SpyBoy, Volume 7

March 15, 2005
Gr. 6-9. In this four-issue collection of the unfortunately titled " SpyBoy. " SpyBoy is in high school), hero Alex Fleming faces a fearsome new enemy who is disguised as a substitute teacher and is suspected of terrorist activities after police uncover his hidden trove of weapons. This couldn't have come at a worse time, as SpyBoy is getting ready to graduate, and his senior prom is right around the corner. This tongue-in-cheek espionage story is bursting with colorful " manga" -influenced art, thrilling action sequences, and just the right amount of humor. The often-goofy plotline is grounded by believable teen characters, albeit ones with secret identities and penchants for defending the country from evildoers. The relaxed writing style with touches of sarcasm will attract both male and female readers, and the spy-movie references and " anime" -inspired action will appeal to older comics fans. An entertaining adventure, silly at times--but so are James Bond movies. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)