Cute and cuddly comics

REVIEW BY BECKY OHLSEN

For those who don't necessarily want their comic books all grown up, there are plenty of illustrated works for the younger set (or adults in denial).

Storymaze: The Ultimate Wave, first in a series of zany, illustrated kids books by out-there Australian Terry Denton, follows the universe-traversing adventures of three surfers from Planet Ithaca, out to save their friend Icon from the clutches of his evil brother, King Vidor. A giant robot chicken's eyeball plays a key role.

Days Like This is the story of a '60s girl group, Tina and the Tiaras, on their meteoric rise to fame. Written by J. Torres (The Copybook Tales), the quick-moving, lighthearted story includes inspired time-capsule artwork by Scott Chantler.

It's hard to describe the unspeakably adorable animated hamsters of the Japanese TV series Hamtaro without resorting to italics. Imagine if, say, the Powerpuff Girls did a remake of Watership Down, only even cuter, because these are teeny little singing fur-balls, and one is so shy it wears a blanket on its head, and one has an eyepatch, and one's a nerd. They're so cute. The Official Hamtaro Handbook details the HamHams' adventures, their family trees and body language ("schmubby-wubby" = snuggling . . . aww!) and includes an original comic by Hamtaro creator Ritsuko Kawai.

Also recommended

Hopeless Savages: Ground Zero, another great collection about the world's most wholesome punk-rock family.

Oh My Goddess: Hand in Hand, the latest in this series of girl-power manga by Kosuke Fujishima.

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