Sidekicks

Dec 08, 2012 Tyler Roman rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was one of my favorite books I read for class. I love hoe this hamster fluffy wants to become a super hero and a bunch of other pets decide to join in and help captain amazing. I thought it was a very creative twist to have pets as the super heroes in the story. The story line of this book was just so fun. The twist of wonderman being a super villain was great. It was something I didn't see coming right away and it help progress the story a lot. I think the illustrations were very good. The...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Sydney rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel

This graphic novel by Dan Santat follows the attempt of a hamster to become a sidekick. The pets of a super hero are missing quality time with their owner. Once Captain Amazing announces he is in need of a sidekick the pets decide they want to try out for the position to spend more time with their owner. The hamster Fluffy gets caught in some trouble during his first attempt to stop crime and is saved by an old pet to the family, Manny the cat. Manny decides to help Fluffy train to become the si...more This graphic novel by Dan Santat follows the attempt of a hamster to become a sidekick. The pets of a super hero are missing quality time with their owner. Once Captain Amazing announces he is in need of a sidekick the pets decide they want to try out for the position to spend more time with their owner. The hamster Fluffy gets caught in some trouble during his first attempt to stop crime and is saved by an old pet to the family, Manny the cat. Manny decides to help Fluffy train to become the sidekick since Fluffy doesn't have any superpowers like Roscoe the dog who can become metal. After many training sessions and run ins with Roscoe, Fluffy and his sidekick the chameleon believe they are ready to become the sidekick. During sidekick auditions a new superhero on the scene Wonderman gets the job, but Wonderman turns out to be a super villain just recently released from prison. Wonderman has a plot to steal all super powers and succeeds in gaining Captain Amazings powers after already accumulating other powers. It is up to Captain Amazing's pets, new and old, to save his life and stop the villain Dr. Havoc. Fluffy although the smallest of pets uses his training from Manny the old pet who was also the previous sidekick to win the battle. In the end Captain Amazing turns his superhero duties over to his pets whom all have super powers, even little Fluffy.

This graphic novel was wonderful! The illustrations were fabulous and went along great with the story. The illustrations were very interactive and included so much. The illustrations were sequentially ordered and the series of events were easily connected and understandable. I thought the plot was really good and funny. The pets' smart remarks back and forth were very funny. The reconnection of all the pets and their owner at the end is so sweet.

I would recommend this novel for third grade and up. The pages don't have too much text and it is a quick read. I think kids would really enjoy this funny novel and the great illustrations.(less)

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Sep 04, 2012 Lori Redman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel, elementary, superhero

Fluffy and Roscoe are Captain Amazing's pets. They have seen their owner go from the foremost Superhero in Metro City to an older man who suddenly needs the help of a sidekick. Both want to be his sidekick, but new pet Shifty and old pet Manny "The Claw" also vie for the position. Together, they all battle for Captain Amazing's attention, and ultimately, for their lives.

This book can be described in one word: Fun. It combines all the classic elements of Superhero stories, packages it into a chil...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Stacy Ford rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: comic-graphic, fantasy-animorphism, kennedy-2012, sequoyah-2013

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Sidekicks is a good graphic novel, superhero story. Captain Amazing is aging and frankly he needs a sidekick. In the past he has recruited one of his pets for this job, but now he refuses to do so.

However, his dog Roscoe, hamster Fluffy and newly arrived chameleon, Shifty are all vying for the job. Throw in the cat that ran away Manny and you have pet superhero comedic mayhem.

This graphic novel is a great addition to any collection. Reluctant readers will clamor to read it.

Literary Quality:
Plot...more Sidekicks is a good graphic novel, superhero story. Captain Amazing is aging and frankly he needs a sidekick. In the past he has recruited one of his pets for this job, but now he refuses to do so.

However, his dog Roscoe, hamster Fluffy and newly arrived chameleon, Shifty are all vying for the job. Throw in the cat that ran away Manny and you have pet superhero comedic mayhem.

This graphic novel is a great addition to any collection. Reluctant readers will clamor to read it.

Literary Quality:
Plot - The plot has interesting twists and turns, keeping the reader interested. The distinct personalities of all the pets and their desire to be superheroes gives the plot added suspense. The way they come together to save the city when Captain Amazing is down and out due to a peanut allergy is smooth.

Chracters - The creation of four chracters seems to have in a way made it difficult to flesh out any one character. All of the characters do grow together to work as a team, which is somewhat dynamic. The two powerhouse chracters; Roscoe and Manny, have the most changing to do since they have a past together. Fluffy and Shifty provide lots of comedic fodder and are probably my two favorite characters in the story.

Tone - I love that this book is funny. I love that the characters are funny. I love that Santant has created a graphic novel that has funny superheroes that work together to do good.

Originality:
This book puts an interesting spin on all the superhero graphic novels and comics of the past. The plot is predictable for the subject that it tackles.

Subject Matter Interest to Children - Children will love this graphic novel, especially boys. The good versus bad element that the superhero plot offers and the varying talents of the animals. The humor is great. This book will quickly climb to the top of the request list in libraries.

Summary - This book is good. I like this book a lot. However, the characters need more development and the plot is predictable for a book of this ilk.(less)

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Dec 09, 2011 Leslie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile, comics-graphic-novel, chapter-book-8-11, action-adventure, fantasy, a-boy-s-shelf

Am I allowed to call a comic most boys should dig adorable? Because Dan Santat’s Sidekicks is. With the high color, fun actions sequences, accessible artwork, and snickering humor, this Juvenile long comic does everything right. I mean, it even has its heartwarming moments. The nostalgia for our long-lived comic book heroes slips into tights familiar to current Saturday morning fare*, and it works.

The story is familiar to anyone who has had to share the attention of an adult and had to deal with...more

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Oct 22, 2011 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I originally saw this book listed on the Amazon Vine program, I ended up not being able to get it through there...but still really wanted to read it. Then I saw it at the library last weekend and decided to borrow it. This was a fun super hero comic that even younger kids can enjoy.

This book is about Captain Amazing and his faithful pets. Captain Amazing is looking for a new sidekick and all of his pets (a gerbil, a dog, and a lizard) want to be the one to be picked. Each of them has a special...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Michael Jones rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: tween boys, or action-loving tween girls

Shelves: mike-like

This a relatively mundane graphic novel for older children about the super-powered pets of an aging superhero. It's a cute concept with engaging characters - sort of like The Incredibles for animal-lovers or Watchmen for pre-teens. For me, though, the story seems to kind of go nowhere much; I think the author bites off a little more than he can chew all at once, introducing the superhero (Captain Amazing) who is master to the "sidekicks", and introducing his two pets, then immediately introducin...more

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Oct 05, 2011 Todd Fonseca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sidekicks – Great Fun!

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Author: Dan Santat
Format: Paperback, Hardcover

It's tough being an aging super hero; sometimes it is even harder being an aging super hero's pets! Laid up for an extended period of time due to his peanut allergy, Captain Amazing starts his search for a sidekick to spread out all the hero work, his faithful pets decide perhaps they could have the job if they prove themselves worthy. They take to the streets in a hilarious and entertaining romp where they e...more

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Jun 28, 2011 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ncbla

This is a cool story in graphic novel format about friendship among pets and their human companion, who happens to be a superhero named Captain Amazing. But life has a way of taking a toll on all of us, and Captain Amazing (Harry, to his friends)is getting older, slowing down, and in need of a helpful sidekick to bear some of the superhero responsibilities. His ambitious pets decide to audition for the spot despite his reluctance to endanger their lives. Thus, a dog, a hamster, a chameleon, and...more

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May 30, 2011 Jennifer Rayment added it

Jake's Review: This book was funny and exciting. I wanted to keep on reading it in one night, but my mean old mom told me to turn out the lights and go to sleep. Something about it being a school night or something. The story fit together really well and the illustrations are awesome. I love these comic books (Mom calls them graphic novels) that Scholastic sends us they are so much fun and easy to read. Even Brian who doesn't like books would probably read this one. I would have liked more colou...more

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Apr 20, 2011 Betsy rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I was a kid I got to read comics that I had no business putting my grubby little hands on. You see my grandmother had carefully left all my dad’s old Superman, Superboy, Metal Men, X-Men, etc. comics intact so that when we went to visit I’d root through them and read ‘em until there was little left but a pile of yellowed pulp. The result of this research during my early childhood is that I’m one of the rare grown women you might meet with a working knowledge of late 50s/early 60s comic book...more When I was a kid I got to read comics that I had no business putting my grubby little hands on. You see my grandmother had carefully left all my dad’s old Superman, Superboy, Metal Men, X-Men, etc. comics intact so that when we went to visit I’d root through them and read ‘em until there was little left but a pile of yellowed pulp. The result of this research during my early childhood is that I’m one of the rare grown women you might meet with a working knowledge of late 50s/early 60s comic books characters culled directly from the source. So I know my superheroes. Oh yeah. And what’s more, I know my superhero pets. I know my Krypto the Super Dog from my Gleek. You bet. This is lucky since 2011 appears to be the year of the super pet. First off, you have the launch of the DC Super-Pets books, taking this old characters and giving them a visual update not too far off from what you might find on The Powerpuff Girls (Mojo Jo-Jo not included). In tandem with this release comes a new graphic novel from Dan Santat. Sidekicks (not to be confused with the Jack Ferraiolo title of the same name) follows the adventures of some supercharged pets as they set out to prove their worth to their similarly spandexed master. It's one of those books that you just feel good reading from start to finish. Gorgeous stuff.

Captain Amazing is the defender of Metro City. Nuff said. Yet in recent years, he’s been feeling the weight of his age. It’s time for the Captain to look for a new sidekick. He hasn’t had one, really, since his cat Manny ran away from home. As of now, that leaves Roscoe the dog, Fluffy the hamster, and Shifty the chameleon. Both Roscoe and Fluffy are determined to get the job, and Fluffy recruits old Manny to help him train. Yet even if he does manage to make an impression, that may have to take a backseat to an old villain who is back in town with sinister plans. And when Captain Amazing fails to be up to the job of defeating the baddie, it falls to his pets instead to save the day.

I like how tight the plotting of this book is. For example, at one point during the tale Fluffy is handed a peanut so that he’ll remember something important. Later, the plot demands that he use that same peanut to save the day. See that? Santat sets ‘em up and knocks ‘em down. There’s a really enjoyable order to the way this story falls out. One person I spoke to felt that the flashback scene to when Manny the cat was a member of the household should have gone at the beginning of the book, but I disagree. I like how Santat doles out his information piece by piece. The more the characters learn, the more you learn. I also like how one character’s surprising discovery that he has powers is telegraphed throughout the book (though, this being a comic, it's not something kids are necessarily going to spot).

Of course, it’s the art that’s amazing. It’s not difficult to see why this book took a whopping seven years to write when you note the care and attention Santat has lavished on each and every panel. Kids do love and prefer full-color GN offerings, and in this Santat does not disappoint. “Vibrant” is probably the best way to go about describing his style. Some folks have a basic familiarity with a pen that serves them well, but have a hard time transferring their illustration style to the graphic novel format. Panels alone can confound even the most accomplished artist. Santat’s advantage here may or may not be that he has worked in the world of animation, at least a little. Visual storytelling is a difficult art to master, but storyboarding your own plots can help. What it can’t do is teach someone how to shake up points of view, panel sizes, and more. Mr. Santat handles such visual games with aplomb. He even works in a couple little instances of mild manga-related techniques for spice. As a result, the book on a visual level leaves a lot of its competitors in the dirt.

The book is oddly lacking in one staple of the superhero genre, though: The origin story. Generally speaking, folks like to know why a person or critter has a power. The interesting thing about Sidekicks is that at no point do we hear where any of these powers came from. This causes the reader to wonder how common superpowers are in this world. Does everyone have them? Just a few folks? When Captain Amazing has auditions for a sidekick, does everyone who comes have powers? It’s probably due to the limitations of space in a graphic novel that we don’t have answers to these questions. So it is that we only know by the end of the book how two of the pets discovered their powers. The rest of the world is a mystery.

This title is being released at the same time as a different book with the same name, Sidekicks by Jack Ferraiolo. Of course, Ferraiolo’s story is a middle grade chapter book about a good sidekick and an apparently evil sidekick. It’s interesting, in that light, to wonder why Santat didn’t indulge in an evil sidekick or two of his own. Or at least ONE female character (though Shifty could easily be a . . . nah). That said, Sidekicks does stand apart from the usual superhero genre. Kids get tired of seeing the same old, same old all the time. The fact that super pets have never been turned into a CGI animated feature before is probably more a matter of time than anything else. A suggestion, Hollywood? Why not go with Sidekicks? Fun, a bit of visual splendor, with enough honestly funny moments and angry hamsters to satisfy even the toughest of fans. The sole regret? That when this book hits my library shelves I’ll have to find a way to answer all those kids who immediately demand of me “Where are the other comics by Dan Santat?” Patience, kids. Let’s take one good thing at a time. And this is, above and beyond anything else, a very good thing.

For ages 8-12.
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Nov 19, 2012 Kim Browning rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was my first graphic novel and unfortunately was left wanting more from this book. The illustrations, specifically the facial expressions of the characters, were engaging and humorous. The story was not interesting to me, though. I'm wondering if with this being my first graphic novel, if I maybe didn't know "how" to read it. I may need to spend more time looking at each and every picture and really interpret what is happening in each frame and how one frame connects to another frame. When...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Emily Calzi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel

This graphic novel by Dan Santat, is the story of a hamster who tries to become the new sidekick of Captain Amazing. Since he is getting old, and worn out from his many missions, he is in need of some help. He hold announces he will be holding auditions for a new sidekick. His four pets agree their owner is in need of some help, but all think they are suited for the position. When auditions are over, unexpectedly a new superhero, Wonderwoman, gets the job, without knowing her true intentions. Sh...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Penny Peck rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-ya

In this clever graphic novel, superhero Captain Amazing considers retirement, but advertises for a sidekick so he can continue his duties. His pets, which include a dog, hamster, and chameleon, want the job so they can spend more time with him. The full color illustrations have an airbrushed feel that give them an animated film look, and the angles in some of the panels add to the "film" feeling. The story is funny and exciting, the characters are distinctive and original, and the artwork and bo...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Brenda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: comic-book

Captain Amazing fights crime in Metro City. When he feels the effects of getting older coming on and a peanut allergy gets in his way, it is time to find himself a new sidekick. Open auditions are called throughout the city. Captain Amazing is also a lover of pets with Roscoe the dog, Fluffy the hamster, and new addition Shifty the chameleon at home. Each is determined that they are up to the task of being the next sidekick. Which of these pets will be able to rise to the challenge before the au...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 5 of 5 stars

Captain Amazing is getting on in years, but still fighting crime. When he is felled by exposure to a peanut, he uses his time off to look for a side kick to help him out. His pets think that they can help-- Roscoe has been trained as Metal Mutt, Fluffy the hamster has a cool outfit, and Static Cat, who ran away from home after an altercation with Roscoe, has been out on his own as The Claw. Captain Amazing also brings home a chameleon, Shifty, and the pets all attempt to fight crime and prove th...more

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Feb 10, 2012 BAYA Librarian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Captain Amazing has a problem. He's getting older and was recently foiled during a battle by his own peanut allergy. He decides to find a sidekick to lend him a hand. Unbeknownst to him his own pets, Shifty the chameleon, Fluffy the hamster, and Roscoe the dog, have developed superpowers and are planning to audition for the job. But will Captain Amazing choose one of his own pets as sidekick? Especially after his bad experience with his cat Manny as his previous sidekick?

This book is highly reco...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Christianne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s

Captain Amazing has a problem. He's getting older and was recently foiled during a battle by his own peanut allergy. He decides to find a sidekick to lend him a hand. Unbeknownst to him his own pets, Shifty the chameleon, Fluffy the hamster, and Roscoe the dog have developed superpowers and are planning to audition for the job. But will Captain Amazing choose one of his own pets as sidekick? Especially after his bad experience with his cat Manny as his partner?

This book sis highly recommended fo...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Joella www.cinjoella.com rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel, juvenile

There is a hero who works to save the day. No, he is not Superman. He is Captain Amazing. However, he works so hard saving the day that he isn't at home with his pets all that often. Also take into account his peanut allergy and the incident with a nut cart and he is home-bound for a little while. The incident with the peanuts causes Captain Amazing to wonder if he should hold tryouts for a new sidekick. All of his pets decide they would like to give the hero business a try. Of course there is a...more

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May 07, 2013 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kids-comics, superheroes

Captain Amazing is getting older and is looking to hire a sidekick to help him fight crime and keep the city safe. His pets (a dog, a hamster, and new arrival the chameleon) are all vying to fill that role.

Meanwhile, "reformed" bad guy Dr. Havoc claims he's on the straight and narrow these days, but a device with the power to transform a person's DNA has been stolen and the next place it turns up is around his waist! When he steals Captain Amazing's powers it looks as if Captain Amazing just mi...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Erica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, american, comics, humour, juvenile-fiction

When Captain Amazing gets injured while battling supervillains he takes a forced vacation to recover and announces that he'll be holding auditions for a new sidekick soon. Everyone is excited by this announcement, even Captain Amazing's pets. Years ago Static Cat was his sidekick, so they're hoping that he'll take on one of his pets again. Metal Mutt thinks his special abilities will put him at the head of the pack, and even the new pet chameleon's camouflage abilities could come in handy, but f...more When Captain Amazing gets injured while battling supervillains he takes a forced vacation to recover and announces that he'll be holding auditions for a new sidekick soon. Everyone is excited by this announcement, even Captain Amazing's pets. Years ago Static Cat was his sidekick, so they're hoping that he'll take on one of his pets again. Metal Mutt thinks his special abilities will put him at the head of the pack, and even the new pet chameleon's camouflage abilities could come in handy, but fluffy the hamster doesn't have any super powers. That won't stop him from trying though. Fluffy finds Static Cat and gets him to agree to train him how to fight crime despite his size and lack of powers. And when an old arch nemesis reappears Captain Amazing will need all of them if he wants to make it out alive.

This was a fun twist on comic heroes with pets taking the lead. There was a light-hearted ease to the story that pulled me in and I always enjoy stories of small characters using their intelligence to fight off larger enemies. Santat is sure to imbue the story with lessons like these as well as humor with Static Cat giving the advice that "a hero can't rely on his powers alone. You gotta use your brain." and Fluffy proudly declaring that he followed that advice and was able to defeat an enemy without getting in a fight. Themes of making up with friends and sticking with family guide the narrative. I loved Santat's author bio at the end in the form of an application for Captain Amazing's sidekick. This fun and humorous bio is representative of the book as a whole and is why it will appeal to kids.

The characters are drawn very expressively, but the dialogue can be a bit generic and flat. The characters are typical archetypes and the plot straightforward as well.

This isn't the strongest comic I've read recently, but the pet theme and humor (much of it bodily) will appeal to many third graders I know who go through comics quickly and are always on the look out for more. I'd give it to one of them without hesitation, but it wouldn't be the comic I use to introduce the genre to someone and I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone older than fifth grade.

Read more of my reviews at http://auldschoollibrarian.blogspot.com (less)

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Oct 26, 2012 Magila rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics, middle-reader, children, ya-middle-readers, comics-superheroes

3.5

If I hadn't been reading so many graphic novels lately, I think I may have liked this a bit more. It's just such an average one. The illustrations were good enough, the story was good enough, but there was something missing - and that something is character development.

It was predictable, as most books at this level are. However, it was my overall lack of concern for the people of the city, and many of the characters that did this book in. I did enjoy the minor twist in the end. And I do lik...more

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Dec 16, 2011 Rosalia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, graphic-novels, superheroes, childrens

Captain Amazing is looking for a new sidekick after a crime fighting incident involving a peanut allergy and all of his pets want to get in on the act so that they can spend more time with him. There is Shifty the chameleon, Fluffy the Hamster, Roscoe the dog and the former sidekick, Manny the cat. Manny trains Shifty and Fluffy while Roscoe strikes out on his own. It will take a major incident to get the family back together.

I loved this. It was adorable. I marked it as children's but really it...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children, graphic-novel, middle-grade

Dan Santat sure knows how to illustrate (and write!) a book that kids will LOVE! It's not going to take a lot of energy booktalking or convincing a child to pick up Sidekicks. Santat has a really slick illustrating style that I was first introduced to in Mac Barnett's book, Oh No!: Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World, which was a huge crowd-pleaser at the library I interned at last year. I was going to say, "His style reminds me of a Saturday morning carton," and then I read in his bio...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Mary Ann rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4th, 5th, 6th, adventure, animals, boys, graphic-novels

Superheroes, pets, friends loyal to the end, and illustrations with enough POW to knock your socks off - it's a winning combination for the new graphic novel Sidekicks, by Dan Santat. I predict that young kids are going to beg their parents to read this aloud to them, and older ones are going to read it again and again, relishing in the action, the exciting story, and the multi-layered details. If you have a child who loves superheroes or comic books, definitely check this out.

Roscoe the Dog and...more Superheroes, pets, friends loyal to the end, and illustrations with enough POW to knock your socks off - it's a winning combination for the new graphic novel Sidekicks, by Dan Santat. I predict that young kids are going to beg their parents to read this aloud to them, and older ones are going to read it again and again, relishing in the action, the exciting story, and the multi-layered details. If you have a child who loves superheroes or comic books, definitely check this out.

Roscoe the Dog and Fluffy the Hamster might seem like ordinary pets, but don’t let appearances deceive you! They’re the loyal pets of Captain Amazing, protector of Metro City, hero far and wide. But Captain Amazing is having trouble these days, and needs to bring in a new sidekick. He’s determined not to have his own pets serve as a sidekick because of a painful experience years back, and now he just wants to spend time at home. He’s even bought a new pet, a chameleon he names Shifty. But these pets are just as determined to prove their own worth and become Captain Amazing’s new sidekick. So they set out to fight crime throughout the city and learn how to use their own superpowers.

With exciting writing and dramatic illustrations, Dan Santat has created a graphic novel that will have kids hooked from beginning to end, reading it again and again. This story will appeal to both girls and boys because it’s got just the right blend of action, adventure, friendship, humor - all with just the right level of fighting to make the story exciting but not too violent. One child told me it’s “an edge of the page sort of book,” with cliff-hangers that hook you in and make you want to keep reading.

This is graphic novel writing at its best, with interesting details in the illustrations, snappy dialog and compelling characters - a story kids will want to read many times, discovering new story elements each time they read the story. It will pull kids in with bold colors and humor, but it will immerse them in a well-developed superhero fantasy, with detailed setting, compelling plot, and characters that you care about. This will make a great read aloud for younger kids, or perfect independent read for middle grade readers.(less)

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Feb 17, 2013 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, upper-elementary, graphic-novel

I don't like graphic novels although I used to love comic books when I was a teen. The PTA gave us a choice of books and I selected graphic novels because my classroom library is lacking.
I loved this one. At first I was a bit disdainful. But then I tried to read it as one of my students would. Who would enjoy reading this book?
Well, my graphic novel lovers would. So would the animal lovers. The students who are looking for an adventure book would probably enjoy it. And the nerds like me who sti...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Kim Miner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvie, graphic-novel

You know, it's tough for kids out there. The desperately want to read superhero comic books but they're becoming more and more inappropriate. There's a move to make superheroes appeal more to adults, which I understand as a geek myself, but kids are getting left behind by this. I really like this one for your younger readers who want a comic book. The hero's are Captain Marvel's pets. They want to spend more time with him because he's so busy being a superhero, so they begin training to fight cr...more

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Nov 14, 2011 R rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade, read-and-liked, graphic-novel, cybils-finalist

This was nominated for the Cybils, so I felt I had to take a look at it, see if I liked it more than Hereville. (NEVER. Hereville is amazing.)

Anyway, it took me a couple of starts to really get into this one. When you open on two characters fighting and arguing with each other, it doesn't really want to make me read on. But once I got past my feelings of dislike for the dog and the hamster (Roscoe and Fluffy) and got to the adorable chameleon (Shifty - good name for a chameleon. And I loved his...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Kaitlin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-novels, graphic-novel

If you're looking for something light-hearted with cute animals and a predictable ending, this is your book. The dialogue was sometimes very witty and the art was excellent. One thing I noticed, though, is that there is not a single notable female character in the book. Even all the pets are male. That bothered me and before anyone starts up the old "It was written for boys" excuse, just stop now. If girls are expected to read and enjoy books with male main characters, why can't boys do the same...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Angie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-fiction, graphic-novel, website

Captain Amazing is getting older and needs to recruit a sidekick. His pets all want the job: Roscoe the dog, Fluffy the hamster, Shifty the chameleon and old sidekick Manny the cat. Together the animals start fighting crime to prove to Captain Amazing that they are the perfect sidekicks.

This is a perfect superhero story for kids. The animal sidekicks are cute and fun and had a lot of humor to the story. I love the other superheroes and how they reference famous heroes from other stories. I thou...more

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