Superpowers

I've read a few proper novels about superheroes (and by proper novels, I mean those involving original characters, created purely for the novel, rather than adapting superhero from other media such as comics or film). There was Robert Mayer's Super-Folks, which I came to a little too late - long after all its most original ideas had been ripped off by the medium it serenaded. Then there was Austin Grossman's Soon I Will Be Invincible, which was a little too respectful of its source material to have as much fun as was needed.

David J. Schwartz's Superpowers is more successful than most. It does that thing I like most about stories like this - building solid, three-dimensional characters and placing them firmly in what Stan Lee called 'the world outside your window'. Five young people wake up after a party with super-powers - the obvious ones: flight, super speed, strength, invisibility and mindreading... then they have to learn to deal with them. It's nothing we haven't seen before, but it's well done, witty and contains a few surprises along the way - not least the calculated absence of supervillains. Conflict is instead provided by powers going awry, people doing stupid things and real world events that prove much bigger than the average superhero can cope with (hint: for all those who complained about JMS's infamous black-covered Spider-Man comic, here's a different take). Schwartz writes flawed yet hugely sympathetic characters and keeps the pages turning. If you like your superheroes, this one comes recommended.

Meanwhile, over at Thoughtballoons, this week's character is sinister space-vixen Gamora - the deadliest woman in the universe. (Tony will approve.) I wasn't sure how to handle this back-stabbing scifi vamp, knowing little about her other than that she's the sort of character who'll rip your heart out if you stand in her way. Then I hit on a brainwave of throwing Gamora into a Scott Pilgrim-esque high school love story. I think this is the best of my Thoughtballoons stories so far. You're entitled to disagree.