The Brothers Flick

July 15, 2022
Not all doors should be entered. In an unspecified realm where universes seem to align sits an orphanage and detective agency run by the brothers Flick, a quartet of quick-witted youths: empathetic Desmond, leader Leopold, inventor Remington, and baby Wolfgang. The orphanage is home to a few helpful adults, but Leopold is the self-appointed caretaker since the deaths of the Flick parents. When a boy with limited memories crawls out of a well that he never fell into, the brothers agree to solve the mystery, although it appears to be only one part of a greater puzzle. Along the way, the brothers encounter phantom dogs, pixie problems, shadowy monsters, and more--and discover doors, and a key, to other realms. The illustrations have a "Jonny Quest meets the Hardy Boys" vibe with a few modern twists, such as Remington's futuristic wheelchair and the elegantly communicated visual representation of the sign language he uses. Based on design alone, this graphic novel will attract mystery and adventure fans by the droves, but the meandering plot and odd reveals along the way may frustrate those looking to solve the cases before (or alongside) the detectives. The denouement is satisfactory in that the big questions are answered, and readers who are invested solely in the adventure elements will most likely be pleased. Overall, the minimysteries are fun fluff surrounding a surprisingly profound central conundrum. The brothers are light-skinned; the other children in the orphanage are diverse. Scattered but ultimately enjoyable. (Graphic novel. 9-12)

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August 1, 2022
Haddock and Wyche’s debut, a portal fantasy set in an orphanage “full of mysteries and oddities,” centers a quartet of brothers’ supernatural misadventures. The Flick brothers, who call seemingly Edwardian Strander House orphanage their home, are fearless investigators: amateur sleuth Leo is their leader; Desmond is Leo’s right-hand man; Remy, who uses a wheelchair and communicates via sign language, is an inventor; and Cub is a baby. When new kid Winston crawls out of a well in the courtyard, the brothers promise to get him home. But Winston claims that he never fell into a well, and it turns out that home could be any of a host of universes existing parallel to the brothers’ own. The inquiry takes the siblings to myriad worlds via portal, including an oceanic realm where Remy, sans wheelchair, floats freely with merfolk. Wyche’s vibrantly hued illustrations, populated by a well-defined cast portrayed with varying skin tones and body types, adeptly capture the brothers’ fantastical adventures. Though the worldbuilding is loose, the metaphor of “impossible doors” leading toward unending universes, where even the smallest changes reverberate, provides a unique framework for themes of grief and healing. Protagonists read as white. Ages 7–12.