Review: Fresh off his notoriety from defeating evil in his first adventure, our semi-clueless but forever upbeat pig hero is invited with his crew of friends to hold court over his young fans at Camp Fish Head Lake.. Showing up ready to shine, Ham finds instead that all the camp counselors seem to be missing, or busy somewhere, so as the misfit kids start arriving the gang decides to chip in and coordinate the kids and run things, just until the counselors return.
Instead, the kids start disappearing and it seems a monster is stalking the camp! Can Ham Helsing live up to his rep and find out what is going on - not to mention defeat this new monster? It doesn't help when an old, very familial enemy from his past - along with one mean, manic chicken - also invade the camp, seeking their own form of revenge ... so I guess it's more like: Can Ham (not the most observant pig in the pen) and his crew save the kids, save the camp, AND save their reputations from all this evil?? I thought topping volume one of this graphic novel series for kids (with snarky humor to also ensnare the adults - and it works) was terrific, but volume two - with it's Friday the 13th-meet-Looney Tunes vibe - is even better, with both the stakes and the humor ratcheted up. I love Rich Moyer's sense of humor nearly as much as his artwork, both of which shine in this full-color second volume as the gang initially remains very clueless to the fact there even ARE camp kids disappearing, let alone they are being stalked, for the longest before catching on. Amidst the humor and silliness, the book's messages of friends sticking together, inclusion, and finding the strength you didn't even know you had in yourself to overcome a problem, are (as in book one) understated yet will hit home for kid readers. I also LOVE that book three seems to be on the way, via an end teaser here about an ancient clan of vampires on the rise. Funny (at times laugh-out-loud funny), spooky without being too scary for young readers, and just so, SO wonderful to look at (seriously, how has this NOT already been optioned for an animated series on FOX, or something?), this is not just another winner for Moyer, but a sequel that's even better than its predecessor, . You will never look at bacon in the same way after once again experiencing the hero that is ... HAM HELSING! (Available June 14) 4.5/5 stars
NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
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