Mike Cavallaro’s Nico Bravo and the Hound of Hades was one of my favourite children’s graphic novels of 2019 and I constantly recommend it to kids. It’s the perfect blend of action, mythology and laughs that makes it one of the most entertaining graphic novels (for both kids and adults). Mike has just unleashed Nico’s second adventure, Nico Bravo and the Cellar Dwellers, and it is just as great as the first book.

Nico lives with his adopted father, Vulcan, the god of fire and the forge, who runs Vulcan’s Celestial Supply Shop. Nico works in the shop with his friends and colleagues, a sphinx named Lula, and a unicorn named Buck. They supply gods and monsters with anything they might need, from potions to weapons. Nico is dreading the annual visit of Abonsam (or Sam for short), the West African God of Misfortune and Pestilence. Sam carries his afflictions around with him in a “pouch of miseries.” Nico’s enemy, Ahriman, God of Evil, is sick of Nico thwarting his plans, so he sends a shapeshifter named Orcus to Vulcan’s Celestial Supply Shop on a mission to take down his enemies. Orcus mistakenly unleashes a Misery from Sam’s pouch and sets a case of nightmares loose. The situation quickly goes from bad to worse and Ahriman unleashes his forces on the island, threatening to destroy the Supply Shop. Nico and his friends will travel through dimensions and to the centre of the earth before their final showdown with Ahriman.

Nico Bravo and the Cellar Dwellers is a hilarious, action-packed adventure, chock-full with mythical creatures and gods. There is alot of story packed into just under 200 pages and different threads of the story to follow that all come crashing together at the end. Nico, Buck, Lula and Eowolf are back again, along with some other familiar characters, but also plenty of new ones. I especially liked the juxtaposition of Sam, being the God of Misfortune and Pestilence but wearing a bright Hawaiian shirt.

One of my favourite things about this series is the humour. There were lots of parts that made me laugh out loud. Mike has got great comedic timing and is really good at visual gags. Ahriman lasering anyone he isn’t pleased with is a running gag that I really enjoyed. Eowolf’s sword, Roger, is one of my favourite characters and has some of the best lines.

Mike’s illustrations are brilliant and the story really gives him a chance to showcase his talent for illustrating all sorts of fantastical creatures and landscapes. The colours are vibrant and really burst off the page. One of the little features of the illustrations in these books that I love is the ‘Vulcan’s Deck of Deities’ profile cards that Mike includes for new and important characters. They give you background information about the gods, with fun facts. I’d love to have these as actual playing cards that you could use for a game.

The Nico Bravo series is perfect for any kids who want a graphic novel with action, adventure or just a really funny story. They’re great to recommend to kids who like stories like Percy Jackson or who are mad on mythology. It’s great to see that there is more Nico Bravo to look forward to.

Nico Bravo series is such a great one and exciting to boot! Nico Bravo and the Cellar Dwellers is the second part to the series and I must say we need more comics for boys. Nico works at Vulcan's Celestial Supply Shop with his friends. The worst happens as the God of Misfortune’s pouch and its content goes missing as the content is misery. Odd stuff starts happening at the shop when God of Evil Ahriman's handyman arrives and tries to find the aether. There's lots of battles, the world basically crumbling and we get to know stuff about Nico's past, which is great! For me this second part was a slightly too scattered and messy compared to the first one. It was kind of hard to follow the plot at times, but still the whole thing is quite coherent.

The art looks great and the colors are vivid and bright. The comic is eye candy and it's wonderful to examine the panels, since they have awesome stuff happening in them. There's humor and heart in the art and the flow is nice too. The series is great and the adventures are fun and thoughtful too and I must read what comes next!

While Nico and his friends are debating whether the unicorn wars ever really happened, Vulcan’s Supply Shop is gearing up for one wild and crazy chaotic day. Sam the god of diseases, pestilence, etc. is visiting, and one of his little “darlings” manages to escape its safety bag. There’s an impostor in the building sent by a big bad guy to steal something. Eowulf and her Uncle E. are time traveling and things aren’t going too well. And things don’t look very good for anyone. Will anyone survive the day?

The first half of this book takes a little bit of concentration to follow, but the effort is worth it as everything comes together in unexpected ways in the second half and Nico and gang must find creative ways to save the day. This is one wild ride through all sorts of mythologies, from Roman gods, to Beowulf, to obscure mythical creatures, to myths about the center of the Earth. It’s jam-packed with memorable characters and exciting twists and turns in the plot, and delightful moments of humor. And there’s some really good messages, especially about revenge and bitterness, mixed in amongst all the fun and wild adventure. Highly recommended to any middle grade graphic novel readers, but you’ll need to rush it into the hands of those who like all things mythology and fantasy adventurers.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed sharing the first book in this series with my kids, who are huge fans of mythology in novels. This series has many characters that are part of the mythology of different civilizations (West African, Norse and Persian to name a few). There is a big cast of characters here as Nico works at a shop that provides supplies to adventurers, Gods, Goddesses and creatures from all corners of the world. Some show up with bad intentions and the fate of the shop, and maybe the world are at stake. Plenty of magic, and action ensue along with some comic relief from a sword who lacks subtlety and the unicorns. Other than my children, I don't always have luck passing graphic novels with this much mythology to kids, but the first book in this series was funny enough for some readers to enjoy it and I think this one will be too.

Nico Bravo and the Cellar Dwellers is a welcome addition to the Nico Bravo series. The art is just as colorful and bright as the first volume and the additions to the story were so much fun. Highly suggested for libraries who serve middle grade populations.

Loved this book! Lots of action and adventure. You definitely need to read the first volume to understand what is happening here. We learn more about Nico and his past (can't say what here because it would be a major spoiler). We also learn more about Buck and the Unicorn Wars. I really enjoy the art style. The art is colorful as well. The text is easy to read. Hand this to a child grades 4th-7th who's looking for a fun adventure with some mythology sprinkled throughout.