By Maple Lam
New York: Putnam, 2024. Comics. 232 pages.
From the moment he was born -- by bursting from a rock atop Flowers and Fruit Mountain -- Sun Wukong was destined for greatness. Feeling like an outcast with the other monkeys, he travels to the world of humans where he is still an outcast. Desperate to rise above his station, Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, sneaks into the heavenly kingdom of the gods and makes a deal to become a god himself. To reach godhood, the Monkey King must become a monster hunter and complete his missions. His first mission takes him to ancient Greece where he must face down the Minotaur and save the people of Athens. Of course, by now, Sun Wukong knows that things are not always what they seem --he'll have to work to defeat the true monster.
This graphic novel, hopefully the first in a series, is perfect worlds colliding adventure story. Both a remix of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, and a reimagining of Greek mythology this book will have a lot of appeal to readers who like retellings. The humor and action is engaging and fast-paced and very kid-friendly. Ending with an invitation to readers to explore the original stories, this is a solid mythological middle grade comic.
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