By Sean Dillon — Within typical comics spaces that would publish books like Project Patron, A Walk Through Hell, or Her Infernal Descent, there’s a surprising lack of space provided for children’s fiction in the vein of Dav Pilkey or Raina Telgemeier. A tendency to aim towards Young Adult and Adult sections of the library rather than the children’s section. Which is to say, comics for a 7-12 demographic rather than the 13-17/18+. That isn’t to demean the work I have listed, merely to contextualize the presence of Rainbow Bridge within the comics landscape.

Written by Steve Orlando and Steve Foxe with art by Valentina Brancati and Manuel Puppo and letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, Rainbow Bridge is about a young boy named Andy reconnecting with his dog, Rocket, in the afterlife. What follows is a delightful adventure of a boy and his dog full of fantastical visuals, tense sequences, and charming dialogue. Brancati’s art has a delightful cartoonish quality to it that captures the range of emotions of its predominately talking animal cast, helped immensely by Puppo’s bright color pallet. Otsmane-Elhaou continues his work as one of the best letterers in the field. The writing is an absolute delight with Orlando and Foxe creating a fun world that retains a hint of melancholy about losing a dog.

But this also brings me to an issue with regards to reviewing the book: mainly, it’s not written for me. It’s a work of children’s fiction meant to be read by children, be it alone or with a trusted adult. As such, while I will whole heartedly recommend the book to a growing reader, I am perhaps not the best judge to make the recommendation. I am not a child. As such, there are things that I noticed within the graphic novel that might not bother its primary audience.

For example, there’s a plot point near the end of the narrative that felt tacked on and unnecessary. While the plot point itself isn’t too egregious (albeit a bit cliched), the placement of the plot point feels a bit too late within the story being told to fully work within the narrative. Indeed, it’s placement calls to mind a similar issue within Orlando’s Project Patron, wherein the move feels like it would work as is where this an ongoing series rather than a stand-alone narrative. But this might not matter to a kid who’s reading it on their own.

Furthermore, this does not detract from the overall delight the comic provides. I had a lot of fun reading this on my own. It brought to mind my experiences reading children’s fiction at my local library. I would get lost in the fantastical, strange worlds presented by these books, be it the Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, Terry Pratchett’s ONLY YOU CAN SAVE MANKIND, or the numerous Goosebumps books by RL Stein and a host of ghostwriters. Reading Rainbow Bridge brought back all those warm memories. The feeling of being a kid in a library with a world to explore.

So while I might not be the best judge for this material, I nevertheless highly recommend reading Rainbow Bridge with your kid. I’m sure they’ll love it.

GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: Rainbow Bridge

Rainbow Bridge
Writers: Steve Orlando and Steve Foxe
Artist: Manuel Puppo
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Publisher: AfterShock Comics - Seismic Press
What if you got one last adventure with your best friend?
Andy and Rocket grew up together, with Rocket serving as Andy’s guardian through every one of childhood's ups and downs. So, when Rocket passes away right before Andy’s 14th birthday, he's rudderless. He can't imagine making the transition to high school without Rocket at his side. The day before school starts, when Andy is at his lowest, he visits Rocket’s grave and unex-pectedly summons the RAINBOW BRIDGE, a gateway to a fantasy world where pets discover their afterlife. But there’s a dark shadow to this paradise, and without Andy’s help, Rocket’s eternity may be grim…
The first graphic novel from AfterShock’s new YA imprint, Seismic Press, RAINBOW BRIDGE was con-ceived and written by Steve Orlando (PROJECT PATRON, KILL A MAN, Midnighter) and Steve Foxe (Adventure Time, Steven Universe, Grumpy Cat) with art by Valentina Brancati (Les Ravencroft, Ghost Writer). Published in the category standard size of 6.5” x 9.5”, this 120-page OGN will resonate with anyone who has ever had to say goodbye to a beloved pet – or who has greeted growing up with nervousness and anxiety.
Release Date: August 2021
Price: $16.99
More Info: Rainbow Bridge

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Sean Dillon is a writer/editor for a number of publications, including PanelXPanel, Comic Book Herald, and several others. He is also the author of the book One Must Imagine Scott Free Happy and The Tower Through The Trees. His main blog is http://thekinginredandblue.blogspot.com and his Patreon is http://patreon.com/seandillon. He can be found on most social media outlets @deathchrist2000.