Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace 1951-1952 (Vol. 1)  (Dennis the Menace)
Starred Review. Before there was Bart Simpson or Crayon Shinchan or Eric Cartman, there was Dennis the Menace, the five-year-old icon of childhood mischief. In this chronological collection of the long-running single panel strip, we see Dennis's skills with mud puddles, firecrackers, frogs and general mayhem developing at a splendid pace.Dennis the Menacestands out for both its chronicling of Baby Boom–generation society, and its highly sophisticated humor. Ketcham's grace and economy of both art and punch line are superb, telling a complete story with a single line of dialogue. For instance, in one panel, Dennis's long-suffering parents sit in a friend's parlor as she calls up the stairs. "Bobby, you don't have to hide any more! They didn't bring Dennis! Bobby, can you hear Mother?" As the strips in this volume come to a close, Ketcham is still introducing his major players—put-upon Mr. Wilson is only a small character, and female foils Margaret and Gina are still in their formative stages. As funny as the gags are, it's the art that captivates. As cartoonist Patrick McDonnell puts it in his intro, "Each meticulously designed panel was a masterpiece of composition." This beautifully produced book will delight for years to come.(Sept.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.