Customer Reviews

Emiko Superstar (Minx Graphic Novels)

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This was the second last of the 12 MINX graphic novels that I was able to track down and read. It is one of the best in the series. It is the story of a young girl who does not follow all her friends off to business camp. Who borrows the words of another woman to learn to find her own voice. Emiko is staying home this summer; she is babysitting after being fired as a whipping girl at a coffee bar. She is invited to a Freak Show at a placed called the Factory. At first she goes, but then she auditions and makes the act. Wearing some of her grandmothe's old clothes she finds a new person inside and spends the summer exploring who she really wants to be.

This story is fantastic - the writing, the concept and the artwork. I reread it immediately and know I will reread it again and again. The short-lived MINX graphic novel line was supposed to feature stories about strong women and girls and be quality graphic novels for young women. I plan on keeping the whole series set aside for my daughters for when they are older, but I will probably pull this one and a few of the others out from time to time to reread.

Emiko didn't start off as a superstar. She started off as just a girl with a summer job. Was a whip girl then a babysitter. This was before she saw Poppy in the mall. After that Emiko went to go see the Freaks and what a sight they were. She meets a guy named Henry that tells her she can fall in with that crowd to, if she only tries and wows. So she tries, because she wants to create something. Emiko wants to find herself and the freaks might just help her.

This was an interesting little tale about a crazy place. The Factory is a fantastic concept and it was crazy seeing all the different things that people came up with to perform. Like hula-hooping, whoda thunk? There was a lot of sad parts in this story, divorce, wrong lover, bad lovers all sorts. But there was a lot of hope and inspiration too. Emiko found out a lot about herself and how to live life. Sometimes we have to do stuff that sucks, we have to do more of the things we love if we're going to make it through. Definitely pick this one up if you dig art and stuff ;)

First Line:
"Emiko Superstar. The more I think about it... ...the more I think this story should start with something about Andy Warhol."