School Library Journal Review
Gr 6 Up-Cosmo Hill is an orphan, and in Satellite City that means living in an orphanage and being used as a subject for experiments and product testing. The residents at the Clarissa Frayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys have very short life expectancies, so they are always looking for the chance to escape. When Cosmo does get away, he finds himself exploring a world he never imagined with a new group of friends, the Supernaturalists, who have unusual abilities and are on a quest to find the life-sucking creatures so dangerous to humans. Stefan, Mona, and Ditto rescue him, repair his injuries, and take him along on their dangerous adventures. The Supernaturalist is a murky story, both visually and thematically. Rigano's artwork is dark and ominous, visually reminiscent of the film Blade Runner. Glowing lights are often used to dramatic effect, whether the glow is in a character's eyes or in the nucleus of an alien creature. But the murkiness lies within the story as well, as readers are thrown back and forth between believing that different characters are good or evil, and even the heroes are made to question their own motivations. This exciting science-fiction story will make readers think as it keeps them on the edges of their seats.-Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
While escaping from an orphanage where he has been used as a human lab rat, Cosmo Hill falls from a roof and is left for dead by the guard sent to bring him back. Cosmo is saved by the Supernaturalists, a group of teens who are out to destroy Parasites, the invisible beings that feed on the life force of humans. Cosmo finds a home with the group once it's discovered that he, too, can see the weird blue entities. But the Parasites are not what they appear, and the Supernaturalists are not the only ones hunting them, sending the teens down a path they never expected to take. In this terrific example of an adaptation done right, the text has been pared down to dialogue and a minimum of exposition, leaving the art to describe the setting and action by using clearly laid-out panels and clever two-page spreads. The resulting story moves quickly and tension builds as the plot advances. Don't be surprised if readers come looking for more, as the ending teases with the possibility of a sequel.--Volin, Eva Copyright 2010 Booklist