Reviewed by: Apocalypse Bow Wow by James Proimos, III Deborah Stevenson Proimos, James, III Apocalypse Bow Wow; illus. by James Proimos Jr. Bloomsbury, 2015 [224p] Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-61963-442-8 $13.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-1-61963-443-5 $6.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 2-4 It’s apparently the apocalypse outside, in this humorously dystopian graphic novel, but the big goofy mutt and the little yappy dog inside the house are mostly concerned that their people haven’t come home to feed them. They head out into the world to find a blasted landscape and a few other dogs, one of whom points them to the grocery store (“Building full of food!”). Once there, they join forces with the resident bulldog and gorge themselves silly; the three, aided by a local rat and a tick who’s been reading Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, then take on a horde of invaders who seek to claim the territory. This is typical Proimos (Proimoi?) in its affable weirdness and loopy, slightly edgy cartoonish artwork; though occasional scenes are on the dark side, the black and white illustrations have a countercultural feel that adds extra appeal. The dogs’ dialogue is snappy, with fine comic contrast as the dopier dog starts passing on the tick’s sophisticated observations from Sun Tzu. The action transpires in brief demarcated scenes, making this loopy story perfect for reluctant readers who need frequent breaks. The plot trickles to a stop rather than ending with a bang, but it’s clearly setting up for a sequel, so the forthcoming Apocalypse Meow Meow should satisfy kids desperate to know what happens next. Copyright © 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois