Steve L. McEvil (Steve L. McEvil #1)

As the heir to a long line of evildoers, Steve L. McEvil, portrayed with white skin and red hair, strives to meet the expectations of his grandfather Tiberius, “the world’s greatest supervillain,” who has retired from active villainy. Steve’s big plan is to take over his school (the operation remains a work in progress) and woo his academically inclined crush, Sierra Flores, but Steve’s blue-haired do-gooder new neighbor Vic Turry repeatedly foils his schemes with his consistent friendliness. When Steve, Sierra, and Vic are grouped together for a school science project, they decide to investigate the new rock structure in town. Citizens assume it’s an art installation, but Tiberius believes its appearance heralds something far more sinister. Turnbloom’s (Curse of the Harvester) vibrant full-color art is rendered with thick line and stark highlights that evoke a mad-scientist aura, and while the central mystery’s resolution is tidy, Steve’s reticence to heroics and characters’ comic-strip-esque cutaway reactions provide dry humor. This plot-driven graphic novel ably synthesizes tried-and-true school drama with familiar science fiction tropes. Instructions on how to create a three-panel comic strip and more conclude. Ages 8–12. Agent: Judy Hansen, Hansen Literary Management. (May)