Back in 2018, I wrote a “We Want Comics” article calling for a comic book adaptation of “Animorphs.” Two years later, my wish was granted, with the release of a comic adaptation of the first book in the series, “The Invasion.” Now, we take a look at the third book, “The Encounter,” and see a story through the eyes of Tobias.
Written by K.A. Applegate and Michael Grant
Adapted by Chris Grine
Illustrated, colored, and lettered by Chris GrineThe wildly popular, bestselling sci-fi series by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant returns in a new full-color graphic novel series, adapted by Chris Grine.
When Tobias and his friends were given the power to morph, they were also given an important warning: Never stay in a morph for more than two hours. But Tobias broke the time limit, and now he’s trapped in the body of a hawk — forever.
When he discovers an important Yeerk secret, Tobias knows he has to do everything in his power to destroy it. But to do so, he’ll have to contend with a part of himself that’s wrestling for dominion. A part that isn’t human.
For Tobias, the fight against the Yeerks is more pressing than ever — not just for humankind, but for his own humanity.
Each of the “Animorphs” books is presented to us through the eyes of a different narrator, and the comic adaptation is no different. This volume follows Tobias, perhaps one of the most unique and interesting characters in the series, due to his role on the team. In the first book, he spent too long morphed, and was trapped in the form of a red-tailed hawk. Now “The Encounter” lets us follow the story through his eyes as he struggles to maintain his humanity in a hawk’s body.
K.A. Applegate and Michael Grant did a remarkable job creating a gripping story and characters that have a lot of depth while still fitting in to certain “roles” on the team. Jake’s the leader, but he also struggles with that responsibility and worries about his brother, Tom, who is controlled by a yeerk. Marco’s the funny one, but he’s also the most worried about what could happen to them, knowing it could leave his father completely alone after the death of his mother. That characterization comes through nicely in Chris Grine’s comic adaptation, in both the dialogue he carries over from the books and the illustrations.
Since this issue is focused on Tobias, he’s the one whose thoughts we get to see and who we follow, and it’s a great look inside the character’s head. The way his inner voice is shown – his fears, anxieties, and the hawk’s instincts trying to take over – comes through in dark bubbles in the same style as the thought-speak, visually signaling to us as readers that they’re thoughts, but not necessarily his thoughts. And the way they’re presented, as though they’re whispering into his ear and arguing against his own human thoughts, excellently illustrates the inner conflict.
The comic also nicely adapts the story of “The Encounter,” capturing both the key and the fun details. We get important plot points, like the team debating if they should or have to keep fighting, and how Jake morphing into a male wolf means he has to mark his territory frequently. It even starts off with Tobias and Rachel freeing a captured hawk from a scummy used car dealer, which, in true “Animorphs” style, comes back as a recurring plot point throughout the issue.
As for the story itself, the actual plot and mission is almost secondary compared to Tobias’ inner turmoil, which gets plenty of focus throughout the issue. But it still provides more information about how the yeerks and their ships work, while illustrating that the Animorphs can come up with clever plans, but they’re still inexperienced.
In fact, the climax of the story is not so much a fight as it is a moment of sheer tension, as Tobias is surrounded on top of the yeerk ship while his friends are trapped as fish inside, with no way to escape. As a comic, it could have easily cut between the two scenes, showing us exactly what’s happening to the Animorphs. Instead, the art focuses on Tobias sitting on the ship, an expressionless hawk, while the thought speak balloons tell a different story. We get Visser Three’s threats opposite Rachel telling him how they’re in trouble, with the panic clear in the text but unseen by us, the readers. And that makes it all the more tense.
Continued belowNow let’s talk about the art. Chris Grine uses a style that’s more to the cartoonish end of the cartoon-to-realistic spectrum, with very round features and bright colors. While you’d think a comic about people morphing into animals to fight alien invaders would benefit from a more realistic and detailed style, this look actually suits the story by reminding us that yes, these are kids; the bright and ‘toonish style contrasts with the darker elements. (Plus, the books were targeted at children, even if I can appreciate the character work, themes, and world-building more as an adult. So it makes sense that the art would be a style more directed at and accessible to children.)
Even with that art style, it doesn’t shy away from the body horror, nor should it. Morphing is not pretty; the bodies literally twist, distort, grow, and change to match the new form, and Chis Grine’s artwork shows us every disturbing detail. This is the issue where the Animorphs have to morph back to human right as they reach the end of the two-hour time limit, and the artwork as they try to return to human form is fittingly frightening.
And when Tobias finally succumbs to his hawk instinct enough to eat a mouse, Chris also doesn’t shy away from showing the bloody details, but the way the panels crack and colors are flipped and dyed red excellently illustrates the shattering of Tobias’ psyche as he struggles to maintain his humanity and identity.
My one complaint? This is a small one, but he does that thing where every character’s nose is a slightly different shade than the rest of them, and it gets very noticeable after a while. (Fortunately, that’s not a problem for the animal scenes.)
“The Encounter” was one of the first books in “Animorphs” to really illustrate the depth of the character work and key themes that would follow throughout the books, and the comic adaptation handles it expertly. Whether you’re an old fan (like me) looking for some nostalgia, or a new young reader getting introduced to the world of “Animorphs,” this is a comic that’s well-worth getting.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – A great adaptation of a childhood classic. There’s no better way to revisit everything that made the “Animorphs” books withstand the test of time.
