Review by Frank Plowright

The undersea voyages of the Nekton family continue with a second adventure in their state of the art submarine, tThe undersea voyages of the Nekton family continue with a second adventure in their state of the art submarine, this time investigating a small island in the South Atlantic. Instead of being engulfed by an approaching tsunami, no-one was harmed, nor were they even moistened, which is just the type of mystery the Nektons like to investigate. The crew has been increased by one as the mysterious Nereon has stuck around after dropping some cryptic comments during Here be Dragons.

Considerable background consideration, a decent mystery and the evocative digital art of James Brouwer made that first Deep graphic novel an all-ages treat, and the same formula applies here with an even more imaginative plot. When the family arrive at Tartaruga it’s a mile away from where it should be, and a mysterious cave has appeared under the island. Tom Taylor’s solution to that is wonderful, enabling Brouwer to produce some suitably creepy illustrations.

Due to the diligent work carried out in already establishing the cast and their personalities, Taylor can place greater emphasis on the plot, stressing how William Nekton’s over-riding ambition is to locate the lost city of Atlantis. As before, the mood is upbeat, this time with no negative intrusions, and Taylor has a good handle on the appropriate levels of danger for an all-ages project. Brouwer’s also good with that, providing chills that aren’t too chilling, and expressions that won’t make the younger readers too fearful. Don’t make the mistake, though, of considering this is just a kids comic. Remember that Taylor’s progressed to write some excellent material aimed at older audiences, and his way with an imaginative plot twist is evident here.

The Vanishing Island ends on one hell of a bombshell, but the stories Taylor had to tell beyond this have been funnelled into the Australian/Canadian animated TV show, with three seasons to date. This has been combined with Here be Dragons for a longer book introducing a North American audiences to the Nektons and their adventures.his time investigating a small island in the South Atlantic. Instead of being engulfed by an approaching tsunami, no-one was harmed, nor were they even moistened, which is just the type of mystery the Nektons like to investigate. The crew has been increased by one as the mysterious Nereon has stuck around after dropping some cryptic comments during Here be Dragons.