The art style is incredible but unfortunately, the story didn't hold true to the illustrations. Very predictable and a whiney hero. Not a fan of this.

Cute and original, definitely odd lol but pretty good. Artwork is awesome! Would certainly want to own.

This was quite interesting. In a way it reminds me of Studio Ghibli work. There is a human boy who’s father is never around so he basically lives alone, and this weird creature who is hunting a goldfish that won’t stop growing. Between the illustration style, and the flow of the story, I am reminded of Howl’s Moving Castle, and Arrietty (both of which I know are kids books by famous children’s authors). There is just something different about these classic stories in the hands of Ghibli, and that is what this book makes me feel. Something special.

'Milo's World Book One: The Land Under the Lake' written by Richard Marazano with art by Christophe Ferreira is a magical graphic novel about a young boy and a goldfish. And maybe a few things more.

Milo lives on his own. His mother is gone, and his dad works a lot away from home. Milo is looked after by his three eccentric aunts who bring him more food than he can possibly eat, but he is mostly left on his own. One day, in the local river, Milo finds a strange goldfish. He feeds it and it starts getting bigger. He also starts getting strange visitors asking about the weirdly large fish.

The art style looks just like the cover. It's kind of a painted animation style and I really liked it. I liked the story and the odd characters. This would be a fun read for younger readers.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Lion Forge, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

While Milo's World is designed in the western style (meaning it reads left to right) it has a strong manga vibe, both stylistically and thematically. There's a fair dose of mysticism but nothing too complex.We have a magic fish, a dark wizard, and an interdimensional portal. The plot jumps around a bit and has a few notable holes. Very atmospheric. It's not especially complex so it's a good entry point for manga.

Two stars, as there are just too many child-friendly comics where a kid gets transported to a strange world where lo and behold it's destiny-bound to save it, and this doesn't stand out. To my taste it's just too wilfully weird, it relies on someone having such a huge and unjustified character swing, and doesn't exactly show axolotls in the best of lights, either.

I really enjoyed both the story and artwork of this graphic novel. It had a similar feel to an anime show with fantastic worlds and expressive characters. Milo is a great main character to root for as he stumbles upon something that leads him on an epic adventure. The supporting cast are equally developed and integral to the suspenseful plot. I think readers of all ages will enjoy getting caught up in this world as it unfolds and the twists and turns along the way.

ReNoir Comics porta da noi, in Italia, Il mondo di Milo, un fumetto francese realizzato da Richard Marazano e Christophe Ferreira che in qualche modo deve molto allo stile di uno dei grandi maestri dell'animazione giapponese: Hayao Miyazaki,

Impossibile infatti non rivederne gli inconfondibili tratti nello stile e nella poetica dietro a Il mondo di Milo, un fumetto che sembra strappato a uno degli storyboard dello studio Ghibli e stampato nell'attesa di diventare un opera animata.
Il protagonista, Milo, è un ragazzo che vive praticamente da solo - la madre è scomparsa e il padre via per lavoro- in una casa in mezzo alle colline, dove le sue 3 zie si prendono cura di lui. La sua vita cambierà quando pescherà uno strano pesce dorato, che lo guiderà in un'avventura inaspettata.

Il target di questa storia è facile da individuare, sono i lettori più giovani, per i quali sarà quasi impossibile non cadere nella "trappola" dell'estetica e dei colori di questo albo, un mondo fatto di disegni puliti e fondali profondi e ricchi di particolari, dove perdersi e sognare.

La trama scorre fluida, parte lentamente e poi prosegue con un crescendo di avvenimenti, catturando il lettore desideroso di capire come andrà a finire l'avventura di Milo e del resto dei personaggi che lo accompagneranno, ma anche il destino dei due strampalati assistenti del cattivo.

Nonostante per gli adulti sia facile ricostruire fin da subito la storia di questo primo volume, mentre per i più giovani ci sarà qualche colpo di scena in più, questo non influenzerà l'esperienza - decisamente gradevole - della lettura di questo strano incrocio fra fumetto francese e animazione orientale, che non inventa nulla, ma che con bravura e mestiere riesce a catapultarci in un fantasy dalle atmosfere leggere e sognanti.

Se vi piacciono i mondi e le opere create da Hayao Miyazaki, Il mondo di Milo è un acquisto assolutamente obbligato, con la certezza che non rimarrete delusi.

A Ripping Middle-Grade Fantasy Adventure

So, Milo finds a magical goldfish, is threatened by a Toad-like hoodlum, saves a mysterious girl, is threatened by a wizard, and then gets dragged to an alternate world on the other side of the lake. And then things get really interesting. The plot gets twistier and thickens nicely, but you get the idea.

Here's the best part. None of this is twee or cutesy. This is a solid, compelling fantasy adventure, with action, clever angles, loads of surprises, novel creatures, suspense, betrayal, and great pacing. Milo and his mystery girl partner, Valia, have a love/hate relationship marked by clever and convincing banter and some deadpan funny throwaway lines. They pick up a chatterbox sidekick little girl along the way, and she gets some of the best lines. Other surprise characters, (won't give away more), offer wry commentary on the action. Heck, even the villain wizard occasionally exhibits a dry sense of humor. The tale is both gripping and amusing, with Milo serving as an authentic, youthful and engaging hero, and we never strike a false note.

Sometimes the feel is mythic, with a deeper backstory than expected. There is tenderness and honest feeling, which gives the story much more weight than just a larky or routine fantasy. And once we have a full blown fellowship/quest fantasy, (NO MORE SPOILERS), the tale really takes off.

All of this is enhanced by deceptively sophisticated artwork. At first it seems a bit cartoony, but then you begin to appreciate how expressive and distinct all of the characters are. Along the same lines, the backgrounds and set scenes are convincingly detailed, (the inking is very good), and this becomes especially noticeable, and appreciated, when the action moves to the fantasy side of the lake.

The book completes a full story arc, (so there's no cliffhanger or loose threads), but it leaves open the possibility of a sequel. It looks like this book was originally published in French, in 2013, in two volumes, and there are at least four more volumes, (two more books worth), out there as yet untranslated. So let's get cracking Lion Forge.

(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this early copy.

The artwork and story were great! I will be checking out more from them in the future.

It looked like it would be a great read, but the file I downloaded showed only the text, none of the images.