Attack of the Man-Bat! (DC Comics Super Heroes: Comic Chapter Books: Batman)

This book is an amazing modern DC creation where a Batman novel meets extra comic panels that help build suspense and action throughout the story! Readers should definitely be on the lookout for these story-building comic strips that I enjoyed seeing. As Bruce Wayne goes to Brazil for a rainforest safety meeting, he soon hears about a “bat monster” taking people away from their friends and family. Bruce Wayne quickly becomes Batman, his alter ego. As he puzzles over this bat monster problem, he starts figuring out one of the main villains in the plot. But he knows there’s something much more sinister behind it all. Anyone reading will be able to sense the danger and tension I enjoyed feeling when Batman solved each piece of the puzzle. Is the end going to be Bat vs Bat? Or will the true mastermind behind the kidnappings show their face to finish it all off? Lucas C., age 11, Southern Connecticut Mensa

This is a fun book for kids who are transitioning into chapter books or for reluctant readers, or kids who just plain like to read and like Batman. The idea is pretty fun: It's chapter book, but every so often a page full of action will be done as a comic book page instead of a prose page. And when it's appropriate, big sound effects like SWOOSH! or FWIP! are run across the middle of the page in fun fonts. The story is fun, too: While Bruce Wayne is visiting Brazil for a business conference to try to help the rainforest, he hears about workers getting kidnapped by a huge bat monster. Batman heads off into the jungle in search of answers. As for who he finds, well, let's just say sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. Best of all, the book isn't written in a "kiddie" way, with simple vocabulary or "Dick and Jane" sentence structure, like so many books of this type often are. I remember having a problem with condescending books as a kid. This book won't rankle any kids that way. Also, the art is done in the style of the Batman Animated series so it's a welcome return to the world of that show.

The new set of chapter books from Capstone have in-depth stories and I'm very pleased with these. Bruce is in Brazil for an economic environment conference and who should be there causing trouble but Poison Ivy. Plus she's got Man-Bat under her control as well! There's more story than action, but these three characters take centre stage throughout the whole book so there are plenty of costumed capers. I liked the environmental story for the most part as its message was not extremist but rather showed how Poison Ivy herself took her beliefs beyond radical preferring to erase humans to protect the plants. Bruce Wayne's end solution was more politically correct than economically sound but otherwise an entirely enjoyable escapade. Poison Ivy is one of my favourite villains!

This was actually a pretty good story with plot development and clear character motivations. Not only that, it is smart and introduces complex environmental concepts that do not disparage young readers but honor their curiosity and address what's at stake for humanity. Frankly, I was quite pleasantly surprised at the depth of coverage for such a book filled with some animated pages, sound effects interspersed through plain text, and the completeness of the story (obvious beginning, middle, end). Definitely highly recommended for the early reader into action heroes, art appreciation and environmental protection!