Gum Girl Vol III - Countdown to Destruction by Andi Watson (Walker Books)

She's still got gum, she's still not afraid to use it and in Volume III of Andi Watson's addictive bubble-blowing comic series, Gum Girl is settling into her superhero role like a cat settling down comfortably right in the middle of your king-sized duvet. We meet Gum Girl as her heroic crime-busting ways start to interfere with her everyday humdrum existence as once again her new home town, Calamity, teeters on the brink of total destruction.

Burn baby burn, Rocket Inferno!

Three new antagonists enter the fray, to pit their wits and their might against our gum-chewing heroine.

There's Doctor TickTock, a nefarious villain who harvests time to meet his own evil life-prolonging ends. There's Neil Aldrin, wannabe space hero turned bad, and there's the Roller Raider - 8 wheeled uber-thief and all round bad egg.

I think the word you're looking for is "OW!"

Charlotte always loves the inventiveness with which Gum Girl uses her all-important superpowered gum. I've wondered whether the series can be sustained, new ideas found, new ways to explore Grace / Gum Girl's duality as superhero and schoolgirl but it seems Andi Watson knows how to pull off something incredibly tricky - producing a comic you'd be more than happy for your five year old daughter to read, that doesn't over-do the cute stuff, but still feels vital and exciting. We're still gaga for gum girl! Charlotte certainly is because she's taken to sneaking off and reading it on her own (which makes me very happy indeed though I feel a little left out!)

Straight home from school, who you gonna call? GUM GIRL!

My girl and Gum Girl.

One of these days we're going to have to buy her a chemistry set and some bubblicious!

Charlotte's best bit: No rocket powered skates are a match for a patch of sticky gum!

Daddy's Favourite bit: Gum Girl's neat stealth trick for hiding from her nosy dad