When Pigs Fly (Batpig #1)

Batpig--Big City, U.S.A.'s newest superhero--stars in two stories and an intermission collected in Harrell's (Wink) comical graphic novel. Via an extended flashback that leaves present-day Batpig strapped to a rocket, "Space Farce" explores the hero's origin story, following sixth grader Gary Yorkshire, a lighthearted pink pig with a fondness for tasty sandwiches, Crimson Swine comics, and mud baths. After being accidentally bitten by friend Brooklyn, a radioactive brown bat, Gary develops super hunger, sight, and strength, plus the ability to float. But keeping his new powers and identity from gloomy friend Carl, a green fish with a propensity for spilling secrets, results in the creation of--and a face-off with--supervillain Repto-Man. In "Meat the Enemy," Batpig faces a cued-white human butcher-themed villain and a new weakness (the smell of cooking bacon drains his powers) to save his kidnapped friends. Irreverent, animal-based humor drives the segments as art emphasizes close-ups and comic asides to accentuate comedic payoffs. With strong linework and anthropomorphic animal designs reminiscent of Saturday morning cartoons, Harrell's story will delight fans of Dog Man and InvestiGators. Ages 7-up. (Nov.)