THE REVENGE OF THE BABY-SAT by...

THE REVENGE OF THE BABY-SAT by Bill Watterson (Andrews & McMeel: $7.95). In this latest collection of “Calvin and Hobbes,” Watterson demonstrates his consummate mastery of the newspaper comic strip, deftly balancing visual and verbal humor to depict the shenanigans of 6-year-old Calvin and Hobbes the Tiger. Longer adventures involving an eagerly awaited premium from a cereal box and an accident with the family car showcase the artist’s skill at sustained storytelling. Watterson re-creates the thoughts and feelings of a 6-year-old boy with uncanny accuracy: He captures the agonizing impatience that Calvin feels while waiting for his propeller beanie to arrive in the mail, and the mixture of terror and guilt he experiences when he lands his mother’s car in a nearby ditch. “Calvin and Hobbes” is, simply, the best comic strip in the papers today, and “Revenge” shows just how big a gap Watterson will leave when he goes on sabbatical next month.