In the second Inventor book Cobalt finds that he wasn't as prepared for the search for his Grandfather as he thought. He runs into a duo that takes him on to the city where his Grandfather was last seen, Basara. This is a town built towering upward and based solely on commerce and trade, where he is put in charge of a run down inventors shack where nobody comes to shop. He is befriended by the Scrap Goblin who has a plan to get the town mobile, if Cobalt is willing to help...

Once again, the artwork is phenomenal. The colors are gorgeous, the characters are quirky and well planned out. There are hidden gems within the artwork and it is just an all around fun read. Cobalt continues on in his clueless, enthusiastic way, causing chaos in his efforts to help. I think the kids will love this one!

While the first book of this series was riddled with middle-grade fiction cliches (the reactionary village council, the extra-normal accident brought about by an excess of curiosity, the grandparent with a mysterious past), volume two tells a much tighter and more interesting story. On a quest to find his grandfather, Cobalt plays the part of naive protagonist in the midst of the hyper-capitalist, hyper-bureaucratic city of Basara. The relatively thin plot centering some of his new acquaintances exploiting Cobalt while others try to help him is thickened by the steady drip of hints and implications about the history of the world and the alpha energy that power’s Cobalt’s prosthetic legs (the total neutralization of disability though ingenuity and alpha energy in the last volume has a little of its problematic nature shaved off by another character bonding with Cobalt over a previously-concealed prosthetic).

Given the interesting milieu established in this volume, and the introduction of a wealth of characters that seem ripe for further development, the ending to this volume was probably the weakest part, and while it made me very much want to read the next volume, it also made me worry about the overall arc of the series.

The art has also achieved a greater integration of background and character, with a much better use of color than the previous volume. Designs of bit-part characters can still be a bit distractingly heterogeneous, but that is a flaw that many others might think a virtue.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun read. This will be a great graphic novel for a younger audience.

I didn’t like this one as much as the last one, but I still want to know what happens next so I’ll be looking out for the next volume. It’s just the scenery for this one wasn’t as captivating or pleasant to look at and the story was kind of boring compared to the first one. But the cliffhanger at the end makes me want to read more.

That was another long-awaited and long-anticipated sequel! A fun, entertaining, and gripping read in the graphic novel format, with wild art and awesome text.

ARC Copy...Honored to be reviewing the second volume and was curious after the first book, where will the Inventor end up. The trade City was a complex sight to behold both visually and...that's alot of laws and rules. Also could feel, something bout this city is seedy, and will Grandpa be found?

When you find yourself looking for a loved one and end up falling into something you never expected, things can get strange fast. This is an interesting story about a young country boy inventor who is looking for his grandfather. He might have gotten more than he bargained for.

Thank you Papercutz and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this fun book. This is a continuation of The Inventor series and this story starts where the volume 1 ends. Cobalt is on his way to find his grandfather with some adventures along the way. Same great characters, fantastic artwork, fast moving plot, great world-building, & a cliffhanger ending makes for a fun read. Can’t wait for the next volume to find out what happens next and am sure that my students would love this series as well.

"The Inventor Vol. 2" picks up where book 1 left off, with Cobalt and his turtle on an adventure to find his grandfather. When he arrives at the last town to have seen his grandfather, he has to learn to navigate their tricky politics while still searching, and also earning enough money to survive.

I really enjoy this series. The art style is like a combination of manga and graphic novel, with the colors being brighter than most graphic novels. I enjoyed the plotline and read this book really quickly! My only problem with it is Cobalt makes a super stupid decision at the end that I think he was smart enough to know not to do. I also wish this book had a recap at the beginning so I could remember more of book 1. Can't wait to read book 3!

I think this is the perfect book for middle grade readers, especially if they are into sci-fantasy adventures. I highly recommend this series and will definitely continue reading.

4/5 stars

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Papercutz for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.