Pugs from Planet X

Max Meow #3

by John Gallagher

Max Meow is BACK and up against PUG invaders from OUTER SPACE!

Meowza! Space pugs have landed in Kittyopolis and they're after the SPACE MEATBALL that gave Max his powers! Can Max and Mindy save Kittyopolis?! Sometimes being a HERO means knowing when to ask for help, and it will take a whole universe of good guys working together to stop these space dogs! Luckily Max and Mindy have backup. Meet Rex Rocket, Intergalactic Space Guard, and get ready for Kittyopolis's Bad Guys to become Good (at least temporarily!) to join the adventure!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Cats

240 pages, Hardcover

Published October 12, 2021

About the author

John Gallagher is the art director of the National Wildlife Federation's "Ranger Rick" magazine and has been drawing comics since he was five. John is also the cofounder of "Kids Love Comics" (an organization devoted to using graphic novels to promote literacy) and leads workshops teaching kids how to create their own comics. John lives in Virginia with his wife and their three kids.

(source: Amazon)

Reviews

[Natalie]

The Pugs from Planet X are here to steal the Meat-eor that gave Mindy (aka Science Kitty) and Max (aka Cat Crusader) their powers. They've kidnapped the mayor, and even Science Kitty and Cat Crusader get captured too. But help and teamwork come from a new space friend as well as an unlikely source from jail! Mixed in there, there is still one who turns against them. Will they be able to save the Meat-eor and the galaxy at the same time?

I enjoyed this third book in the series more than I did the first two. There are several references to other books and reading in the library has a pretty profound effect upon the villainous robot, Reggie. Agent M discovers her hidden talent and puts it to good use. All in all this was a humorous read, and the questions at the end of each chapter make you keep turning the pages. This is a good book to use as an example of asking questions while reading, because the questions are literally asked for you!

[Theediscerning]

While this may well be where I and this series part company, that's more here as a note to myself, and no real reflection on how well the returning readers will appreciate this third volume. It is just a little too goofy, too convoluted with different species/sides/characters all after the same cosmic power-giving meatball, and so rough-and-ready, zany and throw-in-everything-bar-the-kitchen-sink that it becomes quite tiring for the adult to keep up with it all. There may well be a case for stating this is too much, too full-on and too complex even for the target audience. I was never the world's hugest advocate for the series, with all the daft signs from the editor everywhere and rhetorical questions galore at every spurious chapter break, but I could see its merits. Questioning them as I am this time round does show me this is the weakest in the series so far.

[Clarissa Blakely]

Maybe a kid who likes Captain Underpants or something like that would like this book, but I just felt like the story was really lacking. Why was Mindy half girl half cat but Max was fully cat? Likewise the name of the town is called Kittyopolis but not everybody is a cat. There were mice and dogs and humans. The motivations for the villians didn't make sense to me. They wanted to feed the giant spaghetti monster the mayor for no reason. I really don't get how the magic meatball is where Max and Mindy got their powers, but then when they blew the meatball up it was okay and they didn't lose their powers. There was way too many characters that served very little purpose in this story. Also I hated that they kept pretending that the story was going to end but then kept adding random information that was unnecessary. Overall, maybe I'm just too old to appreciate it.

[寿理 宮本]

Placeholder review (I found evidence of when I read it, but I don't remember enough to give a proper review):

Cute, fun story about a superhero cat taking on alien dogs who are after Max's meatball meteorite! I mostly noted to myself that the books I'd been reading recently sure had a strange fixation on do(ugh)nuts, haha. Annoying, since I have to restrict myself from having them. :(

Recommended for young readers who love action, comedy, and talking animal comics!

[Lisa]

Pugs in space! Now invading the home town of Cat Crusader (Max) and his super scientist friend Mindy in search of a meat-or that has changed lives since book one. Although at this stage and level you can read these adventures in whatever order you prefer. This time out our heroes/readers learn how to change course in your life through choice and the power of books and libraries to help you understand your choices (just ask Reggie Reboot). Author/illustrator Gallagher adds drawing lessons now at the story’s conclusion. Funny, sweet, with some toothbrushing care to finish off this brightly drawn meal.

[Anna Salvesen]

New pugs come to Kittyopolis from Planet X. They're trying to get the meteor that they stole from a museum, but Science Kitty stole it back from the pugs and kept it. The meteor is what gave Science Kitty and the Cat Crusader their powers. The pugs steal it back. Science Kitty and the Cat Crusader are on the meteor trying to stop the pugs' boss from eating it. It ends up being smashed by the Spaghetti Monster when he screams really loudly. There are still tiny little pieces of it left, so everyone still has their powers.

[Nicola]

Miss 7 is hoping there will be a Book 4!

She loves the puns and characters. This introduces new bad guys from outer space, more background on the MEAT-EOR, and sees character development and changes for some of the previous villains. We loved Reggie Rebooted!

Miss 7 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.

[Becky B]

Space Pugs have invaded and are demanding that the meatball that gave Max Meow his powers be handed over. What do these aliens want with the meatball? Can Max and Mindy stop them?

I like that there's some redemption for some past moderate bad guys who decide to use their powers/skills for good. Kids will enjoy all the action and the humor woven throughout. The art style is very appealing for the target audience.

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. There's violence threatened but only some spaghetti exploded.

[Ellon]

Another cute installment of this series. Still has a little bit of science included (like what happens when you mix baking soda and vinegar) but lots of fun and ridiculousness. I like the idea of the bad guys finding redemption and changing their ways (especially because the catalyst was the one robot reading books!). Excited to keep reading the series (even if it still isn't quite as good as Dog Man :-P)

[Anthony]

Max Meow AKA Cat Crusader and his friend Mindy AKA Science Kitty do battle with intergalactic Pugs from the Planet X who are after the meatball that gave Max and Kitty their superpowers. But there is more than meets the eye, sinister doings are happening behind the scenes, and the Mayor of Kittyopolis is being held by the Pugs, and the city will be destroyed unless the Pugs get that meatball.

[Villain E]

A children's graphic novel. Similar to Dog Man. To the point of ripping off stuff.

Alien pugs come for the space meatball which gave Cat Crusader and Science Kitty their powers. Meanwhile Agent M wants to escape prison but his henchmen are happy there and ready to give up on a life if crime.

Max Meow is pretty much unnecessary to the whole plot.

[raccoon reader]

The series is beginning what I call the "Dog Man Arc" where the villians are starting to create connections and "redeem" themselves to some extent. It was nice to see these other dimensions to these characters coming to light. I look forward (with the nugget, aged 7) to seeing what comes of it!

[Lisa D]

Loved it!

[Jennifer]

Jon gives this book 5 stars! It is the best book in the series so far, I think!

[Camille]

Strange storyline. It's just all over the place. Took us a whole to finish it but we got through it. I wouldn't read another book in this series but my 6 and 10 year old might.

[Gabs]

Love it

[Flynn]

It's Ah-MA-zing! It's the best book I've ever read, and I've read the whole Max Meow series!

[mongoose lemonmuncher]

It was cute, and funny 😁 I like it 😻

[Arman Waggoner]

It was cool, Max Meow, Cat Crusader is like the cat version of Dav Pilkey's Dog Man! And I love it.

[PottWab Regional Library]

O

[💗Loveyagurl😇Cutie-Pieeee😋😋😋😋]

It is interesting how lots of people from different dimensions are obsessed with the meatball.

[Kate]

A riot of fun and puns! Looking forward to reading the Taco Time Machine and the following books.

[Jamie]

My son loved the extra details about the space meatball in this book! He was glad to have his questions answered finally!

[A]

How did he eat the jelly to make the helmet in jelly in space he’d have to eat the helmet too and donut squirrel 😂WOW anyway 4/5. And my favourite part was when the pug asked if the sniffer had wi fi and my least favourite part was when they got ejected into space.

[Sarahs Reads ToKids]

Logan and Lydia read this and really enjoyed it and wants to continue reading this series.

[Gili]

Max MeowZ: Pugs From Planet X. Now I'm just gonna say it. This is the best Max MeowZ book in the series. Not just because of how I grew with the book, but because, well, it's just that good.

I think the books were made for 6th and 5th graders, so I treat it like One Piece's Water 7 saga for younger readers.

So let me explain. The bad parts are that the jokes are cringe, the way the characters speak is sometimes cringe, and there's this one character that's pretty annoying, but other than that EVERYTHING ELSE IN THIS BOOK IS GREAT!

The villains, the climax, the characters, the plot, the Pugs From Planet X, that blue dog, the twist, the backstory, they're all good.

In fact, a lot of things I like in the Max MeowZ book series, straight up squeeze into the book, and come out better.

Oh, and my God, the illustrations in this book is great. Okay, let me stop glazing and talk about the book itself.

It starts with Max Meowz and his friend, who I still kinda dispise, going on an adventure to battle these dogs, who put them in jelly, and go nowhere for awhile.

Meanwhile, the real highlight of this book begins. Chapter 3, starts off with Agent M and Big Boss in 7 jail. I really like that M grows kinder while Big Boss becomes crueler, you can tell this build-up happened in the earlier books.

Then they escape with Reggie Reboot and the Pinguin Perps, get a "Meat-eorite" and become superheroes, and are pretty great.

The whole arc they have is nice, and the happy endings they get are good. Than there's the villains, and oh my GOD! They are the best villains in the series. They are your typical villains, evil, but funny, so they can be likeable.

The climax is one thing that should never be spoiled. I almost forgot, in the end of the book, there's a lot of foreshadowing that builds up what will happen in the next book. They actually got me excited to read the next one. Too bad the next one was Max MeowZ:Taco Time Machine. In conclusion, this book is great, the characters are likeable, while the illustrations are good. Reaad it, and it'll grow on you just like how it did with me.

[Katy Lovejoy]

funny