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

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TEEN TITANS GO! #43: “The Fearsome Five” (All Ages)

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

Publisher: DC

Format: monthly series

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

In this issue: Sick and tired of losing every battle to the Teen Titans, Psimon and Dr. Light team up and assemble a deadly team of super-villains: The Fearsome Five! Who will join them, and will the Titans even stand a chance against them? (from dccomics.com)

Review: It's got to be quite embarrassing, losing every single battle to the Titans. So it's quite understandable that Psimon and Dr. Light would want to permanently put an end to the problem. Some familiar faces reappear, and even Jinx is persuaded to join! Or is she? Not much to say here. It's the same good fun that Torres and Nauck consistently deliver.

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USAGI YOJIMBO #103: “The Darkness and the Soul, part 1” (Teen/Young Adult)

Written and illustrated by Stan Sakai; 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: Known far and wide for his compassion and his abilities as a healer, Priest Jizonobu answers the call of a local lord who is in grave need. The lord's daughter is frighteningly ill, and he hopes the priest can save her. However, as the girl slips deeper into a coma, it appears as if the task is beyond even Jizonobu's skill. That is, until the lord makes a deadly threat, forcing the priest to pursue other paths to curing the girl-paths that will lead this pious healer down into darkness. (from darkhorse.com)

Review: Priest Jizonobu has seen many people and cured many illnesses, but this latest case will put him to the test. Local boy Jubei and Lord Goyo's daughter Keifumi have both come down with an illness that no one has seen before. In his quest for a cure, will he have to seek help from another priest whom he does not like? How far will he have to go in order to save his patients? That's the question in this riveting story.

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Once again, faithful readers, I dug something out of the archives this week. Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you…

MUTANT, TEXAS : TALES OF SHERIFF IDA RED (All Ages)

Paul Dini (w); J. Bone (p/i)

Publisher: Oni Press

Format: trade paperback

Review: Dini is mainly known for his work for the DC universe, both in comics and animation. He is also quite skilled in the art of telling tall tales, which makes him well-qualified to tell this particular story. The wise bear woman Tia Oso finds little Ida Red alone on the mesa, her parents having been killed by a giant snake that ALMOST kills THEM…until Ida reveals her powers. Several years pass, and Ida's powers resurface. Once she controls them, she vows to use them for good. She's surrounded by a colorful cast of characters if ever there was one. Among other folks, there's the armadillo ant farmer and sidekick Rollalong Diller; the prickly Clint Saguaro and his trusty Crazy Horse; resident chanteuse and cantina owner Mezcal; Mayor Lansdale and his wife Marjeanne, who sports a mushroom-cloud hairdo; the no-good Kiyote Brothers and Sheriff Wade Brunt, one of the last “real people” in the area…or so he claims. Oh, and let's not forget Cat, the monster-sized jaguar. Dini found the ideal artist in J. Bone, who brings the story to life in glorious black & white. His art gives the book a timeless look. Like that OTHER group of mutants known as the X-Men, the story touches on the subjects of tolerance and discovering your gifts. However, it is not merely “X-Men lite.” Dini makes you care about the characters; you root for the ones and sneer at the bad ones. And in Ida, he has created a spunky young heroine who is a positive role model for girls. Also included are sketches with Dini's commentary as well as pin-ups by Sergio Aragones, Spike Brandt & Tony Cervone and Lynne Naylor. It's available at Amazon.com.

To be reviewed in next week's column:

HULK AND POWER PACK #4

INVINCIBLE #42

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #34

MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #28

By thy side,

John “Figaro” Norris

6/02/07