The first official Neopets graphic novel, Neopets: The Omelette Faerie, will be released on October 22nd, 2024. The story transports readers to Tyrannia. Both new iconic characters come together for some patently Neopian visual storytelling. The official synopsis is:
Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, a dinosaur of GIGANTIC proportions laid a massive egg. That egg split open, and started to bake in the sun. Ever since then, a giant omelette has been cooking on the Tyrannian Plateau. It may seem silly, but it is true.
The Giant Omelette is a staple in Neopets. Each day, hungry Neopets approach the massive, eggy monolith and manage to take a slice.
But this isn't a story about how the Giant Omelette came to be. It is the story of how we almost lost it—forever.
In this beautifully illustrated original graphic novel, readers will follow Sabre-X, a disgraced Fire Faerie named Seraphina, and their Petpets, a Reptillior and a Faellie, on an epic fantastical journey through Neopia to restore one of the most popular parts of the site.
Some pages from the official sampler
The book's publisher, Andrews McMeel, graciously provided Jellyneo an advance review copy. (You can read an official sampler copy of the prologue here on Jellyneo too!) Having gathered feedback from multiple staffers, it's clear that while the novel offers a richly imaginative experience, there are varying opinions on its execution.
As a graphic novel, the art is an important part of the quality of the work, and The Omelette Faerie has mixed success with this.
The artwork effectively captures the whimsical essence of Neopia, with character and setting designs that stay true to the Neopian aesthetic. However, it was sometimes lacking in quality and refinement, especially when compared to the rich history of site art and plot comics it stands in context with. In some ways, it's reminiscent of an extended Neopian Times comic; the art style is recognizable as Neopets, but different in a way that wouldn't look out of place being serialized there.
Character designs are a strong suit here, consistent and recognizable. The Faeries in particular are very well-done. Background characters aren't repetitive, which is a nice touch.
The art sometimes comes across a bit rushed at times. Backgrounds are sometimes detailed, but other times a bit dimensionless from lack of shading. There were some panels in need of more editing: some bubbles had a bit too much text; some pages have a bit too many panels; and we didn't need 4 panels of rustling bushes (as an example).
The art team had to make some deliberate choices that will hit for some readers and miss for others. For example, most characters are drawn to be "quads" (on four legs) rather than "anthro" (human-like on two legs), which differs from most on-site plot comics, but has the upside of being more nostalgic of the earliest era of Neopets. There is also diversity in size and colour across species (all 55 of which make at least one appearance!). Emphasis in dialogue is usually done using underline rather than italic or bold.
Sometimes the art worked in contradiction with the story. Sabre-X's art, for example, is a bit too cutesy, when he ought to be drawn with a few more sharp edges to come off as the gruff war general most users are familiar with. Although some of the Tyrannia and Faerieland backdrops are nicely drawn and recognizable, they sometimes feel "just there," as if someone lovingly recreated them without regard to the events of the story.
An example panel from the official sampler
The story moves along at a brisk pace, sometimes perhaps too fast, doing its best to mix both action sequences and character development. There's no time spent on extraneous background information. You get a quick rundown of some history that people who are new to Neopets may not be aware of, but thrown pretty quickly into the main story. The main characters enter quickly too, then explored more in depth as the tale unfolds rather than thrown at you at once.
The story itself is interesting and engaging, but because of the speed, there are some odd tonal shifts and abrupt transitions, occasionally leaving the impression of a missing panel or page. This speed can also make it more difficult to build connections and affinity for the characters, causing certain story beats to lack the emotional impact they should have. The dialogue is authentic and engaging and uses a blend of humor and seriousness that is effective in making the characters relatable and memorable, but this attachment can be missed without deliberately slowing down. Similarly, there's several instances of awfully convenient plot points at key points in the story, resulting in the climax feeling unearned.
Further, the story tackles some mature themes like famine, pandemic, and post-war life, but does not explore these in a meaningful way, perhaps due to a younger intended audience. The story is brimming with colour, but it does the tone no favors. The peril the characters are in never feel real, nor the sense of dread as the characters are running out of time. In a lot of cases, things are just happening. Events don't feel logically connected.
Although the art often does a great job to "show don't tell" character feelings, sometimes the writing does not follow suit, choosing to blatantly state feelings rather than present them in subtler ways or simply defer to the art!
There is an overarching theme of friendship and redemption, with a fairly conventional plot that suits a Neopian work. Consequences are made apparent and affect the story. Personal motivations and morals are important plot drivers, showing that two people may have the same goal but for different reasons, and how those reasons can cause conflict.
The Omelette Faerie exists in the context of a lot of Neopets lore. While sometimes it advances it, other times it fails to cohere to all that came before.
The choice of Tyrannia as a primary setting was excellent. It was greatly appreciated that the story did not try to do too much with the many Neopian lands, leading to a more immersive read. We see Faerieland in occasional flashbacks, but otherwise this story belongs to Tyrannia, a relatively underrepresented land in on-site events and plots. The focus on the Giant Omelette, possibly the most iconic meme to come from Neopets, was a superb idea.
Image from the official sampler
The centering of a lesbian relationship as an important part of the plot is something to celebrate, and the execution is graceful. Neopets has abandoned its former puritanical approach to queerness in recent years, and it's delightful to see this manifested in an officially published story, truly adding something to the Neopets canon.
There are enough Neopian "Easter eggs" hidden throughout the story to make it a fun little nod to anyone who enjoys Neopia, often literally copy/pasted text and images from the site. These winks are fun to recognize, but the trick might be a bit overused. And some references might be a little too deep down the Neopets iceberg. An example is the symptom of the Ugga Ugga disease, which plays a role in the plot; this is described on the site's Hospital page, but do you know what it is? ("Your Neopet's throat becomes so sore that all they can do is make Ugga noises.") Even those extremely familiar with Neopets might think some references are just bizarre or confusing choices.
The novel does a good job with intermixing familiar, iconic characters with new ones. The development of Sabre-X's backstory does not take away from the development of Seraphina's, and vice-versa. If anything, this contrast between new and familiar enriches the story.
It feels at some points that the narrative has been the victim of the Void Within plot. For example, Seraphina is a Fire Faerie, but functionally the same as a Grey Faerie—is it possible they changed her simply to not conflict with Baelia's prominent role in the plot?
The choice of a Dark Faerie as an antagonist feels a bit cheap and reductive, parlaying an uninspired "dark faerie bad" stereotype. They don't even bother to give her name, despite her being the reason for much of the story's action!
Fyora's role in the story was perhaps the biggest disappointment. (And she doesn't even appear in the artwork!) She comes off unlikeable, punitive, and mean. These are not exciting choices for one of the most popular characters in Neopets.
It was jarring to have Queen Fyora herself be responsible for Seraphina's lack of magic, especially to have it be such a harsh punishment for a comparatively light crime; it might have worked if Seraphina stole something that put lives at risk, like a powerful artefact. But this harsh of a punishment...for a random, indigent Fire Faerie...over a paint brush that Fyora has infinite stock of! It's a cruel and brash punishment from an otherwise benevolent and rational character. Whatever sympathy for Seraphina is earned from it was not worth the narrative cost of tarnishing Fyora like this.
Moreover, the punishment just doesn't make sense when looking at other Neopets lore! If Fyora was a dictator stripping faeries of their wings for minor offenses, we'd have way more than just one Grey Faerie. Why didn't she do that to the Darkest Faerie instead of turning her to stone? Heck, why didn't she do it with Drakara? It would have solved all the problems driving the current plot. The apparent ease with which Seraphina regains her own powers also leaves you to wonder why Baelia hasn't been given the same opportunity.
There's also a bit of imprecision even with the novel. There was some dialogue that seemed to be saying that the omelette only started after the Tyrannian Invasion...but also that the Tyrannian Invasion happened thousands of years ago? Or there were two wars? Or the omelette only started getting used for food after the Tyrannian Invasion? It's not clear.
In broad strokes, The Omelette Faerie adheres well to established lore, but does fall into the recent Neopets trap of new details throwing up more questions than answers.
Who would most enjoy this novel? It has a little something for everyone!
Children will enjoy the adventure and humor, and the flow of the story is certainly devised for a younger mind. However, older fans may appreciate the deeper themes of identity and relationships, the darker themes implied by some of the backstory, and the callbacks to the Neopets site.
The appeal to both younger and older readers sometimes leads to a tension, however. The references for veteran players may be lost on younger readers who don't already have an introduction to Neopia, while the tone and style that may work well for younger readers might feel infantilizing to older veteran players. The book's team may have split the difference in a way that is not fully satisfying to any one target audience.
It's not bad, but we were hoping for more. With Neopets on the upswing and its 25th anniversary upon us, it's on Neopets to show that it deserves to persist in the public consciousness. Thus, it's essential that every interaction with the brand, by old and new fans, leaves a great impression. Unfortunately, their first attempt at a graphic novel is mostly between neutral and negative. As Neopets was known for their quality plot comics, a graphic novel series seemed like a logical step. But only a few of the things that made those comics great and captivated millions can be found in The Omelette Faerie.
This novel was clearly a labor of love from fans, with legitimate talent behind it. It brings the iconic Neopets art style to life, tackles an LGBT+ conflict with great respect, and tells a page-turning emotional tale with charm. But its shine is dulled by a polarizing story point, lackluster and sudden plot developments, and unpolished panels. It all culminates to a climax that feels unearned. The story tries appeal to both children and nostalgic adults, but never finds the right balance. The Omelette Faerie gives readers a nice slice of Neopia, but it serves more as a snack than a fulfilling, hearty meal, leaving us hungry for something more. Much like the Omelette Faerie herself, we're left longing to recapture the magic, which we hope can be done in future graphic novels.
This review was written by Herdy, Kat, Keyda, Rowsay, Steph, and Ummy and was last updated on October 8, 2024.
