Artist – Howard Purcell
Inker – Sheldon Moldoff

In Menace of the Micro-Monsters!, the Sea Devils look to train the next generation of scuba divers with the hopes that some of them will work out and join the team. Readers are introduced to this new class and to one in particular named Petey. He wants to do well because he loves diving and being a part of the Sea Devils is a dream, but it is also part of a larger plan belonging to his brother, who is out looking for a bit of revenge. Wearing a helmet upon his head because of a deformity caused by one Dane of the Sea Devils, the man looks to rob the Devils of their rare earth materials. Unknown to Petey, his brother is part of a gang, and they are putting pressure on him to deliver. There is some great action in this book courtesy of artists Howard Purcell and Sheldon Moldoff. They have been on the title for some time now, and it is hard to imagine the Sea Devils without them at this point. Once again, some fantastic creatures pepper the story, and even better, they are monsters readers have not seen previously. There is a moment when the Sea Devils are called out as a ship is being attacked, and they run straight into some giant plankton, somehow enlarged to sizes unimaginable. The team does do their best, but they are no match for the creatures, and they actually fail to pull off the win this time, only surviving thanks to Petey’s brother, who interferes and shrinks them back down so Petey does not end up hurt or worse. Events continue to spiral out of control, against the Devils, and Dane believes that something is up; he simply cannot put his finger on it. There comes a moment, though, when he thinks that Petey has something to do with it, and so he follows the Sea Devils’ newest member and discovers the plot. There was a lot to like in this book, especially as the author expanded upon the idea of the Sea Devils being a far larger organization than they were originally conceived. Having them operate a school for new and younger talent is a smart idea, ensuring that they continue to secure their future while safeguarding the planet’s oceans. This adventure also gave other members of the team a chance to shine instead of the usual four, even though it is the main characters that everyone comes to read about. A good issue in a long run of fun stories.

3 out of 5