Review by Frank Plowright

Set in the worlds of online games Clash of Clans and Clash Royale, each volume Books of Clash graphic novel spotlights one of the Jazzypickleton Cucumbers, unique for uniting members from assorted tribes. This time the spotlight falls on Yolanda, the Valkyrie.

Gene Luen Yang concocts rather a sad background to begin with, Yolanda wandering the world as an exceptionally in demand warrior for hire whose presence pretty well guarantees any team hiring her a tournament win. However, she has no memory of who she was before being hit by a log, who turns out to be named Pam. The assumption for regular readers will be of this all occurring in the past, yet, cleverly, that’s not the case. The entire community of Jazzypickleton has disappeared, and it’s up to Yolanda and Pam to discover how and why.

The answer lies in a plot Yang’s had bubbling over the past few books, in which King Roland wants revenge for a defeat, and is seen gathering the deadliest warriors to challenge the Jazzypickleton Cucumbers.

After taking a break for Vol. 3, Les McClane returns as artist offering his customarily great cartooning, sparing no details, and giving the assorted battles an epic quality. He has to design several teams of assorted combatants, and they’re all wild.

Duality has been an underplayed theme of The Books of Clash from the beginning, and here it takes Granny Pocus to discover what relevance that might have to the disappearance of Jazzypickleton. Her completely unpredictable wackiness always makes her appearances a joy, and this is no different. Yang also revisits other matters introduced in earlier books to reveal a sneaky masterplan, owing much to Circe’s habits from The Odyssey. Once it’s out in the open the only question is whether Yolanda can put things right in another great all-ages adventure.

A Vol. 5 is in the works.