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The Supervillainy Saga #4
The Science of Supervillainy
Gary Karkofsky a.k.a Merciless: The Supervillain without Mercy™ returns in the fourth volume of the popular Supervillainy Saga. Having discovered the world's greatest superhero slain by his doppelganger from another reality, Merciful: The Supervillain with Mercy ™, and the arrogant President Omega, Gary dedicates himself to overthrowing both. Unfortunately, this is harder than it looks since Merciful has all of Gary's genre savviness while President Omega has the entire brainwashed United States military behind him. In the end, though, there can be only one ruler of the world and two of these three feuding villains will have to go.
Audible Audio
First published April 1, 2017
60 people are currently reading
250 people want to read
About the author
C.T. Phipps
93 books675 followersC.T Phipps is a lifelong student of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. An avid tabletop gamer, he discovered this passion led him to write and turned him into a lifelong geek. He is a regular reviewer on Booknest.EU and for Grimdark Magazine.
He's written the Agent G series, Cthulhu Armageddon, the Red Room Trilogy, I Was A Teenaged Weredeer, Lucifer's Star, Psycho Killers in Love, Straight Outta Fangton, The Supervillainy Saga, and Wraith Knight.
Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blog...
Website: https://ctphipps.com/
C.T. Fanclub: https://www.facebook.com/groups/14917...
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ctphipps
He's written the Agent G series, Cthulhu Armageddon, the Red Room Trilogy, I Was A Teenaged Weredeer, Lucifer's Star, Psycho Killers in Love, Straight Outta Fangton, The Supervillainy Saga, and Wraith Knight.
Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blog...
Website: https://ctphipps.com/
C.T. Fanclub: https://www.facebook.com/groups/14917...
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ctphipps
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
February 11, 2018
The Science of Supervillainy
The Supervillainy Saga, Book 4
By: C. T. Phipps
Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
This is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary.
I love this series...I think they just get better and better. There isn't a paragraph that goes by that isn't full of snark, witty and clever comments (often I catch later on), and more that keep a smile on my face or bring out a giggle or two. The dialogue alone is worth it, so funny and hilarious. The descriptions of the characters, their names, (Evil McEvil Pants) but don't quote me but something like that, I was giggling at the time. This was an audible book after all. The crazy plot, only Phipps can think of such craziness. I enjoyed the whole book. I wish I had all of them in audible so I could listen to them just to unwind.
The narrator is perfect. It is hard to do comedy right and this narrator is spot on! The lines are done so the comedy comes out as they should! Funny, sly, witty, and with just a bit of snark but not enough to be annoying. Great performance and perfect audible book!
The Supervillainy Saga, Book 4
By: C. T. Phipps
Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
This is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary.
I love this series...I think they just get better and better. There isn't a paragraph that goes by that isn't full of snark, witty and clever comments (often I catch later on), and more that keep a smile on my face or bring out a giggle or two. The dialogue alone is worth it, so funny and hilarious. The descriptions of the characters, their names, (Evil McEvil Pants) but don't quote me but something like that, I was giggling at the time. This was an audible book after all. The crazy plot, only Phipps can think of such craziness. I enjoyed the whole book. I wish I had all of them in audible so I could listen to them just to unwind.
The narrator is perfect. It is hard to do comedy right and this narrator is spot on! The lines are done so the comedy comes out as they should! Funny, sly, witty, and with just a bit of snark but not enough to be annoying. Great performance and perfect audible book!
February 28, 2019
This fourth instalment of The Supervillainy Saga did not disappoint. It was packed full of all the action, humor, and crazy super powered happenings that we have come to expect from the series! As hilarious as this series is it also has some dark and cynical moments that offers balance to the story.
Gary Karkofsky a.k.a Merciless: The Supervillain without Mercy has his hands full this time. The worlds greatest superhero has been slain and someone else needs to step into the void and save the world from evil President Omega and his henchmen. To make matters worse the Omega regime is being propped up Merciful: The Supervillain with Mercy, Gary's even eviller doppelgänger from another universe.
As always the story was a ton of fun. There was a good balance of humour and drama and Gary is an easy character to like despite his imperfections. He is also backed up by a whole cast of fun secondary characters. The stand out secondary characters in this one for me were Mindy, Mandy, and Cloak.
The battle against Merciful and Omega was exciting stuff but if I have a moan about anything it is the way things are developing in Gary's love life. I was not keen on the developments with Cindy in the third book and developments in this fourth instalment have only made things even worse!
All in all I did enjoy this and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
Rating: 4 stars
Audio Note: Jeffrey Kafer is the perfect narrator for this series. He is good at most things and really gets the tone of the story.
Reread Update: Just as fun the second time around. I think this time I liked the idea of the three kids a lot better!
Gary Karkofsky a.k.a Merciless: The Supervillain without Mercy has his hands full this time. The worlds greatest superhero has been slain and someone else needs to step into the void and save the world from evil President Omega and his henchmen. To make matters worse the Omega regime is being propped up Merciful: The Supervillain with Mercy, Gary's even eviller doppelgänger from another universe.
As always the story was a ton of fun. There was a good balance of humour and drama and Gary is an easy character to like despite his imperfections. He is also backed up by a whole cast of fun secondary characters. The stand out secondary characters in this one for me were Mindy, Mandy, and Cloak.
The battle against Merciful and Omega was exciting stuff but if I have a moan about anything it is the way things are developing in Gary's love life. I was not keen on the developments with Cindy in the third book and developments in this fourth instalment have only made things even worse!
All in all I did enjoy this and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
Rating: 4 stars
Audio Note: Jeffrey Kafer is the perfect narrator for this series. He is good at most things and really gets the tone of the story.
Reread Update: Just as fun the second time around. I think this time I liked the idea of the three kids a lot better!
June 18, 2018
Review originally posted at BooksOfMyHeart.net.
I really love Gary, aka Merciless, the Supervillain Without Mercy™. He wants to be a supervillain so bad he can taste it, but he always seems to be on the side of good in the end (even if he might not have the “superhero” way of getting there).
In The Science of Supervillany, he wakes up in a world where everyone is being drugged into a happy state by Other Gary, aka Merciful. Other Gary is Gary’s doppelganger from another dimension. He is making the world a more peaceful place by taking away free will of the citizens.
This Supervillainy Saga series has been a lot of fun from the beginning. I love this world he’s built where superheroes and supervillains are a daily thing. The characters are a lot of fun. There are some of the craziest supervillains, like The Typewriter, Icecream Man and President Omega. There are also some fun superheroes, Ultragoddess and Nightgirl. There is also Gary’s sidekicks, Cindy Wakowski aka Red Riding Hood and Diabloman. There is also Cloak, which is the cloak that gives Gary his supervillain powers, but is also sentient and has all the knowledge learned from previous wearers, including superhero,The Nightwalker. Cloak talks to Gary in his head and acts a bit like an angel on his shoulder and conscience. Last but not least, Mandy Karkofsky, Gary’s wife.
These characters are what really makes this series fun for me. I’ve really enjoyed watching them grow as characters. I love how they want to be villains, but just can’t seem to do what is best for mankind. I’m a big character driven reader, so I love it when an author really makes me care for characters, even if they are sentient objects like Cloak.
I don’t want to go into this story too much, to avoid spoilers for previous books. Just know this story seems to wrap up the story arc as the final battle finally happens. While, there was some sadness with the ending, I think it was very fitting for the series. I was happy with how it all wrapped up.
This is a fun series full of pop culture references, especially for the nerds out there like me. There are some references I didn’t get, but I got most of them. I think most people who’ve grown up with Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and the other classics of nerdom will enjoy all the lines that reference these stories.
If you want to try this series, do start with book one, The Rules of Supervillainy, and read in consecutive order or you will be completely lost.
Narration
Jeffrey Kafer continues to do a great job with the narration of this series. He really brings out the humor in these stories. He’s great with male and female characters. And his pace and tone are perfect for this series. I highly recommend people to checkout his work, if you’ve never listened to him before.
I really love Gary, aka Merciless, the Supervillain Without Mercy™. He wants to be a supervillain so bad he can taste it, but he always seems to be on the side of good in the end (even if he might not have the “superhero” way of getting there).
In The Science of Supervillany, he wakes up in a world where everyone is being drugged into a happy state by Other Gary, aka Merciful. Other Gary is Gary’s doppelganger from another dimension. He is making the world a more peaceful place by taking away free will of the citizens.
This Supervillainy Saga series has been a lot of fun from the beginning. I love this world he’s built where superheroes and supervillains are a daily thing. The characters are a lot of fun. There are some of the craziest supervillains, like The Typewriter, Icecream Man and President Omega. There are also some fun superheroes, Ultragoddess and Nightgirl. There is also Gary’s sidekicks, Cindy Wakowski aka Red Riding Hood and Diabloman. There is also Cloak, which is the cloak that gives Gary his supervillain powers, but is also sentient and has all the knowledge learned from previous wearers, including superhero,The Nightwalker. Cloak talks to Gary in his head and acts a bit like an angel on his shoulder and conscience. Last but not least, Mandy Karkofsky, Gary’s wife.
These characters are what really makes this series fun for me. I’ve really enjoyed watching them grow as characters. I love how they want to be villains, but just can’t seem to do what is best for mankind. I’m a big character driven reader, so I love it when an author really makes me care for characters, even if they are sentient objects like Cloak.
I don’t want to go into this story too much, to avoid spoilers for previous books. Just know this story seems to wrap up the story arc as the final battle finally happens. While, there was some sadness with the ending, I think it was very fitting for the series. I was happy with how it all wrapped up.
This is a fun series full of pop culture references, especially for the nerds out there like me. There are some references I didn’t get, but I got most of them. I think most people who’ve grown up with Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and the other classics of nerdom will enjoy all the lines that reference these stories.
If you want to try this series, do start with book one, The Rules of Supervillainy, and read in consecutive order or you will be completely lost.
Narration
Jeffrey Kafer continues to do a great job with the narration of this series. He really brings out the humor in these stories. He’s great with male and female characters. And his pace and tone are perfect for this series. I highly recommend people to checkout his work, if you’ve never listened to him before.
May 31, 2017
Note: This is Book 4 in the series and it works best if you have read the previous books.
Gary Karkofsky, a professional supervillain, is up against some serious foes. President Omega has brainwashed the mighty USA military while Gary’s doppelganger from another reality has all of Gary’s abilities and most of his knowledge. Gary, aka Merciless: The Supervillain Without Mercy, might have to do the unthinkable. He might have to become that thing he dreads most: a hero.
The gang’s all back and for some of them, we get a bonus copy. For ease, the doppelganger Gary from another reality will be called Other Gary. This book was just as much fun as the previous books in the series, though I feel it has a touch more seriousness (which I liked). Gary is still popping off one-liners, there’s plenty of Star Wars references, and the crazy supervillain outfits & names continue to be amusing. Also, if you’re a Phipps fan, you might catch a few references to his other series here and there.
Mandy, Gary’s vampire wife, has a lot of great lines in this book. Several of the characters make references to adult relationships that don’t fit the standard married couple routine. Mandy’s extended life and need for blood has given her an extra spin on such relationships and I have to wonder where Mandy and Gary will take their relationship from here. Is there a harem in the future? Maybe….
Both El Diablo Man and Cloak have some serious chats with Gary. There’s a few points in this tale where things get a little heavy. Take for instance young Gizmo. She’s definitely going to need a parent around. Also, Phipps kills off a favorite character of mine (though I do hold a secret hope that this character will return in some sort of form).
Some of my favorite scenes were actually in the first part of the book. Gary and Mandy are being held in a warped prison where they and everyone else there are under this mindcontrol. It’s a cruel version of happy home-makers from the 1950s, complete with period outfits and enforced gender roles. Mandy has some great lines about blood and mayhem said in the sweetest happy significant other voice. Luckily, Night Girl comes along and helps them escape but it’s at a cost.
All around, it’s another great addition to the series. I like the few scenes that bend toward seriousness. It bodes of bigger things to come for Gary. Bigger things that may very well squish him.
I received a free copy of this book.
The Narration: Jeffrey Kafer Is just great at this series. His enjoyment of these characters comes through in his performance. He makes a great Gary/Other Gary and I love his snarky voice for Cindy. He’s great at pulling off all the humor while also making the characters sound very concerned when they come up against a worthy foe.
Gary Karkofsky, a professional supervillain, is up against some serious foes. President Omega has brainwashed the mighty USA military while Gary’s doppelganger from another reality has all of Gary’s abilities and most of his knowledge. Gary, aka Merciless: The Supervillain Without Mercy, might have to do the unthinkable. He might have to become that thing he dreads most: a hero.
The gang’s all back and for some of them, we get a bonus copy. For ease, the doppelganger Gary from another reality will be called Other Gary. This book was just as much fun as the previous books in the series, though I feel it has a touch more seriousness (which I liked). Gary is still popping off one-liners, there’s plenty of Star Wars references, and the crazy supervillain outfits & names continue to be amusing. Also, if you’re a Phipps fan, you might catch a few references to his other series here and there.
Mandy, Gary’s vampire wife, has a lot of great lines in this book. Several of the characters make references to adult relationships that don’t fit the standard married couple routine. Mandy’s extended life and need for blood has given her an extra spin on such relationships and I have to wonder where Mandy and Gary will take their relationship from here. Is there a harem in the future? Maybe….
Both El Diablo Man and Cloak have some serious chats with Gary. There’s a few points in this tale where things get a little heavy. Take for instance young Gizmo. She’s definitely going to need a parent around. Also, Phipps kills off a favorite character of mine (though I do hold a secret hope that this character will return in some sort of form).
Some of my favorite scenes were actually in the first part of the book. Gary and Mandy are being held in a warped prison where they and everyone else there are under this mindcontrol. It’s a cruel version of happy home-makers from the 1950s, complete with period outfits and enforced gender roles. Mandy has some great lines about blood and mayhem said in the sweetest happy significant other voice. Luckily, Night Girl comes along and helps them escape but it’s at a cost.
All around, it’s another great addition to the series. I like the few scenes that bend toward seriousness. It bodes of bigger things to come for Gary. Bigger things that may very well squish him.
I received a free copy of this book.
The Narration: Jeffrey Kafer Is just great at this series. His enjoyment of these characters comes through in his performance. He makes a great Gary/Other Gary and I love his snarky voice for Cindy. He’s great at pulling off all the humor while also making the characters sound very concerned when they come up against a worthy foe.
March 6, 2018
Damn! I realized that I forgot to review this...
This is an enjoyable series: fun characters, nice references and allusions to pop culture and historical events, and interesting interplay between pro- and antagonists. There were some very minor incongruities concerning character descriptions (initial description of antagonist Gary) and timeline origins (century from which President Omega was from)--NOTE: I only noticed because I read Book III and IV back to back. However, they did not at all distract from the pacing of the book or the enjoyment of it.
I look forward to more books from this series. And will start adding more books from Phipps on my "want to read" list!
This is an enjoyable series: fun characters, nice references and allusions to pop culture and historical events, and interesting interplay between pro- and antagonists. There were some very minor incongruities concerning character descriptions (initial description of antagonist Gary) and timeline origins (century from which President Omega was from)--NOTE: I only noticed because I read Book III and IV back to back. However, they did not at all distract from the pacing of the book or the enjoyment of it.
I look forward to more books from this series. And will start adding more books from Phipps on my "want to read" list!
July 14, 2020
Not sure why, but I wasn't able to maintain my attention on this one. It could have been partly due to my frame of mind at the time, the fact I was driving during most of it, or the time travel just threw me. Still a great listen. Gary is really put to the test when he has to fight an alternate version of himself that is not only significantly more self-righteous in his evil (which bad...badder? Gary thinks is being the good guy) but alternate Gary is a lot more powerful, and good...ish Gary is finding himself on the losing end of a butt-whooping more often than not. However, Gary is determined to make sure evil but not too evil triumphs over good that is really very very evil!
March 15, 2020
Much like the first and second books, this book and the third book seem like they were meant to be two parts of the same book. The crazy is turned up to 11 where it should be for a story like this. And there are a lot of small continuity errors throughout these books, and I can't tell if they're genuine errors, or if they're a satire of the comics industry's "meh whatever" attitude toward continuity errors and retcons.
April 15, 2017
Interesting but it seems author is over doing the pop culture references. They have been in all books but this time it seems a little forced.
June 12, 2017
Gary, aka Merciless, has woken up in a community of brainwashed people but with the help of Nightgirl he escapes. Other Gary is using his powers to rule Gary's home place. It's, once again, up to Merciless and cohorts to save the world, but by doing so they may have to become something they never wanted to be!!
OK so this is book 4 and by now you would think that the story has slowed down and become stagnant, but not so!! This is just as fast paced and entertaining as the other ones. It's also a little darker and a little more serious, but still has the wit and geekiness that I've come to expect from these books. The writing flows well and the story is exciting, intriguing and as well written as ever.
The characters that we've come to love are all present here, plus we get a new addition that you just know is going to be amazing!!! Gizmo has all the traits of her mom and dad and I loved her character. I can't wait to see what she will be like.
It's getting hard to write reviews for this series because I feel like I'm repeating everything I've said before!! I love this series and this author and highly recommend everything he writes. Can't wait for the next one.
Jeffrey Kafer is one of the best in the business. He makes for a perfect Merciless because he can bring across his snarky manner perfectly and has a strong grasp on using the right inflection at the right time. Brilliant.
OK so this is book 4 and by now you would think that the story has slowed down and become stagnant, but not so!! This is just as fast paced and entertaining as the other ones. It's also a little darker and a little more serious, but still has the wit and geekiness that I've come to expect from these books. The writing flows well and the story is exciting, intriguing and as well written as ever.
The characters that we've come to love are all present here, plus we get a new addition that you just know is going to be amazing!!! Gizmo has all the traits of her mom and dad and I loved her character. I can't wait to see what she will be like.
It's getting hard to write reviews for this series because I feel like I'm repeating everything I've said before!! I love this series and this author and highly recommend everything he writes. Can't wait for the next one.
Jeffrey Kafer is one of the best in the business. He makes for a perfect Merciless because he can bring across his snarky manner perfectly and has a strong grasp on using the right inflection at the right time. Brilliant.
April 19, 2017
My original The Science of Supervillainy audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
Gary, aka Merciless, the Supervillain Without Mercy™ wakes up and finds himself in a community of brainwashed people. With the help of Nightgirl he escapes. Other Gary, aka Merciful from another now destroyed dimension is using brainwashing techniques to make everyone happy and delighted with his dictatorship and his harnessing all the power for his evilness. Merciless and his hench-people must save their world yet one more time. Merciless is due for a change – in himself – but is he ready for it? Are the people around him ready for it? Regardless, Other Gary is not going down without a fight and there are a lot of surprises for both!
C.T. Phipps once again brings life to the supervillain and superhero worlds. In his sardonic wit, he connects his readers through his characters, their traits albeit some are really skewed a tad bit … or a lot. They are relatable and fun; even traits the Other Gary exhibit are ones we can relate to in a fundamental way. Throw in the pop culture references of Star Wars, Star Trek and more, one’s trip throughout the world of Supervillainy is fun, engaging and downright entertaining.
The dialog is awesome and flows even though at any minute you expect someone to slap Merciless silly with all his pop culture references and seemingly half-witted references that only the characters do not get but the readers do. But that is what makes the book fun!
Phipps writing style is fun, full of energy and intriguing. I enjoyed Gizmo (a reference to Gremlins I am sure!) and her abilities and her new relationship with her father. I thought the way Other Gary learned his lessons were poignant and reflective. Phipps uses characters and their flaws to show us our own flaws. Very well done! Plus, it helps that he is a wonderful story-teller.
Jeffrey Kafer is a wonderful narrator. His commanding voice and ability to roll the sardonic witty comments from his tongue were amazingly delivered. Between the Phipps and Kafer, one cannot help but enjoy the books!
If you enjoy comic books, action heroes and villains, fun and downright zaniness, these this book is for you. If you are a curmudgeon, who thinks fun is evil and has no life read it anyway - it's fun!
There were no issues with the audio production or quality of this book.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
Gary, aka Merciless, the Supervillain Without Mercy™ wakes up and finds himself in a community of brainwashed people. With the help of Nightgirl he escapes. Other Gary, aka Merciful from another now destroyed dimension is using brainwashing techniques to make everyone happy and delighted with his dictatorship and his harnessing all the power for his evilness. Merciless and his hench-people must save their world yet one more time. Merciless is due for a change – in himself – but is he ready for it? Are the people around him ready for it? Regardless, Other Gary is not going down without a fight and there are a lot of surprises for both!
C.T. Phipps once again brings life to the supervillain and superhero worlds. In his sardonic wit, he connects his readers through his characters, their traits albeit some are really skewed a tad bit … or a lot. They are relatable and fun; even traits the Other Gary exhibit are ones we can relate to in a fundamental way. Throw in the pop culture references of Star Wars, Star Trek and more, one’s trip throughout the world of Supervillainy is fun, engaging and downright entertaining.
The dialog is awesome and flows even though at any minute you expect someone to slap Merciless silly with all his pop culture references and seemingly half-witted references that only the characters do not get but the readers do. But that is what makes the book fun!
Phipps writing style is fun, full of energy and intriguing. I enjoyed Gizmo (a reference to Gremlins I am sure!) and her abilities and her new relationship with her father. I thought the way Other Gary learned his lessons were poignant and reflective. Phipps uses characters and their flaws to show us our own flaws. Very well done! Plus, it helps that he is a wonderful story-teller.
Jeffrey Kafer is a wonderful narrator. His commanding voice and ability to roll the sardonic witty comments from his tongue were amazingly delivered. Between the Phipps and Kafer, one cannot help but enjoy the books!
If you enjoy comic books, action heroes and villains, fun and downright zaniness, these this book is for you. If you are a curmudgeon, who thinks fun is evil and has no life read it anyway - it's fun!
There were no issues with the audio production or quality of this book.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
June 25, 2017
*I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.
Gary aka Merciless may have stopped President Omega (for now?) but he still has Other Gary to tend to. After his imprisonment by Other Gary, Gary returns to Falconcrest to find Other Gary has taken Gary's name and turned the city into a wonder, run by a superhero. Gary must now overthrow Other Gary to get things to return to normal.
Jeffrey is a treat to listen to. In this book, he made me laugh out. What did he do? He did a villain's laugh for Gary. Yes, a laugh laugh not just telling me the words describing the laugh. It was awesome! These are the little things narrators do that catch my ears and draw me in. I wonder how many times Jeffrey had to speak the tongue twister sections, as they are perfect in the audiobook.
I'm so excited to get back into this world. Gary is kicking it strong with his references in this book. C.T. has weighted the book heavily with these cool nods to all sorts of memories of shows, comics, and so much more. All hit home as soon as I hear them, and make me smile at the memory and joke. So many references to the shows, comics, and more are in comment, actions, and title.
Gary's colorful look on events and life makes this book a joy to listen to. If you enjoyed Gary's perspective on events and life, you'll continue to enjoy this book. He really believes what he thinks, whether it's true or not. When he's wrong his friends point it out and he plays it off. He never thinks back to it and rolls with it. It's a hoot.
I love the twist to good and evil and live and death interpretation on things done in this book. It's a fun twist authors enjoy playing with, and C.T. has the ground work in place to do that with Gary and Other Gary.
Gary keeps friends and loved ones near and dear. Gary loves his wife, Mandy, so deeply. He is so caught on her, and it's great. He's not stalkerish, he's just full of heart or heartbroken or... well, he always wants the best for Mandy and hopes to have his relationship back. Gary meets a very special little one. The communication and conversations with the little one is cute and fun. I love the references to cartoons.
We get a lot of family (blood and picked) time. Gary was imprisoned in a town for five years and has a lot to catch up on. We do, and learn what happened with Other Gary in their town.
Just when I think things are going to become as I expect, C.T. throws in a surprise. I just never know what's going to happen or appear in a scene. Sure, I can guess and let my mind run wild, but then I miss something! lol.
Gary gets sidetracked so easily! lol. It's funny how this mans brain works. We have a goal, to stop Other Gary. But we get waylaid with family and friends along the way because things are different after five years imprisoned in Undertown, living the 1950's life style. At times I almost forgot what the end goal was with all we talked through with family/friends. This story's focus feels to be more on family, those we create by blood and more.
Gary aka Merciless may have stopped President Omega (for now?) but he still has Other Gary to tend to. After his imprisonment by Other Gary, Gary returns to Falconcrest to find Other Gary has taken Gary's name and turned the city into a wonder, run by a superhero. Gary must now overthrow Other Gary to get things to return to normal.
Jeffrey is a treat to listen to. In this book, he made me laugh out. What did he do? He did a villain's laugh for Gary. Yes, a laugh laugh not just telling me the words describing the laugh. It was awesome! These are the little things narrators do that catch my ears and draw me in. I wonder how many times Jeffrey had to speak the tongue twister sections, as they are perfect in the audiobook.
I'm so excited to get back into this world. Gary is kicking it strong with his references in this book. C.T. has weighted the book heavily with these cool nods to all sorts of memories of shows, comics, and so much more. All hit home as soon as I hear them, and make me smile at the memory and joke. So many references to the shows, comics, and more are in comment, actions, and title.
Gary's colorful look on events and life makes this book a joy to listen to. If you enjoyed Gary's perspective on events and life, you'll continue to enjoy this book. He really believes what he thinks, whether it's true or not. When he's wrong his friends point it out and he plays it off. He never thinks back to it and rolls with it. It's a hoot.
I love the twist to good and evil and live and death interpretation on things done in this book. It's a fun twist authors enjoy playing with, and C.T. has the ground work in place to do that with Gary and Other Gary.
Gary keeps friends and loved ones near and dear. Gary loves his wife, Mandy, so deeply. He is so caught on her, and it's great. He's not stalkerish, he's just full of heart or heartbroken or... well, he always wants the best for Mandy and hopes to have his relationship back. Gary meets a very special little one. The communication and conversations with the little one is cute and fun. I love the references to cartoons.
We get a lot of family (blood and picked) time. Gary was imprisoned in a town for five years and has a lot to catch up on. We do, and learn what happened with Other Gary in their town.
Just when I think things are going to become as I expect, C.T. throws in a surprise. I just never know what's going to happen or appear in a scene. Sure, I can guess and let my mind run wild, but then I miss something! lol.
Gary gets sidetracked so easily! lol. It's funny how this mans brain works. We have a goal, to stop Other Gary. But we get waylaid with family and friends along the way because things are different after five years imprisoned in Undertown, living the 1950's life style. At times I almost forgot what the end goal was with all we talked through with family/friends. This story's focus feels to be more on family, those we create by blood and more.
April 23, 2017
It seems that these books move farther and farther from what i loved in the first book - namely, the interaction between the protagonist and the established heroes who functioned like in DC Comics. The farther we walked from that gray vs. black and white of the silver age, the less interesting the books seem to turn.
I love the concept of Other Gary, and I think the author did the right call to concentrate on him and his, but he alone can't support the whole story. You need something more relatable to the side, and it doesn't work if the whole society is an extension of the villain. It felt to me that sacrificing the world status quo so early in the books led to a situation where anything new must be only thinly sketched, because the style of the books doesn't really seem to handle world building in the middle, causing the world and it's damage to not have any emotional impact. For example, Undercity never opened to me outside the kitchen where the food burned in the oven, yet we're told that by escaping that place thousands of political prisoners died. This doesn't feel at all because we never met any of them, and when Other Gary later claims that Merciless could have turned the place into his private heaven, that doesn't really carry either.
The whole book is full of similar problems.
As such, I start to be afraid that this series is past its best before date and should perhaps be laid to rest - at least by me.
I love the concept of Other Gary, and I think the author did the right call to concentrate on him and his, but he alone can't support the whole story. You need something more relatable to the side, and it doesn't work if the whole society is an extension of the villain. It felt to me that sacrificing the world status quo so early in the books led to a situation where anything new must be only thinly sketched, because the style of the books doesn't really seem to handle world building in the middle, causing the world and it's damage to not have any emotional impact. For example, Undercity never opened to me outside the kitchen where the food burned in the oven, yet we're told that by escaping that place thousands of political prisoners died. This doesn't feel at all because we never met any of them, and when Other Gary later claims that Merciless could have turned the place into his private heaven, that doesn't really carry either.
The whole book is full of similar problems.
As such, I start to be afraid that this series is past its best before date and should perhaps be laid to rest - at least by me.
April 19, 2017
I have a serious love for funny superhero/villain fiction and this book delivers.
Gary escapes from a hellish prison and teams up with his super family to take down his Evil doppelganger. Action and comedy is the result. Gary, AKA: Merciless: The Supervillain without Mercy™, juggles family and friends while battling an uber-powered version of himself. But even when he is completely down, he never stops quipping. He jokes, snarks, and pops every pop-culture concept that pops in his head...and he wins. Why? Because at the end of the day, he knows what it takes to win in a comic book Universe. You have to know the rules and the tropes to succeed. You have to know the enemy is never really dead, (Thanks, Die Hard!), and that with great power comes great responsibility...wait, I think he forgot that one.
This is just a fun read in an equally fun series.
Gary escapes from a hellish prison and teams up with his super family to take down his Evil doppelganger. Action and comedy is the result. Gary, AKA: Merciless: The Supervillain without Mercy™, juggles family and friends while battling an uber-powered version of himself. But even when he is completely down, he never stops quipping. He jokes, snarks, and pops every pop-culture concept that pops in his head...and he wins. Why? Because at the end of the day, he knows what it takes to win in a comic book Universe. You have to know the rules and the tropes to succeed. You have to know the enemy is never really dead, (Thanks, Die Hard!), and that with great power comes great responsibility...wait, I think he forgot that one.
This is just a fun read in an equally fun series.
March 31, 2022
I really like this series. Phipps combines an incredibly in-depth understanding of the superhero genre with a light-hearted tone filled with geeky pop-culture references that simply makes the series a delight to read. This time, in the aftermath of last book’s titanic battle against a time-traveling foe who got himself elected to be president of the United States, Gary has to take on his most awesome opponent yet—himself. Yes, Gary has to battle a Gary from another universe who has centuries more experience than he has and who is absolutely wonderfully crazy.
Throw in that he’s been imprisoned by said bad guy for five years and that everything in his hometown has changed as a result—including his girlfriend giving birth to Gary’s daughter opening up a whole new range of superhero plotlines for Phipps to satirize. It doesn’t take a genius to see that this is going to be a ton of fun.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
Throw in that he’s been imprisoned by said bad guy for five years and that everything in his hometown has changed as a result—including his girlfriend giving birth to Gary’s daughter opening up a whole new range of superhero plotlines for Phipps to satirize. It doesn’t take a genius to see that this is going to be a ton of fun.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
July 8, 2018
Okay this one just had me confused. Not to the point where it was bad. To me it just seemed all over the place.
May 23, 2017
The Science of Supervillainy was my second favorite book in the series (Secrets is tough to beat), so far. It definitely leaves the door open for Merciless and his hench . . . er . . . people to return for another entry. I could describe it like the Princess Bride, it's got fighting, revenge, true love . . .
The books are starting to become a little more dependent, however. Meaning that in order to really enjoy them, you need to have read the rest of the series. They've definitely passed the point of being stand-alone novels and are now more of an episodal series. Nothing wrong with that--I love a good series--just be forewarned.
Merciless continues to evolve/mature as a character and is coming to grips as a villain with some heroic tendencies. I'm beginning to like him more.
Narrator Jeffrey Kafer is utterly dependable. He's very well-suited to the tone of the series and keeps me engaged throughout the performance.
***Full Disclosure: I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
The books are starting to become a little more dependent, however. Meaning that in order to really enjoy them, you need to have read the rest of the series. They've definitely passed the point of being stand-alone novels and are now more of an episodal series. Nothing wrong with that--I love a good series--just be forewarned.
Merciless continues to evolve/mature as a character and is coming to grips as a villain with some heroic tendencies. I'm beginning to like him more.
Narrator Jeffrey Kafer is utterly dependable. He's very well-suited to the tone of the series and keeps me engaged throughout the performance.
***Full Disclosure: I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
May 15, 2017
If you thought the other books were full of geek references then you've seen nothing yet!
Delightfully full of pop culture references both obscure and well known this installment in the Merciless saga has a more natural flow it and well have you smiling from ear to ear with every line you read /listen to.
Although a bit on the darker side this one was easily my fav. and I would highly recommend it... after reading the previous books, this is a cont. not a stand alone.
My one comment is that the audiobook is pretty short (6 hours), full of action, character development and progression though the credit, just wish there was more of it!
Delightfully full of pop culture references both obscure and well known this installment in the Merciless saga has a more natural flow it and well have you smiling from ear to ear with every line you read /listen to.
Although a bit on the darker side this one was easily my fav. and I would highly recommend it... after reading the previous books, this is a cont. not a stand alone.
My one comment is that the audiobook is pretty short (6 hours), full of action, character development and progression though the credit, just wish there was more of it!
October 3, 2017
Ultimately this series ran out of steam after the second book. The rest is a rehash of the same concepts and jokes. The characters are so repetitive that they become annoying to read. This started out so good, but regretfully dies like the movie version of the Lord of the Rings (I had to put a useless reference here to stay within the spirit of the book), or even worse, the movie AI (an even more obscure reference for the hardcore readers and the inner-joy of the author)
April 21, 2017
Much better than his previous book
I have been a fan of this series and loved books one and two. Three was lacking but he redeemed himself with this one.
I have been a fan of this series and loved books one and two. Three was lacking but he redeemed himself with this one.
May 12, 2017
This series has just made me smile at all of the absurdness. These days that is helpful. Hope there is more down the road.
May 9, 2017
The author really loves the inside jokes & geek/pop culture references, but it ended well enough.
May 28, 2017
The fun continues with Science!
There is still such a comic book feel that it’s hard to see each novel in the series as a novel instead of a comic book issue. The vivid word pictures help. I figure at least one more book… Hint, Hint… (Kingdom of Supervillainy) and there is more than enough to start the TV series. (BTW: Great cover as always Raf!)
Gary’s Story: Nope. Gary is not the whole story anymore. There are complicated relationships and complications upon those. We also get to “see” the return of a hero… sort of. Gary has more to worry about than just his wife and Hench people. Things open up for the reader to actually see Gary is not the shallow, trope-spouting lovable villain he puts forth. Of course, he’s suddenly had his vision of all existence changed by one small, little addition. Wondering what that is? Guess you’ll have to find out by actually reading it or hearing the fabulous Jeffery Kafer perform it for you.
At two points (maybe a few more), I was almost in tears; Once because I was laughing so hard and the other because of a situation that was so heart-warming. Once you read it (hear it), you will be able to tell exactly where those points were. One of the main reasons for this reaction is that we (the readers who have read all the previous books in the series up to this point), have grown fond of the characters.
Do you HAVE to read the other books in the series to enjoy this one? Nope. It helps, but it’s not required. As I mentioned before, this is done in very much a comic book style that has nice little recaps from the previous books, that keep the reader constantly up to date.
As a reader, I tend to spot things that are missing or left out, like, “how did such-n-such get from in front of the main character to suddenly behind them?” or “Wait? Does this character have 3 hands?” Did I spot much of this? Hell no! I was having too much fun!! Yes, it was fun and one of the fastest reads I’ve had in a while.
Reviewer Steve H. Caldwell has already stated the main character, Gary’s fondness for tropes from all sorts of pop culture. Gary hasn’t changed from that since his birth in “Rules of Supervillainy.” Phipps also makes several reference quotes from various other book series (including his own of “Cthuluh Armageddon,” “Esoterrorism,” “Agent G: Infiltrator,” “Wraith Knight” and “Straight Outta Fangton”) as well as some other authors (like Jim Bernheimer’s “D-List Supervillain” series) that just had me in tears (see mention above). You just have to know where to look!
I’m just miffed that Steve beat me to the punch on talking about this part. “All in all, one of my favorite listens this year. 6 stars!!” Bah! He tied up so many loose ends, Phipps should get an award for not pulling a Deus Ex Machina to solve the dilemmas. How many times can you save the whole dimension, let alone a single world? I say 7 Stars alone for pulling that off. If he would have added the setup for the next book in the series, I would have added a 21 gun salute!
What does it boil down to? A fast, enjoyable read that ties up the story arc from Other Gary and the Time Travelling Nazi from the Future, President Omega. It also clears up some relationship points, but, as Phipps is keen to do, throw a few more underlying hints about the next ‘issue’ to get us started thinking about what’s next in line for Gary’s exploits. Phipps also left us was a few dangling plot lines that will slide nicely into the next ‘issue.’
What’s next? A whole Kingdom of Supervillainy for Gary, aka Merciless, the Supervillain without MercyTM to play in. I know, not the best blurb, but I haven’t seen the real one yet.
The narration performed by Jeffrey Kafer was stunning as usual. Kafer gets his own stars for a job well done!
Do I recommend the book, audiobook, Kindle, mind-link download? Absolutely, you can’t start the series without getting the finishing touch to the story arc. If the next story arc follows the quality of this one, it deserves just as much praise. (When's the boxed set coming out?)
There is still such a comic book feel that it’s hard to see each novel in the series as a novel instead of a comic book issue. The vivid word pictures help. I figure at least one more book… Hint, Hint… (Kingdom of Supervillainy) and there is more than enough to start the TV series. (BTW: Great cover as always Raf!)
Gary’s Story: Nope. Gary is not the whole story anymore. There are complicated relationships and complications upon those. We also get to “see” the return of a hero… sort of. Gary has more to worry about than just his wife and Hench people. Things open up for the reader to actually see Gary is not the shallow, trope-spouting lovable villain he puts forth. Of course, he’s suddenly had his vision of all existence changed by one small, little addition. Wondering what that is? Guess you’ll have to find out by actually reading it or hearing the fabulous Jeffery Kafer perform it for you.
At two points (maybe a few more), I was almost in tears; Once because I was laughing so hard and the other because of a situation that was so heart-warming. Once you read it (hear it), you will be able to tell exactly where those points were. One of the main reasons for this reaction is that we (the readers who have read all the previous books in the series up to this point), have grown fond of the characters.
Do you HAVE to read the other books in the series to enjoy this one? Nope. It helps, but it’s not required. As I mentioned before, this is done in very much a comic book style that has nice little recaps from the previous books, that keep the reader constantly up to date.
As a reader, I tend to spot things that are missing or left out, like, “how did such-n-such get from in front of the main character to suddenly behind them?” or “Wait? Does this character have 3 hands?” Did I spot much of this? Hell no! I was having too much fun!! Yes, it was fun and one of the fastest reads I’ve had in a while.
Reviewer Steve H. Caldwell has already stated the main character, Gary’s fondness for tropes from all sorts of pop culture. Gary hasn’t changed from that since his birth in “Rules of Supervillainy.” Phipps also makes several reference quotes from various other book series (including his own of “Cthuluh Armageddon,” “Esoterrorism,” “Agent G: Infiltrator,” “Wraith Knight” and “Straight Outta Fangton”) as well as some other authors (like Jim Bernheimer’s “D-List Supervillain” series) that just had me in tears (see mention above). You just have to know where to look!
I’m just miffed that Steve beat me to the punch on talking about this part. “All in all, one of my favorite listens this year. 6 stars!!” Bah! He tied up so many loose ends, Phipps should get an award for not pulling a Deus Ex Machina to solve the dilemmas. How many times can you save the whole dimension, let alone a single world? I say 7 Stars alone for pulling that off. If he would have added the setup for the next book in the series, I would have added a 21 gun salute!
What does it boil down to? A fast, enjoyable read that ties up the story arc from Other Gary and the Time Travelling Nazi from the Future, President Omega. It also clears up some relationship points, but, as Phipps is keen to do, throw a few more underlying hints about the next ‘issue’ to get us started thinking about what’s next in line for Gary’s exploits. Phipps also left us was a few dangling plot lines that will slide nicely into the next ‘issue.’
What’s next? A whole Kingdom of Supervillainy for Gary, aka Merciless, the Supervillain without MercyTM to play in. I know, not the best blurb, but I haven’t seen the real one yet.
The narration performed by Jeffrey Kafer was stunning as usual. Kafer gets his own stars for a job well done!
Do I recommend the book, audiobook, Kindle, mind-link download? Absolutely, you can’t start the series without getting the finishing touch to the story arc. If the next story arc follows the quality of this one, it deserves just as much praise. (When's the boxed set coming out?)
September 18, 2018
The Supervillainy series by C.T. Phipps has been a guilty pleasure of mine for a few years now. Not only has Gary Karkofsky's antics as an accidentally successful supervillain just been an absolute pleasure to read, but the world environment, the unexpected twists, and the tongue-in-cheek references to pop-culture makes for an exciting and entertaining read.
The newest arrival to that series, The Science of Supervillainy, hits all of those notes in spades.
This book picks up directly where the last book left off. The Other Gary and President Omega are about to pull off their plan, but Gary and crew take care of it pretty quickly, until they don't. A time jump ahead and all of the old characters, a bunch of new characters, and a little girl with a super brain step up to help Gary save...err... I mean take over...err...well save first, and then take over? Whatever his plans, the world is in danger, and not his kind of danger. So it's up to him and his rough and tumble crew to step up and stop Other Gary from erasing them all from existence.
The Science of Supervillainy is filled with both comedic and dramatic moments that blend well together. Using both the dramatic and comedic is how Phipps illustrates, surprisingly well, the conflicts of being a supervillain with morals. Wanting to own and rule the world doesn't necessarily mean that you want the world to be a filled with bad types of people, and Gary most certainly wants to rule the world, but why can't he have his cake and eat it too?
Elements of this book I loved were the same as the previous titles. The cross-pollination from other worlds, time-travel, comedy, weirdly conceived relationships, and of course the pop-culture references help to make this a fun read. It works so well, and I look forward to the next installment.
The newest arrival to that series, The Science of Supervillainy, hits all of those notes in spades.
This book picks up directly where the last book left off. The Other Gary and President Omega are about to pull off their plan, but Gary and crew take care of it pretty quickly, until they don't. A time jump ahead and all of the old characters, a bunch of new characters, and a little girl with a super brain step up to help Gary save...err... I mean take over...err...well save first, and then take over? Whatever his plans, the world is in danger, and not his kind of danger. So it's up to him and his rough and tumble crew to step up and stop Other Gary from erasing them all from existence.
The Science of Supervillainy is filled with both comedic and dramatic moments that blend well together. Using both the dramatic and comedic is how Phipps illustrates, surprisingly well, the conflicts of being a supervillain with morals. Wanting to own and rule the world doesn't necessarily mean that you want the world to be a filled with bad types of people, and Gary most certainly wants to rule the world, but why can't he have his cake and eat it too?
Elements of this book I loved were the same as the previous titles. The cross-pollination from other worlds, time-travel, comedy, weirdly conceived relationships, and of course the pop-culture references help to make this a fun read. It works so well, and I look forward to the next installment.
April 2, 2019
See this and many more reviews on Brian's Book Blog
I Lied, Book Four Is My Favorite So Far
5 out of 5 stars
Sometimes when a series goes beyond three books what happens is that you start repeating ideas and even some of the snark and wittiness. That is not the case with book four of the Supervillainy Series.
Phipps is at it again this time introducing a doppelganger in Gary aka Merciless The Supervillain WITH Mercy. The fact that this is where this book went cracked me up. Let alone add in the humor that Phipps adds (and Kafer nails in the narration).
In my last review, I said that book four was my favorite but I might have to change my mind and say that the Science of Supervillainy is now my favorite. The dark and kind of moody feel to this book (without losing the charm, funny, and wit) really sets this one apart from the rest.
We have now spent quite a bit of time with Gary and I didn’t think there would be any surprises or new shocking things but in each book (and for some reason especially in this one) he keeps surprising me. Character development four books in for the same main character is shocking to me (in a good way). I love that Gary/Merciless continues to grow and allows me to like him even more as the books go on.
The addition of new characters, especially Gizmo also helped to make this my favorite so far. The reference to old school movies and the relationship really got me.
Something I haven’t pointed out yet in a review is how well Phipps writes dialogue. I guess that because I didn’t notice (meaning it’s done well) is probably why I haven’t pointed it out yet. But in all seriousness, the dialogue just flows from page to page, chapter to chapter, and book to book. He’s able to perfectly capture what a real conversation is like and make it feel like you’re just a fly on the wall. It’s a rare and great thing to have in a book. Phipps nails it.
Overall, as I said above, I believe that Science of Supervillainy is now my favorite book in this series. If you’ve loved the first three and also love witty banter, pop culture references, and antiheroes – then this book and series are for you.
I Lied, Book Four Is My Favorite So Far
5 out of 5 stars
Sometimes when a series goes beyond three books what happens is that you start repeating ideas and even some of the snark and wittiness. That is not the case with book four of the Supervillainy Series.
Phipps is at it again this time introducing a doppelganger in Gary aka Merciless The Supervillain WITH Mercy. The fact that this is where this book went cracked me up. Let alone add in the humor that Phipps adds (and Kafer nails in the narration).
In my last review, I said that book four was my favorite but I might have to change my mind and say that the Science of Supervillainy is now my favorite. The dark and kind of moody feel to this book (without losing the charm, funny, and wit) really sets this one apart from the rest.
We have now spent quite a bit of time with Gary and I didn’t think there would be any surprises or new shocking things but in each book (and for some reason especially in this one) he keeps surprising me. Character development four books in for the same main character is shocking to me (in a good way). I love that Gary/Merciless continues to grow and allows me to like him even more as the books go on.
The addition of new characters, especially Gizmo also helped to make this my favorite so far. The reference to old school movies and the relationship really got me.
Something I haven’t pointed out yet in a review is how well Phipps writes dialogue. I guess that because I didn’t notice (meaning it’s done well) is probably why I haven’t pointed it out yet. But in all seriousness, the dialogue just flows from page to page, chapter to chapter, and book to book. He’s able to perfectly capture what a real conversation is like and make it feel like you’re just a fly on the wall. It’s a rare and great thing to have in a book. Phipps nails it.
Overall, as I said above, I believe that Science of Supervillainy is now my favorite book in this series. If you’ve loved the first three and also love witty banter, pop culture references, and antiheroes – then this book and series are for you.
April 30, 2018
The Science of Supervillainy is a satisfying conclusion to C. T. Phipps' "Supervillainy Saga".
After being given the Night Cloak (by mistake--it was supposed to go to his wife) of a deceased superhero, Gary Karkovsky chucks his workaday world in a bid to become the world's greatest supervillain: Merciless, the Supervillain Without Mercy!
In previous volumes, Gary--er, Merciless--has faced down an eldritch incursion from the Elder Gods, an onslaught of Nazi robots, and a time-traveling, pissed off President of the United States (Gary accidentally stole a few billion dollars from him). Now comes his greatest challenge--himself.
It seems that in an alternate universe, Gary became the ultimate superhero and promptly went mad with power. Other Gary is immortal and possesses just about every superpower you can think of: telekenesis, telepathy, fire and ice powers, flight, and oh hey, he's the world's most powerful wizard, to boot. And now he's come to our universe to take this one over, too.
As with the other volumes, Phipps keeps the tone light even through some heavy events. He balances an enormous cast and gives them all unique points of view, along with taking the piss from comics, Dungeons and Dragons, SF tropes...pretty much the entirety of geek culture. In the midst of all this, the characters are pretty grounded: sidekick Diabloman has two kids that he dotes on; Gary's sister is carrying on hot and heavy with hero Mister Inventor; and Gary's former flame (and current hench-person) Cindy has come to terms with her crush on him. Now, if he can just do something about his wife's vampirism while staying a step ahead of Evil Gary...I give the shenanigans a solid B+.
After being given the Night Cloak (by mistake--it was supposed to go to his wife) of a deceased superhero, Gary Karkovsky chucks his workaday world in a bid to become the world's greatest supervillain: Merciless, the Supervillain Without Mercy!
In previous volumes, Gary--er, Merciless--has faced down an eldritch incursion from the Elder Gods, an onslaught of Nazi robots, and a time-traveling, pissed off President of the United States (Gary accidentally stole a few billion dollars from him). Now comes his greatest challenge--himself.
It seems that in an alternate universe, Gary became the ultimate superhero and promptly went mad with power. Other Gary is immortal and possesses just about every superpower you can think of: telekenesis, telepathy, fire and ice powers, flight, and oh hey, he's the world's most powerful wizard, to boot. And now he's come to our universe to take this one over, too.
As with the other volumes, Phipps keeps the tone light even through some heavy events. He balances an enormous cast and gives them all unique points of view, along with taking the piss from comics, Dungeons and Dragons, SF tropes...pretty much the entirety of geek culture. In the midst of all this, the characters are pretty grounded: sidekick Diabloman has two kids that he dotes on; Gary's sister is carrying on hot and heavy with hero Mister Inventor; and Gary's former flame (and current hench-person) Cindy has come to terms with her crush on him. Now, if he can just do something about his wife's vampirism while staying a step ahead of Evil Gary...I give the shenanigans a solid B+.
October 6, 2020
I enjoyed this fourth instalment to the supervillainy series. You have to have read or listened to the previous books to stand any chance of understanding what is happening and a good and wide range of tv or movie knowledge helps too. The snarky one lines and come back continues as an acclaimed super villain battles to save the ones he loves and his city, just so he can take it over at a later date. There is plenty of action and things blowing up and a number of twists that you didn't expect but will certainly have you starting the next book right away.
Gary a.k.a Merciless and cloak have to fight there biggest foe yet, Gary - a.k.a Merciful from another timeline. Merciful has changed the world as Gary knows it, after world war 3 and the only way to put it back to rights is to form a resistance army full of evil henchmen. Some will die and as long as it's not someone he cares about Gary will stop at nothing to see the end of his evil doppelganger, who is masking his intentions as good. Gary knows how other Gary thinks and knows that it might just be a battle to the death, unless he has learnt some new tricks. Who will come out on top? And at what cost?
I liked the narrator he does a wide range of voices that just sound right for the individual characters and helps being the story to life.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Gary a.k.a Merciless and cloak have to fight there biggest foe yet, Gary - a.k.a Merciful from another timeline. Merciful has changed the world as Gary knows it, after world war 3 and the only way to put it back to rights is to form a resistance army full of evil henchmen. Some will die and as long as it's not someone he cares about Gary will stop at nothing to see the end of his evil doppelganger, who is masking his intentions as good. Gary knows how other Gary thinks and knows that it might just be a battle to the death, unless he has learnt some new tricks. Who will come out on top? And at what cost?
I liked the narrator he does a wide range of voices that just sound right for the individual characters and helps being the story to life.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
May 26, 2017
for an alleged fan of the genre phipps does not seem to have put much love or effort into crafting this product.
Side note: a key to a good reference is to just do it and move on, people will get it or not but you should never stop to explain what you are referencing or have another character go "is not that from X" or "really, x?" This is also the reason why most people don't speak in references despite having
an extensive knowledge of pop culture. I think the highest level of reference would be when it actually fits the dialogue, like saying "come with me if you want to live" when a character actually needs to go with that character if they want to live.
Side note: a key to a good reference is to just do it and move on, people will get it or not but you should never stop to explain what you are referencing or have another character go "is not that from X" or "really, x?" This is also the reason why most people don't speak in references despite having
an extensive knowledge of pop culture. I think the highest level of reference would be when it actually fits the dialogue, like saying "come with me if you want to live" when a character actually needs to go with that character if they want to live.
August 7, 2019
Typical CT Phipps and concludes the saga that could have been ended in the previous novel. The previous ending felt more pause than end and this is more definitive and twisty.
It is a typically enjoyable fraught yarn and easily differs enough to drag the tale through a second book. In honesty the brief spin on Tolkien is worth the listen for hilarity value when bored senseless at work.
Expect another rollercoaster of nerdy pop culture with satirical spin on superheroes. A worthy addition to remedy Marvel overdose and DC disappointment.
There had to be an abandoned powerplant... it had been too long.
It is a typically enjoyable fraught yarn and easily differs enough to drag the tale through a second book. In honesty the brief spin on Tolkien is worth the listen for hilarity value when bored senseless at work.
Expect another rollercoaster of nerdy pop culture with satirical spin on superheroes. A worthy addition to remedy Marvel overdose and DC disappointment.
There had to be an abandoned powerplant... it had been too long.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2017
It was as exciting and fun as the previous books. The end of the main story arc felt good, but I'm not sure I want an endless stream of Supervillainy books (despite all it's references to being like a comic book). The descriptions of the girls in Gary's life are repetitive and often the book feels like it's written based on a teenage fantasy but with a (mostly) traditional angle on relationships. Things are a bit too perfect and up to this book that felt ok as it was explained in-world, but in this book it starts to get repetitive and predictable (especially as the main arc finished).
August 8, 2018
The previous book was mostly filled with action and fighting the craziest battle of mankind. The Science of Supervillainy has a different focus. There is more character development for Cindy, Mandy, Diablo Man and most of the other side characters, as well as for Gary. Duh. This is one of the traits I had missed in the previous book.
Read the full review at my blog.
Read the full review at my blog.
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