THE CAT'S MEOW: What's Good on the Shelf This Week-Year 3 - Week 7 _ _________________________________________________________________________
Reviews by John Norris, October 20 , 2008

DC SUPER FRIENDS vol. 2 #8: “Nothing To Fear” (All Ages)

Sholly Fisch (w); Stewart McKinney (p); Dan Davis (i); Heroic Age (c); Randy Gentile (l); cover by J. Bone

Publisher: DC

Format: monthly series

Concept: Introducing SUPER FRIENDS — a brand-new series for younger readers to meet the heroes of the DC Universe, based on the hot toy line from Mattel! Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash and Aquaman are here to save the day — and be your friends, too!

In this issue : It's Halloween, and the Scarecrow is on the prowl! But nothing can scare the Super Friends!

Review: What better villain to be featured in a Halloween-themed DC comic than the master of fear himself, the Scarecrow? He's just not buying into the idea that heroes aren't scared of anything, and he intends to do something about it. What he does is not for a review to spoil for you, but let's just say that the Super Friends won't be using their super powers for awhile. Or will they? Fisch and McKinney present a fun story which says that even superheroes get scared sometimes, but teammates can help you overcome your fears. Also included are a Super Stumper, the Costume Corner and a Halloween Hide and Seek.

FLASH vol. 2 #245: “This Was Your Life, Wally West, part 2: Invasion” (Teen/Young Adult)

Alan Burnett (w); Carlo Barberi (p); Drew Geraci, Rebecca Buchman, Walden Wong & Jacob Eguren (i); Tanya & Richard Horie (c); Swands (l); cover by Brian Stelfreeze

Publisher: DC

Format: monthly series

Concept: Wally West returns as the Scarlet Speedster.

In this issue: Flash learns that nothing is safe anymore as Queen Bee causes an attack on his house and Linda. Guest-starring Black Lightning!

Review: What's worse than an infestation? Try an invasion. Burnett gives us more glimpses into Flash's years with the Teen Titans. Particular attention is given to Speedy and Raven, who both show up to help. But it's his wife Linda who he really cares about, and who's the victim of Queen Bee's attack. Burnett and Barberi stage the attack nicely. It reminded me of Hitchcock's THE BIRDS, particularly the mounting tension of showing more bees with each panel until the full assault inside the house. Barberi's artwork is great, and he handles the Flash very well.

Look out for: In one scene, Wally and Linda are hugging, and there is a panel in which her hand goes south. There is also one panel of Queen Bee's nude rear.

MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS #11: “Phantoms of Paradise !” (Teen/Young Adult)

Mike Allred (w/p/i); Laura Allred (c); Nate Piekos (l); cover by the Allreds

Publisher: Image

Format: monthly series

Concept: Frank “Madman” Einstein returns in an all-new series.

In this issue: Madman is given the chance to learn about his parents from his previous life, but first he has to complete a dangerous mission. He must spend the night in a mansion said to be haunted! If he survives, what will be the cost? (from imagecomics.com)

Review: No one does it like Mike Allred when it comes to blowing people's minds, and here he does it again. Luna Joe drops Madman off at his childhood home, which just might be haunted. As he wanders through the old rooms and discovers that the voice he's hearing isn't inside his head at all, we are asked to consider death and the afterlife as well as what we were before we were became flesh. Heavy stuff, but Allred makes it intriguing and beautiful to look at. The art of Scott Morse, including the back cover, pin-ups and his potential MADMAN movie storyboards for Universal Pictures, makes for fantastic bonus material.

Look out for: the final panel of a nude Luna Joe

MARVEL ADVENTURES AVENGERS #29: “The All-Father Is All-Bother (aka Wingmen Assemble!!) (All Ages)

Paul Tobin & Jeff Parker (w); Ig Guara (p); Sandro Ribiero (i); Ulises Arreola (c); Dave Sharpe (l); cover by Murphy & Guru

Publisher: Marvel

Format: monthly series

Concept: Super-soldier from World War II. Weather Goddess. Super-strong alter ego of scientist Bruce Banner. Spider-powered web-slinger. Giant-sized crimefighter. Brilliant armored inventor. Feral mutant brawler. Together, they are the world's mightiest heroes, battling foes that no single super hero could withstand!

In this issue : Odin, the king of the Norse gods, comes looking for his son, Thor…but nobody told Spider-Man that Thor's on a date with Storm.

Review: Odin suddenly shows up, looking for his son, and Spider-Man's boring day gets a lot more interesting. When he learns of Thor and Storm's date, it's up to him to distract Odin so they can be left alone. And then there's the matter of the frost giant who is supposed to be on a date with Thor as well, not to mention Mr. Hyde and Cobra, who want to defeat Thor. Needless to say, this results in an endlessly hilarious issue in which Odin gets a taste of New York 's finest food and mistakes Wolverine for a troll.

PHANTOM #25: “Checkmate, part 5” (Teen/Young Adult)

Mike Bullock (w); Silvestre Szilagyi (p/i); Bob Pedroza (c); Nate Pride (l); cover by Doug Klauba

Publisher: Moonstone

Format: monthly series

Concept: "The Ghost Who Walks" comes alive, as the classic comic strip character is put through his paces in all new adventures. Thrilling adventure fraught with dire peril!

In this issue : CHECKMATE: Part 5-Special Double Size Issue! Bangalla Invaded! The biggest arc in Moonstone's "Phantom" run climaxes here! The Phantom's one-man war against the UAFM comes to an explosive conclusion in this landmark double-sized issue. Featuring a wraparound card-stock painted cover by Doug (Project Superpowers) Klauba! (from grahamcrackers.com)

Review: This is it…the wait is finally over, and was it ever worth it! The Phantom's lying inside the Locke Corporation's warehouse, Anna Bacia and Ali Gutaale have the “puppets of Luaga” cornered, and well, things just aren't looking good anywhere. But our hero is not one to give up so easily. How he handles things is certainly not for a reviewer to tell you, because let's face it, the way the Phantom maneuvers through the many twists and turns that come his way is what makes this book one of the most riveting comics being published today. Szilagyi's art is a great as ever, with a magnificent double-page splash featuring our hero coming to the rescue.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #192: “Metal & Mettle, part 2/Father and Son” (All Ages)

Ian Flynn (w); Tracy Yardley!/Jon Gray (p); Jim Amash (i); J&A Ray (c); John Workman/Teresa Davidson (l); cover by Yardley! & Jason Jensen

Publisher: Archie

Format: monthly series

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

In this issue : "Metal and Mettle," Part 2. You're not just seeing double, you're seeing quadruple when Sonic and Scourge fight for their lives against the sleek killer robots Metal Sonic and Metal Scourge! Why isn't Scourge's Suppression Squad doing anything to help? And what is the sinister secret Dr. Eggman is using to keep the Dark Egg Legion under his control? (from grahamcrackers.com)

Review: Wow! There's lots of excitement in this issue. Sonic, King Scourge and their metal counterparts continue their fight, Dimitri discovers that Dr. Eggman really knows how to manage his troops, and Sonic finds out what his next mission is. The artwork is wonderful, as it always is, and I really like the panel layout in this issue as well. Scourge has some great moments, particularly his fantastic facial expression when he has to get help from his own teammates, something he really doesn't like. But perhaps the best part of the issue is the backup story “Father and Son,” in which Scourge learns firsthand where Sonic gets his valor and heroism when he pays a visit to Sonic's father, Jules. Scourge expects an easy late-night pummeling until Jules does the one thing he didn't expect, and it's a wonderful moment when it happens.

SONIC X #37: “Switcheroo!” (All Ages)

Ian Flynn (w); James Fry (p); Terry Austin (i); Jason Jensen (c); Phil Felix (l); cover by Pat “Spaz” Spaziante

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 : Dr. Eggman attacks the President and Sonic saves the day! Simple as that, right? Then why is Sonic thinking about world domination? Why is Dr. Eggman racing to save the world? And when S.O.N.I.C.X. gets into the mix, you know you're in for one wacky ride! (from grahamcrackers.com)

Review: The “hero-and-villain switcheroo” has been done before, but Flynn manages to keep things fresh and funny as Sonic and Eggman switch bodies. Throw Hector Dragg into the mix, and things get nutty! Fry's artwork is great, particularly the facial expressions as Sonic-as-Eggman wakes up to a most unpleasant surprise and Eggman-as-Sonic continually crashes into things, prompting him to curse that “infernal hedgehog and his infernal speed with infernally impossible to control infernality.”

COLLECTIONS

MARVEL ADVENTURES TWO-IN-ONE #16 collects MA HULK #6 and MA SPIDER-MAN #42.

To be reviewed in next week's column:

THE FAMILY DYNAMIC #3

INVINCIBLE #54

MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPER HEROES #4

TINY TITANS #9

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #127

By thy side,

John “Figaro” Norris

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