Varmints

Hirsch’s (The Royal Historian of Oz) Western comic offers wall-to-wall mayhem, from saloon brawls and train wrecks to a massive road race whose winner will get to meet the West’s most dangerous criminal. Gruff, coonskin-cap-wearing Opie and her younger brother, Ned, fend for themselves amid the chaos (some of which, admittedly, they cause). Opie’s chip-on-the-shoulder attitude hides shame: she feels responsible for their mother’s death, and she knows who their real father is, a secret she’s keeping from Ned. Sunny Ned, by contrast, trusts everyone. This would seem unwise in a Wild West full of ruffians, but it works. When faced with a mute giant of a man clad in bearskin, he asks, “How’d you get so big? Is that a real bear yer wearin’?” winning him a powerful friend. The allies Ned charms help the pair along the way until the final, mighty showdown. Hirsch’s art is a tornado of energy, the pace approaches mania (there’s even a Broadway-style musical number), yet Ned and Opie survive and grow in the midst of it. Give this to action-hungry readers and stand back. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)