Danger and Other Unknown Risks

North and Henderson (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl) reteam to deliver a circuitous caper starring a magic-wielding teenage girl and her talking dog as they endeavor to save the world. Marguerite de Pruitt and her fluffy pooch Daisy live on an alternate Earth in which Y2K did, in fact, engender the collapse of civilization. Rather than being caused by computer glitches or political upheaval, however, it was instead brought about by magic. Now, an unknown number of years later, Marguerite is being trained in spell work by her uncle Bernard, who lived through the collapse and believes she’s destined to stop dark magic from further destroying the universe. But while Marguerite shows promise in the mystical arts, she is filled with self-doubt. To save the world, Marguerite and Daisy must traverse mysterious, physics-bending realms; navigate collapsing timelines; and decipher references to 20th-century pop ephemera. Irreverent fight scenes interlocked with flashbacks to Marguerite’s idyllic childhood balance laugh-out-loud humor with moments of pathos. Henderson’s dynamic paneling, rendered using psychedelic hues and stark shadows, ground North’s wry narrative asides to present a mind-bending and tenderhearted adventure. Ages 12–up. (Apr.)