Writer/Artist: Otis Frampton
Publisher: Viper Comics
Price: $2.95
Oddly Normal is a half-human/half-witch girl who’s been transported to the land of Fignation. Fignation is home to all creatures we consider imaginary, from monsters to aliens to your basic talking animals. While Oddly is living with her grandmother, she has to attend menagerie Middle School. She’s actually looking forward to being in a class where she isn’t the weirdest kid. Unfortunately, in a class with vampires, ghosts, and zombies, being remotely human makes you an outcast. Oddly is immediately targeted by the “cool” kids who seem to be working for the English teacher.
Most of this story is the traditional “new kid trying to fit in” story. The twist is it takes lace in a fantasy world. It’s a light, funny book until the end where some kids try to kill Oddly. (They ARE monsters after all). I like the character of Oddly. She’s witty and confident. When she realizes monster school is the same as human school, she goes into defensive mode. This is not a girl who accepts the role of outsider gracefully.
Frampton is a fine cartoonist. Nice character designs, good colors, excellent lighting. He also has a good sense of comedic timing, as evidenced by Oddly’s talk with the principal. I do have a question about the classroom scene. It looks as though 5 teachers are teaching 5 different classes simultaneously. How would that work?
Fans of Amelia Rules will enjoy this. It’s cute, scary, and weird. Great for all ages.
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