Chris Northrop

Read the introduction before reading this graphic novel! It is actually a great little story about how this comic came to be, and good insight as to how difficult it is to become an animator or comic illustrator. Onto the actual graphic novel: it was short but sweet. A fun little tale about a teen bullied into entering an abandoned Ren Faire where he encounters a knight looking for a dragon. Is he an actual knight or just a deranged, old employee of the fair? Is the dragon real? Like I said, read the story behind this comic. If I hadn't, my review would be a bit harsher. The story is pretty simple, the bullies are cliche, but there's certainly a lot of heart put into the creation of the characters.… (altro)

Wendell is an outcast at school and a disappointment at home to his macho motorcycle-riding stepdad because he would rather read books than tinker on a bike. When he finally does try to do a simple repair job to prove something to his dad and himself, he fails miserably. As if things aren't bad enough, when he tries to run away, he is caught by the school bullies who dare him to steal a pamphlet from the abandoned and possibly haunted Renaissance Faire.

However, when he gets there, he is caught by a man who believes himself a Medieval knight here to slay the dragon and that Wendell has come to aid him in his quest. Wendell decides to play along with the 'crazy' guy until rescue comes. But, when the earth begins to shake, Wendell is forced to reevaluate what he thought he knew and accept that maybe this modern-day Don Quixote might be tilting at something much more dangerous than a windmill. And that maybe Wendell is the only one who can help.

The Reason for Dragons is a terrific coming-of-age tale about the importance of believing in yourself even when others tell you that your dragon is just a windmill. The graphics work well with the story enhancing this simple but important message. In his introduction, sean Murphy explains the circuitous and rather adventurous route Chris Northrop took in the making of this graphic novel. As in the story, things may not have turned out as planned but, in the end, the dragon was slain and that's a very good thing.… (altro)