Eye of the Baloney Storm

Gr 3-7–Dolphin Girl attempts to upstage a new, beloved superhero; save the Pizza Paradise hideout; and rescue the town from a deluge of bologna. She and sidekick Otter Boy look for dirt on the ever-popular Wonder Friend, only to discover more of his talents and accidentally sabotage his powers. Returning readers might have a head start on everyone else in making sense of the chaotic story. How many comics do you know that hinge on whether a middle-aged man dressed as a dugong can defeat an eyepatch-wearing villain dressed as a cow in a golf match while it’s raining bologna? Smith’s sense of humor begs for hilarious voice acting, whether out loud or in readers’ heads. The visual punchlines land too, such as when the heroes completely miss their triumphant high-five, or when a man’s head pops in disbelief then grows back over the course of a page.