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The Crimsonverse #1
I, Crimsonstreak
Framed by his father, "reformed" supervillain Colonel Chaos, super-speedster Chris Fairborne, AKA Crimsonstreak, is sent to the Clermont Institution for the Criminally Insane. A hero surrounded by dastardly inmates and heartless guards, Chris struggles to keep his wits about him, until the arrival of some unexpected new "guests" at the facility provides him with a means for escape. Once out, though, he discovers that the world he knew is gone, replaced by a fascist, supposedly utopian state run by none other than Colonel Chaos himself.
With the heroes of the world locked away or fighting in a disorganized resistance, Crimsonstreak teams up with a snarky British butler and a teenage superhero-to-be. Together, the unlikely (and bickering) allies must take down Crimsonstreak's dad and set the world right. Not easy when your only powers are super-speed and looking good in spandex. But hey, someone's got to save the world.
With the heroes of the world locked away or fighting in a disorganized resistance, Crimsonstreak teams up with a snarky British butler and a teenage superhero-to-be. Together, the unlikely (and bickering) allies must take down Crimsonstreak's dad and set the world right. Not easy when your only powers are super-speed and looking good in spandex. But hey, someone's got to save the world.
352 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2012
65 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 25, 2012
I wanted to like this one, I really did. I like superheroes as a concept, and they don't appear particularly often in book form. This particular novel read like a very promising first draft. Which is unfortunate in a finished work. (Note: I did read an advance copy, but the only changes should be minor grammar and type-setting type fixes.)
I liked the overall idea--a supervillain and a superhero fall in love, and the villain reforms. They have a kid. When the hero mom dies, ex-villain dad gets all obsess-y (like you do). Their hometown blows up and to the kid's shock, his dad blames him and has him committed. When he finally manages to break out years later, he discovers that his dad's still considered a hero, but has taken over the world. Most of the book is him trying to figure out what happened--is Dad good? Evil? Misinformed? Plotting within plots?
And there are some interesting characters--an Alfred-the-butler type only snarky, a bratty scion of a superhero legacy, a doppelganger, an old flame trying to get by in the new regime. The tone is flippant in a way that does get wearing, but is generally fun. There's a lot here to work with.
But it doesn't actually work particularly well. The big plot twist feels more like a cheat, and its explanation is unsatisfying, coming in overly explanatory dialogue. ("As you know, son...") The resolution is even more of a cheat. (If it's necessary that the subvillain stores memories as a power, maybe it would have been a better idea to make him have memory-based powers instead of being a lightning god? As opposed to introducing this power after he's dead, while frantically waving your hands to create an ending you didn't set up or earn?) A couple giant Chekov's guns are hung on the wall (the aliens, the insurrection), but instead of being tied into the climax in a satisfying way, they turn out to be nothing more than very minor devices to set up the situation the way the author wanted it. (For slightly spoilery example, I completely expected the aliens to turn out to have been faked from the beginning as a power grab. If this was revealed to be so, I missed it. If they were real, they're completely misused--earth-shattering event is minor backstory. Shouldn't someone be worried, I dunno, that the aliens might come back?)
And that's really the biggest problem here--everything happens because the plot wants it to, not from any particular internal logic. People agree to help or don't, technology works or it doesn't, simply because that's what needs to happen for the protagonist to get to the next scene, not because of the inherent nature of the technology or the people. For example, in one scene, they've captured a major player from the other side. He's practically foaming at the mouth in his outrage and loyalty to the regime. Crimsonstreak goes somewhere else for basically half a day. When he comes back, the captive has totally joined their side, hurray, because of a conversation off camera in which he had a total change of heart and completely reversed the way he's thought about the entire world for his entire existence. At no point does anyone even doubt this conversion.
It even applies to dialogue. The butler gets some great lines and a couple funny actions and a genuinely poignant moment or two. But his characterization is wildly different from one bit to the next, sometimes even in the same conversation. At some points, he's very much the long-suffering Brit, with bone dry wit and formal diction as he keeps his stiff upper lip while tolerating the follies of his social betters. A breath later, and you're getting an American-style wiseass with no particular respect for anyone, cracking jokes and slinging insults. It's always "butler makes fun of Crimsonstreak", but the manner in which he makes fun of him is completely inconsistent in voice and basic personality from insult to insult.
The book also reads as if the author wrote it all in chunks and never went back to read it again. We'll have three pages of a description of an event, a line break, and then the first three sentences of the new section will be a recap of what just happened. We know--we just read it. I suppose it's possible that the author is trying to parody the little text balloons at the beginning of comic books reminding the reader what happened last issue, but customarily, there's been a month since the last time you read the story and you need the reminder. Here, we just read it. Like, three seconds ago. Haven't forgotten yet, promise. Or perhaps the author wrote that chunk two weeks before and didn't quite remember how much he'd told us, for a less forgiving explanation. In any case, it's annoying. And if he'd gone back and reread things, perhaps he could have made changes at the beginning that would make the later events make more sense, like the memory storage thing.
Also, a warning--there's bonus material. A lot of bonus material. Enough that the end of the book comes deceptively fast, which just makes the rushed arc even more confusing. You figure there's another twist coming, with the number of pages left, but suddenly it's the end. While some of the bonus material is cute--I did like the butler's diary entry about the worst Valentine's Day ever--the newspaper articles are entirely filler. There's literally nothing you didn't already know from explanations throughout the book--no new insights or perspectives. Just the same backstory you've been told, now in dry newspaper article-form.
So the tone was a little hyperactive, but entertaining. The concept had a lot of potential for exploration. But the execution felt shoddy and rushed. It's a pity--with another two or three drafts, there might have been something here.
I liked the overall idea--a supervillain and a superhero fall in love, and the villain reforms. They have a kid. When the hero mom dies, ex-villain dad gets all obsess-y (like you do). Their hometown blows up and to the kid's shock, his dad blames him and has him committed. When he finally manages to break out years later, he discovers that his dad's still considered a hero, but has taken over the world. Most of the book is him trying to figure out what happened--is Dad good? Evil? Misinformed? Plotting within plots?
And there are some interesting characters--an Alfred-the-butler type only snarky, a bratty scion of a superhero legacy, a doppelganger, an old flame trying to get by in the new regime. The tone is flippant in a way that does get wearing, but is generally fun. There's a lot here to work with.
But it doesn't actually work particularly well. The big plot twist feels more like a cheat, and its explanation is unsatisfying, coming in overly explanatory dialogue. ("As you know, son...") The resolution is even more of a cheat. (If it's necessary that the subvillain stores memories as a power, maybe it would have been a better idea to make him have memory-based powers instead of being a lightning god? As opposed to introducing this power after he's dead, while frantically waving your hands to create an ending you didn't set up or earn?) A couple giant Chekov's guns are hung on the wall (the aliens, the insurrection), but instead of being tied into the climax in a satisfying way, they turn out to be nothing more than very minor devices to set up the situation the way the author wanted it. (For slightly spoilery example, I completely expected the aliens to turn out to have been faked from the beginning as a power grab. If this was revealed to be so, I missed it. If they were real, they're completely misused--earth-shattering event is minor backstory. Shouldn't someone be worried, I dunno, that the aliens might come back?)
And that's really the biggest problem here--everything happens because the plot wants it to, not from any particular internal logic. People agree to help or don't, technology works or it doesn't, simply because that's what needs to happen for the protagonist to get to the next scene, not because of the inherent nature of the technology or the people. For example, in one scene, they've captured a major player from the other side. He's practically foaming at the mouth in his outrage and loyalty to the regime. Crimsonstreak goes somewhere else for basically half a day. When he comes back, the captive has totally joined their side, hurray, because of a conversation off camera in which he had a total change of heart and completely reversed the way he's thought about the entire world for his entire existence. At no point does anyone even doubt this conversion.
It even applies to dialogue. The butler gets some great lines and a couple funny actions and a genuinely poignant moment or two. But his characterization is wildly different from one bit to the next, sometimes even in the same conversation. At some points, he's very much the long-suffering Brit, with bone dry wit and formal diction as he keeps his stiff upper lip while tolerating the follies of his social betters. A breath later, and you're getting an American-style wiseass with no particular respect for anyone, cracking jokes and slinging insults. It's always "butler makes fun of Crimsonstreak", but the manner in which he makes fun of him is completely inconsistent in voice and basic personality from insult to insult.
The book also reads as if the author wrote it all in chunks and never went back to read it again. We'll have three pages of a description of an event, a line break, and then the first three sentences of the new section will be a recap of what just happened. We know--we just read it. I suppose it's possible that the author is trying to parody the little text balloons at the beginning of comic books reminding the reader what happened last issue, but customarily, there's been a month since the last time you read the story and you need the reminder. Here, we just read it. Like, three seconds ago. Haven't forgotten yet, promise. Or perhaps the author wrote that chunk two weeks before and didn't quite remember how much he'd told us, for a less forgiving explanation. In any case, it's annoying. And if he'd gone back and reread things, perhaps he could have made changes at the beginning that would make the later events make more sense, like the memory storage thing.
Also, a warning--there's bonus material. A lot of bonus material. Enough that the end of the book comes deceptively fast, which just makes the rushed arc even more confusing. You figure there's another twist coming, with the number of pages left, but suddenly it's the end. While some of the bonus material is cute--I did like the butler's diary entry about the worst Valentine's Day ever--the newspaper articles are entirely filler. There's literally nothing you didn't already know from explanations throughout the book--no new insights or perspectives. Just the same backstory you've been told, now in dry newspaper article-form.
So the tone was a little hyperactive, but entertaining. The concept had a lot of potential for exploration. But the execution felt shoddy and rushed. It's a pity--with another two or three drafts, there might have been something here.
March 8, 2012
Very interesting. Familial issues among superheroes, and the world turned upside down. Good twists and turns, and the Observers thing which I thought was nothing until the index stuff. Nice details.
August 13, 2020
This review originallypublished in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.0 of 5
If you have been following my blog for any length of time, by now you must know that I enjoy superheroes and superhero fiction. Finding books, as opposed to graphic novels (essentially book-length comics) was, at one time, relatively rare, though there's been a bit of a boon in such titles.
I read the follow-up to this book (II, Crimsonstreak) awhile back and I wasn't really enamored with it, but when I found this book at the back of a long queue of books to review, I thought perhaps the first book in the series might explain some things that I was missing in the second book.
The story (sort of): Chris Fairborne (the superhero known as The Crimsonstreak) is the son of superhero(ine) Miss Lightspeed and supervillain-turned-good Colonel Chaos. His mother is killed, his father takes over the world, and he, Chris Fairborne, is framed by his father, sent to a prison for criminally insane supervillains, where he plots, for three years, to make his escape. Meanwhile he watches newsfeeds of Crimsonstreak standing next to Colonel Chaos. Hmmm, how can that be?
There's potentially a lot going on here, but for a story about someone with super speed, the book reads tremendously slow. Action is not the name of the game in this superhero tale, instead, reflection and planning, mulling and musing take up most of the pages which made this quite dull for me (sorry ... I want to see my superheroes in action, or nursing wounds from a recent action).
There's also a real sense of magic-wand-ness here. The authors waves his hand and something is cleared up or another character changes his ways or something on the verge of happening is no longer a threat. The author as deus ex machina is not something I want in my popular fiction.
As with the next book in the series, the book is loaded with extras. 'newspaper stories,' journal entries, and superhero biographies. I may have enjoyed these more than the story itself.
Perhaps this is just a case of Matt Adams the author and me, the reader, not being a good fit for one another. It happens. But as the reader/reviewer, I can't recommend this book.
Looking for a good book? I, Crimsonstreak by Matt Adams is a lethargic superhero story that will not leave you wanting for more.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
If you have been following my blog for any length of time, by now you must know that I enjoy superheroes and superhero fiction. Finding books, as opposed to graphic novels (essentially book-length comics) was, at one time, relatively rare, though there's been a bit of a boon in such titles.
I read the follow-up to this book (II, Crimsonstreak) awhile back and I wasn't really enamored with it, but when I found this book at the back of a long queue of books to review, I thought perhaps the first book in the series might explain some things that I was missing in the second book.
The story (sort of): Chris Fairborne (the superhero known as The Crimsonstreak) is the son of superhero(ine) Miss Lightspeed and supervillain-turned-good Colonel Chaos. His mother is killed, his father takes over the world, and he, Chris Fairborne, is framed by his father, sent to a prison for criminally insane supervillains, where he plots, for three years, to make his escape. Meanwhile he watches newsfeeds of Crimsonstreak standing next to Colonel Chaos. Hmmm, how can that be?
There's potentially a lot going on here, but for a story about someone with super speed, the book reads tremendously slow. Action is not the name of the game in this superhero tale, instead, reflection and planning, mulling and musing take up most of the pages which made this quite dull for me (sorry ... I want to see my superheroes in action, or nursing wounds from a recent action).
There's also a real sense of magic-wand-ness here. The authors waves his hand and something is cleared up or another character changes his ways or something on the verge of happening is no longer a threat. The author as deus ex machina is not something I want in my popular fiction.
As with the next book in the series, the book is loaded with extras. 'newspaper stories,' journal entries, and superhero biographies. I may have enjoyed these more than the story itself.
Perhaps this is just a case of Matt Adams the author and me, the reader, not being a good fit for one another. It happens. But as the reader/reviewer, I can't recommend this book.
Looking for a good book? I, Crimsonstreak by Matt Adams is a lethargic superhero story that will not leave you wanting for more.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
May 29, 2018
I may know a thing or two about superheroes, or so I like to think, so when I tell you that I, Crimsonsteak by Matt Adams gives you all those things you should absolutely love about the superhero genre, while also being capable of throwing in more than a couple of twists, you should feel confident that this is a book you should give a read to.
At it's core, it seems rather simple. A superhero, wrongly imprisoned, escapes in order to right the wrongs which led to him being imprisoned in the first place. Only problem is, it turns out he is part of the problem.
And no, this isn't some sort of introspective junk where he realizes that he as a superhero caused all sorts of trouble which is why the world went wrong. I mean, he looks at the television, sees the news about the current leadership, and sees himself sitting at the right hand of his now-evil father, ruling the country with an iron fist.
Dopplegangers are one of my favorite comic book tropes!
I'm not going to say this book changes the genre by any great lengths, but it does do a fantastic job of keeping you guessing about what's going on, while still showcasing fun new superpowers, intriguing action moments, and a whole lot of heart...precisely what a good superhero story should be.
At it's core, it seems rather simple. A superhero, wrongly imprisoned, escapes in order to right the wrongs which led to him being imprisoned in the first place. Only problem is, it turns out he is part of the problem.
And no, this isn't some sort of introspective junk where he realizes that he as a superhero caused all sorts of trouble which is why the world went wrong. I mean, he looks at the television, sees the news about the current leadership, and sees himself sitting at the right hand of his now-evil father, ruling the country with an iron fist.
Dopplegangers are one of my favorite comic book tropes!
I'm not going to say this book changes the genre by any great lengths, but it does do a fantastic job of keeping you guessing about what's going on, while still showcasing fun new superpowers, intriguing action moments, and a whole lot of heart...precisely what a good superhero story should be.
January 7, 2013
This was a fun read, and you could tell that the author definitely knew his superheroes. There were some very clever bits and lines; I laughed out loud quite a few times.
Unfortunately, there was so much meta that the believability factor went way down. The main conflict revolves around themes like forced superhero registration, a police state controlled by supers, etc.--ideas that have been explored extensively in the Marvel universe. Okay, but this is a different universe. Then there are a bunch of Batman references, giving the impression that this is a universe where superheroes exist, and DC Comics also exists. Okay. There is a precedence in superhero comics for this: She-Hulk breaks the fourth wall like this all the time. In fact, there is a She-Hulk comic in the She-Hulk comics (chronicling her adventures, licensed and presumably written after they happen). As long as Marvel Comics doesn't exist, you don't have to bring up how similar this situation is to the multiple Mutant Registration Acts and the Superhuman Registration Act (and subsequent superhero Civil War). But then Crimsonstreak goes and mentions Captain America (and the Avengers), so Marvel also exists in this universe, and if so, how can you not mention the parallels?
That probably won't bother most readers. But it took me out of the story a little bit.
Also, it could have used more polishing. A bunch of paragraphs made little to no sense. For example!
So yeah, this was a cute, fun (and slightly fluffy--not heavy on the character development) book. I'd recommend it to people who are already superhero fans. For others? I'm not so sure.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, there was so much meta that the believability factor went way down. The main conflict revolves around themes like forced superhero registration, a police state controlled by supers, etc.--ideas that have been explored extensively in the Marvel universe. Okay, but this is a different universe. Then there are a bunch of Batman references, giving the impression that this is a universe where superheroes exist, and DC Comics also exists. Okay. There is a precedence in superhero comics for this: She-Hulk breaks the fourth wall like this all the time. In fact, there is a She-Hulk comic in the She-Hulk comics (chronicling her adventures, licensed and presumably written after they happen). As long as Marvel Comics doesn't exist, you don't have to bring up how similar this situation is to the multiple Mutant Registration Acts and the Superhuman Registration Act (and subsequent superhero Civil War). But then Crimsonstreak goes and mentions Captain America (and the Avengers), so Marvel also exists in this universe, and if so, how can you not mention the parallels?
That probably won't bother most readers. But it took me out of the story a little bit.
Also, it could have used more polishing. A bunch of paragraphs made little to no sense. For example!
"Of course. I'm bureau chief for Central Processing South. I can't just not show up."... Is this because she ended the sentence with a preposition, or what?
Her grasp of the English language astounds me.
Perversion? Glad to know the guy reads as much sci-fi as I do. That's some vocabulary!Okay, except I'm pretty sure "perversion" is a word even outside of sci-fi.
No matter what Morty says, that trip through the Comet Accelerator must've scrambled my wiring. First the vision thing, now this--I swear I feel a light pinprick in my right shoulder. I think it's just nerves.Wait, which is it? The Comet Accelerator, or just nerves?
"You don't have to call me that. I don't even know why I chose the name," Dad says, eyes straight ahead. "To Chris, I'm just Dad. You've got a father of your own. Call me Bill."The implication being that if he didn't have a father of his own, he should call some random guy Dad?
So yeah, this was a cute, fun (and slightly fluffy--not heavy on the character development) book. I'd recommend it to people who are already superhero fans. For others? I'm not so sure.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 6, 2016
A Very Entertaining Balance
The Buddha uses the phrase "The Middle Way" to describe the noble path between the extremes of austerity and sensual indulgence. It is the path to nirvana, and in this case describes the path to a very satisfying read.
Lots of readers have had enough of the angsty, grim, dour, tormented superheroes who lurk around the shadows working out their issues. I know superheroes have to have backstories and motivation and a dark secret or two, but some novels can get awfully heavy and end up overcome by their own gravity.
On the other hand, it's way too easy to give in to jokey, sketchy instincts and end up with a book so lightweight and shallow that it's not worth the effort. That's especially true if the author approaches the task ironically, and just wants to mock the genre.
Well, that was a pretty sour intro to what is actually a very happy review. To me, this book followed the middle path quite well. Our hero, Crimsonstreak, starts out as an innocent superhero who has been imprisoned, at his own super father's order, with a bunch of extremely bad supervillains. He is understandably upset. The voice we hear is rueful, angry, confused, conflicted, insightful and a bit smartass. That's a winning combination, especially as Crimsonstreak grows up a lot as the story unfolds.
And that story has a number of appropriate twists and turns. There are lots of neat supers on both sides of the good guy/bad guy divide, many well developed other secondary characters, and a good balance between action and calmer narrative. Crimsonstreak can be snarky and there a number of subtle good natured jabs taken at the genre by the author, but the book is never disrespectful to the conventions of the form, or to those readers who take it to heart. It helps that the writing is very high quality; our author displays a command of big action set pieces, dialogue, and the arresting detail or grabber throwaway line. It's still basically a written comic book, and plausibility in plotting and the like is not at a premium, but at least for me that's not the point. It's entertaining. I like fireworks because they are fun, not because I can read by their light.
So, a truly committed major fan might find this a bit lightweight. But if you like well-imagined supers, clever dialogue, a twisty but comprehensible plot, some intense action and an amiable narrator hero, this is worth a look see.
Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
The Buddha uses the phrase "The Middle Way" to describe the noble path between the extremes of austerity and sensual indulgence. It is the path to nirvana, and in this case describes the path to a very satisfying read.
Lots of readers have had enough of the angsty, grim, dour, tormented superheroes who lurk around the shadows working out their issues. I know superheroes have to have backstories and motivation and a dark secret or two, but some novels can get awfully heavy and end up overcome by their own gravity.
On the other hand, it's way too easy to give in to jokey, sketchy instincts and end up with a book so lightweight and shallow that it's not worth the effort. That's especially true if the author approaches the task ironically, and just wants to mock the genre.
Well, that was a pretty sour intro to what is actually a very happy review. To me, this book followed the middle path quite well. Our hero, Crimsonstreak, starts out as an innocent superhero who has been imprisoned, at his own super father's order, with a bunch of extremely bad supervillains. He is understandably upset. The voice we hear is rueful, angry, confused, conflicted, insightful and a bit smartass. That's a winning combination, especially as Crimsonstreak grows up a lot as the story unfolds.
And that story has a number of appropriate twists and turns. There are lots of neat supers on both sides of the good guy/bad guy divide, many well developed other secondary characters, and a good balance between action and calmer narrative. Crimsonstreak can be snarky and there a number of subtle good natured jabs taken at the genre by the author, but the book is never disrespectful to the conventions of the form, or to those readers who take it to heart. It helps that the writing is very high quality; our author displays a command of big action set pieces, dialogue, and the arresting detail or grabber throwaway line. It's still basically a written comic book, and plausibility in plotting and the like is not at a premium, but at least for me that's not the point. It's entertaining. I like fireworks because they are fun, not because I can read by their light.
So, a truly committed major fan might find this a bit lightweight. But if you like well-imagined supers, clever dialogue, a twisty but comprehensible plot, some intense action and an amiable narrator hero, this is worth a look see.
Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
November 10, 2012
Novel: I, Crimsonstreak, by IHW member Matt Adams. Okay, let's get the disclaimers out of the way first. I know this author; we are members of two of the same writer's organizations together. That said, I paid good money for my copy so that earns me the right to subject my opinion on you all. K? K.
I'm a huge lifelong comic book fan. I am also, as I have stated on several occasions, skeptical of
this new "prose superhero" movement--put simply, comic books without pictures. In my opinion, prose fiction, relying strictly on words, greatly inhibits the slam-bang expectation of superhero stories, but Matt Adams does much to make me me a believer in his premiere novel I, Crimsonstreak.
Crimsonstreak, AKA Chris Fairborne, is a superhero raised by superhero parents. Mom is famed superheroine Miss Lightspeed and Dad is reformed supervillain now co-superhero Colonel Chaos. Mom and Dad's first date was far from typical. Boy threatens world, boy meets girl, girl stomps boy, boy reforms, girl marries boy. Born with his mother's super-speed but lacking both parents' natural super-ability, Fairborne accepts his manifest destiny with easygoing nonchalance, and except for the family defeating the occasional threat of supervillain domination, Chris experiences an otherwise fairy normal childhood.
And so it's off to college for Chris, and before you can say Holy Oedipus Complex, Batman!, Miss Lightspeed is killed in action, and Colonel Chaos has taken over the world, framed his son, and had him locked away in a prison for the super-criminally insane.
Crimsonstreak begins with Chris locked away, plotting his escape, determined to find out what happened to his mother and find some way to deliver the counter-smackdown to Dad, or die trying.
The story zips along nicely, smoothly zipping between the present and flashbacks to the past, allowing us to learn more and more backstory relevant to the next plot point just when we need it. I personally had not problem with this technique, though your mileage may vary.
Adams keeps the action coming, not focusing too long of giving too much detail to the many slugfests, and wisely keeps the operatic drama and high stakes cranked up and playing out as much as the fisticuffs. As we reach an age where traditional comic book storytelling MUST morph into something else very soon, I, Crimsonstreak offers a fine example of what may be the future of the medium.
--R.J. Sullivan
I'm a huge lifelong comic book fan. I am also, as I have stated on several occasions, skeptical of
this new "prose superhero" movement--put simply, comic books without pictures. In my opinion, prose fiction, relying strictly on words, greatly inhibits the slam-bang expectation of superhero stories, but Matt Adams does much to make me me a believer in his premiere novel I, Crimsonstreak.
Crimsonstreak, AKA Chris Fairborne, is a superhero raised by superhero parents. Mom is famed superheroine Miss Lightspeed and Dad is reformed supervillain now co-superhero Colonel Chaos. Mom and Dad's first date was far from typical. Boy threatens world, boy meets girl, girl stomps boy, boy reforms, girl marries boy. Born with his mother's super-speed but lacking both parents' natural super-ability, Fairborne accepts his manifest destiny with easygoing nonchalance, and except for the family defeating the occasional threat of supervillain domination, Chris experiences an otherwise fairy normal childhood.
And so it's off to college for Chris, and before you can say Holy Oedipus Complex, Batman!, Miss Lightspeed is killed in action, and Colonel Chaos has taken over the world, framed his son, and had him locked away in a prison for the super-criminally insane.
Crimsonstreak begins with Chris locked away, plotting his escape, determined to find out what happened to his mother and find some way to deliver the counter-smackdown to Dad, or die trying.
The story zips along nicely, smoothly zipping between the present and flashbacks to the past, allowing us to learn more and more backstory relevant to the next plot point just when we need it. I personally had not problem with this technique, though your mileage may vary.
Adams keeps the action coming, not focusing too long of giving too much detail to the many slugfests, and wisely keeps the operatic drama and high stakes cranked up and playing out as much as the fisticuffs. As we reach an age where traditional comic book storytelling MUST morph into something else very soon, I, Crimsonstreak offers a fine example of what may be the future of the medium.
--R.J. Sullivan
March 9, 2013
I want to like I, Crimsonstreak more than I do. Really, I do. The superhero world Matt Adams has created is interesting, fun and layered and well thought out. At least by the end of the story, it seems well thought out. The first third of the novel has the feel of an incomplete idea. The quips and pop-culture thoughts by Crimsonstreak are too numerous too often. I found myself thinking, "enough already!" And to Adams credit, the quips do even out and decrease over time.
As I sat and pondered my feelings about I, Crimsonstreak, an angel on one shoulder tells me I liked it. The book has what you want in a comic book story...interesting characters, good villains, twists and turns you didn't see coming. It was fun and you know you liked it and want more. However the devil on my other shoulder asks me, "How can you overlook the inner monologuing? The numerous quips that became unfunny after the tenth time? A story that has some technical and editorial issues? You can't possibly give it the four stars you want and you know it." Alas, the two creatures of my psyche were correct.
I, Crimsonstreak has flaws, but flaws that seemed to correct themselves by the last page. It needs a final revision. But I liked it. I want more of Matt Adams vision of a world full of superheroes. When you, fellow reader decide to dive in, you will enjoy it as did I. You will want more, you will like it and you will want to like it more than you do.
As I sat and pondered my feelings about I, Crimsonstreak, an angel on one shoulder tells me I liked it. The book has what you want in a comic book story...interesting characters, good villains, twists and turns you didn't see coming. It was fun and you know you liked it and want more. However the devil on my other shoulder asks me, "How can you overlook the inner monologuing? The numerous quips that became unfunny after the tenth time? A story that has some technical and editorial issues? You can't possibly give it the four stars you want and you know it." Alas, the two creatures of my psyche were correct.
I, Crimsonstreak has flaws, but flaws that seemed to correct themselves by the last page. It needs a final revision. But I liked it. I want more of Matt Adams vision of a world full of superheroes. When you, fellow reader decide to dive in, you will enjoy it as did I. You will want more, you will like it and you will want to like it more than you do.
January 9, 2014
Matt Adams wonders what would happened if a super villain actually ran the world. Colonel Chaos was a super villain until he reformed when he met Miss Lightspeed, who captured him and then his heart. Together they saved the world many times and then had a son. Chris Fairborn. Then Miss Lightspeed is killed and Colonel Chaos becomes obsessed with resurrecting her. Chris returns home after a bomb destroys his home town and is immediately blamed and locked up in an insane asylum for super heroes. I, Crimsonstreak (paper from Candlemark & Gleam) is his tale when he escapes three years later and discovers his father is ruling the world, his mother is somehow alive, and a version of him is not only alive but heir. Working with the butler of a batman type hero and the hero’s son, he has to fight the hero’s conscripted by the government and problems that even his super speed can’t solve. Lots of fun, especially for those who enjoy their comics with words. Review printed in the Philadelphia Weekly Press
March 4, 2013
I wasn’t sure the world needed another superhero until I read I, Crimsonstreak. The world definitely needs Crimsonstreak. Where else will we find a costumed crusader who is this funny, clever, and despite his superpowers, human? Author Matt Adams has created a terrific new character to add to the comic book pantheon, and has written a thoroughly enjoyable story to showcase his hero and the able cast of characters that support him. I read some comic books as a kid, but I don’t as an adult, and I like the book-format. The story’s structure made it an easy read, and his extremely deft use of flashbacks managed to add to the tale rather than take me out of it as most flashbacks do. He also remained true to the good things about comics, heroes and villains while sending the genre up with wit. Perhaps most importantly, with hilarious chapter titles like “…An Epic Battle of Epicness,” I would gladly keep reading and laughing through the next installment.
May 8, 2014
There was a lot of potential here, and I'm afraid the author simply wasted it. The pacing, the language, the characters...they were all just off. There also wasn't nearly enough world-building, or explanation about how things worked. The main character has super-speed, but there's never any real information on how it works, what his limitations are, etc. For a book about super powers, there really aren't many in evidence, and they're often ignored. The cliches are to be expected, but there's a limit, and this book shoots way past it. Toss in a token romance that is given a smidge of page time and is resolved with no effort, and you've got a perfect blend of elements that could have made a great story, but didn't. The last quarter of the book is also given over to appendices about character histories, which came as an unpleasant surprise (no table of contents in the edition I read). There is a sequel. I won't be reading it.
February 12, 2013
I really had high hopes for this book. I love the concept and superhumans have always been an interest for me. Story starts out great but takes a swan dive as story unfolds.
*The Clermont Institute for the Criminally Insane: Serving evil-doers and those in need since 1972.*
Dark plague, Crusading Comet, Infrared, Crossworld, *His parents* Miss Lightspeed and Colonel Chaos ( his current enemy)
After escaping from institute Crimesonstreak meets with a pot headed cheetah eating Cheetos after a long swim he ends up in New York.
In search of his mother's death and his father turned villain. Crimson finds the opposite of what he thought and heard from others.
Pop culture, funny dialogue and some interesting characters (see list above) but just didn't do it for me for a top read.
*The Clermont Institute for the Criminally Insane: Serving evil-doers and those in need since 1972.*
Dark plague, Crusading Comet, Infrared, Crossworld, *His parents* Miss Lightspeed and Colonel Chaos ( his current enemy)
After escaping from institute Crimesonstreak meets with a pot headed cheetah eating Cheetos after a long swim he ends up in New York.
In search of his mother's death and his father turned villain. Crimson finds the opposite of what he thought and heard from others.
Pop culture, funny dialogue and some interesting characters (see list above) but just didn't do it for me for a top read.
June 13, 2012
I enjoyed Crimsonstreak. It's not my favorite superhero book, but I liked it well enough. I could've done without the extra stuff at the last third or so of the book. It was interesting to know about the characters, but not very important to the book itself. Chris is a good hero who has to make do with what he has. The choppy, flashback moments were a little distracting. The plot was unique and confusing, but entertaining. All in all, I did enjoy it.
I would like to thank the author Matt Adams and Goodreads First Reads for this book.
I would like to thank the author Matt Adams and Goodreads First Reads for this book.
August 29, 2017
I feel like I should use a sports metaphor here, out of respect to Chris "Crimsonstreak" Fairbourne. I, CRIMSONSTREAK is a lot like Derek Fisher on those championship Laker teams -- when it's on, it's REALLY on. A short novel followed by over half its length in appendices, it's an interesting stylistic experiment that works like gangbusters at times. I think it would have been improved by putting the appendices as sections in the book itself rather than leaving them toward the end. It's good superheroic fiction, and appropriate for its speedy hero, a quick read.
March 4, 2016
The Crimsonstreak is a young adult with superspeed who was framed for a crime and has been locked for years in a prison for supervillains. His father was/is one of the greatest superheroes ever, although since Crimsonstreak's mother died has been obsessed with recovering her; he appears to have played some role in having Crimsonstreak locked up. And then Crimsonstreak gets the chance to escape....
This is a beautiful set up and held promise, but the writing didn't quite gel (primarily in the dialogue). It felt like it could have been tightened up substantially.
This is a beautiful set up and held promise, but the writing didn't quite gel (primarily in the dialogue). It felt like it could have been tightened up substantially.
June 3, 2012
I wanted to like this more than I did, but it just didn't click with me. Competent, but not too exciting.
The book is a novella, with interwoven flashbacks and appendices providing additional background. That could be an interesting book structure if I were more engaged about the characters and their background.
The book is a novella, with interwoven flashbacks and appendices providing additional background. That could be an interesting book structure if I were more engaged about the characters and their background.
August 4, 2012
Got this book though goodreads giveaway. Thanks
This book was okay for a superhero book. he is not my favorite superhero but i didn't enjoy the first half of the book. there was just extra stuff like too many flashbacks. But all in all i enjoyed it. it was something different than what i usually read.
thanks
This book was okay for a superhero book. he is not my favorite superhero but i didn't enjoy the first half of the book. there was just extra stuff like too many flashbacks. But all in all i enjoyed it. it was something different than what i usually read.
thanks
July 17, 2013
I loved this book! I was entirely entertained and enjoyed the flow of the story. The flashbacks throughout provided valuable context for the action. The characters were very likable (except for the evil villains, of course!) and easy to connect with. I'm ready for Book Two!
June 18, 2012
Getting the creeping dread here, about halfway through. Something very bad is coming.
July 10, 2020
Always reading. Always reviewing. I'm just like Chris "Crimsonstreak" Fairborne: there's no time to look back. I'm always running, running, running...
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