In the Clutches of the Penguin! (Batman Strikes!) - Hardcover

Along with comics like THE BATMAN STRIKES, Bill Matheny has written for TV series including KRYPTO THE SUPER DOG, WHERE'S WALDO, A PUP NAMED SCOOBY-DOO, and many others. Christopher Jones is an artist who has worked for DC Comics, Image, Malibu, Caliber, and Sundragon Comics. Terry Beatty has inked THE BATMAN STRIKES! and BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD as well as several other DC Comics graphic novels.

Gr 2–5—In this series entry, Bruce Wayne is celebrating a museum exhibit of Egyptian artifacts that he helped to fund, when a flock of birds tears through the building, signaling that Mr. Cobblepot (better known as the Penguin) is robbing the museum. Wayne goes into full Batman mode, skipping a date and ignoring advice from his butler in order to connect the Penguin's most recent string of robberies and to try to prevent any further crimes. He discovers that the site of the Penguin's next attack is Wayne Industries, and he arrives at the scene just in time to see an enormous mechanical penguin burst out of the street with Cobblepot at the controls. This slim volume is full of excitement from start to finish, and the brightly colored illustrations move the story forward and keeps readers engaged. Although some backstory on Bruce Wayne would be helpful, it is not necessary to enjoy this action-packed story. A glossary and a set of "visual questions and prompts" make this book different from typical superhero graphic novels, providing an opportunity to expand kids' enjoyment of the comic into a more educational experience.—Sarah Reid, Broome County Public Library, Binghamton, NY