THE CAT'S MEOW: What's Good on the Shelf This Week-Year 3 - Week 15 _ _________________________________________________________________________
Reviews by John Norris, December 15 , 2008

MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #46: “Silent Nights” (All Ages)

Todd Dezago (w); Roberto Castro (p); Greg Adams & Kris Justice (i); A. Street (c); Dave Sharpe (l); cover by Francis Tsai

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: Having finally found the perfect present for Aunt May for Christmas, Peter needs to make some money to pay for it! He hopes to sell some photos of Spidey in action to the Daily Bugle, but nothing is happening--everyone is in the Holiday spirit...everyone except Peter. (from marvel.com)

Review: This issue begins by asking us if we were expecting a heart-warming holiday tale or some sensational Spider-Man/Santa smackdown. As it turns out, we get both. Dezago nicely sets up the Santa situation with a teaser on the first page, only to follow it up with another teaser when the villain is actually revealed. But that is a small part of the story. Peter wants to make some money so he can buy Aunt May a Christmas present, but everything is so calm that even the Avengers and Fantastic Four are taking a break! By revealing why this present is so special to Aunt May, Dezago does indeed produce a heart-warming tale with a wonderful message: When you give a gift from the heart, size and cost don't matter.

INVINCIBLE #56 (Teen/Young Adult)

Robert Kirkman (w); Ryan Ottley (p); Cliff Rathburn (i); Fco Plascencia (c); Rus Wooton (l); cover by Ottley & Plascencia

Publisher: Image

Format: monthly series

Concept: Follow the adventures of young superhero Mark Grayson.

In this issue : When someone very close to Invincible is hurt – the gloves come off! Is Mark Grayson's murderous Viltrumite heritage finally coming to the forefront? Find out in this special stand-alone issue that answers the question once and for all: can Invincible be driven to MURDER? (from imagecomics.com)

Review: With every issue, I applaud Kirkman and Ottley in this column. One thing I don't think I mention often enough, however, is how much I love the way they portray the life of a young superhero. For all the amazing battle scenes, it's the quieter moments that give the series its emotional weight, as Mark deals with issues such as girls and power. Mark's reaction to Amber's situation is entirely believable, and that his reaction concerns him is also believable. My respect for Mark—and the creators—just grows deeper.

Look out for: language

To be reviewed in next week's column:

MARVEL ADVENTURES AVENGERS #31

SUPER FRIENDS vol. 2 #10

TINY TITANS #11

By thy side,

John “Figaro” Norris

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