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Dec 24, 2021 Web Exclusive By Mary Moore Mason

Growing up in a rundown urban area of Gotham City, teenager Willow is faced by many a challenge: her unemployed, Jewish, single-parent mother is suffering from cancer, there is little money to support them, and Willow is particularly concerned about not only the plight of a stray dog she names Lebowitz but also about her deprived school and community which she stages protests to improve. Then there are the threats posed not only by a sewer-inhabiting monster known as Killer Croc but also by the mysterious Poison Ivy who is trying to displace the neighborhood humans with all-encompassing vegetation.

Then Willow is secretly befriended by Eddie, an old family friend who had fallen out of favor with her mother, and by his friend, Pammie, a plant biologist. They become her benefactors allowing her to pay off her mother’s medical bills and household expenses while pretending that the money comes from her evening job at an animal welfare center. But are Eddie and Pammie what they seem and what do they want in return?

No spoiler intended but it helps to explain the title if I say that Willow eventually gets out of a potentially lethal situation with the aid of a magical whistle and other skills which she has developed with the aid of her hound dog friend. Quite an inspiring, and beautifully illustrated read for a teenager interested in learning how to work for change in their lives (although some of the decisions Willow makes at the urging of her mentors are not to be recommended). (www.dccomics.com)

Author rating: 8.5/10