SCUBA CATS

Diving kitties Max and Milo face giant robot spider crabs and worse as they try to save the oceans from a deadly threat in this graphic series opener.

Incorporating actual (if improbably named) sea life into this aquatic adventure, Tashjian pairs her two furry agents of the S.O.S. (“Save Our Seas”) Academy with Judy, a sarcastic fringehead fish sidekick (“You don’t have to be so snarky all the time.” “I think I do”) and pits them against a criminal organization of red-lipped batfish. It seems that a special crystal strong enough to control the tides has been stolen, and there are lip marks all over the crime scene. There’s nothing for it but to dive into the disguise kit for lipstick and try to infiltrate the “huge undersea criminal headquarters” hidden beneath the Galápagos Islands—or, failing that, cleverly use pool noodles, exploding candy, and other high-tech gear to retrieve the crystal. Holman lays the mission out in an easy-to-follow flow of borderless monochrome panels and montages, incorporating undersea creatures and natural features drawn with reasonable attention to detail. He also amplifies the banter’s comical tone with images of scaled and furry figures with wild googly eyes. Readers will be happy to follow the feckless felines on to further exploits—particularly after a closing teaser involving an incursion of Aqua Pugs wielding chew toy brain implants.

A madcap marine scramble.