THE CAT'S MEOW: What's Good on the Shelf This Week-Year 3 - Week 20 ____________________________________________________________________
Reviews by John Norris, January 20, 2009

Before I get into this week's comic reviews, I wanted to start things off with.

CAPTAIN RAPTOR AND THE SPACE PIRATES (All Ages)

Written by Kevin O'Malley and Patrick O'Brien; illustrated by O'Brien

Publisher: Walker & Company

Format: hardcover book

Concept: Planet Jurassica is under siege. The sinister space pirates have raided the Imperial palace and stolen the famous Jewels of Jurassica. This looks like a job for... Captain Raptor!...hero of a thousand space missions; champion of truth, justice, and dinosaurs in space throughout the galaxy. If anyone can track down those marauding space pirates, it's Captain Raptor and the fearless crew of the Megatooth!

Review: This book sat on the shelf at the local comic shop for months, and I gazed at that cover every week. Curiosity finally got the better of me, and I Google'd it. Every review I read praised both the book and its creators, so I finally decided that I had to read it and see for myself what the hype was all about. I can tell you that those rave reviews are completely justified. This is not just another children's book; it's a serialized, concise graphic novel that manages to mix dinosaurs, science fiction and pirates. In other words, it's for anyone, young or old, with an ounce of imagination. It's actually the second Captain Raptor adventure-the first being CAPTAIN RAPTOR AND THE MOON MYSTERY, which I need to get-but you don't need to have read that book to understand what's going on. The plot concerns the Captain and his crew, who go chasing after some rogue space pirates when they invade the Imperial Palace on the planet Jurassica and steal some famous jewels. Children should have no problem understanding the story, yet there's a level of intelligence to it that adults can appreciate. But it's O'Brien's watercolor-and-gouache artwork that really lifts the book onto a higher plane. It's detailed and broad at the same time. The panels are nicely laid out, and the splash pages are utilized to great effect. The scene in which the crew battles the Robokron is downright STUNNING. You would do well to add this book to your collection. Check your local library or comic shop. It's also available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million. 

INVINCIBLE #58 (Teen/Young Adult)

Robert Kirkman (w); Ryan Ottley (p); Cliff Rathburn (i); FCO Plascencia (c); Rus Wooton (l); cover by Ottley & Plascencia

Publisher: Image

Format: monthly series

Concept: Follow the adventures of young superhero Mark Grayson.

In this issue : Invincible and Atom Eve are finally together. Young love... how interesting. (from imagecomics.com)

Review: As Kirkman points out in the "Penvincipals" letters section, this issue works on a 16-panel grid page structure because he thought it would make for "a really rewarding comic, jam-packed with stuff." And you know what? He's absolutely right. It certainly is jam-packed with stuff.there are a LOT of characters here. At the center are Invincible and Atom Eve, but we also get an update on some former Teen Team members, the Guardians, and a page featuring Lethan (aka Aquarus) that's absolutely hilarious because it seems to come from out of nowhere. As for the orbs that have been watching Invincible and family.well, the final page is a splash page for a good reason.

MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #47: ".Everything You Read." (All Ages)

Todd Dezago (w); Sanford Greene (p); Nathan Massengill (i); A. Street (c); Dave Sharpe (l); cover by Greene, Massengill & Soto

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: SPIDER-MAN is a little red in the face when he assumes that the costumed figure leaving the scene of a crime is the criminal! Pointing out that that's what J. JONAH JAMESON does to him, The PROWLER reminds Spidey that it's never a good idea to jump to conclusions! (from marvel.com)

Review: People jump to the wrong conclusions about Spider-Man all the time, most notably J. Jonah Jameson. Spidey even does the same thing himself. So when Dezago allows the Prowler to turn the tables on him, it's a GREAT moment, if a bit embarrassing for our hero. As it turns out, the Prowler is an inventor trying to get his inventions back, but neither hero figured on Dragon Man! Dezago's tale is fun and action-packed with a message about making assumptions, and Greene is an inspired choice to bring the tale to life through his art. From Jameson to the two masked heroes, Greene's mastery of expressions and body language is evident.

MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPER HEROES #7: "Lip Service" (All Ages)

Louise Simonson (w); Rodney Buchemi (p/i); Guru eFX (c); Dave Sharpe (l); cover by Espin, Kesel & Pantazis

Publisher: Marvel

Format: monthly series

Concept: Join the Marvel Heroes for some amazing adventures.

In this issue: Join legendary scribe LOUISE SIMONSON as she documents the origins of the greatest warrior godhood has e'er known: THE MIGHTY THOR! See how the God of Thunder came to our world, and what awesome adversities shaped him into a champion of man! (from marvel.com)

Review: Who better to tell a tale of Thor in his MA SUPER HEROES debut than Louise Simonson, whose husband Walter is well-known for his work with the character? Thor may be the God of Thunder, but he's also very much in love with Jane. Unfortunately, Dr. Blake (his human alter ego) can't reveal his true identity. Enter Loki, who is determined to do just that. How he plans to do it is not for a review to tell you, but know that this is a fun issue with solid artwork from Buchemi.

PERHAPANAUTS vol. 2 #5: "Divided We Fall: Triangle, part 5/Evaluation" (Teen/Young Adult)

Todd Dezago (w); Craig Rousseau/Jason Copland (p/i); Rico Renzi/Chris Summers (c); cover by Rousseau; flip cover by Copland

Publisher: Image

Format: monthly series

Concept: There are places in this world where the fabric of reality has worn thin, where strange and terrible creatures have crossed over to lurk in the shadows and the night. There is an organization dedicated to finding these creatures and sending them back from whence they came, sealing the rift behind them, and maintaining the integrity of those borders. The organization is called BEDLAM. Its agents are.THE PERHAPANAUTS!

In this issue : It has all been building to this! Mothman War! All of Bedlam's forces are out to defend agains the attacking Tribe of Mothmen while Choopie finds himself alone in an abandoned Bedlam...and up against a very deadly enemy! (from imagecomics.com)

Review: The wait is finally over! The Mothmen are attacking BEDLAM, and the Perhapanauts can't do anything to stop it.because they're trapped by the beast that's been a thorn in their side. We finally learn how it escaped MG's containment unit, what it plans to do with MG, and what the Gremlins had to do with it. With all the suspense and excitement, the issue really belongs to Choopie. As the only team member not trapped or away from the base, he really steps up to the plate here, and if you didn't admire him before, you will now. As for the Gremlins, let's just say they really redeem themselves in a fantastic double splash page in which Dezago and Rousseau seem to channel another group of gremlins of the Roald Dahl/Disney variety. In the backup story, "Evaluation," two doctors talk to a girl who is more than she appears with no success.and then my favorite character, Big, comes in. It's a great story with beautiful art from Copland and Summers.

Look out for: blood

SUPER FRIENDS #11: "Imp-possible!" (All Ages)

Sholly Fisch (w); Chynna Clugston (p/i) Heroic Age (c); Travis Lanham (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 : Batman's got a fan club! But it's a mischievous fan club of one known as Bat-Mite, and he just can't stand the other Super Friends saving the day alongside Batman. Will The Caped Crusader be forced to fly solo from now on? Not if Mister Mxyzptlk can help it! (from dccomics.com)

Review: Batman has a lot of fans, but none bigger or more annoying than Bat-Mite, the magical imp! He tends to think that Batman doesn't need anyone's help to stop the bad guys, and he gives Batman everyone's powers to prove it.much to the chagrin of another imp, Mister Mxyzptlk. I probably don't have to tell you that with two imps around, things go from crazy to just plain NUTS. Fisch and Clugston throw in practically everything but the kitchen sink, including a message about the value of teamwork. Clugston's art is appealing, and the issue is just plain fun. Activities include "Mxy's Mix-up," in which the reader gets to put a series of comic panels in the correct order to tell a story; the "Super Friends Costume Corner," with a Flash mask and symbol, and a chance to make your own dancing puppets.

SUPERGIRL: COSMIC ADVENTURES IN THE 8 th GRADE #2 (All Ages)

Landry Q. Walker (w); Eric Jones (p/i); Joey Mason (c); Pat Brousseau (l); cover by Jones

Publisher: DC

Format: six-issue miniseries

Concept: Supergirl stars in her own all-ages miniseries.

In this issue : Super strength, the ability to fly and extra-speedy reflexes should make a girl's life easier, but they only seem to complicate things for Supergirl. Life gets a lot crazier, though, when a new enemy named Belinda Zee shows up. And with girls like Belinda around, facing down Super-Villains doesn't seem so bad. (from dccomics.com)

Review: It's the second issue, and poor Linda Lee's luck is no better off than before. She's falling asleep in class and still making an unintentional mess of things. So the last thing she needs right now is someone like Belinda Zee. I won't say who Belinda is or how she's introduced, but she's just as believable a character as Linda is. If you've ever had a problem with that one know-it-all who just seems to be better than you at EVERYTHING, you will be able to identify with Linda's predicament. And just when it looks like things are getting better, Walker and Jones throw in a little something extra at the very end.

COLLECTIONS

MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN IRON MAN HULK TRIPLE THREAT digest collects MA SUPER HEROES #1-4.

To be reviewed in next week's column:

MARVEL ADVENTURES AVENGERS #32

TINY TITANS #12

By thy side,

John "Figaro" Norris

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