Shades Of Blue Volume 1 [Paperback]

James S. Harris (Author), Rachel Nacion (Author), Cal Slayton (Author), Greg Grucel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 29, 2005

High-schooler Heidi Paige has the usual teenage problems: homework, boys, and of course, mysterious superpowers! After scouring through her dirty laundry to put together a costume, Heidi is ready to protect her school from the perils of super-villains, pop quizzes, and substitute teachers. If only her powers could protect her from Marcus, her geeky neighbor and wannabe sidekick.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up–Move over, Batgirl, here comes Heidi Paige. While on a shopping trip at the mall, she encounters a mysterious stranger who bestows on her the ability to conduct electricity. Unfortunately for Heidi, her crush and her substitute English teacher also seem to be granted superpowers that are fighting against her. With the help of her nerdy sidekick, Marcus; physics teacher Mr. McMurty; and her shopoholic best friend, Heidi seeks to learn about the enigmatic forces behind both her enemies and her powers. With simple, yet highly enjoyable black-and-white illustrations and authentic teen voices, Harris has created a likable and approachable female superhero who will appeal to most girls, whether they enjoy superhero/action graphic novels or not. The cartoon violence is kept to a minimum; even during fight scenes there is no blood or gore, just good clean fun. Think MTV's Daria meets Michael Brennan's Electric Girl (AiT/Planet Lar) with a dash of superhero intrigue and you have Heidi Paige. This volume contains the first five issues. It is a sheer delight.–Jennifer Feigelman, Plattekill Public Library, Modena, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 9-12. Heidi Paige, the protagonist of this graphic novel, is an "average" teenager with average problems--fitting in at a new school, keeping up with homework, and dealing with Marcus, the geeky neighbor boy who has a crush on her. But her life takes an odd turn after she awakens with blue hair and the power to control electricity. Although she tries to keep her powers from getting in the way of her normal life, weird situations pop up, and her best friend, K. T., and Marcus (who calls himself her sidekick) insist that she's the superhero for the job. This sarcastic, funny send-up of superhero comics hinges on great characterizations and an immensely likable, believable cast. But Harris also keeps the plot moving forward and the jokes flying. The art changes in mid-book, from more stylized work to a cuter, more classic comic-book approach, but both styles fit the story. A prologue, and epilogue, and a short behind-the-scenes strip introducing readers to the comics' creators round out the book. Readers both older and younger than the target audience will enjoy this, too. Tina Coleman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Devil's Due Publishing (March 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932796266
• ISBN-13: 978-1932796261
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,062,061 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Comic Book For All Ages!, April 11, 2005

By 

L. Melton (Frisco, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shades Of Blue Volume 1 (Paperback)

I first bought the #2 Shades of Blue for Mary, my 13 year old. Both of us were pretty happy with the writing and the characters in the issue (I hate to admit I bought it for her and I actually enjoyed reading it as well).

Heidi is an average high school girl with unwanted super powers (aren't all tennagers). She fights off villians around her school with her friends against teachers and arch-rival teen enemies.

Shades of Blue became much better when in the third issue with a new artist, that the artwork caught up to the writing. After issue three the art feels like MTV's Daria ... only hipper.

Well, to make a long story short, This is an excellent collection of the first five issues. I think there was over 10 issues or so total issues - I didn't get to collect them all since my local comic book store didn't carry very many copies of each issue (not for lack of trying - they said). Maybe we will be blessed with a Volume 2 or 3 to round out the story of Heidi and friends for us.

Again let me start over... Well, to make a long story short, This is an excellent collection of the first five issues. My favorite ... urr, I mean my daughter Mary's favorite issue is the 5th issue (last in this collection), but the story gets going at its best in issues 7-9.