The Phoenix Colossal Comics Collection: Volume One

A stunning full-color bind-up of content from the amazing Phoenix comic. From humor to adventure to non-fiction to puzzles to the just plain awesome, this bind-up is a smorgasbord for everyone.

Laughs, advenutres, thrills!Slug private detectives!Terrifying kittens!Intergalactic foes and evil penguins! The Phoenix Colossal Comics Collection: Volume One- is arriving on our shores from a top secret location. A collection of different comics content taken from the issues of The Phoenix, this bind-up pulls together different humorous, informative, action-packed, and brain-teasing stories into one mega-comic bind-up! From humor to adventure to non-fiction to puzzles to the just plain awesome, this bind-up is a smorgasbord for everyone.

Gr 3–7—This collection presents individual issues of The Phoenix, a comic book published in the UK. In Robert Deas's enthralling "Trailblazers," a well-developed space opera, Troy and his companions visit the Galactic Archives to learn why the Intergalactic Network has been failing. In between chapters of "Trailblazer" are other comics by different authors and artists. Some are short, cartoonish, hilarious adventures, just a few pages long, like "Bunny vs. Monkey" and "Evil Emperor Penguin." There are also much briefer comics (comprised of a single or a few panels) that make random appearances throughout. Though enjoyable, this volume is, like many compilations, disjointed, with offerings that range in tone and artistic style. The work is worth reading for gems such as "Trailblazers," which deserves a stand-alone book, and "Evil Emperor Penguin," whose titular character could easily be the star of his own TV show. VERDICT For larger libraries looking to expand their selection of kid-friendly comics.—Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library