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“The Lollipop Kids” #3

By | February 14th, 2019
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After a two month hiatus “The Lollipop Kids” are back, working to get rid of the monsters that have been plaguing Central Park for 400 years. After learning this incredible secret, however, legacy kid Nick Motley, the group’s newest recruit, doesn’t feel quite up to the task. Maybe a visit to his family’s sanctuary will help to change his mind. (Warning: contains minor spoilers.)

Cover by Robert Hack
Written by Adam Glass
Illustrated by Diego Yapur
Colored by DC Alonso
Lettered by Sal Cipriano

Nick not only finds out he’s a legacy but that both his parents were also Lollipop Kids! How did he not know that? Well, because once you turn eighteen, you forget that you were ever a part of the Lollipop Kids. Well, that sucks…or does it? Now, Nick must now learn everything on the fly to take his ancestral place amongst the Lollipop Kids, battle the monsters and save his city. Only one problem: he’s scared to death and the leader of the Lollipop Kids is ready to send him home for it. Who says being a hero is easy?

Writer Adam Glass has a knack for starting issues of “The Lollipop Kids” right in the thick of the action. He did it to kick off the series, on the first page of the debut issue, and he does it yet again to jumpstart number three. It’s a great way to hook the reader and get them emotionally invested before they’ve even had time to think. Here, after a two month hiatus in the book’s publishing schedule (issue #2 was released in November), it feels particularly effective.

The book opens with protagonist Nick Motley hauling ass through Central Park to escape a humanoid monster and suddenly, before you know it, the severed head of a ghoul is landing at your feet.

Nick isn’t much of a fighter, unlike his new acquaintance Fresno, a human girl, so she single handedly dispatches two more ghouls with her glowing spear while Nick stares in disbelief, trying to comprehend her matter-of-fact explanation regarding the key difference between zombies and ghouls. It’s a compact, well choreographed, well constructed scene that pops right off the page, crackling with energy and dramatic action.

Unfortunately, it’s also the highpoint. After this explosive opening scene, the last three quarters of the book slows considerably, digging heavily into backstory and worldbuilding before it ultimately closes with a big reveal. It’s a quick and easy read, but it’s also not a lot to really sink your teeth into and get you pumped up for more. That said, it’s worth noting at this point that “Lollipop Kids” is rated 12+. In that context, exposition that may feel a bit too deliberate to older readers probably feels more natural to younger, less jaded readers.

Visually, illustrator Diego Yapur’s inks have a wonderful three dimensional look. With a contemporary realism aesthetic and great command of light and shadow, Yapur pulls his characters forward, away from the more 2-D backgrounds, giving each of his scenes incredible depth and substance. Foreground elements seem tangible, like you could literally reach out and touch them, while background elements feel distant, out beyond your reach. It’s an immersive experience. When Nick places his hand on the stone that unlocks his family’s sanctuary or opens the Arca of Zion, you feel like you’re right there with him, experiencing it in real time.

DC Alonso’s color palette definitely tends toward cool tones, quite heavily at times, but with primary locations of Central Park at night, the Lollipop kids’ secret war room and the Sanctuary of Zion, it all works pretty well. Central Park glows a deep midnight blue, accented by bright red ghoul’s blood. The war room is a pale, high tech green, with touches of rose and magenta. And Nick’s family’s sanctuary is a blend of bright turquoise and purple, punctuated by gold statues, making it unmistakably regal. Notably, letterer Sal Cipriano uses this cool color palette to great effect, using red borders for Nick’s inner thoughts and red letters in two crucial instances. It’s a light touch, but very well placed and well timed.

In the end the book moves forward, though it’s not exactly a plot-filled issue. Thankfully, Nick is a great character and the story continues to feel stronger and more vital the more that we know about him. With the world now firmly established and Nick’s calling a bit more urgent, it’s time to get this party started. The run-up has been great, but let’s unleash the beasts.

Final Verdict: 7.8 “Lollipop Kids” #3 hooks the reader hard with an action-packed first scene. Things slow down considerably from that point forward, heavy on exposition and worldbuilding, but with a big reveal at the end, it does an excellent job of setting up the issues to come.


John Schaidler

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