Brain Boy

by Austin McConnell

Matt Price's life has always been a bit of a headache. Between hiding his telepathic powers and navigating the ups and downs of high school, things haven’t exactly been easy. But when a mysterious government agent crashes his prom night, Matt is thrust into a world of espionage and danger that makes high school drama look like a walk in the park.

Now, he's been recruited by the Office of Anomalous Affairs (OAA), a shadowy organization that sees his abilities as the perfect weapon. His first mission? Infiltrate an international chess tournament in a war-torn country and outsmart a deadly arms dealer who's fueling both sides of the conflict. With the clock ticking, Matt must master his powers, keep his cover, and figure out who he can trust—all while trying not to lose his head. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and one wrong move could mean game over—not just for Matt, but for the world.

Dive into a pulse-pounding adventure of espionage and action where Matt Price is all that stands between peace and chaos.

231 pages, Paperback

Published November 15, 2024

Reviews

[Eli Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely a huge step up for the Super-Zeroes universe. I found Spider-queen to be an enjoyable but by the books origin story, while this book is a more original and compelling adventure. The concept of the mission is exciting and unique, and the story, while not overly detailed, does feel very well realized in a way Spider-queen did not.

The 3rd act is where this book really shines, the telepathic battle is described very cinematically with some visuals that clearly come from the mind of a film maker. I do think the moral ambiguity of Price’s mission could have been explored a bit more, but I could also see that being a focal point of a sequel. I think this sets up perfectly for a Captain America: Winter Soldier esque sequel about disillusionment with “the cause.”

Over all this definitely amps up my excitement for the larger universe and I can already see the appeal of Brain Boy and Spider-queen sharing the page (or screen.) I also thought I caught a subtle reference to the overarching villain introduced in book 1 as well as several references to Kooba Cola… Fans of Austin Mcconell’s work will love this!

[Christopher Lutz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun read in the ever growing “Superzeroes” universe. This story might be better than The Spider Queen which was excellent as well. A public domain secret agent from the Cold War is modernized, bringing his telepathic skills to an international youth chess tournament in a war torn country. It works really well and is told in a very competent manner. Keep writing these and I’ll keep reading.

[Kenneth A Barras Jr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner from the Super Zeroes universe from McConnell. A well-written adventure yarn!

[Jethro Tull · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely better than Spider Queen but still mostly just a fun read.