Review: Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter

Title: Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter
Author: Marcus Sedgwick
Illustrator: Thomas Taylor
Publisher, copyright/release date: First Second (:01), 2018
ISBN: 978-1626720268
Price: $14.99
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Summary and Thoughts: Scarlett Hart is an underage monster hunter, but she doesn’t let that stop her from trying to catch them! Her trusty butler and housekeeper are right beside her to help her bag the monsters and turn them in for her. The only problem is, Count Stankovic is seemingly one step ahead of her and catching the monsters while trying to report her for monster hunting. There’s also the business of how more monsters are appearing and the even stranger things are happening. Scarlett’s parents knew of a book that kept monsters mostly contained, but is that book real? Scarlett is out to protect her home and stop Count Stankovic one way or another.

In this very horror-looking comic, Scarlett is a strong character who thinks pretty quickly on her feet but still makes missteps as a growing teen. Her age isn’t truly clear, but I think she’s around 16 or so. Her butler and housekeeper have stepped up in raising her since her parents died and they dote on her just like parents. Mr. White, the butler, is a bit more of worrier than his wife, Mrs. White, which adds to the strong female leads in this story.

There are no bright or bold colors in this comic. There’s a very dark palette used here with reds, blues, and grayish tans which adds to the dark nature and general nighttime feel of the story. It’s very similar to the style of League of Extraordinary Gentleman’s art where the edges are crisp but nothing is true to life. Expressions are big and dramatic and Scarlett is animated in the pages. The only issue with the art is that sometimes the word bubbles dominate a panel making for an odd read where the character is smaller than the words in the panel. Bonus: The artist did the art in the original Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

This work overall is fine. It isn’t exciting but it isn’t boring. The only confusing bit for me as I read it was that Scarlett kept saying “I stink” or “Something stinks” and I couldn’t tell if this was figurative or literal. The work feels like it has room for a possible sequel but can also stand alone if needed. The best part of this book is that it is basically Gothic horror for a younger age. There are water dragons and lots of zombies in this work but it’s not scary like in The Walking Dead. There’s no cursing (that I remember) and I can give this to a child who wants zombies.

School Library Journal recommends this for Grades 4-7 and I agree with the recommendation. My library’s copy is in the Juvenile Graphic Novel collection.

Readers looking for zombies, mysteries, strong leads, or something that looks scary will find a lot to like in this one. Not a required purchase, but one that can fill a lot of holes in a collection.
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Recommended Audience: Upper Elementary and up.
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Source: Library