Title: "Minerva and the Seven Dwarfs"

Writer: Matt Wayne
Penciller: Leo Batic
Inker: Jim Amash
Letterer: Phil Felix
Colorist: Bob LeRose
Cover: Leonardo Batic & Horacio Ottolini

Release Date: September 15th, 1999
Cover Price: $1.99 U.S./ $2.85 Canada

Summary:
A Snow White take-off (duh).

Description:
An evil queen has put a spell on "Prince Varmint" so he'll love her. Her mirror tells her that "Stole White" (Minerva) is more gorgeous than she. The Queen blows up the mink's house, and Minerva moves in with seven dwarfs, who adore her. The Prince falls in love with Minerva, but Minerva dumps him when she hears he's an Artist—Formerly Known as Prince. The queen has picked the wart off her nose, and suddenly decides she's not so evil after all, and so drags Varmint home.

Cameo by the Warners.

Pages (out of 32): 8 pp.

Quote of the Story:
QUEEN: Mirror, mirror, in my face, who's the fairest, anyplace? [Realizing; pulls out a remote.]: Whoops! Had the silly thing muted.

Review:
Just an enjoyable little piece of fluff. Wayne does a pretty good job writing for the Mink. Keep an eye out for the Dwarfs' names (a neat ref to the song "Hair").

Rating:  

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Title: Pinky & the Brain in "Brain vs. Brawn"

Writer: Jesse Leon McCann
Penciller: Walter Carzon
Inker: Horacio Ottolini
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Bob LeRose

Summary:
Brain competes against John Henry.

Description:
Brain has designed an Ultra-Compact Steam Engine, and to introduce it to the world, enters a "Man of Steel" competition. The entrants must dig a tunnel through a hill. As the others use pickaxes and dynamite, Brain uses his engine to power various digging machines. Pinky's singing and bad rhymes throw off the rest of the contestants—except John Henry. Finally, due to Pinky's lack of lyrical talents, Brain digs in the wrong direction. The mice float down the river as Henry wins.

Pages (out of 32): 8 pp.

AYPWIP:
BRAIN: Are you pondering what I'm pondering?

PINKY: I think so, Brain! But isn't a dreadlock hair extension awfully expensive?

Quote of the Story:
BRAIN: My pneumatic drill will cut through the rock like a hot knife through butter! After I've made a hole, you insert the dynamite. Then I'll light the fuse, and the explosion will blast some of the rock away. Make sure you duck, or you'll be toast! Then we repeat the process over and over until we've dug a tunnel all the way through the hill. Have you got all that?

PINKY: You lost me right after the part about the dynamite buttered duck over toast.

Review:
The title isn't the only thing recycled from a TV episode in this mediocre story. The whole gag with Pinky singing was lifted from John P. McCann's (no relation to Jesse) "Spell-Bound" cartoon. The story as a whole comes off as unfunny, predictable, and fairly lame. Very little of McCann's usual great dialogue and exchanges. Rather disappointing.

Rating:  

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Title: "Leave It to Skeever"

Writer: Frank Strom
Penciller: Leo Batic
Inker: Jim Amash
Letterer: Phil Felix
Colorist: Bob LeRose

Summary:
The Warners corrupt an innocent young lad.

Description:
The Warners move into a quiet suburban neighborhood, next door to the "Fleavers." They hang out with the Fleaver boy, Skeever, whose parents expect him to be a complete conformist. He tries his best, but it's not easy to be a conformist around the Warners, as he soon finds out. He's blamed for all their pranks, and eventually becomes a free-thinking punk, much to his parents' distress.

Pages (out of 32): 6 pp.

Quote of the Story:
MR. FLEAVER: Now, you kids don't read anything that might make you question the establishment, do you? Poetry, philosophy, socio-political analysis?

YAKKO: Well, we do occasionally enjoy a rousing Hardy Boys mystery.

WAKKO: Although I did think Sendak was a wee bit radical in "Where the Wild Things Are"…

Review:  
Strom's last story is also quite possibly his best. Very funny in places, and it also makes some nice points on American culture and conformity (and a hilarious outdated sitcom spoof to boot!). Good fun.

Rating: