THE CAT'S MEOW: What's Good on the Shelf This Week / Year 2 - Week 1 ___________________________________________________________________________
Reviews by John Norris, September 09, 2007

Welcome to the second year of CAT'S MEOW!! In addition to the regular reviews, I thought I'd start the new year off by looking at two series, both written by Jeff Parker, that manage to entertain and acknowledge Marvel's history at the same time.

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X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (Teen/Young Adult)

Jeff Parker (w); Roger Cruz with Paul Smith (i); Victor Olazaba & Roger Cruz with Paul Smith (i); Val Staples (c); Nate Piekos (l); cover by Marko Djurdjevic

Publisher: Marvel

Format: monthly series

Concept: The next step in human evolution has arrived—Homo Superior. Mankind isn't sure whether this represents hope for the future…or the end of the human race. In a private school in upstate New York, one brilliant mutant is teaching a group of five such gifted students what they'll need to survive in this new world. These are the untold stories of Professor Xavier's first class of X-Men!

Review: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the X-Men over forty years ago. Since that time, there have been countless numbers of comics and spin-offs (too many, if you ask me) as well as the live-action movies, the 90's animated series, and “X-Men: Evolution.” In this series, Parker takes the X-Men back to the beginning. What he does is take Lee and Kirby's original concept and bring it into the 21 st century, thereby eliminating the need for extensive knowledge of X-Men continuity. (Of course, having that knowledge will allow you to appreciate some of the details a bit more, but it's not necessary in order to understand what's going on.) The characters (Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, Marvel Girl, Angel and Professor Xavier) are likeable, the clean stories have action and humor in equal doses, and Cruz's artwork (enhanced by Staples' colors) is simply FANTASTIC. The original series has been collected in a hardcover that's available in bookstores everywhere; there's also a one-shot special and three issues of the current series. It's about five young people trying to master their abilities and work together as a team…and it's ENORMOUSLY entertaining.

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AGENTS OF ATLAS (Teen/Young Adult)

Jeff Parker (w); Leonard Kirk (p); Kris Justice with Terry Pallot (i); Michelle Madsen (c); Dave Lanphear (l); cover by Tomm Coker

Publisher: Marvel

Review: If, like me, you read MARVEL ADVENTURES GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS #1 and wondered who the heck the Agents of ATLAS were, this is the book for you. Parker and Kirk deliver a pulp-style adventure with a twist. In the 1950s, special agent Jimmy Woo assembled an unlikely team of heroes—Marvel Boy, Namora, Venus, Gorilla Man, and M-11 the Human Robot—in order to rescue President Eisenhower. The group disbanded soon afterward, but now they have been brought back together. This is one heck of a deal for a hardcover; not only do you get a great story and Kirk's amazing artwork, but you also get a wealth of extra material. Included are: a foreword by Parker, Comic Book Resources interviews, excerpts from blogs, a description of the series' innovative online promotional strategy, and—best of all—reprints of each character's first Atlas-era appearance, some of which have never been reprinted before. These materials serve to enhance your enjoyment and understanding of the story—a story which, as Parker describes it, is about “returns and second chances, largely brought about by characters who aren't willing to let the past swallow up their old friends.”

Look out for: Some language, and the fact that Venus goes topless for half of the story.  However, Kirk draws her in a tasteful way so that you don't see any actual nudity.

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FANTASTIC FOUR & POWER PACK #3: “Field Trip of Doom!” (All Ages)

Fred Van Lente (w); Gurihiru (p/i/c); Dave Sharpe (l); cover by Gurihiru

Publisher: Marvel

Format: four-issue miniseries

Concept: The Pack meets the Four in this all-ages limited series.

In this issue: DR. DOOM has captured FRANKLIN RICHARDS and brought him back to Latveria to use the boy as a pawn in his latest fiendish plot against the FF – but he's accidentally captured POWER PACK along with Frank! Alex, Julie, Jack and Katie have to fight their way through Castle Doom to rescue their friend and defeat their most formidable foe yet ... but ... could that be exactly what Doom wants? (from marvel.com)

Review: On the surface, the Pack enter Latveria, fight Doombots, hook up with Katie's pen pal and attempt to rescue Franklin . But this issue is also about letting your guard down around people who can't be trusted. Doom tries to make himself out to be a nice guy. Even though Franklin knows he isn't, he still allows Doom to serve him chocolate froth and show off scientific equipment. And when he learns what Doom's really up to, it may be too late.

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JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #37: “Hard Spirits” (All Ages)

Matt Wayne (w); Min S. Ku (p); Jeff Albrecht (i); Heroic Age (c); Mike Sellers (l);

Publisher: DC

Format: monthly series

Concept: Follow the adventures of the Justice League, based on the hit cartoon.

In this issue: JLU show writer Matt Wayne sends Batman and Hawkgirl through a long dark night of the soul! (from dccomics.com)

Review: Somehow, the Spectre has broken free of Jim Corrigan's body and is taking his vengeance out on criminals…and some JLU members! It's up to Deadman to save the day, but before he can do that, Batman will be forced to relive the nightmare that is his parents' murder. It is in this scene—the whole issue, really, but this scene in particular—that Ku and Albrecht produce some of the best work I've seen from them in quite some time.

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MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #31: “Fired” (All Ages)

Peter David (w); Pop Mhan (p); Norman Lee (i); Guru eFX (c); Dave Sharpe (l); cover by Scherberger, Lee & Guru eFX

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: HOT HOT HEAT!!! Spidey gets caught in the crossfire of the Human Torch AND Pyro! ONE hothead would be rough enough…but TWO? It's Spidey flambé, brought to you by the one-two punch of David and Mhan!!!! (from marvel.com)

Review: The girls want to be with him; Peter, Flash and Pyro can't stand him…seems like everyone's got feelings for the Human Torch. In this issue, David explores jealousy and how it can get the better of us. It's not hard at all to see why Peter would be jealous of Torch; they're both superheroes, yet Torch gets all the glory while Spidey gets ridiculed. In the end, Peter has to remind himself that, as hard as it may be to take, both he and Spidey are above such things…most of the time. (Check out that great last panel.)

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To be reviewed in next week's column:

BATMAN STRIKES! #37
THE LONERS #5
MARVEL ADVENTURES HULK #3
NEW AVENGERS/ TRANSFORMERS #3
SONIC X #24
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #113

By thy side,

John “Figaro” Norris

9/8/07

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