissent changer, que leur ennemi de toujours allait trouver plus fort que lui et devenir à son tour victime de harcèlement scolaire. Comble : lui qui pensait être le tyran le plus craint et respecté de la ville n'a même pas été convié à la célèbre « guerre des Brutes », dont Hock est l'indétrônable vainqueur depuis maintenant trois ans. Son ego en prend un sacré coup. C'est alors qu'une alliance étonnante va se faire entre Rufus et ses anciens boucs émissaires pour tenter de survivre ensemble au concours façon Hunger Games qui s'annonce.
144 pages, Paperback
First published February 20, 2019
About the author
Skottie Young
671 books1,061 followersSkottie Young has been an illustrator and cartoonist for over ten years working for entertainment and publishing companies such Marvel, Warner Bros., Image, Upper Deck, Mattel, and many more.
He is currently illustrating the New York Times Best Selling and Eisner Award Nominated adaptions of L. Frank Baum's OZ novels with writer Eric Shanower. The series has gained acclaim from both fans and critics.
Skottie currently lives in Illinois with his family, Casey, Baxter and their Saint Bernard, Emma.
He is currently illustrating the New York Times Best Selling and Eisner Award Nominated adaptions of L. Frank Baum's OZ novels with writer Eric Shanower. The series has gained acclaim from both fans and critics.
Skottie currently lives in Illinois with his family, Casey, Baxter and their Saint Bernard, Emma.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
January 26, 2019
Nerdy kids get bullied until they start high school and their bully realises there are bigger bullies and starts getting a taste of his own medicine! To save face, he must enter the Bully Wars, an absurd local competition for the town’s bullies to prove their mettle - or something - and… the nerds is gonna help him win?!
Hmm. Nope! Didn’t think much of Skottie Young’s latest unfortunately. The premise and story are both uninteresting, none of the jokes land, and it all plays out predictably, replete with a tacky feel-good ending.
The characters are generic (also Coach Hurt is just a younger version of Southern Bastards’ Coach Boss), and one of the main characters is inconsistently written - one moment he’s a genius who can knock together brilliant gadgets at the drop of a hat, the next he doesn’t know directions like north/south/east/west??
It’s a shame it’s not drawn by Young as I love his art but Aaron Conley’s visuals aren’t bad and they’re coloured nicely by I Hate Fairyland colourist, Jean-Francois Beaulieu. The layouts are imaginative too and I liked the homage to the awesome opening scene of 1994’s Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie where Ryu fought Sagat.
Bully Wars is basically for ten year olds and/or fans of Nickelodeon as it reads very much like one of their shows. And, because I’m neither, I was bored for most of this! Hopefully Skottie Young’s next book is more my speed.
Hmm. Nope! Didn’t think much of Skottie Young’s latest unfortunately. The premise and story are both uninteresting, none of the jokes land, and it all plays out predictably, replete with a tacky feel-good ending.
The characters are generic (also Coach Hurt is just a younger version of Southern Bastards’ Coach Boss), and one of the main characters is inconsistently written - one moment he’s a genius who can knock together brilliant gadgets at the drop of a hat, the next he doesn’t know directions like north/south/east/west??
It’s a shame it’s not drawn by Young as I love his art but Aaron Conley’s visuals aren’t bad and they’re coloured nicely by I Hate Fairyland colourist, Jean-Francois Beaulieu. The layouts are imaginative too and I liked the homage to the awesome opening scene of 1994’s Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie where Ryu fought Sagat.
Bully Wars is basically for ten year olds and/or fans of Nickelodeon as it reads very much like one of their shows. And, because I’m neither, I was bored for most of this! Hopefully Skottie Young’s next book is more my speed.
August 24, 2019
Guess what!! It’s the first day of high school!!! Ugh... not such a great thing when you live in Rottenville. The meanest, baddest bully brewing town in the world. Where bullies run rampart with swirlies, stolen lunch money, and wads of gum. Rufus, being an infamous bully all his life is ready to squash all those new nerds in a new school! Oh.... wait.. but he’s not the kingpin anymore. Aw shucks. He’s lost his bully mojo and is getting a taste of his own medicine!!!
I LOVED I Hate Fairyland and Scottie Young yet again takes me into his bright and colorful world but instead of gore and magic, we have dad jokes and toilet humor. Lots of toilet humor... AND I FREAKING LOVED IT. I know this book won’t be for everyone because of the humor but it felt like I was reading a show I used to watch as a kid. 90’s cartoons like Recess, Hey Arnold, Doug play a dominant role here and many scenarios are the same. Those classic exaggerated expressions and school yard tropes are evident but I’ll read and live anything by Skottie Young any day.
Personal rating: 4.5
I LOVED I Hate Fairyland and Scottie Young yet again takes me into his bright and colorful world but instead of gore and magic, we have dad jokes and toilet humor. Lots of toilet humor... AND I FREAKING LOVED IT. I know this book won’t be for everyone because of the humor but it felt like I was reading a show I used to watch as a kid. 90’s cartoons like Recess, Hey Arnold, Doug play a dominant role here and many scenarios are the same. Those classic exaggerated expressions and school yard tropes are evident but I’ll read and live anything by Skottie Young any day.
Personal rating: 4.5
February 11, 2019
this was fine! i enjoyed the art style, even if parts were a bit gross. it definitely reminded me of nick/cartoon network both in terms of art style and the story.
i'd be interested to see where the series goes, but as it stands i'm not blown away with intrigue over the plot or characters.
review copy provided by publisher via edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
i'd be interested to see where the series goes, but as it stands i'm not blown away with intrigue over the plot or characters.
review copy provided by publisher via edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
January 7, 2021
برای ردهسنی خودش، چیز نابیه:)
January 20, 2019
Wedgies and swirlies abound, you expect a fresh (or at least funny) take on the cliché bully, but instead it’s a Nickelodeon sitcom of stock characters and cliché dialog. Bully works with nerds, bullies compete for supremacy—but why should we care?
February 18, 2019
I felt like it was written for a younger audience. I had read a few other reviews prior to starting this and some had said it had a Nickelodeon feel. Pretty much hits the nail on the head.
Read
January 11, 2019My main worry with a gruesome comedy written by Skottie Young was that I'd spend the whole time wishing he'd drawn it too, but on that count there was no problem – Aaron Conley is no imitator, but has a similar knack for cartoonish awfulness which manages to be funny and not just horrible, and if anything he's even more of a one for nicely inventive layouts. No, my problems were more with the script. The premise is fine: a contest to find who gets to be head bully at Rottenville High, organised (of course) by the coach (so you could almost consider this Southern Bastards replayed as farce), in which three regular victims team up with their old middle-school bully who, arriving at high school, suddenly finds himself on the receiving end. Are there monstrous implications to that? Of course, but we all know they'll be resolved, and they duly are. The issue is more with little details, and this may seem ridiculous, but I'm fine with the cartoon ultraviolence, or the Labyrinth-style endless maze haunted by minotaurs and enormous toads...but not with being told that the nerds' thermal imaging cameras can't see through the metal locker walls, when we've seen the camera feed and it clearly wasn't thermal imaging. Does this make any sense? Perhaps not, but we each have things we can swallow as part of the ride, and others we can't. And there are a few too many of the latter for me, most of which could easily have been avoided, making for a fun but ultimately not a satisfying read.
(Edelweiss ARC)
(Edelweiss ARC)
November 20, 2019
People are dissing this book because it's "immature", but... I would classify it as Middle Grade not YA. The age of the characters doesn't necessarily dictate the target reading age of a story. It's funny and gross and the subject of bullying is presented in a simple way. It's a good old "rooting for the good guys" feel good story, with colorful in your face artwork. I even loved it as an adult! I read this for an anti-bullying read-a-thon.
July 3, 2021
The story is not going to win any prizes and the artwork is perhaps a bit too cartoony. Still, overall this is a fun read that addresses some very real aspects in the world today - bullying, friendship, competition, compromise, manipulation. Ultimately the story doesn't have a solution for real-life bullying, since it's mainly designed to get a few laughs.
The feared bully Rufus Ruffhouse welcomes the first day of high school. He has many more students to bully now, but soon the unexpected happens - he gets bullied by Hock, the toughest bully in town and the winner of the Bully Wars for the last three years. Rufus is so small time he isn't even invited to the Wars. He wants in and he gets an offer of help from one of his victims - Spencer the nerd.
The feared bully Rufus Ruffhouse welcomes the first day of high school. He has many more students to bully now, but soon the unexpected happens - he gets bullied by Hock, the toughest bully in town and the winner of the Bully Wars for the last three years. Rufus is so small time he isn't even invited to the Wars. He wants in and he gets an offer of help from one of his victims - Spencer the nerd.
February 20, 2019
This review is based on an arc containing issues #1-#3.
Bullies are a dime a dozen at Rottenville High and Rufus wants to be on top. Only problem? He wasn’t invited to compete in the Bully Wars and he’s being bullied by Hock, the winner for the last 3 years running. Spencer, who has been bullied by Rufus for years, offers to help Rufus win so that he and his friends can be bully free for the next year.
I’m okay with this. Personally speaking the art style is not my jam, but the story was interesting. The art is just a little too over the top for me, though I can acknowledge it’s pretty creepy. Also this school is just a freaking germ. The bus alone makes my skin crawl with all the gum everywhere!
I’m interested to see the rest of the issues In the bind-up when it comes out but at this time I don’t think I’ll continue with the series.
Bullies are a dime a dozen at Rottenville High and Rufus wants to be on top. Only problem? He wasn’t invited to compete in the Bully Wars and he’s being bullied by Hock, the winner for the last 3 years running. Spencer, who has been bullied by Rufus for years, offers to help Rufus win so that he and his friends can be bully free for the next year.
I’m okay with this. Personally speaking the art style is not my jam, but the story was interesting. The art is just a little too over the top for me, though I can acknowledge it’s pretty creepy. Also this school is just a freaking germ. The bus alone makes my skin crawl with all the gum everywhere!
I’m interested to see the rest of the issues In the bind-up when it comes out but at this time I don’t think I’ll continue with the series.
April 18, 2019
The crew of Spencer, Edith, and Ernie soon find out about a contest called the Bully Wars that pits all the bullies against each other to find out who is top dog… They strike a deal with Rufus: If Spencer and his friends help him win, they will be free of harassment for a whole year. A boot camp of exercises and a cram session of intelligence ensues to get him ready. And then The Bully Wars begins!
Cartoony greatness. Gross-gunky humor and plenty of action-packed craziness.
Recommended for any kid/adult looking for a tale of unlikely allies and all kinds of laughs.
For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2019/04/12/bu...
For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
Cartoony greatness. Gross-gunky humor and plenty of action-packed craziness.
Recommended for any kid/adult looking for a tale of unlikely allies and all kinds of laughs.
For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2019/04/12/bu...
For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
February 13, 2019
Rufus has been the biggest bully in Rottenville ever since kindergarten, but he finds that on the first day of high school, the tables have turned. How can he get back to the top of the heap? He's forced to turn to a group of geeky classmates (Spencer, Edith, and Ernie) to help him get into the Bully Wars and retain his rightful place as Biggest Bully - but as they work together, Rufus finds that his feelings about bullying start to shift...
April 16, 2019
Really fun GN about some geeky kids and a bully who team up to defeat an even meaner bully. Skottie Young's wacky style is here but no swearing or bloody violence. Some toilet and vomit humor. The characters are starting ninth grade, but it reads younger, probably best for ages 10-12. Great for kids who've outgrown Wimpy Kid and the like.
March 2, 2019
Fun ridiculousness.
May 10, 2019
I'm SO glad I picked this up! It flowed like a cartoon show. It's fun for all ages. I laughed a lot. The characters are great. Rufus ,in particular, has great facial expressions. Pick up of you like: middle grade/first year-of-high- school, zany-colorful artwork, humor.
August 31, 2019
Gross, whimsical and gorgeously illustrated!
November 25, 2019
Kind of meh.
August 17, 2019
I finished the I Hate Fairyland series earlier this year and I missed it. I loved the coloration and the humor. Bully Wars provided that in a contemporary setting called Rottenville, the bully capital of the world. All different kinds of bullies compete to become the top dog and choose who gets bullied and who is kept safe. I loved the diversity of the bullies with the inclusion of females, ethnicities, and most importantly, different bullying tactics. I don't think there will be more volumes in this story, but I had a rollicking good time and laughed after every chapter. I especially liked the easter egg of Fairyland with a hidden Gertrude figurine on the shelf. Thanks for the bright colors and silly humor, Rottenville. I'll plan my trip accordingly.
July 10, 2019
So, I freaking loved this.
I love Skottie Young - I Hate Fairyland is one of my all time faves. This comic has that same kind of sarcastic humor that I think just runs through Skottie's veins.
There are also some I Hate Fairyland Easter Eggs in this comic that I just ate up. Loved it.
Loved the artwork! Aaron Conley adds so much depth and details to his work, it was fun looking at all the small extras in the panels. This was all enhanced by the beautiful coloring done by Jean-Francois Beaulieu (the same who I Hate Fairyland :D)
This whole story about the bully being bullied and having to team up with the nerds he's been bullying his whole life was just a fun time. I recommend this for everyone, and if you liked I Hate Fairyland, I feel you'd dig this one too. 👍
I love Skottie Young - I Hate Fairyland is one of my all time faves. This comic has that same kind of sarcastic humor that I think just runs through Skottie's veins.
There are also some I Hate Fairyland Easter Eggs in this comic that I just ate up. Loved it.
Loved the artwork! Aaron Conley adds so much depth and details to his work, it was fun looking at all the small extras in the panels. This was all enhanced by the beautiful coloring done by Jean-Francois Beaulieu (the same who I Hate Fairyland :D)
This whole story about the bully being bullied and having to team up with the nerds he's been bullying his whole life was just a fun time. I recommend this for everyone, and if you liked I Hate Fairyland, I feel you'd dig this one too. 👍
February 24, 2019
The town of Rottenville lives up to its name. Rottenville has more school bullies per capita than any other community in the world! Poor Spencer. He really thought that he was going to get by the first day of school without being bullied by his life-long tormentor, Rufus.
The bus trip to school might have been awful. But things on campus are looking up! That’s because Rufus is being bullied by the reigning king of the Rottenville High School bullies, Hock!
The high school’s coach puts on an event every year to determine who will be the champion brow-beater for the entire school term. This victor can determine who is and isn’t off limits from being harassed. Seeing a chance to go bully free for his entire freshman year, Spencer hatches a plan. If will take a lot of planning and maybe a few dirty tricks. But in the end, Spencer will find a way to help Rufus win the Bully Wars!
The 5 issues that make up Bully Wars came out last year. I wanted to at least read and review the first copy for this column. But I have been burned by other works by Skottie Young in the past. His I Hate Fairyland looked like it could be all-ages fun. But the amount of violence and non-symbolized cursing made the book anything but appropriate for kids.
Despite the bullying... In light of the bathroom humor... In exception to the use of words like ‘crap’ and the occasional butt-crack from our hero getting wedgied a lot; there’s actually a wholesome anti-bullying message at the heart of this book.
Some might argue that a book about the dangers of bullying is not the right sort of message for kids. However, I have to disagree. It’s the single most reason I hated middle and high school. Being the tallest and heaviest kid in class who like comic books and had astigmatism and Star Wars sheets made me a easy target. Plus, too many kids these days are taking their own lives thanks to bullying which has turned into a seven-headed monster thanks to social media.
Besides, Bully Wars doesn’t have that tired cliche of fighting back at the bully. Instead, it promotes a healthier attitude of ‘if you can’t beat them, outsmart them.’ That’s what I did. I fought back by getting such great grades that I made my bullies feel stupid. Plus, when they came to me for tutoring help, I gave them just enough wrong answers that they never could tell I was keeping them from doing better in class than I was. They just assumed that they were never going to ever be smart enough for that A average.
I really loved Aaron Conley’s artwork in this book. Despite how gross looking it was at times, I felt at home with the Sabertooth Swordsman’s pencils and inks. When I was in elementary school, there was these two awesome magazines called Dynamite and Bananas. Both would have really exaggerated artworks like that of Conley’s here. The students looked all awkward and had warts and all. Plus, the school and bus scenes illustrated in the books were never clean. I felt that I was reading something that was fondly inspired by those Jeanette Kahn creations.
Amazon lists the book for ages 9-12 (4th-7th graders). I’m okay with this advisement, though I think older kids can still get a kick of this. Younger readers might get a chuckle or too. But as always, it’s up to the parents to decide if it’s appropriate or not.
Bully Wars was a fun read. It’s got an appropriate but slightly telegraphed ending. I was a big fan of the art. Though the slew of covers and other artwork in the back of the book was excessive. If Image removed all that, it would probably cut about 25 pages and a couple of bucks of cover price away.
The bus trip to school might have been awful. But things on campus are looking up! That’s because Rufus is being bullied by the reigning king of the Rottenville High School bullies, Hock!
The high school’s coach puts on an event every year to determine who will be the champion brow-beater for the entire school term. This victor can determine who is and isn’t off limits from being harassed. Seeing a chance to go bully free for his entire freshman year, Spencer hatches a plan. If will take a lot of planning and maybe a few dirty tricks. But in the end, Spencer will find a way to help Rufus win the Bully Wars!
The 5 issues that make up Bully Wars came out last year. I wanted to at least read and review the first copy for this column. But I have been burned by other works by Skottie Young in the past. His I Hate Fairyland looked like it could be all-ages fun. But the amount of violence and non-symbolized cursing made the book anything but appropriate for kids.
Despite the bullying... In light of the bathroom humor... In exception to the use of words like ‘crap’ and the occasional butt-crack from our hero getting wedgied a lot; there’s actually a wholesome anti-bullying message at the heart of this book.
Some might argue that a book about the dangers of bullying is not the right sort of message for kids. However, I have to disagree. It’s the single most reason I hated middle and high school. Being the tallest and heaviest kid in class who like comic books and had astigmatism and Star Wars sheets made me a easy target. Plus, too many kids these days are taking their own lives thanks to bullying which has turned into a seven-headed monster thanks to social media.
Besides, Bully Wars doesn’t have that tired cliche of fighting back at the bully. Instead, it promotes a healthier attitude of ‘if you can’t beat them, outsmart them.’ That’s what I did. I fought back by getting such great grades that I made my bullies feel stupid. Plus, when they came to me for tutoring help, I gave them just enough wrong answers that they never could tell I was keeping them from doing better in class than I was. They just assumed that they were never going to ever be smart enough for that A average.
I really loved Aaron Conley’s artwork in this book. Despite how gross looking it was at times, I felt at home with the Sabertooth Swordsman’s pencils and inks. When I was in elementary school, there was these two awesome magazines called Dynamite and Bananas. Both would have really exaggerated artworks like that of Conley’s here. The students looked all awkward and had warts and all. Plus, the school and bus scenes illustrated in the books were never clean. I felt that I was reading something that was fondly inspired by those Jeanette Kahn creations.
Amazon lists the book for ages 9-12 (4th-7th graders). I’m okay with this advisement, though I think older kids can still get a kick of this. Younger readers might get a chuckle or too. But as always, it’s up to the parents to decide if it’s appropriate or not.
Bully Wars was a fun read. It’s got an appropriate but slightly telegraphed ending. I was a big fan of the art. Though the slew of covers and other artwork in the back of the book was excessive. If Image removed all that, it would probably cut about 25 pages and a couple of bucks of cover price away.
January 5, 2019
In Your Face, Anti-Bullying Humor
Young's "I Hate Fairyland" set the pattern for his engaging mix of over-the-top action, and sly, deadpan humor, but to me this new series worked even better.
The premise is that nerdy Spencer and his semi-nerdy pals Edith and Ernie are not looking forward to moving on to high school in the company of Rufus, the monster bully who has tormented them since "before they could remember". But wait, it turns out that at high school Rufus is so small time that he gets bullied by the really big boss bullies. So, the four kids team up, with Spencer, Edith and Ernie reluctantly agreeing to help Rufus win the "Bully Wars" in exchange for Rufus thereafter giving them a pass on any future bullying. This is not a subtle or nuanced message story, as such. It is, rather, an antic trip into the heart of darkest bullying, with a weird buddy-comedy center and a light hearted wrap up.
This Volume collects the first five issues, and represents a complete story arc. In the first issue we set up the premise and ended up with the gang scheming about making Rufus the head, champion bully. The second issue involved training up Rufus for the Bully Wars. Throughout all of this we get sly and deadpan humor from all of the characters, because Young makes both Spencer and Rufus interesting characters who can spin off subtle or edgy or unexpectedly insightful observations. We cover school, bullying, nerdiness, friendship, teamwork, more school, teachers, gym teachers, and a whole host of other school daze topics. The final three issues followed the actual Bully War and its aftermath. I thought the series lost a little focus in the middle, but then shaped up nicely for the socko finish.
It doesn't get cute or cloying, though, because of the art and the fact that almost all of the dialogue is screamed!! by one character or another. The art is jagged and angular and exaggerated. Panel design and layout is all over the place, with many panels bleeding into other panels. It feels jazzy and wired until you get used to it, but the energy is through the ceiling. As a bonus, there are always a few little jokes drawn into the panels just to keep your eyeballs roving around.
The upshot is that this looks like a manic mess, but it's controlled chaos that has a point. It's fresh and fun and a very nice find.
(Please note that I had a chance to read a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
Young's "I Hate Fairyland" set the pattern for his engaging mix of over-the-top action, and sly, deadpan humor, but to me this new series worked even better.
The premise is that nerdy Spencer and his semi-nerdy pals Edith and Ernie are not looking forward to moving on to high school in the company of Rufus, the monster bully who has tormented them since "before they could remember". But wait, it turns out that at high school Rufus is so small time that he gets bullied by the really big boss bullies. So, the four kids team up, with Spencer, Edith and Ernie reluctantly agreeing to help Rufus win the "Bully Wars" in exchange for Rufus thereafter giving them a pass on any future bullying. This is not a subtle or nuanced message story, as such. It is, rather, an antic trip into the heart of darkest bullying, with a weird buddy-comedy center and a light hearted wrap up.
This Volume collects the first five issues, and represents a complete story arc. In the first issue we set up the premise and ended up with the gang scheming about making Rufus the head, champion bully. The second issue involved training up Rufus for the Bully Wars. Throughout all of this we get sly and deadpan humor from all of the characters, because Young makes both Spencer and Rufus interesting characters who can spin off subtle or edgy or unexpectedly insightful observations. We cover school, bullying, nerdiness, friendship, teamwork, more school, teachers, gym teachers, and a whole host of other school daze topics. The final three issues followed the actual Bully War and its aftermath. I thought the series lost a little focus in the middle, but then shaped up nicely for the socko finish.
It doesn't get cute or cloying, though, because of the art and the fact that almost all of the dialogue is screamed!! by one character or another. The art is jagged and angular and exaggerated. Panel design and layout is all over the place, with many panels bleeding into other panels. It feels jazzy and wired until you get used to it, but the energy is through the ceiling. As a bonus, there are always a few little jokes drawn into the panels just to keep your eyeballs roving around.
The upshot is that this looks like a manic mess, but it's controlled chaos that has a point. It's fresh and fun and a very nice find.
(Please note that I had a chance to read a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
August 10, 2020
I'm gonna be honest here, I read this because I assumed that the art was done by Skottie Young but that's actually not the case! Though it does bear a resemblance to his work at a glance it's by a different artist by the name of Aaron Conley and honestly I don't mind one bit as the art is stand-out and fantastic!
Bully Wars tells the story of a group of nerdy kids who are bullied by a kid named Rufus. It's their first day of high school and things are gonna be different from now on! New school, new classmates, new building, new teachers, new everything! And shortly after arriving they meet Rufus, who's ready to not only continue bullying them, but bully everyone in the entire school! Only it turns out... that he's no longer the top dog. There's a lot more people that go to this school and some of them are bigger, tougher, and meaner than he is.
Luckily, there's a chance for things to change. There's a competition held across all the schools called the Bully Wars to determine who's the best and toughest bully. And maybe Rufus, with the help of his former victims who agree to help under the condition they be spared future bullying, has a chance at winning.
There's not a lot to say beyond that, really. Just a basic plot synopsis but honestly I really liked this series. The art is very detailed and has a very 90's "Gross" look to it all. Reminiscent of stuff like the Garbage Pail Kids, but not nearly as disgusting. The characters are fairly one dimensional but it's also very clearly aimed at children. And in that regard I think it excels. It's a very nice story with a nice ending about making friends. The art is the main draw here and it's wonderful while also being intentionally ugly to look at most of the time.
But this is definitely a very fun comic. Highly recommended for anyone young, but not so aimed at the youth that an older reader can't enjoy it as well.
Bully Wars tells the story of a group of nerdy kids who are bullied by a kid named Rufus. It's their first day of high school and things are gonna be different from now on! New school, new classmates, new building, new teachers, new everything! And shortly after arriving they meet Rufus, who's ready to not only continue bullying them, but bully everyone in the entire school! Only it turns out... that he's no longer the top dog. There's a lot more people that go to this school and some of them are bigger, tougher, and meaner than he is.
Luckily, there's a chance for things to change. There's a competition held across all the schools called the Bully Wars to determine who's the best and toughest bully. And maybe Rufus, with the help of his former victims who agree to help under the condition they be spared future bullying, has a chance at winning.
There's not a lot to say beyond that, really. Just a basic plot synopsis but honestly I really liked this series. The art is very detailed and has a very 90's "Gross" look to it all. Reminiscent of stuff like the Garbage Pail Kids, but not nearly as disgusting. The characters are fairly one dimensional but it's also very clearly aimed at children. And in that regard I think it excels. It's a very nice story with a nice ending about making friends. The art is the main draw here and it's wonderful while also being intentionally ugly to look at most of the time.
But this is definitely a very fun comic. Highly recommended for anyone young, but not so aimed at the youth that an older reader can't enjoy it as well.
June 22, 2019
The artwork is awesome! It's expressive, colorful, and utterly cartoony! On the other hand, the story leaves a lot to be desired. The humor's gross and slapstick and there's a bit of minor glorification of bullying.
Art is awesome, but the story is poopy.
Art is awesome, but the story is poopy.
January 30, 2019
Well, despite several negative critiques on goodreads, I actually enjoyed this, and I'm not the world's biggest Skottie Young fan. What I did see certainly played to his strengths – teen-friendly gross-out and violence, and a world where the humble, the innocent and the likeable characters get shat upon, just because. Here a little squirt and his friends are going to be subject to bullying throughout school, but enter its doors not realising just how prevalent it'll be nor how involved they'll have to end up getting. There is a case to be said for the major character being so sidelined you're left with nobody to really root for, but the story does allow itself to arc back and be a gentle, humorous and lively underdog tale. With added barf. So four stars, and remember – this isn't really my kind of thing; I can see the qualities and little wrong with this.
January 29, 2019
First of all: Thank you Image and Diamond for surplying me with this advanced readers copy of Skottie Youngs new comic.
I like the idea of The Bully Wars. It's an interesting thought that the biggest bully in school is decided through a secret competition held by the school coach. And it's always entertaining when the shifting dynamics that occur when bully and victim has to work together gets explored.
This comic has a lot of interesting points (the effect of changeing hierachys and the point of view of a bully), but a lot of the times it unfortunately reads like a bad childrens cartoon show.
But it has a lot of potential, and definitely decerves a chance.
I like the idea of The Bully Wars. It's an interesting thought that the biggest bully in school is decided through a secret competition held by the school coach. And it's always entertaining when the shifting dynamics that occur when bully and victim has to work together gets explored.
This comic has a lot of interesting points (the effect of changeing hierachys and the point of view of a bully), but a lot of the times it unfortunately reads like a bad childrens cartoon show.
But it has a lot of potential, and definitely decerves a chance.
January 23, 2019
This graphic novel was so fun. It reminded me of something you might see on Nickelodeon. The basic premise is that the high school bullies are in a competition to find the biggest bully, so a few nerds are trying to help one bully winning exchange for their safety.
The artwork is magnificent. I loved every page. The story was pretty short, I maybe would have enjoyed a little more, but other than that it was fantastic
The artwork is magnificent. I loved every page. The story was pretty short, I maybe would have enjoyed a little more, but other than that it was fantastic
March 13, 2019
I wasn't the demographic for this, and I'm not sure that demo exists anymore. The art really reminded me of my youth reading CRACKED or MAD, and I think as a kid I would have liked this. But in an age of discussion and resources for bullying, I just don't know what kid is going for this now. Hope I'm wrong because it was entertaining.
June 22, 2019
I’ve read this series (which seems to have been abandoned?) a couple of times with my son. A six-year-old, he is attracted to the grotesque illustrations and bullying theme. Personally, I think the redemption plot is a bit hurried and the conclusion trite. But hey, if these floppies get my kid reading and talking about an issue that concerns all school-agers, who am I to bellyache about it?
March 8, 2022
Not the worst book I’ve ever read but far from the best. It’s just a little too kiddish for my liking, that said the overall message and tone of the book would certainly do well for younger readers.
I love Skottie Young, and JFB’s colours are always on point, but at the end of the day — this just didn’t do it for me.
I love Skottie Young, and JFB’s colours are always on point, but at the end of the day — this just didn’t do it for me.
May 11, 2024
This was enjoyable overall if a little light. The art was great and it felt like a Nickelodeon special throughout. Maybe a messier version of Recess. The trick at the end was a little predictable but fun. However there were aspects that seemed to not pay off, like why all the training for different bully types if we only got a little payoff and not really aligned wit the training per se?
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