Review by Booklist Review
In this droll suburban caper, the theft of the dog he was watching sends neighborhood superhero Commander Universe, alter ego of mild-mannered Stevie Blunt, charging off to the rescue. Keeping tongue firmly planted in cheek, Kelley strews the simple mystery with obvious clues and multiple suspects while surrounding his towel-caped crime-fighter with a mildly caricatured but also offhandedly diverse cast, led by excitable sidekick Rudy and annoying neighbor Abi Chan--who, for all the trouble she has picking out a super moniker of her own ("Abi, the Amazing Hero of Super-Awesome Incredibleness," "Abi, the Incredible and Amazing Super Girl of Incredible Powerfulness and Deceptive Cuteness"), turns out to be the better detective. Of course there's an arch-nemesis to confront, too (though the bullying actually goes both ways), and a hilariously overcoddled canine MacGuffin, who turns up safe and sound in the end. Presented in a mix of full-color comics panels and short chapters of print generously interspersed with additional inset vignettes, this rib-tickler will pull chuckles even from earnest, young world savers and villain battlers.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The "very first issue of Captain Fantastic" has arrived at the local comic shop, and superfan fourth-grader Stevie Blunt, who has brown hair and light skin, needs it. The problem: Stevie doesn't have $75, and the shopkeeper will only hold it until Monday, when Stevie's blond archenemy Chaz Pharsight will buy it. Decked out in full superhero gear complete with "super-heroic hair" and a marker mask, Stevie (aka Commander Universe) quickly agrees to dog-sit for Miss Boyle, "the prettiest lady in whole town," who "zips around the neighborhood on a candy-apple-red hovercraft." Soon, though, Cupcake goes missing, and Commander Universe; his Latinx friend Rudy, known as X; and East Asian neighbor Abi Chan must find the precious pug in a town of villains before Miss Boyle returns. Interweaving comics-style scenes throughout, Kelley's middle grade debut keeps the laughs rolling in this imaginative encouragement for the next generation of caped crusaders. Ages 7--10. (Oct.)
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