Portia Bennett is lonely. Though she is smart for her age and tries to be social, none of the other kids at school seem to want to have anything to do with her. Her home life isn't much better, with a mom that works all the time and a dad missing and presumed dead. One night, Portia finds an unexpected friend in a large purple creature she names "Jellaby." He (she?) never says a word and Portia presumes him to be lost, deciding to help Jellaby get back home, wherever that might be. Eventually a kid named Jason joins the group after Jellaby is accidentally exposed to him, and Portia has no choice but to let him in on the secret. Together they find a possible clue to Jellaby's origin and must venture alone to Toronto, a mission with unknown dangers at every corner.
Jellaby is a seriously cute and deceptively simple story. It's interesting that most of the coloring consists of shades of purple, though occasionally you see a dark shade of red, some yellow and a small amount of green. You'd think it'd be distracting, but it works very well. There is mystery and suspense on just where Jellaby comes from, where Portia's dad is, and even what a series of upsetting dreams/flashbacks Portia's been having might mean. I should warn you, however, that the story does not wrap up in this volume - there is another one on the way, set to be released in April of 2009 (ugh). This could definitely be enjoyed by comic enthusiasts, young and old.
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