Review by Ian Keogh

There’s a land beset by giant monsters who fight. Rather than be appalled at the resulting damage, the people unite behind the fighter representing their region and hope that they’ll become the champion by beating everyone else. The wild card in this scenario is the Littlest Fighter, a wandering normal sized combatant not representing an area, but going from place to place challenging others, incredibly successfully considering his size.

Ash is the Littlest Fighter, seen in blue on the cover, while the pink character is Dot, accompanying him and attempting to show there is more to life than fighting. It’s not a lesson easily taken in. Even when Dot shows Ash the damage caused by fighting, all he’s concerned about is fighting again.

Joey Weiser’s cheerful art and goofy monsters should go a long way to attracting young readers, and considering most of the pages are given over to fighting or the consequences of it, the interludes really hit home, although not in a forceful way. To adults the message is obvious, but children won’t immediately understand that as Ash is one of their own, enthusiastic, single-minded and a bundle of energy. Consequences are soon forgotten as the primary urge again takes over.

What Ash needs is an example, and that’s duly provided in the form of Terry, former champion of champions who’s realised the redundancy of his previous obsessions. Terry is massive, and a joy of The Littlest Fighter is a sense of scale, with the monsters towering over communities, and Terry larger than a small village.

Weiser leaves the path open for a sequel, but The Littlest Fighter is an enjoyable awakening and redemption arc complete in itself.