The Boy Who Crashed to Earth (Hilo, #1) by Judd Winick

The Boy Who Crashed to Earth (Hilo, #1) Reviews

• 
  Patrick

  Despite the fact that I'm a big fan of Winick, I didn't know about this series at all until I stumbled onto it at NYCC.
  
  I bought it and brought it home to my boys. But I read it first, partly to make sure it was something I wanted to pass along to them, but also because I wanted to read it.
  
  It's fun, and both my boys love it. Part of me was hoping there would be echoes of Barry Ween in it, given the similarities in character design. But that's where the similarity stops.
  
  And that's good news and bad news. Bad for me, as I loved Barry Ween as much as I've ever loved any comic ever. But good for my boys, as it means this is a for-real kids comic and I could enthusiastically hand it over to them without worrying about burning our their innocent young minds.
  
  In conclusion: Fun comic. Great for kids. As an adult it held my attention, too....
  
  
• 
  Betsy

  Relentless cheer. You can use it for good. You can use it for evil. You can use it in the name of humor too, but that’s a trickier game to play. I’m not saying it can’t be done. It just takes a certain level of finesse. Now I read a lot of graphic novels for kids in a given year that sell themselves as “funny”. And while I know that humor is subjective, I tell you plain that most of them aren’t of the laugh-out-loud variety. So when someone tries to sell me on the “funny” line with a comic I don’t actually expect that it’s gonna make me guffaw on the subway and embarrass me in front of the other riders. I guess I should be pretty peeved at you, Hilo for doing just exactly that, but how can I be mad at you? Your crazy positive outlook on life combined with your funny funny lines just makes you the most enjoyable hero to hit the library shelves in years. We get a lot of heroes around here but hardly any of them make us laugh. This guy, I like. This guy, your kids will like. This guy’s a keeper.
  
  What if the one thing you were good at up and moved away and left you all alone? D.J. hasn’t the talents of the other people in his family and the way he figures it the only thing he was ever good at was being friends with his next door neighbor Gina. So when Gina moved away, so did the one thing that made him feel important. Three years pass, D.J.’s alone, and that’s when he spots something falling out of the sky. It’s small. It’s blond. And it’s wearing sparkly silver underpants. By all appearances the visitor is a small boy who calls himself Hilo. He doesn’t remember who he is or why he’s there or even what he is, but what he DOES love is discovering everything, and I mean everything, about the world. It looks like Hilo may be from another dimension, which is great. Except it looks like he's not the only one. And it looks like he’d better remember who he is and fast because someone, or some THING, is after him.
  
  We hear a lot of talk about “likability” and whether or not you relate to a story’s hero. In terms of D.J., I think that even the most accomplished children out there can relate to a kid who feels like he isn’t good at anything at all. Hilo’s a little different. He has more than a smidgen of The Greatest American Hero in his make-up, alongside a bit of Mork from Mork and Mindy and Avatar (the Nickelodeon cartoon). First, you get someone with powers they don’t completely understand. Next, you get a otherworldly funny being with superpowers figuring out day-to-day life. And finally, he’s a kid who ran from his frightening responsibilities and is now trying to undo a great wrong. I really love that last trope a lot because it’s something we all suspect we’d do ourselves when under serious pressure. Plus, like Avatar, Hilo delivers its message with a diverse cast and more than a smidgen of the funny.
  
  In his bio at the back of the book Winick mentions that amongst his various influences he grew up reading the comic strip Bloom County. He’s not the first children’s book author/cartoonist to cite Berkeley Breathed as an inspiration (by the way, I love that Winick's characters live in “Berke County”), but unlike the Bloom County imitators I’ve seen out there, Winick has managed to take the flavor and humor of the original strips and give them his own distinctive twist. Granted, the tighty whities and method of drawing toes look awfully similar to the feet and underwear of Milo Bloom, but there the direct correlations quit.
  
  Actually, Winick’s artistic style is kind of fascinating. Particularly when it comes to characters’ eyes. A lot of the time he uses the old L’il Orphan Annie technique of keeping the pupils white and blank. But periodically, and for emphasis, small black pupils will appear. Then, in particularly emotional moments, full-color irises as well. Watching when precisely Winick chooses to use one kind of eye or another is a kind of mini lesson in comic drawing techniques in and of itself. Now Hilo is rendered in full-color glory, a fact that Winick uses to his advantage whenever he wants to create something like a portal to the Earth. But what I really liked watching, and the opening sequence is a brilliant example of this, is how he uses panels. The beginning of the book, which is a kind of flash forward into the future events to come, is a mix of action and visual humor. Even though you don’t know who these characters are, you are instantly on their side. Running from gigantic killer robots sort of cuts the “empathy” timeline in half, after all.
  
  Now if I’ve learned anything from my time on this hallowed globe it’s that kids aren’t fans of true cliffhangers. The books where the hero is literally at the end of some screaming precipice or staring down certain death? It bugs them. They won’t stand for it. This isn’t to say that don’t like it when there’s the promise of another volume of their favorite series. But you’ve gotta ease into that, right? Leave them wanting more but solve the problem at hand. I won’t lie to you. Hilo ends on a cliffhanger. Fortunately, it’s the kind that isn’t going to make you mad when you get to it. Unless you can’t get the next book in the series. Then you’ll be furious.
  
  I was trying to find equivalent kid comics to Hilo that know how to ratchet up the funny alongside the fast-paced. There’s a Jeff Smith blurb on this book so obviously
  Bone comes to mind. But I’d also be sure to mention Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado’s
  Giants Beware in the same breath. Any maybe Jeffrey Brown’s
  Star Wars: Jedi Academy just to be safe. All these books understand that while kids will follow an exciting, well-drawn comic to the ends of the earth, throw in a little humor there and they’ll go from merely enjoying it to loving it with some deep, buried part of their little comic-loving souls. That’s the fandom Hilo is poised to create. Good clean laser-beams-coming-outta-your-hands fun for the whole family. Now hand me #2, please. I have some more reading to do.
  
  For ages 8-12.
• 
  Yoda

  It´s a funny, entertaining comic-book for kids age 8-12. I really liked it, and I can´t wait for my little sister to read it.
• 
  Mary Lee

  OUTSTANDING!!
  
  (That's a text reference as much as an opinion. You'll understand after you read it.)
• 
  First Second Books

  It’s like the return of Barry Ween! Aw.
  
  I’m so glad that Judd Winick is back doing kids comics.
• 
  Abby Johnson

  This is a super funny comic that will appeal to readers who like adventure stories and science fiction, and also kids who enjoy friendship stories. I kept laughing out loud as I was reading and I can't wait to share this in booktalks with our 3rd-6th graders. Kids who love Zita the Spacegirl will also root for DJ and Hilo, friends who would stop at nothing to protect each other.
• 
  Niki

  I totally love this new graphic novel series! Great cliff hanger at the end! This book is going to be very popular!
• 
  Shadowdenizen

  Very cute, kid-friendly comic. I can see why it's got such positive buzz!
• 
  Dov Zeller

  Cute adventure story that goes back and forth between mundane comic predicaments (the troubles of having an extra-terrestrial robot over for dinner) and wacky robot-fighting escapades. Not sure the message in here about self-esteem makes sense (it's okay that you're not stellar at anything like sports or academics as long as you're willing to risk your life to fight robots and save the earth?) But, friendship and adventure abound and the characters are captivating and it's great to read an adventure story with poc protagonists. Not sure I'll check out the next installment, but glad I read this one.
• 
  Laura

  Oh, this is so cute.
  
  DJ, the main character, a non-achiviver in a family of over-achivers, finds a mysterious boy that crashes to earth. He has no memory, but does, after a bit, remember his name is Hilo.
  
  This is just the first book in a series of not sure how many, so this is just introducing the characters, DJ and his friend Gina, who help Hilo remember, and then help him to fight his evil nemesis.
  
  In between the action and the feelings, we have cute things, such as DJ always saying "ARGGH" when Hilo surprises him, so that he thinks it is an earth greeting, and greets people that way.
  
  Or how Hilo loves eating.
  
  Funny, cute, and full of action. Written to the middle-school level, this first book is a quick but fun read.
• 
  Silje

  Moro og gøyal! Er spent på fortsettelsen. Passer bra for barn i alderen 8 og oppover.
  
  Fun and entertaining. I look forward to the rest of the series. Perfect for kids aged 8 or older.
• 
  Bailey

  Please note that this is a collaborative review with C.
  
  HILO is hands down the most enjoyable middle grade graphic novel that we have ever read! It's laugh out loud material dripping with adventure, friendship, and originality. The entire time while reading it, we were chuckling and smiling to ourselves like there was no tomorrow, and this book is nothing short of "OUTSTANDING!" The fast-paced tale will fly by, even though you'll desperately want it to last longer. No one should pass up the chance to read this gem.
  
  HILO is an extremely quirky character but in the best possible way, which includes silver underpants, robotic powers, and all. There's something about him that's simply and undeniably lovable. Perhaps it's his uncanny ability to love everything he encounters, even if it's just rice and milk. Maybe it's his personality that so strongly takes charge, especially when his friends are in danger. His uniqueness is obvious due to his creation and abilities. D. J. on the other hand is a different kind of character. He doesn't think he's special, even though everyone else in his family is. They each dabble in something different, like ballet, tennis, and chemistry. D. J. isn't like them, he thinks that he is utterly useless. He isn't strong in any one area. He considers himself "average," but what he doesn't understand is that no one can be defined as average.
  
  Judd Winick does a fantastic job of showing his audience that people don't have to be able to fly, be a super genius, or human extraordinaire to be special. Talents are great, and they define you, but everyone has their own talent, even if no one else sees it. Everyday bravery, being a good friend, or caring about someone else can make you special. If you look hard enough, even the ordinary can be extraordinary. It's all about perspective, and no one is ever average.
  
  What's truly great about this series is that there are so many diverse characters who come from different ethnic backgrounds. We love to see that there is a book like this out there in the world with a great message and a fabulous group of characters. On top of that, we strongly believe that HILO has something for everyone. There's no doubt in our minds that middle graders will eat this book up, and read it again and again, but at the same time, teens and adults can easily join in the fun. Both C and I have read countless book forms, such as novels, graphic novels, manga, and comics. We've also read for countless ages, like children, juvenile, MG, YA, and adult. In all honesty, HILO has been one of our favorite books of the year. (Hopefully that doesn't have to do with our maturity! . . . Um, that was a joke.) We can easily imagine the whole family gathering around and reading the book together and enjoying it.
  
  So, if you're looking for a family book or just a darn good read with a mix of humor, adventure, camaraderie, and excellent, hilarious illustrations, look no further! HILO is here, a series that is sure to be a hit! The full-colored pages capture the eye and the imagination. You just have to turn to the front page and start reading.
  
  Please note that we received this book from the publisher, but this in no way shape or form influenced our thoughts or our review.
  
  You can see reviews like this one and more at:
  http://knightingalereviews.blogspot.com/.
  (
  http://knightingalereviews.blogspot.c...)
• 
  Skye Kilaen

  Judging by this book's cover, I assumed that the blond kid in the center was the main character, and the two POC kids would basically be sidekicks. I was so tickled to be wrong. (Though the cover-as- marketing-tool's message could be discussed...) The main character of this book is actually D.J. Lim, the kid on the left. He's one of five kids, and - according to him - the only one of those five kids who doesn't excel at anything. The only thing he excelled at was being friends with Gina, the gal on the cover, before her family moved away three years ago.
  
  Now Gina's family has moved back... right after D.J. found his new friend Hilo. Okay, he's kind of a friend. And by "found" I mean D.J. found him in a hole in the ground. With amnesia, wearing nothing but silver underwear. The events of the story may center around D.J. and Gina helping Hilo figure out who he is and where he came from, but it's quite clear to me that this is just as much D.J.'s story of self-discovery. He needs to update the picture of himself that he's been holding onto since Gina left. Meanwhile, there's a super-exciting superhero story going on, as Hilo struggles to recover his memory, and discovers his amazing abilities when the kids are attacked by robot bugs.
  
  All in all, a very satisfying friendship and adventure story combined, about a diverse trio of kids who are all fantastic in their own way.
• 
  Miranda

  This was a super funny graphic novel that will appeal to readers of all ages! I know it is geared towards children, but I enjoyed it as an adult. This graphic novel was action packed and it had an interesting science fiction plot. I devoured it in one sitting.
  
  The friendships in this book were so cute. The three friends were so dedicated to each other, and I adored their relationships. The characters in this book also made me laugh out loud so many times. Some of the humor was a little childish, but I still enjoyed it.
  
  Overall, I really enjoyed this graphic novel. This was the first graphic novel I have ever read, and I can tell I will be reading more in the future. I am extremely excited to read the other novels in this series!
  
  
  
  4 / 5 Fangs
  
  *This book was given to me in exchange for a honest review. *
• 
  Rick Dobrowolski

  Read through this graphic novel with the kids. Very entertaining and funny, and the villain is not too scary for my 5 & 7 year old. My daughter did come out of her bedroom one night saying that she was scared because of the book, but she's always looking for a reason not to go to bed, so this just served the purpose. A book about a big, fluffy teddy bear would draw her out of her room to avoid bedtime.
• 
  Gillian Dawson

  I really want to re-read Barry Ween now. Also, I kept being surprised when Hilo and DJ didn't swear.
• 
  Sarah

  Love love love this graphic novel. Hilo's enthusiasm is contagious, and the adventure rockets along. A blast to read!
• 
  Che

  Such fun!
• 
  Tina

  Audie really liked this, and so did I! Totally kid-appropriate but also engaging enough for adults. A good story line, legitimately funny humor, and characters of color. Woo!
• 
  Barb Middleton

  I grew up in a family of five like the protagonist, D.J.'s, with constant chaos in the kitchen as everyone hovered around the fridge trying to snarf down whatever morsels were available. We ate so much that my mom stored 16 boxes of cereal in the stove one day because they couldn't fit in the cupboard. I preheated the oven for my pan of brownies and lighted a boo-scary bonfire. Smores were more in order than brownies. Judd Winick captures not only big-family life, but the difficulty of trying to find yourself when you have no outstanding qualities in a household of talented siblings. D.J. doesn't know it, but he has plenty of character - good character - and this is oftentimes more important than talents. Not until Gina moves back and the superhero alien, Hilo, crash lands into D.J.'s life does he start to accept who he is inside.
  
  As D.J.'s family is grabbing food in the kitchen, they become suspicious of his new friend, Hilo, especially when Hilo starts eating a napkin. The quick-thinking D.J. distracts everyone by revealing his older brother has a girlfriend. Yes! It is always fun to draw parental attention to the older sibling as they are usually the one getting the more unsophisticated younger sibling in trouble. Can you tell I was low on the totem pole like D.J.? Don't read this book while scooping spoonfuls of cereal into your mouth. Superhero Hilo will have you snort-laughing milk through your nose.
  
  Like I said before, ten-year-old D.J. believes he is not good at anything in his family of five siblings where everyone else is spectacular at something. He was good at being a friend to Gina but she moved away. Hilo (pronounced high-low) missiles from the sky to earth making a crater where he is discovered by D.J. in only a pair of silver underwear. D.J. befriends Hilo whose "memory is like a busted book" and takes him home to give him some clothes. Hilo is pretty clueless about how to dress and greet people, but has a golly-gee attitude that makes him never become negative whether he is facing robot insects destroying Earth or being smashed into the ground like a cartoon character in Looney Tunes.
  
  Running gags and great pacing add to the nonstop humor. While this story is different in plot and characterization, it reminds me a bit of "Timmy Failure" and "Monster on the Hill" although Timmy is a complete dork and Monster on the Hill has a boy trying to help a monster find his scary side so the town will be proud of him. Timmy is a dumb cluck, the monster story is full of irony, and this one brims with a spunky superhero that is endearingly weird. What they all have in common is they will make you laugh, laugh, laugh and the illustrations are terrific. Judd Winick, who is well known for his successful superhero adult comics, says that he read Jeff Smith's Bone series with his son and decided to create a comic for the younger fare. As Hilo would say, "Outstanding!"
  
  When D.J. first meets Hilo he screams, "Aaah!" to which Hilo says, "Is that a greeting? I like it! Aaah!" Everytime he meets anyone Hilo yells, "Aaah!" Hilo keeps scaring D.J. in different situations but thinks his "Aaah's" are hellos making me laugh every time. When he meets Gina who has returned after three years Hilo greets her with a, "Aaah!" When he meets D.J.'s classmates he says "Aaah!" followed by his gee-shucks, "I love that greeting," to the annoyed teacher's face who wonders who this smart-aleck is in front of the class. Meanwhile D.J. is sitting at his desk covering his face in embarrassment. When Hilo burps for the first time he thinks it is the coolest thing. When he burps a second time he and D.J. laugh hysterically like typical kids. D.J. says, "Repeat business," to which they laugh so hard they are holding their stomachs and stomping their feet. The burping continues periodically in the story to which Gina at one point comments, "Why do boys always laugh at burping?"
  
  Hilo thinks everything is "outstanding" and Gina, D.J. and Hilo like the word, "Holy Mackerel!" When Hilo sees a robot monster he says, "Octoped! So wanted to use that word in a sentence today and Boom! Octoped!" Later he is shoving a giant foot in a club house where he cheerfully says, "This is great! And not just because it perfectly fits a giant metal foot and smells like squirrel poop. It's cause it's overrun with a ton of spiders." D.J. knows immediately what Hilo means and turns to Gina, "Octopeds." With a fist pump in the air, Hilo exuberantly shouts:"Octopeds! Hello, my eight-legged brothers!" Repeating words can sometimes get annoying but the author handles the comedic elements with aplomb.
  
  The humor is balanced with D.J. learning that he is not a boring person but a brave and loyal friend. Even when Gina moves back to town he feels inferior to her as she's been in many sports and is good in science. He doesn't see his worth or value until Gina points out how he didn't hesitate tossing a robot off a cliff, jumping into a deep hole after Hilo, and fighting a Robo-bug with a stick. He doesn't seem to get it that having a superhero for a best friend is the exact opposite of boring. Although Gina makes it clear that she didn't think he was boring before Hilo. And D.J. isn't the only one sorting out issues. Hilo ran away from his problems and realizes that he has to face them.
  
  The illustrations remind me of Calvin and Hobbes, particularly the facial expressions. While Winick's characters have more details and color than Calvin and Hobbes, Winick's faces look a lot like Calvin's when things go wrong and the characters' eyes engulf their head and pupils instead of showing up in a normally pupil-less face. D.J.'s stand-up hair looks like a bolt of lightning went through him as he watches Hilo do crazy things such as drop a raccoon in the school office. It adds to his facial expressions and creates energy with the angles. The adults are panicked with bug-eyes and big mouths in their shock of having a furry animal show up out of nowhere. The man with the pail on his head, broom in hand and leg up in the air looks like he's trying to dance out of the way of the raccoon. The staffer crouched behind the counter looks like she's trying to hide behind a paper clutched in her hands and a grimace on her face while a bald man is running in the opposite direction with a screaming mouth. Winick packs a punch in each frame and they are a delight to study. This cliffhanger ending will have you buzzing for book two. Don't miss it.
• 
  Sarah Stevens

  I’ll be the first to admit that I am not the intended audience for this series. That is probably why it took me so long to read this book, even though it and the others have been in and through my house for years. My boys LOVE the Hilo series, and it inspires their reading, drawing, and playing.
  
  How did I come to finally pick it up? I had purchased the full series (all that are out anyway) for my youngest for Christmas, and then found out that Judd Winick would be in town a few months after that for a local Author Fest. My son and I went to Winick’s author presentation, and then my son had to leave for a soccer game, so I stayed behind to get his books signed for him. (Winick was an amazing presenter, by the way. Engaging, fun, and had lots of super useful tips about being both an author and an illustrator.)
  
  Winick graciously personalized and signed all six of my son’s books, talking to me kindly and taking his time with everyone in the line. As I sat down afterwards on a bench to wait for other family members, I looked down at the stack of books in my hands and thought, why not? Might be a fun way to pass the time.
  
  And yes, it was very fun. Hilo is both touching and thoughtful, funny and imaginative. And it is creative in a real and benevolent (it’s the best word I can come up with) way. By that I mean that there are no doofus parents or pathetically inept and overreactive adults. There is no reliance on the crutch of potty humor or slapstick gags. It reads and feels like a quality story, not a low-budget Saturday morning cartoon. It is more along the lines of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Haatke instead of Captain Underpants or Dog Man by Dav Pilkey. (My boys love them all, but can you guess which ones I like better?) ;)
  
  To be fair, I think meeting the author and having him be such a cool human being did ratchet up the wow factor for me, but at the end of the day, this is definitely a series I am happy for the whole family to read.
• 
  John Defrog: global citizen, local gadfly

  This is my first time reading
  Judd Winick, and I confess I mainly picked this up in part because it turns out I’m friends with one of his cousins who hipped this book to me when it came out. That said, I also liked the art style on the cover, so I decided to give it a shot.
  
  As the title implies, Hilo is a boy who literally falls from the sky and crashes into the Earth like a meteor, with no memory of who he is or where he’s from. He’s discovered and befriended by DJ, a nerdy 13-year-old boy, who lets Hilo stay at his house. This first volume involves Hilo figuring out why he’s here, which may have to do with the giant robot ant trying to kill him. There’s also a subplot with DJ being reunited with his old childhood friend Gina and dealing with being an underachiever in a family full of overachievers.
  
  I can’t say it fully resonated with me, but then I’m not the target demographic – I think 13-year-old me would have enjoyed this a lot. Also, the art is great, the story well paced and the humor is reasonably wacky – it would make a good TV series on Cartoon Network.
• 
  Virginia

  Look at me, reading comic book series, and giving them five stars—who would have thunk it? Well, comic books like Hilo, Dogman, Bird & Squirrel have progressed my kid’s reading skills from Bob’s Books readers to a 3rd grade level within a year’s time. It’s not that he’s just passionate about the stories, but he loves reading every single word himself. He won’t even tandem read with me, but that’s okay, because he loves reading to me. And it’s so much better than reading about how Matt sat on a hat. (Bob’s Books served their purpose. I’m just glad our time with them is over.)
  Winick seems especially adapt at writing comics for young kids. The stories of friendship mixed with robots and space meteors are delightful and wholesome. My boy just loves Hilo so much as a character and he laughs and he sighs at all the right moments. The book has a lot of feeling with a cool factor, too.
• 
  Tamara York

  First, I realized from reading the blurb that the author is Judd from The Real World: San Francisco…and (from Google) that he married Pam from the same season. And my inner 14 year old’s mind was blown!
  Secondly, about the actual book…my son loves this series and I decided to read the first one to see what it was all about. It was fairly good. I liked that the main character struggles with being ordinary and not having a specific thing that he excels at. Hilo is adorably cheerful. But the story lacks an arc and substance. The first book sets up the series and doesn’t offer resolution. Good graphic novel for kids, but maybe not for adult enjoyment.
• 
  Mary Ellen

  I think the story was ok. The art was not appealing at all. I am married to an animator though, so I am a harsh critic of art. My kids loved it. If I were basing it solely on if I think a child would enjoy it, then yes, 5 stars. But I don't feel like it is anything special. I would be a little disappointed it this book won the graphic novel beehive award.
  Sorry Judd Winick! I'm sorry. So harsh. I know. Keep up the good work. Just- maybe give your characters pupils.
• 
  Turrean

  I enjoyed this so much! The “kid banter” is spot on; so are the internal dynamics of DJ’s and Gina’s families.
  
  (I had one eye roll moment: when Hilo is giving us the backstory on the robot wars, we see an image of all the roles robots fill in his world. Groan...why did the baby-tending robot have to be shaped like a woman? Likewise the hairdresser robot? The medical robot was androgynous. The barista and the garbage collector robots were “male.” )
• 
  Cheriee Weichel

  This was fabulous! It has just adorable characters placed in a science fiction setting. The pages are gorgeously coloured with brilliant action scenes. I love the silliness that is countered with witty remarks, and strong emotional connections between the characters. I am now a fan of Judd Winick’s work and plan to read more! The good thing about being late the the Hilo party is that I won’t have to wait to read more of the series.
• 
  Ellen Deckinga

  Fun middle grade graphic novel. HiLo comes into the stroy like Superman, but has a much different experience. He meets DJ who is feeling kinda lonely and they become friends. Then the robots come... No spoilers, but a great read.