Review by Ian Keogh

Judd Winick has pulled off something very clever with Hilo, starting off with one lead character, altering the focus to enable Gina to hijack the series, and simultaneously switching the theme from SF to magic. When all the earlier adventures drew to a close Hilo was transformed into a normal human boy, or almost normal as he’s unusually perceptive, while Gina still possessed the magical abilities she acquired. Not knowing exactly how to use them meant The Girl Who Broke the World lived up to its title. History has completely changed, and instead of the world gradually evolving along scientific principles, all progression has been based on magic. Only Gina and the friends she protected are aware of the change.

Gina, DJ, Hilo and Lisa rapidly discover DJ and Lisa’s family don’t seem to exist on the new world where everyone looks different, so that’s sad to begin with. Winick uses it to introduce a number of new characters, and the idea that although magic is possible, the use of it is banned beyond a few people. Gina isn’t one of them.

Polly is reintroduced, along with her younger brother and apprentice, the level of offence he can cause very much in contrast to his small size. Although most of the main cast from previous books are back, it’s with a good twist. In order to access places in this new world no-one should look human, so they all have to adopt new identities. There is one human who appears toward the end who’s been well foreshadowed in The Girl Who Broke the World, but almost everyone else is new. The standouts are the petty and self-centred royal family.

By now Winick should be trusted to deliver hilarity and hi-jinks like the great mango abdominal issue, and he designs dozens of ridiculous monsters now populating the world. One might imagine Hilo himself actually being a little more excited by them, but otherwise Gina and the Big Secret is the usual barrel of imaginative laughs we’ve come to expect from a quality series. Gina and the Last City on Earth is next.