The Last Comics on Earth

The Last Comics on Earth #1

by Max Brallier, Jay Cooper, Joshua Pruett

The Last Kids on Earth are creating THEIR OWN COMIC BOOK!

A full-color graphic novel spin-off series based on the Last Kids on Earth!

Jack, Quint, June, and Dirk are about to face a challenge unlike any they’ve faced before . . . At their local comic book store, the kids make a startling discovery: they’ve read every last issue of their favorite comic, Z-Man , and no new issues are coming...ever! (Thanks a lot, apocalypse.). Nooo!

Our heroes have but one recourse, continue Z-Man’s legacy by writing and illustrating THEIR OWN COMIC BOOK! Step one? Knock off their beloved Z-Man and cast themselves as super rad, super goofy, superhero protectors of the mysterious city of Apocalyptia. What could possibly go wrong? Just about everything!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Humor, Fantasy, Childrens, Middle Grade, Comics, Science Fiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published April 25, 2023

About the author

Max Brallier is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. His books and series include The Last Kids on Earth, Eerie Elementary, Mister Shivers, Galactic Hot Dogs, and Can YOU Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? He is a writer and producer for Netflix's Emmy-award-winning adaptation of The Last Kids on Earth. Max lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter. Visit him at MaxBrallier.com.

Reviews

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was just thinking about how actual kids’ comics are selling fine as compared to the old-model-periodicals that Marvel and DC are still trying to peddle, so when I saw this and picked it up. Read it all in one sitting, and it was a blast. I can absolutely see why this style and format are succeeding where the $5 flimsy pamphlets are floundering.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superheroes unite for an exciting, thrilling, and hilarious adventure.

Z-Man left the last adventure on a huge cliff-hanger, and while these kids are super excited to find out what will happen next...they never will. The comics ends there, which just doesn't work. Determined not to let their favorite, comic superhero hang like that, the kids get together to form their own story. Danger, adventure, villains, and much more await them.

From beginning to end, this is a fun adventure to dive into. While the author has had this gang of kids in an earlier adventure, that book does not have to be read to enjoy this one. Jack, Quint, June and Dirk are true friends, while still being as different as different could be...which isn't really the case, since they all love Z-Man, hanging out together, and are great at dreaming up their own superheroes. The adventures they come up with are packed with great attitudes and hearts of gold as they face danger, unexpected twists (lots of these), and heroic moments pure. The humor and enthusiasm beams off of every page as they come against the most amazing villains and tackle impossible situations. And considering this comes from their imaginations, it does go over-the-top in the most delightful ways.

I'm betting the author and illustrators had fun creating this read, since it lets kids' dreams fly and radiates enjoyment even when things get tense and sticky. The 'realistic' moments are placed in more boring white, black, and blue graphics, while the imagined, superhero amazement is in bold colors. Each superhero gets to present their backstory and their secret hideout, too, which was a nice touch and will have, at least, some readers already planning their own superhero-alter-egos as well as designing their own hideouts. There are messages of friendship and such, but this book is all about fun. And that in heaps and mounds. I received a DRC and found this to be a very enjoyable read.

[Marsha · Rating 1 out of 5]

The end of the world has come and gone. But, hey, there are still comic books. The story centers around a quartet of children who while away their postapocalyptic time with eating junk food, watching tv (which still miraculous works) and occasionally heading down to the comic bookstore.

This is the kind of book aimed at second graders, the type of children who don’t ask important questions, such as: how did all these apocalypses happen and all at once? Where did the adults go? (The only one left seems to be an on-screen tv reporter.) Why are there no other children besides themselves? How could they be reading a comic book about a superhero who just happens to exist in the trashed world they’re currently inhabiting? Who, exactly, is penning, inking, drawing and coloring these comics if nearly all the adults are gone?

The story is ridiculous, the action is ludicrously over the top and, inexplicably, there are far too many bake-off contests. Some of the dialogue is just plain awful, including the scramble for a Power Crystal-of-Power. (Really? This is the best they could do?) The main supervillain Muto has a helmet that suspiciously resembles that of Galactus and the main superhero is a dripping, sodden mess.

This is not a book for the discerning reader over 11 years old. (Even that may be a generous estimate.) It will, however, appeal to children who like non-stop action, sci-fi action and more apocalypses than you can shake a stick at.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dirk, June, Quint, and Jack have been enjoying Z-Man's comics in-between their apocalyptic adventures. But they've come to the last volume put out before the apocalypse hit, and it ends on a cliffhanger. What will they do? Well, obviously, write their own continuation of the story with some new character additions.

Art imitates life in this superhero adventure as the comic superheroes and the real heroes have to work out how to work as a team in their various endeavors. This is a bit more light-hearted than the main series as the kids are facing off against bad guys trying to kill them or take over the world, just a made up supervillain scenario that's a bit goofy.

Notes on content:
Language: No actual swear words, some words that may get Elementary kids in trouble but if a teen said them you wouldn't bat an eye at.
Sexual content: None
Violence: There are battles between superheroes and supervillains in a story that's being written. No one is permanently hurt.
Ethnic diversity: Story characters are fantasy creatures. The kids have a variety of skin tones.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: There is a butt shot at one point. Good message of teamwork and honesty being a solid foundation for friendship vs viewing everyone as competition and lying.

[Totahly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check my Instagram for my review and picture: @totahlybooked

My son loves comic books and this was no different. Filled with colorful graphics, it packed a punch. It was about superheros and villains. “They have cool powers that I wish I could have to save the world. I would love to have the Mother Earth super powers especially super strength to take care of the bad guys in real life.” He loved the “techniques of the robotics character bc he is like Ironman 2.0 with unique gadgets.” He also loved Moonstar, a character with a sword as a pet. He loved her character bc “her superpower could turn into whatever she wanted it to-whether it would be an animal or a car”. He also liked the villain as his “armor is cool bc he looks like a blob but his stature seems more like a zombie spider.”

Watching my son talk about this book made me smile bc it’s hard to find books that keep him engaged especially with his ADHD, so I’m excited I took part of this tour.

☆This is great for kids who like quick colorful book filled with superhuman powers! Kid approved especially bc he wants to read it twice!

ꕤMom & kid approved!

[Cassie’s Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun book that my son loved! This graphic novel is perfect for any ages! It was filled with colorful pages, amazing superpowers, and my son even thought the villain “was cool” he compared the character to a zombie. The dialogue was hilarious and the book has something for everyone!!
Synopsis-

The Last Kids on Earth are creating THEIR OWN COMIC BOOK!
A full-color graphic novel spin-off series based on the Last Kids on Earth!
Jack, Quint, June, and Dirk are about to face a challenge unlike any they’ve faced before . . . At their local comic book store, the kids make a startling they’ve read every last issue of their favorite comic, Z-Man , and no new issues are coming...ever! (Thanks a lot, apocalypse.). Nooo!
Our heroes have but one recourse, continue Z-Man’s legacy by writing and illustrating THEIR OWN COMIC BOOK! Step one? Knock off their beloved Z-Man and cast themselves as super rad, super goofy, superhero protectors of the mysterious city of Apocalyptia. What could possibly go wrong? Just about everything!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Public library copy

Very meta. There are no more Z-Man comics, so the group decides to make their own since the series ended on a cliffhanger. Jack, Quint, June and Dirk all have their own input.

This is one of those series that I just don't quite understand, although I know my students love them. There are too many things happening for me to follow, but readers can quote me chapter and verse, so my struggles must be related to my Fantasy Amnesia. The whole "Based on the Netflix series based on the book" aspect doesn't help. (Although Brallier is listed as an author.)

This is a graphic novel, so will probably buy as a treat for the fans in my library. What I really need to do is to take a critical look at the paper-over-board copies of the original series and see what needs to be repurchased in a prebind because it's falling apart. Or it smells like armpit. I had to get rid of book seven earlier in the year because a student complained. This just speaks to how much wear (and reading!) these get!

[Melissa (Nissa_the.bookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
😂 love to laugh
📚 enjoy graphic novels
🧟‍♂️ are living in a zombie apocalypse
🦸🏻‍♀️ wish you had super powers

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Four friends are living during the apocalypse. After reading the final Z-Man comic, they discover that no more were made (zombies and all). Wanting to see what happens next, they decide to create their own comic, with the four of them as superheroes. Will Z-Man live to fight another villain or is it time for some new heroes to shine?

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

I loved it! This was witty, laugh out loud funny, and well drawn. It doesn’t matter what your age is - this graphic novel has something for everyone in it. I loved the creativity of the four kids, as well as the fact that they clearly had all this time on their hands, even with zombies roaming outside of the bookstore. The pictures were fun and colorful and the dialogue had me laughing every other page! Kids of all ages (and adults too!) will love this one, so grab a copy now!

[Leticia Monteiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it because the author made it funny. Super heroes are saving the day! Four kids are saving the day it’s called the last comics on earth illustrated by Jay Cooper and Douglas Holgate. I like the story because they have a lot of action and I love action but this one has a lot and it’s really fun. This is only the first book I’m getting a little excited to read the other books. I’ve looked at them a few times but I’ve never read them. They’re really good I think you all should try them, I have a lot of other book recommendations that you should try at least like read a little clip of it. The last comics on earth is the best comic that’s still on earth. You know it’s called coming on earth. I love it. You should read them in order. Like the first one and then second and then third then fourth and then fifth and then six and then seven if there’s a seven.

[Stacey Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last kids on Earth make their own comic book where they become the superheroes. The personalities of the kids come out in their choice of superhero names and abilities. At first they're so caught up in having super powers that they work independently trying to compete against each other to be the best. That does not work well for them. The bad guys are winning because of the super heroes fighting amongst themselves. It takes them a LONG time to realize they could do better if they work together.
I love the way the author talks to the reader throughout the book....little funny asides. There's a comic book inside a comic book. There are flashes of old time comics...ads and giveaways. Those little things made the book special for me.

[Elisabeth Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this book in an hour and a half with my kiddo! It’s definitely not what I normally read, but Kiddo picked it out at the library, so I figured, “Why not?” You have to go into this graphic novel knowing it is intended for older children/teenagers. I had to edit some of the language for my young kid, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. I thought the jokes were funny, and the plot was predictable, but also well done. (Aren’t young adult graphic novels supposed to be predictable?). Not sure if we’re reading the next one yet. I might have signed myself up to read this first book for a while.

[Wendy Kennar · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't generally leave negative reviews, but this book is an exception. Obviously it's not my usual reading material; it's a book I read with my son. We have read other books in this series, but this particular one was so confusing, so hard to follow the storyline. Additionally, the text was incredibly difficult to read. Many times, there would be a character with a dark-colored speech bubble above them, and inside the dark speech bubble was dark text. So this book was hard to read -- literally -- because you couldn't always read the text.

[Ellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars (I liked it)

So I went into this expecting something different. I thought it would be a graphic novel adaptation of the Last Kids on Earth book. I've only read the first book in that series so I'm sure there are things I didn't really get in this graphic novel that is actually the characters from the novel series writing a comic book.
I did like the meta references (like getting advice from Max Brallier). Maybe if I go back and read the rest of the novel series, I will enjoy this more.

[Su · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love the Netflix adaptation of The Last Kids on Earth, and while I not-so-patiently await the next season, I thought reading this would be a fun way to get a little more of the kids in my life. This graphic novel, though, left a little to be desired. It wasn’t bad, but it felt extremely long. There was just so much packed into every page. I did, however, like the comic within a comic and I felt like the dialogue was true to the series. No surprise, as the author of the series was writing this as well. It wasn’t amazing, but it was cute.

[NYK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice series 👍
Four Friends were reading their favorite comic series "Z-man" suddenly they recognized that they read all the comic books but the story didn't end so they decided to be heroes and save Apocalyptia city from danger but the thing was they did it alone so they couldn't save Z-man from dying but after some critical time fighting alone with FBB, Motu and the other villains they recognized them selves and worked together as friends and save the city. These heroes are Doc Baker, Moonstar, Boy Lightning and Savage Aloner. 😄

[Bookish Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun read! My 9 year old son took off with it as soon as it arrived, and he devoured it in one sitting. Now... for a kid with ADHD, that's saying something. I stole it back long enough to take a picture before he took it and read it several more times. I had to sneak in and read it while he was away at Grandma's. I can definitely see why he enjoys it! Full of bright, fun graphics and a storyline that keeps you engaged. I highly recommend this to any and everyone!

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

When they catch up in their favorite comic book series, they decide to continue it with their own addition, where the 4 friends become 4 heroes trying to save the day. It's ridiculous, action-packed nonsense. Definitely would help to have read Last Kids on Earth to know the friendship dynamics. Reminded me a bit of Cardboard Kingdom with kids creating their own heroes and stories. I liked the nod to fan fiction being a great way to work on writing.

[Booksandcoffeemx · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝘚𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘶𝘯!

This story is perfect for kids who like action-packed and engaging story, it’s colorful, funny and so much fun! You don’t have to read the previous books to follow this story.

Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours for this tour invite.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 by Max Brallier released April 25, 2023.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcof...

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Last Kids on Earth franchise keeps expanding. From the creators of the popular book series and the popular Netflix show, comes the first in what promises to be a popular graphic novel/comic book series. Reminiscent of old-school comic books, complete with fake ads for novelty products, fans of comics and Mad Magazine will love the humor.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

After discovering that their favorite comic superhero, Z-Man will be no more, four fans of the comic, Jack, Quint, June, and Dirk decide to keep the series going by writing their own comic book. What follows is 221 pages of puns, sight gags, and humor all devoted to keep the memory of Z-Man alive.

[Cris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Last Comics on Earth

3.5

I will admit I thought this was going to be more of the series of The Last Kids on Earth, instead it’s them creating a comic. It’s different…I think it would have been better if they would have waited until a few of the graphic novels had been released before releasing this one. Just my two cents.

[Jacqui · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️.75 The kids from The Last Kids on Earth decide to make the sequel to the hero series they have all just finished. Together they decide to write the next book in the series, in comic book format. Most of the characters from the sets are back with their super hero alter egos. Perfect for the middle grade reader who enjoy the Last Kids series.

[Sofia Araya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with my 4-year-old that really enjoys the show and images. I can see why kids would love this book. It was too advanced for my little guy, best for ages 8+ but we had fun reading it for bedtime!

[Jj]

Thanks to Penguin Young Readers for the review copy!

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is tons of fun…and so colorful! Made by the creators of The Last Kids on Earth, this book was really clever and funny. It holds a new place of honor on my son’s shelf! Big thumbs up!!

[Christa · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always I enjoyed these graphic novels/comic book novel. Fun format. Great pictures!

[Mo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I prefer the animated show on Netflix.

[Dan Poblocki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a blast. Truly LOL funny. I can’t imagine a single child not devouring this book.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

[Todd Glaeser · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I’m not the audience, but I’ve been reading comics since I WAS the target age. And this is hard to read. Comics for kids don’t have to be childish.