Writer/Artist: Gil Lawson, Eliseu Gouveia

Publisher: General Jinjur, $14.95

Why You Should Know It: Charlatan focuses on the story of Lucy Halford, who is the first human to ever be chosen as the defender of the universe. The problem is, she is 4 years old. Lucy's father steps up, refusing to surrender his daughter to the aliens who will train her for a life of hardship and an inevitable violent death. And as they are confronted with new and horrible threats, Lucy's father and mother have to ask themselves if they are willing to sacrifice the one thing in the universe that means the most of them in order to save the universe.

The press packet from General Jinjur included a publishers note stating that the long term goal of this new venture was to create solid and fun sci-fi/super-hero stories that could appeal to all ages of readers. Essentially, a PG-13 book that doesn't dumb things down but doesn't feature buckets of blood and gore. So to sum it up in a horribly simplistic way, Charlatan is to the sci-fi/super-hero genre as Bone is to the fantasy genre: a completely accessible, well done, and thoroughly enjoyable book that you can pass on to pretty much everyone.

Personal Review: Lawson's scripting is tight and he doesn't waste time nor does he throw too much at you all at once. He has a clear idea where he is going and builds a fun ride by introducing a number of sub-plots that will slowly pay off. Gouveia's art is clean and the man knows how to lay out a page. He's not particularly flashy, but I don't think that's something I would have wanted to see. He does not detract from the story, he enhances it. I look forward to seeing him develop more and maybe refine his style, but as a draftsman I believe he's great.

If you like this then try: Star Wars, Star Wars: Clone Adventures, Atomic Robo, Mouse Guard

Related Links: http://generaljinjur.com/