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Mighty Mighty
How would a world populated by superheroes differ from our own?
Not much.
If you have a rare skill or a talent or an ability that you're not using, then maybe you could relate to our heroes:
-- Orville Ortley, Mucus-Man, whose snot has the explosive power of a howitzer shell
-- Kevin Kiley, Count Karma, invincible wonder of the ethereal plane who's utterly useless on earth
-- Mindy Maguire, Supermodel, upon whom the goddesses bestowed the most unwelcome power a Smith College women's studies major could imagine
Instead of fighting evil on a cosmic scale, they guard St. Louis's Chesterfield Mall. That is, until the day the villains' lobby, the American Malevolence Institute, sets its sights on this ordinary shopping center. If the Institute should defeat this discount-bin collection of mall cops, it would mean the end of all life on earth.
Battling these villains would be an epic struggle in itself but, along the way, our heroes must also contend with the headline-grabbing super-group The Crusaders, a once-peaceable young woman who has been transformed into a chaotic beast after having been bitten by a radioactive badger, stifling government bureaucracy, the capriciousness of deities and, of course, their own personal shortcomings and that of their teammates.
Who will survive? Who will prevail? Who will prove themselves mighty?
Not much.
If you have a rare skill or a talent or an ability that you're not using, then maybe you could relate to our heroes:
-- Orville Ortley, Mucus-Man, whose snot has the explosive power of a howitzer shell
-- Kevin Kiley, Count Karma, invincible wonder of the ethereal plane who's utterly useless on earth
-- Mindy Maguire, Supermodel, upon whom the goddesses bestowed the most unwelcome power a Smith College women's studies major could imagine
Instead of fighting evil on a cosmic scale, they guard St. Louis's Chesterfield Mall. That is, until the day the villains' lobby, the American Malevolence Institute, sets its sights on this ordinary shopping center. If the Institute should defeat this discount-bin collection of mall cops, it would mean the end of all life on earth.
Battling these villains would be an epic struggle in itself but, along the way, our heroes must also contend with the headline-grabbing super-group The Crusaders, a once-peaceable young woman who has been transformed into a chaotic beast after having been bitten by a radioactive badger, stifling government bureaucracy, the capriciousness of deities and, of course, their own personal shortcomings and that of their teammates.
Who will survive? Who will prevail? Who will prove themselves mighty?
468 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2014
1 person is currently reading
31 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 13, 2014
--Excerpt from full review posted at http://deflipside.com/?p=6313
William Freedman’s Mighty Mighty is set in a world where super-powered people so common that laws have been passed to corral them into mundane occupations like TSA screeners and mall cops. Only one government-sanctioned super team remains: The Crusaders, led by Colonel America and compatriots like Pantagruel, The World’s Largest Human; his wife Midge (sort of a pixie); Christ the Son (just what he sounds like); and The Carbon Avenger, a once-human slab of malleable shale.
The Crusaders have had their hands full lately, thwarting evil voudon sorceress Maman Brigitte, The Incomprehensible Singh and other members of the American Malevolence Institute from compiling a full Malificium Deck (kind of like Magic: The Gathering cards which impart real powers) for nefarious purposes unknown.
But when Maman Brigitte and her minions descend on a collectible card shop in the Chesterfield Mall in St. Louis, the mall’s super contingent is forced to take up the fight: Orville Ortley—a.k.a. Mucus-Man; mild-mannered Mindy Maguire, who must reluctantly transform into her distractingly beautiful alter-ego Supermodel; superslacker Bobby Bolter, also known as The Blur; and their seemingly un-heroic back-office manager Shel Shapiro.
And that’s just the beginning of a story that quickly leaves the mall and becomes so sprawling and intertwined that it gives DC’s Silver and Bronze Ages a run for their money. It’s hard to believe just how much story Freedman manages to cram into 414 pages. But for all that, the narrative remains quick-paced and funny, breezily embracing every convoluted comic book trapping.
And though Mighty Mighty is a superhero satire at heart, Freedman uses it as a springboard to lampoon many other SF&F and Horror mainstays, turning it into a cheeky meta-wink to genre fans of all stripes. Because of this, Freedman’s Mighty Mighty joins the ranks of genre send-ups like The Venture Bros. and Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog. Its scathing eye is all encompassing, but every satirical tackle is grounded in genuine love and respect.
On a more basic level, Mighty Mighty is also filled with terrific characters that you can really care about and root for. Orville, Mindy and Shel are chief among them, but even ancillary players like The Indomitable Lugh and Lou Noble, America’s Greatest Dick, inspire a measure of sincerely whacky affection.
William Freedman’s Mighty Mighty is set in a world where super-powered people so common that laws have been passed to corral them into mundane occupations like TSA screeners and mall cops. Only one government-sanctioned super team remains: The Crusaders, led by Colonel America and compatriots like Pantagruel, The World’s Largest Human; his wife Midge (sort of a pixie); Christ the Son (just what he sounds like); and The Carbon Avenger, a once-human slab of malleable shale.
The Crusaders have had their hands full lately, thwarting evil voudon sorceress Maman Brigitte, The Incomprehensible Singh and other members of the American Malevolence Institute from compiling a full Malificium Deck (kind of like Magic: The Gathering cards which impart real powers) for nefarious purposes unknown.
But when Maman Brigitte and her minions descend on a collectible card shop in the Chesterfield Mall in St. Louis, the mall’s super contingent is forced to take up the fight: Orville Ortley—a.k.a. Mucus-Man; mild-mannered Mindy Maguire, who must reluctantly transform into her distractingly beautiful alter-ego Supermodel; superslacker Bobby Bolter, also known as The Blur; and their seemingly un-heroic back-office manager Shel Shapiro.
And that’s just the beginning of a story that quickly leaves the mall and becomes so sprawling and intertwined that it gives DC’s Silver and Bronze Ages a run for their money. It’s hard to believe just how much story Freedman manages to cram into 414 pages. But for all that, the narrative remains quick-paced and funny, breezily embracing every convoluted comic book trapping.
And though Mighty Mighty is a superhero satire at heart, Freedman uses it as a springboard to lampoon many other SF&F and Horror mainstays, turning it into a cheeky meta-wink to genre fans of all stripes. Because of this, Freedman’s Mighty Mighty joins the ranks of genre send-ups like The Venture Bros. and Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog. Its scathing eye is all encompassing, but every satirical tackle is grounded in genuine love and respect.
On a more basic level, Mighty Mighty is also filled with terrific characters that you can really care about and root for. Orville, Mindy and Shel are chief among them, but even ancillary players like The Indomitable Lugh and Lou Noble, America’s Greatest Dick, inspire a measure of sincerely whacky affection.
March 10, 2014
Did I read it? I wrote it. What do you think I'm going to tell you? "My baby's ugly!"
Subjective as my opinion is, I think I did a good job this time out. Isn't it worth $17 to tell me I'm full of shit?
Subjective as my opinion is, I think I did a good job this time out. Isn't it worth $17 to tell me I'm full of shit?
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews