Shadow Rock

So many contemporary comics are aimed at chronologically adult readers that it's nice to see one deliberately created for kids. Timothy London, an insecure newcomer in the eponymous fishing village, has to deal with the standard perils faced by teenagers—bullying peers and insensitive adults—while also exploring the place's dark legends. In particular, he meets the lonely ghost of a boy who was murdered in the local lighthouse to protect a guilty secret. But the town's real monsters are humans. As in most such stories, the hero must develop his capacities for friendship and independent action; he has to resolve internal problems while solving an exterior mystery. Watching this happen is entertaining, but the story stays a bit too close to lazy formula. Stereotyped villains, for example, never realize that they should destroy incriminating evidence rather than preserving it to be discovered by young detectives. On the other hand, the African-American hero's interaction with the rest of the cast is handled smoothly and casually, and the artwork is agreeably cartoony without being too exaggerated. Even if this book isn't as satisfying as a freshly imagined kid-comic like Robinson and Smith's Leave It to Chance , it's still a pleasant read for young people who crave a few chills and some mildly exciting thrills. (Feb.)