Based on the popular animated series, this comic is fast paced and light hearted. The first story of the two contained in this issue centers on a group of villains gathered together to swap stories of how each of them was nearly captured by one of the Titans. Each of their stories begins with the words, “There I was, minding my own business….” and ends with, “ I was nearly nabbed”. It’s probably not going to spoil your reading of this issue if I tell you that they all are nabbed by the time you reach the final page. The issue also contains a back up story involving a mystical genie that finds himself in trouble with the Titans. There are also several puzzle pages contained between the tales. Breezy, fun writing and decent art help to put this book in the kinda' fun category. Recommended.

It’s hard to believe that this book has been around for over 14 years. Stuff like this never has that kind of longevity. But it looks like Sonic has struck some kind of chord. Not with me however. This whole universe is lost on me. The main problem is its own longevity. The Sonic universe is so convoluted that I had no idea what was happening in this book. Even the writers are somewhat handcuffed to the past because virtually every page of this comic has at least one reference to a previous issue. Is anyone that much of a Sonic fan? I suppose they are out there somewhere; how else could this title have lasted this long? The art is passable, the writing incomprehensible. If your child is a fan, then this is for them. If you’re looking for a book to jump into for something new, give this a pass.

The 1990’s now classic Batman animated series continues to cut a wide swath of influence even today. Now, comes Hellboy Animated, based on a new series of cartoon features that premiere on Cartoon Network before the inevitable DVD release. As a fan of Hellboy and particularly Mike Mignola, I’m always happy to get new stories set in this universe. The stories in both the animated film and in this comic represent a sort of alternate take on the established continuity. On the plus side, the writing is not watered down to pander to a family audience. That’s not to say it’s as edgy as the regular books but the paranormal content is still quite effective. On the negative side, the distinctive work of Mignola is sorely missing. I find it strange that the makers of the comic and animated films chose to steer away from the Mignola style. It’s a style that lends itself very well to animation. Anyone that’s seen the recent release of The Amazing Screw-on Head on dvd can attest to the fact that Mignola’s look and feel translates effectively to animation. The comic has two stories. For me, the second one written by one of the animated series writers is the better of the two. In it a young Hellboy thrills to the radio adventures of The Lobster and finds himself embroiled in a similar serial type predicament. So, while the Mignola artwork is sorely missed, the writing is adequate enough to please the Hellboy fan and also act as a entry point for any young reader, not quite old enough for the regular comic, to get acquainted with this universe. Recommended.

Hard to believe but there once was a time when Captain Marvel was more popular than Superman, and since acquiring the rights to the character, DC has been desperate to modernize the property and tap into what made him so beloved and popular long ago. Unfortunately, DC seems to think that modernizing a character is the same thing as making him darker or edgier, which is bad news for any fan of Captain Marvel, a character whose best stories exude an unmistakable carefree innocence and boyish sense of wonder. Instead of giving Judd Winnick the task of updating Captain Marvel by turning the character into a more serious, realty-based superhero, DC would have done well to let writer/artist Jeff Smith take a shot at revitalizing the property. Smith's Shazam and the Monster Society of Evil is an immensely entertaining origin story that not only perfectly captures the essence of the character, but also transposes the hokey-but-fun storylines of old onto a modern setting. If you've read Smith's much-lauded epic, Bone, then you are aware of the writer/artist's ability to spin a deceptively simple yet incredibly complex yarn. This first issue offers an exuberant and cheerful reintroduction to the character. I can’t imagine a better way to bring comics into your child’s life than with this book. Highly recommended.