Review by Frank Plowright

Extremely efficient goth Dethany Dendrobia is a standout character from Bill Holbrook’s On the Fastrack newspaper strip, and The Phantom of the Swim Team is the second young adult graphic novel looking back at her school days. One might imagine greater cover and title connection with the earlier Dethany and the Other Clique would be desirable, but Holbrook’s overall success demonstrates he knows what he’s doing. As before, this is written in partnership with his daughter H.H. Glynn, who it’s fair to assume would have greater insight into the lives of high school girls.

Readers of the previous book will have seen how Dethany’s friendship with Patricia developed and how through her she made a bunch of other friends. They all return to join the local swimming team, which is in danger of closing down without new members. That, though, is only part of the ongoing plot as the team’s disarray is indicative of how areas of town are also becoming run down. If that wasn’t enough puberty is spreading among the friends with all the discomfort that brings, and Dethany believes her mother is getting ready to announce the family are moving again.

Holbrook’s cartooning looks simple, and it definitely prioritises clarity for a younger audience, but there’s a deceptive skill on show. The characters transmit and there’s an attractive style to the surroundings, even when the intention is to show mess and squalor. As seen on the sample art, there’s a good series of running gags about a spy getting what’s coming to them, and an interesting additional visual feature is a switch to colour to show Dethany’s dreams.

Glynn and Holbrook are extremely adept at foreshadowing, with seemingly throwaway items later being important, and there’s the continuing good use of Bashir’s origami obsession. A day by day timeline keeps track of Dethany’s countdown to the presumed move, so providing a continuing tension, and the writing ensures what’s actually quite a complicated plot is easily followed. Pleasingly, the onset of puberty in different ways is well incorporated and treated as normal development rather than a subject to be spoken of in whispers.

There’s a prevailing good nature to the Dethany books. Not everyone is pleasant, but the main cast are welcoming and inclusive and there’s no scoring points by being nasty, despite Dethany’s talent for a quick and appropriate response. Last time the epilogue flashing forward fifteen years seemed gratuitous, but this time it’s far more appropriate, sweet even.

Graphic novels for the young adult market is a massively expanding area, and the Dethany books are extremely rewarding and should be a top choice.