A COMIXOLOGIST RECOMMENDS
Owly Vol. 2: Just a Little Blue
By Andy Runton
Owly is one of the great classics of the comics medium, of children’s books, and in narrative storytelling. Anyone who has had the pleasure of reading even a few pages of this adorable little owl’s adventures finds those few moments unforgettable. The cute levels in this and really any other volume of Owly sort of gets committed to memory. Start anywhere in this series, and you’re in for an adorably sweet treat!
Owly Vol. 2: Just a Little Blue, starts with our favorite round-faced owl being best pals with his worm-friend, Wormy. These best friends are hanging about the forest, gathering apples in Owly’s wagon, looking at stuff, and seeing what fun there is to have in the forest. Their curiosity pays off when they meet an irate blue bird guarding his nest from predators! It is there that Owly is then determined to make a new friend!
For the more discerning connoisseur of the comic craft, you will be able to appreciate the painstaking detail in the narrative and how the story is told. The approach to the narrative is through pantomime and dialogue, done almost exclusively through iconography. Instead of words in dialogue balloons, readers are told the story through over-the-top acting and very clever images in the balloons (You know, pantomime). The result is one of the most effective pantomime comics to date. Few can step up to the plate on Owly.
It is also almost unheard of that even the smallest of readers hasn’t seen an Owly book nowadays. They are everywhere, entirely kid safe, really quick to get through, and unquestionably enjoyable for even the adults & parents who might be forced into reading them!
Most importantly, if you like this one there is always more. This is volume 2. Maybe you could grab volume 1 while you’re at it, dear readers, and save yourselves the trouble. I guarantee you will want both.
Matthew Burbridge is a Digital Editor at ComiXology who as of late has been reading way too much dramatic literature and found this cute and quick read a breath of fresh air.