Comic Book Review: Catstronauts: Mission Moon by Drew Brockington
When Earth is threatened by a global energy crisis, the president. Of the United States. Of America. Calls upon the World’s Best Scientist for a solution. The answer is simple: build a solar power collection plant on the Moon, which will then beam enough energy to Earth to keep the lights on. Actually doing so is more complicated, and there’s only one team to call: The Catstronauts!
This is the first volume of the Catstronauts series, introducing the quartet of antropomorphic cats who go on exciting space missions. They are: Technical Specialist Blanket, engineer and roboticist; Chief Scientist Pom Pom, math whiz; Pilot Waffles, gourmand; and Mission Commander Major Meowser, slightly grumpy leader.
Their world is a close analog of our own, but everyone’s cats (the president is essentially Cat!Obama.) Like us, they haven’t been back to the moon in decades, so a suitable rocket has to be assembled in a hurry while the mission team trains. Blanket and Waffles let their other interests interfere with the schedule, which causes a training mishap.
Once the mission launches, the team faces several crises, including a critical part malfunction, as the clock ticks down for Earth.
The art is cute, without being overly cutesy, and there is mild humor throughout. (For example, one location has a “Hang In There” poster on the wall.) Because this is a children’s graphic novel, the story is fairly simple (no mention of the politics involved in the energy crisis, and some of the science is iffy), so this should be suitable for first-graders on up. (Youngest readers may need a little vocabulary help.)
Recommended for science fiction-loving kids, and fans of anthropomorphic cats.
