Bermuda

This classic grand adventure from Layman (the Chew series) and Bradshaw (the X-Men series) catapults young Bobby Randolph and his sister Andi from an ocean plane crash to a mysterious island called Triangle, populated with big lizards, giant spiders, vicious pirates, fish-man slavers—and a young girl named, naturally, Bermuda. She’s a Peter Pan–type barefoot jungle hunter, a ragged-garbed tracker/fighter who can leap through the trees like Tarzan and take down an entire bar full of brawny pirates—and she’s Bobby and Andi’s only hope to get back home. Layman scripts the familiar trope of children lost in a fantasy land with a fresh enthusiasm and nonstop pace. The story line leaps from one calamity to the next, within an appealing patchwork of civilizations and culture, and intriguing mysteries behind the history of the island. Bermuda is a vivacious heroine who’ll appeal to fans of Moana or Merida, and Bradshaw’s art nimbly infuses panels with kinetic energy, through an inventive, eerie landscape. This succeeds as a rare graphic novel that’s actually suitable for kids while absolutely appealing to adult comics fans, with potential for sequels and further adventures. (Feb.)