Animorphs comes to graphic novels in this exclusive first look
Animorphs was one of the defining children’s book series of the ’90s, exploring the turbulence of adolescence through a sci-fi war story about a group of teens fighting off an alien invasion by transforming into animals. Written by K.A. Applegate and Michael Grant, Animorphs was fun, intense, and addressed some very heavy subject matter that exposed its young audience to the horrors of war and the never-ending cycle of violence. In October, Scholastic Graphix brings the beloved series into a new medium with a new graphic novel by Eisner Award-nominated cartoonist Chris Grine.
On sale October 6, Animorphs: The Invasion has Grine taking on full adaptation duties as he scripts, draws, colors, and letters the story, bringing a fresh perspective that revitalizes the 24-year-old story for a new generation. “It’s a huge relief to finally be able to share what I’ve been working on over the last year,” says Grine. “I love this series and I can’t wait to share it with the fans who have been wanting this to happen for so long. Having never adapted a book into a graphic novel before, let alone a series so deeply ingrained in pop culture, it was both super exciting and panic-inducing at times.”
The A.V. Club has an exclusive first look at the cover and interior pages of Animorphs: The Invasion, which has Grine shifting into a darker storytelling mode than his brighter previous works. He uses silhouettes to create a foreboding atmosphere rooted in paranoia, keeping the city and its residents in shadow to reinforce that this could be any town and any person could be compromised. The visuals lighten up when Grine introduces Jake and Marco, two of the series’ lead characters, and Grine does great work drawing kids that actually look like kids, a very important quality when working on a series about children drafted into an interplanetary war. “We are very excited by this opportunity to bring Animorphs to a new readership,” say K.A. Applegate and Michael Grant. “Morph to your favorite battling beast and join the resistance to Yeerk domination!”
