(3) 4-6 Secret Hero Society series. Illustrated by Dustin Nguyen. Young Clark Kent and friends Diana and Bruce head to summer camp, but the place is eerie, and the disappearance of several campers causes concern. Plus, their gadgets keep getting confiscated, and the camp staff is acting increasingly weird. Comic panels mix with Clark's journal entries and other page designs (camp fliers, incident reports, etc.) to chronicle the future heroes' second engaging mystery.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(4) 4-6 Justice League series. Illustrated by Tim Levins. These slim books find Justice League members working together to battle villains Gorilla Grodd, Darkseid, and Amazo, and to help Bizarro (who was tricked into cloning himself by Lex Luthor). The adventures are action-packed if convoluted; the same "Justice League Roll Call" begins each volume, and "JL Database: Villains" sections are appended, helping differentiate the many characters. "Think" and "Write" prompts are included. Glos. Review covers these Justice League titles: Darkseid and the Fires of Apokolips, Amazo and the Planetary Reboot, Bizarro and the Doppelgangers of Doom, and Gorilla Grodd and the Primate Protocol.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) 4-6 Secret Hero Society series. Illustrated by Dustin Nguyen. In this series-opener, new kid Bruce Wayne and his friends investigate their school's many oddities: Why does the theater teacher sweat mud? Why does the choir teacher's scream shatter glass? Smudgy black-and-white panel illustrations are interspersed with documentary evidence (report cards, incident reports, etc.) that reinforce the gumshoe tone, and the frequent comics callouts complement the energetic stand-alone plot.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(4) 4-6 Batman: Li'l Gotham series. Illustrated by Dustin Nguyen. Characters from the Batman universe--both heroes and villains--feature in holiday-themed stories. It's standard Batman fare, but the illustrations depart from typical American comics: instead of pen-and-ink, the muted panel artwork is rendered in watercolor and looks a bit like sloppy manga. While this gives the volumes something of a lighthearted air, the style won't appeal to purists. Visual prompts and questions are appended. Glos. Review covers these Batman: Li'l Gotham titles: Christmas and New Year's Eve, Halloween and Thanksgiving, and Valentine's Day and the Lunar New Year.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Batman: Li'l Gotham series. Illustrated by Dustin Nguyen. Characters from the Batman universe--both heroes and villains--feature in holiday-themed stories. It's standard Batman fare, but the illustrations depart from typical American comics: instead of pen-and-ink, the muted panel artwork is rendered in watercolor and looks a bit like sloppy manga. While this gives the volumes something of a lighthearted air, the style won't appeal to purists. Visual prompts and questions are appended. Glos. Review covers these Batman: Li'l Gotham titles: Christmas and New Year's Eve, Halloween and Thanksgiving, and Valentine's Day and the Lunar New Year.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Batman: Li'l Gotham series. Illustrated by Dustin Nguyen. Characters from the Batman universe--both heroes and villains--feature in holiday-themed stories. It's standard Batman fare, but the illustrations depart from typical American comics: instead of pen-and-ink, the muted panel artwork is rendered in watercolor and looks a bit like sloppy manga. While this gives the volumes something of a lighthearted air, the style won't appeal to purists. Visual prompts and questions are appended. Glos. Review covers these Batman: Li'l Gotham titles: Christmas and New Year's Eve, Halloween and Thanksgiving, and Valentine's Day and the Lunar New Year.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo