Sidekicks

Gr 3-6--Middle-aged superhero Captain Amazing is looking for a new sidekick after his superpowered house pet and former cohort Static Cat runs away. His dog, Roscoe, is posing as superhero Metal Mutt in order to audition for his replacement, while his other pets--a hamster and a chameleon--train secretly with Static Cat as well. The artwork has an easily accessible style, and the characters display a distinctly identifiable design; they are rendered in such a way that makes them seem both solidly dimensional and appropriately cartoony. The story has a strong narrative continuity with a number of small details returning with dramatic importance later on, and each character has a particular arc of exploration and discovery. Full of inoffensive broad comedy, and providing a number of characters to relate to, Sidekicks is perfectly enjoyable, while still lacking the particular spark or inventiveness that would make it memorable. It should come as no surprise that Santat also created Disney's The Replacements, as this story has the tightness and pacing of a cartoon feature---Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH