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Travis Daventhorpe for the Win! #2
Travis Daventhorpe Powers Up!
Can a wimp like Travis Daventhorpe master the Legendary Sword of Legends and fulfill his cosmic destiny? For fans of Hilo and The Last Kids on Earth comes the second volume of this hilarious fantasy/sci-fi graphic novel series!
Travis Daventhorpe is destined to save the multiverse―at least, that’s what the prophecy says. But if he’s a legendary warrior in the making, shouldn’t he be a little better at sword fighting? With his engineering genius, Travis could develop technology to make himself unstoppable, but the wise sorcerer Bela says he needs to find his power within. Wherever he finds it, he better do it soon! The evil Nol Invictus, the ruler of the mystical realm Solusterra, is preparing a second attack―and this time, his lieutenant, the Rogue, has an army of velociborgs for backup!
From Wes Molebash comes the second volume in this pun-filled, video game–inspired, sci-fi fantasy adventures series. Join Travis Daventhorpe as he dodges bullies, forges friendships, and does his best to survive gym class . . . all while trying to fulfill his magical destiny!
Travis Daventhorpe is destined to save the multiverse―at least, that’s what the prophecy says. But if he’s a legendary warrior in the making, shouldn’t he be a little better at sword fighting? With his engineering genius, Travis could develop technology to make himself unstoppable, but the wise sorcerer Bela says he needs to find his power within. Wherever he finds it, he better do it soon! The evil Nol Invictus, the ruler of the mystical realm Solusterra, is preparing a second attack―and this time, his lieutenant, the Rogue, has an army of velociborgs for backup!
From Wes Molebash comes the second volume in this pun-filled, video game–inspired, sci-fi fantasy adventures series. Join Travis Daventhorpe as he dodges bullies, forges friendships, and does his best to survive gym class . . . all while trying to fulfill his magical destiny!
288 pages, Paperback
Published March 19, 2024
1 person is currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Wes Molebash
11 books32 followersWhen I was 10, my mom bought an instructional video cassette (That's right! VHS, baby!) that taught me how to draw newspaper comic strips. I watched that video until the tape wore out! Thanks to that video, I started drawing my own comics and sharing them with my friends and teachers at school. Later, in high school, my cartoons were published in the school newspaper. When the managing editor of the local newspaper came to speak to the journalism class, he noticed my comics and invited me to publish a daily comic strip in the Chillicothe Gazette. I felt like I had hit the BIG TIME!
Time passed, and in the mid 2000s I started pitching comics to comic book publishers. I landed a gig drawing a semi-daily webcomic for a small press comics publisher, and we published a couple book collections of my strip. As a result, my books were reviewed by magazines and I was interviewed on radio shows and podcasts! I even went to comic book conventions and comic book stores all across the country to meet readers and sign books! I REALLY felt like I had hit the BIG TIME!
In the 2010s, I struck out on my own and began freelancing and self-publishing my work. I've had the opportunity to work with some amazing organizations like Target, THE Ohio State University, and PBS Kids! I don't know about you, but that seems like the BIG TIME to me!
When I'm not drawing comics, I'm spending time with my family at our palatial estate in Paris, France. And by "palatial estate in Paris, France" I mean "modest two-story home in Southern Ohio."
I am repped by Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary Agency.
Time passed, and in the mid 2000s I started pitching comics to comic book publishers. I landed a gig drawing a semi-daily webcomic for a small press comics publisher, and we published a couple book collections of my strip. As a result, my books were reviewed by magazines and I was interviewed on radio shows and podcasts! I even went to comic book conventions and comic book stores all across the country to meet readers and sign books! I REALLY felt like I had hit the BIG TIME!
In the 2010s, I struck out on my own and began freelancing and self-publishing my work. I've had the opportunity to work with some amazing organizations like Target, THE Ohio State University, and PBS Kids! I don't know about you, but that seems like the BIG TIME to me!
When I'm not drawing comics, I'm spending time with my family at our palatial estate in Paris, France. And by "palatial estate in Paris, France" I mean "modest two-story home in Southern Ohio."
I am repped by Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 13, 2024
All the characters from book one are there, Travis and his birthmarked hand; Bela, the wizard from another dimension, his friend Juniper, and his old foe. Of course the villains are there, too. And some surprises as well. Set up as a coming-of-age and video game, this younger graphic novel is fast paced and fun. The illustrations are bold, colorful, simple, and fun. They help push the story forward, allowing for the humor to come out.
December 6, 2024
Travis Daventhorpe, the prophesied hero of Slusterra, a kingdom in another universe, continues his training with Bela as he prepares alongside Juniper to stop the plans of Nol Invictus to destroy the multiverse and recreate it for his purposes.
June 7, 2023
The artwork on this graphic novel was nicely done and the story was definitely full of action. I thought the 'achievement unlocked' and 'new move' video game vibe was super cute, as well as the character stats when introducing the main players (and parents).
Here is where I had a hard time with this story. First, this was a sequel and there was no real background up front. Anything we missed by not reading the first book in the series had to be pieced together as the story went along, some of it not even until 3/4 of the way through. Second, the characters were just okay. I ended up liking Trav-bot better than I liked Travis, and I'm not sure if that was intentional or not. Also, I know they were trying to do a 'don't judge a book by its cover' with Derek, but it was so quick that I still couldn't get behind Juniper being his friend when he was always such a jerk to Travis.
While I think the target audience will enjoy this book based on action and fun level I just feel like there was a lot of missed opportunity for a deeper storyline. Unless the purpose of this was a faith versus science hidden religion discussion?
Personally 2.5 stars rounded up for the target audience appeal.
Here is where I had a hard time with this story. First, this was a sequel and there was no real background up front. Anything we missed by not reading the first book in the series had to be pieced together as the story went along, some of it not even until 3/4 of the way through. Second, the characters were just okay. I ended up liking Trav-bot better than I liked Travis, and I'm not sure if that was intentional or not. Also, I know they were trying to do a 'don't judge a book by its cover' with Derek, but it was so quick that I still couldn't get behind Juniper being his friend when he was always such a jerk to Travis.
While I think the target audience will enjoy this book based on action and fun level I just feel like there was a lot of missed opportunity for a deeper storyline. Unless the purpose of this was a faith versus science hidden religion discussion?
Personally 2.5 stars rounded up for the target audience appeal.
April 23, 2024
Travis has the legendary sword and a magical mentor, Bela, not to mention a pretty amazing set of best friends, Juniper and Travbot, to train with him, but he can't seem to get his promised powers to show up. He thinks he can figure out a fix with tech, but Bela is certain it is rooted in Travis' lack of faith in the Creatrix. As a winter storm blows into town, Nol Invictus and his minion The Rogue are plotting a battle to steal the Legendary Sword of Legend from Travis. Can Travis figure out how to save the day, or will this battle go as badly as all the practice sessions lately?
I love that in the background of all the excitement, there's a duo of very average guys who have discovered the wormhole on the edge of town and are having fun chucking stuff through it while also adopting a lost dinosaur. Molebash knows how to pack in a lot of fun elements with android velociraptors vs mech suits and kids with magical powers. He also weaves in some pretty deep conversations about whether science and faith can mix or not. There's a surprisingly lot to chew on in this middle grade techy/magical chosen one graphic novel.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: There is a battle and one person is thought possibly dead and another has a dino bite, but thanks to magic those with injuries are quickly healed (and neither are very gory).
Ethnic diversity: Travis is White, Juniper has darker skin tones and speaks Spanish with her mother, Bela appears to be Black.
LGBTQ+ content: A substitute teacher has the prefix Mx.
Other: Travis experiences some bullying at school. We learn the bully has parents who don't really care where he is and get hints it may not be an ideal home experience for him. Extended philosophical discussions about faith and science may trigger some readers to want to talk to an adult about such things.
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I love that in the background of all the excitement, there's a duo of very average guys who have discovered the wormhole on the edge of town and are having fun chucking stuff through it while also adopting a lost dinosaur. Molebash knows how to pack in a lot of fun elements with android velociraptors vs mech suits and kids with magical powers. He also weaves in some pretty deep conversations about whether science and faith can mix or not. There's a surprisingly lot to chew on in this middle grade techy/magical chosen one graphic novel.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: There is a battle and one person is thought possibly dead and another has a dino bite, but thanks to magic those with injuries are quickly healed (and neither are very gory).
Ethnic diversity: Travis is White, Juniper has darker skin tones and speaks Spanish with her mother, Bela appears to be Black.
LGBTQ+ content: A substitute teacher has the prefix Mx.
Other: Travis experiences some bullying at school. We learn the bully has parents who don't really care where he is and get hints it may not be an ideal home experience for him. Extended philosophical discussions about faith and science may trigger some readers to want to talk to an adult about such things.
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 27, 2024
Graphic Novel
I received an electronic ARC from First Second Books through NetGalley.
Book two in this series picks up shortly after the first book ended. Travis and Juniper along with Travbot are still learning to fight. Travis is not able to do much with his sword of destiny but he tries in his own ways. Readers see him spend most of the book figuring out how science and faith work for him. Molebash continues to develop his characters and adds new ones to move the story forward. Readers see more depth to each as they prepare for the next battle. The story ends with the defeat of the Rogue and the dinosaur army but offers a look at Nol Invictus next plan. Don't miss the side story at the end along with character information. The artwork is fun to study to pick up more clues to the story. I love the farm story as Bobby and Carl play with the portal. Don't miss the second Epilogue to see the humor on the other side.
Molebash offers humor along with some serious undertones as the series continues.
I received an electronic ARC from First Second Books through NetGalley.
Book two in this series picks up shortly after the first book ended. Travis and Juniper along with Travbot are still learning to fight. Travis is not able to do much with his sword of destiny but he tries in his own ways. Readers see him spend most of the book figuring out how science and faith work for him. Molebash continues to develop his characters and adds new ones to move the story forward. Readers see more depth to each as they prepare for the next battle. The story ends with the defeat of the Rogue and the dinosaur army but offers a look at Nol Invictus next plan. Don't miss the side story at the end along with character information. The artwork is fun to study to pick up more clues to the story. I love the farm story as Bobby and Carl play with the portal. Don't miss the second Epilogue to see the humor on the other side.
Molebash offers humor along with some serious undertones as the series continues.
April 22, 2024
Another excellent Travis Daventhorpe story but this one has some problems:
1) The author spends looong sections of the book having a discussion about faith vs science. In the end, the faith proves true but the author still basically tries to apologize for faith and justify ‘hey it’s cool if you have no faith too, that’s fine, whatever. What does the author want to say? He clearly grapples with questions of faith and has some personal faith but what’s the point of working that into your book if you’re just going to apologize for it?
2) A non-binary character is introduced in a small section. He goes by ‘Mx’ instead of ‘Mr.’ Really not cool. I’d really like to continue this series but the author is losing my trust.
1) The author spends looong sections of the book having a discussion about faith vs science. In the end, the faith proves true but the author still basically tries to apologize for faith and justify ‘hey it’s cool if you have no faith too, that’s fine, whatever. What does the author want to say? He clearly grapples with questions of faith and has some personal faith but what’s the point of working that into your book if you’re just going to apologize for it?
2) A non-binary character is introduced in a small section. He goes by ‘Mx’ instead of ‘Mr.’ Really not cool. I’d really like to continue this series but the author is losing my trust.
August 15, 2023
Thank you so much to Wes Molebash and Netgalley for giving me this eARC. I don’t read a lot of comic books but I absolutely will after this. I loved how silly and magical this was. The designs were so detailed and I loved the style of introducing all the characters like in a video game with stats. Even though it’s geared toward children, anyone of any age can find enjoyment in reading this book. Check it out on March 19, 2024!
June 1, 2024
What a cool follow up to Travis Daventhorpe for the Win (#1) ! Wes is a good friend of mine and I am excited for him and the opportunity he has to share his talent and art. This is a cool series that you should add to your library. Read this series to your kids. Pass it along for them to read on their own to see the incredible artwork and follow along with this storyline. Well done, Wes! Congratulations my friend! Much love and success!
November 8, 2023
A fun and entertaining graphic novel, with a healthy dose of good vs bad put within the story. Loved the drawings and the video-game-ish vibe this book has! Although, of course, the main story was not about a video game. This might be the perfect book for those middle-grade kids who want to play games more than read books – I can absolutely see those kids loving this story.
March 20, 2024
This was such a fun action packed book! My son especially loved the way the characters and stories were described in game mode. He loved the first book and was so excited to get to read an early copy of the second. He also really loves the side quest at the end. Overall a great book!
I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 23, 2023
This is very kid friendly, great graphics and good storyline. In the story it’s about believing in oneself and having faith…a good vs evil element that also is like a video game dynamic. This was a very fun book.
February 14, 2025
This was a fun follow-up to the first book in the series, expanding our party of adventurers and adding depth to the existing characters. As with the first book, the art is great (and definitely work that Molebash's hero Bill Watterson would be proud of).
March 22, 2025
The tinges of "afterschool special" conversations are offset by some great twists, clever Easter eggs, and thoughtful bits of philosophy/theology.
And, yes, the series is still aimed at kids.
Looking forward to the final book!
And, yes, the series is still aimed at kids.
Looking forward to the final book!
August 26, 2023
Reviewed by my 10yo - He thought it was funny and liked the characters. He would read more about them. He liked the action. It passed his approval, and he reads a lot of graphic novels.
May 10, 2024
I really enjoy how this book explores faith and science, and how the two don’t have to negate each other.
It’s also cartoony and entertaining.
It’s also cartoony and entertaining.
April 28, 2025
I felt like I missed a lot by not reading the first book in the series
August 23, 2025
Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
October 10, 2024
Book 2 in series
There's a prophecy that says Travis is destined to save the universe. He thinks if that is true, he should be better at sword fighting - or at least be able to use technology to make it so Nol Invictus can't beat him. However, his mentor disagrees and makes Travis continue to practice the old fashioned way. Meanwhile his opponent is preparing for another attack and with a secret weapon!
Fans of TD #1 will be happy to see a sequel. It is a good fit for students who are looking for something with video game-like connections (but no actual gaming!), action, and humor.
There's a prophecy that says Travis is destined to save the universe. He thinks if that is true, he should be better at sword fighting - or at least be able to use technology to make it so Nol Invictus can't beat him. However, his mentor disagrees and makes Travis continue to practice the old fashioned way. Meanwhile his opponent is preparing for another attack and with a secret weapon!
Fans of TD #1 will be happy to see a sequel. It is a good fit for students who are looking for something with video game-like connections (but no actual gaming!), action, and humor.
December 30, 2023
The second book in this sci-fi graphic novel series is just as good as the first! Our adventure continues and the book powers up just as the title insinuates! It is full of action, our epic characters, and, of course, more adventures in the multi-verse. I really love this series and so many kid readers (like Trent!) will, too!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews