BOOM! Studios has done pretty well for itself in recent months, releasing several new mini-series based on high profile properties such as The Muppet Show and Pixar’s The Incredibles and Toy Story movies. This week, another Pixar property is added to their “BOOM! Kids” imprint in the form of Finding Nemo: Reef Rescue, a book that acts as a sequel to the record-breaking and much loved anthropomorphic piscine adventure movie.

As with the The Incredibles comic, I come to this series as a big fan of the movie upon which it’s based. This might suggest that I’m more likely to be forgiving of the title’s weaknesses, but actually, it’s something of a double-edged sword: whilst I already have a certain amount of goodwill for the characters thanks to the original film, any follow-up is going to have to work pretty hard to meet the high standards of characterization and storytelling established in the movie. Thankfully, Marie Croall and Erica Leigh Currey do a pretty good job in both respects.

The story sees Marlin, Dory, and Nemo investigate their local coral reef, after a school trip leads to the discovery that it is mysteriously dying off. Whilst there’s little development of that plot thread in this first issue, it at least hints at an eco-friendly subtext that’s laudable for a book aimed at young readers and which manages to make itself known without the writer beating us about the head with it.

Characterization is faithful, often relying on jokes that are little more than callbacks to memorable moments from the movie, but with some amusing twists. Dory’s claim that she can “speak coral” is a highlight.

Visually, the book succeeds in capturing the spirit of the film, too. The original 3-D character designs are distinctive and simplistic enough that they translate well into Currey’s flatter, simpler style, and the artist captures each one accurately. Indeed, many facial expressions feel so familiar that I wonder whether they’ve been lifted directly from the movie. The only examples of occasional confusion come during the scenes in which Marlin and Nemo appear together. Since they were separated for most of the movie, the similarity in their designs wasn’t a problem, but they occasionally feel indistinct from one another here. Aside from that, the artwork is strong, with some particularly striking images of the barren grey coral reef that help to reinforce the seriousness of the problem faced by Nemo and his friends.

Whilst it probably isn’t going to blow readers away, this is a good start to another all-ages friendly Pixar adaptation from BOOM! Studios, and one that captures the spirit of the movie well, whilst also forging some new ground in terms of subject matter. I look forward to seeing the story develop in future issues.

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