Zoo Force We Heart Libraries cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.

For those readers who have missed or aren’t even familiar with writer John Ira Thomas and artist Jeremy Smith’s Zoo Force graphic novels, the trade collection, Zoo Force: We Heart Libraries, is the chance to discover a unique and highly entertaining superhero series.  This trade paperback collects the previous books, Zoo Force (2003), Zoo Force: Bean and Nothingness (2004), and Zoo Force: BBQ (2007).

Zoo Force: We Heart Libraries does not contain any new comics, and the forward by W. Brian McNeil and the preface by co-creator John Ira Thomas are the only new material.  In fact, the coloring pages, puzzles, and assorted back matter included in the three Zoo Force graphic novels have been removed.  That’s because, as Thomas writes, Candle Light Press does like libraries, and the creators know that libraries probably aren’t crazy about books that contain material which encourages people to write or draw in them.

What is Zoo Force?  First, each book offers readers the (non) adventures of a costumed hero group known as the “Enforcers,” which was situated in Freedom City, Texas (a crossroads city).  The members of the Enforcers are Pythagoras, a chicken that talks; Snowball, a female polar bear; Ding, whose cowl/mask is in the shape of a bell; and Prairie Dawg, a humanoid prairie dog.  Enforcer adventures come in the form of letters, philosophy sessions, heart-to-heart talks, and chilling with friends.

I had compared Zoo Force: Dear Eniko to the mid to late 80s Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire Justice League series, which wasn’t a superhero parody or satire, but a comic superhero series.  Both that Justice League series and Zoo Force are comedies with the humor not always arising from things having to do with superheroes.  While the second book, Bean and Nothingness, was a bit more introspective, it was BBQ, which blended elements of both of the first two Zoo Force books, that epitomizes the uniqueness of Zoo Force.  Zoo Force is about characters more so than being about superheroes or about being funny.

However, to put a personal spin on this, my favorite part of each Zoo Force graphic novel was the “Not Zoo Force” stories.  Not Zoo Force stories, which are in the form of faux mini-comics and photo-comics, feature such weirdo costumed characters as Mystic Fork, Pillowfight (wears a pillow as his cowl), and Mr. Vet, a regular kinda guy who can mentally control animals, especially household pets.  The true star of Not Zoo Force is Mr. Vet’s nemesis and the best character you’ve probably never heard of, the incomparable Captain Cat.

The Captain was born a cat, but he has the brain and intellect of a genius (think Marvel’s Mr. Fantastic combined with DC’s Gorilla Grodd).  Cat’s super-suit is a cyborg, which is made of an upright log upholstered on the outside with a rug.  It has been hollowed out to make a sort of pilot’s cockpit for Cat.  This “suit” has also been adorned with mechanical wheel/feet and various robotic appendages.  Capt. Cat is an original, but he has some similarities to Brain (from the animated series, Pinky and the Brain), Daffy Duck, and Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm).  Cat and The Vet’s antics are like a Tom & Jerry or Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck routine.

I still say that Zoo Force, with its Looney Tunes-like antics, should be turned into an animated series and put in Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim lineup.  Now, Zoo Force: We Heart Libraries is the book collection that will let new readers discover a super series about heroes, villains, and strange folks in costumes.

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Zoo Force: We Heart Libraries is available in bookstores, and is directly available from both Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.  CLP will also be in New York City during the first week of June to exhibit at MoCCA.

www.candlelightpress.com