Big Nate on a Roll Reviews

A few years ago, newspaper comics were something that didn't concern me. While it's true that we all live inside our own bubble, those hour lunches at work give me a chance to check out the local newspaper when I otherwise wouldn't. It's from these brief moments away from the insanity that is retail that I discovered I had a favorite comic strip, or rather comic strips.

It's really hard to explain how I became attracted to Cow and Boy, but the reasons are all too clear when it comes to Big Nate. Ironically, that reason is hinted at on the cover of these books where Jeff Kinney (author of the Wimpy Kid series) is quoted as being a fan of Big Nate. It's not too hard to see the connection between the two, but it's their differences that are of note and what ultimately make Big Nate superior. Kinney's Greg Huffley is brat and there are times where I absolutely loath his selfish behavior. This is never the case with Nate who, while not immune to blissful ignorance of childhood, at least acts like he's part of the universe and not the sole reason for its being.

As it stands, "On a Roll" is another solid outing in a series I hope to follow to its conclusion. Still, at the same time I can't say this one is a slam dunk like the previous volumes. The best thing I can say about the book is unlike "In a Class of by Himself" I didn't see the ending of this one coming from a mile a way, which was definite buzz kill. This time around, Peirce focuses on Nate's adventures in winning a custom designed skateboard. The overall plot is fine but its laser beam focus comes at the expense of character interaction and variety. For example, despite the opening it's not long before Nate's life at school takes a back seat and that's a setting where Big Nate derives some of its best humor.

"On a Roll" isn't without its problems but its way too early to hit the panic button. Whereas Kinney has a real problem brewing with his main character in the Wimpy Kid books, Peirce has a long way to go before he even gets close to such a conundrum.