As the World Falls Down

 As the World Falls Down (Galaxy #2) by Jadzia Axelrod with art by Rye Hickman (2026) 208 pages

I've been excitedly waiting for this continuation of Galaxy's origin story. This trans hero by a trans author has a lot of unique qualities in her favor. We get to explore her super powers more. There is more superhero action in this volume with less getting to know her girlfriend Kat. There are less land of Oz references, which I missed. Supporting roles for Dreamer and Superman make a lot of sense. There are frames where Hickman's art works really well. However flashback frames, and Superman's portrayal, and certain "in motion" frames are a bit awkward. I found the art of mixed quality, but not bad at all.

Velveteen vs. The Consequences of Her Actions

Velveteen vs. The Consequences of Her Actions by Seanan McGuire, 608 pages.

This book collects the second half of Seanan McGuire's Velveteen Vs stories. Velveteen has defeated Super Patriots, Inc. and now she has to live in the changed world she's created. Or rather she doesn't, since first she has to fulfill her promise to the Seasonal Lands. But trouble keeps brewing while Vel is away, and happy endings are often not as simple as they look.

This book was definitely weaker than the first volume for me (which I reviewed here last year). There is so much playing with altered timelines, reality warping, and memory modification that it became extremely hard to keep track of what anyone knew or thought they knew. The rules of reality didn't seem that consistent, especially in regards to the seasonal lands which are presented as sort of a global average of ideas about seasons, but which in reality seem to have no real influences outside of America. I also found that the many omniscient musings on superheroes was more disruptive than enriching. All that being said, I do still really like these characters, and McGuire does a really good job exploring all of the things they could be. This collection manages to be a take on superheroes that is somehow both conventional and original. Overall, I definitely have criticisms, but it is still a good option if you're looking for a modern superhero novel. 

*This book is scheduled to be released on 5/31/26. 

Will Eisner: A Comics Biography

 Will Eisner: A Comics Biography by Stephen Weiner and Dan Mazur (2025) 300 pages 

Having read some of his autobiographical graphic novels (or autobiographical notes included in books that are not autobiographical works) I knew about his WWII service and his daughter dying leading to his crisis of faith. Otherwise, I wish there was more here. Eisner's youth and early career were full of interesting stories. I ate that part of the biographical comic up! Chapter 4, going into his business partnership with Iger, also kept the behind-the-scenes nuggets very interesting. Beginning with Eisner creating The Spirit, a private detective hero without a circus costume, the details become more slim. Through his later life, having a wife and kids and inventing the term "graphic novel," I wanted to know more, much more! The art style does a great job of giving multiple homages to Eisner.

A selection of December graphic novels

Naked City by Eric Drooker (2024) 336 pages

With New York City as the location I'm reminded of Will Eisner's work. The two-page spreads of city blocks are gorgeous. It is about the struggle of artists to survive in the 21st century. I like the style of the artist's paintings and how the conversation continues through those pages. The singer and painter are given more backstory than the dancer, but all of their hopes, dreams, and struggles are well woven into the whole. In word and image it is poetic at times. Sad at times. It is intended to be a comedy. It makes you feel the coldness of winter at the beginning and end, but also warms your heart.

Breadcrumbs: Coming of Age in Post-Soviet Poland by Kasia Babis (2025) 256 pages

Black and white art with shades of grey and pops of red to represent passion, fear, or conflict are perfectly expressive. Loved the coming of age story. Discussing Catholicism, Authoritarianism, Politics, and Abortions are all captivating. Life moves Kasia politically left, dating is difficult, being an activist comes with attacks,  but she presents her self effectively in this graphic memoir.

The Asiri: Vol. 1 by Roye Okupe with art by Samuel Iwunze (2024) 144 pages

Comparisons will obviously be made to Wakanda, but this is its own new creation. Nigerian writers and artists are putting out a whole slate of new superhero sci-fi/fantasy. This is an Afrofuturist tale about a spacefaring West African civilization ruled by humans who transform into super beings. I am very curious to find out what happens next in volume 2, and the other titles promoted at the end of this book sound interesting as well. The art is equal to the standard of DC and Marvel. The world, ruling council disagreements, and action are all exciting. There are three minor typos in the ebook I caught, but that didn't stop my enjoyment.

The Girl Who Danced with Death by Sylvain Runberg with art by Belen Ortega (2019) 176 pages

I saw the Swedish trilogy of films, then read the Millennium books. It is nice to revisit these characters. The alpha male group of villains inspired by Sparta make sense in the current rise of fascism around the world. It is a bit silly that they actually wear Spartan helmets. Still I liked this sequel. It includes all the excitement of the original thrillers.

Under the Banner of King Death: Pirates of the Atlantic by David Lester (2023) 136 pages

I appreciated Marcus Rediker's Foreword. His nonfiction books about pirates are the inspiration for this graphic novel (specifically Villains of All Nations). I liked the history and themes of freedom and democracy in this graphic novel. TV shows Black Sails and Our Flag Means Death are good fun and are better at conveying this message. I did not like the art style here. Some images are overlapped and smudged. Fight scenes try to suggest motion, but are quite messy.

Heretic by Robbie Morrison with art by Charlie Adlard (2024) 128 pages

I enjoyed the The Name of the Rose style mystery. I enjoyed the realistic Gothic black and white art. Religious hypocrisy and witch hunts make for a dark and gory tale. Solid, but it did not wow me. 

Watchmen

Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (1987), 416 pgs. 

It's New York City in the 1980s. Nuclear war is at the top of international consciousness. Costumed heroes have mostly fallen out of the public eye since they were outlawed in 1977. Both the catalyst and the deterrent of rising nuclear tensions resides in the city in the form of Dr. Manhattan, the world's only crimefighter who possesses superhuman (and seemingly unlimited) power. When heroes from an old group of masked adventurers called the Watchmen start dying under mysterious and violent circumstances, the other former members (disjointedly) reunite to figure out what plot is afoot. Is humanity in danger? Can the Watchmen save it before it's too late? Should they? 

Watchmen is a heavy, very meta superhero story about what it means to be human and what it means to be a hero. The "heroes" in the Watchmen group are all presented as very flawed people who abuse their power, operate outside the law, and oftentimes look down upon those they are supposed to protect. At the same time, a pretty pessimistic view of humanity is presented as the cycle of violence in the story goes round and round like the hands of a clock. Fans of "The Boys" TV show on Amazon Prime, or just of dark, gritty superhero stories chock full of complex characters and symbols, will enjoy this highly acclaimed graphic novel.

Dark Knights of Steel: The Deluxe Edition

 Dark Knights of Steel: The Deluxe Edition by Tom Taylor, illus. Yasmine Putri, 408 pages.

This collected addition includes the entire run of the Dark Knights of Steel comic line, along with some bonus short stories. The story takes a huge cast of beloved DC characters and puts them in a medieval fantasy setting, recasting them a kings, knights, and royal advisors. When Constantine delivers a prophecy that portends the end of the world tensions begin to climb, until an assassination upsets the delicate balance between the Kingdom of El, the Kingdom of Storms, and  Themyscira. But the prophecy can't explain everything, and things aren't adding up. Who is pulling the strings?

I don't read many comics from major publishers, because the continuity is frankly a lot overwhelming. Conversely, this whole story is contained to 400 pages, and also is fantastic. This is a very different take on beloved characters, and yet it makes total sense for all of them. It is also, aside from featuring known characters in a creative way, a very good story on it's own merits. It was expert at playing on readers' expectations for some very satisfying twists. I would definitely recommend this for anyone looking for an accessible bridge from DC movies or cartoons into comics. Or, of course, comic fans. 

Another selection of graphic novels read in Apr.

Planet of the Apes: Visionaires by Dana Gould, adapted from Rod Serling's scripts, with art by Chad Lewis (2018) 112 pages

I love the original Planet of the Apes movie and Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone. Based on the first couple drafts of Rod Serling's script, this adaptation is fascinating. You can clearly see what stayed the same and what changed through other writers altering the final production script. I really enjoyed the art here. I liked the larger role for Dr. Zira. The ape city, the fact that they drive vehicles, and fly helicopters is closer to Pierre Boulle's description in the novel. Cornelius is introduced much later, his archeological dig is similar, but it would have required a much higher budget for the movie to bring it to life like illustrated here. The action, the twists and turns, all stunning. I appreciated the design notes at the end.

Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf (2020) 280 pages

I went to Kent State for grad school in the early 2000s. Wanted to read this before we reach May 4 this year. It is an event we should never forget. Backderf did a ton of research to present the truth. He explains his sources and sites them all in detail at the end. I've seen some short films about the event and the aftermath on campus and off campus. This is full of background details that bring the days leading up to the event to life in a way none of the filmed interviews do. Bill, Allison, Sandy, and Jeff (the four who would end up dead) are alive on the pages of this graphic novel. The culture and the history of 1970 is vividly explained. "There are, incredibly, five law enforcement agencies working on or around campus in 1970." They are afraid of local radicals and are constantly assuming complete lies warrant using more force. The Ohio National Guard, when called in, are mismanaged, create a lot of tension with students, and are also letting false hearsay ramp up their fear. Then the horrific tragedy of May 4 is tracked with intricate detail. Every fact that is known is presented. It is violent and heartbreaking. In the aftermath it feels as if justice has never been served because of the silence and denials of the National Guard.

X-Men: Days of Future Past by Chris Claremont with art by John Byrne (1981) 184 pages

Many of the stories have little bearing on the two part Days of Future Past. Elegy involves Cyclops reciting memories of past X-Men adventures at Jean Grey's funeral. A clips episode with Cyclops leaving and Kitty Pryde arriving. Nightcrawler's Inferno gives backstory on Nightcrawler, but is really for fans of Dante's Inferno. Doctor Strange helps four of the X-Men as they face the challenges of the different levels of hell. Pretty exciting, but didn't love the religiosity. Something Wicked This Way Comes is about Kitty training and Wolverine and Nightcrawler going to Canada. They meet up with a version of superhero team Alpha Flight and fight Wendigo. This spans two issues. Then Days of Future Past holds a lot of promise as a concept with older Kitty Pryde's mind going back to younger Kitty Pryde's body to try to prevent the political disaster that leads to a dystopian future. I can't believe this only spans two issues. Some excitement with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, but I was let down by the way it ended. Then a Christmas issue with a Demon (that reminds me of the Brood) attacking Kitty alone at the mansion is tacked on. Life and death challenge has some good moments, but has no continuity with previous time travelling adventure.

Velveteen vs. The Early Adventures

 Velveteen vs. The Early Adventures by Seanan McGuire, 629 pages.

Velma Martinez, better known as Velveteen, managed to get free of Super Patriots, Inc (who have a controlling interest in 97% of superheroes) on her 18th birthday. Ever since she's been trying to lay low and live a normal human life, but Super Patriots, Inc doesn't like to let go of it's toys, especially the extremely marketable toy-animating Velveteen. She soon finds herself pulled back into superhero problems, and if the Super Patriots won't leave her alone she's going to have to make them, even if it takes the manifested powers of the seasons and multiversal variants to do it. 

This book collects the first two volumes of Velveteen short stories, which McGuire started writing in 2008. The worldbuilding in this setting is interesting, which gives superheroes many of the most toxic elements of corporate culture. Although technically a short story collection, most of the stories fit together so neatly that this book feels more like a serially published novel than a collection, but that's not something I would object to. I found Vel to be a compelling character, and thought that the rules of the setting were surprisingly consistent for a superhero setting. I would definitely recommend this for someone looking for a thoughtful superhero setting. 

Another selection of graphic novels read in Feb.

 Queenie: Godmother of Harlem by Elizabeth Columba and Aurelie Levy (2023) 160 pages

I was very intrigued by this history. Art in black and white is very realistic. Very traditional and symmetrical panels. The flashbacks to Stephanie St. Clair's childhood all deepen who she was as a person. A shadowy death always waiting for her is a great dramatic device. Astericks appear multiple times leading to a glossary in the back with historical context or translations of French at the bottom of the page. I love when Queenie and Bumpy, her right hand man, are in a movie theater and an indigenous character on screen breaks the fourth wall to address one asterisk right away. He explains a quote by James Baldwin. Black history is violent and often terrifying.

Ms. Marvel by Saladin Ahmed Omnibus by Saladin Ahmed with various artists (2021) 403 pages

This combines volumes 1-3. I had previously read volume 1, which is issues #1-6. The rest of this run by Saladin Ahmed felt like a smooth transition from G. Willow Wilson's series for this superhero. I love the further development of Kamala's family and high school friends. #7-18 had pretty good villains/monsters and fun uses of Ms. Marvel's powers to overcome the obstacles.

Roaming by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki (2023) 443 pages

Second book I've read by Mariko Tamaki. This time she is working with her cousin Jillian Tamaki. Two friends and a new classmate, who are all in their first year of college, have different ways of being tourists in NYC. Over five days I love the way the story moves and how movement is illustrated across the page. The four tone color scheme works well. The relationship drama, the symbolic butterfly, the playfulness is all great and engaging.

Surrounded: America's First School for Black Girls, 1832 by Wilfred Lupano with art by Stephanie Fert (2025) 144 pages

Another great historical graphic novel for Black History Month! I'm not sure who is responsible for lettering, but it was tricky reading this font at times. Especially on my phone screen, but also on a desktop monitor, I had to really squint to make out some of the speech. I loved the way the story was told and the art. I could not find evidence that Stephanie Fert worked on the animated films Wolfwalkers or The Secret of Kells, but her art style reminded me of  those. The beauty of nature, the ugliness of racism, the promise of uplifting education are all explored. Crossing paths with Crandall's School for Girls is a young "feral" boy and a "witchy" woman who offer clever storytelling complications. There are pages with silent action, which work very well. And there are historical tidbits in an Afterword provided by the Crandall Museum.

Erased: A Black Actor's Journey Through the Glory Days of Hollywood by Loo Hui Phang with art by Hughues Micol (2024) 200 pages

This is a fascinating subject. Published in French first and translated. I just don't think the writer and artist were totally successful in delivering on the promise of the story. On one page director Josef von Sternberg, talking about exoticism, describes it as "a great big aesthetic shambles." I think that describes this graphic novel overall. It is trying to do so much tracing racism and politics in Hollywood. Maximus Wyld has Indigenous, African, and Chinese ancestry, so he is given many ethnic supporting roles. He is fictional, but he crosses paths with many real people who worked in Hollywood. He works on many real film projects. I didn't love the black and white art. Maybe the color scheme of the cover should have been used throughout. "Camera" angles change too abruptly and without the most logical flow. The likenesses of famous people aren't always recognizable. And sometimes the pages are too dark and cluttered. Writing-wise I wish there was more of a flow too. It is disjointed in attempting to cover so many faults in the way Hollywood operated. It is not always clear who is speaking, or what text bubbles are thoughts rather than speech. Purely non-fiction sketches of real people and films would probably have been more successful than this amalgamation of one guy linking all these different experiences.

Batman: The Dark Knight Detective, Vols. 1-8

 

Batman: The Dark Knight Detective, Vol. 7 by Louise Simonson, Kelley Puckett, Peter Milligan, Alan Grant, et al. (1991) 282 pages

I read eight volumes of this comics series that ran from the 1980s to the early '90s, but I'll just recommend one. I enjoyed the first story, "The Third Man," with two "armchair detective" older ladies getting involved in one of Batman's cases. Then there is a good three-parter. Video game monsters are coming to life in the real world and Robin/Tim Drake's knowledge of these games comes in handy. Even Gordon gets addicted to video games. Batman's research finds a kid in Arkham with the ability to project "video hallucinations," but is he really responsible. This is followed by a curious two-parter with a flashforward story featuring Ra's Al Ghul and Talia. Batman is unable to walk after a fall, Alfred is in an exoskeleton, and Robin/Tim is older. Through desperation Batman makes himself a cybernetic suit, and eventually returns to Ra's mountain lair. Next, the military wants Batman's help with a monster who has the ability to telekinetically set off explosions. In a bit of social commentary, it turns out the person is a black woman that the military has been experimenting on. The head officer is trying to use fear to set Batman and the woman against each other, but they both approach each other with an open mind and catch the officer in lies. Then there is another three-part adventure. An explosives expert is demolishing certain buildings around Gotham. Batman learns some Gotham history. The guy blowing up buildings is a fan of the architect who built Gotham's original skyscrapers and thinks the old architecture "keeps the demons at bay." In part three, Batman sets a trap. Finally, in "The Library of Souls" we get a mystery where Batman gets help from a librarian. They figure out that a recent pattern of dead bodies is based on the Dewey Decimal system and, so, the killer is also a librarian. I thought the writing was particularly good in each of these and the art by various artists helps tell the story well.

Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant

Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant by Iman Vellani and Sabir Pirzada (2024) 120 pages

I've loved Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel's adventures since reading G. Willow Wilson's ten volume run of graphic novels. Kamala is a Pakistani-American teen in New Jersey navigating school, home, and superpowers. The Marvel TV show is pretty great too although it is not lifted directly from the stories on the page. Now the young star of the show, Iman Vellani, with one of the writers from the show, is given the chance to write the script for a new comic adventure. Kamala's family isn't present for much of this adventure, since she is going to New York City for a summer college program. Her best friend Bruno tags along, and their platonic relationship is one of the best, consistent things established from the beginning of the characters. The origin of Ms. Marvel's powers keeps revealing new layers. There is an element of mutant in her so she has now joined a group of X-Men. There is a new wave of anti-mutant prejudice across campuses led specifically through the science corporation that owns the university where Kamala is preparing herself for the next chapter of her life. Through her nightmares, with science and heroics reliably at hand, Kamala lives to fight another day.
 

Captain Marvel (2019-)

 Captain Marvel, Vols. 1-10 by Kelly Thompson with art by various artists (2019-2023) 1240 pages

All ten volumes are available on Hoopla. I appreciated the consistency of Thompson as the writer. Some of the artists' styles I liked more than others, but they all had great expressive moments. These are all fresh stories, not repeats of Marvel movie plots. We begin as Carol Danvers returns to Earth from outer space. She's been in a long-term relationship with James "Rhodey" Rhodes aka War Machine. Her best friend is Jessica Drew aka Spider-Woman. And she is mentoring a new young hero Jennifer Takeda aka Hazmat. Whenever this core group of hero friends is facing super threats or personal trauma the comics are very enjoyable. Other heroes from the Avengers, from the Guardians, and from the X-Men make guest appearances. I love whenever Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel shows up. Carol knows that her greatest weakness is facing magic users, but unfortunately I thought the volumes that involve magic (Vols. 2 & 6) are generally not as good. I liked the introduction of Lauri-Ell, the Kree half-sister of Carol. She becomes a great member of the core group. The energy being Binary, created by Captain Marvel also starts off with a lot of promise, but then is not developed as deeply as I wished. Overall, these are consistently good adventures.

Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons

Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons by Kelly Sue DeConnick (2023) 232 pages

This DC Black Label title with slightly more mature themes has stunning art by Phil Jimenez, Gene Ha, and Nicola Scott. It has won a couple Eisner Awards. The book is available on Hoopla. The many two-page spreads contained so much beautiful detail that it was a bit difficult to read on my phone screen. I had to zoom in many times to appreciate and read it. This is not a Wonder Woman adventure. It is an origin story of the Amazons from Wonder Woman mythology with Hippolyta, who would raise Diana, as the central protagonist. With all the God and Goddess characters it feels like Clash of the Titans, somewhere between the style of the old and new movie versions. The graphic novel fully realizes ancient Greek culture and mythology. DeConnick imagines a believable origin for Hippolyta who becomes a leader among the supernatural and mortal women of Themyscira.
 

Batman: Earth One and Batman '89

 Batman: Earth One, Volume 1 by Geoff Johns (2012) 142 pages and Batman '89 by Sam Hamm (2022) 152 pages

I've read a handful of Batman graphic novels on Hoopla recently. Let me recommend two. The first volume of Batman: Earth One with art by Gary Frank was very good. It takes place in an alternate world where certain characters and events are slightly different than in the regular Batman continuity. We see a bit more of Bruce's boyhood while his parents are still alive. And later when he is putting together his Batman costume/persona, I really appreciated that this version shows him as just a man. His body and his tech are less super. The police are under the thumb of organized crime. It is still a dark criminal world, but very grounded in reality.

Then a newer Batman graphic novel imagines that Tim Burton got to make a third Batman movie. Sam Hamm has a story credit on both of Burton's Batman movies. Joe Quinones illustrates the characters to look like Michael Keaton, Billy Dee Williams, and Michael Gough, etc. The story here provides a lot of things that I liked. We get to know Billy Dee Williams' version of Harvey Dent much more deeply. We witness his transformation into Two-Face. We are also introduced to a brand new character who becomes Batman's sidekick Robin. There were some panels where the action was not quite clear, but it was good to revisit this version of Gotham.

The Refrigerator Monologues

 The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente, 160 pages.

The Hell Hath club is something like a support group, and something like a group of friends. It's made up of the fridged residents of Dead Town, women who died to advance a male hero's story. The six women who tell their stories in this novella have very little in common; they all had different careers, interests, and personal arcs. Yet they all understand what it is to be treated badly by the narrative.

This was a really interesting little novella. I know just enough about comics to be familiar with the phenomenon that this book is critiquing, and I feel like I definitely have a more complete understanding having finished it. Outside of that, I also found the Valente's characters to be very compelling (which is, I suppose, the point). I also quite enjoyed how the novella alternated between the monologues and scenes of the characters together in Dead Town, which I felt gave the story a lot of cohesion. I would definitely recommend this book to comic book fans, but honestly probably to other people as well.

Dark Knights of Steel vol. 1

 Dark Knights of Steel vol. 1 by Tom Taylor et al., 176 pages.

The DC comics universe goes medieval in this swords and sorcery alternate universe story. Instead of superman crash-landing in America, he and his parents arrive together in a spaceship after the destruction of their planet. Years later Bruce Wayne is the head of their guard and they're in charge of a kingdom. These are only the first changes in a story that delights in re-imagining these old stories.

I'm not much of a comics reader, but I saw a few pages of this online and was intrigued enough to pick up the whole thing. The story was super fun, and I found the some of the recontextualizations to medieval fantasy really creative and interesting. I'm also intrigued by the mystery of the plot itself (it looks like Superman and his sister Zala are murdering political rivals, but it also looks like that doesn't really make sense). Jester Harley Quinn was a fun touch, as were forest witch Poison Ivy and mad prophet John Constantine. I'm very excited to get my hands on volume 2.

The Next Batman: Second Son

 

The Next Batman: Second Son by John Ridley (2021) 130 pages

I'm enjoying Hoopla's comics collection. I'll try anything in the Batman universe and I tend not to read them chronologically. Hoopla has the first four chapters of this twelve chapter recent story. It was really only back in the character's first couple decades that things remained fixed as far as character ages. Since the 1970s, and with my previous Batman post on this blog as an example, the characters do age and the world they live in does change. I haven't read the story that leads to the specific events of this story, but Ridley does a good job at making this part of the continuity stand on its own. Lucius Fox, the former head of R&D for Wayne Enterprises, is now the head of Wayne Enterprises. We meet the rest of the Fox family too. Bruce Wayne is gone. Commissioner Gordon is gone. Renee Montoya is now the head of the police. Characters formerly from the sidelines take the lead. I'm here for new characters being developed moving forward. Primarily we get to know Tim 'Jace' Fox, a prodigal son, and his older brother Luke Fox who are at odds, but both have the skills to be Batman.

Batman: A Death in the Family

 

Batman: A Death in the Family by Jim Starlin and Marv Wolfman (1988) 272 pages

The edition I read on Hoopla is actually two Batman stories for the price of one. Jim Starlin is responsible for the A Death in the Family story. And Marv Wolfman is responsible for a story called A Lonely Place of Dying. The first story is famous because readers of the Batman comics had the opportunity to vote for how they wanted the story to end. The Dick Grayson/Robin character had grown up and a new Robin named Jason Todd was trained as Batman's sidekick. The readers decided this new Robin character should die. It is an exciting globetrotting adventure rather then being confined to Gotham. There are multiple mysteries and Batman and company facing off against their greatest foe, the Joker. In the late '80s Batman was becoming darker than ever. The second story suggests Batman needs Robin to humanize him again. It is an origin story of yet another new Robin named Tim Drake. A good chunk of this story follows the Teen Titans, Dick Grayson's new group, rather than Batman, and I was a little lost since I am not familiar with those characters. When we do get back to Batman he is matching wits with Two-Face, but I was disappointed in the plot developments.

Not Your Villain

 Not Your Villain by C.B. Lee, 307 pages.

Bells Broussard is a shapeshifter, and it's awesome. And not only because it means he doesn't have to worry about wearing a binder to school and can color his hair on a whim. He also loves being a superhero. Which is why it's particularly terrible for him when the government names him a supervillain after he gets involved in exposing the grand conspiracy of the last book. Luckily they can't tell him what to do, and Chameleon isn't done with his heroing yet.

It's unfortunate that this book is much worse than the last one, which was already only middling, but intriguing. The first third or so of this book covers the same time period as the first book, and instead of granting many unique insights to the events it mostly reads as a very long recap. There's also more things that feel like they happen to get the plot where it needs to go, instead of keeping to any internal consistency. Which is all extra a shame because Bells is a really cool character, and it would have been cool if his book gave him as much depth as Jess's gave to her. I think this series might have lost me at this point, because I'm pretty sure I know where we're going with this, but I may pick the last two books up at some point.

Not Your Sidekick

 Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee, 283 pages.

Generations ago a massive solar flare wiped caused a series of nuclear meltdowns and other disasters that led to a radical restructuring of the entire world. It also awakened a latent gene to grant some people superpowers. Although both of her parents are superheroes (and superpowers are genetic) Jess hasn't shown any signs of inheriting any powers, leaving her feeling aimless and insufficient. Which is why when it turns out the perfect internship she's been offered is actually for local supervillain (and her parents' nemesis) Master Mischief she decides to take it anyway. But soon Jess finds out that there's more going on beyond the black and white world of heroes and villains.

I liked this book, although it read as a little more juvenile than I was expecting. I thought Jess's relationship with her secret crush and fellow intern Abby was really cute, and the world building has me intrigued, even if it's not anything earth shattering.