Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Rainbow Brite as a kid. It's actually one of those things that HASN'T be revived that I'm kind of sad about... however, that being said... this was just okay for me. I loved the illustrations but it just wasn't the same as what I loved in my childhood. Do I still want a revival? yes... yes I do... I'm just not sure a graphic novel is where it's at for me. But seriously that cover is so gorgeous!!!

I'm an 80's kid so I grew up with Rainbow Brite. I will admit that I didn't really read the synopsis for this before I requested it from Netgalley because I just saw RB and had to have it.

This is not the RB from my childhood. Meaning that the girl that plays RB is someone different. This sets up that RB is more of a role to be played rather than one individual person. Rainbow Brite is basically just a moniker. So, I did enjoy the secondary characters within the story but it was a struggle to read about this new girl trying to come into the RB role rather than just getting to easily slip into a story with characters that I knew and loved for so longer.

Not bad by any means, just not what I expected.

Copy received via Netgalley in exchange for review. All opinions here are expressly my own.

Growing up I loved rainbow brite! So once I saw the cover I was drawn in. I thought the storyline was very cute & I love how she insisted she wasn't even sure that she was rainbow bright. It kinda reminded me of Alice when the Hatter insists shes Alice & she has no fate til she meets absolem in which she finally believes in herself. The same thing kind of happens to wisp with twinkle. I love how it helped reintroduce me to characters I forgot about being so young & get into her origins I hate cliffhangers though! But I can't wait to read more!

I fully expecting this to be trash but it's actually pretty alright. Kinda disappointed that the cover art didn't match the story art. The story itself was fun in a "nothing to watch on TV when your like 14 so you'll guess you'll watch some kids shows " kinda way.

Always disappointing when the cover doesn't resemble the interior art. Another re-make that didn't have to happen. This trend of making teenagers out of every 80s character is overdone and stupid. Put this down and go watch the original Rainbow Brite cartoon. She has an excellent origin story. I'm glad that they kept Starlite self-centered and obnoxious (like he always was).

I loved Rainbow Brite when I was a kid! This was fun to read. I was originally thrown off by the characters being older than the original, but I think that works well. The back story is fun to read but there was a spark missing from this collection, and awkward parts where certain people and places were introduced in sort of a clunky way. The art was pretty good but I loved the original style and colors much better. Despite each edition having a different illustrator, the art stayed pretty consistent.

Jeremy Whitley has become one of my auto-buy comic authors, without a doubt. I am still going through his backlog, but I have yet to come across one that I don’t like. So when I saw a copy of the first volume of Rainbow Brite on Netgalley, I immediately went for it. I also have since bought the trade and cannot wait to see where it goes next!

Rants, Raves, and Reviews
I have vague memories of Rainbow Brite, the TV series. Not enough to really tell you anything about it. I also vaguely remember being terrified of the movies? It was all slightly before my time, so I mostly just remember the yarn dolls. I knew that Whitley was writing Rainbow Brite, and I was quite interested to see what he can do it with it, especially given his other children’s comics (See Princeless and My Little Pony.) Comics used to be a medium geared towards kids, and I like knowing that there are authors and artists willing to focus on a children audience still. Perhaps this is why I lean towards Whitley’s work?

The first volume of Rainbow Brite is entirely the set up trade. It is perfect if you are like me and either didn’t experience or don’t really remember the series at all. We get a little bit of background on Wisp — she’s a rambunctious child with an overactive imagination that is perfectly in tune with her best friend Willow. Her home life isn’t perfect — we see her heating up dinner and choosing not to wake up an overworked mom. It is a mom who does seem to care about her! Just one that seems to be overworked. Especially in contrast with her best friend’s Willow’s family: both parents are around, super attentive and supportive of the girls’ fantasy world. Even the color pallet of the houses are different — warm and cold.

If you have seen Rainbow Brite, you know the story. Wisp meets Twinkle and is taken to a world that has all of its colors sucked out. Twink believes Wisp is the mythical Rainbow Brite, here to save the world, but Wisp isn’t convince. She knows what kind of kid she is! What I do love is the slight nod to the original — Wisp isn’t THE Rainbow Brite, she’s this generation’s Rainbow Brite. There’s enough to make me laugh, but it isn’t like 90s children’s movies where it goes over kids heads.

Willow is not from the original series (from what I can gather, at least) and I was incredibly bummed that we are introduced to this character only for her to be pushed aside? But it’s because the background needs to be set in order to move into the new arc. Where Willow will definitely be around.

I don’t know the artist Brittany Williams well; I don’t think I’ve read another comic with her involved. That being said, I really liked it. I think the style fits the story and age range well. It’s more cartoony and colorful, which I dig.

Final Thoughts
In the end, I am here for people supporting comics geared towards kids. I think this comic is perfect for old fans and new ones alike, and I’m excited to see where the next arc goes. Also, there seems to be some confusion on if the comic has been cancelled or not. It looks like right now they’re waiting to see how the trade does, so it’s more on hiatus. I hope it comes back!

I never watched Rainbow Brite when it was on tv (a bit before my time). I've never seen in in reruns or on streaming or anything like that. So I have no idea if this is an accurate representation of the plot of the original series. I do know that I like what I read. There's a fair amount of magic, to be certain. But there's a hint of science too, a brief explanation of the different wavelengths of light. This is a quirky book but tells a reasonably coherent story.

I'm not familiar with the original, but this is an absolutely charming series opener that feels set to appeal to the same kids as She-Ra and Steven Universe. I was a little disappointed that after the amazing opening scenes (a little black girl LARPing as a wizard in the woods with her best friend! her parents both supporting and contributing to their game!) the book focused exclusively on Wisp, the white best friend, but the first volume does end with Willow being pulled into Rainbowland at last, so hopefully the subsequent volumes will have both girls in the spotlight equally. Brittney Williams' art is adorable and just perfect for this age group -- I was so disappointed when Patsy Walker was canceled and she stopped working on Goldie Vance, so I'm really glad to see her illustrating another kids series. There are a few text-heavy scenes (especially about the science of light and color) that might be a little much for kids reading on their own, but they're also lampshaded pretty well as Plot Exposition Infodump and you could still get the gist of the adventure without really understanding the magic system. Looking forward to volume two!

As an adult reading this it’s pretty entertaining. Someone in the target age group will love this! I really enjoy the scientific facts of truth tied into the story.

This first volume is an adaptation of the adventures of Wisp, a magical girl from the television series Rainbow Brite.
We discover a young girl full of energy who will be endowed with magic powers, related to the colors of the rainbow.


The reading was cool and I enjoyed discovering this super-heroine I did not know. On the other hand, I had a lot of trouble with the graphic style (which is very different from the cover), and that's what made my reading difficult.

In the end, this point has triumphed over history, and my reading ends with a "meh. "
Missed, it happens!

The adventure begins for children and adults alike, as the classic character Rainbow Brite comes to comics and brings a little color to your life! Wisp and Willow are best friends who live in a small town. They are inseparable, until one night Wisp discovers something is stealing the color from the world! To escape their grasp, Wisp must use her wits and the help of a new friend...from somewhere else! Then the adventure begins! Follow along with writer Jeremy Whitley (My Little Pony, Unstoppable Wasp) and artists Brittney Williams (Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat!, Goldie Vance) and Xenia Pamfil (Princeless) as we find out how this seemingly normal girl becomes Rainbow Brite and how it changes Wisp, Willow, and their world!

I don't even know you guys. I have fallen victim to obsessively reading graphic novels and manga. Don't get me started on Kpop. I blame Jay Crownover for keeping on mentioning it...

Where do I begin....hmmmm......

I received it for free on Netgalley in exchange for a free review. Okay this graphic novel was way longer than I expected. I thought it was just one volume, but it actually turned out to be five volumes. Bonus!

I am sure I have heard of Rainbow Brite before, but all I could think of when I was reading was Lite Brite.

My brain just went to my '90s kid heart and was wishing I had a Lite Brite. I AM 28 YEARS OLD. ALMOST 29.

Where was I?????? Oh, the story is basically the origin story of Rainbow Brite and how she has to save Rainbow Land from having all the color stolen. Warning. This review will contain mild spoilers.

Wisp meets Twinkle, who insists she is the legendary Rainbow Brite, and he takes her across Rainbow Land in effort to find the magic rainbow staff and belt. She wants to help save Rainbow Land even though she doesn't think she is Rainbow Brite.

The colors and artwork were gorgeous, and I will definitely be reading the next one even though I know this is meant for a younger audience.

4 out of 5 Lite Brite Stars ;)

Maddy

Does anybody else remember the Rainbow Brite TV series? Or was it a movie? I can’t remember that much now, but I do remember being completely obsessed with the character when I was little. So I’m not ashamed to admit that I wanted to read this graphic novel in hopes of a heavy dose of nostalgia.
And I wasn’t disappointed. Rainbow Brite was more or less exactly like I remembered, though of course this graphic novel did do a few fun twists with it. A fact that I can appreciate – we can’t have the story going stale now, can we?
This new graphic novel is being marketed towards kids and adults alike. To be honest, I think that a younger audience will appreciate the story more. Us adults will appreciate the memories though, so there’s that.
And in case you’re still wondering, yes, this graphic novel is in fact an origin story of the one and only Rainbow Brite. Take what you will from that.
This story follows Wisp and Willow. Two best friends who have no idea for the adventures that are in store for them. To be honest, their adventures started off as charming, but otherwise fairly slow. It was nice to get a chance to get to know both characters, of course. And I will give bonus points for the larping reference, which was totally unexpected.
This was a fun read, on the whole. I’m not going to pretend that it lived up to the expectations set by my childhood memory. But realistically that was an unfair comparison to begin with. I will be curious to see what new fans think of this tale, without all of the expectations and biases of older fans.
For what it’s worth, I’m happy to have read it. Though I’m not entirely sure that I would continue the series. This was mostly a fun standalone or experience for me.

As a child of the 80's, Rainbow Brite is basically a part of my soul. I was excited to see a comic book version, and one that features a cast that's a bit more diverse. (Though the color kids always had a fair bit of diversity going on. Shy Violet 4eva!) The storyline for this comic is good, but I just couldn't get past the art style. I'm not a fan of shows like Steven Universe, largely because of the art style, and that's what this version of Rainbow Brite reminded me of. I just wish they'd chosen a prettier way to illustrate this comic. :/

This graphic novel brought back such nostalgia from my childhood. And that added immensely to my enjoyment. I loved the sweet characters who were best friends. I definitely recommend this.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

unique illustrations/take on rainbow brite. i mean, who doesn't love rainbow brite?!

While I know for sure that I watched Rainbow Brite while I was growing up in the 80’s, the memory that stayed with me all of these years has been the merchandise, not the cartoon. I have fond memories of playing with the Rainbow Brite doll as a kid and can even remember the way the shiny part of her dress felt. I suspect this cartoon was also responsible for me rocking some pretty impressive rainbow shoelaces at the time. Yet when I found the cartoon theme song and searched it for sparks of recognition I came away with barely a flicker.

I was still interested in taking a trip down memory lane, even though my memory appears foggy at best where Rainbow Brite and her friends from the colour wheel are concerned.

Wisp and Willow have had a fun day role playing as warrior and wizard. That night Wisp hears something outside. Or maybe that’s three somethings. Minions of the King of Shadows, to be more specific. These guys are leeching all of the colour from Wisp and Willow’s world, starting with blue, which Wisp’s mother’s car was pre-minion.

Twinkle the sprite appears and isn’t quite as cute or cuddly looking as I remember. They also seemed a tad too focused on educating Wisp about etiquette and grammar while she was being chased by the massive minions and their glowing eyes. Anyway, Twinkle magics Wisp off to Rainbow Land, which doesn’t appear to be living up to its name right now.

During their time in Rainbow Land Twinkle and Wisp encounter a shadow hound, Murky Dismal, an evil scientist who cannot be all bad in my books because he has a jet pack fuelled by colour, and Lurky, Murky’s monster/bodyguard.

We also meet Red Flare, a colour guard who is definitely cuter than I expected them to be. They got lost in the 80’s (dude! rad!), appropriate given Rainbow Brite was created that decade. We’re even introduced to Starlite, a talking horse that doesn’t have any problems whatsoever with their self esteem, and some other sprites and colour guards.

I found the language disparate at times. Shortly after Wisp wascalling the shadow hound a “doggy” Twinkle was spouting words like “disinclination” and giving lessons on prisms and wavelengths, making me wonder what age the target audience was supposed to be.

Incorporating issues 1 through 5, Volume 1 begins Rainbow Brite’s origin story and naturally ends with a cliffhanger. I was reintroduced to a lot of characters I haven’t thought about in decades and enjoyed the action. While I could leave the story at this point, even with so much up in the air, I expect I will read Volume 2 when it becomes available at the library.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Dynamite Entertainment and Diamond Book Distributors for the opportunity to read this graphic novel. I’m rounding up from 3.5 stars.

*thank you to Netgalley, Diamond Book Distributors, and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

"Nobody stars out as a hero" 

2.5 stars.

While reading this I had to seperate the two parts of me. One part of me grew up with the original Rainbow Brite from the 80s TV Show. I LOVE LOVE Rainbow Brite and it has a very precious place in my heart. The other part of me knew I had to look at this Graphic Novel as though it was my first introduction to Rainbow Brite.

So I'll start with the side of me that was seeing this for how it is and without my past attachments. The beginning of this seemed to be a bit slow. Not very slow but just enough that it seemed to drag. We are introduced to two characters who are best friends, Willow and Wisp who are busy playing games of make believe. Both characters are interesting enough in their own way but nothing amazing. Further into the book Wisp meets up with a character we find out is a sprite from Rainbow land called Twinkle. But he gets nicknamed Twink (as he is in the original). Twink is an odd looking character who can fly and tries to help Wisp throughout the story. Starlite, a horse with attitude and who is really quite vain. Murky and Lurky, the villains and two of the colour kids. I noticed the diversity that is shown was a nice touch to make this story more modern. But overall, this was a bit too bland and I did find I had to re-read parts. While the pages where Whisp turns into Rainbow Brite are so colourful, it just highlights how dark and plain the rest of the book is. But maybe that was the point. So that the coloured parts would really pop, which they did. I guess it depends on how you look at it.

I also need to point out that the Rainbow Brite on the cover of this, does not match the artwork of how she looks inside the book. That's a bit of a red flag for me. The cover needs to be changed to match the rest of the book. The face of Rainbow Brite is different and the skirt is much shorter.

I didn't really care much for this. It had action which was neither good or a bad thing. But it just didn't grab me.

Ok. So the part of me that grew up with Rainbow Brite and absolutely loved it was really really disappointed. I understand that this was ment to be a modern take on the original but seriously! No. It had none of the magic that the original had. Twink looked awful. There was nothing cute about him. Murky and Lurky were unmemorable. The two colour kids that we meet up with, while I do like the fact that this is where the diversity played a positive part, they didn't act like the original colour kids at all and I just didn't like how they were represented. This was boring for the most part and flat. I did like that the search for the colour belt was used as part of the plot because that was also a big part of the first 2 episodes of the 1984 show. (Which had been put together to be a movie in some countries.) Other than the original artwork at the end of this Graphic Novel, there was not enough in this for those of us who are wanting to read this because of nostalgia. It's a big disappointment. 

Overall, if you didn't grow up with Rainbow Brite and have no expectations, then maybe you will like it. But for those of us who do expect this to be a certain way because of the original classic, you will probably be pretty let down.

A Rainbow Brite origin graphic novel?
Yes Please!
Sadly, this didn't work for me.
The illustrations, story, and Rainbow Land characters all fell flat.
I may also be slightly bitter since Canary Yellow wasn't in it and she was always my favourite.
Thanks to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for my DRC.

This colorful adventure is the first in the series and will have you waiting anxiously for the next novel. This classic story told in a new and unique way is nostalgic for more experienced readers and engaging for newer readers.