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Skulduggery Pleasant #15.5
Bad Magic: A Skulduggery Pleasant Graphic Novel
Experience Skulduggery Pleasant as never before – in this fully original graphic novel brought vibrantly to life in full colour ‘A real cracker. Fun, thrilling, smartly scripted and powerfully making a stand for diversity and inclusion in the face of intimidation and ignorance. Even if this is your first encounter with the worlds of Skulduggery Pleasant, it’s one you will adore and never forget’
Win Wiacek, Now Read This! A small town in the middle of Ireland, a string of unexplained deaths and a monster on the loose. Better call in the experts. When Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain drive into Termoncara, they discover a town with a dark past and a people haunted by their own secrets. There is a creature stalking the streets – a creature who delights in cruelty, who feeds off the little hatreds, who grows stronger with every drop of blood spilled. Horror and mystery collide in an original graphic novel by Derek Landy, P. J. Holden, Matt Soffe, Rob Jones and Pye Parr. Derek Landy's book 'Until the End' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 11-04-2022.
Win Wiacek, Now Read This! A small town in the middle of Ireland, a string of unexplained deaths and a monster on the loose. Better call in the experts. When Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain drive into Termoncara, they discover a town with a dark past and a people haunted by their own secrets. There is a creature stalking the streets – a creature who delights in cruelty, who feeds off the little hatreds, who grows stronger with every drop of blood spilled. Horror and mystery collide in an original graphic novel by Derek Landy, P. J. Holden, Matt Soffe, Rob Jones and Pye Parr. Derek Landy's book 'Until the End' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 11-04-2022.
144 pages, Paperback
Published November 14, 2023
15 people are currently reading
512 people want to read
About the author
Derek Landy
252 books5,282 followersDerek Landy is an Irish writer and screenwriter. In addition to the bestselling children's/YA series of Skulduggery Pleasant books, a supernatural mystery series starring Skulduggery Pleasant, a skeleton detective, and Valkyrie Cain, a young female magician, he has written two screenplays that have been made into films: the IFTA award winning "Dead Bodies" and the IFTA nominated "Boy Eats Girl". Landy himself was nominated for an IFTA for Best Script.
He doesn’t like to brag about all the awards he’s won, such as the Irish Book of the Decade, or the Red House in the UK, or all the other awards that he humbly displays on his mantelpiece. He is also far too modest to mention things like the first book being a Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of the Year, but would like to extend an invitation to Oprah to pop around one day for tea, in thanks for selecting his book for the Oprah’s Book Club Kids Reading List.
Derek plays too many video games, reads too many comics, and watches too many movies. He lives in Ireland with too many cats. Occasionally he talks to real people, but only when he absolutely has to.
He doesn’t like to brag about all the awards he’s won, such as the Irish Book of the Decade, or the Red House in the UK, or all the other awards that he humbly displays on his mantelpiece. He is also far too modest to mention things like the first book being a Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of the Year, but would like to extend an invitation to Oprah to pop around one day for tea, in thanks for selecting his book for the Oprah’s Book Club Kids Reading List.
Derek plays too many video games, reads too many comics, and watches too many movies. He lives in Ireland with too many cats. Occasionally he talks to real people, but only when he absolutely has to.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
April 11, 2024
Something Is Killing the Children meets Skulduggery Pleasant.
So fun to read a Skulduggery Pleasant story in this format. I hope there's more graphic novels to come.
So fun to read a Skulduggery Pleasant story in this format. I hope there's more graphic novels to come.
October 5, 2023
"Lesbians are awesome! Gay Lads are awesome. Pan, trans and ace people are awesome."
Wait a sec! Is this me wholeheartedly loving a graphic novel? Doesn't happen often but this one was amazing! You get the humor, the banter, the magic, the monsters... It's all there. A must read for Skulduggery Fans. I don't know if I would recommend it for people who haven't read the books because you dive right in and the whole Elementals and Valkyrie's powers etc. are not explained. I won't say more because it's a fast read and I don't want to spoil it for anyone.
October 22, 2023
*Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this to review!*
Diving into this felt a little bit like a dream sequence, but in a good way. I feel like I liked it and had a good time for the most part while reading it, but I did sort of just fly through it and once I’d finished it and thought about it, it didn’t really blow me away.
The plot and message of this one is so random, and the marketing saying this is fine if it’s your first experience of the world is a bit misleading. I feel like you do need quite a bit of background context to understand what’s happening and to understand the characters and their behaviour. Even I, as someone who has read quite a few of the books in this world now and loved them, was left a little stumped on the plot of this. I’m not really sure why it starts so abruptly, and I know with graphic novels we have to convey a lot in images and we can’t have a panel for everything but this feels very jumpy in the execution of the story. We dive straight into a whole lot of madness with not enough worldbuilding for me and everything is solved rather conveniently, and then it finishes.
One thing I will always adore about the Skulduggery Pleasant universe is the humour, and damn did it deliver by the bucketful here. It made me giggle a few times, and the banter and chemistry between Skulduggery and Valkyrie made me feel so nostalgic. The whole time I was reading this I just couldn’t get it out of my head how amazing this universe would work as an animated series. I need it. They’re literally one of my favourite magical duos ever.
The art was pretty at least, which is weird because the cover of this is sadly quite awful. Enjoyable while reading but ultimately nothing to write home about, and sadly immemorable.
Diving into this felt a little bit like a dream sequence, but in a good way. I feel like I liked it and had a good time for the most part while reading it, but I did sort of just fly through it and once I’d finished it and thought about it, it didn’t really blow me away.
The plot and message of this one is so random, and the marketing saying this is fine if it’s your first experience of the world is a bit misleading. I feel like you do need quite a bit of background context to understand what’s happening and to understand the characters and their behaviour. Even I, as someone who has read quite a few of the books in this world now and loved them, was left a little stumped on the plot of this. I’m not really sure why it starts so abruptly, and I know with graphic novels we have to convey a lot in images and we can’t have a panel for everything but this feels very jumpy in the execution of the story. We dive straight into a whole lot of madness with not enough worldbuilding for me and everything is solved rather conveniently, and then it finishes.
One thing I will always adore about the Skulduggery Pleasant universe is the humour, and damn did it deliver by the bucketful here. It made me giggle a few times, and the banter and chemistry between Skulduggery and Valkyrie made me feel so nostalgic. The whole time I was reading this I just couldn’t get it out of my head how amazing this universe would work as an animated series. I need it. They’re literally one of my favourite magical duos ever.
The art was pretty at least, which is weird because the cover of this is sadly quite awful. Enjoyable while reading but ultimately nothing to write home about, and sadly immemorable.
July 2, 2025
ojalá todos los libros tuviesen su versión ilustrada, pagaría lo que fuera
June 28, 2024
This is a tough one to review for me.
I won this in a giveaway, I haven't read any of the books before this , I don't read a lot of graphic novels.
I liked the graphics , the panels were easy to follow
. For someone new to this world I could understand who the main characters were and what they did. Although I wonder if I would have got more out of it if I knew them as characters ?
The plot was interesting, as someone not really used to graphic novels though, I felt like I needed a bit more explanation with the reveal. But perhaps this is common in this format? The reader filling in gaps themselves .
As an introduction to the books , I think it's great and I'd get the books for my nephew. I liked the humour, and banter between the characters.
Overall I had fun reading through this.
I won this in a giveaway, I haven't read any of the books before this , I don't read a lot of graphic novels.
I liked the graphics , the panels were easy to follow
. For someone new to this world I could understand who the main characters were and what they did. Although I wonder if I would have got more out of it if I knew them as characters ?
The plot was interesting, as someone not really used to graphic novels though, I felt like I needed a bit more explanation with the reveal. But perhaps this is common in this format? The reader filling in gaps themselves .
As an introduction to the books , I think it's great and I'd get the books for my nephew. I liked the humour, and banter between the characters.
Overall I had fun reading through this.
September 28, 2023
Great fun!
December 21, 2023
It was pretty slow to start for me but picked up in the end.
February 2, 2024
Really liked the artstyle. 😊
November 10, 2023
More please! I’ve been a Skulduggery fan for ages but I’ve fallen behind with the last few books (mainly because they’re huge and I’m a slow reader). Loved this first Skulduggery graphic novel and I hope there will be more. Some good Skulduggery humour and darkness.
December 18, 2023
The little village of Termoncara has been experiencing a number of racist and homophobic murders, so Skullduggery and Valkyrie decide to pay a visit. Can they defeat the evil that lurks within?
A great graphic novel that brings these two iconic characters to life.
A great graphic novel that brings these two iconic characters to life.
March 4, 2025
Exciting to see Valkyrie and Skulduggery "in the flesh" and on the page drawn up properly, as well as how their magic manifests.
Also acts as the bridge between the last Phase and the new, establishing them as Arbiters and Detectives in this new rebooted world.
Also acts as the bridge between the last Phase and the new, establishing them as Arbiters and Detectives in this new rebooted world.
September 28, 2023
Another fantastic entry in the Skulduggery universe! Loved the conversations it had about bigotry, and seeing my favourite characters in full-colour drawings for an entire story!
TW for violence, bigotry (racism and homophobia), murder, death of children, grief, threats of murder.
TW for violence, bigotry (racism and homophobia), murder, death of children, grief, threats of murder.
December 31, 2023
Very cool to see my favourite characters in the flesh… and bones.
But I don’t know how this graphic novel may be for someone who isn’t familiar with the series already. It’s difficult to get an accurate representation of the characters and humour in such small pieces of dialogue. The writing did still have some of the charm and witty banter that we love but there wasn’t much fun to the story itself. It had a dark, spooky element with an unseen monster that can kill whoever it pleases and attempts to cover serious themes of discrimination but there was also a lot of writing included here that made my eyes roll. I support all the messages Derek attempts to promote here but we don’t need it to be spoon-fed to us so awkwardly. I wish the novel was longer so the story could be better fleshed out and to spend more time with the characters being their usual self within this format.
Seeing how Skulduggery flies, how he looks when he loses his hat and Valkyrie using her different powers was very fun and cool. I was surprised to see how hench Valkyrie is compared to how I imagined her to be. Also their take on her necromancer suit; I always thought it was more like the armoured suits in Dune but here it almost looks like a superhero suit. I did love her skull mask though and how similar it makes her look to Skulduggery.
Another nitpick I have is that with this sort of art-style I noticed Valkyrie’s face/features change a lot depending on the framing/angle. I don’t want to bash the artists because there were a lot of excellent shots here and I understand it’s fairly common in comic books because of how much detail can actually be added to small drawings. But sometimes the differences in expressions or features were quite noticeable and there were large dips in detail. Plus the art/appearance differs quite a bit to the designs we see on the front covers of the books and within the Grimoire (which I thought looked fantastic). It’d be interesting to know if this is how Derek had envisioned her to look or if he gave the artist the license to take their own design route. But I guess the tiny lack of continuity is to be expected for an imagined book character that has received many new designs and fanart over the years. Especially until we get an animation or actress who can embody the character so well that going forward we can only picture her one way.
Overall not a bad taste of what could be if we were to get a full comic or animation series but as a stand-alone short story I wouldn’t recommend it to introduce someone new to what is a wonderful series when at its best. (Still love and appreciate you Derek & congrats on the new merch store!)
But I don’t know how this graphic novel may be for someone who isn’t familiar with the series already. It’s difficult to get an accurate representation of the characters and humour in such small pieces of dialogue. The writing did still have some of the charm and witty banter that we love but there wasn’t much fun to the story itself. It had a dark, spooky element with an unseen monster that can kill whoever it pleases and attempts to cover serious themes of discrimination but there was also a lot of writing included here that made my eyes roll. I support all the messages Derek attempts to promote here but we don’t need it to be spoon-fed to us so awkwardly. I wish the novel was longer so the story could be better fleshed out and to spend more time with the characters being their usual self within this format.
Seeing how Skulduggery flies, how he looks when he loses his hat and Valkyrie using her different powers was very fun and cool. I was surprised to see how hench Valkyrie is compared to how I imagined her to be. Also their take on her necromancer suit; I always thought it was more like the armoured suits in Dune but here it almost looks like a superhero suit. I did love her skull mask though and how similar it makes her look to Skulduggery.
Another nitpick I have is that with this sort of art-style I noticed Valkyrie’s face/features change a lot depending on the framing/angle. I don’t want to bash the artists because there were a lot of excellent shots here and I understand it’s fairly common in comic books because of how much detail can actually be added to small drawings. But sometimes the differences in expressions or features were quite noticeable and there were large dips in detail. Plus the art/appearance differs quite a bit to the designs we see on the front covers of the books and within the Grimoire (which I thought looked fantastic). It’d be interesting to know if this is how Derek had envisioned her to look or if he gave the artist the license to take their own design route. But I guess the tiny lack of continuity is to be expected for an imagined book character that has received many new designs and fanart over the years. Especially until we get an animation or actress who can embody the character so well that going forward we can only picture her one way.
Overall not a bad taste of what could be if we were to get a full comic or animation series but as a stand-alone short story I wouldn’t recommend it to introduce someone new to what is a wonderful series when at its best. (Still love and appreciate you Derek & congrats on the new merch store!)
September 29, 2023
Who asked for Skulduggery and Valkyrie visit a magic sundown town, I just want a show of hands.
As always Derek’s way of writing prejudice and representation has the subtlety of a jackhammer. It manages to piss off everyone, from bigots to very tired queer folk & people of color. The exception being those who are very young and/or those who got a high five from him at a Waterstones and therefore think it’s their job to defend the queer lead bluntly asking if someone is intersex.
(also valkyrie saying she has a girlfriend six times is not a substitute for the fact this town apparently mainly committed racial hate crimes and there’s not a single POC in this comic and not very many in the main series either. Some real white savior BS.)
I felt like Valkyrie and Skulduggery spoke like parodies of themselves and their dialogue was difficult to tell apart, a problem I never ever had in the main series.
Also, that art. Euuuuuugh. While the art team is not talentless, it was a terrible fit for this series. Valkyrie is a zillenial slightly alt cool, mostly black clothes wearing feminist heroine with thousands of pieces of incredible fan art in her honor. This Valkyrie dresses in hideous bright colors and pants that are COMPLETELY THE WRONG CUT!!!!!, and has a teeny tiny waist and pointy double D boobs that look like they would take Skulduggery’s eye out if he still had ‘em. The only time you see any of her muscle is when she’s nearly naked. Her facial features change about 300 times and if you’re generous 1-2 of those faces are cute.
The monsters look neat and the evil townsfolk look appropriately hideous, and while skulduggery is extremely stylized I don’t mind it too much. But it is really too much to ask to hire an artist who can draw a woman appropriately? Even the previous comic artist in the grimoire - who was an excellent draftsman who drew a beautiful Valkyrie - still gave her extremely low cut pants I have been grateful to have not seen in person since 2005.
Phase 2.5 has been a disappointment on a level I didn’t even predict. I had problems with phase 2 and may have rated them low, but I still enjoyed them and I still laughed and smiled even in the ones I didn’t like. HBL was bleak but compared to Bad Magic it seems like a masterpiece.
But I guess that’s why it wasn’t named GOOD Magic! HA HA HA
As always Derek’s way of writing prejudice and representation has the subtlety of a jackhammer. It manages to piss off everyone, from bigots to very tired queer folk & people of color. The exception being those who are very young and/or those who got a high five from him at a Waterstones and therefore think it’s their job to defend the queer lead bluntly asking if someone is intersex.
(also valkyrie saying she has a girlfriend six times is not a substitute for the fact this town apparently mainly committed racial hate crimes and there’s not a single POC in this comic and not very many in the main series either. Some real white savior BS.)
I felt like Valkyrie and Skulduggery spoke like parodies of themselves and their dialogue was difficult to tell apart, a problem I never ever had in the main series.
Also, that art. Euuuuuugh. While the art team is not talentless, it was a terrible fit for this series. Valkyrie is a zillenial slightly alt cool, mostly black clothes wearing feminist heroine with thousands of pieces of incredible fan art in her honor. This Valkyrie dresses in hideous bright colors and pants that are COMPLETELY THE WRONG CUT!!!!!, and has a teeny tiny waist and pointy double D boobs that look like they would take Skulduggery’s eye out if he still had ‘em. The only time you see any of her muscle is when she’s nearly naked. Her facial features change about 300 times and if you’re generous 1-2 of those faces are cute.
The monsters look neat and the evil townsfolk look appropriately hideous, and while skulduggery is extremely stylized I don’t mind it too much. But it is really too much to ask to hire an artist who can draw a woman appropriately? Even the previous comic artist in the grimoire - who was an excellent draftsman who drew a beautiful Valkyrie - still gave her extremely low cut pants I have been grateful to have not seen in person since 2005.
Phase 2.5 has been a disappointment on a level I didn’t even predict. I had problems with phase 2 and may have rated them low, but I still enjoyed them and I still laughed and smiled even in the ones I didn’t like. HBL was bleak but compared to Bad Magic it seems like a masterpiece.
But I guess that’s why it wasn’t named GOOD Magic! HA HA HA
March 12, 2024
Skulduggery und Walküre sind zurück und diesmal im neuen Format als Graphic Novel, aber genauso spannend wie immer:
In der kleinen irischen Stadt Termoncara kommt es gehäuft zu ungeklärten Mordfällen. Ein Grund für Skulduggery Pleasant und Walküre Unruh sich den Ort mal näher anzuschauen. Etwas Dunkles lauert in den Schatten der Stadt, nährt sich an den Geheimnissen der Bewohner und mit jedem Tropfen vergossenen Blutes wird es stärker...
Nach dem Prequel "Die Hölle bricht los" erwartet uns in "Bad Magic" ein kleines aber feines Abenteuer. Die Geschichte funktioniert als Graphic Novel sehr gut und ich muss sagen, der Look ist fantastisch geworden. Ich mag die Zeichnungen total gerne und besonders Skulduggery und Walküre sind sehr gut umgesetzt.
Derek Landy hat wieder seinen ganzen Einfallsreichtum aufgebracht und eine wunderbar spannende, mit schwarzem Humor gespickte Story erschaffen. Besonders gut ist die einzigartige Beziehung von Skulduggery und Walküre umgesetzt, von der die Reihe lebt. Die düstere Atmosphäre und die unheimlichen Vorgänge sorgen für ordentlich Spannung. Auch wenn der Fall abgeschlossen ist, gibt es ein Hintertürchen für weiter Bände, die hoffentlich bald folgen.
Mir hat die erste Graphic Novel im Skulduggery Universum richtig gut gefallen und ich war sehr gut unterhalten. Ein bisschen hatte ich das Gefühl eine Folge von Supernatural zu lesen und so kann ich mir die Reihe mit abgeschlossenen Fällen auch gut vorstellen.
Eine absolute Leseempfehlung für das neueste Abenteuer des Skelett-Detektivs.
5 von 5 Sternen
Derek Landy hat wieder seinen ganzen Einfallsreichtum aufgebracht und eine wunderbar spannende mit schwarzem Humor gespickte Story erschaffen. Besonders gut ist die einzigartige Beziehung von Skulduggery und Walküre umgesetzt von der die Reihe lebt. Die düstere Atmosphäre und die unheimlichen Vorgänge sorgen für ordentlich Spannung. Auch wennd er Fall abgeschlossen ist gibt es ein Hintertürchen für weiter Bände die hoffentlich bald folgen.
Mir hat die erste Graphic Novel im Skulduggery Universum richtig gut gefallen und ich war sehr gut unterhalten. Ein bisschen hatte ich das Gefühl eine Folge von Supernatural zu lesen und so kann ich mir die Reihe mit abgeschlossenen Fällen auch gut vorstellen.
Eine absolute Leseempfehlung für das neueste Abenteuer des Skelett Detektivs.
In der kleinen irischen Stadt Termoncara kommt es gehäuft zu ungeklärten Mordfällen. Ein Grund für Skulduggery Pleasant und Walküre Unruh sich den Ort mal näher anzuschauen. Etwas Dunkles lauert in den Schatten der Stadt, nährt sich an den Geheimnissen der Bewohner und mit jedem Tropfen vergossenen Blutes wird es stärker...
Nach dem Prequel "Die Hölle bricht los" erwartet uns in "Bad Magic" ein kleines aber feines Abenteuer. Die Geschichte funktioniert als Graphic Novel sehr gut und ich muss sagen, der Look ist fantastisch geworden. Ich mag die Zeichnungen total gerne und besonders Skulduggery und Walküre sind sehr gut umgesetzt.
Derek Landy hat wieder seinen ganzen Einfallsreichtum aufgebracht und eine wunderbar spannende, mit schwarzem Humor gespickte Story erschaffen. Besonders gut ist die einzigartige Beziehung von Skulduggery und Walküre umgesetzt, von der die Reihe lebt. Die düstere Atmosphäre und die unheimlichen Vorgänge sorgen für ordentlich Spannung. Auch wenn der Fall abgeschlossen ist, gibt es ein Hintertürchen für weiter Bände, die hoffentlich bald folgen.
Mir hat die erste Graphic Novel im Skulduggery Universum richtig gut gefallen und ich war sehr gut unterhalten. Ein bisschen hatte ich das Gefühl eine Folge von Supernatural zu lesen und so kann ich mir die Reihe mit abgeschlossenen Fällen auch gut vorstellen.
Eine absolute Leseempfehlung für das neueste Abenteuer des Skelett-Detektivs.
5 von 5 Sternen
Derek Landy hat wieder seinen ganzen Einfallsreichtum aufgebracht und eine wunderbar spannende mit schwarzem Humor gespickte Story erschaffen. Besonders gut ist die einzigartige Beziehung von Skulduggery und Walküre umgesetzt von der die Reihe lebt. Die düstere Atmosphäre und die unheimlichen Vorgänge sorgen für ordentlich Spannung. Auch wennd er Fall abgeschlossen ist gibt es ein Hintertürchen für weiter Bände die hoffentlich bald folgen.
Mir hat die erste Graphic Novel im Skulduggery Universum richtig gut gefallen und ich war sehr gut unterhalten. Ein bisschen hatte ich das Gefühl eine Folge von Supernatural zu lesen und so kann ich mir die Reihe mit abgeschlossenen Fällen auch gut vorstellen.
Eine absolute Leseempfehlung für das neueste Abenteuer des Skelett Detektivs.
November 27, 2023
Skulduggery (a walking talking skeleton), has teamed up with his friend Valkyrie Cain, and when they arrive in small Irish town called Termoncara, it's not long before they know something is incredibly "off." The murder of three teenagers in the last ten months is what first alerted them to Termoncara, but the townspeople's behaviour is just weird.
The latest murder was of a teenage boy named Ethan, and the blame was laid on another teen named Jamie. Skulduggery and Valkerie pay him a visit, but there is someone waiting for them, or more to the point - something.
This entity has controlled this small town and its inhabitants for decades and nothing can stand in its way. At least until Skulduggery and Valkerie arrive. Their supernatural powers come in handy when they come face to face with the town's problem - Mr Friendly.
But Mr Friendly is far from his name, feeding on any negativity, racism, and homophobia. He builds these traits in the townspeople, and when required calls in some monster mates to make things even more terrible for them.
Skulduggery and Valkerie are up against a formidable foe and determined to get to the cause of the town's trouble. The final showdown is far from straight forward and tidy. Has Skulduggery met his match?
The first ever graphic novel in the incredibly popular series - Skulduggery Pleasant.
A full colour comic packed full of monsters, supernatural powers and tons of sass. Expert monster hunters Skulduggery and his pal Valkerie are up against a creature who is turning a town of intimidation, ignorance and hate of anyone different, into a mob of murderers.
It feeds off this hate, with its own personal goal in mind - but you'll have to read it to find out! This graphic novel is engaging, creepy, full of laugh out loud banter between the main characters, with a satisfying conclusion.
I enjoyed this so much, I just might dive back into the Skulduggery series.
Age - 12+
Graphic Novel
The latest murder was of a teenage boy named Ethan, and the blame was laid on another teen named Jamie. Skulduggery and Valkerie pay him a visit, but there is someone waiting for them, or more to the point - something.
This entity has controlled this small town and its inhabitants for decades and nothing can stand in its way. At least until Skulduggery and Valkerie arrive. Their supernatural powers come in handy when they come face to face with the town's problem - Mr Friendly.
But Mr Friendly is far from his name, feeding on any negativity, racism, and homophobia. He builds these traits in the townspeople, and when required calls in some monster mates to make things even more terrible for them.
Skulduggery and Valkerie are up against a formidable foe and determined to get to the cause of the town's trouble. The final showdown is far from straight forward and tidy. Has Skulduggery met his match?
The first ever graphic novel in the incredibly popular series - Skulduggery Pleasant.
A full colour comic packed full of monsters, supernatural powers and tons of sass. Expert monster hunters Skulduggery and his pal Valkerie are up against a creature who is turning a town of intimidation, ignorance and hate of anyone different, into a mob of murderers.
It feeds off this hate, with its own personal goal in mind - but you'll have to read it to find out! This graphic novel is engaging, creepy, full of laugh out loud banter between the main characters, with a satisfying conclusion.
I enjoyed this so much, I just might dive back into the Skulduggery series.
Age - 12+
Graphic Novel
January 4, 2024
Status: read
Edition: paperback
My Reading Dates: 3 Jan
Genre: Adventure, Supernatural, Action, YA, Fiction
Pages: 144
Pace: fast
My Thoughts
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, seeing as I usually don't like graphic novels. I have habit of only reading the words, and then I am lost because I missed what the picture was showing me. But I tried pacing myself, and really take everything in. I still rushed through it at the end, but I am going to ignore that.
The plot was very well built up and executed (of course it was, this is Derek Landy), though we did plunge right into it at the start. I loved Skulduggery and Valkyrie's banter thoughout the entire book, but it felt a bit more lacking than usual. Maybe because this book was surprisingly more shorter than Derek Landy's other books.
I am really curious about who the monster was working for, but I suspect that we probably never know.
We got mostly new characters, other than Skulduggery and Valkyrie obviously. Jamie's personality is similar to Omen's, but we didn't get as many thoughts and feelings from Jamie as we do from Omen, seeing as this is a graphic novel. The entire town is a bit cuckoo, but since they are mortals, I suppose that made sense (no offence, my dear hoo mans).
But I am confused on what happened to tentacle-vine dude(s).
Honestly, a lot of information was sorta skipped over and forgotten. Despite the fact that I enjoyed this, I still 100% prefer my regular books. The art style of Valkyrie kept changing depending of the lighting and angle, but i didn't mind all too much.
I liked this book, and would totally recommend. It is definitely worth it.
↝4 stars
Edition: paperback
My Reading Dates: 3 Jan
Genre: Adventure, Supernatural, Action, YA, Fiction
Pages: 144
Pace: fast
My Thoughts
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, seeing as I usually don't like graphic novels. I have habit of only reading the words, and then I am lost because I missed what the picture was showing me. But I tried pacing myself, and really take everything in. I still rushed through it at the end, but I am going to ignore that.
The plot was very well built up and executed (of course it was, this is Derek Landy), though we did plunge right into it at the start. I loved Skulduggery and Valkyrie's banter thoughout the entire book, but it felt a bit more lacking than usual. Maybe because this book was surprisingly more shorter than Derek Landy's other books.
I am really curious about who the monster was working for, but I suspect that we probably never know.
We got mostly new characters, other than Skulduggery and Valkyrie obviously. Jamie's personality is similar to Omen's, but we didn't get as many thoughts and feelings from Jamie as we do from Omen, seeing as this is a graphic novel. The entire town is a bit cuckoo, but since they are mortals, I suppose that made sense (no offence, my dear hoo mans).
But I am confused on what happened to tentacle-vine dude(s).
Honestly, a lot of information was sorta skipped over and forgotten. Despite the fact that I enjoyed this, I still 100% prefer my regular books. The art style of Valkyrie kept changing depending of the lighting and angle, but i didn't mind all too much.
I liked this book, and would totally recommend. It is definitely worth it.
↝4 stars
December 18, 2023
Embark on an unprecedented journey into the world of Skulduggery Pleasant with this captivating graphic novel, bursting with vibrant colors and original storytelling. Nestled in the heart of Ireland, the quiet town of Termoncara conceals a series of mysterious deaths and an ominous creature on the prowl. The call for help echoes, and as Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain roll into town, they unravel a dark history and confront a community haunted by its own concealed truths. In the shadows, a malevolent entity roams the streets—a being reveling in cruelty, nourished by petty hatreds, and empowered with each drop of spilled blood. Brace yourself for a fusion of horror and enigma as Derek Landy, P. J. Holden, Matt Soffe, Rob Jones, and Pye Parr breathe life into this original graphic novel, transcending the boundaries of conventional storytelling.
I believe graphic novels are absolutely fantastic. Whether you're a hesitant reader or a voracious one, graphic novels open doors to worlds one might not have envisioned otherwise. This particular graphic novel delves into the realms of darkness and disturbance, all while delivering a hefty dose of enjoyment. I'll certainly be on the lookout for the next installment in this series.
I believe graphic novels are absolutely fantastic. Whether you're a hesitant reader or a voracious one, graphic novels open doors to worlds one might not have envisioned otherwise. This particular graphic novel delves into the realms of darkness and disturbance, all while delivering a hefty dose of enjoyment. I'll certainly be on the lookout for the next installment in this series.
March 3, 2024
Well this was pretty disturbing. Some brilliant art and monster design, and the way magic was realised was pretty cool. The way Skulduggery and Valkyrie were characterised was perfect and the dialogue was as brilliantly fun and witty as it always is, but most of the other characters are pretty one note. Jamie is decently interesting though. I appreciate the themes about hate crimes and moral panics, and about the ways abusive people convince themselves they're in the right. The antagonist was terrifying in both appearance and writing. I feel like the ending is a bit cliché and convenient, but I'm intrigued by the foreshadowing for the future at the end. Overall a solid read.
I don't know if it's just the medium, but this feels overly dark even compared to other Skulduggery stories. And I'm not usually one to say this, but it doesn't feel appropriate for a middle grade audience. It's bleak and depressing and while the victims of these hate crimes do receive justice, there is no catharsis in it, no positive representation, and no happy or even hopeful ending for Jamie. I would not under any circumstances give this to a struggling queer kid.
I don't know if it's just the medium, but this feels overly dark even compared to other Skulduggery stories. And I'm not usually one to say this, but it doesn't feel appropriate for a middle grade audience. It's bleak and depressing and while the victims of these hate crimes do receive justice, there is no catharsis in it, no positive representation, and no happy or even hopeful ending for Jamie. I would not under any circumstances give this to a struggling queer kid.
October 4, 2023
I am such a BIG fan of the Derek Landy series Skulduggery Pleasant and have been so excited to see the world brought to life in comic form.
💀 The storyline of Bad Magic is such a fun adventure with some truly creepy monsters, wrapped in the usual humour I have come to expect from the duo.
💀 Put simply this graphic novel is fantastic. Derek blends horror and fantasy perfectly, and this would be a PERFECT spooky season read. P.J. Holden, Matt Soffe, and Pye Parr. captured the titular Skulduggery and Valkyrie so incredibly well, and I can't explain how much I loved Rob Jones' lettering.
💀 For those of you who don't know, Skulduggery Pleasant is a 15-book fantasy/horror series that follows a talking (and rather dapper) skeleton detective named Skullduggery, and Valkyrie Cain, his friend and partner. Bad Magic is set after book 15 but COULD be read as a standalone, offering a great starting point to the Skulduggery world.
Thank you Midas Public Relations and Harper Collins UK for sending me an early copy, all opinions expressed are my own.
💀 The storyline of Bad Magic is such a fun adventure with some truly creepy monsters, wrapped in the usual humour I have come to expect from the duo.
💀 Put simply this graphic novel is fantastic. Derek blends horror and fantasy perfectly, and this would be a PERFECT spooky season read. P.J. Holden, Matt Soffe, and Pye Parr. captured the titular Skulduggery and Valkyrie so incredibly well, and I can't explain how much I loved Rob Jones' lettering.
💀 For those of you who don't know, Skulduggery Pleasant is a 15-book fantasy/horror series that follows a talking (and rather dapper) skeleton detective named Skullduggery, and Valkyrie Cain, his friend and partner. Bad Magic is set after book 15 but COULD be read as a standalone, offering a great starting point to the Skulduggery world.
Thank you Midas Public Relations and Harper Collins UK for sending me an early copy, all opinions expressed are my own.
January 23, 2024
This really surprised me.
I've planned to read the Skullduggery Pleasant books many times, but never actually got started (although, when I worked in a book shop and narrowly missed the chance to meet Derek Landy, my boss went on my behalf and got me many autographed and personalised things :) ). Part of it is that it seems... goofy. It's a wisecracking skeleton. Usually, in books aimed at 12-year-olds, characters like that irk me - the 'clever' names are apparently enough to outweigh an interesting plot.
This was actually... really good. And didn't seem targeted at 12-year-olds. If someone stuck a 1990s DC Vertigo banner on the cover, I'd believe it. Now... I think I do need to give the books a go...
I've planned to read the Skullduggery Pleasant books many times, but never actually got started (although, when I worked in a book shop and narrowly missed the chance to meet Derek Landy, my boss went on my behalf and got me many autographed and personalised things :) ). Part of it is that it seems... goofy. It's a wisecracking skeleton. Usually, in books aimed at 12-year-olds, characters like that irk me - the 'clever' names are apparently enough to outweigh an interesting plot.
This was actually... really good. And didn't seem targeted at 12-year-olds. If someone stuck a 1990s DC Vertigo banner on the cover, I'd believe it. Now... I think I do need to give the books a go...
February 1, 2024
Something that I really enjoy about these novels is the expanse and level of detail they cover.
Sadly, this doesn’t transfer to graphic novel style. I appreciated the art of skulduggery (when a skeleton) and Mr Friendly and the other monsters, but Valkyrie was not how I imagined her at all (cover image comes across differently to images in book)
This also felt quite pointed in its message.
The humour and banter that these books are known for was still prevalent and up to scratch.
Although I didn’t like the storyline, I can also appreciate the fact that they went with an original story, not an adaptation of book 1.
To me, this falls under the banner of something which was created for fans which really didn’t need to happen.
Sadly, this doesn’t transfer to graphic novel style. I appreciated the art of skulduggery (when a skeleton) and Mr Friendly and the other monsters, but Valkyrie was not how I imagined her at all (cover image comes across differently to images in book)
This also felt quite pointed in its message.
The humour and banter that these books are known for was still prevalent and up to scratch.
Although I didn’t like the storyline, I can also appreciate the fact that they went with an original story, not an adaptation of book 1.
To me, this falls under the banner of something which was created for fans which really didn’t need to happen.
January 12, 2024
This is fun. This is cute. I love the little visual humour bits as well as the dialogue humour bits. Classical Derek Landy humour and I am always here for it. The illustrations were absolutely fantastic and I loved some of the little illustration choices that gave everything more meaning and character - for example, not seeing Skulduggery's eyes ever when he's actively got a facade on.
I just really enjoyed this! Laughed out loud a few times and had a fantastic time taking in this piece of media. Wonderful.
I just really enjoyed this! Laughed out loud a few times and had a fantastic time taking in this piece of media. Wonderful.
December 21, 2023
Any Skulduggery Pleasant book is a good book!
A comic is a new medium for this series and I'm so happy about it.
Loved the characters and the storyline was great.
The mention of someone else being behind Mr. Friendly's actions leaves room for more comics. So I certainly hope there are more coming in the future.
I could never possibly have enough Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain.
A comic is a new medium for this series and I'm so happy about it.
Loved the characters and the storyline was great.
The mention of someone else being behind Mr. Friendly's actions leaves room for more comics. So I certainly hope there are more coming in the future.
I could never possibly have enough Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2024
It’s so fun and entertaining, just as everything written by Derek Landy.
I loved the jokes, they made me laugh a lot, everything is as good as it’s in the books. And I’m telling this knowing that doing a graphic novel using the story and the characters of a book serie it’s not something easy.
Finally I loved the illustrations, the fights are amazingly done, the magic and the monsters, wow I can’t say anything more, I am impressed about it.
I recommend a lot this graphic novel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I loved the jokes, they made me laugh a lot, everything is as good as it’s in the books. And I’m telling this knowing that doing a graphic novel using the story and the characters of a book serie it’s not something easy.
Finally I loved the illustrations, the fights are amazingly done, the magic and the monsters, wow I can’t say anything more, I am impressed about it.
I recommend a lot this graphic novel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
March 10, 2025
Le passage au roman graphique pour cette aventure de mes détectives préférés m'a apporté exactement ce que je voulais : magie, mystères, monstres et action. On retrouve bien la plume de Landy dans les dialogues et l'humour de certaines situations et les fans de la série devraient, comme moi, y trouver leur compte.
C'est plutôt pour les nouveaux lecteurs potentiels que je m'inquiète. En effet, l'art n'est pas foufou et l'intrigue n'est pas une des meilleures de la série...
C'est plutôt pour les nouveaux lecteurs potentiels que je m'inquiète. En effet, l'art n'est pas foufou et l'intrigue n'est pas une des meilleures de la série...
October 17, 2023
I loved this one! It was great to see Skuldugegry and Valkyrie in picture form and the monster designs were wicked. Due to being in comic form I felt there wasn't much space for their usual banter which is one of the highlights of the main series. But I really enjoyed this standalone adventure, and I hope there are more to come.
December 12, 2023
as with every skulduggery book this was a delightful little experience. loved the creature designs, they were really the standout for me. the Themes were a bit heavy handed but that’s par for the course with this series lately and i don’t come to skulduggery pleasant for Good Writing, i come to have a Good Time (which i did)
January 9, 2024
this was so much fun!!! nice break from the novels with the same humour we've all come to expect from landy :) maybe a lead on to the next graphic novel too?
had some minor issues with the art style especially for valkyries face and the whole hate crime dialogue felt clunky/awkward? but other than that it was fun quick read
had some minor issues with the art style especially for valkyries face and the whole hate crime dialogue felt clunky/awkward? but other than that it was fun quick read
June 24, 2024
I really enjoyed this short graphic novel. It's been a while since I've read a graphic novel so I decided to take a chance on this one and I don't regret it at all.
I loved the art style and the characters were very lovable. I loved how there was a magic skeleton and how his friend was a psychic with magic powers.
I loved the art style and the characters were very lovable. I loved how there was a magic skeleton and how his friend was a psychic with magic powers.
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