Wrath of the Rat King (Zicky #1)

ZICKY: WRATH OF THE RAT KING is an engaging graphic novel about family dynamics and unexpected power. Zicky is a normal young boy by day, where he is teased by his siblings and frequently feels small, but by night, he is a hero, transporting to other realms to defeat bad guys - but maybe just in his dreams. However, when rats follow Zachary/Zicky back to the human world, things become dangerous, and Zicky's 2 worlds collide!

What I loved: The art in this is really fantastic with a manga style that includes very expressive faces and many details. The art shifts with the setting, easily giving clues as to which world Zicky is in and showing his passion for the other realms/his dreams where he is powerful and so much bigger/cooler than he seems in the waking world.

Much of the story focuses on family dynamics. With older siblings, Zicky is often feeling small and his dreams are discounted. There is much bickering and challenges in these interactions, and he struggles with what he knows and what his family believes as well as how they treat him. As things escalate, Zicky gets a chance to prove himself to his family - but at the end, he knows they won't be allowed to remember.

The story is broken up into smaller chapters that lead into one another, but help to break up the text with natural stopping points that work well.

What left me wanting more: This can be a challenging book to place in terms of reader age. The main character is five and feels very young, but the scenes can be a bit intense/scary. The scenes/fighting sequences will work better for older kids, but they may also have a harder time relating to the young main character.

Final verdict: ZICKY: WRATH OF THE RAT KING is an interesting manga-style graphic novel with an underdog story and themes around family dynamics. This may work best for older readers who can appreciate the art and not be too bothered by the scary figures and scenes in places.