First of all, this is not normally a genre I read. However, I wanted to try something new. With that being said, this is an honest opinion from a novice reader of this genre.

The first thing that attracted me were the colors. The illustrations were done so well and that alone would have kept my attention.

I felt the adventure was funny and very accurate to the vibe of the title.

I would definitely recommend this and plan to read more from the author.

The only thing I didn’t care for were the little words in bubbles. Which duh, that’s a staple of comics....


This book was reviewed based on my honest personal preference.

Kudos to the author for being bold enough to share their creativity with the world.

🤓NETGALLEY REVIEW. I did receive a free copy of this book for my honest review.

This is a comic inspired by Black 90's sitcoms and entertainment and follows a group of friends who have also formed a R&B group called Smooth City. Throughout the comic, you can find many scenarios inspired by episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. This was a very light and funny read with many comedic scenarios you expect to see in any sitcoms with teenage boys and all the internal drama you expect with boy bands.
#SmoothCity #NetGalley

I like and dislike at the same time.

At first it was very slow for me and I got lost because there was a lot of dialogue. As the plot progressed, I got used to it.

It's supposed to be a comic about trying hard and stuff, but the ending didn't make much sense with the message.

I really liked that the vibes of the 90s are felt because the drawing was very colorful. My favorite character was mickey without a doubt.

Wow! This YA graphic novel was the blast-from-the-past, feel-good story that I needed right now. Kenny Keil has a talent that is simply undeniable. Smoove City follows four young R&B/soul singers, Ray, Ronnie, Mikey, and Vinnie, as they set out to achieve success as the next big boy band. This graphic novel screams 1990s and is obviously based on the very real experiences of artists of that era. I laughed, I got frustrated and angry, and I finished Smoove City feeling very satisfied and hoping that we'll be seeing more of these memorable characters. In addition to this entertaining tale, the author has also created an accompanying Spotify playlist of 90s R&B hits! As a lover of 90s R&B, this unexpected bonus was greatly appreciated. I recommend this graphic novel to readers of all ages, especially for 90s babies and lovers of R&B music such as myself.

Thanks to NetGalley, Oni Press, and Kenny Keil for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I am unsure if I liked this comic or not. The drawings were really colourful and I enjoyed that a lot but sometimes, it was a bit too much and I was kind of lost in what to look at. I also felt like there was supposed to be a moral to this story but I cannot really find one. In a way, we can see that when you believe in your dreams, you can achieve them but at the same time, it didn’t show the work and perseverance you need to succeed at that. I didn’t really understand the polit points. Some jokes made me laugh in my mind but I think I missed most of them. Moreover, the characters were a little flat, not very relatable nor likeable. Overall, I didn’t enjoy the story a lot but I liked the art which was really colourful and had a real 90s vibe.

This comic is aimed for fans of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and I also got a glimpse of Hairspray in it but honestly the plot is conspicuous by its absence.
I liked the art style but didn't get to like any of the characters nor the confusing plotlines. The premise of this comic is about four singers trying to fit in the 90s music industry but I got quite bored pretty soon.

* reviewed from uncorrected eARC / netgalley

graphic novel / humor, nostalgia, friendship (4 friends on their way to becoming the next big R&B boy band in the 90s)
A funny comic with characters you'll want to root for. More, please!

I got this on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
I really enjoyed this graphic novel, and I think it was fun and a little different than others I've read in the past. I do think the story was a little bit confusing at times, since it tries to go over some stuff quickly to get to more "fun" stuff. I wish maybe it lingered on more of the moments and let us get to know the guys a little bit more, but really nice overall tho!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of Smoove City. This book is described as Fresh Prince meets Archie, a love letter to New Jack Swing. I grew up on New Jack Swing, so I was excited to see this. I wish it was a little more New Edition, and a little less jail. At times it felt disjointed, but mostly because it was focusing on a random arrest. That said, the nod to Bell Big Devoe is 100% the reason I’ll buy this book for my library!

Stars In Their Eyes: A Review of Smoove City
Written and illustrated by Kenny Keil, edited by Amanda Meadows
Published by Oni Press
Available on September 29, 2020
Ages 12-18

You haven’t heard of Smoove City? They’re the dynamic group reminiscent of Boyz II Men, except even handsomer. Maybe you haven’t heard of them because Smoove City is still a dream. Its members–Ray, Ronnie, Vinnie, and Mikey–are squeezing in music practice between restaurant gigs and rollerblading sessions. When the group pools their money for a demo cut at the mall, they know exactly where they’ll send it: Phat Cat Records, headed by the goddess of hip hop, Ms. Laverne Lavalle. Ray, Ronnie, Vinnie, and Mike barely make it past the front door. When a duplicitous Phat Cat Records intern hoodwinks the group into signing onto his side project, hijinks ensue. Smoove City finds themselves touring around the country and eventually getting thrown into jail for promoting devil-inspired music. The media sensation that follows throws Smoove City into superstardom, but can they ever get out from under their bogus record deal? Kenny Keil’s graphic novel is an ode to early ‘90s R&B. While the story of best friends trying to make it big is a familiar tale, Keil’s saturated pictures and pop culture references give the story a fresh twist. Keil gives readers a double narrative: the main plotline focuses on the four friends navigating tour buses, run-down motels, and empty audiences; the secondary plot involves Smoove City’s demo tape catching on at house parties and becoming an underground sensation. Smoove City’s plotline is jam-packed with action and wacky jokes, while the underground mixtape provides some subtler humor amidst the group’s gags. This is a fun, nostalgic, and lighthearted read for middle schoolers and high schoolers alike.

This book feels like summer. The colors, the story, the style; it's a great time and a smooth read. The story is less about individual characters and more about a vibe. It's trying to impart a mood and a feeling the '90s. Like an Archie comic, you'll probably identify with one character more than the others but don't expect deep character development. That''s totally fine because it is also not the intention of this comic. Like other reviewers have said, there are a few spots where the story drags a little but it's not a deal breaker by any means. It's a fun, cool story that invokes that imparts some of the best feeling of the 90s. It's a great little laid back read.

Thank you so much to net galley for sending me a couple of this GN. I was so excited to read this but i ended up not like it very much

This is a wonderfully-written graphic novel about individuality, drive, and the many pitfalls of the music industry. The artwork is delightfully bright, original, and sure to catch the eye of young adult readers, Keil uses the medium to highlight the struggles of being young, talented, and ambitious in a world that jumps at the opportunity to exploit new artists. However, while some of the themes are heavier than they first appear, readers will love the vibrant personalities, relationships, and hilarious rapport between the characters. An exuberant addition to any young adult collection.

A nostalgic look at the boybands trends and stereotypes of the New Jack Swing era of R&B music. The story fuses of the aesthetic of "In Living Color" with a zany classic Archie comic. This book is sure to appeal to those who remember fondly remember New Edition and Kid 'n Play.

A group of four friends in the 90s try to be a successful R&B boyband in the music business, going through difficult phases to finally get to their goals. I was really excited when I got accepted for this ARC but I was sadly disappointed.
I really enjoyed the art style, I love the bright colours, it added to the vibe of a 90s boyband. However, I had several issues. First of all, I didn't particularly like any of the characters. The beginning was fun when we see the different characters and what they do, but after the first few pages there was little to no development in their individual character so I felt they were indistinguishable. Secondly, I didn't understand the jokes, maybe it is something wrong with me that I didn't understand, but nonetheless, I didn't laugh once. Finally, I felt that the story dragged a little and I didn't get most of the plot points, for example the jail part. I understand that they struggle a lot to get where they get in the end, but I felt some things were unnecessary. However, overall, it was a fun read.

I'd never heard of this comic, or anyone involved with it, but grabbed it off Netgalley simply for that cover, which correctly gives the impression that this is one of the most nineties things you'll ever read. Not in the nineties comics sense of Image pouches, guns, and improbable anatomy (though there is a running joke about Spawn), nor of Vertigo's terribly serious brooding. No, this is the nineties of Fido Dido, big blocks of bright colour, new jack swing. Our heroes, for a given value of the word, being no-hoper R&B band Smoove City, whom we meet dreaming of success while running for their lives – and, which is the bit that makes it for me, each running from something different and meeting up over the course of their escape. Maybe it's the basic nature of a sitcom (which pretty much requires each of the characters to be an idiot in a slightly different way) combined with being in a band, but it reminded me a little of the much-missed Timewasters, the only good ITV show of the past decade. Still, this is more about the outright silliness, callbacks to ridiculous trends, and riffing on music biopic clichés. Can Smoove City escape the mockery of their peers ("What was the name of y'all lil' group again? Fauxdeci? Wack Street? Phony! Phoni! Phoné!?"), skintness and their own general hopelessness, and go on to fame and fortune? Almost certainly not, if they keep on accepting fabulously unconvincing explanations for what an 'ownership clause' is in a recording contract: "That's supposed to read ownership claws. All it means is, 'If ya own a pet, don't bring it into my booth!'"

3.75 stars.

English: This Comic is very very 90's. I loved the illustrations and the styles are super novelty. Personally, I grew up in the nineties, so this book brought me a lot of nostalgia and I think it is what I liked the most. Apart from that the characters are very funny, with very different personalities and the story itself is light and fun.


Spanish: Este Comic es muy muy de los 90's. Me encantaron las ilustraciones y los estilos son super noventosos. Personalmente crecí en los noventas por lo que este libro me trajo mucha nostalgia y creo que es por lo que más me gusto. Aparte de eso los personajes son muy graciosos, con personalidades muy diferentes y la historia en si es light y divertida.

Gracias #NetGally y #OniPress por enviarme el ARC.

A fun comic about a '90s new jack swing boyband trying to make it in the music industry. The art is very '90s - think 7 Up's Fido Dido but with eyepopping colours. The story has fun with music industry clichés, and although it doesn't do anything special, it is nicely filled with jokes.

3.5 stars

Smoove City is a fun 90's inspired graphic novel that follows a group of friends trying to make a big break as a boy band. It was a fun, vibrant and humour filled comic with great art work!

I enjoyed the story for the most part but after the first half of the novel, I felt the story dragging out and the jokes became less funny and I found myself slightly bored in the middle but it did pick up towards the end! Overall, I enjoyed the graphic novel and it was a fun read, it reminds me of me and my brother trying to start a band when we were kids.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to read and providing me with the opportunity to give my own, honest opinion.

Oni Press shares yet another beautiful graphic novel experience. Smoove City is absolutely gorgeous, complete with an engaging narrative and a fluid style all its own. So glad I had the chance to read it!