THE CAT'S MEOW: What's Good on the Shelf This Week-Year 3 - Week 52 ____________________________________________________________________
Reviews by John Norris, August 31, 2009

ASTRO BOY MOVIE PREQUEL: UNDERGROUND #2 (All Ages)

Scott Tipton (w); Diego Jourdan (p/i); Tom Smith (c); Robbie Robbins (l); covers by Jourdan & Ashley Wood

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Format: four-issue miniseries

Concept: He's back! Astro Boy makes his amazing return to comics, paving the way for his exciting feature film debut later this year!

In this issue : Astro Boy's return to comics continues, in preparation for his blockbuster feature film debut later this year! Astro begins to explore the strange subterranean world miles below the earth's crust, and soon finds himself caught in the middle of a brutal civil war! (from idwpublishing.com)

Review: Having been knocked unconscious in the previous issue, Astro finally wakes up to find himself in the kingdom of Chiazza …in the company of the Grand Imperator, no less! And his arrival couldn't have come at a better time, for the kingdom is under attack by the Lucertos. Tipton keeps the pace flowing nicely, and Jourdan gives both the reptilian Lucertos and the pudgy, glob-like Chiazzans a lot of charm. But don't be deceived by appearances…it might not be so easy to tell who's good and who's bad.

G-MAN: CAPE CRISIS #1 (All Ages)

Written & illustrated by Chris Giarrusso: color assists by Dave Giarrusso

Publisher: Image

Format: five-issue miniseries

Concept: Mini-Marvels creator CHRIS GIARRUSSO returns with a brand new G-Man miniseries!

In this issue: When pieces of G-Man's magic cape fall into the wrong hands, things quickly spin out of control. G-Man and his friends must battle to recover the pieces, and this time the bad guys have the same power as G-Man! (from imagecomics.com)

Review: I know Giarrusso from his hilarious MINI-MARVELS stories, but I was not familiar with G-Man until now. G-Man is a kid superhero who gets his powers from the magic cape he wears. His brother, Great Man, has the same powers, thanks to a belt he made from the same material as the cape. There's also the color-changing Tan Man, the speedster Sparky, and the half-boy, half-demon, Billy Demon, among others. In this issue, Giarrusso puts his own hilarious spin on the “power and responsibility” theme when G-Man not only reveals the secret of his powers, but also gives the neighborhood kids scraps of the fabric the cape was cut from. And he wonders why no one wants to give them back! The story and art are fun and very lively. Also included are strips by Chris Eliopoulos, Art Baltazar & Franco Aureliani, Gregg Schigiel, Brian Smith and Jacob Chabot.

LOCKJAW AND THE PET AVENGERS #4 (All Ages)

Chris Eliopoulos (w); Ig Guara (p/i); Chris Sotomayor (c); Nate Piekos (l); covers by Karl Kerschl and Niko Henrichon

Publisher: Marvel

Format: four-issue miniseries

Concept: And there came a day, a day unlike any other, when Earth's mightiest heroes were unaware of a threat greater than all of them could handle. And on that day, a teleporting puppy scoured the world to assemble a team of animals to fight the foes no single beast could withstand!

In this issue: They've been up/down/around/about/forward/backward. They've gone to the jungle/ocean/Central Park/outer space. They've scratched/pawed/clawed/gnawed their way throughout all existence, ALL for this moment! Now they've FINALLY found all of the Infinity Gems…so what's a moon-puppy to do when he's given all the power in the universe? FIND OUT HERE!!!! Featuring a VERY special presidential puppy appearance! (from marvel.com)

Review: This is it…the Pet Avengers have been through more adventures than they could possibly imagine, only to face Thanos on the grounds of the White House! They each give it their all, but Thanos is more than a match for them…except for Lockjaw. I love the way that Ms. Lion finally proves his worth to Hairball and the rest of the team, and how Hairball shows some respect for one brief moment. Fortunately, the Pet Avengers will return, and I can't wait.

MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPER HEROES #14: “The Most Unusual Suspect” (All Ages)

Paul Tobin (w); David Baldeon (p/i); Sotocolor (c); Dave Sharpe (l); cover by David Williams & Sotocolor

Publisher: Marvel

Format: monthly series

Concept: Join the Marvel Heroes for some amazing adventures.

In this issue: All Hawkeye wanted was to show the Blonde Phantom a new exhibit at the art gallery, but the art gallery is in a bank lobby, and on this day the bank lobby is featuring more than art; it has a gang of bank robbers! And they're not just any bank robbers...isn't that Bruce Banner with them? Or, hey, maybe it's not. If that's NOT Bruce Banner, then a little old fashioned detective work on the part of Hawkeye and the Blonde Phantom should put an end to the "Banner Bandit" crime spree. And if it IS Bruce Banner, well then...umm...let's just hope it's not. (from marvel.com)

Review: From the great David Williams/Sotocolor cover to the final panel, this issue is wonderfully entertaining. What really makes it work is the great chemistry between Hawkeye and the Blonde Phantom. Even though they take stopping bad guys seriously, they clearly have a good time doing it. This time, they're trying to stop the “Banner Bandit,” a guy who poses as Bruce Banner while his buddies rob places, then threatens to turn into the Hulk to cause commotion. I love the way the Blonde Phantom ensures that it isn't the real Bruce, and the scene in which Hawkeye discusses the reasons why a law preventing people from posing as Bruce or a policeman wouldn't work is quite interesting. And I don't know what kind of bank has an art gallery featuring pictures such as Fin Fang Foom washing his shorts, but I would love to see that.

TOY STORY #4: “No Time For Sergeants” (All Ages)

Dan Jolley (w); Chris Moreno (p/i); Flavio B. Silva (c); Deron Bennett (l); covers by Brent Schoonover and Mike DeCarlo

Publisher: BOOM! Kids

Format: four-issue miniseries

Concept: The toys from TOY STORY are back!

In this issue: More all-new adventures featuring the world's favorite toys! Sarge is tired of losing soldiers. He wants to tell Andy that the toys can talk!?! Can Woody stop him before it's too late? (from boom-kids.com)

Review: Andy's playing with his Army men, when one of them accidentally ends up in Andy's backpack. This is a familiar situation to Sarge, and he's tired of losing good men. To me, the story of a sergeant willing to do anything to ensure his men return home safely has a timely resonance to it, and Moreno makes him wonderfully expressive for a toy figure.

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1: “The New World According To Peter Parker” (Teen/Young Adult)

Brian Michael Bendis (w); David Lafuente (p/i); Justin Ponsor (c); Cory Petit (l); covers by Lafuente & Ponsor and Marko Djurdjevic

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: Almost ten years ago, Ultimate Spider-Man launched the Ultimate line, a reinvention of the Marvel Universe that defied the odds and every expectation. Today, it happens again: This new chapter in the life of the teenaged webslinger picks up in the aftermath of Ultimatum and completely redefines the status quo of Spider-Man for the next generation! With a new supporting cast, new villians and maybe even a new Spider-Man, this new chapter will keep you guessing month after month. Join Eisner Award-winning writer BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS in introducing new ongoing artist DAVID LAFUENTE (ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL, PATSY WALKER: HELLCAT)! You have never seen a Spider-Man like this before! Be there! (from marvel.com)

Review: After the events of ULTIMATUM, Bendis and Lafuente provide some much-needed humor in the hilarious opening scene. Anyone who has ever worked in a fast food restaurant (or, in my case, the concession stand at a movie theater) will sympathize with Peter, as will anyone who's had a really, really bad and bizarre day. Thank goodness there's Gwen Stacy and Aunt May to come home to. But like the rest of Spider-Man's life, a mysterious person ensures that he won't rest easy for long. I look forward to seeing where Bendis and Lafuente take us next.

UNCANNY X-MEN FIRST CLASS #2: “To Err Is Inhuman…” (All Ages)

Scott Gray (w); Roger Cruz (p/i); Val Staples (c); Nate Piekos (l); cover by Cruz

Publisher: Marvel

Format: monthly series

Concept: The early days of the X-Men's second generation are revealed in an all-new series starring Cyclops, Storm, Banshee, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Wolverine and Phoenix !

In this issue: Nightcrawler thought he'd found sanctuary in Attilan, fabled city of the Inhumans…but now he's transgressed their most sacred law! Kurt Wagner stands trial before an angry mob, with Black Bolt the ultimate judge of his fate – and if the verdict is guilty, he's one dead mutant! So will the X-Men stand by and let that happen? Not a chance! Get ready for an explosive battle between the world's greatest mutant team and the Inhuman royal family – the question is, will Attilan survive it?! (from marvel.com)

Review: Kurt came to Attilan expecting to find a safe haven; instead, he found that their traditions were not what he expected at all. Now he stands trial for his actions, unless the X-Men can stop it. This is a well-done issue that deals with the fireworks that can shoot up when people jump to conclusions and don't listen to each other. The best thing about the story is that it isn't one-sided; both sides state their cases quite clearly, making it very thought-provoking. However, the issue nicely ends on a humorous note, as we find out where Wolverine's been.

By thy side,

John “Figaro” Norris

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