Baby Garfield #4 Review: Bath Bubbles, Road Trips, and Pure Kitten Chaos
Baby Garfield #4 is the kind of all-ages comic that knows exactly what readers want from a tiny Garfield: big eyes, bigger attitude, food jokes, visual gags, and just enough chaos to make every page feel alive.
Published by BOOM! Studios under the KaBOOM! line, this fourth and final issue of the miniseries delivers two short stories built around classic early-childhood milestones: bath time and a first road trip. That may sound simple, but the creative teams turn those everyday moments into bright, silly, slapstick-heavy Garfield adventures that should work for young readers, longtime Garfield fans, and parents looking for an easy comic to share.
For readers keeping up with new comics, Baby Garfield #4 is a light, funny, and very accessible finale that leans into the timeless appeal of Jim Davis’ orange tabby while making the character feel fresh for a younger audience.
Two Baby Garfield Stories, One Very Messy Kitten
Baby Garfield #4 includes two stories: “Baby Garfield’s First Bath” and “Baby Garfield’s First Road Trip.”
The first story is written by Ben Clanton, best known for Narwhal and Jelly, with art by Olivia Amoah. The second story is written by Annie Nishida, with art by Kay Davault. Taylor Esposito handles lettering for the issue, while the main cover comes from Agnes Garbowska with colors by Sil Brys.
The setup is wonderfully Garfield: somehow, this tiny kitten is both painfully adorable and absolutely disgusting. That contradiction is the joke, and the issue gets a lot of mileage out of it. Baby Garfield is cute enough to melt hearts, but stinky enough to clear a room. Naturally, that means bath time.
From there, the book becomes a rolling chain of gags. Soap, towels, hair dryers, combs, rubber ducks, curtains, water, and lasagna all become weapons in the eternal battle between Garfield and cleanliness. Anyone who has ever tried to bathe a cat — or a toddler — will understand the comedy immediately.
“Baby Garfield’s First Bath” Is the Standout
The first half of the issue, “Baby Garfield’s First Bath,” is the stronger of the two stories because it understands Garfield’s personality so well.
Ben Clanton’s script keeps things simple and punchy. Jon notices that Garfield is adorable, cuddly, and then — unfortunately — stinky. That is all the story needs. The rest is pure escalation. Every attempt to prepare the bath turns into another gag, and every object Jon grabs becomes one more thing Garfield can reject, dodge, weaponize, or accidentally destroy.
Olivia Amoah’s art is perfect for this kind of physical comedy. Baby Garfield is drawn with huge eyes, tiny paws, round cheeks, and an expression that can shift from innocent to suspicious in a single panel. The softer watercolor-like textures give the story a gentle storybook feel, but the pacing is pure comic-strip slapstick.
The best moments come from how the panels build anticipation. Jon gathers soap, towels, a hair dryer, a comb, a duck, and even a pool noodle, while Garfield quietly disappears. The comic understands that Garfield is funniest when he is barely doing anything and still somehow causing maximum trouble.
The lasagna gag also feels essential. Even as a baby, Garfield’s love of lasagna is treated like instinct. The joke lands because the issue does not overexplain it. Garfield sees food, Garfield eats food, Garfield becomes a saucy little disaster. That is the character in miniature.
Fans who want more background on this specific release can also check the Baby Garfield Vol. 4 listing on the Garfield Wiki, which tracks the KaBOOM! issue information.
Kay Davault Brings Storybook Charm to the Road Trip
The second story, “Baby Garfield’s First Road Trip,” shifts the issue from bath-time chaos to travel comedy.
Written by Annie Nishida with art by Kay Davault, the story sends Baby Garfield on an excursion filled with sightseeing, snacks, and the kind of cat-themed clichés that Garfield is perfectly built to mock. The premise mentions the world’s largest ball of yarn, which is exactly the kind of goofy landmark that fits this version of Garfield’s world.
Where the first story is built around mess and movement, the road trip story has a softer adventure energy. It feels like a mini picture-book journey with Garfield’s personality pushing against the expected cuteness. Baby Garfield may be small, but he already carries that signature Garfield skepticism. He is not impressed just because everyone else is excited. That attitude is part of the fun.
Kay Davault’s art gives the road trip section its own identity. The style is warm, expressive, and playful, with a slightly different rhythm than the bath story. That variety helps the issue feel more like a complete anthology rather than one joke stretched too far.
The two stories pair well because they show different sides of the same baby version of Garfield. One is domestic chaos. The other is travel chaos. In both cases, Garfield is the center of gravity, pulling every situation toward food, trouble, or a punchline.
Why This Works for New Readers
One of the smartest things about Baby Garfield #4 is how easy it is to read.
A young reader does not need decades of Garfield history to enjoy this comic. They only need to understand three things: Garfield is cute, Garfield is hungry, and Garfield does not want to do anything he does not want to do. That is enough.
At the same time, older fans will recognize the DNA of the classic strip. The lazy attitude, the food obsession, the endless frustration of Jon, and the visual timing all feel connected to the original Garfield humor. This is not a reinvention that throws away the character’s core appeal. It is more like a preschool-sized remix.
That makes the issue a strong family comic. Parents who grew up with Garfield can hand it to younger readers without needing to explain continuity, backstory, or complicated character relationships. The jokes are visual. The layouts are clean. The conflicts are familiar. The tone is safe, funny, and charming.
For a kid’s comic, that matters. The best all-ages books do not talk down to young readers. Baby Garfield #4 keeps the jokes broad without making them empty. It understands that kids love repetition, surprise, food messes, silly sound effects, and characters who make bad choices in funny ways.
The Art Makes Baby Garfield Impossible to Resist
Visually, the issue is incredibly appealing.
The cover by Agnes Garbowska and Sil Brys captures the entire mood of the book in one image: Baby Garfield in the bath, surrounded by bubbles, looking deeply unimpressed. It is cute, funny, and immediately readable from across a comic shop rack.
The variant covers add even more charm. Ben Clanton’s bath-themed variant is loose, playful, and packed with doodle-like energy. The Dustin Nguyen incentive cover has a soft watercolor feel that gives Baby Garfield and Odie a more delicate collectible look. Garbowska’s unlimited variant keeps the main cover energy clean and display-friendly.
Inside the issue, the art stays bright and inviting. The character designs are soft, round, and readable, which is exactly what this kind of story needs. Baby Garfield’s expressions carry the comedy: blank stare, tiny panic, food joy, bath rage, smug satisfaction. Every face works.
The lettering by Taylor Esposito also helps the humor land. The sound effects are big, silly, and easy to follow. Words like “STINKY,” “YANK,” “CRASH,” “SPLASH,” and “BURRRRRP” give the pages extra cartoon energy without overwhelming the art.
This is a comic designed for quick laughs, but it still has strong craft behind it.
A Finale That Feels Like a Collection Preview
Since Baby Garfield #4 is the final issue of the four-part series, it also works as a preview of how well the material could read in collected form.
The final page notes that Baby Garfield’s first graphic novel is coming in November 2026 and will collect Baby Garfield #1–4. That makes sense. These stories feel built for repeated reading. Young readers may want to flip back through the bath jokes, the food gags, and the big expressions over and over.
As a single issue, Baby Garfield #4 is fun and complete. As part of a collection, it should work even better. The short-story format makes it easy for kids to jump in, read one adventure, and come back later. That gives the series real shelf potential for families, libraries, schools, and younger comic fans.
Final Verdict
Baby Garfield #4 is a sweet, silly, and genuinely funny finale that understands the assignment.
It gives readers two simple Garfield stories with strong visual comedy, soft artwork, and plenty of personality. “Baby Garfield’s First Bath” is the highlight, delivering classic cat-versus-water chaos with a lasagna twist. “Baby Garfield’s First Road Trip” adds a travel-adventure flavor and gives the issue a nice second act.
The comic is not trying to be complicated. It is trying to be cute, funny, readable, and memorable. On that level, it succeeds.
For longtime Garfield fans, this is a charming younger take on a familiar icon. For new readers, it is a bright and welcoming introduction to a character who has been making people laugh for generations. For parents, it is an easy recommendation if you want a kid-friendly comic with clean humor and strong artwork.
Baby Garfield #4 proves that even when Garfield is tiny, he is still Garfield.
Cute? Yes.
Cuddly? Absolutely.
Stinky? Unfortunately.
Funny? Definitely.
Review Score
8.5/10
Baby Garfield #4 is a bubbly, food-filled, kid-friendly finale packed with visual humor, adorable art, and classic Garfield attitude.
Book Details
Title: Baby Garfield #4
Publisher: BOOM! Studios / KaBOOM!
Franchise: Garfield
Issue: #4 of 4
Story 1: Baby Garfield’s First Bath
Writer: Ben Clanton
Artist: Olivia Amoah
Story 2: Baby Garfield’s First Road Trip
Writer: Annie Nishida
Artist: Kay Davault
Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Main Cover: Agnes Garbowska
Main Cover Colors: Sil Brys
Variant Covers: Ben Clanton, Dustin Nguyen
Unlimited Variant Cover: Agnes Garbowska
Release: July 2026
Genre: All-Ages, Humor, Family Comics, Kids Comics
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