What do you think?
Rate this book
NEW-The Lost Carnival: A Dick Grayson Graphic Novel
Brand New Deliver In 6-18 Working Days
208 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2020
About the author
Michael Moreci
397 books203 followersMichael Moreci is a bestselling comics author and novelist. His original works include the space adventure novels Black Star Renegades and We Are Mayhem, as well as the comic series Wasted Space, The Plot, Hexagon, Curse, Archangel 8, and more. The Plot appeared on numerous best of 2019 lists, and Wasted Space has been hailed as one of the best comics of the past decade. Moreci's comic trilogy Roche Limit was called one of the best sci-fi comics of all-time by Paste Magazine, and Black Star Renegades was an Audie Award finalist for best sci-fi of 2018.
Moreci has also written for Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and the DC universe--including the YA graphic novel The Lost Carnival: A Dick Grayson Story. He's also adapted Eoin Colfer's bestselling Artemis Fowl series into graphic novels.
He lives outside Chicago with his family.
Moreci has also written for Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and the DC universe--including the YA graphic novel The Lost Carnival: A Dick Grayson Story. He's also adapted Eoin Colfer's bestselling Artemis Fowl series into graphic novels.
He lives outside Chicago with his family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 330 reviews
May 30, 2021
"I wouldn't say I'm all trouble. Some . . . Still, I was wrong. And I wanted you to know that how I acted - that's not me." -- Dick Grayson, acrobat
"Well, Dick Grayson . . . You may not be trouble - not totally - but you are full of surprises. And that's why I like you." -- Luciana Valdez, dark arts illusionist
The DC Ink titles, which focus on the teenage alter egos of superheroes (plus a few supervillains) in the years before donned capes and/or cowls and jumped into action, have often been hit-or-miss for me. The Lost Carnival, starring Dick Grayson - when he was one-third of the Flying Graysons trapeze trio - in the waning days just before he met his mentor Batman (and FYI - there is nary a Dark Knight reference to be found in the narrative) was a good if not earthshaking addition to the expanding line-up of titles. The storyline - in which the traveling Haly's Circus temporarily shares a neighboring fairgrounds site with the darkly mysterious and magical 'Lost Carnival' - was okay, but also sort of predictable, as was the reveal of a dastardly prime suspect late in the plot. Still, there were some moments that carried a certain bittersweet charm, whether it was Dick falling into a nicely-depicted adolescent romance with the exotic Luciana, or his conversations (heartbreaking in hindsight) with his caring parents as he experiences the urge to break out and away to a different sort of life.
"Well, Dick Grayson . . . You may not be trouble - not totally - but you are full of surprises. And that's why I like you." -- Luciana Valdez, dark arts illusionist
The DC Ink titles, which focus on the teenage alter egos of superheroes (plus a few supervillains) in the years before donned capes and/or cowls and jumped into action, have often been hit-or-miss for me. The Lost Carnival, starring Dick Grayson - when he was one-third of the Flying Graysons trapeze trio - in the waning days just before he met his mentor Batman (and FYI - there is nary a Dark Knight reference to be found in the narrative) was a good if not earthshaking addition to the expanding line-up of titles. The storyline - in which the traveling Haly's Circus temporarily shares a neighboring fairgrounds site with the darkly mysterious and magical 'Lost Carnival' - was okay, but also sort of predictable, as was the reveal of a dastardly prime suspect late in the plot. Still, there were some moments that carried a certain bittersweet charm, whether it was Dick falling into a nicely-depicted adolescent romance with the exotic Luciana, or his conversations (heartbreaking in hindsight) with his caring parents as he experiences the urge to break out and away to a different sort of life.
May 10, 2023
I am a bit disappointed in this book. The story is quite slow moving and predictable. The artwork is ok,though I did like the contrast of the colours used for the circus and the carnival.
I will put my hand up and say I have never been the biggest fan of Dick Grayson. I thought he was ok when he was Robin, really came into his own as Nightwing, but not as Batman. He was too happy the brooding persona does not suit him. So having as a broody teenages did not endear the book to me.
I did expect a lot more action or acrobatic out of him. I understand that the story was more about him finding his place. As the contrast in the colours in the carnival parts Luciana knows her place and responsibilities and is the perfect contrast to him. Opposites attract right.
The story was ok, the artwork ok and the action was lacking. Unfortunately this was just not the book for me.
I will put my hand up and say I have never been the biggest fan of Dick Grayson. I thought he was ok when he was Robin, really came into his own as Nightwing, but not as Batman. He was too happy the brooding persona does not suit him. So having as a broody teenages did not endear the book to me.
I did expect a lot more action or acrobatic out of him. I understand that the story was more about him finding his place. As the contrast in the colours in the carnival parts Luciana knows her place and responsibilities and is the perfect contrast to him. Opposites attract right.
The story was ok, the artwork ok and the action was lacking. Unfortunately this was just not the book for me.
May 24, 2020
Yet another so-so DC Ink book. Bland story, bland art, and bland coloring. The coloring was particularly bad. Monochromatic coloring can be a great way of enhancing the art and seems to be a theme for the DC Ink line. But this was really heavy handed and dull unlike books like Mera: Tidebreaker which supplemented the line art immensely. The best part of this book was the art deco cover.
April 16, 2022
*Pre-reading thoughts included below*
I first rated this 2 stars but then I thought that was a bit harsh so I bumped it up to 3 stars. Now whilst writing this review I've realised that it actually deserves it's 2 stars.
I did not enjoy this graphic novel at all. It was so ugh. A true teen romance novel that managed to massacre the integrity of Dick Grayson's character.
Some reasons why this graphic novel was rubbish:
1. Dick was terrible. He was needy and selfish and reckless and ungrateful. He literally dropped everything he'd ever had just to be with this girl he'd seen for two seconds and suddenly he was in "love".
2. Luciana was the embodiment of "no". She said "no" and "I can't" more than anything else. She was pretty much the only barrier that stood in the way of finding out the truth behind anything.
3. All the so-called "plot twists" were so obvious. I saw them coming from a mile off. And that's not just because I'm well-versed in books and graphic novels and because I'm a good guesser, they were all just really obvious. They were majorly hinted at for ages before the plot twists came.
4. The conflict and ending were way too quick. So was the romance. The pacing for everything was off. Everything seemed rushed and it meant I had no time to care for or feel attached to any of the characters or the romance.
The only good thing about this graphic novel was the art. The cover was beautiful and I really loved the monochromatic colours art style. I know a lot of other people listed that as a negative aspect of this graphic novel, but I personally loved the art.
But many terrible graphic novels and comics have beautiful art so I've long since established that pretty art is not a redeemable quality of a graphic novel, thus, the 2 star rating remains and won't be bumped up to 3 stars.
Pre-reading thoughts: (21st January 2020)
As long as there's no Ric Grayson in here it can't possibly not be amazing. I'm so ready for a whole Dick Grayson book👏🏻 PLEASE DON'T RUIN THIS!!
I first rated this 2 stars but then I thought that was a bit harsh so I bumped it up to 3 stars. Now whilst writing this review I've realised that it actually deserves it's 2 stars.
I did not enjoy this graphic novel at all. It was so ugh. A true teen romance novel that managed to massacre the integrity of Dick Grayson's character.
Some reasons why this graphic novel was rubbish:
1. Dick was terrible. He was needy and selfish and reckless and ungrateful. He literally dropped everything he'd ever had just to be with this girl he'd seen for two seconds and suddenly he was in "love".
2. Luciana was the embodiment of "no". She said "no" and "I can't" more than anything else. She was pretty much the only barrier that stood in the way of finding out the truth behind anything.
3. All the so-called "plot twists" were so obvious. I saw them coming from a mile off. And that's not just because I'm well-versed in books and graphic novels and because I'm a good guesser, they were all just really obvious. They were majorly hinted at for ages before the plot twists came.
4. The conflict and ending were way too quick. So was the romance. The pacing for everything was off. Everything seemed rushed and it meant I had no time to care for or feel attached to any of the characters or the romance.
The only good thing about this graphic novel was the art. The cover was beautiful and I really loved the monochromatic colours art style. I know a lot of other people listed that as a negative aspect of this graphic novel, but I personally loved the art.
But many terrible graphic novels and comics have beautiful art so I've long since established that pretty art is not a redeemable quality of a graphic novel, thus, the 2 star rating remains and won't be bumped up to 3 stars.
Pre-reading thoughts: (21st January 2020)
As long as there's no Ric Grayson in here it can't possibly not be amazing. I'm so ready for a whole Dick Grayson book👏🏻 PLEASE DON'T RUIN THIS!!
August 10, 2024
I really love these graphic novels that most comic book companies have adopted as standard practice for complete stories, but they've become so popular that the cannon for a specific character is either retconned or ignored for the sake of a one-shot. In fact, DC Comics has an entire line of books called Elseworlds as a catchall for "we don't give a $#!+ about the cannon."
I, of course, mean that with all due respect. The art, for the format, is minimalist, very little color, in fact for a four-color medium. Why waste the high-gloss format on a book with very little color, and a predictable story, whimsical though it might be?
Clearly, I was unimpressed. This was a different Dick Grayson than the one most DC fans know. The story may be special, but completely unworthy of the format. As I read it, I thought how disappointed I was. Not that the story was weak, but that it was unworthy of the format, a much more expensive format. It felt like a money-grab, and I personally feel it was beneath DC to behave in such an uncouth and disrespectful way. Ugh!
I, of course, mean that with all due respect. The art, for the format, is minimalist, very little color, in fact for a four-color medium. Why waste the high-gloss format on a book with very little color, and a predictable story, whimsical though it might be?
Clearly, I was unimpressed. This was a different Dick Grayson than the one most DC fans know. The story may be special, but completely unworthy of the format. As I read it, I thought how disappointed I was. Not that the story was weak, but that it was unworthy of the format, a much more expensive format. It felt like a money-grab, and I personally feel it was beneath DC to behave in such an uncouth and disrespectful way. Ugh!
May 8, 2020
4/5 ⭐️
Thank you so much to DC Comics for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion!
For those of you who know me, you might be aware that the Robins are my favorite characters from DC. I have loved all four of Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake and Damian Wayne so when DC kindly offered me the opportunity to review this new release, I immediately accepted. I cannot exactly explain why I love these four in particular, but I know one thing for sure and it's that they hold a special place in my heart so anything new that comes out about them, I must read. And reading this graphic novel was a great experience!
In it, we follow Dick as he is a teenager tired of being part of Haly's circus and wanting more for himself. When he discovers the Lost Carnival, he is immediately intrigued by its grandeur and eccentricity. But things are not always what they seem...
I really liked the mysterious aspect behind this story because it already shows Dick's detective skills. This story takes place before he becomes Robin and I believe it fits well with the actual timeline even though it is a new take on his origin story. From the story to the beautiful art, it was a real delight to go through this comic and I sincerely hope we get a second volume because it has a lot of potential!
My Bookstagram
Thank you so much to DC Comics for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion!
For those of you who know me, you might be aware that the Robins are my favorite characters from DC. I have loved all four of Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake and Damian Wayne so when DC kindly offered me the opportunity to review this new release, I immediately accepted. I cannot exactly explain why I love these four in particular, but I know one thing for sure and it's that they hold a special place in my heart so anything new that comes out about them, I must read. And reading this graphic novel was a great experience!
In it, we follow Dick as he is a teenager tired of being part of Haly's circus and wanting more for himself. When he discovers the Lost Carnival, he is immediately intrigued by its grandeur and eccentricity. But things are not always what they seem...
I really liked the mysterious aspect behind this story because it already shows Dick's detective skills. This story takes place before he becomes Robin and I believe it fits well with the actual timeline even though it is a new take on his origin story. From the story to the beautiful art, it was a real delight to go through this comic and I sincerely hope we get a second volume because it has a lot of potential!
My Bookstagram
May 14, 2020
Every time I see a story about a carnival or a circus, I'm not sure what it is but I know that I will love it. And that was definitely true in this case. I loved the idea of a lost carnival that disappeared long ago only to pop back up years and years later. And the star crossed lovers from opposing carnivals was also really intriguing. It was fun, adventuresome, and sweet all at once. I think my only complaint would be that it wasn't long enough! I wanted more!!! But all in all it was a perfect graphic novel that checked off all the boxes that would make it extremely entertaining and yet memorable as well. The art was wonderful, realistic yet also had that comic art style that made it feel classic. I loved the color changes between one carnival and the next, it was a visual queue that was super helpful in understanding which scene you were reading at each time. I loved the details in the characters too, that they weren't some obscure facial features or body shapes but very realistic.
The action scenes were great and I loved how each carnival worker/ performer's talents showed in their style of fighting. But they also didn't overpower the storyline. And the sweetest part of the story would have to be the romance and the connection with family. How you can want to be something more but still love and respect where you came from. This was a beautiful graphic novel and I would definitely be interested in more by this author and illustrator!
The action scenes were great and I loved how each carnival worker/ performer's talents showed in their style of fighting. But they also didn't overpower the storyline. And the sweetest part of the story would have to be the romance and the connection with family. How you can want to be something more but still love and respect where you came from. This was a beautiful graphic novel and I would definitely be interested in more by this author and illustrator!
June 4, 2021
Rating this is difficult.
Judged as a story purported to be in the Bat-verse it is a piece of utter dogshite, unconnected to any established continuity and containing only the barest hints of pre-adolescent pre-Robin Dick Grayson.
If you ignore all that which we know and read it as a stand alone tale with a protagonist who coincidentally shares a name with a famous superhero's alter-ego, then it's a nice - albeit slightly predictable - bit of fantasy fluff.
Either way, the art palette of muted, washed out watercolors does the story no favors.
Judged as a story purported to be in the Bat-verse it is a piece of utter dogshite, unconnected to any established continuity and containing only the barest hints of pre-adolescent pre-Robin Dick Grayson.
If you ignore all that which we know and read it as a stand alone tale with a protagonist who coincidentally shares a name with a famous superhero's alter-ego, then it's a nice - albeit slightly predictable - bit of fantasy fluff.
Either way, the art palette of muted, washed out watercolors does the story no favors.
May 13, 2020
Sorry, but this isn't a Dick Grayson book. It's a supernatural circus comic that is good enough to stand on its own without needing to glom onto an established character to ensure it sells. The writing is pretty good, and the art is, as well. It should be an OGN though, outside of the Batman universe entirely.
June 30, 2020
3.5 stars
This was a cute story and I enjoyed it. This is potentially a little known fact, but I love Dick Grayson. He's been my favorite D.C. comics character since I was maybe 14. Anyway I say that to say that even though I've sort of fallen off the main D.C. canon I was still excited for this new Dick Grayson content and I was satisfied with it. To use fanfiction terms I read this as an AU One-Shot so I enjoyed it. If this is meant to be real canon it doesn't really work with the timeline, but I don't think it's meant to do that anyway. If this is your first introduction to Grayson I think he's written pretty well if a bit too headstrong for my taste (maybe I'm just remembering a certain Nightwing-era Dick though). As for the art style I wasn't a huge fan of it, but I'm coming to realize that I'm not a big fan of this 2 toned style. The romance went a little quickly for my taste as well, but I get it as this seems to be the first girl he's fallen for. Overall a cute read.
This was a cute story and I enjoyed it. This is potentially a little known fact, but I love Dick Grayson. He's been my favorite D.C. comics character since I was maybe 14. Anyway I say that to say that even though I've sort of fallen off the main D.C. canon I was still excited for this new Dick Grayson content and I was satisfied with it. To use fanfiction terms I read this as an AU One-Shot so I enjoyed it. If this is meant to be real canon it doesn't really work with the timeline, but I don't think it's meant to do that anyway. If this is your first introduction to Grayson I think he's written pretty well if a bit too headstrong for my taste (maybe I'm just remembering a certain Nightwing-era Dick though). As for the art style I wasn't a huge fan of it, but I'm coming to realize that I'm not a big fan of this 2 toned style. The romance went a little quickly for my taste as well, but I get it as this seems to be the first girl he's fallen for. Overall a cute read.
November 5, 2020
Gonna sit on my rating for this one for just a bit! I was really excited going into this because I love Dick Grayson and will definitely eagerly read any story about him. It was interesting to see this (very else world) take on his life as a teen with his parents and the circus, though I did find the story pretty predictable.
May 5, 2020
Welcome Back!
We are back and coming into this week strong! I have been doing a ton of reading and catching up on my TBR and I am feeling on top of the world. I am also catching up on some television and I only have two episodes of Little Fires Everywhere left (its been my solo binge watch lately and with my husband we have been watching the second season of the Marvelous Ms. Maisel, which I highly recommend, I have already seen this season but we are watching it together). In between watching shows I took a little break and snuggled down with this graphic novel! It’s a new graphic novel coming out from DC (I have been slowly reading many of the new DC comics and honestly I knew like nothing about these characters before so it’s a whole new world for me).
SPOILERS AHEAD
Haly’s traveling circus is unlike any other circus in the world because it has one super special act the Flying Grayson’s! A family of trapeze artists who perform a routine nightly at the circus. The youngest member of the family (the son) Dick is a teenager and does not exactly want to continue performing but does not exactly have any other choices currently. Dick hates performing the same routine over and over again for the same crowds all summer long. But that is all about to change one night when Dick and a friend leave the grounds and go to a local hang out. From there they run into the Lost Carnival. What Haly’s assumes is just a rival carnival in town that is taking up some of their profits turns out to be so much more.
I loved the mystery and wonder that seemed to surround the Lost Carnival, I loved the way the illustrator drew the images that depicted what went on there and every scene that took place there I was riveted by (some of my favorites were when Dick got a tour of the carnival). Before going into this graphic novel I honestly had little to no background knowledge on Dick Grayson (it’s kinda spotty and only based on recent films) but I really enjoyed getting to know more about him in this graphic novel. I am hoping there will be a sequel or another one maybe even a series for this graphic novel!
Rating: 5 stars on Goodreads
We are back and coming into this week strong! I have been doing a ton of reading and catching up on my TBR and I am feeling on top of the world. I am also catching up on some television and I only have two episodes of Little Fires Everywhere left (its been my solo binge watch lately and with my husband we have been watching the second season of the Marvelous Ms. Maisel, which I highly recommend, I have already seen this season but we are watching it together). In between watching shows I took a little break and snuggled down with this graphic novel! It’s a new graphic novel coming out from DC (I have been slowly reading many of the new DC comics and honestly I knew like nothing about these characters before so it’s a whole new world for me).
SPOILERS AHEAD
Haly’s traveling circus is unlike any other circus in the world because it has one super special act the Flying Grayson’s! A family of trapeze artists who perform a routine nightly at the circus. The youngest member of the family (the son) Dick is a teenager and does not exactly want to continue performing but does not exactly have any other choices currently. Dick hates performing the same routine over and over again for the same crowds all summer long. But that is all about to change one night when Dick and a friend leave the grounds and go to a local hang out. From there they run into the Lost Carnival. What Haly’s assumes is just a rival carnival in town that is taking up some of their profits turns out to be so much more.
I loved the mystery and wonder that seemed to surround the Lost Carnival, I loved the way the illustrator drew the images that depicted what went on there and every scene that took place there I was riveted by (some of my favorites were when Dick got a tour of the carnival). Before going into this graphic novel I honestly had little to no background knowledge on Dick Grayson (it’s kinda spotty and only based on recent films) but I really enjoyed getting to know more about him in this graphic novel. I am hoping there will be a sequel or another one maybe even a series for this graphic novel!
Rating: 5 stars on Goodreads
June 5, 2021
The Lost Carnival is a supernatural teen romance taking place in dueling Wyoming carnivals. It's not really in any way attached to the Batman universe, aside from the fact that the main character has the last name Grayson and he's a trapeze artist. So, don't get your hopes up for any Bat-cameos.
As YA, it's sufficient. Grayson is kind of a jerk, in a "he's got room to grow" way. He's tired of working with his family in a run-down carnival, so he visits the vastly more magical carnival next door and falls for a young magician, Luciana. Of course, the neighboring carnival is more (and less) than it seems, as is Luciana.
The Lost Carnival plays out in a pretty straightforward manner, aside from the big magical battle at the end which was...out there. The book is best as a carnival mystery/romance. It's at its worst when it seems to be attempting some supernatural DC nonsense. The art was fine, if bland - perfectly matching to the story, I guess. Not the worst DC Ink title; not the best.
As YA, it's sufficient. Grayson is kind of a jerk, in a "he's got room to grow" way. He's tired of working with his family in a run-down carnival, so he visits the vastly more magical carnival next door and falls for a young magician, Luciana. Of course, the neighboring carnival is more (and less) than it seems, as is Luciana.
The Lost Carnival plays out in a pretty straightforward manner, aside from the big magical battle at the end which was...out there. The book is best as a carnival mystery/romance. It's at its worst when it seems to be attempting some supernatural DC nonsense. The art was fine, if bland - perfectly matching to the story, I guess. Not the worst DC Ink title; not the best.
May 8, 2020
Amazing artwork and a great story. Loved it
May 12, 2020
I am a Dick Grayson fan. He's my favorite character in the DC universe, and when I saw he was getting a new book from the same style as Teen Titans: Raven by Kimi Garcia (which I loved) I was thrilled. Upon actually reading, I am not nearly so thrilled.
The art of this book is good, and is - I think - the only thing that saves it from being a complete waste of time, money, ink, and paper. I like how the two settings are color coded, and felt like the chosen colors really fit how Dick felt about in the course of the story. Haly's is a subdued blue because Dick feels trapped there and unhappy, while the Lost Carnival is in shades of soft yellow and creamsicle orange because it's new and interesting and is the home of the girl that he's infatuated - sorry: fallen in love - with. I also like how the book is themed with designs and lettering to call to mind the Roaring Twenties; it fit with the setting and the themes of the book really well.
The story, however, reads like it should be part of the Elseworlds series along with Gotham by Gaslight, not like a new origin story for Dick Grayson as is declared on the back of the book. I thought it was mildly entertaining, but it's certainly not something I'm likely to read again and nowhere near the level of quality I would expect of a rewrite of canon. I'm kind of upset now that I actually purchased this book, because it looks like I will not be able to return it. It is most definitely not a book I will recommend to anyone and it is a book that I am more likely to actively dissuade someone from reading.
The art of this book is good, and is - I think - the only thing that saves it from being a complete waste of time, money, ink, and paper. I like how the two settings are color coded, and felt like the chosen colors really fit how Dick felt about in the course of the story. Haly's is a subdued blue because Dick feels trapped there and unhappy, while the Lost Carnival is in shades of soft yellow and creamsicle orange because it's new and interesting and is the home of the girl that he's infatuated - sorry: fallen in love - with. I also like how the book is themed with designs and lettering to call to mind the Roaring Twenties; it fit with the setting and the themes of the book really well.
The story, however, reads like it should be part of the Elseworlds series along with Gotham by Gaslight, not like a new origin story for Dick Grayson as is declared on the back of the book. I thought it was mildly entertaining, but it's certainly not something I'm likely to read again and nowhere near the level of quality I would expect of a rewrite of canon. I'm kind of upset now that I actually purchased this book, because it looks like I will not be able to return it. It is most definitely not a book I will recommend to anyone and it is a book that I am more likely to actively dissuade someone from reading.
July 27, 2022
Really, for me, this book was like if an old Disney animated movie was made about the DC Universe.
We got Haly Circus on the road, trying to survive and bring in some people over the shows, but then, the mysterious circus The Lost Carnival are right on the other side of the street, with full crowds and... magic?
It's a good story, about Dick, his family and the circus, all of it before their deaths and Dick being adopted by Bruce. It's a story about Dick where Batman it's not even mentioned. Great! We got some setbacks throughout the story, as this being in the modern times (i don't know, i think it was a little misplaced, actually), and the villain on the end, just appeared out of nowhere, being a menace to our guys.
But, i believe it's really worth the reading. I saw a lot of people really upset about this book, but, it's a DC Young Adult book. It's got nothing new, it's not gonna change your life, and that's exactly what it's supposed to do. And it doing it beautifully.
We got Haly Circus on the road, trying to survive and bring in some people over the shows, but then, the mysterious circus The Lost Carnival are right on the other side of the street, with full crowds and... magic?
It's a good story, about Dick, his family and the circus, all of it before their deaths and Dick being adopted by Bruce. It's a story about Dick where Batman it's not even mentioned. Great! We got some setbacks throughout the story, as this being in the modern times (i don't know, i think it was a little misplaced, actually), and the villain on the end, just appeared out of nowhere, being a menace to our guys.
But, i believe it's really worth the reading. I saw a lot of people really upset about this book, but, it's a DC Young Adult book. It's got nothing new, it's not gonna change your life, and that's exactly what it's supposed to do. And it doing it beautifully.
Read
September 5, 2022Zdecydowanie potrzebuję więcej komiksów o Graysonie na polskim rynku.
January 28, 2023
dick grayson you will always be famous
April 20, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with my e-arc!
I genuinely enjoyed this spin on Dick's origin story and see him as an angsty teenager struggling with his place in the world since Dick's original story is a lot darker and we didn't get to see him with his parents, or his life before Batman, really.
It's a fun and quick read with teen angst, a healthy familiar relationship, friendship, and summer romance. Now looking back on it, it does border on predictable, but it is a younger and lighter spin on his origin story, so the predictability was welcome. I liked seeing Dick be bored with his life, having grown up in Haly's Circus and see him start to question what a "normal life" would look like and starting to want to break away from the things he's know.
I was really entranced with color palette and it easily showed off Dick's feelings of being bored whenever he was in Haly's and how excited he was in the Lost Carnival. I thought it played into the storyline really well and I quite enjoyed it.
I hope there's another installment, I'd like to see how else Dick's story will be spun and twisted, but, if not, then this story stood well on its own!
I genuinely enjoyed this spin on Dick's origin story and see him as an angsty teenager struggling with his place in the world since Dick's original story is a lot darker and we didn't get to see him with his parents, or his life before Batman, really.
It's a fun and quick read with teen angst, a healthy familiar relationship, friendship, and summer romance. Now looking back on it, it does border on predictable, but it is a younger and lighter spin on his origin story, so the predictability was welcome. I liked seeing Dick be bored with his life, having grown up in Haly's Circus and see him start to question what a "normal life" would look like and starting to want to break away from the things he's know.
I was really entranced with color palette and it easily showed off Dick's feelings of being bored whenever he was in Haly's and how excited he was in the Lost Carnival. I thought it played into the storyline really well and I quite enjoyed it.
I hope there's another installment, I'd like to see how else Dick's story will be spun and twisted, but, if not, then this story stood well on its own!
May 5, 2020
Special shoutout to DC Comics for providing me with an arc of this via NetGalley.
I really wish that I knew who this was written for. I also wish that I felt at all qualified to discuss this graphic novel with any sense of authority, but seeing as my bare bones research into Michael Moreci seems to tell me that this isn't his first time writing Dick Grayson I don't know what to make of it.
I do want to start off by saying that I like the art style done here, the artists that worked on this title really hit it out of the park for me. I say that as someone that doesn't typically like graphic novels that are done with the monocolor approach, but the way it was used here to establish a dichotomy between Haly's Circus/Dick's normal reality and that of The Lost Carnival was really well done. But it was the cover art that really prompted me to request the title in the first place.
If the story had just been the art then perhaps I might have had a better experience.
As I've already alluded to, I'm by no means a Dick Grayson expert. I did not grow up reading the comics, but I did spend some time last year reading some golden age Batman, I have always been drawn to DC Comics and this year in particular I set out to read more of Dick's stories in particular. In a lot of ways I like that this tells a fully standalone story, aimed at new readers that requires no actual knowledge of the character, I think that's really nice. At the same time, I don't really feel that after having read this I'd be all too interested in continuing on with Dick's stories, in part because they would be so divorced from this version of the character, but also because this version of the character isn't really a character I'd want to follow?
I don't think that I have issues with a universe wherein Dick is an older teenager and lives in the age of the internet and both of his parents are still alive. Really I think the issue was that this is really a poorly paced love story and the plot was crafted around the idea of the love story and making said love story have as bittersweet an ending as possible. The narrative spends about as much time exploring what Dick would be like as a teen in this era as it does exploring the relationship between him and his love interest. The actual conflict there being some kind of hard to follow rivalry and a magical coma.
At the end of the day I didn't have a particularly great experience reading this, I definitely spent the first quarter or so of the story confused and by the time that I accepted things for what they were I didn't really enjoy it anymore than I already had when I was still confused about what was actually happening. I think that there are definitely people out there that might enjoy this, particularly readers that are familiar with Dick, but as for this being a decent starting point? That I'm not actually sure about.
I really wish that I knew who this was written for. I also wish that I felt at all qualified to discuss this graphic novel with any sense of authority, but seeing as my bare bones research into Michael Moreci seems to tell me that this isn't his first time writing Dick Grayson I don't know what to make of it.
I do want to start off by saying that I like the art style done here, the artists that worked on this title really hit it out of the park for me. I say that as someone that doesn't typically like graphic novels that are done with the monocolor approach, but the way it was used here to establish a dichotomy between Haly's Circus/Dick's normal reality and that of The Lost Carnival was really well done. But it was the cover art that really prompted me to request the title in the first place.
If the story had just been the art then perhaps I might have had a better experience.
As I've already alluded to, I'm by no means a Dick Grayson expert. I did not grow up reading the comics, but I did spend some time last year reading some golden age Batman, I have always been drawn to DC Comics and this year in particular I set out to read more of Dick's stories in particular. In a lot of ways I like that this tells a fully standalone story, aimed at new readers that requires no actual knowledge of the character, I think that's really nice. At the same time, I don't really feel that after having read this I'd be all too interested in continuing on with Dick's stories, in part because they would be so divorced from this version of the character, but also because this version of the character isn't really a character I'd want to follow?
I don't think that I have issues with a universe wherein Dick is an older teenager and lives in the age of the internet and both of his parents are still alive. Really I think the issue was that this is really a poorly paced love story and the plot was crafted around the idea of the love story and making said love story have as bittersweet an ending as possible. The narrative spends about as much time exploring what Dick would be like as a teen in this era as it does exploring the relationship between him and his love interest. The actual conflict there being some kind of hard to follow rivalry and a magical coma.
At the end of the day I didn't have a particularly great experience reading this, I definitely spent the first quarter or so of the story confused and by the time that I accepted things for what they were I didn't really enjoy it anymore than I already had when I was still confused about what was actually happening. I think that there are definitely people out there that might enjoy this, particularly readers that are familiar with Dick, but as for this being a decent starting point? That I'm not actually sure about.
June 30, 2020
2.5
I'm a sucker for Dick Grayson, but this was somewhat disappointing. I didn't mind reading it, but I didn't care about any of the characters either. The plot was nothing new and didn't stand out. I'm not sure how old Dick is supposed to be when Bruce Wayne comes along (it probably depends on the version) but I always picture him younger than 16 as he is here. I did like the coloring changes.
Content: some mild language
2020 challenge: A book with an upside-down image on the cover
I'm a sucker for Dick Grayson, but this was somewhat disappointing. I didn't mind reading it, but I didn't care about any of the characters either. The plot was nothing new and didn't stand out. I'm not sure how old Dick is supposed to be when Bruce Wayne comes along (it probably depends on the version) but I always picture him younger than 16 as he is here. I did like the coloring changes.
Content: some mild language
2020 challenge: A book with an upside-down image on the cover
June 18, 2020
This was really fun. The story takes place in an around Haly's Circus and their rivalry with the Lost Carnival. There's no supervillains or end of the world plots, there's no winks and hints at Bruce Wayne or Gotham. It really is a really cool self contained story that could only really be told from Dick Grayson's point of view.
It's partly a mystery, partly a love story (because it is Dick Grayson after all). And it's partly about Dick coming to terms with the kind of person he wants to be. He loves his family but he doesn't want to be a circus performer for the rest of his life.
The artwork is beautiful, basically black and white but highlighted by a different colour in each chapter, depending on whether we're at Haly's Circus or the Lost Carnival. It's a really simple colour scheme but works perfectly for this story.
My main criticism isn't even really a criticism... it's just I found it jarring seeing a fifteen/sixteen year old Dick Grayson in this. I'm so used to seeing him become Robin at a young age, it all felt quite weird.
So, the easiest thing for me is to just assume this takes place in an alternate reality where Dick never become Robin.
But if you're not a continuity whore like myself, that won't matter anyway. If you like Dick Grayson, definitely check out this book, if you're unfamiliar with the character this is a nice stand-alone introduction to the world's most famous sidekick, before he ever put on the pixie boots.
It's partly a mystery, partly a love story (because it is Dick Grayson after all). And it's partly about Dick coming to terms with the kind of person he wants to be. He loves his family but he doesn't want to be a circus performer for the rest of his life.
The artwork is beautiful, basically black and white but highlighted by a different colour in each chapter, depending on whether we're at Haly's Circus or the Lost Carnival. It's a really simple colour scheme but works perfectly for this story.
My main criticism isn't even really a criticism... it's just I found it jarring seeing a fifteen/sixteen year old Dick Grayson in this. I'm so used to seeing him become Robin at a young age, it all felt quite weird.
So, the easiest thing for me is to just assume this takes place in an alternate reality where Dick never become Robin.
But if you're not a continuity whore like myself, that won't matter anyway. If you like Dick Grayson, definitely check out this book, if you're unfamiliar with the character this is a nice stand-alone introduction to the world's most famous sidekick, before he ever put on the pixie boots.
April 26, 2020
I loved the cover.
The inside was a bit of a let down.
The resolution to the plot was telegraphed far ahead, and I kept hoping that I hadn't figured it out, and there was going to be a bigger twist. I actually raced through all the "feelings" pages to see if I was right.
On the plus side, it was a neat look at Dick Grayson, pre-Batman, when he was hanging out with his parents, and being part of the Flying Graysons.
The characters were not super developed, but the scenery was nice. It just didn't work as well for me as I hoped.
Dick is very good at his flips, which is kind of cool.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
The inside was a bit of a let down.
The resolution to the plot was telegraphed far ahead, and I kept hoping that I hadn't figured it out, and there was going to be a bigger twist. I actually raced through all the "feelings" pages to see if I was right.
On the plus side, it was a neat look at Dick Grayson, pre-Batman, when he was hanging out with his parents, and being part of the Flying Graysons.
The characters were not super developed, but the scenery was nice. It just didn't work as well for me as I hoped.
Dick is very good at his flips, which is kind of cool.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
August 4, 2020
Dull, messy, and stupid. A young Dick Grayson is all sulky and whiny because he wants to leave the circus in which his parents have raised him. And he wants to take along the cute, magical girl from the mysterious carnival across the way. But there are complications as hard feelings rise up between the two traveling shows and the battle takes a supernatural turn.
Dick is unpleasant and the story is boring with its contrived and shoehorned action sequences and predictable villain. Yawn.
Teenage Dick seems a bit old to become Batman's first Robin, but other than that this could possibly fit in continuity with the main DCU.
Dick is unpleasant and the story is boring with its contrived and shoehorned action sequences and predictable villain. Yawn.
Teenage Dick seems a bit old to become Batman's first Robin, but other than that this could possibly fit in continuity with the main DCU.
March 3, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley for my e-ARC.
You needn't know anything about Dick Grayson or Batman lore to love this story of friendship and risks we're all willing to take for the ones we love. The art is incredible and emotive, really bringing the story to life. The little easter eggs for fans of the comics were a wonderful treat. Loved it from start to finish.
You needn't know anything about Dick Grayson or Batman lore to love this story of friendship and risks we're all willing to take for the ones we love. The art is incredible and emotive, really bringing the story to life. The little easter eggs for fans of the comics were a wonderful treat. Loved it from start to finish.
May 1, 2020
A fun, magical filled adventure that takes place at a carnival! Definitely my type of read!
Thank you so so much to DC for sending me a copy of this graphic novel to read an review prior to its release date!
Thank you so so much to DC for sending me a copy of this graphic novel to read an review prior to its release date!
July 9, 2020
The artwork is excellent. I am not sure about the plot; this is a sneak peak after all, and there are a whole bunch of questions. But it is nice see more of Grayson's life before Batman.
September 27, 2022
Favorite portrayal of Dick Grayson ! MEGA Night Circus vibes. Cute coming of age love story.
January 16, 2024
It's weird that this graphic novel was written as a Dick Grayson story, especially one that was meant to "redefine" his origins. It felt more like an unrelated story about a watered down version of the Night Circus and a character that happened to have the same name and appearance as him. The plot and the setting had some major inconsistencies as well, including (spoilers ahead):
• the characters' reaction to magic/superpowers, some dismissed it as nonsense (despite this being supposed to be a story set in the DCU), others were just accepting it, both instances occuring whenever it's convenient for the plot
• the mechanics behind the very existence of the carnival itself; the whole thing relies entirely on Luciana's magic power, but how does that work exactly? she specified that she first needed to gather enough magic to materialize the carnival, but doesn't say anything about gathering magic after that, so how was she able to recover her power after she had almost exhausted herself several times? how is she able to sustain the whole thing if she's prone to exhausting herself that easily?
• also, what about Caliban? if everything is linked to her, why was he able to use his own magic independently from Luciana? why wasn't he helping her support the carnival if that's the case?
• if Luciana's magic wasn't enough to bring everyone back, why was Caliban able to summon the dark creatures? how's he even controlling them if they're drawn by magic? why would he even summon them if they're the people that Luciana couldn't bring back? why would the creature that was able to regain his original form run away from the carnival if he too was dependent on Luciana's magic? why would Luciana send him back to the other dimension if his presence was clearly not threatening the carnival in any visible way? with all of this in mind, their treatment as supporting antagonists was unnecessarily cruel
• the main conflict is plain stupid; Lodz was clearly capable of using magic on his own without stealing Luciana's; it would've been alright if he wanted more power, but he didn't, he somehow needed to steal her magic to become a fully fledged magician - all while already using his own magic (and I'm not just talking about what he was able to do after he partially stole or would-have-stolen? her magic in the other dimension, he already trapped his niece long before that)
Also, Dick's whiny existential crisis and the teenage drama between him and Luciana felt forced and unconvincing. Overall, this book was a big disappointment.
• the characters' reaction to magic/superpowers, some dismissed it as nonsense (despite this being supposed to be a story set in the DCU), others were just accepting it, both instances occuring whenever it's convenient for the plot
• the mechanics behind the very existence of the carnival itself; the whole thing relies entirely on Luciana's magic power, but how does that work exactly? she specified that she first needed to gather enough magic to materialize the carnival, but doesn't say anything about gathering magic after that, so how was she able to recover her power after she had almost exhausted herself several times? how is she able to sustain the whole thing if she's prone to exhausting herself that easily?
• also, what about Caliban? if everything is linked to her, why was he able to use his own magic independently from Luciana? why wasn't he helping her support the carnival if that's the case?
• if Luciana's magic wasn't enough to bring everyone back, why was Caliban able to summon the dark creatures? how's he even controlling them if they're drawn by magic? why would he even summon them if they're the people that Luciana couldn't bring back? why would the creature that was able to regain his original form run away from the carnival if he too was dependent on Luciana's magic? why would Luciana send him back to the other dimension if his presence was clearly not threatening the carnival in any visible way? with all of this in mind, their treatment as supporting antagonists was unnecessarily cruel
• the main conflict is plain stupid; Lodz was clearly capable of using magic on his own without stealing Luciana's; it would've been alright if he wanted more power, but he didn't, he somehow needed to steal her magic to become a fully fledged magician - all while already using his own magic (and I'm not just talking about what he was able to do after he partially stole or would-have-stolen? her magic in the other dimension, he already trapped his niece long before that)
Also, Dick's whiny existential crisis and the teenage drama between him and Luciana felt forced and unconvincing. Overall, this book was a big disappointment.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 330 reviews