There's a science fair and all the DC girls have an idea of what they want to do for it except Zantana. So, she 'helps' all her friends with their projects to get an idea for hers, and that goes about as well as you'd think it would (i.e. not very well each time). but, is something more happening than just Zantana being bad at science?

It was a fine TPB, but, I think that I enjoyed these more when the characters were in the middle school stories, than this high school setting. Everything seems just a little off in the story. Not to mention, the whole Wonder Woman running joke throughout the book wasn't really that funny.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley on behalf of DC Entertainment

DC Super Hero Girls: Weird Science is much more fun than the previous volume of DC Super Hero Girls that I reviewed. I still think some of the spark of the series is gone with the revamp, but a new groove has finally been found and that's a great thing.

What school would make a science fair project 80% of a student's grade?! That's madness.

That aside, this is going to have some intense fans and I already have one kid who has been waiting for more DC Super Hero Girls.

3.5 stars. I have read all but one of the DC Super Hero Girls books from the original series that takes place at Superhero High School. This is part of a new series where the girls attend Metropolis High instead, so they have alter egos and have to change between their hero costumes and their school clothes. The art is different in this series - I would describe it as "softer," and it has a younger feel to it in my opinion.

The story here is meaty - I felt like I got my time's worth on the story. Zee tries to help each of her friends with their science projects. I think there are something like 15 separate comics worth of material in this one book. There's a nice twist in the end that I think readers will enjoy. Fans of this new iteration will like seeing their favorite characters deal with this new challenge.

This was a fun graphic novel to read. I am familiar with most of these characters, yet it was nice to see them in a different way. Each had some idea for this upcoming science fair, and Zee wanted to help her friends out. Sadly, things always seemed to blow up in her face. Yet once they tell her they need a break from her, she ends up finding out the real culprit behind it all. Fans of these characters will have fun reading this graphic novel.

I received an electronic ARC from DC Entertainment through NetGalley.
The Super Hero Girls are creating their Science Fair projects. Something goes wrong with most of them. They finally figure out why and take down a villain who loved science but needs a lesson in communal sharing and learning. The graphics are colorful and readers will enjoy studying all the details. The text is easy to follow and brings these young women to life. Readers will relate to their lives even without super powers.

**review is posted after embargo date** I will come back to add links.

‘DC Super Hero Girls: Weird Science’ makes science delightful

Written by Amanda Deibert

Drawn by Yancey Labat, Erich Owen, Marcelo Dichiara, Agnes Garbowska, Sarah Leuver, and Emma Kubert.

This is not your older sister’s DC Super Hero Girls. The newest graphic novel from Lauren Faust’s series, DC Super Hero Girls: Weird Science is smart, funny, and a delight.

I was excited for Lauren Faust’s DC Super Hero Girls as soon as I heard about it. As fans of the online series, my family watched the first shorts of the new series as soon as they were released. There’s a big difference between the two series, but the changed didn’t startle the kids; they were delighted by the expressiveness of the animation, the distinct personalities of the characters, and the way the Batgirl interacted with each of the characters. It felt like her previous work on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, but without the insane production schedule and Hasbro's mandates. Fun, funny, action-heavy, and all about the different way girls can be girls and still love each other.

Much to my delight, there are tie-ins, and even better, they're unquestionably aimed at girls the same way the show is.

DC Super Hero Girls Graphic Novels

Weird Science isn't the first graphic novel in the series, which is a plus: if you don't know the characters, you can get to know them here and not need the show, or other media, as a background. And like the other graphic novels that tie into the show, this has all of my favorite elements to turn kids onto comics. The panels and layouts are clean, making it easy to read; while I don't mind complex or interesting layouts, kids are more likely to walk away from something confusing, so straightforward presentation is key. The look and tone of the characters match the show so closely that I can hear the inflections of the voice actors as I read. Unlike some comics, such as IDW's Disney tie-in fare, the art never feel lifted from the show, always holding a sense of fluidity, personality and motion.

I want to give special attention to the lettering, which stands out just enough from the art to pop without being distracting. It's an easy, clean read that does not call attention to itself.

This may well sound like giving credit for showing up, but that's the trick behind a series like DC Super Hero Girls. Simplicity, when done correctly, is also elegance. It strips away artifice and complications while remaining a cohesive and enjoyable whole, and that simplicity, that elegance, is why Lauren Faust's work is so enjoyable.

What really impressed me about this volume is that multiple artists worked on the series, which is not typical for DC Super Hero Girls OGNs or OGNs in general. The book is artistically cohesive, and it doesn’t feel like there's a different art style in each chapter. I don't know why they did it, but it worked as intended. Amanda Deibert's writing on this is delightful. Whatever they're giving her to do this, keep the paychecks rolling and I'll keep buying. For the uh, for the kids. Of course.

All the girls in action

In Faust’s My Little Pony, one of the beautiful things was how every character had a role to play in every episode. In this graphic novel, the same holds true. The story is about a science fair, with the top prize including an internship at CADMUS (the kids don’t know what we know about CADMUS yet.) Supergirl, Batgirl, Wonder Woman, Bumblebee, and Green Lantern all have ideas for their projects, but Zatanna is not sure what to do. She decides to help out each of the girls with their projects, and mayhem ensues each time.

There is an overarching plot for the story, with the judge from CADMUS working to steal all the projects so she can patent them herself, but it’s a framing device and not intrusive. It has a good message (don’t steal other people’s ideas) that is easy to understand without being annoying or glib. It doesn’t feel moralistic or like a teachable moment while it absolutely offers thoughts on moral behavior.

I particularly enjoy the way Wonder Woman is portrayed in this series. There are so very many ways to do Wonder Woman wrong. From her murder-happy phase in the New 52, the dreadful TV pilot that must not be named (but if it was, it would be called "Pants to be Darkened"), a man-hating strawman feminist, and BDSM moralist tract, though that last one has the decency to be so delightfully silly that it's fun even today. I’ve written before about how much I love Wonder Woman, and I love Faust’s version as much as I loved Aisha Sneed’s.

In Faust’s version of Diana, she is unfamiliar with the customs of man’s world. What is flirting, or chocolate, or all of these expressions that she is not meant to take literally? I am sensitive to these types of jokes since they are often used as markers for (badly created) autistic characters. Instead of making Diana’s naiveté the joke, or having the other characters shocked that a girl from a world without men wouldn’t know how to flirt with men, they're supportive and help her learn. Generally, however, they only give advice when she wants it. In this book, Zatanna loses her patience with Diana’s obliviousness to Steve Trevor’s flirting - a thing I think we've all felt one way or another, especially as young teenagers. She tries to give Diana scripts to respond to the kinds of questions Steve is asking. (Say no when he asks if you have plans; say yes if he asks if you want to grab a bite. He’s trying to take you out for dinner!) Zatanna fails to make her advice sufficiently specific, and so Diana combines scripts, resulting in disaster. Instead of laughing at Diana’s inexperience, I ended up groaning at how Zatanna tried to teach Diana how she would flirt instead of considering how Diana might successfully flirt (through literal, straightforward comments, for example). The potential hurt is defused because Diana is never made lesser for her lack of certain social graces.

Zatanna’s failure to give people what they need versus what she wants to give them, is a theme throughout the book. It’s also handled with sensitivity; it’s clear she’s doing the best she knows how, but she’s a kid and hasn’t learned better. I think a kid in the target age range will read this and understand where Zatanna is going wrong, while also sympathizing with how easy it is to get confused in situations where people need your help. Also, if you know the trick to how Zatanna casts her spells, there are several subtle jokes that gave me good laughs. If your kids don’t read backwards well (it’s not really a skill they teach in fourth grade) you may want to help them by writing down each word in reverse. Enjoy.

DC Super Hero Girls: Weird Science releases today, and it’ll be on my kids’ shelves as quickly as I can get it there.

I received a free digital ARC for this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A delightful and fun read! I had so much fun reading about the adventure of the science fair project for these super hero girls. The art style was very cute and reading this felt like watching an episode from the show! The exploration of various heroes projects and while a mystery was also underway was a fun touch. The formatting of the book is very easy to read and I am sure kids will love to read this! I had an overall great time reading this book and can't wait to see what other shenanigans these girls get up to!

DC Kids has been rocking it with this line, The books are fun and engaging and are bringing a whole new generation to these superheroes. I especially love the female focus of this series. These are a perfect bridge for students to transition from simpler graphic novels to more sophisticated ones.

Super cute and fast read. I think I’d enjoy it more if I knew the show. I really love the characterization of Diana.