The Deadening

Dead Max Comix #1

by Dana Sullivan

Derrick Hollis is a 7th grader at Zachary Taylor Middle School and an aspiring cartoonist, too shy to show his work to anybody but his best friend Doug. When his dog Max dies, Derrick is left devastated. But then Max returns from the other side and starts to give Derrick advice. Derrick could use it, especially when it comes to affairs of the heart and standing up to bullies. When Derrick is too scared to ask his crush Kim to the Spring Fling, Max tells Derrick to "dog up!" and shake his tail on the dance floor. Will Dead Max be good for Derrick or lead him astray?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Dogs, Middle Grade, Death

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Laura]

This is a weird graphic novel about a dog that is dead by page 7. Yet, the whole rest of the book is about his ghost and the stuff he and Derrick, his owner, get into. Both in "real life" as well as in the comic book stories that Derrick writes.





A weird, silly story, about young love and well, death, and ghosts. Oh, and getting your comic strips into the school newspaper, which Max, the ghost, helps with as well.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Etienne]

2,5/5. Not my style of humor or comic. This wasn’t bad just not for me. Humor that could be good for older kids, around 10 years old maybe, it’s a bit «dark» kind of humor but nothing too bad, at least in my opinion.

[Karen Kline]

A graphic novel story about a boy and his dog. A dead dog, that is. Derrick is a wimpy kid type who gets coached and schooled by the spirit of his dead dog Max. Max as a literary foil to Derrick makes for hilarious antics as life plays out in school and home settings. The target audience will relate to Derrick.
Inset throughout are comics on lined yellow paper that Derrick has doodled. His comic art is Derrick's best way to express himself even when he is trying to escape from the pains of his parents' domestic issues. These bits present the messy life challenges that set this book apart from the typical.

Give to readers that enjoy Jerry Craft's _New Kid_ and Jarrett Krosoczka's _Hey, Kiddo_.

[Laurie Thompson]

This book has so much to love: a dog! comics! snarky middle-grade humor! and, perhaps surprisingly, serious situations handled sensitively and positively. The hilarious storyline is highly entertaining throughout and still manages to authentically convey emotional depth and complexity appropriate for the audience. There's a lot of heart here, and genuinely good characters navigating some challenging situations. The premise may sound depressing, but you'll love out loud AND be smiling by the time you reach the heartwarming and satisfying ending!

[J.D. DeHart]

Sharp, humorous, and creative. I enjoyed this graphic novel and would recommend it for a wide range of readers.

[Akemi]

My youngest daughter and I were browsing though Netgalley to look for a book to review. The cover of the Dead Max Comix Book 1: The Deadening by Dana Sullivan immediately caught our eyes. In addition, we got excited to see advance praise given to it by one of our favorite authors, Dav Pilkey! My youngest got super excited about it. It's a story about a boy named Derrick and his dog Max. Derrick is a 7th grader who is also an aspiring cartoonist. Max dies unexpectedly, but he returns as a ghost to follow Derrick and help guide him with his middle school social situations. We had fun reading it from the beginning to the end. It’s a silly fun story that is perfect for older kids. My daughter and I totally agree with Dav Pilkey’s advance praise, “ Dead Max is drop-dead funny!”, for this graphic novel. We highly recommend this book for kids 10 and up who are about to transition to middle school or already there. Adults can certainly enjoy this book too. Thank you Netgalley and Redchair Press for providing this fun and unique graphic novel to us for review in exchange for our honest opinion. We rate this graphic novel 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 / 5 ! We loved it so much that we ordered a real copy. We are now huge fans of Dead Max Comix! We look forward to its sequel Book 2: The Rocking Dead as well!!!!! Can’t wait!

[Josephine Sorrell]

This one starts off with a Big Bang as Max the beloved dog is chasing a cat and finds himself the victim of car tires. BUT, never fear Max is just dead and not gone. Oh yeah he doesn’t have legs and is kinda like a genie or maybe even Jimminy Cricket. (Yes, I realize Jimminy has legs.)
But alas, this is not a tale of woe. Even though Max is no longer with us in the flesh, his buoyant, joyous self still has a great presence.

Derrick Hollis is a white , basically shy, glasses wearing seventh grader. He loves Art and spending time with his dog, Max. As an introvert Derrick tries to avoid problems at school and his implied alcoholic mother by losing himself in his drawings with Max by his side. After Max is killed by a car, Derrick is understandably heartbroken, but wait here is when supernatural fun begins.

With Max by his side or maybe now he’s more like beside his ear, and unbeknownst to everyone else, Derrick finds the courage to stand up against bullies, show his art, and ask his crush to the dance.

There’s much slapstick humor depicted in text and drawings. This series opener is told in short, fast-paced chapters composed of very busy, full-color panels interspersed with Derrick’s own comics.

Younger readers may not get all the humor but most will find this book hilarious and yearn for more.

[Sym]

This is a story about a boy (Derrick) and his dog (Max) and the trials and tribulations of Middle School. It covers a lot of ground and is told at a rapid pace, especially Max's death. The characters are well-meaning and I believe Derrick's character. Max is funny and I like the fact he' doesn't dwell on being dead and embraces all life has to offer as a ghost. The sub-plots of the impact of Derrick's shyness (which is worth knowing as a child) and the school dance are realised well, but how death is characterised and managed throughout is this books main achievement. I definitely would have enjoyed this a lot as a child and been eager to read the rest in the series.

[Laurie Thompson]

This book has so much to love: a dog! comics! snarky middle-grade humor! and, perhaps surprisingly, serious situations handled sensitively and positively. The hilarious storyline is highly entertaining throughout and still manages to authentically convey emotional depth and complexity appropriate for the audience. There's a lot of heart here, and genuinely good characters navigating some challenging situations. The premise may sound depressing, but you'll love out loud AND be smiling by the time you reach the heartwarming and satisfying ending!

[raccoon reader]

July 2021- Abort abort! What was I thinking. A few pages in and I was like, NOT FOR SEVEN YEAR OLDS. I flipped to the back and saw the kid was in 7th grade. Mom. Fail. We aborted this one fairly early in and maybe he'll give it a chance a few years down the road. I should really pay more attention before checking these things out lol. I think this was recommended to me through a "if you like reading this, try this" type list. And maybe for some second graders this one is just fine...but um... it's a bit much for us just now. I told him to try again when he's closer to 7th grade haha!

[Lois Brandt]

Disclaimer: I know the author and have been a fan of this book from the very first sketches. The published book exceeded my high expectations.

Dead Max Comix nails both middle grade humor (at times biting, at times gross) and angst, with a very sympathetic take on serious issues.

I had many laugh-out-loud moments reading this book. Love the characters, the setting, and the story arc. The comic within the comic was fun and was woven nicely into the main story.

Highly recommended.

[Julie Thomas]

Holy smokes! Dead Max is hilarious. There is the perfect amount of middle school humor, awkwardness, and great drawings to keep my students interested, as well as just enough "adult" humor that goes over their 6th grade heads to keep me entertained. My students love graphic novels, and this one has been my favorite of all I have added to my library.
We can't wait to read more of Max's and Derrick's adventures!

[Tina Hoggatt]

Promising beginning of a new graphic novel series by an accomplished picture book author/illustrator. Kid-centric (middle school), funny, with a crush, school dilemmas, and trouble at home that opens up a whole new world for Derrick, our hero. Excuse me, MAX is the hero of this series, deceased though he may be. Who knew a good dog could keep helping you from beyond the grave?

[Penny lurkykitty]

The first book in a graphic novel series about a seventh grader, Derrick, and the ghost of his dog Max. Derrick is a cartoonist but is shy and lacks confidence. Max guides him through a lot of middle school challenges. Funny, but serious too. Will resonate with middle schoolers and upper elementary readers.

[Alicia]

Thank you netgalley for the chance to review. The deadening is a story about a boy and his dead dog and the adventures they have in life and in the graphic novel Derrick is making for school. I found the storyline very cute. I would think this book is meant for children around age 10.

[Gillian Allen]

So funny, even the table of contents had me laughing!

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Reshamad]

Meant for elementary/middle grade group of readers
This one did not resonate with me. I didn't enjoy the choice of language and style. I also didn't enjoy the art work.
Pass from me.

[momo]

“You call being the runt of the pack living?”

Why do cats always have to be the bad guys in a dog’s story? This ancient rivalry has got to stop!

That aside, I really adore this graphic novel. Having had my fair share of furry companions who stayed through my thicks and thins, I felt an instant connection with Derrick. The pain of losing a pet is unbearable, especially at a time when you feel like they are the only ones you’ve got. They see you at your worst and accept you at your weirdest (they usually do not have a choice), and will never judge you no matter what (at least, not out loud).

We don’t all get lucky enough to have our pets come back as ghosts. If we do, I cannot even begin to imagine what sort of things my cats (and a couple of dogs) are gonna say about me right now. Max may have been given the gift of human speech (and snark), but in his heart of hearts he is still a dog—Derrick’s dog. And even as a ghost dog, he proves to us what I guess we’ve always known all along: Our pets care and really do know us best.

I came into this comic expecting to laugh and just basically enjoy a silly story. What I got instead is a heartfelt tale of a boy too scared of his own potentials, and how his dead dog helped him open up and see that things really aren’t as bad as he thinks they are. It’s a story of acceptance, courage, and the importance of seeing and appreciating the people we have in our corners.

Oh and by the way, which note was Doug’s? ^^

I received a digital review copy of this book from Red Chair Press via NetGalley.

[Theediscerning]

A junior comic – no, seriously, don't come here thinking it's for all ages, as it isn't – where a young lad sees his pet dog run over, only for it to come back as a ghost. And once it's been cremated it can communicate with the kid, giving him all the street smarts it can possibly impart when it comes to bullies, and a girl he might like to sniff the butt of to see if she likes him or not. Kids will find it quite ribald, but I think part of that comes from it not seeming to have a clear focus on which age group it's for. Adults will find it a little silly, and the artwork not up to much.

[Hilary]

Whenever a pet dies, we all just wish they could be with us again. Well, for Derrick, that wish comes true. Max's ghost appears with his cremated remains, and helps Derrick navigate all the difficult matters of middle school. All in one, this book broke my heart and then swiftly put it back together again. It is clever, sweet, vibrant, and downright hilarious. The illustrations do a fantastic job of conveying all the emotions of being a 7th grader and dealing with love, loss, bullying, friendship, and other woes of growing up. I'll definitely hand to kiddos ages 8-12 in the library.

[Shanna]

“Dead Max” is knock-em-dead funny! A heartfelt and hilarious book about growing up, Dead Max: The Deadening by Dana Sullivan will make you believe in the power of pets. As if you didn’t already. 😉 I can’t wait for book 2!

[Peter Dixon]

Teenage angst, school, art, a prom and the ghost of a dead dog. It looks daft, and to be fair, it is a little bit. But it is also full of heart, positive and great fun.