THE CAT'S MEOW: What's Good on the Shelf This Week-Year 2 - Week 26_ ___________________________________________________________________________
Reviews by John Norris, March 03 , 2008

MARVEL ADVENTURES FANTASTIC FOUR #33: “It's Storytellin' Time” (All Ages)

Paul Tobin (w); David Hahn (p); Kris Justice (i); Guillem Mari (c); Nate Piekos (l); cover by Grummett, Pallot & Anderson

Publisher: Marvel

Format: monthly series

Concept: Irradiated by cosmic rays and transformed to possess superhuman powers, they joined together to fight evil. Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Girl, the Human Torch and the Thing. Together they call themselves the Fantastic Four!

In this issue : It's all fun and games when Ben tells a group of schoolchildren a rather fanciful account of a battle against the Rhino, but when the real life Abomination shows up, things turn deadly serious for the Fantastic Four. (from marvel.com)

Review: Ben Grimm is like the Rodney Dangerfield of Marvel Comics; he gets no respect. Not from a bunch of kids who rank him below Spider-Man in terms of power, and certainly not from Johnny Storm. But there's no denying that Ben is good at fighting and storytelling—this issue allows him to do both—so his tale of a fight with Rhino is entertaining, to say the least. Then Tobin switches gears, and the fantasy becomes reality with the arrival of the Abomination, and the message more serious. Heart and brains, more than brawn, make a hero, and Ben has all three. Hahn does a nice job, and the ending is perfect.

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MARVEL ADVENTURES IRON MAN #10: “Web of Lies” (All Ages)

Fred Van Lente (w); Graham Nolan (p); Victor Olazaba (i); Martegod Gracia (c); Dave Sharpe (l); cover by Murphy & Baumann

Publisher: Marvel

Format: monthly series

Concept: Billionaire inventor Tony Stark built a suit of armor that saved his life. He now fights against the forces of evil as the invincible Iron Man!

In this issue: Tony Stark has hired the world's greatest private investigator, Jessica Drew, to help him find his long-lost father. But when the Chameleon infiltrates Stark International under the guise of dear ol' Dad, Iron Man will need the help of Jessica's alter ego...the spectacular SPIDER-WOMAN! (from marvel.com)

Review: What is it with Iron Man and female arachnids? Last week, he met Black Widow (in MA AVENGERS #21), and this week, he crosses paths with Spider-Woman! Tony wants to make amends with his father Howard, and hires Jessica Drew to find him. It turns out, though, that dad isn't quite the man he once was. What's nice about this story is that Iron Man really doesn't have much to do with it; it focuses more on Tony, from the mistake he makes in revealing a bit too much information to the man he thinks is Dad to his cleverness in using the armor to alert Rhodes. And if I may say so, Spider-Woman looks HOT. Gracia's colors really help make her look as gorgeous as Iron Man's armor is shiny. For all the heroics of those two, though, Van Lente makes sure we don't overlook Pepper Potts, who has two brief but very important scenes.

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SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #184: “Choas Angel / Anything” (All Ages)

Ian Flynn (w); Tracy Yardley! (p); Jim Amash (i); Jason Jensen (c); John Workman (l); cover by Yardley! & Hunzeker

Publisher: Archie

Format: monthly series

Concept: Follow the adventures of Sonic and pals, based on the hit video game.

In this issue: “Chaos Angel”: The thrilling conclusion to “Enerjak: Reborn!” The world has been ravaged by Enerjak, and now it's up to Super Sonic to stop his onslaught!  But when even Super Sonic isn't enough, who will make the ultimate sacrifice to stop Enerjak and save Knuckles?  The exciting answer lies within!  “Anything”: Witness Lien-Da at her most desperate, making a dark deal to regain her power!  But… will there be a dastardly catch? 

Review: Super Sonic goes head-to-head with Enerjak, and everyone watches as the sparks fly. Yardley and Amash bring on the action, and Jensen makes it all sparkle. But the emotional heart of the story lies with Locke. As he begins to realize that the things he did to protect Knuckles helped lead to all this and that there is only one way to save him, Flynn shows once again why this series is much more than just a video game tie-in.

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SONIC X #28: “Green-Eyed Monster, part 1” (All Ages)

Tracy Yardley! (w); Steven Butler (p); Terry Austin (i); Josh Ray (c); John Workman (l); cover by Pat “Spaz” Spaziente

Publisher: Archie

Format: monthly series

Concept: During a battle between Sonic the Hedgehog and Dr. Eggman, an explosion hurled Sonic, his friends, and Dr. Eggman across dimensions until they found themselves on planet Earth. Dr. Eggman is determined to establish his Eggman Empire, beginning with Earth…and Sonic is determined to stop him.

In this issue : The world is embracing “green” energy to reduce cost and help the environment, and Sonic's adopted city, Station Square , is no different. But some choose to use eco-friendly means toward eco-unfriendly ends!  Namely the evil Dr. Eggman, who uses his new ‘bots powered by the sun, wind and water to devastate the city and leave Sonic and friends on the defensive!  Now Eggman is free to pursue the biggest natural energies ever, the Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald.  With these power sources in hand, Eggman will be in control of more power than the world has ever seen. Will Sonic be literally powerless to stop Eggman this time?! 

Review: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG series artist Yardley handles the writing duties, and Dr. Eggman, having retired his Gran Gordo wrestling persona, is now back to being the evil doctor we know and love (to hate). Everyone's talking about how “green energy” can be beneficial, and Eggman couldn't agree more…now his new robots won't have to refuel themselves! How convenient is THAT! Of course, with Eggman at the helm, pollution may be the least of the city's problems. After the hilarity of the previous two issues, this one focuses more on action than humor, but there are still some comic nuggets to be found. There's even a reference to the TV show, but that's just one of the great things about the SONIC comics: They work well as tie-ins, but can stand on their own just fine.

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TEEN TITANS GO! #52: “Dial H for Hero” (All Ages)

J. Torres (w); Alexander Serra (p); Mick Gray (i); Heroic Age (c); Sal Cipriano (l); cover by Joe Quinones

Publisher: DC

Format: monthly series

Concept: Follow the adventures of the Teen Titans, based on the hit cartoon.

In this issue : The Teen Titans thought they were the only game in town…so who are all these new teen superheroes popping up all over Jump City ? With some of the Titans experiencing some problems with their own super powers, maybe it's a good thing! (from dccomics.com)

Review: In this issue, Torres takes a classic DC concept and brings it into the Titans universe. “Dial H for Hero” first appeared in DC's House of Mystery #156 in 1966, when teenager Robby Reed first discovered the dial. When he dials H-E-R-O, he becomes a superhero for a short time; to change back, he dials O-R-E-H. What's nice about the story is that there's no main villain. Robby has no agenda, nor is he out for vengeance. He's just a kid getting a kick out of the superpowers at his disposal, completely oblivious to where the powers really come from or how the Titans are affected. In the end, the message is that there's more to being a hero than having super powers.

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ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #119 (Teen/Young Adult)

Brian Michael Bendis (w); Stuart Immonen (p); Wade von Grawbadger (i); Justin Ponsor (c); Cory Petit (l); cover by Immonen & Richard Isanove

Publisher: Marvel

Format: monthly series

Concept: The bite of a genetically-altered spider grants high school student Peter Parker incredible, arachnid-like powers.

In this issue : Wolverine is in the pages of ULTIMATES 3 so why can't Magneto be here? One of Peter's friends at Midtown High had a secret: they're a mutant! But now the secret is out, and it's all that Spider-Man can do to keep the entire school from totally freaking out! And just to knock the situation into even more of a panic, here comes the most malevolent mutant of all: Magneto, Master of Magnetism! (from marvel.com)

Review: Liz Allen is on a beach with some friends, and suddenly she bursts into flame. What a way to find out that you have powers! So she does what anyone in her position would probably do: freaks out. Bendis keeps the dialogue flowing as Spider-Man and Iceman try to talk to her and calm her down. It's a nice scene that demonstrates the value of having friends who understand what you're going through because they've been there, and they know the decisions you're going to have to make. It's a good thing they're having this conversation, because in a great final double splash page…Magneto appears.

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X-MEN FIRST CLASS vol. 2 #9 (Teen/Young Adult)

Jeff Parker (w); Roger Cruz & Julia Bax (p); Kris Justice (i); Val Staples (c); Nate Piekos (l); cover by Cruz & Anderson

Publisher: Marvel

Format: monthly series

Concept: The next step in human evolution has arrived—Homo Superior. Mankind isn't sure whether this represents hope for the future…or the end of the human race. In a private school in upstate New York, one brilliant mutant is teaching a group of five such gifted students what they'll need to survive in this new world. These are the untold stories of Professor Xavier's first class of X-Men!

In this issue : No longer with Magneto's Brotherhood, Wanda Maximoff is at a crossroads. Should she become a super hero like her friend Marvel Girl? Or will the Black Widow succeed in her goal of Scarlet Witch - Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.! (from marvel.com)

Review: From the Avengers to the X-Men…Black Widow sure is busy! This time, she has her sights set on Wanda, who is no longer with Magneto. Unlike, say, Liz Allen in this week's ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, Wanda's choice isn't between good and bad; rather it's between two good teams. Cruz and Bax's styles blend very well; it wasn't until I read the last page that I realized there were two pencilers. OH, if you want to know “how the Black Widow got her mod look,” just check out the one-page backup story.

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COLLECTIONS

FRANKLIN RICHARDS: COLLECTED CHAOS collects MARCH MADNESS, WORLD BE WARNED, MONSTER MASH and FALL FOOTBALL FIASCO.

To be reviewed in next week's column:

INVINCIBLE PRESENTS ATOM EVE #2

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #43

MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #37

By thy side,

John “Figaro” Norris

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