He's handsome and charming, a suave ladies' man and a secret agent to boot. He drinks his martinis stirred, not shaken, and his suits are tailored by Mattel.

Yes, Mattel.

Jack Hightower is an action hero of the highest caliber, until a mishap while chasing down his nemesis, Dr. Flagitious Savant, exposes him to Savant's evil shrinking ray. Now, Jack is more like a high-caliber action figure, just 10 inches tall but still built for mayhem and complete with all the latest matching accessories.

And he's got a mad on for Savant, as well as high hopes for reversing the process and growing back to his former manly stature.

That might be harder than it seems, however, considering Jack can be caught in a mousetrap and jailed in a hamster cage. But he also has a fleet of remote-controlled cars and planes at his disposal, to say nothing of the things he can do with a ballpoint pen, safety pin or baby's rattle.

And, despite his obvious shortcomings, he quickly proves he's still every bit the ladies' man. How does he do that?

Jack Hightower is written by Will Vinton and Andrew Wiese and drawn by Fabio Laguna. It's a silly story that would be suitable for kids if it weren't for Jack's libido and the scanty attire of the women he encounters. Even so, it's a fun romp for grownups who enjoy spy adventures from James Bond to Austin Powers -- as long as they don't mind their hero fitting into your average pencil box.

by Tom Knapp
Rambles.NET
17 February 2007