Hey guys, welcome to B’s Views and Reviews, the podcast that promotes faith-based, family friendly comics and the creators that make them, brought to you by Geek Devotions, a show by devoted geeks devoted to letting you know that you are loved. I’m B, and today we’ll be talking about the Jules Verne-inspired adventure comic Nemo the Lad.
The Story:
Nemo the Lad is an anthology of stories detailing the exciting and often hilarious adventures of boy genius and inventor Nemo and his wise-cracking older sister Anna. The comical duo set out for adventure on the high seas in the Cephalopod, a machine of Nemo’s making that can travel land, sea, and when conditions are right, even the air!
When my nose wasn’t stuck in Spider-Man comics as a kid, I often gravitated towards books in one of two categories: (1) Sherlock Holmes or (2) the works of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, authors who some have considered to be the fathers of science fiction. For those of you who are fans of the Steampunk genre, Wells and Verne are to thank for that. This comic has the same feel as those stories. Exotic locations, exciting adventures, and the main character constantly having to match his wits against incredible circumstances.
Elements of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth filled the panels with action and drama, adn the good natured ribbing of Anna towards Nemo kept even the more dangerous perils light-hearted and comical. It was pure fun, start to finish.
The Hero?
The star of the comic has to be Nemo. He’s the classic Icarus. He ALWAYS thinks his intelligence is superior to any situation or person he comes into contact with. And that attitude routinely gets him into trouble. As a matter of fact, Nemo boasting of his own genius is usually a good indicator that something unforeseen and dangerous is about to happen. More than once Nemo is humbled by how ill-prepared he really is for the world he is exploring, but he is a determined kid whose confidence won’t let him quit. Not to mention, Anna pulls double duty in keeping Nemo grounded–for the most part–while stepping in to save him when he finally gets in situations too big for him to think his way out of.
Is it family friendly?
This is a story made for kids. It’s fun, it’s entertaining. It has dramatic moments that catch your attention, but they are balanced with light-hearted fun and comical sibling rivalry. Definitely a winner for kids of any age.
Where can I get it?
Nemo the Lad is written by JS Earls. Earls is the mind behind works such as The Meg, Ted Dekker’s Lost Books, TokyoPop’s Z-Manga Bible, and PistolFist. He’s also a writer/cocreator for SuperSonic Pod Comics, the Podcast telling stories of superheroes in a shared universe.
This project is a very special project in that it hasn’t been published yet! Nemo the Lad is currently being crowdfunded through Kickstarter. The campaign began September 3rd and will only be going for two weeks. The Campaign has varying levels of donations to help it get off the ground, but what I find very interesting is this:
If you pledge to $30 or higher, you get to name your own island on Nemo’s back cover map!! That’s right, you get to be part of the story of Nemo the Lad by naming one of the islands. Who knows? Maybe Nemo and Anna will find themselves washing up on your shores in an adventure!
Nemo the Lad is written by JS Earls with art done by several contributing artists to the anthology. You can pledge to donate to publishing the comic via Kickstarter here. Remember, pledges of $30 or more allow you to name your own island in the story.
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