In the Small (review)

On what seems a typical September morning, the world changes forever as a blue light envelops the planet and shrinks the entire human population to mere inches tall. The loss of lives is catastrophic, and the people that remain face innumerable challenges just in accomplishing basic tasks, let alone in avoiding the myriad new ways in which they can be killed. Two siblings, separated by what is now an unsurpassable distance across the city, step up as leaders, gathering survivors and making plans for the future. Along the way, all of the remaining humans must grieve their losses, adapt to their new weaknesses, and accept the current reality. This graphic novel features impressive, intricately detailed artwork that is arresting in the powerful use of both color and shading. Unfortunately, the stiff dialogue and too-frequent exposition disguised as conversation jar the reader out of the engaging survival story. In addition, the supernatural or interplanetary cause behind the blue light largely remains undeveloped, resulting in a cliffhanger ending about humans transforming into demons that seems bizarre and sudden. Although the art often veers into exaggeration rather than representation, especially in the facial expressions of the characters, this approach is ultimately successful as it heightens tension, particularly in spots where the text itself may lag. In spite of the flaws, this movie-ready plot (and indeed, the cover promises a motion picture is in the works) featuring two children who must take the helm while the grownups flounder will certainly appeal to kids, who will likely imagine their own courses of action were they ever in a similar situation.