1st Line: "This is a journey into sound."

Review: The 1980s are sort of my jam, as is New York. So a graphic novel about a young mix-master named Wax in Brooklyn who - along with his rapper partner/best friend and family - is transported to the far off planet of Discopia, where Wax must use his DJ-ing and kung fu skills to save a planet, had no trouble getting my attention. Even better, writer/artist Yehudi Mercado has populated these colorful, action-packed pages of this graphic novel with plenty of laughs, real friendships and relationships, and some deadly - if not altogether bright - intergalactic supervillains. From Wax's scenes of learning sci-fu in order to fight the baddies and a robot army, to the genuinely cool beats laid down on the pages of the fight scenes, opponents battling just as much to out-rhyme each other in the name of music as to winning the battle ... it all works here, for all ages. Great book, and I already can't wait for the sequel! 4/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts:
8th grader Wax is a budding DJ who has skills on the mixer even if his rap is a little less skilled. Set in1980s Brooklyn (the home of hip hop), DJ Wax's spinning for his crush Pirate Polly catches the attention of some extraterrestrial baddies by creating a "colossal sonic disaster." In this Afrofuturist tale,Wax, best friend and pizza deliverer Cooky P, ice cream truck vendor Uncle Rashad, super smart and straight up little sister The D get transported to Discopia, a Blade Runner style color-saturated realm. Wax soon finds out that they are there because he has accidentally killed King Chug Chug, Discopia's ruler. He finds a mentor, Kabuki Snowman who teaches the teenager Sci-Fu, a mix between martial art and music used to fight with sound waves.

For an 80's kid, this reminds me of watching Kung-Fu movies at my local Chinese theater, specifically "The Five Deadly Venoms" mixed with characters reminiscent of Netflix's "The Get Down." In other words this is a nice combination of science fiction, kung fu, and hip hop set in a unique future with a diverse cast of characters and the Brooklyn swagger. Looking beyond the slick style, like "The Get Down" you see creative grit through failure and love.

From the Publisher:
Hip-Hop, Sci-Fi and Kung Fu all hit the turn-tables for the mash-up mix of the year! Cartoonist/force of nature Yehudi Mercado (Pantalones, TX, Rocket Salvage) sets his sights on 1980s Brooklyn and Wax, a young mix-master who scratches the perfect beat and accidentally summons a UFO that transports his family, best friend, and current crush to the robot-dominated planet of Discopia. Now Wax and his crew must master the intergalactic musical martial art of Sci-Fu to fight the power and save Earth. Word to your mother.

Author/Cartoonist: Yehudi Mercado

Publisher: Oni Press

Publication date: March 14, 2018

*reviewed by uncorrected eARC*

children's graphic novel - funny rhymes, an action-packed plot, and colorful illustrations give this story about an aspiring young DJ in an intergalactic rap battle instant appeal to kids of all ages. I'm not that into DJing or rap battles or space robots or cartoony kung-fu, but the witty characters had me hooked right away and I can see why a librarian recommended this series to me.

Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended.

'Sci-Fu' with story and art by Yehudi Mercado is a graphic novel story with a mashup of hip-hop, sci-fi, and kung-fu.

Wax is a young, aspiring DJ. He seems to be more though. When his entire building (including the store downstairs) is sent hurtling off ot another planet, he finds out he has been chosen to fight off an assortment of odd looking robot (robot chicken and teddy bear anyone?). The weapon the bad guys have is a really bad tape that Wax created for his crush, but Wax is a quick study and with help, he'll get everyone back safely to Brooklyn.

I really liked the whole approach in this graphic novel. The story was a bit over the top, but it matched everything else. The humor is pretty good too. The art is a really great style and very colorful. I also liked the included playlist of songs.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Oni Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

My son enjoyed this and the retro/80’s styling felt both reminiscent and fresh.
It’s sometimes difficult to get children to read, so being able to introduce him to a variety of texts is incredibly important, he was excited to read the next one.

I wasn't a big fan of the story, but the artwork is stunning and we absolutely need more graphic novels with representation like this, and fans of 80s references will love this.

Got this free from Netgalley. Loved the art. My 9-yr-old boy gave it 3 stars, my 11-yr-old girl gave it 5. I would've given it one or two because I can't stand rap, or rhyming books, and the hood culture was a confusing and tedious to me since I'm about as white bread as they come. But I did really appreciate how the expletives were beeped out in a silly middle grade fashion, and that it wasn't try to be edgy. Despite it being not to my taste, I think this is a book that lots of kids will adore. Especially those with a proclivity for rap.

I grew up in the Midwest. Hip-hop and breakdancing were never really a part of my world. Luckily, you don't really need to be hyper-familiar with hip-hop culture to understand and enjoy this story. The plot is satisfyingly complex, with a sort of Scott Pilgrim vibe. The real selling point, here, is the art. Mercado has found the perfect balance between text and illustrations, allowing both elements to tell parts of the story. A great choice for readers looking for something off the beaten path.

A blended up puree of Scott Pilgrim and Parappa the Rapper with a swirl of Run DMC.

This is probably one of the most fun graphic novels that I have read recently! The raps come through perfectly lyrically and the art is just gorgeous! Tonally, Sci-Fu reminds me of a mash-up of a Cartoon Network series and a shonen manga, which is absolutely a good thing for the patrons in my library!

Wax is a kid from Brooklyn, he loves DJing, rapping and hanging out with his best friend. One day, as he’s DJing, something very weird happens and his entire house and the street near it is transported into another planet and dimension.
The welcoming committee is a talking snowman that tells him he’s a sci-fu master and and a giant robot that tries to kill him.
That’s when trouble starts…

When I read the synopsis, I was very intrigued. It seemed like a very interesting idea. And it was interesting. Sadly, it was also confusing, too much was happening too fast, it lacked built up. I also couldn’t feel the love between the characters and I didn’t have time to fall for them either.
It all just felt rushed. And that’s a damn shame.

Sci-Fu is a fun graphic novel. The characters were diverse. Illustrations were colorful and full of action. I loved the classic rap lyrics throughout the text. I think this novel will truly capture the imagination of my students especially the boys.

My girls - 9 and 11 years old - both read this and loved it! The both enjoy music and science fiction and they said this was a really fun read. Some of the 80's stuff went over their heads, but it really was a delightfully fun graphic novel.

This book was awesome. I would recommend it to everyone - it was really funny and well written. I think many kids would love this book and the adventures of Wax, Cooky P, the D, Pirate Polly, Kabuki Snowman, and Uncle Rashad. It is about being true to yourself and following through on your word. This book also shows that training and hard work can help one accomplish their goals. The art is also really good, and the villain are believable as well as funny. The whole book has great humour and I love the rap bits.

Good little middle-grade graphic novel that manages to seamlessly connect sci-fi and hip-hop in 1980s Brooklyn. Some of the references may go over the head of younger readers, but all the knowing inclusions that Mercado adds into the narrative don't detract from the story-telling, so readers won't get drawn out or lost in this.
The art style is influenced by '80s street art, and although a few panels are noisy making it hard to distinguish the voices and stalling the narrative a few times, it adds to the over-all theme of the comic.
Would recommend for readers aged 10-14, and probably parents aged 40-60 too!

’80s Nostalgia Like Whoah

Thirteen-year-old Wax wants to be the best DJ in the world – but little does he know that the very fate of “Planet Brooklyn” will rely on his skills. It’s 1980-something, and young Wax is recording a song for his crush, the aptly named Pirate Polly, when he inadvertently answers an intergalactic challenge. Wax, his crew, his entire block – all are transported to a planet called Discopia, where Wax must best a giant robot named Choo Choo and his crew, the Five Deadly Dangers, in order to save everyone he loves.

There’s so much to love here, I don’t even know where to start. SCI-FU is such a fun mashup of all things ’80s: Wax’s training montages with mentor Kabuki Snowman are like the bizarro sci-fi version of THE KARATE KID, and the style left me yearning for a FRESH PRINCE marathon. Between Teddy Backspin (read: Ruxpin) and the Transformer-esque Choo Choo, there are a fair number of elements that could feel like rip-offs, at least in lesser-skilled hands. But Mercado walks the line between homage and pinching with ease. If you lived through the ’80s, you’re all but guaranteed to be in on the joke.

Oh, and there’s an ’80s hip-hop playlist at the end! How cool is that?

And the cast! Wax is adorable and sweet in that way that makes you want to bake him a batch of cookies and pinch his little chipmunk cheeks. His little sister D is like the animated version of Diane from BLACK(ISH), which is to say that she’s as smart as she is diabolical, and you most definitely want to keep her happy and on your side. Pirate Polly is rad AF, and I kind of love that Mercado never bothers to explain the eye patch and nickname (which came first? Is the patch functional or decorative? Is she a distant relation of One-eyed Willie maybe?) The Ultimate Showdown with the Boom Box of Doom is one of my favorite scenes, for obvious reasons.

I also adored Uncle Rashaad, who owns an ice cream truck and speaks in ice cream flavored expletives. The back story for why Wax and D are living with him is pretty great too. I really hope we meet the ‘rents in a later installment of the series. There’s some serious superhero potential there too.

SCI-FU is definitely on the bizarre side, but if you can embrace the weirdness, you will have a good time.

If you ever want to see an ode to 80’s rap mixed with space aliens, then I have the book from you. wax is a 13 year old boy, and his biggest dream is the be the best DJ ever. But it takes some practice to be the best. In Wax’s case, someone gets hold of a really rough cut song,that could be deadly. Now Wax has to save the world, make perfect rhymes, and become a s I Fuzhou master. Over all this middle grade graphic is not for me, but it has amazing illustrations and color work.

I really, really wanted to like this book because I loved the art and the idea of a sci-fi DJ battle seemed original. Plus, there really aren't enough elementary-appropriate graphic novels featuring young African Americans. The dialog, however, sounded stilted, and the premise--for all its promise--came off as cliched, repeating African American sitcom tropes (smart but sassy little sister? check!) from as far back as the 70s,.

I really enjoyed reading the comic. It kept my interest the whole way through. I loved how he is a middle schooler but a struggling Dj trying to get the girl. The artwork is incredible. The drawings are colorful and creative. The only problem is that the comic had some areas that were in and out of English to Spanish in those parts of the book it was confusing. Especially when the page has no translation to English. Other then that nothing wrong. This is a great comic, especially for African American boys. They will especially like it. Can’t wait for book two!

This felt a little out of time. I didn't feel that the language and story felt right for the 1980's (and, yup, I'm old enough to know). This one just didn't sing for me.