Apprentice Lord of Darkness

Life is difficult for ALD, an aspiring apprentice Lord of Darkness portrayed as a small, hooded figure wearing a skull mask. The Kingdom of Alkyll has been peaceful ever since Stearas, Master of Absolute Evil, was vanquished 200 years prior. This sustained period of peace makes ALD’s dreams of taking over the world a seemingly impossible task. The kingdom’s labyrinthine bureaucracy, paired with ALD’s limited funds, means ALD must get creative with their plans to become a full-fledged Lord of Darkness. Aided by incompetent minions—a gangly green goblin and a cheerful purple slug creature—and new friends, including a perpetually asleep dragon hatchling and a resourceful kidnapped princess, ALD works tirelessly, convinced they have what it takes to conquer the world. But all their villainous efforts, no matter how well executed, keep improving the kingdom for the better. Morin renders the large creature-filled cast using vibrant full-color and highly stylized shapes. While the comic strip formatting, which supplies a punch line on every page, occasionally slows momentum, CED’s consistent humor keeps readers invested in ALD’s slapstick adventures, making for an irreverent graphic novel fantasy. Human characters present as white. Ages 8–12. (July)