The Dare Detectives Vol. 1 “The Snow-Pea Plot”
Written by Ben Caldwell
Additional Colors and Inks by Bill Halliar and Mike Mucci
Reviewed by Steve Seigh
The Dare Detectives Vol. 1 “The Snow-Pea Plot” is the story of three hapless detectives (Maria “The Brains, Toby “The Muscle, and Jojo “The Jerk”). Fresh off their latest bungle of a case, the group is down and out, looking to make their rent, when suddenly their landlord and friend, Mr. Chan, is kidnapped by a group of angry panda bears. Thus begins the search for Mr. Chan and a sub-plot about snow-peas gone missing in all of China.
I’m not quite sure what to make out of The Dare Detectives Vol. 1 “The Snow-Pea Plot”. Normally, I totally go in for the “Saturday Morning Cartoon” vibe of graphic novels, but not this time. While The Dare Detectives might be an enjoyable read for younger audiences, I found myself caring very little about the events taking place within the story, and even less about the characters. I think my problem, first and foremost, is that this book is entitled: The Snow-Pea Plot and has almost next to nothing to do with the adventure inside the story. Give me something I can care about. Snow-peas gone missing in all of China just doesn’t exactly scream page-turner to me.
On the positive, the book itself is presented as a beautiful hardcover with smooth, glossy pages and plenty of vibrant color. You always get quality when you buy Archaia, and this book is no exception. I really wish that I had more positive things to say about the book but I keep going back to the notion that maybe this book just wasn’t meant for me.
VERDICT
Not for me but it might find itself in better company with younger readers. Perhaps you should thumb through it a bit before deciding on whether or not you’d like to make the purchase.
