Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters: America the Beautiful

by Don Chin (Writer), Christopher Parsonavich (Illustrator), Catherine Yronwode (Editor)

Bruce, Chuck, Jackie, and Clint are just four normal young rodents, selected to serve as guinea pigs (how humiliating for hamsters!) on the test launch of a new NASA rocket. Cosmic rays transform them into the Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters, who, after years of martial arts schooling, turn their powers to the benefit of all mankind.

They say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, and if that’s true, then who could doubt the sincerity of writer Don Chin, artist Parsonavich, and editor Cat Yronwode in their efforts to flatter (and capitalize on) the most surprising comics success story of the mid-1980s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

America the Beautiful collects Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters #1-4.

Genres: Comics

114 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1990

Reviews

[D.S. Cohen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Heap makes a guest appearance in Issue 4

[Travis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably the most successful/least annoying attempt to cash in on the Teenage mutant ninja turtles craze.

Still losses steam after about two issues and staggered along for a couple more, but a harmless read.
Cute that the four hamsters are all named for movie action heroes and a couple of the jokes earn a chuckle.

If you find it in the cheap box at your LCS, it's worth a look, but not if you have to pay full price.