Who can save the city and meme his way into the hearts of all? Cat Ninja!Metro City has no idea that its adorable yet deadly protector Cat Ninja is but a humble house cat by day. Leon's cat, Claude, appears ordinary enough, but when Master Hamster threatens everyone's bank accounts from his hamster-ball–headed super robot body, Claude becomes Cat Ninja, using the skills he learned as a kitten watching ninja movies with a kindly old lady-who became a ninja crime fighter when attacked. Yes, there are villains everywhere for Cat Ninja to fight, but Leon is having a rough time too. His parents are just beginning divorce proceedings; he and his sister, Marcie, hate having two houses and the way their parents separately vie for their attention. While the family drama plays out, Cat Ninja is busy keeping the city safe from the Raccoon Bros and Chat Noir, but is our kitty hero up to beating a supervillain menace who's arming the city's baddies? Cody's hyperbolic superhero-movie narration and Mercado's vibrant, dynamic panels hit the sweet spot, marrying humor and heroics. Leon, Marcie, and their mom all have beige skin; the kids' dad presents White. A short comic featuring villain Fury Roach penned by Colleen AF Venable and a humorous quiz close what readers will hope is but the first outing for Cat Ninja.Powerful pussycat perfection! (Graphic fantasy. 7-14)

Who can save the city and meme his way into the hearts of all? Cat Ninja!Metro City has no idea that its adorable yet deadly protector Cat Ninja is but a humble house cat by day. Leon's cat, Claude, appears ordinary enough, but when Master Hamster threatens everyone's bank accounts from his hamster-ball–headed super robot body, Claude becomes Cat Ninja, using the skills he learned as a kitten watching ninja movies with a kindly old lady-who became a ninja crime fighter when attacked. Yes, there are villains everywhere for Cat Ninja to fight, but Leon is having a rough time too. His parents are just beginning divorce proceedings; he and his sister, Marcie, hate having two houses and the way their parents separately vie for their attention. While the family drama plays out, Cat Ninja is busy keeping the city safe from the Raccoon Bros and Chat Noir, but is our kitty hero up to beating a supervillain menace who's arming the city's baddies? Cody's hyperbolic superhero-movie narration and Mercado's vibrant, dynamic panels hit the sweet spot, marrying humor and heroics. Leon, Marcie, and their mom all have beige skin; the kids' dad presents White. A short comic featuring villain Fury Roach penned by Colleen AF Venable and a humorous quiz close what readers will hope is but the first outing for Cat Ninja.Powerful pussycat perfection! (Graphic fantasy. 7-14)

Gr 4-6 Cody and Mercado offer a humorous and action-packed take on the idea that pets lead secret lives. Claude is a regular gray house cat by day and legendary Cat Ninja by night. He fights evil in Metro City with the skills he learned from a gentle ninja master who rescued him from an alley. Metro City is also home to the dastardly Doctor Von Malice, a witchlike human with green-tinged skin, who has enlisted a menagerie of villainous animals to wreak havoc. Ninja Cat's archenemy is a lethargic house pet named Mr. Squeaks, also known as the diabolical Master Hamster, who is determined to hack Metro City's email accounts. In each chapter, Cat Ninja takes on a different enemy: intimidating raccoons, a literal cat burglar, an enraged roach, and an enthusiastic robot dog. Ultimately, these encounters build to a final battle with Doctor Von Malice. Amid the thrilling adventures, Cody includes relatable subplots of family drama and lessons about Internet safety without stopping the momentum of the story or making it didactic. Mercado's frenetic art will have readers feel as though they, too, are swinging through the skies of Metro City. The vibrant use of color dominated by shades of purple allows for the seamless switching between the animals' personas. Though most characters are animals, the humans, such as the pet owners, appear to be diverse in terms of race and ethnicity. VERDICT Bright, funny, and brimming with kid appeal. It'll be hard to keep this one on shelves, and readers will quickly demand a sequel.Jennie Law, Georgia State Univ., Atlanta