While I love some of Millionaire's other books, notably the Sock Monkey books (see The Collected Works of Tony Millionaire's Sock Monkey, or Tony Millionaire's Sock Monkey: Uncle Gabby), Der Struwwelmaakies was a huge disappointment. The best thing about the book is the cover art. Inside, the illustrations are largely uninspired--definitely not Millionaire's best work. What's far worse, however, is the tone of the "humor" that dominates the comics. Mostly the "jokes" are crude, crass, juvenile, unfunny cracks based on bodily functions and misogyny. While I understand that Millionaire may have been after a certain effect in an attempt to push the envelope (especially given the social-outcast or rebel tradition of the Struwwelpeter from which this book's title is adapted), the problem is that these comics are just not funny. Nor are they insightful, interesting, or thought-provoking in any other way. It's a shame Millionaire wasted the brilliant Struwwelpeter-inspired cover on this collection of trash.

If I had to chose one word to describe the book, it would be "immature." It reads like a collection of sketches drawn by a troubled 13-year-old. And I do mean troubled--if my kid drew these, I'd seek counseling for him. (I say "him" because misogyny is a common theme in these comics.)

Bottom line: a huge disappointment for fans of Millionaire's other, less crass (and more interesting) works. ( )

While not quite as consistent as some of the earlier Maakies strips, particularly those included in Premillennial Maakies, the cartoons collected in Der Struwwelmaakies are true to the magic Maakies formula, and there are some moments of revelation and comfortingly surreal black humor herein.

A handful of these strips present Millionaire's unique insight on the current war in Iraq, and may indeed be the final word on the subject (or perhaps not - I'm really not sure just yet).

It may not be my favorite Maakies volume, but Der Struwwelmaakies is still worth the ride. Tony Millionaire is a true modern master of the cartoon art form, and Maakies is his magnum opus for sure. ( )