| ** spoiler alert ** This was a delightful little romp. I’m a big Descendants fan so when I saw this on Netgalley I jumped on it. The novels were a bit of a bust for me so I was a little worried going in but it was definitely worth the read. This manga follows Dizzy, the grand daughter of Lady Tremaine, in the time between Descendants 2 and 3. Dizzy has gotten her acceptance letter from King Ben inviting her to Auradon and is impatiently awaiting the day the second wave of VK’s get to leave the Isle. In the few days she has left it seems like everyone is trying to bring the little fashionista down. From Celia Facilier to Harry Hook and his band of miscreants, every body just wants to get their claws into the girl with the golden ticket. *SPOILERS* ~Pros~ I loved the subtle nod to the Harry/Gil bromance. Gil has always seemed like a genuinely good hearted character who is just always on the wrong side because of who he drew alliances with. He’s devoted to Harry on deep level and values their adventures together above everything else. The scene with him was a nice little reprieve from all the peer pressure being put on Dizzy. Dizzy is as adorable as ever! I loved seeing her in a more somber mood, as she is always so energetic in the films. The morals that the manga is pushing are great ones for young teens who are just figure life out. It teaches that you should never let someone dictate who you are going to be and that you hold the keys to your own future. The Celia arc also teaches to not let people take advantage of your kindness and walk all over you. That it’s ok to stand up for yourself. Great messages for a younger audience. The art is absolutely beautiful! All the characters looked like they do in the films except for Harry, but I’ll put that in the cons section. Celia’s art was exceptionally well done. I loved the Oracle card details and the little panels of her being a sneak. ~Cons~ Harry Hook doesn’t look much like his character in the films. There was a significant lack of eyeliner. He looked almost like Killian from Once Upon a Time instead of his counterpart from Descendants 2 or 3. It’s a small nit pick. The recap in the letter to Evie at the end felt a little pointless. I just read 100 pages of story. Why do I need it condensed back into 4 pages of refresher? I think even the artwork was recycled for those panels. Just seemed a little lazy. All in all a short and solid read if you are a fan of the Descendants series. Would love to read more of these manga and will definitely pick this on up in print. |
Lee's Literary Loves and Losses 