As if being a teen boy isn’t hard enough, add wolf shape shifter to the mix. Cam Banter has no idea what is happening to him. Suddenly, it is harder to control his anger. He’s struggling on and off the court. His aggressive dad is not helping. Instead, he encourages Cam to make people do what he wants and show people who he is - a Banter.

Cam’s basketball coach notices the struggles and tries to help Cam. Coach is also a shapeshifter. He doesn’t have a pack like the wolves do. Every time Cam has an issue, the wolves are suddenly there. The principal is afraid of Banter; Coach isn’t.

Dad is aggressive and wants his son to use his abilities to get what he wants including winning Basketball games. The anger isn’t directly addressed. Dad reads as someone who peaked in high school but still rules in this small town. We don’t know what happened to Mom. Dad’s ex girlfriend is dating the Coach. Vibrant pop art helps distract from plot issues.

I received an advance copy of this ebook from the publisher for my honest review. This book is well written and the characters are well described. The illustrations are great. This is a fast paced graphic novel. Would I recommend reading this book to anyone and everyone, yes I definitely would. This book will be in stores on February 4, 2025 for $14.99 (USD).

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. The dynamics between each of the characters was well thought out and made sense. I do wish there was more in the conclusion. I want to know what happens with his dad after the game. Very interesting dynamic. Thank you to NetGalley and Mad Cave
Studios for the ARC.

I liked the idea of the plot but I felt it could have been executed better. It felt like a continuation of another graphic novel but as far as I know it was the introduction to the series. I felt that it was rushed and it felt pretty jumbled at times. The plot wasn't very exciting and it was hard to stay focused. I'm a big werewolf fan and I was excited to read this but unfortunately it just fell short of my expectations.

I didn't find it very engaging even though the conflict is well done.
The supernatural aspects are a bit underused to the point that they're pointless, the story could have been lacking this angle it and it wouldn't have been changed at all, is a bit boring to be honest, as I came for this aspect and it left me very disappointed.
But all in all, the story is very solid and the conflict is very grounded, the character aren't half bad, though the secondary characters aren't as well grounded or developed as the main ones, the space constraints because of the format don't help this at all, but what is done is done well, and though I didn't enjoyed at much as I was expecting, I'm pretty sure that kids would like it much more, as the story and conflict is one they would probably empathize much more, as this is something I've already passed.

If you like the classic pop-art style, you will love the illustrations in “Block’d.” I initially picked it up for the cover (I mean, who doesn’t love a werewolf story) and didn’t realize how unique the character design was going to be. At first, the art style threw me off from the story, but it does grow on you as you continue reading it. The story seemed a bit more surface level than expected full of teenage angst and repetitive drama. I get that the main character’s dad is a terrible person, but aside from his expectations about what it means to be a wolf, the dad didn’t have much else going on. He also appears at unexplainable times. I loved the basketball coach and felt he had an interesting story. Maybe one day we will be honoured with his backstory in the form of a side story.

While this wasn’t my favourite art style and story, the author does include a fair amount of creative elements that do bring this to 3.5 stars (rounded up because half stars are not possible on this platform). But the mc’s limited character development and the repetition of various elements (the same argument, same issues, etc.) did affect this story. Again, lots of potential and I’m glad I read it, but would like to see more time spent on developing a solid story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Maverick for an ARC of Block'd. I love how this comic wasn't just about werewolves but "shifter" in general. Cam comes from a long line of proud werewolves and feels the pressure from his overbearing father and not doing so well on the football team. I loved the coloring in this, how in certain parts of the comic where it is just the background then it's just painted in two solid colors. The drawing itself was super nicely done, with having characters of all shapes and sizes (literally) it is a coming-of-age theme in the this first book and I have very much gained interest in reading the next one.

This was everything that I was hoping for from a graphic novel, I thought the use of werewolves worked well overall. I enjoyed the writing and the art style, it had me from the first page and really enjoyed going into this world of werewolves. I thought the sports element worked well and was glad I got to read and view the art of this book.