Starred Review Madcap antics, lots of jokes, evil plants, and solid friendships are at the heart of this sword-and-sorcery adventure from Riess and Goetter. The eponymous adventurers niper, a geeky, apprehensive Labrador retriever; Rose, a quick-thinking, fire-loving, jokester cat; Goro, a stalwart, steadfast, and comically blocky snake; and Prince Chirp, an impulsive, flaky frog and crown prince of the kingdom bark on a heist to learn more about the vicious plant, a Devil's Thorn. But when that plan goes awry, they get embroiled in a much larger conspiracy involving the royal family, a noble look-alike, and, yes, world domination. The cheeky world building, fast-paced plot, and lively, quip-heavy dialogue are plenty of fun on their own, but the dense visuals, rich jewel-toned palette, and dynamite page layouts steal the show. Riess and Goetter make great use of the page space, cinematically layering narrative threads atop one another, using playful and distinctive fonts to imbue speech balloons with an impressive depth of character, and cultivating a vibrant sense of movement and tone with exaggerated facial expressions and body language. For all of its bubbly fantasy fun, there are some grounding moments of friendship insecurity, which should resonate with middle-grade readers, and a refreshing array of gender and queer representation. A pure joy to read on a variety of levels, this is destined to be a hit with fantasy-adventure fans and beyond.

A group of animal friends investigates a pernicious plant.Set within a vaguely medieval landscape, friends Goro, a hulking snakelike creature with legs; golden retriever and plant expert June; pun-loving arsonist cat Rose; and hot-tempered royal frog Prince Chirp are known as the Dungeon Critters. The Devil's Thorn, a villainous vine, has appeared in their kingdom, and their investigation leads them to Chirp's archnemesis, Baron Foxworthy, and his daughter, Verona. When Prince Chirp's dad is gravely injured by the plant, June is implicated and the group is divided. Will they be able to find the source of the plant and save the king? Riess and Goetter's brightly hued graphic novel is not only an inventively wrought fantasy, but also features queer characters; male Goro has a boyfriend; next in line to be king, Prince Chirp uses she/her pronouns; and Rose and June have a budding romance. The worldbuilding is accessible and instantly engaging, consisting of not only an approachable setting, but also emphasizing the importance of friendship and communication. Though primarily a fantasy, the fast-paced adventure, romance, and humor make for easy crowd appeal that traverses genre boundaries. The first in a proposed series (a cliffhanger teases subsequent adventures to save Goro's boyfriend, horseboy), anticipate demand and expect rereads. Aftermatter offers a fascinating glimpse into the creators' collaborative process of writing, drawing, and coloring the work.A delightful middle-grade tale that is inclusive, imaginative, and complex. (Graphic fantasy. 8-13)

A group of animal friends investigates a pernicious plant.Set within a vaguely medieval landscape, friends Goro, a hulking snakelike creature with legs; golden retriever and plant expert June; pun-loving arsonist cat Rose; and hot-tempered royal frog Prince Chirp are known as the Dungeon Critters. The Devil's Thorn, a villainous vine, has appeared in their kingdom, and their investigation leads them to Chirp's archnemesis, Baron Foxworthy, and his daughter, Verona. When Prince Chirp's dad is gravely injured by the plant, June is implicated and the group is divided. Will they be able to find the source of the plant and save the king? Riess and Goetter's brightly hued graphic novel is not only an inventively wrought fantasy, but also features queer characters; male Goro has a boyfriend; next in line to be king, Prince Chirp uses she/her pronouns; and Rose and June have a budding romance. The worldbuilding is accessible and instantly engaging, consisting of not only an approachable setting, but also emphasizing the importance of friendship and communication. Though primarily a fantasy, the fast-paced adventure, romance, and humor make for easy crowd appeal that traverses genre boundaries. The first in a proposed series (a cliffhanger teases subsequent adventures to save Goro's boyfriend, horseboy), anticipate demand and expect rereads. Aftermatter offers a fascinating glimpse into the creators' collaborative process of writing, drawing, and coloring the work.A delightful middle-grade tale that is inclusive, imaginative, and complex. (Graphic fantasy. 8-13)

Anxious dog June; stolid Goro, a legged snake; flamboyant cat Rose; and self-assured frog Prince Chirp are the Dungeon Critters, a wisecracking, villain-fighting, dungeon-raiding group of anthropomorphic friends who roam a magical fantasy kingdom. A clue linking a plant necromancer with Prince Chirp-s lifelong archnemesis, the Baron, serves as an excuse for the team to don disguises and infiltrate the Baron-s next soiree. Soon, they are neck-deep in a madcap spree involving secret identities, monsters and thieves, relationships and rivalries, trials and treason, and even a bit of arson. Riess and Goetter create a lighthearted slapstick escapade that prioritizes jokes per page while playing with the conventions of fantasy and RPG adventures. The largely queer main cast (Rose and June give off a will-they/won-t-they vibe, Goro has a distant beau named Horseboy), with their complementary skills and personalities, create solid chemistry emphasized by cute character design and an amusing preponderance of meticulously assembled outfits. The panels are busy, both crammed with visual and textual jokes and filled with near-constant action, but this generally works in the book-s favor, maintaining a rollicking pace that covers the occasional plot hole. Jaunty, funny, and fun. Ages 8-12. (Sept.)