Sci-Fu Vol. 2: It Takes 2 (2)

The highly anticipated sequel to SCI-FU is jam-packed with all kinds of hip-hop, sci-fi, and kung-fu goodness!\nWax, aspiring DJ and sci-fu master-in-training, made it back safely from the alien robot planet of Discopia, where he defeated the Five Deadly Dangers and became the rightful king of Discopia. He doesn’t want the crown, though. He just wants things to go back to normal. Wax and his crew thought the robot trouble was behind them, but strange creatures have been showing up in Brooklyn, and Wax is determined to take care of them once and for all. Little does he know, there’s a new villain in Discopia, and she’ll do anything to take the crown from Wax. Wax starts to worry he doesn’t have what it takes to protect his family, friends, and all of Brooklyn from the new threats. Wax will need to kick his hip-hop and sci-fu training into high gear—and learn to rely on his family and friends for help—if he’s going to have a shot at saving his neighborhood.\nFrom legendary cartoonist Yehudi Mercado comes the much-anticipated followup to his hit Sci-Fu: Kick it Off. With a second volume jam-packed with all kinds of hip-hop, sci-fi, and kung-fu goodness, Sci-Fu: It Takes 2 spins the perfect track of friends working together to protect their home.\nFrom School Library Journal\nGr 4-8-From the opening pages, readers are immersed in a blend of science fiction and hip-hop. Set in 1980s Brooklyn, the first book saw Wax, an aspiring DJ, and the residents of his building transported to the planet Discopia, where they inadvertently killed robot ruler King Chug Chug and went up against his enraged son, Choo Choo. In this sequel, Mega Hertz, girlfriend of the defeated Choo Choo, breaks out of a prison planet and swears revenge on Wax, who's still mastering his kung fu powers. Chapter titles are rendered in a graffiti style, just one of many playful, colorful elements in Mercado's bountiful designs. Wax punching an alien villain through a layer of ice while freestyle rapping in the middle of Shaw Bros. Supermarket is just the beginning of the spectacles to come. New readers may be caught off guard by references to preexisting character dynamics, but the family and friendships at the core of the mostly Black cast are quickly endearing. VERDICT This series is too savvy to suffer a sophomore slump and too pretty for readers to look away, but just make sure to begin with the first book.α(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.