Joining the ever-growing list of Dynamite’s Disney titles is Lilo and Stitch, a new ongoing series chronicling the adventures of misfits Lilo, a sweet-natured orphan and her “puppy”, a genetically-engineered alien. Picking up shortly after the events of the film, Stitch aka Experiment 626 has taken up permanent residence on Earth, as he is the legal property of precocious Lilo. Now under the protection of the Galactic Federation, Lilo and her older sister Nani have their hands full adjusting to their ever-growing ‘ohana and working to acclimate the cute but chaotic Stitch to life on Earth. Unfortunately the leader of the seemingly evil Cluster Sovereign has designs to take down the Federation and they’ll need Stitch in order to do it.

The creative team does an excellent job of capturing the spirit and tone of the original film, while keeping continuity light by ignoring the many sequels and multiple tv series. Writer Greg Pak nails the voice of each character; no easy task considering one of the leads speaks mostly in grunts and growls. Pak wisely focuses on the dynamic of the destructive alien and his human (it is called Lilo and Stitch after all) but still makes time to add some layers to their supporting cast, namely doting sister Nani, as she continues to grow in her role as responsible parental figure. The narrative falters a bit near the end due to the abrupt ending, a noticeable trend among many of Dynamite’s titles, particularly in their Disney line.

Artist and colorist Giulia Giacomino is nothing short of a revelation. Her art and designs are faithful to the Disney aesthetic, while depicting the characters with her own style and personality. The designs of the villainous Cluster Sovereign and their robotic shark minions strike the right balance of adorable and menacing. I mean, robot sharks are awesome in any medium, especially when they’re none-too-bright. Giacomino’s layouts keep the story flowing nicely, although there are some panels near the end that seem a bit disjointed when leading to the splash page that suddenly ends the issue. A minor quibble in a book that otherwise looks fantastic.