REVIEW: Hilo: All the Pieces Fit
Hilo: All the Pieces Fit
By Judd Winick
210 pages/RH Graphic/$13.99
Receiving the sixth volume of a continuing series to review can be a daunting task if you have not read the previous five, especially if there is no recap section preceding the story (a complaint I have about most series).
That said, this volume, wrapping the initial storyline takes a little time to get one’s feet wet then you are propelled through the action, figuring things out along the way. Credit to Judd Winick for being adept at doing this so by the end, you’re not just accustomed to the characters but emotionally invested in the team of protagonists trying to protect the world.
The series kicked off in 2015 so readers of this mid-grade series can grow up with the characters and if they’ve outgrown it after this volume, they will be satisfied. And for those who are just finding it, be assured volume seven and a new story arrives in 2021.
Hilo is an android built to resemble an elementary school student and drops from the sky onto Earth. He was befriended by D.J. and Gina and over the course of the series, they learn about him and his extradimensional origins as well as the threat presented by Razorwark. What does this red-armored being want with Hilo and Earth?
This volume has the first in-person confrontation between Hilo and Razorwark with the fate of the world at stake. Gina finds herself playing a significant role as magic comes into this mostly SF story and there’s a heroic sacrifice that will no doubt require tissues for the younger readers.
Winick, no stranger to graphic storytelling, evolves the status quo so the end of book six leaves everyone different from book one, which is a good thing. His writing is breezy and his open, cartoony style is filled with kinetic motion and letting big moments take whole pages. It becomes a quick-paced read after the first 30 or so pages as we build momentum.
There’s a lot to recommend in this all-ages series, but you must start with book one.