Hartwell & Cameron's The Pirates of Pangaea Book 1 review

The Pangaea of the latest Phoenix Presents collection is not the prehistoric supercontinent that you learned about in primary school, as you attempted to match the coastlines of cut-out continents together into a satisfying solid lump. This Pangaea is a forgotten island of dinosaurs slowly falling under the colonisation of 18th century Europeans.

This is all established by Neill Cameron and Daniel Hartwell in a handful of pages, in what must be one of the slickest intros in the history of comics. It isn't aggressively polished, but manages with extreme neatness to lay out everything you need to know in minimum time and fuss (coupled with a 'ye olde mappe' worthy of any treasure island adventure classic).

Young orphan Sophie Delacourt is on her way to the strange and mysterious island of Pangaea to live with her uncle - the governor - after the death of her parents. A friendly bosun tells her tales of the island's monsters, and it isn't very long until she sees proof of them for herself.

Her journey to be united with her uncle is anything but a smooth one, with pirates waiting to ambush the great walking ships that sail above the grasses of the deadly Sea of Green (what we hope is a cheeky nod to The Beatles), and ambitious buccaneers seek the lost treasure of the island's natives.

We've been consistently impressed by the quality and charm of The Phoenix's many strips, and Pirates of Pangaea is no exception. Cameron's art is bright, clean, consistent and easy to follow, frequently bringing a genuine sense of scope and wonder to Pangaea. His maps and scientific drawings are utterly delightful. The characters are established visually and in the writing with simple but sharply defined traits that give a strong sense of life and drive to them.

There are a load of great concepts packed into this first volume. We particularly love the Sea of Green - a outwardly placid grassland that hides quick, painful death - which gives a new twist to the idea of piracy on the high seas, as well as the slightly disturbing methods of taming the dinosaurs to human will. And while the book steers clear of visual gore, it doesn't shy away from brutality when the story demands it.

Despite a mix of some striking original concepts, the book does in places fall victim to cliché. Stolen treasure maps and noble vs villainous pirates are a trope in almost every tale of the Golden Age of Piracy, and it is apparently an unwritten law that all young heroines must be related to 'the governor'.

Earlier in the story, the dialogue occasionally comes out as awkwardly flat ("I challenge you to a duel!") but evens out significantly as the tale progresses. Most jarringly is the later revelation that Sophie is "only 12" - from her behaviour and appearance we had assumed that she was much older.

Her age notwithstanding, Sophie forms the forceful and likeable centre of the book, not a hackneyed 'strong female protagonist', but a character sometimes foolish and clumsy but with a good heart and a fighting spirit. It's impossible not to root for her and her sidekick Kelsey, and who out there can resist the fantastic image of our heroine riding on a blue tyrannosaurus rex called Cornflower?

Cameron and Hartwell's Pirates of Pangaea Book 1 is another great addition to the Phoenix Presents library. Much like its heroine, it overcomes its flaws with an excess of energy and heart.

Pirates of Pangaea Book 1 is released by David Fickling Books today (February 5).

Hugh Armitage

Hugh Armitage is Movies Editor at Digital Spy.