Lockjaw & the Pet Avengers #1

Wow, what a pleasant surprise. This was a fun book from cover to cover. It seems the Illuminati are trying to find the Infinity Gems, and Lockjaw is on the case! After finding the mind gem, Lockjaw sets out to assemble a fantastic group of Avengers to protect the rest of the gems. The character with the most pages is Throg, formerly known as Puddlegulp. That's right, another frog has been found worthy to hold the power of Thor. I loved Throg's dialogue and how he's easily the most heroic of the Pet Avengers, he's a great find. Plus, the scene with his frog family cheering for him was fantastic! The other members include Lockheed (Shadowcat's dragon), Redwing (Falcon's falcon), Niels (now Hairball, Speedball's cat), Ms. Lion (Aunt May's dog). The issue is filled with fun bits, from Redwing's superiority complex to Ms. Lion's revelation that he is really a boy dog named Ms. Lion! The only bummer characterization actually makes sense, story-wise: Lockheed is mopey about losing Shadowcat. The others are hilarious, with Niels/Hairball as possibly my favorite. His personality is so perfectly "catlike," I found myself smiling every time he speaks up.

This is a fun, simple story that I think I'll be reading to my 4-year old in the near future, I think she'll love it.

Ig Guara's art is spot on perfect for this. The animals look like animals, yet they all express wonderful emotion in their body language and facial expressions. Such a good book! I do hope it is in-continuity too!

Good