House of the Black Spot

Plus Man is back in Ben Sears’ graphic novel, House of the Black Spot. This time, Plus Man and his robot sidekick Hank must work together to solve the mystery of Hank’s uncle’s murder. And to top it all off, they have to thwart the evil real estate developers that are trying to take over Gear Town.

As the book begins, the residents of Gear Town are plagued by the ghost of Mr. Wentworth, a real estate tycoon who is forcing residents off their properties. The whole town is being gentrified as older buildings are being torn down for more modern condos, golf courses and luxury homes for the rich. Their only protector is Hank’s Uncle Bill who is trying to put a stop to the redevelopment. However, when Mr. Wentworth’s ghost pays him a visit, Uncle Bill is found dead.

Enter Plus Man and Hank. They are called to Uncle Bill’s estate for the reading of his will. Once there, they are met by a multitude of characters who are all vying for the same lucrative inheritance. However, Uncle Bill’s will has one stipulation: someone within the room is his murderer, and whoever can find the killer will get everything. As Plus Man and Hank work together to find Uncle Bill’s murderer, they stumble upon an even stranger mystery. Why is Uncle Bill’s butler always disappearing? And why are real estate developers lurking everywhere?

Written in Sears’ signature style, House of the Black Spot is a funny, fast-paced read that will appeal to young readers. The storyline, itself, is very timely, and Sears does a great job with taking a very serious topic like gentrification and making it accessible to children. But most importantly, this graphic novel is just a lot of fun to read. The dialogue is crisp and on point, and, at times, I could not stop laughing at Plus Man’s witticisms. And of course, the illustrations are what make this book a true delight. The bold colours coupled with the free form feel of the designs make this graphic novel a must-read.