THE CAT'S MEOW: What's Good on the Shelf This Week-Year 3 - Week 46 ____________________________________________________________________
Reviews by John Norris, July 20, 2009

BATMAN: BRAVE AND THE BOLD #6: “Charge of the Army Eternal!” (All Ages)

J. Torres (w); Andy Suriano (p); Dan Davis (i); Heroic Age (c); Swands (l); cover by Scott Jeralds

Publisher: DC

Format: monthly series

Concept: Jumping out of your TV and into your comics comes the highly anticipated new cartoon BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD! Each month, The Dark Knight Detective faces challenges that only he can solve – with a little help from his DC Universe pals! Thrill as Batman visits new places and old friends. Chill as he chases down the most powerful villains in the DCU, armed with only his Bat-gadgets and his wits!

In this issue : Batman is up against a man with all the time in the world – General Immortus! And only one hero can back Batman up by summoning help from across the ages – Kid Eternity! (from dccomics.com)

Review: What kind of writer would write an all-ages book and throw in a reference to “300,” a decidedly NON-all-ages movie? J. Torres, that's who! It's not only clean, but it works perfectly. For that matter, so does the rest of the issue; it's an entertaining romp. For those such as myself who are unfamiliar with Kid Eternity, Torres nicely brings us up to speed. From the look of things, I'd say Suriano had a good time working on this issue. Batman's certainly having a good time fighting alongside whomever Kid Eternity summons. Readers will have a good time as well.

MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN#52: “No Substitute” (All Ages)

Marc Sumerak (w); Sanford Greene (p); Nathan Massengill (i); A. Street (c); Dave Sharpe (l); cover by Carlos Ferreira

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: There's no better feeling than walking into a classroom and seeing a substitute teacher sitting at the desk. It's almost always a signal that learning will be put on hold for the day, replaced by a glorified study hall or the occasional 1950s film strip. But Peter Parker should know by now that days off aren't quite so easy to come by... especially when this particular substitute has a strange interest in Peter's extra-curricular activites as the school's resident super hero, the Amazing Spider-Man! This is one lesson Spidey will never forget! (from marvel.com)

Review: Ah, substitute teachers. Usually, having a substitute means that you're pretty much free for the period. Mrs. Drew, however, is no ordinary substitute, as Peter learns firsthand. How she finds Peter out is not for me to say, but I'll tell you that seeing Spider-Man and Spider-Woman in action together is a swinging good time. The artwork is delightful; Greene gives Peter some facial expressions that are absolutely priceless.

PERHAPANAUTS vol. 2 #6: “Safe Haven At Ayers Rock/Molly's Turn/Now and Then” (Teen/Young Adult)

Todd Dezago/Scott Weinstein (w); Craig Rousseau/Leanne Hannah/Jason Armstrong (p/i); Rico Renzi/Armstrong (c); covers by Rousseau, Armstrong & Renzi

Publisher: Image

Format: monthly series

Concept: There are places in this world where the fabric of reality has worn thin, where strange and terrible creatures have crossed over to lurk in the shadows and the night. There is an organization dedicated to finding these creatures and sending them back from whence they came, sealing the rift behind them, and maintaining the integrity of those borders. The organization is called BEDLAM. Its agents are.THE PERHAPANAUTS!

In this issue: In the wake of last issue's cataclysmic finale, this issue is the perfect "jumping on point" for new readers eager to catch up! With the Perhapanauts scattered to all ends of the Earth (and beyond!), Big and Molly try to figure out how to re-build their team. (from grahamcrackers.com)

Review: Things are not well at BEDLAM. Arisa, Peter and MG are nowhere to be found, the Chimaera killed the gremlin Larry. Choopie is in shock and Karl's just come out of a coma, which leaves Big, Molly and Dr. Sharon Botsford to try and pick up the pieces. On first reading, the way the stories flow together had me scratching my head, but made much more sense the second time around. Weinstein and Hannah's tale about Molly stepping up to the plate is nice, and even includes a couple of TELLOS references. The other story let us know Dr. Botsford and her previous group a bit better. But the parts by Dezago/Rousseau/Renzi are my favorites, particularly the ones that open and close the issue, and I must say that Big has rarely looked better.

USAGI YOJIMBO #121: “The Hidden Fortress” (Teen/Young Adult)

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

Publisher: Dark Horse

Format: monthly series

Concept: Once a loyal retainer until his lord's death in battle, Miyamoto Usagi is now an unemployed ronin walking the warrior's pilgrimage, in search of harmony.

In this issue: Once again wandering through the country, Usagi comes upon the aftermath of a bloody fight. The carnage has left only one survivor -- Hiroto, a bounty hunter on the trail of the local bandit leader. Now that his group has been ambushed by the bandits, and everyone else has been killed, Hiroto needs help. He recruits Usagi to the cause, and together they set out after the gang. However, Usagi realizes -- too late -- that his partner is the bandit chief himself! (from darkhorse.com)

Review: Upon seeing the aftermath of a fight, Usagi decides to help the lone survivor, until he realizes that this survivor is the very bandit that the now-deceased bounty hunters were looking for! But Usagi isn't just another trusting fool, as the bandit is about to find out. This is a nice stand-alone story, simply told and very entertaining, as only Sakai can do it.

WOLVERINE FIRST CLASS #16: “Bedazzled” (All Ages)

Peter David (w); Gurihiru (p/i/c); Rus Wooton (l); cover by Williams & Strain

Publisher: Marvel

Format: monthly series

Concept: Return with us again to the early days of the all-new, all-different, X-Men for all-new solo adventures of Wolverine and Kitty Pryde!

In this issue: What do you get when you cross an enraged feral fighting machine with a shiny roller-skating diva? Beautiful music, of course... (from marvel.com)

Review: When Dazzler opens the door to her dressing room only to find “DIE” spray painted on the wall, she turns to the X-Men. Wolverine isn't too happy –he's more of an Aretha Franklin fan—but Kitty is ecstatic. That is, until Theresa makes it known that she can sing. The sparks start flying, literally and figuratively. This issue is a delight from beginning to end. David gives Wolverine some hilarious dialogue, and Gurihiru's art is always fun to look at. There's even a message about resenting people thrown in. Whether you like disco or hate it (and I'm the former), you'll love this issue. I'm just sayin'.

By thy side,

John “Figaro” Norris

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