Cosmic Girls, Vol. 1

Gr 6 Up–Durasi and Corina are sent on a mission by the General to locate and enlist the help of a tracker named Logi Kami on ­Planet Lox, home to a race of Robots with whom Corina has some serious beef. The pair manages to find Logi, but she needs their help before she can agree to aid them. On this secondary mission, Durasi is kidnapped, and Corina leaves Logi and abandons the mission in order to rescue her friend. Readers are left with an impressive cliff-hanger that will leave them wanting more. Though still in the early stages of this story, Godoy doesn’t coddle the audience with a slow introduction to the universe and its many intricacies, rapidly introducing action and ­adventure, ­setting the tone for what is to come. Corina, a dark-skinned human, is the pair’s techie. Her digi-hawk can hack ­systems, knock out communications, and even set off explosions. Durasi is a pale and stoic Rove who is an ally of the Galactic Empire of Earth. She’s the energy-sword-­wielding muscle of the pair, and it would seem her people revel in battle. In a short amount of time, ­readers will grasp the dynamic between them, ­Corina’s complicated history with her family, and a bit of the politics of the universe. The art style is fun, reminiscent of Steven Universe, but it doesn’t shy away from the fights and more serious moments and emotions.