The Mighty Skullboy Army Vol. 1

Gr 3–6—Skullboy is the inventor CEO of Skull Co. and the power-mad boss of his two companions—Unit 1, a cheerful, boxy robot who resembles a vintage children's toy, and Unit 2, a grinning monkey who's supposed to be superintelligent. While Skullboy fancies himself a genius, he still legally has to attend school but uses his allies and evil schemes to try to avoid homework, bullies, and restrictive schedules. Hitting some of the same notes as Invader Zim (Oni, 2015), Skullboy occasionally wanders into actually macabre territory but mostly stays safe. Skullboy isn't nearly as evil as he'd like to believe; Unit 1 is hapless, despite its claims of superior intelligence; and Unit 2 is outwitted by a flock of pigeons. Partially redrawn from the first edition collection published in 2007, the linework is clean and the body language and pacing establish punch lines very well. The rivalry and companionship between Units 1 and 2 is consistently funny and a highlight of the volume. A series of one-page gag strips round out the book, but their presentation may confuse novice readers, as they lack any identifiable chapter divisions or markers.