Steven Universe Original Graphic Novel Vol. 1

Gr 3–6—Based on the Cartoon Network series, this original graphic novel explores what happens when homeschooled Steven follows his friend Connie to school. Wherever Steven goes, chaos soon follows, and an innocent show-and-tell activity goes terribly wrong, requiring his three magical alien guardians, the Crystal Gems, to swoop in and save the day. The story reads like an extended television episode, which fans should enjoy. The artwork starts off well enough, but some strange departures in style occur later on. The characters have expressive faces and animated movement, and the backgrounds are well rendered, but as the narrative continues, the line work abruptly becomes less delicate and the characters appear awkward and flat. There are also inconsistencies in the costuming and eye color of the characters. The text itself needs a great deal more editing and some heavy proofreading throughout. It's a fun book in concept diminished by sloppy execution.