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Tin Man: A Graphic Novel
A debut YA graphic novel about unlikely friends, Justin Madson’s Tin Man is the story of the title character seeking a heart and a high schooler trying to come to terms with the death of her grandmother.
Solar is in her last year of high school and is reeling from the recent death of her grandmother. She has abandoned her plans for the future and fallen in with a bad crowd. Her little brother, Fenn, doesn’t understand why she’s changed—she doesn’t even want to help him build their rocket in the garage anymore.
Campbell is a tin woodsman—a clunky metal man whose sole purpose in life is to chop down trees. He longs for more, however, and decides to seek out a heart, believing that, with one, he will be able to feel things he has never felt before and, therefore, change his life.
Equal parts The Iron Giant , The Wizard of Oz , Edward Scissorhands , and Freaks and Geeks , Tin Man is a story about finding friendship in the unlikeliest of places.
“Creatively explores growing up, loneliness, and loss . . . The bright, angular illustrations emphasize the isolation and yearning felt by the three protagonists as they weather small-town life.” — Horn Book
Solar is in her last year of high school and is reeling from the recent death of her grandmother. She has abandoned her plans for the future and fallen in with a bad crowd. Her little brother, Fenn, doesn’t understand why she’s changed—she doesn’t even want to help him build their rocket in the garage anymore.
Campbell is a tin woodsman—a clunky metal man whose sole purpose in life is to chop down trees. He longs for more, however, and decides to seek out a heart, believing that, with one, he will be able to feel things he has never felt before and, therefore, change his life.
Equal parts The Iron Giant , The Wizard of Oz , Edward Scissorhands , and Freaks and Geeks , Tin Man is a story about finding friendship in the unlikeliest of places.
“Creatively explores growing up, loneliness, and loss . . . The bright, angular illustrations emphasize the isolation and yearning felt by the three protagonists as they weather small-town life.” — Horn Book
224 pages, Hardcover
Published April 19, 2022
7 people are currently reading
2261 people want to read
About the author
Justin Madson
10 books42 followersJustin Madson is a self-taught cartoonist who has been telling stories through comic books and graphic novels for nearly two decades. Over the years he has created a number of graphic novels, including the post-apocalyptic tale Breathers, and Carbon, a supernatural mystery. Madson’s forthcomic graphic novel with Abrams/Amulet Books is Tin Man, a young adult graphic novel about unlikely friends—a tin man seeking a heart and a high schooler trying to come to terms with the death of her grandmother. He lives in a small town in Wisconsin with his wife, two kids, two dogs, and a slew of backyard chickens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
April 9, 2022
In a Nutshell: An interesting YA graphic novel about an unusual friendship between a Tin Man and a young pair of school-going siblings.
Story:
The Goodreads blurb calls this “equal parts The Iron Giant, The Wizard of Oz, Edward Scissorhands, and Freaks and Geeks” I had assumed this to be an exaggeration but no! For a change, the blurb gets the book comparisons perfectly. The greatest inspiration is very clearly ‘The Wizard of Oz’, with multiple Easter eggs paying ode to the L. Frank Baum classic.
Tin Man is a story about with multiple themes – family, friendship, grief, hope, and determination. It does justice to most of these. It beautifully covers the idea of losing your mojo after grief and finding it back, sometimes with the help of friends, sometimes with family.
The story begins quite slowly and I was wondering where the author was going with the random scenes changes in every chapter. But soon the story comes together and builds up to a lovely finale. There are certain things that stay unexplained and some elements that are quite clichéd. If these had been detailed out better, this would have been a 5 star read for me.
The illustrations in my ARC were B&W but there was a sample page with colour illustrations. Based on that page, I think the final product will look wonderful. The artwork is simple and complements the story without dragging attention away from it.
Overall, a serious and insightful graphic novel with lots of points to ponder upon.
4.25 stars.
My thanks to Amulet Books and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “Tin Man”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
Story:
Fenn, a young teenager, finds a tin man named Campbell while he is searching for metal scraps in the dump yard to build his rocket ship. This was a project he had started with his elder sister Solar but after the death of their grandmother, Solar is struggling to come to terms with her emotions and has hanged her entire lifestyle.
Campbell had sought to find a mechanical heart in order to feel more emotions, but when he finally got one, it didn’t work out exactly as he had expected.
How the lives of these three characters will intertwine henceforth forms the crux of the story. Will Campbell accept his heart once again? Will Solar be able to overcome her grief and get her life back on track? Will Fenn finally get to complete his beloved spaceship?
The Goodreads blurb calls this “equal parts The Iron Giant, The Wizard of Oz, Edward Scissorhands, and Freaks and Geeks” I had assumed this to be an exaggeration but no! For a change, the blurb gets the book comparisons perfectly. The greatest inspiration is very clearly ‘The Wizard of Oz’, with multiple Easter eggs paying ode to the L. Frank Baum classic.
Tin Man is a story about with multiple themes – family, friendship, grief, hope, and determination. It does justice to most of these. It beautifully covers the idea of losing your mojo after grief and finding it back, sometimes with the help of friends, sometimes with family.
The story begins quite slowly and I was wondering where the author was going with the random scenes changes in every chapter. But soon the story comes together and builds up to a lovely finale. There are certain things that stay unexplained and some elements that are quite clichéd. If these had been detailed out better, this would have been a 5 star read for me.
The illustrations in my ARC were B&W but there was a sample page with colour illustrations. Based on that page, I think the final product will look wonderful. The artwork is simple and complements the story without dragging attention away from it.
Overall, a serious and insightful graphic novel with lots of points to ponder upon.
4.25 stars.
My thanks to Amulet Books and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “Tin Man”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
June 30, 2022
This had a bit of a slow start, but once I got into it, I really enjoyed it. The art was unique and I thought it went well with the story. The characters were all interesting and I loved the new view of Wizard of Oz. It was short enough to binge in one sitting, so I won’t go into detail. I recommend this to Wizard of Oz revision lovers who are open minded.
March 19, 2023
A fairly typical tale about an angsty teen tossing aside her good girl image to hang with some juvenile delinquents is jazzed up by making it an homage to The Wizard of Oz. Her tale parallels and intersects with Campbell, the titular Tin Man, a homeless android with daddy issues (robots have daddies!?!?).
The story is too slow, dull, and predictable (an impending tornado is telegraphed over and over). It is shelved with the YA graphic novels at my library, but the simplicity of the tale screams middle school. The art is reminiscent of Jeff Lemire's, with most characters sharing the same two faces -- usually stuck in emotional neutral -- with a mix of different hairstyles to differentiate them.
Morose meh.
The story is too slow, dull, and predictable (an impending tornado is telegraphed over and over). It is shelved with the YA graphic novels at my library, but the simplicity of the tale screams middle school. The art is reminiscent of Jeff Lemire's, with most characters sharing the same two faces -- usually stuck in emotional neutral -- with a mix of different hairstyles to differentiate them.
Morose meh.
August 6, 2022
✨ "Have you... ever wanted something so badly... that you hoped and wished and dreamed about it constantly? And then when you finally got it... it ended up not being what you thought?"
4.5⭐
I loved this beautifully illustrated graphic novel about family, friendship, feelings and finding your place in the world. It also tackles themes of grief and loss realistically but with empathy. I went into the book blind so I didn't realise it was inspired by The Wizard Of Oz or that it would give me The Iron Giant vibes, so those were lovely surprises!
I got very attached to the characters and was so anxious that something bad would happen to Campbell. There was a particular scene involving him and his father that left me a bit confused but overall, this is a wonderful and heartwarming read that gave me the fuzzies. So enjoyable!
Note: Error on Page 105 - "...you've got another thing coming." The correct phrase is "think", not "thing".
4.5⭐
I loved this beautifully illustrated graphic novel about family, friendship, feelings and finding your place in the world. It also tackles themes of grief and loss realistically but with empathy. I went into the book blind so I didn't realise it was inspired by The Wizard Of Oz or that it would give me The Iron Giant vibes, so those were lovely surprises!
I got very attached to the characters and was so anxious that something bad would happen to Campbell. There was a particular scene involving him and his father that left me a bit confused but overall, this is a wonderful and heartwarming read that gave me the fuzzies. So enjoyable!
Note: Error on Page 105 - "...you've got another thing coming." The correct phrase is "think", not "thing".
September 15, 2022
An interesting small town story about a sister who's grieving and a family that's broken by family tragedy. The Oz stuff is a bit odd since it uses Oz images and names, but is basically a totally separate story. The brother and sister stuff is pretty great. The Tin Man of the story could have been a cool humanoid robot and it would have worked just as well.
My biggest hang up is that the sister's boyfriend Merrick is such a tool that it boggles the mind as to why she would put up with his nonsense. He's so over-the-top villainous that he basically throws a soda at a movie poster for *gasp* daring to have subtitles. So when the sister is like "Sometime's he's nice" I'm going "This guy has never been nice. What are you talking about lol"
My biggest hang up is that the sister's boyfriend Merrick is such a tool that it boggles the mind as to why she would put up with his nonsense. He's so over-the-top villainous that he basically throws a soda at a movie poster for *gasp* daring to have subtitles. So when the sister is like "Sometime's he's nice" I'm going "This guy has never been nice. What are you talking about lol"
June 19, 2025
Maybe I’m a Wizard of Oz freak or Wicked just made me extremely emotional after that first time watch, but Tin Man had me in tears by the end. Great opening, loved the world building and parallels. Honestly need a sequel with perhaps the scarecrow? The lion? Dottie? There’s so much to go over, but maybe I’m being too hopeful 😍
August 8, 2024
This was so sweet. It packed a lot of heart.
July 18, 2022
A middle grade graphic about a boy who finds a tin man in the junkyard. The tin man helps bridge the distance between the boy and his older sister who is going through a hard time after their grandmother died. It was okay. The bully was really nasty and I didn't care for the art style but the story is solid.
January 11, 2023
This was weird. But charming. I liked it!
A tin man learns having a heart is harder than it looks; searching for direction. Solar, a girl in STEM, feels directionless without her grandma to guide her. Fenn, her younger brother just wants his old sister back before she met her horrid friends. In the midst of all this are small easter eggs to the Wizard of Oz.
3.5
A tin man learns having a heart is harder than it looks; searching for direction. Solar, a girl in STEM, feels directionless without her grandma to guide her. Fenn, her younger brother just wants his old sister back before she met her horrid friends. In the midst of all this are small easter eggs to the Wizard of Oz.
3.5
November 30, 2022
I over all liked the book, it made me think about relationships with others and also how we treat others. Overall I really enjoyed this book and I do recommend for others to read!
December 27, 2025
A weird little story about dealing with tough emotions that happens to be set in pre-Dorothy Oz. I dig it.
August 4, 2023
I loved it It was a lovey story at first originally i thought it was going to be about the tin man we see in the movies and about his life and I’m glad it’s about a different tin man I thought thier was only one but I was wrong . Campbell and fenn friendship is amazing and they are best friends and also solor goes through so much but I’m glad about her ending she belonged thier . And Campbell was adorable I LOVE THIS BOOK !
May 12, 2022
A wonderful debut coming of age Graphic Novel. It's billed as a young adult title but both high school and middle school readers could get a lot out of this. It is a lengthy read clocking in at 220 pages. Leaves the reader with a great message. Undertones of The Wizard of Oz that will keep the fans reading until the end.
September 4, 2024
This one takes readers back to Oz where home this time is not over the rainbow, but instead, it’s where the heart is. So it’s a deeper dig into the story of the Tin Man. Tin Man 2.0 as it were. The art was imaginative and surreally original…if that’s a word.
Read
September 12, 2022Interesting take on the Oz story. Art was pleasantly weird.
December 27, 2022
I love a good retelling. I really enjoyed seeing how the pieces fit together.
Read
October 7, 2023Good illustrations. The tin man is like the iron giant almost- but this has lots of references to wizard of Oz.
Tin man finds a hearts, experiences heartbreak, and doesn’t know whether having a heart is worth it. Also shows a teenage girl rebelling after losing her grandmother and her brother feeling the loss of her of presence. It was ok but nothing great.
Tin man finds a hearts, experiences heartbreak, and doesn’t know whether having a heart is worth it. Also shows a teenage girl rebelling after losing her grandmother and her brother feeling the loss of her of presence. It was ok but nothing great.
November 24, 2023
so sad 😭 but cute and relatable
Read
September 9, 2022DNF-ed :(
September 19, 2023
Imagine the Jimmy Neutron / Fairly Oddparents crossover special, but it's... The Wizard of Oz and Freaks and Geeks?
Or, more accurately, as the inside flap reads, Tin Man is "equal parts The Iron Giant, The Wizard of Oz, Edward Scissorhands, and Freaks and Geeks." I can respect wearing your influences on your sleeve, and hey, I love Freaks and Geeks and The Iron Giant. But in this graphic novel, I cannot say that the whole ended up being more than the sum of the parts.
Pretty much all the themes can be summed up with reference to the above titles: from the Iron Giant we get an unexpected friendship with a wholesome metal being, from Edward Scissorhands we get a weird & pure soul dropped into a cruel world, from Freaks and Geeks we get... a lot. More on that in a second. From The Wizard of Oz we get a tale of unexpected friendship, and a bunch of name drops. And there's not much more to be said -- I don't think any of these stories are really built on in an interesting way here.
So, Freaks and Geeks. It's cool to love Freaks and Geeks and want to make something inspired by it, but dang, when you're at the point of having written an army-jacket wearing high schooler with a nerdy little brother who is depressed following the passing of her grandma and so has abandoned her exceptional academic career in favor of some burnout friends to the dismay of her guidance counselor, you might want to switch some details around so the teacher doesn't know you copied your classmate's work. (Clearly the author isn't actually trying to plagiarize, I just don't know what the appeal is supposed to be of such an exact copy.)
Essentially, if this is the Wizard of Oz / Freaks and Geeks crossover, which doesn't quite seem like a match made in heaven, exploring the pairing in a fairly short story means there isn't time to get much into depth with either side of it. As such, the Tin Man's story of feeling like a fish out of water among the other tin men, wanting to be like humans with a heart, feels too simplistic to be emotionally affecting; and most of the rest follows suit, with characterization and plot development being thin to the point that things just kind of pass by. In Freaks and Geeks, Lindsay's friends could be mean, sure, but each of them had depth and complexity. Here, all of Solar's new friends are just unadulterated assholes, unable to have any attention in the story without doing the meanest thing they could possibly be doing at any time. This type of black and white portrayal makes it harder for me to emotionally engage with the story.
Beyond that, the dialogue doesn't doesn't read very fluidly, and I wasn't huge on the art either. Most specifically with the art, the choice to draw the eyes as tiny little white circles was both not super nice to look at, and also seems like it took away opportunity to give the characters more emotive expressions.
This left me pretty blank. I like the theme of unexpected friendship, and some of the visual media the author drew from. But, I cannot say that anything specific about the execution appealed to me.
Or, more accurately, as the inside flap reads, Tin Man is "equal parts The Iron Giant, The Wizard of Oz, Edward Scissorhands, and Freaks and Geeks." I can respect wearing your influences on your sleeve, and hey, I love Freaks and Geeks and The Iron Giant. But in this graphic novel, I cannot say that the whole ended up being more than the sum of the parts.
Pretty much all the themes can be summed up with reference to the above titles: from the Iron Giant we get an unexpected friendship with a wholesome metal being, from Edward Scissorhands we get a weird & pure soul dropped into a cruel world, from Freaks and Geeks we get... a lot. More on that in a second. From The Wizard of Oz we get a tale of unexpected friendship, and a bunch of name drops. And there's not much more to be said -- I don't think any of these stories are really built on in an interesting way here.
So, Freaks and Geeks. It's cool to love Freaks and Geeks and want to make something inspired by it, but dang, when you're at the point of having written an army-jacket wearing high schooler with a nerdy little brother who is depressed following the passing of her grandma and so has abandoned her exceptional academic career in favor of some burnout friends to the dismay of her guidance counselor, you might want to switch some details around so the teacher doesn't know you copied your classmate's work. (Clearly the author isn't actually trying to plagiarize, I just don't know what the appeal is supposed to be of such an exact copy.)
Essentially, if this is the Wizard of Oz / Freaks and Geeks crossover, which doesn't quite seem like a match made in heaven, exploring the pairing in a fairly short story means there isn't time to get much into depth with either side of it. As such, the Tin Man's story of feeling like a fish out of water among the other tin men, wanting to be like humans with a heart, feels too simplistic to be emotionally affecting; and most of the rest follows suit, with characterization and plot development being thin to the point that things just kind of pass by. In Freaks and Geeks, Lindsay's friends could be mean, sure, but each of them had depth and complexity. Here, all of Solar's new friends are just unadulterated assholes, unable to have any attention in the story without doing the meanest thing they could possibly be doing at any time. This type of black and white portrayal makes it harder for me to emotionally engage with the story.
Beyond that, the dialogue doesn't doesn't read very fluidly, and I wasn't huge on the art either. Most specifically with the art, the choice to draw the eyes as tiny little white circles was both not super nice to look at, and also seems like it took away opportunity to give the characters more emotive expressions.
This left me pretty blank. I like the theme of unexpected friendship, and some of the visual media the author drew from. But, I cannot say that anything specific about the execution appealed to me.
April 11, 2022
This is a spoiler free review.
Tin Man is a deeply emotional story about friendship and getting through tough times together. It is darker in tone than expected, but I really enjoyed reading it. There are so many themes in this terrific graphic novel including friendship, coping with death, bullying, being different, sibling bonding, and more. This story truly has a lot of heart.
In Tin Man we get to see two siblings, Solar and her younger brother, Fenn, bond with a tin man named, Campbell. The tin man from the Wizard of Oz has a name, a family, and a very relatable back story in this unique graphic novel. Plus we might finally get to see what it would be like, if I only had a heart!
Tin Man has a pair of siblings as the main characters of the story. Solar is a senior in High School. She’s dealing with a death in the family which has affected all aspects of her life. She’s given up on her dreams and pushed her family away. She’s especially pushed away her younger brother, Fenn. Fenn is a bit of loner at school. He’s more interested in reading comics and dreaming about the stars than school or anything else. Before the death in the family Solar and Fenn were really close. They were building a spaceship in their garage / tool shed. Now, Solar has given up on working on the space rocket which has deeply hurt Fenn.
At a time when both Solar and Fenn need to get out of their respective funks, they both find hope and friendship with Campbell, the tin man from the Tin Forest. Campbell forms special bonds with both kids. During the story we really see how much heart Campbell has and how his mechanical heart helps inspire both siblings.
Tin Man is a fun story that makes reference to the original L. Frank Baum The Wizard of Oz stories and the Judy Garland film. There is a storm, a tornado, a tin man who has an oil can he needs to use quite often, and much more. As you read Tin Man keep your eyes out for easter eggs in the artwork and in the story.
The illustrations in Tin Man are beautiful. The copy of Tin Man I was given is an ARC that’s entirely in black and white. I read the final version of this graphic novel will include artwork in full color. I like the black and white artwork in this version of the book, I thought the illustrations complimented the story so well. The stark black and white art reminds me so much of the beginning of The Wizard of Oz movie. As I read Tin Man I thought for sure at some point the illustrations would transform into bright full color. To see the art gradually change from black and white to color would have been the perfect homage to the film.
If you enjoy The Wizard of Oz series of novels or the film you will love this wonderful graphic novel that has a lot of heart, emotion, and grief. Tin Man also reminds me so much of The Iron Giant, two stories about kids who befriend metal men who have more heart than some human characters.
Stay awesome and keep reading!
Tin Man
Creative Team:
Written and Illustrated by Justin Madson
Tin Man is a deeply emotional story about friendship and getting through tough times together. It is darker in tone than expected, but I really enjoyed reading it. There are so many themes in this terrific graphic novel including friendship, coping with death, bullying, being different, sibling bonding, and more. This story truly has a lot of heart.
In Tin Man we get to see two siblings, Solar and her younger brother, Fenn, bond with a tin man named, Campbell. The tin man from the Wizard of Oz has a name, a family, and a very relatable back story in this unique graphic novel. Plus we might finally get to see what it would be like, if I only had a heart!
Tin Man has a pair of siblings as the main characters of the story. Solar is a senior in High School. She’s dealing with a death in the family which has affected all aspects of her life. She’s given up on her dreams and pushed her family away. She’s especially pushed away her younger brother, Fenn. Fenn is a bit of loner at school. He’s more interested in reading comics and dreaming about the stars than school or anything else. Before the death in the family Solar and Fenn were really close. They were building a spaceship in their garage / tool shed. Now, Solar has given up on working on the space rocket which has deeply hurt Fenn.
At a time when both Solar and Fenn need to get out of their respective funks, they both find hope and friendship with Campbell, the tin man from the Tin Forest. Campbell forms special bonds with both kids. During the story we really see how much heart Campbell has and how his mechanical heart helps inspire both siblings.
Tin Man is a fun story that makes reference to the original L. Frank Baum The Wizard of Oz stories and the Judy Garland film. There is a storm, a tornado, a tin man who has an oil can he needs to use quite often, and much more. As you read Tin Man keep your eyes out for easter eggs in the artwork and in the story.
The illustrations in Tin Man are beautiful. The copy of Tin Man I was given is an ARC that’s entirely in black and white. I read the final version of this graphic novel will include artwork in full color. I like the black and white artwork in this version of the book, I thought the illustrations complimented the story so well. The stark black and white art reminds me so much of the beginning of The Wizard of Oz movie. As I read Tin Man I thought for sure at some point the illustrations would transform into bright full color. To see the art gradually change from black and white to color would have been the perfect homage to the film.
If you enjoy The Wizard of Oz series of novels or the film you will love this wonderful graphic novel that has a lot of heart, emotion, and grief. Tin Man also reminds me so much of The Iron Giant, two stories about kids who befriend metal men who have more heart than some human characters.
Stay awesome and keep reading!
Tin Man
Creative Team:
Written and Illustrated by Justin Madson
March 24, 2022
Note: I read an early copy of this book that was in black and white but the final copy will be in full color. I believe this took away from my experience of the book, as the artwork was less appealing and engaging than it would be if I had seen the full color version.
When Fenn comes across a Tin Man in a junkyard, he’s excited to bring him home and show him the rocket ship he’s been working on. Ever since his sister Solar started hanging out with new friends, she hasn’t had time for Fenn and their project, even though they used to do everything together. Campbell, the Tin Man, left home to get a heart, but by the time Fenn finds him, he’s feeling lost and unsure about whether this was the best choice.
This was truly a character story rather than a plot based book. The first half was really slow, with a lot of time spent setting up the backstory and explaining who the characters are. Occasionally, there would be a flashback to when Campbell lived with his father; this was a little confusing at first since it wasn’t clear what was happening. Care was given to setting up the relationship between Fenn and Solar - how it used to be and what it had become. A few times I found myself wondering what the point of the book even was, and it really took sticking to the final third or so of the book for it to make itself clear.
I think the biggest issue for me is the way this book takes inspiration from the Wizard of Oz while obviously being a completely different story. It’s essentially the story of what could have happened to the Tin Man if he lived in a more or less modern world - if he’d come into Kansas instead of the other way around. Tin People are a known thing, and there are mysterious and unexplained tornadoes popping up in the area, but other than that it feels like the “real” world. Various characters inspired by the characters from Oz appear throughout the story, but other than Campbell, the main characters are not taken from the Wizard of Oz (as far as I could tell - I’m not an Oz expert). Personally, I would have liked this better without the Oz references, because they felt so random. However, I think people who love the Wizard of Oz might appreciate this more than I did.
Overall, this is the kind of slow character based story that doesn’t really work for me, especially since I wasn’t really invested in any of the characters other than Campbell. Readers who love Oz or this type of book will likely enjoy this more, but it isn’t the first thing I’d recommend if someone is looking for a new graphic novel. I would also be interested to see it in full color, as this may have helped me enjoy the book more. 2.5 stars, rounded up.
Thanks to NetGalley and ABRAMS Kids for the eARC.
When Fenn comes across a Tin Man in a junkyard, he’s excited to bring him home and show him the rocket ship he’s been working on. Ever since his sister Solar started hanging out with new friends, she hasn’t had time for Fenn and their project, even though they used to do everything together. Campbell, the Tin Man, left home to get a heart, but by the time Fenn finds him, he’s feeling lost and unsure about whether this was the best choice.
This was truly a character story rather than a plot based book. The first half was really slow, with a lot of time spent setting up the backstory and explaining who the characters are. Occasionally, there would be a flashback to when Campbell lived with his father; this was a little confusing at first since it wasn’t clear what was happening. Care was given to setting up the relationship between Fenn and Solar - how it used to be and what it had become. A few times I found myself wondering what the point of the book even was, and it really took sticking to the final third or so of the book for it to make itself clear.
I think the biggest issue for me is the way this book takes inspiration from the Wizard of Oz while obviously being a completely different story. It’s essentially the story of what could have happened to the Tin Man if he lived in a more or less modern world - if he’d come into Kansas instead of the other way around. Tin People are a known thing, and there are mysterious and unexplained tornadoes popping up in the area, but other than that it feels like the “real” world. Various characters inspired by the characters from Oz appear throughout the story, but other than Campbell, the main characters are not taken from the Wizard of Oz (as far as I could tell - I’m not an Oz expert). Personally, I would have liked this better without the Oz references, because they felt so random. However, I think people who love the Wizard of Oz might appreciate this more than I did.
Overall, this is the kind of slow character based story that doesn’t really work for me, especially since I wasn’t really invested in any of the characters other than Campbell. Readers who love Oz or this type of book will likely enjoy this more, but it isn’t the first thing I’d recommend if someone is looking for a new graphic novel. I would also be interested to see it in full color, as this may have helped me enjoy the book more. 2.5 stars, rounded up.
Thanks to NetGalley and ABRAMS Kids for the eARC.
June 23, 2022
This story has a lot of heart (I'll see myself out). It is certainly more of a reimagining than a retelling, but it is chock full of easter eggs from the wider Oz universe of stories. This feels like the science fantasy take on the Tin Man's story (and a much less creepy one that LFB wrote to be sure). I like the robot elements present here; they are reminiscent of Asimov's treatment of humanoid robots, especially The Bicentennial Man story.
I like that idea of Nick Chopper as a robot looking for more. It's something that I have not seen much of in stories about one of the most prolific metal men in stories. Since the Oz universe predated R.U.R, it's not too surprising that the tinman is hardly ever compared to a robot --but that's the fresh take this story needed. There are elements of autonomy (bodily, social, and governing) that add serious depth to this story, and that's just the secondary story about the Tin Man himself.
The core story with the children dealing with loss echoes with relevance, especially at a time when so many children and teens have lost close family members. The story looks not only at the manifestation of depression in childhood and adolescence, but also personal growth in the same vein as Freaks & Geeks. This story is certainly for fans of Oz, but I think more so that it is for tweens looking for a branch to reach out to; it's for young people who want something to relate to that expresses that garbage dump, rudderless feeling of grieving youth.
(Note: While this author is not LFB, it is important to note that this story and stories like this one that build off of that universe or reference it were built by Baum, who promoted genocide publicly while he was publishing his original Oz works.)
I like that idea of Nick Chopper as a robot looking for more. It's something that I have not seen much of in stories about one of the most prolific metal men in stories. Since the Oz universe predated R.U.R, it's not too surprising that the tinman is hardly ever compared to a robot --but that's the fresh take this story needed. There are elements of autonomy (bodily, social, and governing) that add serious depth to this story, and that's just the secondary story about the Tin Man himself.
The core story with the children dealing with loss echoes with relevance, especially at a time when so many children and teens have lost close family members. The story looks not only at the manifestation of depression in childhood and adolescence, but also personal growth in the same vein as Freaks & Geeks. This story is certainly for fans of Oz, but I think more so that it is for tweens looking for a branch to reach out to; it's for young people who want something to relate to that expresses that garbage dump, rudderless feeling of grieving youth.
(Note: While this author is not LFB, it is important to note that this story and stories like this one that build off of that universe or reference it were built by Baum, who promoted genocide publicly while he was publishing his original Oz works.)
November 17, 2022
Okay, someone's gotta get themselves a dictionary, because the cover described this as 'whimsical' when it's clearly 'bleak and depressing as heck'. It doesn't end on a depressing note, but there's a heavy, gloomy feeling through 98% of the story.
This is not the Wizard of Oz, but it makes several sly references to that story, mostly in names and background details. In a small, dead-end town, a boy excited about spaceships makes a trip to the junkyard to find parts for his backyard project and finds a Tin Man (there is a known settlement of woodcutting Tin Men just outside town; just accept it) sitting gloomily near his discarded heart (a case of 'ever really wanted something, but when you got it, it wasn't what you thought?'). They become friends, and we gradually find out how the Tin Man left home to get a heart, and why he discarded it; and why the boy is building a spaceship, though his story is quickly overshadowed by that of his teen sister, who has fallen into a depression that made her abandon everything she loved and start hanging out with dickhead delinquents (this was difficult for me to understand or empathize with - seriously, this douche-canoe craps on everything you are, like, or are interested in, WHY do you hang out with them? It's not like you were already hanging out before and it slowly went bad...). So this is really a story about grief-fueled depression, and how different individuals in a family process it or react to it in other family members. The siblings' story gets a conclusion by the end, but it felt like the Tin Man's story didn't get closure.
Main themes: grief, depression, prejudice, family relationships, parental (dis)approval, unhealthy dating relationships
This is not the Wizard of Oz, but it makes several sly references to that story, mostly in names and background details. In a small, dead-end town, a boy excited about spaceships makes a trip to the junkyard to find parts for his backyard project and finds a Tin Man (there is a known settlement of woodcutting Tin Men just outside town; just accept it) sitting gloomily near his discarded heart (a case of 'ever really wanted something, but when you got it, it wasn't what you thought?'). They become friends, and we gradually find out how the Tin Man left home to get a heart, and why he discarded it; and why the boy is building a spaceship, though his story is quickly overshadowed by that of his teen sister, who has fallen into a depression that made her abandon everything she loved and start hanging out with dickhead delinquents (this was difficult for me to understand or empathize with - seriously, this douche-canoe craps on everything you are, like, or are interested in, WHY do you hang out with them? It's not like you were already hanging out before and it slowly went bad...). So this is really a story about grief-fueled depression, and how different individuals in a family process it or react to it in other family members. The siblings' story gets a conclusion by the end, but it felt like the Tin Man's story didn't get closure.
Main themes: grief, depression, prejudice, family relationships, parental (dis)approval, unhealthy dating relationships
March 16, 2024
"Oil can! Oil can!"--Tin Man
I gave been a fan of Wisconsin (self-taught!) cartoonist Justin Madson for many years, as he has been doing indie comics (the prinipal option for most cartoonists) for a couple decades. I read his Breathers and others years ago, and am happy to see they are being revised, repackaged and finally supported by publishers. Tin Man (2022) is Madson’s debut YA graphic novel obviously inspired by The Wizard of Oz. Tin Man is the story of the title character seeking a heart and Solar, a high school student deprrssed and spinning out of control about the death of her grandmother.
Solar had been the best student in her school, selected to go to college for or astro-physics/space, but what's the point if grandma isn't here? The ripple effecr of this is that th person she was building a rocket ship out of junk parts, her li bro Fenn, is abandoned, an Solar hooks up with a loser and her loser buddies.
Then she meets a Tin Man, a Tin Woodsman with aspirations to leave the work he was intended to do, chopping down trees, and move out of the woods and find a (mechanical) heart, so he can feel what humans do. But Solar isn't sure this is a good thing as she know, youget a heart, you get pain.
Yeah, there are tornadoes, and one that changes their lives, all of them, as in Wizard. But the story honors the "heart" of Wizard, transporting the basic template to contemporary rural America. Heartfelt, I am (not) forced to say; I like it. A YA graphic novel that deals with isolation and loss, but also friendship and the importance of supporting each other in sadness and in life goals.
The sketchy artwork seems initially quite Jeff Lemire-like, adding hollow-eyed lost eyes for all of the characters, but some warmth comes through, finally.
I gave been a fan of Wisconsin (self-taught!) cartoonist Justin Madson for many years, as he has been doing indie comics (the prinipal option for most cartoonists) for a couple decades. I read his Breathers and others years ago, and am happy to see they are being revised, repackaged and finally supported by publishers. Tin Man (2022) is Madson’s debut YA graphic novel obviously inspired by The Wizard of Oz. Tin Man is the story of the title character seeking a heart and Solar, a high school student deprrssed and spinning out of control about the death of her grandmother.
Solar had been the best student in her school, selected to go to college for or astro-physics/space, but what's the point if grandma isn't here? The ripple effecr of this is that th person she was building a rocket ship out of junk parts, her li bro Fenn, is abandoned, an Solar hooks up with a loser and her loser buddies.
Then she meets a Tin Man, a Tin Woodsman with aspirations to leave the work he was intended to do, chopping down trees, and move out of the woods and find a (mechanical) heart, so he can feel what humans do. But Solar isn't sure this is a good thing as she know, youget a heart, you get pain.
Yeah, there are tornadoes, and one that changes their lives, all of them, as in Wizard. But the story honors the "heart" of Wizard, transporting the basic template to contemporary rural America. Heartfelt, I am (not) forced to say; I like it. A YA graphic novel that deals with isolation and loss, but also friendship and the importance of supporting each other in sadness and in life goals.
The sketchy artwork seems initially quite Jeff Lemire-like, adding hollow-eyed lost eyes for all of the characters, but some warmth comes through, finally.
August 16, 2022
Fans of L. Frank Baum's Oz books may want to give this middle-grade graphic novel a try since there are several textual and visual references to that world in its contents. Even the idea of a Tin Man in search of a heart only to have it broken, as happens to us all at some time, is reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz as is the wizard's gift to Campbell, the Tin Man in this story, and several references to tornadoes. Campbell is living in a junkyard when a young boy named Fenn stumbles upon him and enlists his help in building a rocket. Fenn and his sister Solar had been working on that project together, but Solar is no longer interested in doing so. She seems to have no time for Fenn; instead, she chooses to spend time with some sketchy adolescents, including Merrick, who is cruel, rude, and dismissive of Campbell, insulting him at every turn. Solar is rudderless at this point in her life, unsure about her future, arguing with her parents, and desperately missing her grandmother. It's not clear exactly what's at the root of her malaise other than that loss or why she's acting out, but she also bonds with Campbell, which infuriates Merrick. Readers might expect a romance to blossom between the two of them, and maybe it will in the future, but for now, Campbell helps Solar recognize her self-worth and mend fences with her brother. While there are some holes in the story and the flashbacks of Campbell interacting with his father can be a bit confusing, this one is certainly worth a read. Some readers will finish it and continue to think about what it means to have a heart and how easy it is to get lost and need someone else to help you find your way back.
June 5, 2025
What truly resonated with me was the powerful theme of overcoming grief, beautifully amplified by the author's innovative use of color. Yellow, in particular, stands out, symbolizing hope, peace, and happiness. We see this vividly in Fen, whose yellow hat and arm patch reflect his joy in rocket building and space. Solar's yellow pin, a poignant memorial to her grandma, further reinforces this symbolism. Justin Madison's illustrations are truly poetic, skillfully employing these colors to help young readers connect with the characters' emotions.
The absence of a redemption arc for the mother was a missed opportunity. Her interactions were limited to yelling and being highly critical of her daughter's newfound ambitions. I really wished for a resolution between Solar and her mother. A brief storyline where Solar could reconcile with the other maternal figure in her family would have been very impactful.
I hated Solar's character for 99% of the story. I understand she was grieving and perhaps depressed after the loss of her grandmother; however, she let her boyfriend push her around way too much and bully her brother in front of her...twice!
The absence of a redemption arc for the mother was a missed opportunity. Her interactions were limited to yelling and being highly critical of her daughter's newfound ambitions. I really wished for a resolution between Solar and her mother. A brief storyline where Solar could reconcile with the other maternal figure in her family would have been very impactful.
I hated Solar's character for 99% of the story. I understand she was grieving and perhaps depressed after the loss of her grandmother; however, she let her boyfriend push her around way too much and bully her brother in front of her...twice!
May 25, 2022
I adore this book. And once I got about halfway through, all I could think about was Miranda Lambert's Tin Man because both the book and the song have an emotional depth that is hard to capture in YA.
Siblings Solar and Fenn have taken different paths after the passing of their grandmother throws Solar into a tailspin. She stops dreaming to attend a STEM institute and begins hanging out with a new boy and his grunge friends. Fenn continues to collect junk in order to build his rockets though he's bullied at school for being a weird kid.
Enter Campbell, a tin woodsman who lived with his dad until he decided he wanted a heart and his dad told him to leave. Now he has befriended Fenn and then Solar. He quickly sees where he can be of assistance.
Throughout the story the underpinnings of The Wizard of Oz are evident, but I was floored when the summary inside the dust jacket references Freaks and Geeks (I am a super fan). I get it and the connections to The Iron Giant and Edward Scissorhands.
It literally has heart. The artwork is fluid and speaks volumes when there are no words but also blends the dialogue when present too. It has a whole mood. And a message. Several in fact like don't give up on your dreams, family is important, grief takes many forms, accept people (and tin woodsman) for who they are, don't be cruel, don't try to be someone you're not, friendship can get you through tough times.
Siblings Solar and Fenn have taken different paths after the passing of their grandmother throws Solar into a tailspin. She stops dreaming to attend a STEM institute and begins hanging out with a new boy and his grunge friends. Fenn continues to collect junk in order to build his rockets though he's bullied at school for being a weird kid.
Enter Campbell, a tin woodsman who lived with his dad until he decided he wanted a heart and his dad told him to leave. Now he has befriended Fenn and then Solar. He quickly sees where he can be of assistance.
Throughout the story the underpinnings of The Wizard of Oz are evident, but I was floored when the summary inside the dust jacket references Freaks and Geeks (I am a super fan). I get it and the connections to The Iron Giant and Edward Scissorhands.
It literally has heart. The artwork is fluid and speaks volumes when there are no words but also blends the dialogue when present too. It has a whole mood. And a message. Several in fact like don't give up on your dreams, family is important, grief takes many forms, accept people (and tin woodsman) for who they are, don't be cruel, don't try to be someone you're not, friendship can get you through tough times.
August 12, 2022
Justin Madson's Tin Man is a sweet YA graphic novel that deals with topics of grief, friendship, and following your heart. I was pulled into the book from this quote on the back of the cover that described the story as "equal parts The Iron Giant, The Wizard of Oz, Edward Scissorhands, and Freaks and Geeks". While this is a broad claim, I really feel like this book delivered.
After losing her grandmother Venus, teenage Solar starts to question her place in the world and what she truly wants. Campbell, a Tin Man, acquires a heart and sets out on his own to figure out how to use it. Fenn, Solar's little brother, feels left out and lonely as Solar starts acting differently than she has before. All three characters learn from each other as they navigate friendships, relationships, and emotions throughout the story.
Although I thought the way the plot was presented was a bit heavy handed, I think this works for the intended young adult audience. I really appreciated the depth of the themes in this book. Madison explores a lot of ideas that I think would resonate with a middle school or high school aged reader. The art style was unique and I found it to be a bit reminiscent of Jeff Lemire's art style (creator of Sweet Tooth). Overall, I found this graphic novel to be an interesting and heartfelt foray into a world inspired by The Wizard of Oz.
After losing her grandmother Venus, teenage Solar starts to question her place in the world and what she truly wants. Campbell, a Tin Man, acquires a heart and sets out on his own to figure out how to use it. Fenn, Solar's little brother, feels left out and lonely as Solar starts acting differently than she has before. All three characters learn from each other as they navigate friendships, relationships, and emotions throughout the story.
Although I thought the way the plot was presented was a bit heavy handed, I think this works for the intended young adult audience. I really appreciated the depth of the themes in this book. Madison explores a lot of ideas that I think would resonate with a middle school or high school aged reader. The art style was unique and I found it to be a bit reminiscent of Jeff Lemire's art style (creator of Sweet Tooth). Overall, I found this graphic novel to be an interesting and heartfelt foray into a world inspired by The Wizard of Oz.
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