Magic Delivery by Clete Barrett Smith (review)

Nick is known for being the cool kid who can make things, sometimes slightly shady things, happen, but even he has his weak spots, such as his big, slightly doltish friend Burger. Even Nick is thrown when he and Burger witness a runaway truck, seemingly driven by a bear, careen off a cliff; it turns out the truck carries costumes that can (temporarily) turn you into whatever the outfit represents. Even after Nick and friends learn the backstory behind the bear (he’s a man who got stuck in a costume while on his first delivery assignment for a secret organization with which his family has been involved for over 300 years), they’re tempted to use the costumes for amusement and possible havoc. What follows is a mostly ridiculous, enormously satisfying adventure as Nick and Burger try to put things right, since they feel partially responsible for the truck wreck in the first place. The deliciously creepy Mary, the brains behind the destructive secret operation that controls more than it seems to, is a great and atmospheric touch. Although the magical elements propel the story, there is a surprising amount of depth and vulnerability in Nick as a protagonist who secretly mostly acts out of consideration for others; Smith fans will recognize the emotional and philosophical layers that exist beneath the slightly scary, mostly madcap Halloween romp. Occasional full-page black and white illustrations offer a slick and enjoyably exaggerated loopiness in keeping with the story.