Peng! Action Sports Adventures

At the All-World School of Sportsmanship, the sports-focused curriculum includes “fringe sports” such as advanced kickball, hacky sack, and breakdancing. Rocky Hallelujah, 16, leads Foot Knux, a freshman team vying for the kickball championship. Heavily inspired by sports manga and martial arts media, Lewis (Sharknife) makes the mundane fantastical: kickballer anatomy includes a “guts meter,” and players employ physics-defying moves. After facing opponents including the reigning champs, “protectors of kickball purity” Aurora Skeddos, Foot Knux explores other sports. Though the cast of this pan-Asian mash-up world seems diverse, the mostly male characters fall into generalized tropes—caricatured Tibetan monks, headscarf-wearing characters with hook noses and slit eyes—and use a conglomeration of Asian phrases. A different color enlivens each black-and-white section, with the kickball narrative highlighted in bubblegum pink. Sequences lacking distinct backgrounds or action through lines can be difficult to follow, but pages are packed with character-focused panels. Sans meaningful character development, the comic relies on action and charming cameos (including Scott Pilgrim and superhero Sharknife, Rocky’s older brother) but remains a fast-paced, entertaining read. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. [em](July) [/em]