A solid middle-grade superhero graphic novel.

This is a prequel graphic novel following the fan-favorite Robin: Dick Grayson. Here we see Dick pre-Batman. You get a glimpse of his life as an acrobat with his parents. We do get a Batman nod, but this book has nothing to do with the cape crusader and that it's the greatest strength. Grayson's relationship with his parents is heartwarming, a conscious decision on the writer's behalf because we all know his parents are going to be murdered soon if Grayson's age is any clue.

The storyline is cute. It occurs during the decline of the carnie lifestyle with an expected spectral twist. This book would be best for a younger audience (8-12) years of age. There isn't enough edgy enough or complex enough in its themes of young love, greed, and betrayal for this graphic novel to be considered a young adult title.

I thoroughly enjoyed the art style here and use of color. It's a great escapist read right now.

This was a very quick and easy read with a lot of engaging elements. The art was fun and clean and the art-deco stylistic elements were a nice touch to distinguish it from other books in the line. I liked the addition of mysticism and a more supernatural story compared to many of the books in the DC line for MG/YA.

I really adored the chance to see a Dick Grayson story that included his parents. His story usually begins with their deaths and it was a joy to see their lives together. Moreci is spot on with his teenage Dick as well - surly and angsty to be sure but with hints of the brave, inspiring soul he'll become.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with my e-arc!

I genuinely enjoyed this spin on Dick's origin story and see him as an angsty teenager struggling with his place in the world since Dick's original story is a lot darker and we didn't get to see him with his parents, or his life before Batman, really.

It's a fun and quick read with teen angst, a healthy familiar relationship, friendship, and summer romance. Now looking back on it, it does border on predictable, but it is a younger and lighter spin on his origin story, so the predictability was welcome. I liked seeing Dick be bored with his life, having grown up in Haly's Circus and see him start to question what a "normal life" would look like and starting to want to break away from the things he's know.

I was really entranced with color palette and it easily showed off Dick's feelings of being bored whenever he was in Haly's and how excited he was in the Lost Carnival. I thought it played into the storyline really well and I quite enjoyed it.

I hope there's another installment, I'd like to see how else Dick's story will be spun and twisted, but, if not, then this story stood well on its own!

The art style and story were both enjoyable and kept me engaged in the story. I don't know a lot about Dick Grayson so I enjoyed learning a bit about him. Like some other graphic novels, the font is a bit small so I had to zoom into the page and not look at the whole page at once in order to read it a bit easier.

An action-packed and engaging origin story, Lost Carnival will appeal to both fans of superheroes and those who love graphic novels. A wide variety of readers will enjoy this book as it’s story is exciting and has broad appeal. Recommended.

Whoa! I don't know what I was expecting from this comic, but it wasn't what I got. The Lost Carnival follows Dick Grayson before he becomes Robin, when he's still part of his family's circus trapeze act. Teenaged Dick is bored of circus life and longs for something more. After meeting a girl at a party, Dick ventures to a nearby carnival to find her again and becomes swept up in a summer of romance, magic, and tragedy.

I was utterly entranced by this sweet and mystical story! Even though the plot itself is fairly predictable, the characters are interesting and the story is well-written. I especially like the relationship between Dick and his parents. The artwork is really beautiful as well, I love the muted colors and how the palette changes with location. 3.75 stars

Just like all the other DC teen books, this book captures both the essence of the character and breathes new life into it. I am a big fan of Dick Grayson aka Robin and I loved reading a story about his early days. I like the art, the story, and the overall adventure he goes on. I liked seeing a teenage Dick before he became Robin. Overall, a great read and I will be recommending all of the books in this line to my teens.

You needn't know anything about Dick Grayson or Batman lore to love this story of friendship and risks we're all willing to take for the ones we love. The art is incredible and emotive, really bringing the story to life. The little easter eggs for fans of the comics were a wonderful treat. Loved it from start to finish.

A great origin story comic. I think this book is a great starting point for kids unfamiliar with the character and unsure if they like superhero comics. Dick isn't much of a superhero yet in this book and it gives the character an everyman vibe. Great message for child readers.

I received this ARC for an honest review. Aside from the format the ARC was sent in which was extremely inconvenient and made reading VERY difficult, the story itself once I managed to open it was what I would expect. If you're a fan of DC Comics, this fits nicely into the wheelhouse they're trying to create with the DC Multiverse. Ideally this would have taken place after the Infinite Earths storyline, but manages to stand alone to tell the story of what would become who we know is Robin, or Night Wing.

S is the story of Dick Grayson before he lost his parents and became Robin. Dick is feeling bored with the routine of the circus and goes to check out the Lost Carnival to try and find a girl he met at a party. At the show a magician summons creatures from another world and Dick realizes that the carnival may be more than it seems.

I love the color pallete. When we are at Haley's Circus the tones are blue. When we are at the Lost Circus the tones are red and yellow. It gave a really neat effect easily showing the reader where they were.

I have read stories similar to this before. But this was done flawlessly and I didn't mind that I knew the big twist from the beginning. I know my students will be excited to read this and I plan on buying myself a copy also.

Creative Team:
Author Michael Moreci
Illustrator Sas Milledge
Publish date is May 2020:

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
The Lost Carnival is a mystery story from before Dick Grayson became a Robin (which made this painful seeing him with his parents).
Dick was an acrobat with a traveling circus, Haly’s, when one day a carnival sets up shop down the road from them. The carnival is called the Lost Carnival and seems to host real magic and Dick meets Luciana, a weilder of this strange power. Dick is struggling with feeling restless and upset with the cost traveling and working for Haly’s exacts from him and his family and is drawn to Luciana who seems to understand him but is very much a mystery. The closer Dick gets to her the more questions he has.
This was a fun read, it was sweet seeing Dick fall into love, and his struggles with his lot in life very much spoke to his character as a teenager. I loved the coloring, how it was very basic but used to show the difference in the circus life and the carnival.
I both loved and ached at the hints of what was to come for Dick, “There is a knight looming over your days to come” hurt my heart.
Fun read and a great introduction to the DC line.