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

ULTIMATE CIVIL WAR: SPIDER-HAM (featuring Wolverham)

J. Michael Straczynski (w); illustrated by various artists; Randy Gentile (l); cover by Mike Wieringo, Mike Manley & John Kalisz

Publisher: Marvel

Format: one-shot

In this issue: You asked for it, you got it! Quite possibly the most important comic ever! A life-changing event that will change the way you look at yourself and the world around you! Spinning out of the page of CIVIL WAR -- and every other top-selling comic crossover event you can think of – it's ULTIMATE CIVIL WAR SPIDER-HAM FRISIS (FEATURING WOLVER-HAM)!!! He's little, he's pink, he knows how to bring home the bacon. He's Spider-Ham – and he's about to embark a kaleidoscopic, time-spanning, universe-shifting journey that will prove just how big a pig he really is. Guest-starring: Iron Ham, Deviled Ham, Fantastic Ham, Green Ham, Ant-Ham, Ultimate Captain Ham, Hambit, Hamneto, and everyone's favorite Sorcerer Supreme -- whathisface? You know, the guy with the blue tights and red cape…Mustache…Man-servant named Wong? -- anyway, you know who I'm talking about. He's in it, too. And Wolver-Ham – did I mention him? (from marvel.com)

Review: For those of you who may not be familiar with Spider-Ham, a little backstory is in order: Peter was a spider who resided in the basement lab of scientist May Porker, who had created “the world's first atomic-powered hairdryer.” After accidentally irradiating herself, she bit Peter, causing him to transform into an anthropomorphic swine while still retaining his spider abilities. In Straczynski's hilarious tale, Spider-Ham goes on a quest for his missing thought balloons. He tries to get help from Dr. Strange, but is accidentally caught up in one of Strange's spells, which opens up a dimensional doorway to the Sea of Parallel Worlds . Thus we get parodies of a slew of Marvel characters from A to Z, from Ant-Ham to Zombie Ham. Even more impressive than the number of clever parodies is the roster of artistic talent who contributed to the book: the list includes Mike Wieringo & Mike Manley, Nick Dragotta, John Severin, Skottie Young, Jim Mahfood, Ariel Olivetti, Clayton Crain, Laurence Campbell, Chris Giarruso, Todd Nacuk & Robert Campanella, Sean Phillips and June Chung. It's a clever, tongue-in-cheek parody that will have you grinning from ear to ear.

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KRYPTO THE SUPERDOG #5: “Three Naughty Doggies/That's Not Bats!” (All Ages)

Jesse Leon McCann (w); Scott Cohn/ Min S. Ku (p); Al Nickerson/Jeff Albrecht (i); Dave Tanguay (l/c); cover by Scott Jeralds

Publisher: DC

Format: six-issue miniseries

Concept: Flying in from his hit TV cartoon, Krypto the Superdog arrives with a fun-filled six-issue miniseries!

In this issue: Heel before Dom! Krypto discovers he's not the Last Pup of Krypton after all! (from dccomics.com)

Review: In “Three Naughty Doggies,” Streaky tells the story of how Jor-El (Superman's father) sent General Zod into exile and planned to do the same with his dogs Dom, Vilea and Tronk; however, their spaceship lands on earth. Just like Krypto, the sun's yellow rays enhance their powers. It's up to Krypto and Streaky to stop them, but what will happen when Dom kidnaps Kevin? In “That's Not Bats,” Batman enlists Krypto and Ace's help in solving a crime involving Joker's hyenas and lots of bats. McCann gives Ace some great lines here, such as “His [Batman's] casa is mi DOG casa.” And when Krypto asks him why bats always live in grim places? “Hey, don't knock it ‘til you've tried it.” Classic.

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USAGI YOJIMBO #100 (Teen/Young Adult)

Written and illustrated by Stan Sakai and various artists; cover by Sakai and Tom Luth

Publisher: Dark Horse

Format: monthly series

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

In this issue: Stan Sakai's biggest admirers—who also happen to be some of the hottest names in comics—come together to celebrate one hundred issues of Usagi Yojimbo at Dark Horse!
Featuring eight extra story pages for a total of thirty-two, Usagi Yojimbo #100 is structured as a good-natured roast of both Usagi and Stan, kicking off with an opening by publisher Mike Richardson and artist Rick Geary before launching into unforgettable contributions from Frank Miller, Jeff Smith, Sergio Aragonés, Guy Davis, Mark Evanier, Scott Shaw, Jamie S. Rich, and Andi Watson—not to mention Stan Sakai himself!
This extra-special issue is the ultimate introduction to the world of the rabbit ronin and his inimitable creator, a perfect entry point for anyone who ever wondered why the adventures of this long-eared hero have been among the most acclaimed all-ages comics for over two decades! (from darkhorse.com)

Review: Like SPIDER-HAM above, this is a parody issue, but this time Sakai and Usagi themselves are on the receiving end. The occasion: Usagi's 100 th Dark Horse issue. (Note that this is Usagi's 100 th Dark Horse issue; the title had been previously published through Fantagraphics and Mirage Studios.) The highlights in this issue are numerous: Sergio Aragones “reminding” Sakai that he himself made it to 100 issues on Marvel's GROO; Jamie S. Rich and Andi Watson poking fun at Stan's punctuality; Jeff Smith discovering Stan's ‘secret;' the ‘special appearance' by Scott Shaw's own Captain Carrot (shhhh…don't tell the Time Warner lawyers); and Stan's final three splash pages. It's a loving, hilarious tribute to a man and his enduring creation.

To be reviewed in next week's column:

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #30

MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #24

SPIDER-MAN AND POWER PACK #4

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #105

By thy side,

John “Figaro” Norris

2/04/07