Every volume of Science Comics is terrific! The Bats volume is just as informative as the other Science Comics. Extremely educational as well as interesting and fun -- it is perfect! I can't wait to read more of them!

"Science Comes: Bats” was interesting and entertaining. It had plenty of facts while also having a story. Kids will enjoy the art and the humor.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Scott

This is a beautiful alteration on the Science Comics line – a book on, well bats, aimed at the younger reader. Prior books have been aimed at a ‘tweenie’ audience, whereas this can easily be read by a younger reader. As stated before (and rather blatantly in the title) this subject on hand is bats and this is an informative, educational look at the only flying mammals. Filled with trivia and biological facts, for example on the nature of echolocation and the fact that the bat stems from the primate family, this is sure to entertain anyone who holds interest in bats, big or small, or wants to educate themselves on bat preservation such as making ‘bat-friendly’ shelters. Science Comics: Bats is a welcome addition to the line.

The writing was what struck me immediately – not preachy, and only resorting to scientific nomenclature when absolutely necessary. It struck me that this is precisely like my long gone, dog-eared copy of Dinosaurs I had when I was eight. The diction is concise and written towards the younger reader. Following a bat that gets sent to a rescue shelter, the story revolves around his introduction to different species of his genus, and the daughter of the rather over-exuberant parents who unintentionally injure it causing her to become a volunteer at the veterinarian’s clinic. Through the two (more the bat than the girl – the bat is written less ‘scientifically) the reader is propelled into the wonderful and exotic world of bats. It whets your appetite and has further reading for both the younger and older reader in the back is a nice touch. The educational quality of this book cannot be understated.

The artwork in Science Comics: Bats is also unique. Blending an Eisner-like cartoonish approach with biological artwork, Bats details the differences between different species. It’s not so cartoonish to be dismissed by the older reader but accessible to the younger ones. The panelation flows well, and aside from one or two oddly placed speech bubbles, is quite easy to follow. The linework is well done, and inking is as equally deft. Overall the artwork compliments the writing and almost keeps the story flowing. This is rare, but Koch pulls it off with elegance. The backgrounds suit the characterization, and all in all, this truly represents Eisner’s educational comics point in Comics and Sequential Art.

I can’t do anything but recommend this book for anyone even remotely interested in bats. The educational content is enough, as said, to whet your appetite and point you in the right direction for further reading. Aimed at a younger audience, however, and this really is their playground. Like that copy of Dinosaurs I had in my youth, this book would have spurned my interest in chiropterology rather than herpetology (although I still think snakes and giant lizards are cool). Science Comics: Bats is a must buy that might spurn an interest in these wonderful and mysterious creatures.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Bats: Learning to Fly by Falynn Christine Koch is the latest in the Science Comics series and is scheduled for release on February 28 2017. This series of graphic novels offer entertaining views of their subjects combining a storyline with interesting and important facts with illustrations. In Bats, we follow a little brown bat whose wing is injured by humans on a nature hike. He is taken to a bat rehabilitation center where he meets many different species of bats. They teach him how they fly, what they eat, and where they like to live.

Bats: Learning to Fly combines interesting information with a story and comic illustrations. The balance between the story and the included facts is well balanced. There are significant chunks of information included in the comic story, as out injured little brown bat learns about the other bats in the rehabilitation center. The inserted information pages go into more detail and infuses infographics, images, and relevant facts that can lead readers to a greater understanding of bats, and their importance to the ecosystem. I always liked bats, and this book has only increased my respect and care for these creatures. I think many middle grade and older readers will enjoy this read, and gain a new respect for a creature that is too often feared or looked down on.

Bats: Learning to Fly does a wonderful job of combine facts with a compelling story. I think readers that are interesting in science, animals, or graphic novels would get a lot out of this read. The series as a whole is worth reading and exploring by interested parties.