Batman Overdrive

Gr 3--5--Detailing the origins of the Batmobile, Fontana tells a story of family legacy, vigilante justice, and high-tech detective work--with more than a few action spectacles. Teenage Bruce Wayne is set on restoring his late father's black '66 Crusader (complete with a bat flying out from under the hood) and taking his war on crime to the next level. Fast friendships with the mischievous Selina Kyle and gearhead Mateo Diaz propel them into a mob mystery, unearthing Wayne family secrets in the process. DiChiara's layouts give Bruce and company plenty of room to take on auto repair and stealth missions, along with clear framing for hand-to-hand combat and car chases. The teenage cast's expressions and dialogue veer toward the childish ("Ooooh, farts" is one of the book's catch phrases). Young readers get to have their dark knight and analyze him, too--Selina notes Bruce's privilege, and Alfred and Mateo challenge the budding young superhero's lone-wolf image. Sycamore's cartoon illustrations rely on blues and tans for more calm scenes and alarming reds and oranges when danger is afoot. Violence includes swordplay, smoke bombs, and martial arts, all bloodless--even a flashback to Martha's and Thomas Wayne's murders restricts the use of red to a single panel. VERDICT Giving Bruce Wayne cool friends and some personal growth, Fontana tricks out the Bat mythos, crafting a high-octane adventure that young Batfans will love.--Thomas Maluck, Richland Library, SC

A teen Bruce Wayne fixes up an old car.Obsessed with finding the answers to the mystery behind his parents' murders, Bruce Wayne doesn't have many friends. He spends his days brooding and being waited upon by his butler, Alfred. The one thing Bruce looks forward to is getting his driver's license on his 16th birthday. Inspired by a picture of his father standing beside a (fictional) 1966 Crusader, Bruce decides to restore the vehicle after finding it in storage. In doing so he meets Latinx teen mechanic Mateo Diaz and the mysterious Selina Kyle, who seems to be white, like Bruce. As the trio works to repair Bruce's Crusader the teens develop a friendship and uncover startling revelations about the Wayne murders. This middle-grade graphic novel is the latest in DC's run of colorfully illustrated attempts to draw young readers into the world of DC Comics. While the action is crisp and the characterization is strong, there's a problem here that other DC heroes don't have: Teenage Bruce Wayne is pretty hard to like. Moody and spoiled, Bruce Wayne is a real drag. The authors seem to know this; Bruce starts to moonlight as a masked vigilante pretty quickly, and the bat motif shows up faster than expected. This is one character who doesn't benefit from the "this is what they were like when they were a teen!" lens.A decent piece of graphic storytelling with a bad headliner. (Graphic adventure. 9-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.