Lost Boy

by Jay Martin, Jay Martin (Illustrator)

Overview

The comics debut of accomplished music video director Jay Martin in a beautiful and heartwarming tale of adversity and survival.

In the aftermath of a deadly car accident in the remote Wyoming wilderness, a young boy escapes as the sole survivor.

Stranded, freezing and without anyone around to help him, he struggles to stay alive as he attempts to find his way back to civilization. Along the way, through extreme tests of will, courage, and endurance, he discovers what it truly means to be tested, and learns that the secret to survival isn’t always what you think it is.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781506738314
Publisher:	Dark Horse Comics
Publication date:	08/22/2023
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	6.60(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.28(d)
Age Range:	10 - 17 Years

About the Author

Jay Martin has directed numerous music videos for artists including: Plain White T’s, Christina Perri, Colbie Caillat, Kelly Clarkson and Marc Anthony. He has also been a close collaborator and director of many Shawn Mendes videos.

Editorial Reviews

07/03/2023

Debut creator Martin crafts a tale of desperation and resilience in this haunting survivalist graphic novel. While driving home from a ski trip vacation in the snow-peaked mountains of Wyoming, teenage Jack and his father, who have a strained relationship, encounter a doe in the middle of the road. Jack’s father swerves to avoid it, resulting in a fall down a steep rock wall and into a ravine that kills Jack’s dad and the deer. Jack survives the ordeal, but the snow is coming down hard and he has minimal supplies—some flares, a few rations, and his cell phone, which doesn’t have service. Befriending a fawn that he assumes is the deer’s offspring, Jack searches for a way out of the gorge and back to civilization, all the while enduring worsening weather conditions, evading hungry wolves, and navigating the treacherous wilderness. Martin utilizes minimal backdrops rendered in somber blues and blacks with bursts of vibrant reds and fuchsia to portray Jack and the fawn’s journey across the harsh winter landscape. Amid the bleakness of Jack’s situation lies a self-sustaining theme of hope and redemption that buoys this surreal-feeling read to its resolution. Ages 10–17. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 12/02/2023

Gr 7 Up—On the way home from a trip in the Wyoming wilderness, a boy named Jack finds himself alone when a deadly accident leaves his father dead. Martin's survival story pits Jack up against the bitter cold, hungry wolves, and isolation; he has to rely on his intelligence and will to survive, but he discovers that "becoming a man" (his father's goal for their trip) is about more than brawn. Jack's sensitivity and empathy play a major part in keeping himself and his young charge—an orphaned fawn—safe and alive. Cool pinks, blues, and grays set the freezing scene. Martin's skill with facial expressions, particularly the characters' eyes, beautifully communicate visceral emotion. Moments like Jack's reaction to his father's demise are devastating yet gentle; a moment where quiet sets in among the unmitigated chaos of the situation. VERDICT Martin weaves adventure and sensitive storytelling into a tale not to be missed. An excellent purchase for graphic novel collections and for readers who enjoy survival stories.—Rosemary Kiladitis

School Library Journal