Juice Squeezers

Juice Squeezers #1-4

by David Lapham, Lee Loughridge (Illustrations)

Tunnels made by a legion of giant bugs crisscross the fields below Weeville, and only one thing can stop them from overrunning this quaint California the Juice Squeezers. A covert group comprised of scrawny tweens, the Squeezers are the only ones who can fit into the cramped subterranean battlefield and fight the insects on the frontlines! It's a daily battle, but one the Squeezers can manage . . . until a new kid moves to town and threatens to awaken the dormant bug population below the site of the deadliest Squeezers battle in history! 
A brand new creator-owned series for the whole family from David Lapham, the creator of  Stray Bullets ! A gory bug stomping all-ages romp!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Comic Book

128 pages, Paperback

First published August 6, 2014

Reviews

[Michael Cairns · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great fun. I could wax lyrical about David Lapham all day, but it would make for a dull review, so I'll be brief.
Lapham has a very specific art style that i love. His characters feel very true to life despite being simply rendered. He nails facial expressions and manages to say so much even in one panel through his use of body language.
Added to that, his dialogue is some of the best in the business. Foul, funny and slick in a Tarantino-esque way, it was nice to read it in this format, away from the harder edged nature of Stray Bullets.
Finally, I love the concept. Who doesn't love giant bugs? Some simple story tropes, such as the kid from out of town, the goonies-esque gang of kids and the grizzled commander with a strange resemblance to a marvel comics character didn't ever feel trite or clumsy and in most cases only added to the fun.
I'd love to read more Juice Squeezers and get to know the characters more. The subplot about Popper's dad signalled the way the series could really explore things more and it would be nice to see more of that.
Highly recommended, as with all Lapham's stuff.

[Stacey Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teens trying to save a local farm from bugs. Sounds easy enough right? But it isn't. These bugs are huge and aggressive and live underground in tunnels. The kids spend their time after school battling these insects, getting dirty, bitten and putting their lives in danger. When a new family buys the farm they aren't sure if they can trust the new kid. When Lizzy befriends Billy it causes tension in the team. Billy's an engineering inventor who finds a deep well and wants to get to the bottom of it...that's where the elevator comes in....but what will that do to the bugs living below? It's an exciting story with scary moments, compassion for those we don't understand, teen relationship conflicts and a bunch more.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book about a group of children who fight giant bugs underground and call themselves the Juice Squeezers. I'm honestly astonished David Lapham sold that idea to a publisher. It's not appealing.

Fortunately, the book itself is actually pretty good. The kids are unique individuals with mostly interesting stories to tell. The fact that this town is overrun with giant bugs is only partially explained, but the mysteries left for future volumes are actually kinda tantalizing. I mean, the whole way through, I was somewhat distracted by the strangeness of the concept, but it definitely grew on me. Should another volume ever come out, I'd pick it up.

[David Finger · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concept of the book seemed somewhat silly when I first started reading (about a group of high school kids who secretly fight giant bugs that are always threatening their town) but it actually does hold up after the story starts to flow. Sadly what doesn’t is the character development and the unanswered questions and unfulfilling conclusion. We get some of your usual teen subplots (school bullies, one of the Squeezers on a quest to find out who his dad was, another who has a crush on a girl, and of course the new kid who joins them) but I just don’t think their stories really ever developed in any meaningful way.

[Kurt Lorenz · Rating 3 out of 5]

0, Squish, ☆☆☆
1-4, The Great Bug Elevator, ☆☆☆

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really was an unexpected treat. I've read some of David Lapham's other work, Stray Bullets in particular, but am impressed that he can also do so well with a kids' title. Juice Squeezers is something of a cross between the movie Tremors (only with bugs) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a book about a group of kids who secretly fight the hordes of giant bugs seeking to destroy the crops in Weeville, California. Although Stray Bullets is certainly not a kids' title, Lapham often includes kids in those comics. He clearly understands them and knows how to write kid characters we want to root for. I didn't expect to like Juice Squeezers, but I think I'll keep reading this title.

[Nate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kids fighting giant bugs. That’s what Juice Squeezers is about, and it’s an okay read. The story is similar in tone to The Goonies, with a gang of kids going underground to fight monsters. There’s a legacy of bug fighting in their town which the bugs have infested for some reason (it’s not explained here). A new kid moves into the area, gets involved with the bugs, there’s drama, etc. Lapham’s art is the best part of the book. I really like his style, especially his Kirby eyes. The story is fun but nothing special, and younger readers will probably like it more than I did. The story is also clearly unfinished - I assume it was cancelled or maybe Lapham lost interest?

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books target demographic is middle school kids. This is not stray bullets or anything with an adult theme. Honestly wouldn't have read if I realized this when I bought the book

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun little all-ages book about kids battling giant bugs.

[Justin Decloux · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun idea with too many characters, not much forward momentum, and way too many unanswered questions. The characterizations are strong, but also aimless. Great art!