Daniel X: Alien Hunter

Bibliography: Patterson, J. & Gout, L. (2008). Daniel X: Alien hunter. (K. Lyngeled, J. Girin, & J. McLamb, Illus.) New York: Little, Brown.

Genre: Graphic Novel – Science Fiction

Reading Level/Interest Age: 13-15

Reader's Annotation: After the violent murder of his parents, Daniel inherits the mysterious List of Alien Outlaws, allowing him to assume his father's role as Alien Hunter. But the list doesn't tell Daniel everything, and he may have taken on too much when he tackles #7 on the list, the head of an interplanetary hunt with Daniel as his next target.

Author: Patterson, born March 22, 1947, was a top advertising executive before retiring to pursue writing full time in the 1990s. By that time, he was already a successful writer of detective mysteries. Today, Patterson stays at the top of the bestseller lists for novels in several genres for various age groups. Despite his success, Patterson receives criticism for formulaic fiction, often written in collaboration with co-writers.

Plot Summary: "Long ago, after his parents' brutal murder, Daniel inherited the coveted List of Alien Outlaws and assumed his father's role as Alien Hunter. With his supreme abilities, like being able to shape-shift and conjure up long-dead family members out of thin air, Daniel is ready to take on the scum of the universe. Number 7 on the list – grandmaster of an interplanetary game of destruction that could result in the eventual takeover of the Earth – is his next target.

On a quest that takes him through the bowels of Tokyo and into other realms, Daniel ingeniously tracks the insectile mastermind. But when #7 reveals his true and terrifying powers, Daniel must enlist the help of #7's own son before he finds himself at the center of the most high-stakes game yet." (back cover)

Critical Evaluation: Maybe I'm just not a graphic novel reader, or maybe I need to read more graphic novels to the have a better frame of reference because this work seemed really silly to me. The opening sequence has little or nothing to do with the plot and seemed to be lifted almost entirely from the first Batman movie with Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. The narrator's comments are often melodramatic bits of braggadocio that make him sound like a ridiculous kid instead of an interesting champion of justice. Still, I suppose the point is not to make Daniel into someone readers can identify with, but rather a hero who uses alien powers to defend those less fortunate. I guess in that light, it fulfills its purpose. However, the artistry is honestly much better than the text, and I'm not sure I could have gotten through the work without it. The images are bright, creative, and well-executed. They help fill in the gaps of the text and make the story interesting. This leaves me wondering about the quality of the novel that the graphic novel is based on. Did the text lose something in the adaptation process or is the original novel this banal too?

Curriculum Ties: none

Book Talk Ideas:
• focus on Daniel's ability to conjure up friends and family
• focus on the List
• focus on Daniel's friendship with Kildare

Challenge Issues: violence

Challenge Defense:
• Explain library selection policies
• Provide reviews of the book from reputable sources
• Explain library challenge procedures
• Offer challenge form

Why was this text included in this project? I wanted to include some graphic novels to add breadth to my selections, and I was curious to see Patterson’s work adapted to the graphic novel format.