Australian author Denton's (Koala Fever) Storymaze series starts up with this glib and goofy hybrid graphic novel introducing three surfing fanatics on the planet Ithaca, whose inhabitants have human bodies and animal heads. An unseen narrator intermittently addresses the audience directly ("What just happened? Well we narrators know a great deal about these mysterious things") and cartoon panels whose style vaguely resembles Bart Simpson crossed with Captain Underpants carry the story line forward. While floating on their surfboards, Nico, Claudia and Mikey see a creature plunge through the atmosphere into the water. He turns out to be Icon, a "pencil-headed mutant from another dimension" who hails from Duryllium, where his twin brother, Vidor, has declared himself king. After Black Raiders sent by Vidor transport Icon away, the trio attempts to track down their new pal with the help of his "genetically engineered biomorph," who leads them to Duryllium. There Vidor falls in love with Claudia, and the other two defeat a menacing War Machine using Mikey's underpants as a slingshot. The three locate Icon in the Underworld, where "bonecrunchers" chase them and they make their way through the Maze of Madness. Nico then plucks the eye from a giant stone chicken, setting the scene for the second installment, The Eye of Ulam (-358-5), due out the same month. With its ludicrous plot and frequently slapstick humor, this volume will appeal most to hardcore comics fans, who may be willing to make a return trip to this loopy land. Ages 8-11. (Apr.)
