Awesome Dog 5000 vs. the Kitty-Cat Cyber Squad (Book 3)

March 15, 2021
Marty, Ralph, Skyler, and Awesome Dog 5000 go public as superheroes in this third outing. After the public battle against the former mayor, Townville plans an award ceremony for Awesome Dog. The human heroes (White-appearing Marty and Ralph and Korean-coded Skyler) decide to don superhero costumes and identities in order to attend. They become, respectively, Super Awesome, Professor I.Q., and Purple Lightning. The superhero frenzy draws the attention of obsessive fangirl Tina Tinkerwith, who reads as Black. Upon losing her job as a toy inventor, Tina is tricked into villainy as a way to get closer to her idols. The comic-book-genre savvy is combined with fourth wall-breaking humor (such as an introductory guide giving page numbers for recaps based on readers' needs and a gag inviting readers into a staring contest with a drawing of a snail) and, of course, fart jokes. Fact-spouting Ralph is the emotional focus of this one--his more conventional friends take to heroics more easily, and he struggles to feel like he belongs. This storyline is more successful than previous ones because it includes his difficulties outside of the heroic arena. That said, plenty of page space (and silly illustrations) is devoted to the escalating battles against Tina's alter ego, Lady Catastrophe ("emphasis on the C-A-T," reflecting her robotic feline criminal army). A puzzle at the end provides breadcrumbs for the next sequel. A solidly funny book that knows its audience. (Science fiction. 7-11)

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