THE CAT'S MEOW: What's Good on the Shelf This Week

TEEN TITANS GO! #42: “Pieces Of Me” (All Ages)

J. Torres (w); Mike Norton (p); Lary Stucker (i); Heroic Age (c); John J. Hill (l); cover by Todd Nauck & Kanila Tripp

Publisher: DC

Format: monthly series

Concept: Follow the adventures of the Teen Titans, based on the hit cartoon.

In this issue: Raven's going to pieces! Her multicolored Emoticlones have broken free and are on the run. How will the Teen Titans get all of them back together? (from dccomics.com)

Review: Torres refers to the episode “Nevermore” in this issue. Raven's Emoticlones are loose, thanks to Beast Boy. Talk about multiple personality disorder! It's a blast seeing these different pieces of Raven's personality: smart Yellow, shy Gray, tough Green, flirty Purple, slovenly Brown, “rude with attitude” Orange , devilish Red and Pink. Good thing Jericho 's around to round everybody up…or does he miss one? That's for you to find out, faithful readers!

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USAGI YOJIMBO #102: “The Killer” (Teen/Young Adult)

Written and illustrated by Stan Sakai; cover by Sakai & Tom Luth

Publisher: Dark Horse

Format: monthly series

Concept: The adventures of the rabbit samurai known as Usagi.

In this issue: The assassin Shizukiri is known throughout the land as a ruthless, unbeatable killer-a reputation that is about to be tested by his next target, Usagi Yojimbo! Having secretly hunted the rabbit ronin for some time, Shizukiri catches his prey off-guard with the last thing Usagi would expect and the worst thing he could imagine--a hostage! Sweet, innocent, devoted Mayumi has fallen into the clutches of one of Usagi's deadliest opponents. Usagi has given his word of honor to protect her, but he cannot save her and his own life. A dark deed, a harrowing battle, and a fateful choice all add up to one of the most heartbreaking challenges our long-eared hero has ever faced, this month in Usagi Yojimbo! (from darkhorse.com)

Review: Sakai 's mastery of characterization is on display in full force in this issue. Previously, Usagi and Mayumi planned to meet at the East Bridge , but Usagi was delayed, and Mayumi had left by the time he got there. Mayumi has been led to believe that Shizukiri will bring her to him, but she soon discovers that she is a hostage! Shizukiri is portrayed as utterly despicable with an ice-cold stare, and he only gets nastier; you REALLY want to see him get his comeuppance. When he does, it elevates the story from action/adventure to tragedy and recalls John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”

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Seems like it's been forever and a day since I've had a slow week. So once again, faithful readers, I dug something out of the archives this week. Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you…

A BIT HAYWIRE (All Ages)

Scott Zirkel (w); Courtney Huddleston (p); Jeff Dabu & Huddleston (i); Mike Garcia (c); Greg Gatlin (l); cover by Huddleston

Our beloved Mr. Tingley conducted an interview with Zirkel & Huddleston, which you can read HERE.

Publisher: Viper Comics

Format: digest

Review: There have been plenty of superhero origin stories and young superhero stories before, but none quite like this! Zirkel & Huddleston take those concepts and have a field day with them, resulting in an ingenious story with terrific artwork that is an absolute blast to read. Ten-year-old Owen Bryce discovers he has powers; he can fly, has super-speed and can shoot lasers from his eyes, among other things. Of course, we've seen those powers in comics before, but here's the twist: his powers, as the title suggests, don't work like they should. For example, he can fly, but only when his eyes are closed; he can run fast only when he holds his breath; and he can only shoot lasers from his eyes when he's really cold. And on top of all that, he discovers that his parents have powers as well! The story has something to say about knowing your limitations and making the most of what you've been given, as Owen has to figure out what triggers his various powers and then use them together to do good. The action sequences are beautifully executed, and watching Owen take on the bad guys is enough to make you smile. Heck, the whole BOOK is enough to make you smile! It's a wonderful title for all ages

TRADES/DIGESTS

RUNAWAYS vol. 7 DIGEST: LIVE FAST collects RUNAWAYS vol. 2 #19-24. It's available at amazon.com.

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To be reviewed in next week's column:

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #33

MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #27

RUNAWAYS vol. 2 #26

By thy side,

John “Figaro” Norris

4/29/07