Customer Reviews

Monster Zoo

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Monster Zoo tells the story of Ty, a skinny high-schooler who's trip to the zoo takes an unexpected turn for the paranormal. Fighting back a zoo-load of monster-fied animals, Ty's courage, and bravery shine through his akward teenager exterior.

Okay, why did I like this book so much? First of all, it has believable-yet-unique characters. TenNapel gives depth to these characters through good dialogue, subtle and overt story moments, and solid artwork. The story telling is TIGHT! The story moves along at a good pace without feeling rushed or overworked. It's compelling and cinematic - a movie on paper. Lastly, TenNapel's artwork is outstanding. I love the imaginative designs of the monster-animals, and the clarity with which he lays out panels and pages. TenNapel's visual language crossbreeds Bill Watterson's loose, gestural brushwork with Mike Mignola's tight sense of composition.

In conclusion, I loved Monster Zoo. It's Jurassic Park meets Evil Dead. A blast to read!

A little bit darker then what I would expect from TenNaple but still awesome all the same. His style of drawing is the kind that can keep you entertained even if your not reading the book, and when you do it just makes it all THAT much better.

I try to buy graphic novels for my middle school classroom library to help struggling readers bridge to more complex texts. This book was disappointing. If I had known it was full of people giving themselves wedgies, flatulation humor, and other off color comments, I would not have purchased it. Also, the binding is horrible. The book totally fell apart with the first reading. It didn't even make it to the library shelf. What a waste of money!

In usual Doug Tennapel fashion, this book a quick, captivating read. You will almost undoubtedly read the entire thing in one (very enjoyable) sitting. Without giving too much away, it has some very imaginative creatures, fun characters, a solid pace, and of course ends with that nice, warm, "feel good" sensation that only a happy ending and a lesson well learned can bring.

I mean "juvenile" in the nicest way, having once been a youngster myself, I could easily identify with the fart and nerd humor. The story was a lot of fun - couldn't put it down! The characters are realistic enough, the humor was fresh and pleasantly rude at times. Really a unique and worthwhile read!

I really enjoy all of Doug Tennapels graphic novels. He knows how to tell good stories with very like-able characters in surprising situations with just the right amount of his trademark quirky humor. The pen and ink artwork is very good and his story telling technique and drawing style seamlessly flow together. He has a unique gift and his contributions continue to enrich the whole genre!

Being a fan of the T-Man, I naturally got around to MONSTER ZOO. This offering is introduced--glowingly--by Todd McFarlane (a name familiar, doubtlessly, to comics lovers).

As usual, we get nifty art, humor, scary things one needs to fight (ya know, good versus evil), humor, characters you can root for, a bit of romance, and humor. :D

In MONSTER ZOO--well, you can guess the setting, right?--we have two best pals, kids you know are tagged as losers in high school--the fat and farty one with the skinny and shy one--who visit the zoo. Also present this day, however, is a new exhibit of this huge monster idol from Africa called "Ungabe," the name the natives called it as they fled in terror once it was unearthed. The zoologists hope it will bring in moolah to get the zoo in the red. (They totally ignore that "flee in terror" part, but we know something's up.)

Also at the zoo as the story is set up we see a girl our hero has a crush on, and her goon-idiot boyfriend (who bullies the hero early on).

Things get much worse than wedgies when animals start transforming into delightfully weird monster versions of themselves (freaky walrus thing, zebras with giant maws on their haunches, razor-toothed monkeys attacking in tandem) as the Ungabe gets its killer act in gear.

It's gonna be an "animal apocalypse" if the foreign and very short "witchy woman" and the kids don't survive and prevail.

I have to say, as a gal with a soft spot for romantic subplots, that I always appreciate when TenNapel does that little, gentle bit of romance magic (like in Creature Tech, Black Cherry, et al). He does it with a very sweet hand given the surroundign wackiness, so it's like a bit of tender calm in the storm. I like that.

There were a couple spots where I had to reach for the tissues cause I was laughing to tears. But then, Doug does that to me. :)

Bring it on D.T. I'm ready for the next wild ride.

Thumbs up!

Mir

Monster Zoo is TenNapel taking his craft to new levels. It contains all the earmarks of what he always has done the best (killer imagination, tight story, amazing illustrations) and expands on them. While Creature Tech was the work of a young man breaking into his own, Monster Zoo is the product of a creator is weilding his craft with precision. Monster Zoo is a wild romp with heart, heroism, and the ugliest monsters I've seen since my last family reunion (watch that upper lip, Aunt Edith). Buy it. You'll be more entertained than by whatever goop Hollywood tries to sling at you during the most recent blockbuster season.

The paradox here is that Doug Tennapel is totally original and steeped in tradition at the same time. Another paradox is that each of his stories stands on it's own but can also be an important part of the collection of all his graphic novels.

The Story:

Monster Zoo has all the themes Doug is known for: lost connection between a boy and his father, avoiding your call until you can avoid it no longer, the importance of love/friendship/courage/hope. The supernatural plays an important role in MZ -- not the obvious possessed monkeys tearing the place apart, but the supernatural effects of greed, our connection to the past, our ability to ignore instinct and use our free will to do what needs to be done.

The humor -- it's like Doug followed me and my friends to the mall every week for years taking notes.

The Art:

The way in which the animals turn into monsters is terrific. What's at stake: stopping at simply a mean looking animal. Doug goes further by really understanding that what scares is seeing things that don't fit: evil grin shaped openings and teeth on the sides of animals, eyes exactly where there shouldn't be eyes, movement that frightens because you don't know where it will go next. Doug's monsters are expertly drawn base animals, jacked up with unnerving details. They play on your desire to make sense of what you are looking at. Brilliant.

The characters are great - the jock boyfriend of the heroes love interest has the look of a vacuous twit. Prettier than she first appears describes the young lady. The mono brow sidekick friend looks obnoxious and likable at the same time. Then the hero -- every line makes him look like strength and intelligence hiding under sadness and insecurity. He is the perfect character for a guy like me to relate to.

Monster Zoo is one of the best Popcorn movies you'll ever read. It's got a good story with perhaps TenNapel's best artwork yet. TenNapel doesn't dissapoint with wonderful monster designs. Each new mutated monster that's introduced is a special treat. Likable Characters and witty dialogue also add extra charm. I thought TenNapel's last book, "Flink", suffered from overly quick pacing, but that's not a problem with Monster Zoo, as it takes about as long to read as it does to watch an average-length movie.

Pick up Monster Zoo. You'll enjoy it.