Mel joins the dark forces of Uro!
Creative Staff
Writer/Artist: YOYO
What They Say
In part three of the Vermonia series, General Uro’s reign of terror spreads through the Turtle Realm. When the three skateboarders from the planet Blue Star— Doug, Naomi, and Jim— are brought to a village burning under the evil Uro’s command, Naomi merges with her warrior spirit, the red phoenix, to help put out the flames. Now that the friends have the power of their guardian animals, they draw closer to finding and freeing Mel, who is trapped in a bubble guarded by one of General Uro’s brainwashed soldiers.
The Review:
Content:
If Volume 2 was all about the boys, Volume 3 belongs to Mel and Naomi. And it’s not just about them getting the powers of their spirit guardians. Whereas Doug and Jim don’t carry emotional baggage, there’s been strife between the girls from the start, and this installment delves into the details. The source of the conflict isn’t anything earth-shattering; it’s an issue any tween can relate to. However, when Mel shows up on the side of Uro’s minions, all of that unresolved tension explodes into a souped-up catfight in the desert.
The girls’ strained relationship aside, Uro, for all his supposed it evil cunning, isn’t very efficient with his resources. When Naomi goes up against his giant fire-breathing lizard, another of Uro’s minions hits her with a memory dart that reveals the lizard’s pitiful history (apparently, manipulating the weak and needy into his armies is Uro’s MO). The dart does the job in stirring Naomi’s compassion, rendering her unable to kill off the lizard, but if Uro’s objective was to destroy Naomi, it would make more sense to use a deadly dart and eliminate her outright instead.
In Summary:
All of our Blue Star Warriors have obtained the power of their spirit guardians, and the battle lines are drawn — with Mel taking the side of the dark forces! There’s plenty of fighting scenes in the continuing war over the Turtle Realm, but the conflict ultimately boils down to a battle to win back the heart of an estranged friend.
Content Grade: B
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: A+
Text/Translation Grade: B
Age Rating: 12+
Released By: Candlewick Press
Release Date: August 24th, 2010
MSRP: $9.99
