A Wordy Adventure with High Stakes and Hilarious Twists

Buzz! by Ananth Hirsh and Tess Stone delivers a vibrant and unique spin on the traditional high school drama by blending competitive spelling bees with an underground, almost gladiatorial atmosphere. The protagonist, Webster, is thrust into a world where words are literal weapons, and spelling matches are high-stakes battles controlled by shadowy figures like the Outlaw King and the Black Queen. The narrative's absurd premise is matched by its engaging and dynamic artwork, reflecting the chaotic energy of the story. The supporting characters shine, each with their quirky personas and inventive word-related backstories, adding depth to this unconventional coming-of-age tale. Fans of offbeat graphic novels like will find Buzz! an enjoyable read, thanks to its comedic timing, vibrant visuals, and imaginative storytelling. Its exploration of self-discovery amidst absurd challenges leaves readers both entertained and reflective.

This is an absolute blast of an idea. Think WWF mixed with competitive spelling Bs. What isn’t there to love about this? Absolutely nothing. Loads of chuckles. Does newbie High School Webster have what it takes in this cut throat underground world? Indubitably - 11 letters, means without doubt!! Thank you to ONI Press and NetGalley for the comic ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

This was a hilarious romp and I don't know how else to phrase it! A world where spelling bees are so competitive that there are little spelling bee gang battles and an underground secret agency trying to corrupt them??? I loved it! I just had a blast with this one and the illustrations were incredible!

Unique premise of literally weaponizing a spelling bee. The premise, the cover art, and my weakness for "masked character(s)" intrigue piqued my interest on this story.

This showdown story takes place in a modern-ish setting and "not everything is as it seems" towards the end. The outlandish sounding premise is taking very seriously among the cast and everyone in it. It could use more worldbuilding and an origin story for this premise. Otherwise, the varied characters, art, and action kept me hooked onto this read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher(s) for the advanced copy.

What a silly and creative concept! I was a spelling bee kid, so this book caught my eye immediately. And oh boy it did not disappoint. The anime-inspired “fight” scenes, the wacky opponents and suave side characters, this story is straight out of a shonen anime. I just wish there was more so that we had more time with the characters, but I understand that a story like this is best when it’s fast-paced! This is a great little book if you ever want a quick read.

My thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for an advance copy of this graphic novels that tells of a world where words are power, and that Spelling Bees are not only big business but something that needs to be controlled, and a group of r-e-b-e-l-s that are spelling their best to try and stop it.

I have been reading comics and graphic novels for a long time, starting in the days of my grandmother buying them off the racks in newsstands, going to my drugstore to whip through the spinner looking for new titles, and even now download ebooks to read. I have watched the coming of graphic novels with a lot of hope, and understanding that if at all possible comic book publisher will somehow screw it up. Maybe it is the proliferation of publishers that are making graphic novels the joys that they are know. Different voices, different stories. Tales for all ages, niche stories for others, and stories that are fun. And original. And with a love of words that is rare today. And necessary. And I can't reiterate enough fun. BUZZ! is written by Ananth Hirsh, with illustrations from Tess Stone and tells of a world where words have the power to unite the planet to watch a full-contact spelling bee, and three brave contestants who plan to free the words by winning it all.

Webster and his sister have only each other since the disappearance of their parents years earlier. Their parents ran afoul of those who control the largest most powerful unit of spellers the world of Spelling Bees has seen. Webster's older sister is very protective of Webster, and she should be as Webster has a habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Instead of enjoying his first day of high school, Webster finds himself involved in a illegal spelling bee, being chased by the cops, and finding new friends. The Outlaw King as he calls himself has been banned from Spelling Bees but sees in Webster a skill to take on the consortium controlling words. The Bandit Queen, again a nickname is a speller and a thief, and also become a supporter of Webster, who has shown a skill at putting letters together. Dubbed the Golden Kid, Webster enters the Spelling Bee, finding that letters can hurt, evil is all around them, and o a quick wit and a grasp of pronunciation might be only thing keeping them from being erased off the board.

What a great story. This is a reprint, appearing in color, and if anything is even more topical and important in these days of autocorrect and Chat AI. The story is clear, the characters are well written and interesting and most of all the book is fun, and loves language and words in a way that is so rare. One can learn new words, enjoy the art and follow the story, not knowing that one is being taught. The idea is so original, again rare in a world filled with Intellectual Properties. My biggest problem was that I wanted more. The art is fantastic. Bright crisp, shiny clear, with lettering that makes the words seem like characters in the story. The artist takes every idea and make it unique. I really enjoyed just about everything here, and again wanted more.

The story is perfect for any age, in fact I might try my nephews on this. Both are not readers, however they do like to learn, and something like this, with cartoon violence, big colors and fun characters might get their attention. A great gift for any age for readers who life fun stories, learning new things and love language. I hope there is more planned.