Bad Machinery Volume 6: The Case of the Unwelcome Visitor (Bad Machinery, 6) - Tapa blanda

"In the conversation about young superheroes, John Allison should be right up in there with the very best writers and artists that comics has to offer. I think I've recommended every volume of Bad Machinery as part of 'Best Comics Ever' thus far, but there's a dashed good reason - it's a blinding good comic. Six schoolchildren somehow fall into parts of a mystery in each volume, bickerin' and banterin' it fierce before eventually somehow winding things up together and solving the problem - which sometimes turns out to have been 'ghosts'. In volume 4, we get to see a new boy come to school, who seems a bit lonely, a bit weird, but who one day becomes everybody's best friend. Only one of Allison's hexad see through this veil: Shauna, the one with the most common-sense and conscience in her head. But really, the mysteries in Bad Machinery take a firm second place to the more interesting part of any Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew-style story: the characters. These are such fun, recognisable characters, who feel like kids, act like kids, make mistakes like kids and then solve supernatural mysteries. Er... like kids. Give his site a look, and see how quickly the whole thing wins you over." - Comics Alliance




"Allison's art conveys the energy of the story well, with very expressive characters and vibrant line work and colors that is effective in both the fun and serious aspects of the story. Suitable for middle school readers and above, The Case of the Fire Inside offers a fun, mythological mystery while aptly capturing the heady feeling for first love - and first heartbreak." - Diamond Bookshelf



"Throughout the town of Tackleford, toddlers are being snatched up by a beast like creature. Clearly this is a job for two groups of teen detectives: girls Mildred, Charlotte, and Shauna, who are also busy dealing with Mildred's magic pencil and a strange new pet that might not really be a dog; and boys Linton, Sonny, and Jack, who is crushing on Shauna and dealing with a violent school bully. Allison's series begins to hit its stride in this second volume, after The Case of the Team Spirit (2013). Though the characters don't get much of an introduction, even new fans will quickly pick up on who's who, thanks to Allison's distinctive drawing style. The story veers between realism and fantasy, with just a touch of absurdism to keep things fun. Teens will likely admire Sonny's stubborn uniqueness, laugh at Shauna's reluctant love of her baby brother, and appreciate Mildred's ability to skirt her parents' sillier rules. The bright, colorful art and snarky dialogue are icing on a delightful cake. --Snow Wildsmith Booklist
Originally published as a webcomic, this title chronicles the adventures of six English teens. A group of toddlers disappears and town residents suspect a huge beast reportedly seen in the woods. The story quickly switches gears when the teens go to a carnival; Mildred wins a magic pencil and a strange dog appears. There are subplots about Shauna and Jack going to the movies for a date and Jack confronting bullies. However, the teens don't investigate much and the resolution is unpredictable and a bit rushed. Larger libraries with vast graphic novel collections would be most interested in this series." - Library Media Connection



"This small-press charmer, based on an ongoing webcomic, is a stylish jumble of pop-culture references, sly humor, eye-catching characters, mystery-and, oddly enough, aliens." - Kirkus



"In the conversation about young superheroes, John Allison should be right up in there with the very best writers and artists that comics has to offer. I think I've recommended every volume of Bad Machinery as part of 'Best Comics Ever' thus far, but there's a dashed good reason-it's a blinding good comic." - Comics Alliance



"Shauna finds herself at loose ends when her fellow crime-obsessed classmates-Lottie, Mildred, Jack, Linton, and Sonny-fall under the spell of mysterious Lem. With the help of Little Claire and a trio of D&D nerds, Shauna must find the out-of-this-world secret behind Lem's appeal. Allison's series, originally a webcomic, is a truly unique blend of fantastical occurrences, British small-town life, and middle-school troubles. Here he focuses on smart, sensitive Shauna, who muddles along despite knowing that the nerds helping her aren't a good substitute for the friends who have left her behind. The mystery is an amusing one and ends in a satisfying manner, though the puzzling final page is likely only to be explained in a later volume. New readers might be a bit at sea with the large cast of characters and the off-kilter storytelling, but the cheerful, silly art combined with the realistic frustrations of young adolescence, make this a wonderful addition to graphic-novel collections." - Booklist

Born in a hidden village deep within the British Alps, John Allison came into this world a respectable baby with style and taste. Having been exposed to American comics at an early age, he spent decades honing his keen mind and his massive body in order to burn out this colonial cultural infection. One of the longest continuously publishing independent web-based cartoonists, John has plied his trade since the late nineties moving from Bobbins to Scary Go Round to Bad Machinery, developing the deeply weird world of Tackleford long after many of his fellow artists were ground into dust and bones by Time Itself. He has only once shed a single tear, but you only meet Sergio Aragon s for the first time once. John resides in Letchworth Garden City, England, and is known to his fellow villagers only as He Who Has Conquered.