THE CAT'S MEOW: What's Good on the Shelf This Week- #157 ____________________________________________________________________
Reviews by John Norris, September 07, 2009

FANTASTIC FOUR GIANT-SIZE ADVENTURES #1: “I, Paparazzi” (All Ages)

Paul Tobin (w); Vicente Cifuentes & Rich Ellis (p/i); Guillem Mari (c); cover by David Williams & Mari

Publisher: Marvel

Format: one-shot

Concept: Irradiated by cosmic rays and transformed to possess superhuman powers, they joined together to fight evil. Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Girl, the Human Torch and the Thing. Together they call themselves the Fantastic Four!

In this issue: It begins innocently enough with tabloid photos of Reed and Sue on the beach, then Johnny out on the town, and then some rather unkind photos of Ben Grimm devouring every last hot dog and salted pretzel from a street cart vendor, but when the secret laboratories and inner recesses of the Baxter Building start appearing on the cover of the new Superhero Trumpet tabloid, the FF are forced into questioning how and when these photos are being taken. And what do Egghead and his 70 foot tall friend, Gargantua have to do with it? A lot, really. And so do the Invincible Man, Psycho-Man, Basilisk, Cobalt Man, Xeron the Star Slayer, the Terror Birds and a host of other bad guys aiming to take down the World's Greatest Fighting Family by any means necessary! Plus, artist Colleen Coover helps bring you Sue Storm's essay, "The Importance of Being Invisible." (from grahamcrackers.com)

Review: The Fantastic Four aren't the first superhero group to have problems with paparazzi and the press, but things have been getting a little TOO personal lately. Somehow, a tabloid has been able to get shots of Reed and Sue at the beach, Ben eating a vendor's entire supply of hot dogs, and of Johnny's car. How this was able to happen, and what the villains listed in the solicit have to do with it is not something I can tell you. But the Four may have been smarter than they were letting on, and when the comeuppance comes, it's great. It's a fun issue, and big on entertainment. Also included is “The Importance of Being Invisible,” featuring some nice art from Colleen Coover, and Tobin and Dustin Weaver show us what happens when Ben eats too much blue cheese.

MARVEL ADVENTURES AVENGERS #39: “Don't Follow the Leader” (All Ages)

Paul Tobin (w); Horacio Domingues (p); Craig Yeung (i); Sotocolor (c); Dave Sharpe (l); cover by Casey Jones & Sotocolor

Publisher: Marvel

Format: monthly series

Concept: Spider-powered web-slinger. Cat-like crusader. Weather goddess. Feral mutant brawler. Tough-skinned mama's boy. Together they are the world's mightiest heroes, battling the foes that no single super hero could withstand!

In this issue: Aleksei Sytsevich just wants to retire. The economy is bad, and freelance jobs are harder to find. Business just isn't what it used to be. It's time to hang up the suit and live the good life. Of course, when the “business” is super-villain crime sprees as the Rhino, and the “suit” in question is his costume, the Rhino is finding it a bit harder to close the books on his “career.” Luckily, the Avengers are more than glad to help an old foe get out of the game, even if it means dealing with a little bit of trouble. Or, in this case, a LOT of trouble, because the Abomination and the Leader aren't going to let their old teammate step away from the game quite that easily! (from marvel.com)

Review: So you're having a nice day in the park, when suddenly you get a phone call. It turns out that the Rhino is on the other end, and he needs your help because he's forced to commit crimes, which he doesn't want to do anymore. Oh yes, and the Abomination and Leader are with him. To me, the message in this issue is twofold: don't judge a book by its cover, and bad people can turn around and do good.

MONSTERS, INC.: LAUGH FACTORY #1 (All Ages)

Paul Benjamin (w); Amy Mebberson (p/i/c); Troy Peteri (l); covers by Mebberson & Jake Myler

Publisher: BOOM! Kids

Format: four-issue miniseries

Concept: Sulley, Mike and Boo are back, and they are sure to generate plenty of chuckles for the Monsters, Inc. laugh factory!

In this issue: When acts of sabotage begin to damage Monsters, Inc equipment, all the evidence points to...Mike?! Can Mike convince Sulley to help him find the true culprit? (from boom-kids.com)

Review: The loveable characters from MONSTERS, INC. are back, and they couldn't have found two better people than Benjamin and Mebberson to bring them to comics. You may remember from the movie that the monsters would scare children in order to turn their screams into energy, and Sulley was the #1 scarer. But since it was discovered that laughter was far more powerful, Mike has become #1, and Sulley is now taking over for Mr. Waternoose. With Sulley's demanding job and Mike being accused of stealing propr from other monsters, their friendship hasn't been exactly strong lately. Can they put aside their differences and find out whodunit? Benjamin and Mebberson show that they really understand the characters through spot-on characterization and visuals. Highly recommended.

SUPER FRIENDS #18: “This Am Not the Title!” (All Ages)

Sholly Fisch (w); J. Bone (p/i); Heroic Age (c); John J. Hill (l); cover by 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: Meet the Bizarro Super Friends! This am not the solicit for the next boring issue of SUPER FRIENDS! We hate the Super Friends and no want you to steal this right now! (from dccomics.com)

Review: On Bizarro World, where the Bizarro Super Friends live, people do things backwards. They go to bed in the morning, let their dogs walk them, and do everything opposite the way Earthlings do things. But when all's going right on Bizarro World (by their standards), the Bizarro Super Friends decide to head to Earth. This means trouble for the regular Super Friends, but it also means that the reader is guaranteed to have a good time. Bone's art is PERFECT for this sort of story. Also included is “The Great Boo-Boo Hunt,” “Not Make Your Own Bizarro World,” and “Are You a Super Friend Or a Bizarro?”

TINY TITANS #19 (All Ages)

Written by Art Baltazar & Franco; art & cover by Baltazar

Publisher: DC

Format: monthly series

Concept: It's all your favorite Titans, in their cutest possible form!

In this issue: Love is in the air...and in Titans Treehouse! Plasmus and Bumblebee are hanging out more, and the other Titans are starting to notice. And Robin just wants to write his school report, but for some reason the girls won't leave him alone. Plus, the return of the Titans Ape Club! Eek! (from dccomics.com)

Review: Love is not only in the air, but all over this issue as well! Poor Robin can't put the finishing touch on his book report on flowers ‘cause all the girls LOVE his flower drawings. There's also a Titans Apes Club meeting, in which the three members try to recruit new members. But the issue truly belongs to Plasmus and Bumblebee. From “Imagine Me and You,” the beautifully done silent story that begins the issue, to their date at the movies to showing Kroc how to enjoy a lollipop, they show how love and friendship can turn rain into sunshine…and how it can rub off on others as well.

ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #18 (Teen/Young Adult)

Robert Kirkman (w); Jason Howard (p/i); Fco & Ivan Plascencia (c); Rus Wooton (l); covers by Howard and Frank Cho

Publisher: Image

Format: monthly series

Concept: When Gary Hampton is mauled and left for dead, his life takes a drastic turn. Gary is cursed — when the moon is full he transforms into a beast of the night — a werewolf! But this curse will not be used for evil — witness the birth of the world's most unlikely new superhero — The Astounding Wolf-Man!

In this issue : Bring on the bad guys! Has Wolf-Man's time in prison turned him to the darkside? Everything has changed, again... and the stage is set for our monumental issue 25! (from imagecomics.com)

Review: After some pretty heavy stuff, it's nice to see the characters have a chance to stop and breather for a little bit. I think Kirkman handles Chloe beautifully here. She's been interrogated and is free to go, and she feels terrible for not only what she tried to do to her dad, but also that she doubted his love. Now her healing process is about to start. It's also nice to see Zechariah finally accused of what he was guilty of all along. Even Wolf-Man looks content in a few panels. But, of course, you can expect a few surprises along the way, such as Wolf-Man's unexpected visitor and the other “guest” on the final page. As usual, Kirkman and Howard have me hooked.

By thy side,

John “Figaro” Norris

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