THE CAT'S MEOW: What's Good on the Shelf This Week-Year 2 - Week 43 _ _________________________________________________________________________
Reviews by John Norris, June 30 , 2008

MARVEL ADVENTURES FANTASTIC FOUR #37: "Roach Motel" (All Ages)

Chris Eliopoulos (w); Ronan Cliquet (p); Amilton Santos (i); Guillem Mari (c); Nate Piekos (l); cover by Nolan & 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 : An irradiated cockroach collective has decided it needs a human host in order to take over the world, but they need a strong one. Who better than the ever-loving blue-eyed Thing? Can The Thing and the rest of the FF stop the roaches before they take over the Thing's body and then the world? It'll be a comic book you'll bug all your friends to read! (from marvel.com)

Review: After entertaining us with tales of Franklin Richards, Eliopoulos now gives us one featuring the adults. WARNING: If you don't like cockroaches, this issue is probably not for you, since there's a LOT of them. They're looking for a strong human body to act as their host, and the Thing fits that description perfectly. Trouble is, the Thing doesn't like cockroaches either, and he's not going down without a fight. Eliopoulos makes room for some fun stuff as well, namely Ben and Johnny's pranks on each other. There's also some great artwork here, so even if the cockroaches creep you out, you still have Thing to look at.and he looks, well, FANTASTIC, probably the best he's looked yet in these pages.

POWER PACK: DAY ONE #4: "The Annihilation Effect" (All Ages)

Fred Van Lente (w); Gurihiru (p/i/c); Dave Sharpe (l); cover by Gurihiru

Publisher: Marvel

Format: four-issue miniseries

Concept: The Pack's origin is revealed.

In this issue: The Pack's first twenty-four has come to an end, and they've got make sure it's their finest -- not their final hour! But to do that they're going to have to stop the Kymellians from blowing up Earth, thwart a full-on Snark invasion, and break into the heavily-guarded Project: PEGASUS to destroy their dad's out-of-control invention! All at the same time! (from marvel.com)

Review: Katie, Alex and Julie have all told parts of their origin story, and now it's Jack's turn! So the Pack has to save Earth from being blown up, defeat the Snarks and stop the Annihilator, and they have to do it all at the same time AND while figuring out their powers. Bu through teamwork and cooperation, they just might be able to accomplish all of that. Gurihiru's artwork, of course, is great, with a fantastic (Jack-tastic?) opening splash page featuring Jack front and center, leaping into action.

RUNAWAYS #30: "Dead-End Kids: Conclusion" (Teen/Young Adult)

Joss Whedon (w); Michael Ryan (p); Rick Ketcham, Victor Olazaba, Roland Paris & Craig Young (i); Christina Strain (c); Joe Caramagna (l); cover by Jo Chen

Publisher: Marvel

Format: monthly series

Concept: At some point in their lives, all kids think they have the most evil parents in the world, but Nico Minoru and her friends really did. Discovering that they were the children of a group of super-villains known as The Pride, they stole weapons and resources from these criminals before running away from home and eventually defeating their parents. But that was just the beginning. Together, the teenage runaways now hope to atone for their parents' crimes by taking on the new threats trying to fill The Pride's void.

In this issue: The jaw-dropping conclusion to Joss Whedon (ASTONISHING X-MEN, Buffy) and Michael Ryan's (NEW X-MEN) time-traveling saga! A HUGE shakeup to the Runaways comes as the kids try and find a way out of 1907. But can they escape a super-powered war on the streets of New York ? (from marvel.com)

Review: Finally, the time-traveling tale reaches its conclusion! Street fights are common, even in 1907, but this time there's a bomb from the future. Victor wants Lillie to get to safety and come to the present with them. In the middle of everything else, it's a story about a girl who has to decide whether to move away and possibly make her life better or stay where she is and live in regret.

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #123 (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 : Venom returns in part 1 of "War of the Symbiotes"! When Spidey's most fearsome foe strikes, it looks bad for the outmatched web-slinger, but Silver Sable and her Wild Pack may turn the tide! Have they come to save Spider-Man or is their motive something more sinister? Plus: this story adapts, expands and incorporates the hit Ultimate Spider-Man video game (which Brian Michael Bendis just happened to co-write) into Ultimate Spider-Man continuity! So be like Venom and return to ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN to find out why folks like Wizard are saying it's "the best Spider-book on the stands right now." (from marvel.com)

Review: I've been a fan of Venom ever since I first read the LETHAL PROTECTOR miniseries. Back then, Eddie seemed to embrace the symbiote. Now he's back in the Ultimate universe, and Bendis really keeps you guessing. As Eddie tells his story to various passers-by with hardly a change of expression on his face, you're not sure if he really likes or hates the thing, or whether he has any sort of control over it. Then Bendis wraps things up with one of the creepiest endings I've seen in these pages, and you wonder what's really been going on all this time.

WOLVERINE: FIRST CLASS #4: "The Last Knights of Wundagore, part 2" (All Ages)

Fred Van Lente (w); Salve Espin (p/i); Sotomayor, Quintana & Staples (c); Ed Dukeshire (l); cover by Davis, Farmer & Mounts

Publisher: Marvel

Format: monthly series

Concept: Return with us again to the early days of the all-new, all-different, X-Men for all-new solo adventures of Wolverine and Kitty Pryde!

In this issue : Wolverine has been "evolved" out of his berserker instincts...Kitty Pryde has been mutated into a half-cat, half-human creature... And they are all that stands between an unsuspecting Earth and the ravenous hordes of the rampaging MAN-BEAST! (from Marvel.com)

Review: They say that when the legend becomes fact, print the legend. Well, who better to turn legend into fact than a tale-weaver such as Prosimia? What he started by turning Kitty into a half-cat, half-human creature he now finishes by dressing her in the armor of the legendary Lady Shadra, giving Kitty new determination in the process. But Wolverine faces a dilemma as well: having been stripped of his bestial tendencies (or so he thinks), he must now decide whether to stay and fight (if he can) or walk away and finally find peace. Once again, Espin's artwork is great, especially the mutant animal designs.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS vol. 2 #13: "Rise, Robot, Rise" (Teen/Young Adult)

Jeff Parker (w); Roger Cruz (p/i); Val Staples (c); Nate Piekos (l); cover by Cruz & Guru eFX

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 : With every news story of the uncanny new people inhabiting our world, more Homo Sapiens grow fearful of a planet dominated by mutants. When really they should be worrying about an Earth dominated by robots! What should you really fear- an X-Man or... a MACHINE MAN? (from marvel.com)

Review: The X-Men have returned from the City of Mists , where Warren decided to stay for a while, and they're already missing him. But they won't have time to miss him for long, 'cause a new kid named Aaron has arrived, and he's much more than he appears to be.because he's a robot! Parker keeps you guessing whether Aaron is good or bad right up to the end, and then leaves you hanging until the next issue. As usual, there is some great comic relief from Bobby, particularly in the opening scene between him, Hank and a dinosaur skeleton. There's also a great scene transition involving a dinosaur bone and a telephone that's very reminiscent of the jump cut in 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. (If you've seen the movie, you'll know what I'm talking about. If you haven't seen it.you should, eventually.)

To be reviewed in next week's column:

ADOLESCENT RADIOACTIVE BLACK BELT HAMSTERS #3 and 4

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #189

SONIC X #33

By thy side,

John "Figaro" Norris

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