Mr. Big: A Tale of Pond Life

Ten years ago, the husband-and-wife team of Carol and Matt Dembicki self-published a 20-page comic about a snapping turtle, Mr. Big, and his pond. This compilation unites that story and several that followed, newly colored by Jason Axtell. Themes of life, death, and balance within nature run throughout, and the major story line follows an attempt by some of Mr. Big’s fellow pond denizens to evict him (“How much destruction has he caused? How many more must perish?” asks the mother of two young fish that got too close to Mr. Big’s territory). But in trying to remove the devil they know, the animals create openings for unpredictable new predators, including an invasive snakehead fish (“This world is vastly different than his. But he adapts... quickly”). Filled with naturalistic detail, Matt Dembicki’s artwork switches perspectives fluidly, moving above and below the water to stay close to the action; during a climactic underwater battle, his panels churn and bend, as though warped by the force of the combatants’ movement. Although the story’s ecological message lands a bit heavily, it’s a lavish portrait of a vigorous ecosystem. Ages 7–10. (Oct.)■