Editor's Note: Franklin Richards, Son of a Genius: Not-So-Secret Invasion #12 arrives in stores tomorrow, May 7.

Though the inspired inventiveness of Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes no longer graces the comics' sections of the nation's newspapers, its spirit lives on in the adventures of Franklin Richards and his robot H.E.R.B.I.E. This is the book you hand people who enjoy the strangeness of the strip Mio, but who turn up their noses at comic books. This is the book you hand to someone who's had a rough day and needs a laugh. The five short stories contained in this issue are a magic bullet for the workday blues.

A big part of this book's charm is that it's a slice of life story. Yes, Franklin is the son of a pair of super-heroes and has an up-tight robot babysitter; and yes, he has access to his father’s lab; but Marc Sumerak firmly grounds the majority of these stories in reality. In "Little Lizard No Longer" Franklin's in charge of the class pet. Keeping in mind that Franklin would rather watch giant monster movies than feed the lizard, it's a sure bet something’s going to go wrong. This kind of thing has happened to just about every adult and kid at sometime or another. Granted, not exactly like it does in this story, but it's a situation that anyone can relate to and Sumerak exploits that to its fullest potential. "The Other Football" centers around a soccer game and Franklin’s desire to depend on his own abilities, rather than special accruements, while "Wizard Wipeout" is built around his not cleaning his room. The opening story, "Skrull Surprise!," has the most ties to Marvel mythology, but there's really nothing in it that would keep a non-Marvel person from enjoying it.

Sumerak's dialog is smart and fun for both fans and non-comic book readers. Adults will chuckle and nod knowingly at Franklin's "I know Doctor Doom. Trust me, you’re no Dr. Doom!" while younger readers will just enjoy Franklin's cocky confidence when faced with danger. The give and take between earnest H.E.R.B.I.E. and laid-back Franklin is witty without being smart-alecky: "The possibilities of this working are infinitesimal, Franklin." "Well, as long as you don't think there's little chance."

Chris Eliopoulos keeps his panel layout simple. The background objects have a boxy sturdiness to them that doesn't detract from the action in the foreground. The eye can follow the story easily. The bobble head-like design of Franklin evokes the memory of Bill Watterson's Calvin without being a slavish imitation. The stretchability of the design brings to mind the classic Warner Brothers' cartoons like Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner.

Brad Anderson's use of white and black space is especially noteworthy. Most of the book is done in basic colors, with little to no shading. When Anderson sets a character against a stark white background or cuts the panel with a deep black shadow, he adds a heightened sense of drama to the proceedings.

Not-So-Secret Invasion is a wonderful, all-readers package.

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