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Ian Bennett's Leap Years

By Leroy Douresseaux
July 10, 2005 - 19:31

When Jake enters his freshmen year at Longfellow High School, he has no friends. At the end of his sophomore year, totally burnt out, Jake encounters his very own special imaginary friend – a six-foot tall, talking frog that says its name is “Wilbur.” Only Jake can see and hear Wilbur, but Wilbur, like a powerful ghostly spirit, can affect Jake’s world. Jakes magical new friend takes him on a two-year journey of self-discovery and self-confidence that transforms a shy kid into someone with ambition who wants to do something with his life..

In spite of its fantasy elements Bennett’s graphic novel, LEAP YEARS, is a compelling tale of a boy who has to accept his own value or sense of self-worth. It is funny how Wilbur manipulates, but the talking frog eventually becomes less magical and more or less a cheerleader. I found myself racing through the book to see what next big step Jake would take. Obviously, Jake, along with everyone else, once took himself for granted; now everyone, including himself, is surprised by how this young man seized the day.

I will quibble that I wanted to see Jake’s parents because I went through the book wondering about them all the time. Jake himself also seems like a point of conflict between two opposing forces, so a protagonist and antagonist fighting over him would have been fun; perhaps, in that sense, Wilbur is kind of like a hero for Jake, and perhaps, Jake’s own reluctance to live is the villain.

Bennett is no draftsman when it comes to comic art, but he has an eye for sequential illustrated narratives. He’s a good storyteller who knows when to exaggerate and just what panels and how many to use in order to effectively get a point across. He clearly understands how to use the form to tell a vehicle for telling his stories Leap Years, even with the fantastic element of Wilbur, is a straight (more or less) drama, one of those exciting indy tales of living life. I look forward to seeing Ian Bennett take on more personal drama in the future. B

Last Updated: November 29, 2025 - 16:51