THE CAT'S MEOW: What's Good on the Shelf This Week-Year 3 - Week 11 _ _________________________________________________________________________
Reviews by John Norris, November 17 , 2008

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES IN THE 31 st CENTURY #20: “Metallo 3000” (All Ages)

Jack Briglio (w); Phil Moy (p); John Stanisci (i); Heroic Age (c); Sal Cipriano (l); cover by Sanford Greene

Publisher: DC

Format: monthly series

Concept: Follow the adventures of the Legion, based on their hit cartoon.

In this issue : Metallo journeys to the future for the ultimate power source: Kryptonite! But if he destroys Superman, will the Legion's fate unravel, as well? Don't miss the exciting conclusion to this amazing series! (from dccomics.com)

Review: Sadly, another great DC all-ages series comes to an end; fortunately, it ends on a very high note. Dream Girl's dream is about to come true: Metallo's on the scene. He's got a hunk of Kryptonite, and unfortunately for Superman, he knows how to use it! Briglio's story is quite entertaining, but it's more than that. Through Brainiac 5, it touches on both Superman's and the Legion's histories. Moy's artwork, greatly aided by Stanisci and Heroic Age, is superb throughout. It's sad to see the book go, but from Greene's cover to the wonderful final page, the issue is a nice ending to a fun series.

MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #45: “Pieces of the Puzzle” (All Ages)

Todd Dezago (w); Zach Howard (p/i); A. Street (c); Dave Sharpe (l); cover by Howard & Brad Anderson

Publisher: Marvel

Format: monthly series

Concept: Bitten by an irradiated spider, which granted him incredible abilities, Peter Parker learned the all-important lesson, that with great power there must also come great responsibility. And so he became the amazing Spider-Man!

In this issue: Teamed with new Bugle reporter, Billy Walters, Peter finds himself interviewing witnesses to a battle between the nefarious DOCTOR OCTOPUS and the amazing SPIDER-MAN, and discovers that every story has many sides...and not everyone is a Spider-fan! (from marvel.com)

Review: It's one of the banes of Peter's existence: working hard as Spider-Man to help people, yet constantly being perceived as a menace. And few people have done more to tarnish Spidey's name than J. Jonah Jameson. It's no surprise that Jameson wants to publish things the way he sees fit, regardless of whether it's true or not. So what's interesting is that Dezago introduces a new character who seemingly reconciles the truth with Jameson's sensationalism. Howard gives Peter some great facial expressions that beautifully reflect the frustration of trying to clear his alter ego's name.

TRANSFORMERS ANIMATED: THE ARRIVAL #4: “Insincerest Form of Flattery/A Few Loose Strands” (All Ages)

Marty Isenberg (w); Dario Brizuela/Boo (p); Leandro Corral/Boo (i); Liam Shalloo (c); Robbie Robbins (l); cover A by Marcelo Matere; cover B by Josh Burcham

Publisher: IDW

Format: five-issue miniseries

Concept: The first ALL-NEW ORIGINAL comic based on the hit TRANSFORMERS ANIMATED series airing on Cartoon Network!

In this issue : BULKHEAD is up in arms (or is it servos?) over a gas-guzzling "megavan" created by corporate slimeball Porter C. Powell. Also, DECEPTICON bounty hunter LOCKDOWN searches for "the AUTOBOT who put MEGATRON offline" and stumbles into a surprising and dangerous encounter along the way. (from grahamcrackers.com)

Review: They're the ultimate all-purpose vehicles, mega vans that are perfect for urban warriors and soccer moms alike. Never mind the fact that they're gas-guzzling death traps that roll over on a turn at twenty miles an hour. They're called “Bulkheads” for very good reason, and guess who's the most upset about them? You guessed it…Bulkhead! I love Isenberg's twist that makes Bulkhead powerless to do anything about the situation until the end, and Brizuela once again delights with the artwork. In “A Few Loose Strands,” Lockdown goes looking for Autobots and finds Blackarachnia instead. The sparks and dialogue start flying, and it's great.

To be reviewed in next week's column:

FIREBREATHER vol. 2 #3

FLASH vol. 2 #246

INVINCIBLE #55

MARVEL ADVENTURES AVENGERS #30

SUPER FRIENDS vol. 2 #9

TINY TITANS #10

By thy side,

John “Figaro” Norris

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