The Recruit: The Graphic Novel

The first book in Muchamore's popular, long-running CHERUB series gets the graphic novel treatment. With a short temper, broken home life, and knack for getting into trouble, 11-year-old James Choke is on the fast track to delinquency. But just before becoming one of society's lost causes, he's recruited by CHERUB, a clandestine organization that trains and deploys kids (who naturally elicit less suspicion) for covert operations around the world. After a few weeks of basic training, he's sent on his first mission%E2%80%94to infiltrate an eco-friendly commune whose members are suspected of a plot to bomb an upcoming global oil summit and prevent the attack. Edginton crams a great deal of dialogue into a relatively tight space, and the plot tends to drag through the initial setup and training, then rush through the action of James's mission. While Aggs's artwork, buried under muddy digital coloring, keeps the story's action at the fore, it offers a fairly literal visual interpretation. Ages 12%E2%80%93up. (Apr.)