• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2020 June #1
  Daughter of a hard-bitten thief, Ashley is a ward of the state with a cagey, self-possessed attitude. Prospective foster parents Kitch and Yuka Nolan are willing to take a chance, though, and things seem to be clicking, especially with Kitch, who shares Ashley's love for making art. That's until Ashley stumbles onto her new mom's secret: Yuka's a scientist who has invented a selection of body paints developed from superhero DNA, which, when applied, can imbue a fantastic array of color-coded superpowers. Afraid of how the military will use them, Yuka steals them, only to have them stolen from her by Ashley, who now becomes the city's newest amateur superhero: Primer. Adding a few clever twists to a familiar story in our superhero-saturated times, Primer may be more satisfying than it is surprising, but its animated faces, buoyant colors, and swooping action sequences strike a spot-on visual tone for middle-grade readers. Ashley's struggle to navigate emotional relationships with both her foster parents and her incarcerated father also makes for an interestingly plucky and not uncomplicated protagonist. Grades 5-8. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.

Since 2004, Tom Krajewski has been writing animation for Nickelodeon, Disney, Warner Bros., the BBC, and Cartoon Network. Titles he has worked on include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Iron Man, Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, and The Fairly OddParents. He is also the head writer on the Netflix series Buddy Thunderstruck.

Jennifer Muro is the writer of the Lucasfilm series Star Wars: Forces of Destiny. She's also written for Justice League Action, DC Super Hero Girls, Marvel's Spider-Man, and is currently working on Critical Role's The Legend of Vox Machina series.

Gretel Lusky is a character designer and visual development artist for animation. Primer is her debut graphic novel.

She loves animals, mermaids, tattoos, poetry, nature, fantasy, traveling, and superheroes.