Battle in the Flower Gardens Review
Writer, Artist & Colorist: Eduardo Medeiros
Letterer: Deyvison Manes
Editor: Greg Lockard
Publisher: Comixology
Original Graphic Novel Length: 118 Pages
Kindle Price: $6.99
Amazon Prime Members: Read for Free
Release Date: August 25, 2026
As Luke travels toward the family beach apartment, silence reigns in the car. The miles pass by as he reads his movie magazine. His father stares at the road, and his mother snoozes. They make the same drive every summer. This holiday should be no different than the others.
Yet as his summer holiday nears, Luke feels on the cusp of shrugging off his normal self and becoming someone new. How will Luke enjoy reconnecting with his longtime friend? And how will the holiday change his life? Let’s grab our beach gear, leap into Battle in the Flower Gardens, and see!
Story
As Luke sits in the back seat, the silence seems both comfortable and uncomfortable. He senses that his parents don’t talk because they have nothing to say. Luke’s thoughts drift to Mitchell and how they reunite every summer. Their fathers had once been best friends. Yet, they lost touch until they reconnected at the beach. The men occasionally call each other during the year. But like Luke and Mitchell, their fathers enjoy their summer vacations together.
Yet in Battle in the Flower Gardens, this summer proves different. Mitchell’s condo remains empty. Luke looked forward to seeing his friend. Yet, he’s also relieved that Mitchell has not arrived. Luke watches other boys his age hanging out and wishes he could join them. But Luke’s introspective nature makes it difficult for him to form friendships.
In Eduardo Medeiros’ story, Luke’s abilities unexpectedly grant him a chance to be different. He leaps at the opportunity to explore life from a different perspective. Yet, as in all aspects of life, the good comes with the bad. Luke discovers what it means to be popular and makes an unexpected friend. But just as an incident mars his perfect holiday, Luke’s experiences in Battle in the Flower Gardens will change his life forever.
Art
Instead of growing long and straight, Luke’s hair frizzes and curls at the neckline. He reads his comics and magazines with large rectangular glasses. Then, Luke stares out at the world through windows. His mother is slender and delicate, while a tuft of hair adorns his meaty father's bald pate. Their tall sedan races along on diagonal oval wheels, leaving a cloud of exhaust in its wake.
An arch over the street welcomes Luke and his family to Capão Novo. Condominium complexes fill the beach town with tall straight lines, while minimal landscaping softens the functional architecture. Eduardo Medeiros adorns his cartoony art with grays on white lined paper. In pale green and beige panels, other kids seem happy, while Luke is content in Battle in the Flower Gardens.
Pictures from Luke’s magazines intersperse the panels and notebook pages, providing a sense of the recreation opportunities available. Yet despite glimpses of grassy fields, the children who drift from one activity to another amid the blocks of buildings are reduced to naming the local arcade the Flower Gardens.
Deyvison Manes fills panels with the occasional dialogue balloon. But Eduardo’s (or Luke’s) voice whisks the story along, with black uppercase letters on white ruled paper, or perforated narrative boxes in panels. Thanks to Comixology and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.
Final Thoughts
In Eduardo Medeiros’ heartfelt coming-of-age memoir, Luke never expects that a summer will change him. Yet just as his experiences affect him, so do the people who come and go in Luke’s life. This summer will be the last one in many ways for Luke. And it will mark the author in a way that, years later, will result in Battle in the Flower Gardens.
Rating 8/10
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