Pepper Page Saves the Universe is like it Sailor Moon had been made by a bunch of American comic creators. That's been attempted so many times, but Pepper Page really sticks the landing where so many others failed! The art is lovely and colorful and animated and the story is excellent. I can not wait to have this on the shelves in my library and for more of Pepper's adventures!

Pepper Page is a shy orphan who does not quite fit in with the 23rd century world she lives in; preferring to immerse herself in old vintage comic books about the superhero, Supernova. Running away from bullies, she and her friends stumble across a teacher, Professor Killian, about to perform some unknown experiment on a cat. Pepper tries to stop him and she and the cat disappear only to appear in a new dimension where she finds out she is Supernova. When she and the cat, now with the ability to talk and a demand to be called Mr McKittens, end up in the 21st century she refuses to accept that she is the real Supernova. And then Dr Killian shows up with her two friends who have been brainwashed and a plan to take over the universe, Only Supernova can defeat him and save the universe but can Pepper overcome her fears and accept her destiny?

A nice origin story with lovely artwork. While the target audience is 8-12 years of age this adult still had a good time reading this graphic novel. I look forward to more adventurers with Supernova.

Pepper Page Saves the Universe! is a graphic novel with script by Landry Q. Walker and art by Eric Jones. It is currently scheduled for release on February 16 2021. The year is 2421. Awkward and shy, Pepper buries herself in the universe of the classic fictional superhero Supernova to avoid dealing with the perils of the 9th grade. But then fate intervenes when Pepper encounters a strange cat named Mister McKittens and stumbles into a volatile science experiment run by a sinister substitute teacher named Doctor Killian. Pepper is flung into another dimension, bringing her face to face with an order of cosmic beings who declare her to be the steward of their great power, champion of harmony in the universe, protector of worlds present and past. Now, in the 21st Century, Pepper finds that she herself is the real Supernova. But as Pepper soon learns, escapist fantasy and reality are two very different things.

Pepper Page Saves the Universe! is a graphic novel for middle grade and older readers that is a fun read, but still covers some of the emotional aspects of the age group. Pepper is an orphan that is bullied and just does not feel she fits in, so gets lost in comic books. I think this feeling- that of being left out and looked down on- is one that most people can relate to on some level, even if they are not really outside the more popular peer groups. I thought the story set up and execution was very well done, with some good twists and nice resolution. The artwork nicely matched and enhances the story. The color choices were on point, as were the details and expressions. Since I was reading a digital proof, there were some pages that were clearly not the final product, and I think the final version will be absolutely wonderful. I am hoping that this series continues and I get to read more about Pepper Page.

Pepper Page Saves the Universe! is a fun and entertaining graphic novel that I think many readers will enjoy.

What happens when a comics superfan discovers that she IS her favorite superhero? That's what happens to orphaned Pepper Page, a high schooler who loves her Supernova comics more than anything: she can rattle off major storylines, lament retcons and canon versus headcanon and fancanon with the best of us fangirls, but imagine if you woke up one day to find a supreme being telling you that you're really Wonder Woman, and all these comics have been chronicling your adventures? It's a little much for Pepper to handle; thank goodness she's got her cat companion and her two best friends to help out. When they aren't under a supervillain's influence, that is. Comics fans will love the nods to comics fan favorites like Peter David and the iconic Jack Kirby; there are tips of the hat to Golden and Silver Age comics throughout the story, and this is just a great new series to get in on right now. Parents and caregivers, read along with your tweens and share your comics knowledge! I know I will. Have Zita the Spacegirl fans? Get them reading this series immediately.

As a fan of comic books, I LOVED this graphic novel. From the beginning the drastic art style differences between the Supernova comics and the world of Pepper Page drew me in, both equally realized. The comics themselves felt warmly and fondly nostalgic, and certainly contributed to the reader's understanding of Pepper as a character out of place and out of time. I can't wait to read more of her adventures, and I hope they are indeed coming. (Also, the "end credits" teaser tickled me.)

I'm not one for superhero stories, even ones that aren't your well-known superheros. I could not get into this graphic novel myself but I know that the kids I see at my library would probably enjoy it. The art is really good. The text is easy to read, which I like. The story seems interesting, with lots of friendship and action. You see some bullying as well, which I guess happens even in the far future. I think kids will like this glimpse of what the future may hold; that flying school bus was pretty cool.

Review to be posted on GoodReads on Feb 2:

Pepper Page is an orphan. She has always felt like an outsider, like she doesn’t belong. The one place she does feel at home is within the pages of Supernova comics. Supernova is her hero and inspiration, though Pepper hardly has the guts to stand up to her personal bully let alone fight supervillains. But when she gets sucked into a Professor’s mad scientist experiment, she finds herself tested like never before. Does she have what it takes to be a real superhero?

This was a very fun twist on the average superhero origin story. Pepper is a likable character, and you really do feel for her. I love how the art and story combined to make such an imaginative future world. The artwork is AMAZING. You are totally allowed to pick this book up just to look at the pretty pictures. I know my students are going to go crazy for Pepper Page and her adventures, and of course, Mister McKittens. I really hope there will be more coming in the future. Hand this to your favorite superhero fan and scifi graphic novel fan.

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

Pepper Page Saves the Universe is a superhero origin story of a teenage girl who is shy, bullied, and loves reading comics about her favorite superhero, Supernova. I liked the concept, but I had a lot of trouble staying interested in the story. A lot of scenes felt too long or repetitive and I sometimes found myself growing bored. The pre-superhero part was good for setting up Pepper's character, but it really dragged on - I got the idea of who she was early on, and I think a lot of this set up could have been cut. In comparison, the fight against the villain was extremely short and the whole thing seemed to end very quickly.

Also, it's a small thing, but one of the characters speaks in yellow font. I found it really difficult to read. Maybe it'll be easier in a print version (I read the ebook) but yellow font, specially on a white background, is typically not great for accessibility. Other than that, I thought the artwork was great.

Overall, I think Pepper could be an empowering character for kids who dream of getting powers that allow them to stand up against bullies who seem so much stronger than them. However, there are a lot of pacing issues and many kids who pick this up because it's a superhero story may lose interest due to the relative lack of superhero content, especially in the first half.

I enjoyed this book, but was a little confused about how the world works, specifically how much of the comics Pepper reads are based in reality. I did like seeing the superhero action though.