InvestiGators by John Patrick Green (review)

When famed pastry chef Gustavo Mustachio goes missing, gator sleuths Mango and Brash are assigned by the brass to crack the case, so the two go undercover at Batter Down, Mustachio’s bakery. Meanwhile, across town, the scientists at the Science Factory are about to release their latest development, the Thingamabob (a laser beam that digitizes cash in a sly commentary about the economy that will likely go over young readers’ heads), when an explosion rocks the building and a shadowy figure steals the Thingamabob, making off in the chaos. Are the two mysteries connected? Well, as it turns out, only tangentially, and readers looking for a concrete link between the disappeared baker and the stolen money-maker might be disappointed by the ultimate conclusion. Still, this graphic novel features some enjoyably comedic scenes, including a savvy play on the title of “inspector general” (inspector specific, inspector pacific, inspector vague, inspector vogue, etc.), and a random subplot about a were-helicopter (yes, a human that turns into a copter) is just wacky enough to dismiss its awkward fit into the plot. While the art is a bit more sophisticated than Pilkey’s Dogman, the tone is the same, and those waiting for the next installment of that series may want to spend time with this weird reptilian pair.