School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-In Robot City, robots and humans live and work alongside one another. In City in Peril!, Curtis the Colossal Coast-guard Robot discovers that saving a group of sailors from an oil-leaking tanker is easy, but handling a giant, rampaging squid while his left leg systems are crashing proves to be a bit more difficult. In Rust Attack!, private investigators Rod (a robot) and Mike (a human) try to solve the toughest case of their career by catching a criminal who is infecting robots with rust. With colorful pages and lively robots, these books will appeal to many kids. Unfortunately, the pages are cluttered with too much text. There are so many word balloons, especially throughout City in Peril!, that it's often hard to tell who's speaking. The plots are contrived and rely on awkward dialogue for exposition. Of the two, Rust Attack! comes together better. If kids are looking for a world in which robots and humans coexist, they may have better luck with Osamu Tezuka's "Astro Boy" (Dark Horse).-Sadie Mattox, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Curtis is a walking, talking lighthouse-headed robot who protects the coast of Robot City with his trusty human crew, Ali and Steve. When an oil rig out at sea catches fire, Curtis rushes to the rescue and then investigates the fishy mystery of the causes of this near disaster. Mystery is the main focus of the equally engaging noirish tale of Rod Robot and his human detective partner, Mike, featured in Rust Attack, which publishes simultaneously (ISBN: 978-0-7636-4594-6). Award-winning picture-book author and illustrator Collicutt plays to his strengths with his new graphic adventures. Though the illustrations are a bit on the dark side, they are full of retrocomic-bookstyle action and classic movie-serial banter. The robot characters look straight out of '50s sci-fi movies, but they are nicely integrated into a multiracial cast of human characters. Good, low-violence fun for slightly grown-up fans of the author's machine-centric picture books. It's likely a good thing there are more volumes to follow, including a guide to the robots of Robot City and a book of posters. Multiples are not a bad idea. (Graphic fiction. 8-11) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Collicutt introduces his new Robot City Adventures graphic novel series with this throwback-themed episode starring Curtis, the Colossal Coast-Guard Robot! In Robot City, humans and robots work together with zealous pride, nowhere more evident than in the coast guard. As a strong storm descends, ro-buoys help guide ships into harbor and the enormous, lighthouse-shaped Curtis gets dispatched when a fire breaks out on an offshore oil rig. Despite his gimpy leg, Curtis selflessly puts out the fire. He also arouses the ire of a gigantic squid that follows the robot back to the city and unleashes all manner of havoc before it becomes apparent that he and his deep-sea pals are just miffed about the dirty oil drilling. Collicutt peoples his panels with an interchangeable cast of jingoistic, square-jawed citizens prone to exclamations of This one's for Robot City! as they fend off danger and lob an endless barrage of good-natured zingers at one another. Retro not only in its look but also its goofy earnestness, this series promises plenty of rock 'em sock 'em robot fun.--Chipman, Ian Copyright 2009 Booklist
