Space Battle Lunchtime Vol. 1: Lights, Camera, Snacktion

Collecting the first four issues of Natalie Riess's delectable series, SPACE BATTLE LUNCHTIME! Earth baker Peony gets the deal of a lifetime when she agrees to be a contestant on the Universe's hottest reality TV show, Space Battle Lunchtime! But that was before she knew that it shoots on location... on a spaceship... and her alien competitors don't play nice! Does Peony r Collecting the first four issues of Natalie Riess's delectable series, SPACE BATTLE LUNCHTIME! Earth baker Peony gets the deal of a lifetime when she agrees to be a contestant on the Universe's hottest reality TV show, Space Battle Lunchtime! But that was before she knew that it shoots on location... on a spaceship... and her alien competitors don't play nice! Does Peony really have what it takes to be the best cook in the Galaxy? Tune in and find out!

"A feast for the eyes and fantastic first course!" - Mairghread Scott


BOOKLIST -- Peony feels she is one of the best bakers in the universe; now she's been given a chance to prove it. Accepting a challenge from an odd customer, she is instantly transported into space to perform on a head-to-head competitive cooking show. With no knowledge of the weird alien ingredients she has to use, Peony must forge alliances and friendships to stay ahead of the cutthroat competition. The story moves quickly, focusing less on introductions and more on the competitions between the characters. Although this makes the delivery feel rushed, it certainly matches the quick pace of a televised cooking show. But the centerpiece is Reiss' artwork: simple yet vivid, her anime-inspired character design makes everything look adorable and pop off the page. Riess ends the piece on an interesting note, sending Peony onto a competing cooking show where chefs must fight and literally cook their competition, so it definitely will be interesting to see where the series goes. Cute and lots of fun-kids will eat it up.


CHILDREN'S LITERATURE -- In this graphic novel, contestants from all over the galaxy compete on a cooking show. Readers will watch as, for the first time ever, a contestant from Earth, Peony, joins the competition. Peony is spunky and determined to do her best (even though she mostly just made cupcakes in the past-though none of the alien judges really know what cupcakes are). Of course the competition is intense and some of the other competitors are downright evil and cunning; so not only is Peony's chance at winning in question but her very life is at stake. The illustrations are a good mix of sweet for Peony (her chef's jacket has hearts on it after all) and oddly quirky for all the unknown aliens and their alien cooking ingredients. However, readers who really want to know the whole story will need to look for further installments. This particular book ends on quite the dramatic cliffhanger-like almost every good television show might. This is a good graphic novel for those who love quirky cooking reality shows and aliens all mixed together.


"Sweet but filling, Space Battle Lunchtime has given us a fantastic opening issue which leaves you wanting more." - Mairghread Scott



PUBLISHERS WEEKLY -- Peony knows her way around a kitchen, especially where baked goods are concerned, but her experience might not be enough to help her when she's conscripted to participate in an extraterrestrial reality TV show, Space Battle Lunchtime. Now, she's making friends and whipping up desserts with foods she's never encountered (and machines she can't even turn on), but enemies are conspiring against her with deadly plans. Riess, creator of the Snarlbear webcomic, makes a highly promising print debut with a comic that will delight SF diehards and cooking show devotees alike. It has all the hallmarks of reality cooking competitions ("Time may be an illusion, but yours is up," announces Zorp, the floating polyhedron that hosts the show) while balancing laughs, quirky characters, and plot developments, including a potential romance with one of Peony's competitors, Neptunia. Riess uses a vivid palette to emphasize the unfamiliarity of the alien environment Peony finds herself in, keeping readers as off-balance as she is. Part Top Chef, part Doctor Who, it's a thoroughly entertaining start to this space drama, and the dire cliffhanger ending will have readers eagerly awaiting volume two.


SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL -- Gr 3-5 -Peony, a talented Earthling baker, is beamed up to space to compete in Space Battle Lunchtime, an intergalactic cooking contest broadcast all over the universe. Peony is up for the challenge against five aliens, but something terrible may have happened to the chef she replaced. In spite of fierce competition, Peony finds joy in concocting new dishes out of unfamiliar ingredients like Mars Goop and Moon Butter, and she discovers the importance of friendship over feuds. The delicate, almost scrawled line drawings and handwritten lettering resemble dreamy doodles. A colorful but light, washed-out palette reflects the gentle tone: this is a story about finding friends, not enemies. This quirky mix of outer space and cooking contests not only entertains but also provides insight into the importance of friendly competition. VERDICT Give to fans of cooking comics such as Eric Colossal's "Rutabaga the Adventure Chef" and Takashi Hashiguchi's "Yakitate!! Japan."