Down Set Fight
In life, violence is not usually the answer, but in comics, punching can be hilarious. Down. Set. Fight! throws a critical haymaker as it tells the story of “Fearless” Chuck Fairlane, a once famous football star turned high-school coach. Thrown out of football because he clocked a beloved mascot in the kisser, Chuck is now being mysteriously attacked by mascots left and right. Despite the book’s ridiculous and often sidesplitting premise, writers Bowers and Sims sneak in surprisingly heartfelt story beats as Chuck knocks fuzzy teeth out of a mascot’s forever grin. Kowalchuk’s big art is as loud as it is detailed, and his blocky cartooning sets the perfect tone, a striking balance between fresh and nostalgic. For a change, this one’s not a part of a series, and the complete story will be a rabbit punch to many unsuspecting readers when they turn the final pages. With nothing else like it on the shelves, this title is playing on its own field. Pad up; it packs a wallop. Grades 9-12. --Ben Spanner