Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?

Part of a series of graphic novels from Walker Books for Young Readers, WILL THE REAL MARTIAN STAND UP? is an adaptation of an episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE by the same name. A UFO is discovered by a couple of police officers who follow tracks from the crashed ship to a local diner. There's a major snowstorm, the roads are treacherous, and a bus full of passengers has stopped at the diner. It becomes clear to the people in the diner that the officers are looking for someone, but exactly who it is or where that person is from is another matter entirely. Out of all the stories I have read so far in this series of THE TWILIGHT ZONE graphic novels, WILL THE REAL MARTIAN STAND UP? is my favorite. The story has a great mixture of comedy and suspense with a double-twist ending. Also, unlike some other Twilight Zone stories, the ending of the tale doesn't feel forced or cheated. The story and plot play out the way they are supposed to. I liked the illustrations in the story. They are similar to the illustrations in other books in the series. They are kind of cartoony, but not too much so. For the story in WILL THE REAL MARTIAN STAND UP? they do an excellent job of capturing the mood and atmosphere of the tale. The text is written in a font a little larger than most graphic novels and comics and the panels are easy to follow. The book includes introductory and concluding essays as well as a page that gives many details about the original episode, including cast, crew, and trivia. Overall, a good graphic novel adaptation of a great episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE. This is a book that I think will appeal not only to older children and reluctant readers, but to fans of the original series as well.

A mysterious crash. A bus full of passengers, waiting out a winter storm. A strange person in a diner. Who is it, and what does he want with Earth? WILL THE REAL MARTIAN PLEASE STAND UP? was as kooky and weird as the TV show it represents. A very quick, fun, graphical read, indeed! This was actually my first experience reading a graphic novel and I highly enjoyed it. There are seven more in this series that I hope to get to read soon. Reviewed by: JenJen