The Star Crusher: A Graphic Novel (Missile Mouse #1): The Star Crushervolume 1

The cover of MISSILE MOUSE: THE STAR CRUSHER may lead you to think this is a cute mouse comic just for kids. It's not. While it's certainly a book aimed at young readers, it's also a sci-fi action/adventure story with deep themes and complicated plotlines. It's not your average, run-of-the-mill cutesy kids book with bad jokes and visual puns. In fact, jokes and puns are few and far between (oh, they're there, but they're not the focus). The focus instead is on the heart of the story, which involves the titular hero's quest to live up to his father's dreams and aspirations for him ("You are a mouse who matters. Don't ever forget that.") while protecting the universe. In that regard, Missile Mouse is a secret agent for the Galactic Security Agency who, after failing to protect an important star map from falling into the wrong hands, is rebuked by his boss, saddled with a partner, and charged with stopping RIP (the Rogue Imperium of Planets, natch) from unleashing the Star Crusher, which will destroy the universe. RIP has kidnapped the one scientist who knows of this 1,000-year-old device and how to implement it. Creator Jake Parker is an animator, so his book-length story has the visual appeal of a long animated special, as well as the look of one. It's quite nice. It gives the story a flow and an orientation that are easy to follow and engaging to read. The story is dark at times (one scene in particular, in which a group of bad guys are capitally and gruesomely punished by the lead villain, is perhaps a little too much for the very youngest readers), but it's well-suited for the suggested age range of 8-12, as well as for older kids and even adults interested in the book. Nothing in the story is childish, and it in fact has a broad appeal, and the action is fast and furious enough to hold most readers rapt while enjoying it.

When his mission to recover an ancient star compass goes wrong, intrepid Galactic Security Agent Missile Mouse finds himself saddled with a partner. Agent Hyde, the son of a senator and a rookie, is willing to please, but part of his job (according to Chief Maxwell) is to keep Missile Mouse from making costly mistakes. The two are to retrieve a missing scientist who holds the key to a horrible weapon, the Star Crusher, in his hereditary memory. They rescue Ulrich Vondorf from the Rogue Imperium of Planets (RIP)--but not before RIP gets most of the info they need. Missile Mouse must find the last stash of dark plasma before RIP, but that's not the only hurdle GSA's finest is going to face! Secret Agent Missile Mouse doesn't do things by the book and his crazy adventures are what will make this graphic novel a sure-fire hit! Colorful illustrations of wacky Sci-fi creatures (think funky Star Wars Creatures!) and an action filled storyline will keep the attention of the video-playing crowd and even the most reluctant readers!

I purchased 12 copies for my local boy scout troop. They all loved it and have generated interest with their friends at shcool to place orders with scholastic book orders at school of at least 100 additional books. It is great to see books being written that are so captivating to young people without content that you have to make excuses for or want to shield from our children. Thank you Jake Parker--keep up your craft!

The cover of Missile Mouse: The Star Crusher may lead you to think this is a cute mouse comic just for kids. It's not. While it's certainly a book aimed at young readers, it's also a sci-fi action/adventure story with deep themes and complicated plotlines. It's not your average, run-of-the-mill cutesy kids book with bad jokes and visual puns. In fact, jokes and puns are few and far between (oh, they're there, but they're not the focus). The focus instead is on the heart of the story, which involves the titular hero's quest to live up to his father's dreams and aspirations for him ("You are a mouse who matters. Don't ever forget that.") while protecting the universe. In that regard, Missile Mouse is a secret agent for the Galactic Security Agency who, after failing to protect an important star map from falling into the wrong hands, is rebuked by his boss, saddled with a partner, and charged with stopping RIP (the Rogue Imperium of Planets, natch) from unleashing the Star Crusher, which will destroy the universe. RIP has kidnapped the one scientist who knows of this 1,000-year-old device and how to implement it. Creator Jake Parker is an animator, so his book-length story has the visual appeal of a long animated special, as well as the look of one. It's quite nice. It gives the story a flow and an orientation that are easy to follow and engaging to read. The story is dark at times (one scene in particular, in which a group of bad guys are capitally and gruesomely punished by the lead villain, is perhaps a little too much for the very youngest readers), but it's well-suited for the suggested age range of 8-12 years old, as well as for older kids and even adults interested in the book. Nothing in the story is childish, and it in fact has a broad appeal, and the action is fast and furious enough to hold most readers' rapt while enjoying it. -- John Hogan

The other day, my wife asked me, out of the blue, "What's a Missile Mouse?" Seems my two boys (aged 5 and 9) had been playing Missile Mouse in the basement, and she had no clue what they were talking about. What had happened is that this book arrived at my door, I opened it and left it on the table, and it promptly disappeared into whatever hidey hole my boys use to keep their treasures. In fact, in order to read it to write this review, I had to sneak it out, and read it while they slept. I could talk for a while about how solid this book is, the story is involved and engaging, and long enough to be substantial. The characters aren't necessarily the deepest, but they feel real, and there are few hidden secrets that while obvious to an adult, are just secret enough to delight a grade schooler. And of course, the good guys win. But as usual, I'm not the target market for this book, my boys are. And to give you an example, when I started writing this review, the book was next to me on my desk. Not five minutes have passed, and it's gone. I actually think the little one took it, and the bigger one took it from him. Such is the way of the world. I guess what I'm saying is that this book is good enough that my boys are fighting over who gets to read it again. Try to find more books like that.