Destination X
By John Martz
Published by Nobrow Press, 2013
Print Price: $15.95
Sam Weems's grandpa was a botanist who went on a exploratory mission to a planet called "Destination X". While there he encountered an alien life form with whom he instantly fell in love. Sam grows up hearing the tales of the planet and the alien and becomes obsessed with going there himself. Problem is, scientists on Earth think his grandpa's story is a figment of dementia and old age brought on by the cryogenic sleep he was under on his spaceship. Sam becomes an astronomer and dedicates his life to proving his grandpa was telling the truth!
This short graphic novel, or more accurately, graphic novella, had some good elements to it, but overall the writing and art just weren't anything special. The art style is very reminiscent of the Dilbert comic strip and only uses black, white, and purple to tell the story. If you like that cartoony style, then you should be ok with the art here.
As for the writing, it didn't seem thought out very much. I never understood why everyone thought Sam's grandpa was crazy. After he encounters the alien, he is shown running back to a spaceship where another crew member is asking where he's been. Did Sam not tell the other astronaut he had seen an alien? Wouldn't they have been obligated to investigate right then and there? And if Sam's grandpa made it back to Earth, how was the location of Destination X lost? There were some other things that didn't make much sense but I can't delve into them without giving spoilers so I'll leave them alone.
This is maybe a book worth checking out from your local library but not a recommended buy. Also, there are a few cuss words and some mature themes in the book, so don't let the cutesy art mislead you into thinking this is a book for kids.
My Grade: C-
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