Bad Machinery, Volume 1: The Case of the Team Spirit

by John Allison

Overview

Shauna. Charlotte. Mildred. Three schoolgirl sleuths. Jack. Linton. Sonny. Three schoolboy investigators. Tackleford. One mid-sized city with a history of countless mysteries. Is there enough room at Griswalds Grammar School for two groups of kid detectives? There better be, because once these kids have set their sights on solving a mystery there's nothing that can derail them. Nothing, except maybe gossip, classwork, new football player cards, torment from siblings, or any number of childhood distractions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620100974
Publisher:	Oni Press
Publication date:	03/27/2013
Series:	Bad Machinery Series , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Lexile:	GN430L (what's this?)
File size:	41 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	9 - 15 Years

About the Author

Born in a hidden village deep within the British Alps, John Allison came into this world a respectable baby with style and taste. Having been exposed to American comics at an early age, he spent decades honing his keen mind and his massive body in order to burn out this colonial cultural infection. One of the longest continuously publishing independent web-based cartoonists, John has plied his trade since the late nineties moving from Bobbins to Scary Go Round to Bad Machinery, developing the deeply weird world of Tackleford long after many of his fellow artists were ground into dust and bones by Time Itself. He has only once shed a single tear, but you only meet Sergio Aragonés for the first time once. John resides in Letchworth Garden City, England, and is known to his fellow villagers only as He Who Has Conquered.

Editorial Reviews

Allison is a triple threat: he plots deftly, draws confidently, and writes dead-on adolescent dialogue. Set in a grammar school in a British working-class community, this first book in his Bad Machinery series—originally published as a webcomic—has three earnest boys vying against three sharp-tongued girls to solve mysteries. The framing story concerns a Russian owner of a U.K. football (soccer) team trying to bully an elderly homeowner to sell her house; as the title hints, supernatural elements surface, too. There’s plenty of cynical commentary about British consumer culture, and the students’ sardonic banter provides a constant obbligato. About her mother’s boyfriend’s Velvet Underground albums, Shauna yawns, “It’s nice that you gave some money to people just playing music for the first time.” Allison’s adults are sympathetically drawn, too—even the archvillain has a human side. A wry glossary “defines” British terms (“Nuffink: The way you say ‘nothing’ if you were dragged up rather than brought up”), but can’t begin to illuminate the arcane mysteries of the British football-industrial complex; readers are on their own there. Dark, fast-paced, and riotously funny entertainment. Ages 10–up. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

'This small-press charmer, based on an ongoing webcomic, is a stylish jumble of pop-culture references, sly humor, eye-catching characters, mystery-and, oddly enough, aliens.' -
Kirkus

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (STARRED) - Allison is a triple threat: he plots deftly, draws confidently, and writes dead-on adolescent dialogue. Set in a grammar school in a British working-class community, this first book in his Bad Machinery series—originally published as a webcomic—has three earnest boys wing against three sharp-tongued girls to solve mysteries.
The framing story concerns a Russian owner of a U.K. football (soccer) team trying to bully an elderly homeowner to sell her house; as the title hints,
supernatural elements surface, too. There's plenty of cynical commentary about
British consumer culture, and the students' sardonic banter provides a constant obbligato. About her mother's boyfriend's Velvet Underground albums, Shauna yawns, "It's nice that you gave some money to people just playing music for the first time." Allison's adults are sympathetically drawn, too—even the archvillain has a human side. A wry glossary "defines" British terms ("Nuffink:
The way you say 'nothing' if you were dragged up rather than brought up"), but can't begin to illuminate the arcane mysteries of the British football-industrial complex; readers are on their own there. Dark, fast-paced,
and riotously funny entertainment. Ages 10-up. (Mar.)

From the Publisher

09/01/2013
Gr 7–10—Originally published as a serialized webcomic, The Case of the Team Spirit introduces a group of British tweens involved in a mystery. A series of strange events leads some people to believe that the local Tackleford City Football Club is cursed. Meanwhile, plans for a new stadium are being blocked by tough old Mrs. Biscuits. Six students become unlikely detectives, unraveling the case while navigating life as first-year grammar school students. Each comic is built to stand alone while connecting to the larger story, sometimes stalling momentum. The quirky dialogue includes significant doses of snark. The vivid, full-color illustrations are lovely. The line work is smooth, well defined, and efficient, successfully conveying the emotions of the characters. The large trim size and simple panel layouts add to the visual appeal. Back matter includes a glossary of lesser-known UK terms and phrases used in the book, brief bios of each character, and a mock newspaper history of the Tackleford Football Club. Unique in both story and tone, this title is perfect for graphic-novel fans looking for something a bit different.—Travis Jonker, Wayland Union Schools, MI

School Library Journal