THE CAT'S MEOW: What's Good on the Shelf This Week-Year 3 - Week 19 ____________________________________________________________________
Reviews by John Norris, January 12, 2008

SONIC X #39: "Big Trouble In Little Station Square , part 2" (All Ages)

Ian Flynn (w); Steven Butler (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 : Look out below! Vectorzilla is on a rampage - or is he? When a super-sized Bokkun shows up to save the day, things go from bad to worse! It's up to Sonic and Espio to find the cure before G.U.N. steps in. It's all the action and laughs you've come to expect from Sonic X, and then some! (from grahamcrackers.com)

Review: This penultimate issue has lots of action, tons of laughs and great characters and art.in other words, it has everything that makes this series so enjoyable. Sonic, Vector and Espio (and all of Station Square ) thought they had a big problem when Vector was hit with a dart that made him grow to Godzilla-like proportions, but they didn't count on Dr. Eggman and Bokkun! Everything about this issue fires on all cylinders; Flynn, Butler and crew clearly had a good time. Just try not to laugh as Vector and Bokkun duke it out. But for all the over-the-top action and humor, Espio's solution is surprisingly practical, and gives Flynn a chance to throw in a word of caution that everyone needs to hear. This is one of the most thoroughly enjoyable issues this series has offered (and that's saying a LOT), and I don't think Vector has ever looked so good.

WOLVERINE & POWER PACK #3: "Jack & Frank's Excellent Adventure" (All Ages)

Marc Sumerak (w); Scott Koblish (p/i); Gurihiru (c); Dave Sharpe (l); cover by Gurihiru

Publisher: Marvel

Format: four-issue miniseries

Concept: The Canadian mutant joins forces with the Power kids.

In this issue: Jack Power and Franklin Richards take a wild trip through the timestream and end up face-to-face with a pre-teen Wolverine! But since young James Howlett is nothing at all like the hero he is destined to one
day become, it'll be up to our time-tossed troublemakers to teach the once-and-future-Wolvie how to kick some butt! (from marvel.com)

Review: Leave it to Jack and Franklin to make a mess of things. No sooner has H.E.R.B.I.E. left them alone than they start the time platform. (You know, H.E.R.B.I.E. really should know better by now.) Jack and Frank end up in NYC a century in the past, where they meet James and, of course, get into mischief. There's the usual witty banter that you expect from the siblings and the robot, but the really nice thing is seeing them make friends with James, and how that friendship affects him. James, of course, is far from the man he will become; in fact, it's very easy to completely forget about Wolverine until the very end. Koblish does a nice job with the art; even H.E.R.B.I.E.'s expressions look cool.

To be reviewed in next week's column:

INVINCIBLE #58

MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #47

MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPER HEROES #7

PERHAPANAUTS vol. 2 #5

PHANTOM ANNUAL #2

SUPER FRIENDS #11

By thy side,

John "Figaro" Norris

------ Discuss this review on The Cat's Meow section of the Comics in the Classroom Forums ----- 

Note: The age ratings and opinions featured in these reviews are those of reviewer, John Norris, and may not be shared by the administrator of this web site.