LAW AND ODOR

A team of three dinosaurs and a chicken work together to solve the case of a smelly bean-stealer.

In this third installment of Paleo and Blecha’s graphic-novel series, crime fighters Teri-Dactyl, Dave, T-Lex, and Bach put their smarts and their sniffers to work uncovering a slew of stinky explosions and robberies around Dinotown. Though they’re pretty familiar with the list of usual suspects, the latest perp is new to their official nemesis list. The title hints at the themes in this one: plenty of scatological humor and stinky puns. There’s a bad guy named Gasosaurus, the founder of an organization called F.A.R.T., or Farting Association of Revolting Tyrannosaurs, for example. The target readership will likely choose this for the silly bathroom humor, original characters, and lots of giggles—and it delivers. The illustrations are bright and varied, helping to keep the pace moving and pages turning. One standout page shows three bad guys flying in for a landing from far away, the perspective shifting from a long shot to a close-up. Another notable illustration shows a cutaway diagram of the Dinomighties traveling through underground tunnels, switching up the format with interesting details and changes of viewpoint.

The series continues with more silly fun.