That spunky pilot Daisy Blackwood returns for a second pulp-style adventure in Ryan Howe's latest graphic novel collection, The Stolen Socialite. Pulled from Howe's website for his high-flying heroine, https://www.daisyblackwood.com/, this second story finds Daisy searching for a friend who gets kidnapped right in front of her! Having thoroughly enjoyed the first graphic novel, I went into this one with high expectations - and Howe certainly didn't disappoint!
From the very first page, the anticipation of things to come builds. A woman traveling the interstate. Mysterious men keeping watch, reporting to someone unknown. The arrival at a stately mansion. With no captions one word balloon, and four panels, Howe manages to convey an entire set-up for this latest adventure, and whets the reader's appetite to rush and get to the next page. And the next page. And the page after that. And the next ... well, you get the idea. It's a non-stop roller coaster ride of shopping, kidnapping, car chasing, police fighting, brother arguing, high-flying fun that only Daisy Blackwood can provide.
Someone has kidnapped Daisy's friend, Laura Lin - and right in broad daylight. Just as the police prepare to look for her, there are reports of numerous banks being robbed. With the police's attention divided, Daisy realizes it will be up to her to save her friend. And when the air pirate, Gummel, appears on the scene, well, Daisy does what she does best - hops in an airplane and takes flight to chase after the airship on which her friend is being held hostage. A daring jump lands Daisy right on the airship (in mid-air!), and soon enough, she's fighting henchmen, freeing her friend, and facing off against the dastardly Gummel. And just when things seem dire for our heroine, Daisy (and readers) find out that Laura is not exactly a helpless damsel in distress (which is good news for Daisy!).
Howe has an amazing style of storytelling that works so beautifully. Each page reads like a Sunday newspaper strip. With anywhere from 3 to 5 panels, each page has a beginning, middle, and end that leads directly into the next page/strip, flowing so smoothly, it reads with ease. And the story itself makes for a fantastically cinematic tale - I could easily see this character and these stories up on the big screen, a Saturday afternoon cliffhanger-style serial that brings you back week after week to see more. And the art - ooooo, la-la! - while I would not call it "simplistic" (check out all four panels on page 4 to see the amount of detail Howe puts into his work), it is simple and pure, so that the reader does not get so distracted by the "pretty art" as to miss the story. Rather, the story and art compliment each other nicely to make for an enjoyable read. And the way he draws expression! Check out poor Officer Simms on page 30 to see what I mean!
This is a series of graphic novels that should not be missed. Whether you are a fan of comics or just a fan of great stories, you will thoroughly enjoy Howe's brand of adventure here. Anxiously looking forward to book three!
***Oh, and just for your added enjoyment, Howe throws in a special bonus short story, "Follow That Bird!" A wealthy tycoon calls in a favor and has Daisy chasing after his bird, Polly, who flew the coup (no pun intended). The bird has overheard every deal the tycoon ever made and could be worth a lot of money to the wrong people. So, it's up to Daisy to keep that bird from falling into the wrong hands. Easier said than done, when that bird takes her on a chase through the city, fighting off every pirate out to get their hands on the pretty bird. From roof tops, to flag poles, to the tops of trolley cars, it's an all-out crazy chase that eventually comes to an end when they run into (literally!) a rather large cop. The question is - whose side is he on? It's a fun-filled romp that will definitely make you smile.
RATING: 10 pairs of comfortable shoes for shopping out of 10 for taking readers on another exciting adventure
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