Runton, Andy – Owly: Breakin’ The Ice

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Owly: Breakin’ The Ice

I’m pretty late to the phenomenon that is Owly, as I still haven’t picked up any of the graphic novels (and he’s up to three judging by the back of this book). Still, what better place to try something like this out than Free Comic Book Day? Here’s hoping this is still going to available somehow at the Top Shelf page or this is going to be a fairly pointless review… Owly is a completely adorable owl who seems to get into all sorts of adventures with his pals Wormy and Scampy. This issue is all about Owly noticing some hungry ducks and resolving to feed them, although he has to deal with a greedy friend and some thin ice in the process. It’s a silent book, which only adds to the cuteness here. Said cuteness can be overwhelming at times if you’re a cynical guy like me, but the inside cover goes to great lengths to quote mainstream places like USA Today and People magazine to say that these books have a lot to offer older readers while being sure to captivate the kids. The part about the kids I believe completely, and anything that might help kids catch onto comics is something that I’m behind all the way. Personally, I’m not going to rush out and get the other graphic novels here. It was a fun and completely adorable story, and there are some solid messages in here about friendship and sharing that aren’t heavy-handed at all (something that is tough to pull off). I don’t know, maybe I just have a bit too much of the year-round humbug in me to really get into something like this, but I could sure see a whole lot of people thinking this comic was the sweetest thing in the world.