The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Basil (review)

Miller, an accomplished comic strip artist, moves into children's books with this adaptation of his Sunday comic, "Ordinary Basil," into a text-based novel. Basil is a twelve-year-old who longs for adventure or at least something that will change his quiet Maine life, and he gets it in spades when the pilot of a flying balloon boat whisks him away to Helios, a floating city. The citizens of Helios, drastically more advanced than their 1899 Earth-bound counterparts, have intentionally distanced themselves because they find normal humans destructive, short-sighted, and regressive. Basil and his new friend, Louise, a pteranodon-owning girl who is as disenchanted with Helios as Basil is with his home, end up in a drastically more intense and dangerous situation than either would like, however, when a simple excursion lands them in the clutches of the evil Von Rottweil, an expelled Helios citizen who seeks to bring about a warped version of world peace through fear and terrorism. Although the cliffhanger aspects of the comic format are lost in this novel, both new readers and established fans will welcome a larger dose of Basil's trials. Basil is an irresistible protagonist, and readers will relish the way he welcomes the uncertain and understands that true risk can lead to great rewards. Miller's vivid, full-color illustrations are nicely varied in size and style: full-page and smaller inserted drawings, intricately detailed and blocky washes, giant-headed humans and sturdy robot weapons all commingle together to create a true supplement to and interaction with the text. Funny, visually attractive, and chock-full of adventure, this novel will be an easy sell to the middle-grades set.