The Unlikely Story of Felix and Macabber

by Juni Ba (Artist), Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (Writer/Letterer)

An all new original graphic novel packed with as much heart as epic combat from rising comic stars Juni Ba ( Djeliya , Monkey Meat ) and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou ( PanelxPanel )!

Join a brave young monster and their grouchy mentor on a heartfelt quest for redemption and growth in a world run by fear.

Felix is a shy little beast growing up in a world where monster wrestling is the biggest spectacle there is. Lonely, and constantly bullied by the bigger monsters his age, Felix struggles to prove themselves and find their place in the world. Their fate is changed forever when a dare lands them on the doorstep of one of the scariest monsters in the whole world— Macabber Tails, one of the most famous monstering champions in history.

Felix wants to be big and brave and strong and tough, just like Macabber, and so they decide to do whatever it takes to not be a fraidy little monster anymore. Their unlikely journey together sends them to Macabber's hometown, to the mountains of the colossal flame-wielding Kilnver—a monster able to make an army of knights out of just its own saliva—and to the lair of the dastardly Amaret, the monster that made Macabber the champion they are today.

Together they face some battles for their life, but not always in ways that are physical and by the end, Felix and Macabber may learn a thing or two about being tough.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Young Adult

152 pages, Paperback

Published October 31, 2023

About the author

Juni is an illustrator and writer hailing from Senegal and France. His current works include the Kayin and Abeni mini series and the Monkey Meat stories both published by Kugali. He’s also a cover artist with works for Skybound and IDW. His artistic fuel is mostly based on orange juice.

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely not what I expected the story to encompass but absolutely pleasantly surprised! It's a sad tale about doing what you have to for survival and then being consumed by it. Bullying is an overlaying theme with the deeper message being not to become that which you dislike/hate. Felix learns a lot from Macabber but by the end learns that lesson foremost. The title is perfect and I only wish we had more of Felix's but then again maybe that wasn't the goal. I highly recommend reading this one.

[Lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite liked Monkey Meat, so I thought I'd give Juni Ba's latest project a whirl. I thought he was doing both art and story here, but it turns out he's just drawing it. And he draws the hell out of it! (no pun intended). It's a monster wrestling story, which I'm sure will appeal to fans of Do A Powerbomb (which I wasn't). We follow Felix, a shy monster who's afraid of everything and gets bullied for it. One thing leads to another and he goes on an unforseen roadtrip with a retired wrestling champion, looking for revenge and redemption. Just like DWJ's book, this feels all shine, no substance. It thinks it's saying something really deep, but just whizzes past the most interesting questions, and fall flat on its face. I think the problem, once again is that I don't like wrestling, and all the melodrama that comes with it. From what I've seen, and now read, of it, this emulates it really well. It's just not for me
Juni Ba goes all in though. I really like his art. It's got a little Mignola in there, with some Hewlett influence as well. Somehow simultaneously cute and badass, and very dynamic. I'll keep an eye on him still

[Ricky Lima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't go wrong with Juni Ba. For real, the dude is on another level of cartooning. I really loved all the character designs and panel layouts. The story was endearing enough. The ending left me wanting more. I didn't feel like there was a strong enough payoff at the end, but the strong art made up for that. Really fun book with heart.

[Matthew Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one took a very different direction than I kept expecting it too in a very underwhelming way. I really enjoyed the art in this one, though. The world that was built was done in a fantastical way, which really brought a lot of the story to the reader, just being immersed in this book. I think I wanted to really like the story in this one more than I did, but I don’t feel like the pacing was done very well. There’s a very serious story here in this comic. I just don’t think it was executed too well. Not a bad read overall.

[Sandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my kind of story or drawing.

[maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

ough one of the coolest art styles in a comic i’ve read ever…giving it 3 stars though bc while i enjoyed the story, it felt a bit rushed overall and lacked a bit more development with regards to fully understanding character motivations

[Tim Rooney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Juni Ba’s debut book, Djeliya, was an incredible work of storytelling. His work since has been not quite as good. This story, which ultimately attempts to be a parable on masculinity is rambling and never really gets to the point it is trying to make. He’d benefit from a stronger editor who is able to help him refine his work. The art is good but not Ba’s best.

[Micah Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, even though Ba’s name is listed first, that is for marketing only, he is not the writer. So don’t expect his voice and story. Important to note because… It’s just not well-written. The story is disjointed and unoriginal; it talks about deep meaning without actually relaying any. Ba’s art has moments of its typical brilliance as well as some that are jumbled and frenetic.

[Carol Youssif · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really cool art!

[Clint · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Ba’s art has such a unique style and looks great; it’s a little like Mignola and a little like Paul Pope but ultimately all his own. The monster worldbuilding is interesting and the unusual folktale story has promise, but it ends up being about the cyclical nature of toxic masculinity and rage-fueled violence, and takes an odd bend by the end. It’s maybe not outright condoning ragehead behavior, but it does offer a closing suggestion sort of like “it has its place/it’s a mixed blessing” that left me dumbfounded. I hope to see Ba drawing on a consistently great story sometime soon.

[Everett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it trying to figure out what age range it would appeal to and I am still not sure because of the domestic violence. Obviously there is a lot of violence in the book, but it would have been nice if the domestic violence was addressed/condemned if they are going to market it to kids ages 8+. Besides that I think it would interest kids age 11 and up, including adults.

The story itself I found to be arresting and impactful.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a young monster who is picked on by the other monsters until he meets an old monster who used to be the best wrestler in the world. Juni Ba only drew this and I didn't think it was as appealing as his previous work like Monkey Meat. I'm not a huge wrestling fan so a lot of this may have escaped me. The story just seemed very typical with no surprises.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting story and the art was so interesting, but I was also a little confused throughout and struggled to follow the flashbacks -- especially with a lot of characters introduced. But, the lesson about the cycle of toxic masculinity is compelling and prescient and the fight sequences will be eye-catching for people who like that kind of thing.

[Mariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I expected from the cover, and very pleasantly surprised. More mature topics than the more common fantasy graphic novels (it actually surprised me a few times, in a compelling way) and the character design/script/coloring were all incredibly charming. I wish it were twice as long! Sequel for Felix?

[Sem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juni Ba knocks it out of the park on art every single time and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou is an icon when it comes to lettering, but the script on this one didn't feel as strong as the other two key elements.

[Lauren]

This comic wasn't for me. I had a hard time understanding the art, it felt too blurry to me where I didn't really know what a monster looked like. The message of the story also fit a bit unclear and maybe, wrong? Not what I wanted I guess.

[Bedoorable · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great artwork. Some scenes felt like the dialogue and artwork were too busy, felt like it would've been better to spread out the panels and more text. Borrowed ebook.

[Dita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loveeeee the art, all the monsters just spot on.
The story though is a bit confusing, like it's not solved at some parts and rushed at the other parts.
Overall it's still an entertaining read.

[Bekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I find the words to describe all the emotions this made me feel I won't be able to shut up about it.

[Ed Erwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the author's first graphic novel, and it shows, though there is lots of promise. I love Ba's art and his style is well-suited to this tale of strange monsters beating up on each other.

[Nic Girouard · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up because the art was sublime and the character designs were super creative! Loved the use of panels!!

Story was a bit lacking, and it took me a minute to figure out what was happening, but the art more than makes up for it. Also, its an interesting look at breaking cycles and teaching future generations about our mistakes, but I felt like it could have used a bit more depth in its exploration.

All in all, had a good time with this one!