G-Man: Learning to Fly

Here is an absolute delight, a volume that will be shelved with children's titles, but should definitely be sought out by superhero lovers of any age. Known for his “Mini Marvels” series, which lampooned Marvel's heroes, creator/illustrator Giarrusso starts his own world with Mikey, a little boy obsessed with learning how to fly. After making a cape from a magic blanket, he becomes G-Man—and his bully of an older brother fashions a magic belt with what's left of the blanket, dubbing himself Great Man. The bulk of the book is devoted to their origin story, set in a colorful world where kiddie superheroes can defeat the bad guys but can't play on their dad's lawn; a handful of short stories deal with runaway Christmas trees, the perils of brussels sprouts and a hilarious wink-and-nod tale of multiverses and parallel universes. The visual style is completely charming, creating an amusingly detailed world that young readers can explore over and over. (June)