1st Line: "Ten years ago."

Review: Fresh off his notoriety from defeating evil in his first adventure, our semi-clueless but forever upbeat pig hero is invited with his crew of friends to hold court over his young fans at Camp Fish Head Lake.. Showing up ready to shine, Ham finds instead that all the camp counselors seem to be missing, or busy somewhere, so as the misfit kids start arriving the gang decides to chip in and coordinate the kids and run things, just until the counselors return.

Instead, the kids start disappearing and it seems a monster is stalking the camp! Can Ham Helsing live up to his rep and find out what is going on - not to mention defeat this new monster? It doesn't help when an old, very familial enemy from his past - along with one mean, manic chicken - also invade the camp, seeking their own form of revenge ... so I guess it's more like: Can Ham (not the most observant pig in the pen) and his crew save the kids, save the camp, AND save their reputations from all this evil?? I thought topping volume one of this graphic novel series for kids (with snarky humor to also ensnare the adults - and it works) was terrific, but volume two - with it's Friday the 13th-meet-Looney Tunes vibe - is even better, with both the stakes and the humor ratcheted up. I love Rich Moyer's sense of humor nearly as much as his artwork, both of which shine in this full-color second volume as the gang initially remains very clueless to the fact there even ARE camp kids disappearing, let alone they are being stalked, for the longest before catching on. Amidst the humor and silliness, the book's messages of friends sticking together, inclusion, and finding the strength you didn't even know you had in yourself to overcome a problem, are (as in book one) understated yet will hit home for kid readers. I also LOVE that book three seems to be on the way, via an end teaser here about an ancient clan of vampires on the rise. Funny (at times laugh-out-loud funny), spooky without being too scary for young readers, and just so, SO wonderful to look at (seriously, how has this NOT already been optioned for an animated series on FOX, or something?), this is not just another winner for Moyer, but a sequel that's even better than its predecessor, . You will never look at bacon in the same way after once again experiencing the hero that is ... HAM HELSING! (Available June 14) 4.5/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun and enjoyable read. The illustrations are wonderful and the story is just so much fun. My kids and I read it together and they immediately wanted to read it again. That is high praise indeed in my opinion. I just think this is a fun read.

Another fun installation in the tale of Ham Helsing, Vampire...er, Monster Hunter. Our porcine hero is back, along with his ninja-pal Ronin and nice-vampire-buddy Malcolm. This time they find themselves babysitting a group of pitiful kids at Camp Fish Head, where something dark and enormous stalks the woods and waters. Mix in Ham's twice-dead brother, Franken-Chad and his partner Robo-Knight, and you've got a ton of action and humor and a few important life lessons thrown in along the way.

Ham Helsing and company make for a great story, perfect for middle-grade readers and even adults who like a good laugh.

This is a really cute series with entertaining graphics and with good messages about friendship and about choosing to do the right thing even if it's not what other people say is "your destiny". Ultimately, each individual is in charge of figuring out what his or her own destiny is. In this one, Ham Helsing and his crew end up at a summer camp where the counselors have disappeared and a monster lurks in the waters. I am not normally a graphics novel reader, so there were moments when I just wasn't quite sure what was happening in the story and it felt kind of jumpy/frenetic to me because it seemed that a panel came out of nowhere. Those who regularly read graphic novels may not have that same experience. That said, I enjoyed the story and the graphics and I think Ham Helsing is the cutest. I'm so glad this story came across my radar, which motivated me to find and read the first book before reading this one. While one could technically read these out of order, it helps to know who the characters are, so I'd say read it in the right order to get the full effect.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I reviewed this graphic novel with my seven year old grandson, who loved it. He quickly became engrossed with the illustrations and characters, finding the story easy to follow on his own, with characters he cared about. The story of Ham and his friends running their camp when no staff showed up was hilarious to Will, and although he's pretty easily scared, the monsters were funny instead of too creepy. He has been pestering me about finding #1 and finding out when #3 will be published, so we'll be letting his school library and local bookstore know.

Our team gets to Camp Fish Head Lake and find that all of the counselors are nowhere to be seen. So the group decides to keep the campers safe and fight the monsters. The art is super cute. I love the silly surprises in the background. It makes this GenXer very happy to see the homage to some of my favorite horror movies. This will be a huge hit with my students. I love this series so much.

Creative Team:
Rich Moyer with colors by Josh Lewis

The second installment of the series has just as much charm as the first book. The artwork is bright and clear. The humor and message of allowing kids to try new things will appeal to kids and adults. The chicken especially is hilarious. Recommended.

Ham and his friends are invited to a summer camp only to find all the camp counselors missing and new group of coddled campers arriving. Unbeknownst to Ham, there is a lake creature from a toxic spill that has caused many humans to go missing. Ham and his friends are on the case. This books was well illustrated, humorous, and fun to read. I would definitely recommend it to students!

Ham Helsing is adorable! I didn't read the first volume but that's didn't hold me back from enjoying Monster Hunter.

This is the sequel to a quirky graphic novel that made me laugh! This one gives off Friday the 13th murder camp vibes. Ham and his new friends are set to visit Camp Fish Head Lake, but things aren't what they seem when they get to the camp itself. Some of the camp counselors are missing and the team has to step in to help out the campers. Things get complicated when Chad makes a scene.... read on to find out what's fishy at Camp Fish Head Lake.

I loved all the dark palette of this graphic novel. The way the pigs are drawn brings me joy and all the quirky characters are dynamic.

What I loved most: the parody style of the narrative, the illustrations and of course, the witty humor in this graphic novel.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ham and his friends is back in the second installment of the series with a summer camp mystery. Ham and his pals travel to a summer camp but are confused when no staff meet them. The crew is not sure what to do so they act as counselors until they staff returns or figure out what to do, but the real mystery begins when campers start going missing.

This book is absolutely hilarious and is a great follow up to the first book! I can’t wait for the third installment!

This is one of my favorite new series! These are hilarious! I can’t wait for more additions to this series. I might even have to buy these for my own personal collection. (The bacon undead servants are one of my favorite things in these books. Very tongue in cheek.)

Rich Moyer gives us a wonderful entry in a colorful and humorous series. Recommended for readers young and old who enjoy fantasy and anthropomorphic comics -- and I'm ready for a third entry now.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. Ham Helsing is an adorable piggy vampire hunter. While written for kids with typical themes for juvenile literature, there are enough adult jokes to make this a fun read for everyone.

Ham Helsing #2: Monster Hunter
by Rich Moyer
Pub Date: June 14
Crown
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. Our patrons are so excited about the June release of book #2.
I highly recommend the uproarious next installment of the Ham Helsing graphic novel series sees Ham and his crew back to fight monsters at mysterious Camp Fish Head Lake!
I haven't read the first one but we have it on our shelf. The humor is great for kids.
5 stars

This is book two of the series and I love it. Ham and his gang are called to assist at a camp. When they arrive the counselors are MIA. They takeover until they arrive. I think my favorite character is Lobo or Malcom. I love the detail in every illustration!

Thank you to NetGalley and Rich Moyer for the opportunity to read and review this book! I can’t wait for the third book to come out!

Ham Helsing and his brave cohorts are hired to solve a mystery and possibly get rid of a monster. As the famed (and formerly known as) Vampire Hunters, they are experts when it comes to monsters.

The destination is Camp Fish Head Lake; a summer camp for cute, innocent, defenseless children. All of whom have issues of some sort, such as crippling fears, or the tendency to change into... Well, you get the idea!

When our heroes arrive, nobody is there to greet them. The entire staff is gone--taken by the lake monster! So Ham decides they can handle the kids themselves while investigating. Things are going swimmingly...(ha, swimmingly), when someone notices there are fewer children!

This is a chapter book (with cliffhangers) and a lot of chapters (yay!) that will keep the reader--from child through adult--mesmerized and anxious to find out what happens next! Did I mention chapter cliffhangers?

Plus, the story is funny, punny, and the illustrations are superb! How many people can draw a pig falling (facing up), and make his face look realistic as he plummets...? It's amazing. And funny, honestly.

Except for the creepy evil chicken, I loved the entire book, and I'm going to buy Ham Helsing Vampire Hunter (book 1 in the series).

5/5 Stars
No swearing or bad stuff except an occasional mention of vampirism and monster violence.

Thanks so much, to Random House Children's Books, Crown Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for the free preview of this pdf; the review is voluntary.



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Ham Helsing and his friends are back and they are going to camp!

A monster of the lake is terrorizing the camp community and Ham is here to (gulp) save the day. With the help of some friends and one evil chicken, the creature from the camp lagoon has no chance at terror but maybe with cuddles.

This was cute and really funny. Snort laugh so hard that your drink shoots out of your nose. It contained those same goofy jokes as the last one and it made this really enjoyable.

I was hoping for more vampires in this one. Alas, they made a very short appearance at the end. I hope those blood sucking fiends make more of an appearance in book three.

Ham Helsing: Monster Hunter was entertaining and lovable. Ham is the cutest character and I can’t wait to see what other hijinks he gets into next.

This is a great follow up to "Ham Helsing: Vampire Hunter". It had the same funny tone and foreshadowing that the first book had. This series is perfect for fans of Dog Man. Especially with the addition of Franken-Chad. The art work is still really fresh and inviting and the color really pops on the page. I think that the camp/ slasher idea was a smart one. I liked the underlying environmentalism message to it all. This book was just different enough with call backs to the first in such a smart way. My only issue with this book is that it tries to do too much in too little time. There were three different plot lines and I wish they had cut one or tow of them. Overall, this is a very solid graphic novel and I think a bunch of kids will love this. .

Such a cute story!! We enjoyed reading this one and found ourselves laughing out loud in several parts! Highly recommend if you are looking for a whimsical, fun, easy read.