''Battling Boy'' is a

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

by an American artist-writer

Paul Pope Paul Pope (born September 25, 1970, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American alternative cartoonist. Pope's work combines the precision and romance of European comics artists with the energy and page design of the manga tradition. Pope's tw ...

, published on October 8, 2013, by

First Second Books First Second Books is an American publisher of graphic novels. An imprint of Roaring Brook Press, part of Holtzbrinck Publishers, First Second publishes fiction, biographies, personal memoirs, history, visual essays, and comics journalism. It als ...

. It was followed by two other volumes: ''The Rise of Aurora West'' and ''The Fall of the House of West''. ''Battling Boy'' earned a 2014

Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...

for Best Publication for Teens.

Publication history

''Battling Boy'' was preceded in 2013 by ''The Death of Haggard West'', a 32-page pamphlet-format preview. Volume 2 of ''Battling Boy'', titled ''The Rise of Aurora West'', is a prequel which was co-written by Pope and J. T. Petty, with art by David Rubín. It was published by First Second in 2014. Volume 3, called ''The Fall of the House of West'' and also co-written with Petty, with art by Rubín, was published in 2015.

Plot

The city of Arcopolis is besieged by vicious gangs (who kidnap children) and monsters. The local hero, Haggard West, is killed, and the city is helpless, until the arrival of Battling Boy, a demi-god from another world who has reluctantly arrived, forced by his alternately overbearing and neglectful parent to undertake a rite of passage. Powered by magical

T-shirts A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt), or tee, is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a ''crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shirts are generall ...

, Battling Boy defends the city, with some success, while also struggling with his vulnerabilities. A side story features Haggard West's daughter, Aurora, who attempts to take her father's place.

Volumes

* ''The Death of Haggard West'' (First Second Books, 2013) — 32-page pamphlet-format preview * vol. 1: ''Battling Boy'' (First Second, 2013) * vol. 2: ''The Rise of Aurora West'' (First Second, 2014) * vol. 3: ''The Fall of the House of West'' (First Second, 2015)

Film adaptation

On May 13, 2010, The Hollywood Reporter reported that

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

hired

David Gordon Green David Gordon Green is an American filmmaker. He directed the dramas ''George Washington'' (2000), ''All the Real Girls'' (2003), and '' Snow Angels'' (2007), as well as the thriller '' Undertow'' (2004), all of which he wrote or co-wrote. In 2 ...

would direct the film adaptation of ''Battling Boy'' with

Alex Tse Alex Tse (born 1976) is an American screenwriter who wrote the 2004 gangster film ''Sucker Free City'', co-wrote the 2009 superhero film ''Watchmen'', and wrote the 2018 film '' Superfly''. He is also a writer and executive producer for the 2019 ...

writing the script and

Plan B Entertainment Plan B Entertainment, Inc., more commonly known as Plan B, is an American production company founded in November in 2001 by Brad Grey, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston and Kristin Hahn. In 2005, after Pitt and Aniston divorced, Grey became the CEO of ...

was set to produce the film adaptation. On July 29, 2015, The Tracking Board reported that Patrick Osborne replaced Green as director of ''Battling Boy,'' while Green and Josh Parkinson wrote the latest draft and Plan B Entertainment was still set to produce the film.

References

External links

* 2013 graphic novels American graphic novels 2013 American novels First Second Books books {{2010s-graphic-novel-stub