Science Comics are my new favorite series. This one was as gross as it was informative (even in illustrated form, you might need a strong stomach to get through this one!) It followed the history mostly of bubonic plague and yellow fever, but dabbled in all manner of bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi - explaining how they make us sick, how they spread, and how science can contain them. I didn't expect it to be funny but there were many laugh-out-loud moments - like when one poor guy gets all three types of plague and states "I don't look so good..." or when the yellow fever character "boops" a rat on the nose! Also just the fact that throughout, the Yellow Fever character refers to the Bubonic Plague character as "Bub" hahaha. Loved it!

Every volume of Science Comics is terrific! The Plagues volume is just as informative as the other Science Comics. Extremely educational as well as interesting and fun -- it is perfect! I can't wait to read more of them!

Two plagues (Bubonic and Yellow Fever) are taken into a lab and persuaded to aid humanity in fighting other nasty bacteria, fungi, and viruses. In the course of their discussion, the reader is presented with a wealth of information on plagues, infections, body defenses and the like. An interesting way to introduce multiple scientific concepts to junior high/high school students.

This volume of the Science Comics series is a particularly good one. It uses a plot to convey scientific information but doesn't push that storyline too hard. It knows that it's intended to inform more than entertain. The plot is only intended to make the information easier to digest. Yet it is entertaining. The illustrations are fantastic - nuanced and entertaining. Readers will learn not only about plagues but also about a variety of infections, vectors, and the innerworkings of the immune system. A solid choice for fans of biology (but good for non-scientists too!).

I love this series--It brings science to light in fun, engaging illustrations and information. I feel like this book will easy to sell to teens, whether they enjoy science or not.

The most recent Science Comics entry in the First Second line of excellently readable educational graphic novels is Plagues: The Microscopic Battlefield by Falynn Koch (who also wrote and drew the Bats volume). It uses the framework of scientists working within a computer simulation to personalize various cells, germs, and processes when the human body gets infected, including Yellow Fever, Bubonic Plague, and a white blood T-Cell.

Scientists are trying to enlist harmful germs in attempts to develop new vaccines. As part of the pitch to get the germs’ cooperation, they explain much of the history and knowledge about the subject. The art is attractively readable, and the information is interesting, in a disturbing way. If you want to know

* the difference between an epidemic and pandemic
* different type of plagues, from cholera to E.coli
* how germs can be, in addition to viruses and bacteria, protozoa and fungi
* the development of germ theory
* how the human body defends against bacteria
* what happens to someone with the plague
* the effect of living conditions on hygiene
* about immunity and vaccination, including the history of smallpox and how it was eradicated

then this is the comic for you! There’s also a glossary, diagrams, and a timeline in the back.

I didn’t find this installment as involving as I have others in the series, but I suspect younger readers will enjoy the battles between the monster-influenced, anthropomorphized cells and germs. The goofy Yellow Fever, in particularly, is entertaining, and the journeys inside the body engrossing.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

his is my first foray into graphic novels. SCIENCE COMICS: PLAGUES is a journey through history describing the how’s of infections, diseases and our immunity. Entertaining in such a way that I was also able to follow the educational aspect without getting bored or confused.

Bubonic Plague and Yellow Fever are dropped into a host (so they believe) and promptly begin their attach on the body. As they proceed (unsuccessfully I might add) they are quickly interrupted by a white blood cell. Given that the white blood cell is there to fight off infection and disease, the depiction of the white blood cell is fitting – the cartoon character looks like a linebacker. Humour is sprinkled throughout the dialogue…for example, when the white blood cell is describing both bubonic plague and yellow fever to Elena during a bit of a scuffle he says – “They have the critical thinking power of Jello”.

The artwork is cartoony with the characters drawn with simplicity yet with just enough detail, capturing the individuality of each of the characters/diseases:



I appreciated the glossary at the end of the book providing a concise and easily understood definitions of what was discussed throughout the book, with pictures. Good for visual learners.

With the author presenting complex scientific concepts by using illustrations and humour, I was able to understand the concepts more easily and hopefully I will be able retain this information for a long period of time ☺. I would like to think that if I had had this book available when studying these concepts in school, I would have understood and enjoyed the learning even more than I did.

This book is for anyone who wishes to learn about plagues, infections, diseases in an entertaining and educational manner and enjoys comic books.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Plagues: The Microscopic Battlefield by Falynn Christine Koch is part of the SCIENCE COMICS series, a graphics series of books each of which explores a single scientific topic. In this case, as the title might indicate, its plague, but more broadly it’s an examination of how pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, parasites) infect and damage the human body, how the body (sometimes with medical help) tries to fight them off, and, to a lesser degree, how such illnesses have affected human history.

Plagues begins a bit roughly. The frame story is an unnecessarily confusing bit involving conversations inside a virtual body (that somehow still gets sick from virtual germs?) between the scientist whose virtual body it is, a T-cell, and two plagues—yellow fever and bubonic plague. The plagues are just as confused as most readers probably will be, but while the frame story still is an obstacle to clarity and fluidity now and then, once it’s mostly left behind the text becomes more expository and straightforward, and thus more clear, with the scientist explaining how medicine has progressed with regard to germs, the T-cell explaining the immune system responses, and the germ explaining how they attack the body and their various types and shapes. The language might at times be a bit much for the very young, but YA will be fine and MG will get either all or the vast majority of what is being said. There’s also a helpful glossary toward the end.

Stylistically, it’s pretty text heavy and, as noted, straightforward. The attempts at conversational tone or humor I didn’t find all that successful (at times I might even call it detrimental), and I wouldn’t call it the most engaging text, but it is certainly informative and, for the most part, clear and logical. In particular I liked the historical bits, as when the virtual simulation becomes a medieval street for instance to show how the lack of sanitation aided the pathogens.

The art is not particularly aesthetic (of course, these are germs), and in the muddled frame story not very helpful, but similar to the narrative, once the frame is somewhat dropped and the artist is able to broaden the palette so to speak, the artwork becomes more clear and does a nice job of conveying meaning or supplementing the text. The medieval street is one such example. An even better one is the drawing of a medieval plague doctor in a large panel as it’s being explained how their “uniform” actually protected them from the plague, though the doctors themselves thought that to be the case for all the wrong reasons.

I would have preferred a smoother, more clear entry into the exploration of the topic, and it’s too bad that the book somewhat fights against itself in terms of clarity and engagement early on, but if one can get a reader past that point, then Plagues is a nice detailed and informative text to introduce young readers to the topic.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. The set up for this book was very interesting and would be an excellent book for students to read. It really goes into the science of plagues and germs and the different types or microorganisms. It also explores some of the newer science and where we may be going and how humans relationships with disease has and keeps changing. If you have a kid who loves science this series is something you need to look into. I did recieve a copy of this graphic novel from Net Galley in exchange for a review. This book is scheduled to be published August 29th.

There are two things I love: comics and reading about infectious diseases. Science Comics: Plagues combined both, making me a very happy nerd. Definitely recommend to young people, or anyone, really, looking for a refresher in microbiology.

The latest issue of Science Comics introduces readers to Bubonic Plague and Yellow Fever - no, really, they're characters in this volume - a white blood cell, and a scientist charged with studying pathogens via simulation in order to "recruit" them to help fight disease. Kids learn how the body trains white blood cells - leukocytes - to fight infection and will meet the different kinds of leukocytes on the job. We also get a closer look at different germ classifications, bacteria, viruses, and fungi: it's a biology class in the form of a graphic novel. We learn about scientists who studied germs, meet a black plague victim (yikes), and see the evolution of disease prevention from medieval times to the present.

Science Comics have been a valuable addition to my nonfiction collections since First Second introduced the series. They're comprehensive, breaking a wealth of detailed information into readable, digestible panels. The art never disappoints, blending fun artwork like germs with personalities and detailed cross-sections and diagrams of cells, and historical representation. A fictional narrative wraps around the nonfiction information, creating a comfortable reading and learning environment for voracious and reluctant readers alike. A brief glossary provides definitions for terms that appear throughout the book, and there is a timeline outlining milestones in the fight against disease. Footnotes provide further reading for those interested in learning more.

I'm a big proponent of comics in the classroom, and books like Science Comics are why. There's solid, scientific information presented in a way that never talks down to readers, yet manages to make complex subjects accessible to kids and adults alike. I learn something new every time I pick up a Science Comic.

Author Falynn Koch also wrote the Bats Science Comic. You can read her blog, see more of her illustration, and see a calendar of her appearances at her website.

While I did not finish this book, I did enjoy the half that I read. It was much more detailed then I thought it would be for being a comic. They kept the fun, had great illustrations, and was chock full of sneaky information. A good series that I look forward to adding to our collection.