In this action-packed graphic offering, a nervous young boy and his fearless robot companion fight to save everyone's favorite sandwich fixings from a nefarious fowl. Marvin, a fretful, white 9-year-old, is always anxious about the antics of his best friend, Kung Fu Robot, a 9-foot-tall crimson automaton with good intentions that usually end in comic disaster. Kung Fu Robot is intent on making the perfect peanut butter, jelly, and kung fu sandwich, but dangers—such as chunky peanut butter, beeping ninjas, and an evil chicken—lurk around every corner. Through a series of madcap chases, karate chops, and giggleworthy adventures, the pair seeks to save the beloved sandwich items, all while not making Marvin's mom angry. Boisterous action propels the story's characters, and silliness reigns supreme. Bays' art takes on an appealingly novel-feeling, retro-tinged style, utilizing a muted palette of primary colors and distinctively grouped, irregularly shaped panels. The exploits of Marvin and Kung Fu Robot burst from their panels in a dizzying array of sound effects and motion. An accompanying app is available for download, promising to offer sound effects when the book's pages are scanned. With an animated feel and its breakneck velocity, Bays' creation is an interesting marriage of print and digital comics and creates a multidimensional feel for young action aficionados. A zanily cluttered exploration of format and style that transcends its pages into the digital world. (Graphic fantasy. 6-11)

This madcap series opener plants itself squarely in the realm of surrealist inanity, echoing the over-the-top goofiness of Ren and Stimpy and SpongeBob SquarePants. Kung Fu Robot knows two things: how to fight and how to make amazing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The former skill comes in handy with the latter-his sandwich-making features dramatic moves, abundant splatters, and many shouts of -hiiieeeeyaah!- When the villainous Kung Pao Chicken-s army of ninjas steals all of the peanut butter and jelly in the city, Kung Fu Robot and his nervous human sidekick, Marvin, have no choice but to open up a jar of delicious righteousness. Newcomer Bays captures their endeavor in overlapping trapezoidal panels, tons of all-caps sound effects, and a bold and chunky cartooning style with a heroic primary color scheme. The frenetic action isn-t always easy to track, however, and although the artwork is polished, Kung Fu Robot-s martial arts moves (and all-around obliviousness) start to get repetitive before long. An app, which can be used in tandem with the book, is also available. Ages 7-12. (Mar.)