Review by Ian Keogh

If there were thought of John Patrick Green failing to match the manic intensity of the first InvestiGATORS outing they’re immediately dispelled by an illustration of Mango and Brash riding a rocket and receiving a message from S.U.I.T. HQ about a missing combinotron. It’s a device that can combine any two things, so what if someone decided to ruin sweets by combining them with broccoli? Meanwhile, although they don’t know it, the InvestiGators’ greatest enemy Crackerdile is plotting in his sewer HQ. However, before he can get around to revenge he’ll have to stop the rats eating him.

Green loves a pun, a dropped violin for instance leading to a comment about street violins being a scourge of society, and contrives creatively hilarious situations. As established last time, all the scientists work in a single building on Electric Avenue, and when they greet each other in the morning the calls of “hello doctor” can continue forever. Or two pages in this case. It’s nothing to do with the ongoing plot – so little is – but it’s a great interlude.

As the city floods, pre-emptively mentioned early on, we see pretty well every character introduced in the previous volume along with a whole bunch of new hilarious misfits like Bill Plungerman, plumber of choice. The General Inspector of S.U.I.T. has a metal nose. Why? No-one nose. Excuse us: knows.

Once again, this is occasionally laugh out loud funny for adults, so kids should enjoy every page as Green eventually maximises the effects of the missing combinotron, which by this time has become a robot ghost. Keep up!

Two volumes have been absolute delights. Can Green keep the streak going with Off the Hook?