The Astounding Antagonists

by Rafael Chandler

Dr. Agon, a megalomaniacal inventor with an arsenal of lethal gadgets. Motley, a wisecracking jewel thief with nothing left to lose. Chillpill, a cryogenic drug lord who just wants a normal life. Baelphegor, a demonic psychopath with an ugly score to settle.
They're the most dangerous supervillains on Earth, and they're about to pull off the perfect crime. There's just one catch: if they succeed, they might accidentally save the world.
From the skyscrapers of Apex City to the gates of Hell itself, the Antagonists are pursued by violent superheroes and billionaire vigilantes. But as loyalties are tested and old hatreds are rekindled, the line between friend and foe begins to blur...

Genres: Superheroes, Fiction, Science Fiction

390 pages, Paperback

First published October 19, 2014

About the author

Rafael Chandler writes novels (The Astounding Antagonists, Hexcommunicated), video games (SOCOM 4, Rainbow Six: Lockdown), and tabletop role-playing games (ViewScream, Pandemonio). He's a metalhead, kaijuphile, gamer, and gorehound.

Reviews

[Liis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t you just love it when you discover a shining gem of a book? I do! The Astounding Antagonists is a fantastic read. It’s a supervillain/hero novel and there’s probably nothing that a hardcore superhero fan wouldn’t expect BUT Rafael Chandler has a knack for creating top-notch characters and flowing dialogue and action, guaranteed to win the reader over.

25 years ago, the Prisms, which turned normal people into superbeings, had landed all over the world. Now, Verdict, Facet, and BioTech spent millions tracking the remaining Prisms down and bringing them back to the USA. A monopoly on heroism.

The blurb gave me the rundown of the main characters in the book, but it didn’t prepare me for how much I was going to enjoy each and every one of them. I really came to like these supervillains for their distinct voice and sense of humour (or in some cases the lack thereof). Motley was probably my favourite- a 40+ nimble thief, she could crack some serious wit and I found myself cackling on numerous occasions. Admit it, nothing beats a book that is peppered with a good dose of humour.

Truly, just take my word- the supervillains are awesome! What makes them even more joyful to follow in this novel is the fact how they still have their past, they still have their specific brand of moral code and more importantly, they had that important and valid internal conflict, each of them, which at times made them act in a surprising way.

Take Baelphegor for example, he’s like one of the most horrible supervillains out there. Putrid is the word, in fact, with which people describe him and his actions and yet he made me go ‘awwww!’ on a couple of occasions. Seriously! Mindbender…

And Dr Agon, this super brainy inventor who has nothing but his gadgets to fight the superheroes, is literally socially and emotionally inept and yet he LOVES his partner Gideon and he maybe, in a way, allows Helen Damnation to draw the moral lines in the sand which they will NOT cross as they take the fight right to the superheroes door.

Speaking of Helen Damnation! Wow… Yes to this character! A hundred times yes! And I am so sorry but I will not want to say anything at all about her, because you need to READ her to love her! I loved her. Everything about her. So hard! Her background, her strawberry smell, her looks and even the way she spoke. #girlcrush

Now come on, let’s go into outer space and fuck everything up like a couple of supervillains. When we’re finished, they’ll have to invent a bunch of new laws just to figure out all the crimes we committed.

The plot of this book is *boom*… there’s a whole ton happening and all of it wrapped in plenty of action. Truly, the overarching mission of the book which counts the reader down to the ultimate face-off in between supervillains and superheroes with the supporting side stories themed around love and friendship kept me amused from start finish. It was rich! In so many possible ways… And guys, when the line in between who was actually good or bad started to blur, I was even more invested!

Can you tell that I really enjoyed this book? 😀 It’s a bleeding gem of a read, oozing all sorts of cool and high tech! The entertaining, purposeful dialogue and the sass that the author managed to surprise at the most perfect moments coupled with concise action scenes seriously tingled my bookworm tastebuds. I highlighted so many, so many-many dialogue exchanges in this book I wish I could share with you because they are just so entertaining, but I can’t. I do not want to take away the element of discovery from you.

All I can say is this- if you like stories with superheroes and supervillains then this novel is simply one not to miss. I swear you will regret it if you won’t read it. To those of you who read Rafael’s Mask Beneath Her Face– remember how entertaining it was and what the characters were like? Well, you will receive the same courtesy in The Astounding Antagonists– a solid, solid, solid novel!

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

I'm always in the market for good superhero novels. I don't remember when or why I picked up The Astounding Antagonists, but the more pressing question is why I didn't try it sooner? It's excellent.

Part origin story, part revenge drama, The Astounding Antagonists is a hilarious deconstruction of the superhero mythos from the point of view of the supervillains. Except that the supervillains aren't really the bad guys here.

Dr. Agon, a megalomaniacal inventor and genius, wants to change the world, but heroes stand in his way. Without spoiling too much, they plan to activate an alien system that would allow them to control everyone on Earth and wipe out all the villains in the blink of an eye. Events force Agon to rebuild a team, an idea he's not thrilled with, preferring to work alone.

"Freedom is a tough sell, man. Take it away, nobody complains. Surveillance, drones, no problem. Everyone keeps on trucking. But you make people feel unsafe, and they'll swarm you like zombies. They will fight like hell to protect the system if it makes them feel safe."

Chandler impressed me with his ability to keep the action running and the plot twists exciting. The novel starts out light-hearted and humorous but becomes more serious as the story progresses. Evocative prose, acerbic wit, and fast pacing complement the action-packed plot. The characters engage in complex and evolving relationships as the story progresses and all show lots of spunk. To be fair, though, the superheroes lack depth and Chandler paints them as one-dimensional jerks. Fortunately, the villains make up for it!

Take Agon - he has zero social skills. He loves to scheme and prefers to spend his time alone or in the company of the only two people he tolerates - his alien friend Helen Demolition and his husband Gideon. He can't relate to others and he doesn't understand human emotions but he still comes as a likable character. Plus, he deeply cares about chosen people, he just doesn't know how to express it. Helen, the blue-skinned alien, speaks broken English and comes off as the most sympathetic character. She loves being around others and has a rather idealistic approach to villainy. Motley, on the other hand, tries to convince herself (and readers) she's in for the money but, of course, she's not. She loves Schwarzenegger movies and quotes them more often than is decent. Plus, her snappy retorts made me laugh more than once. I'll quote one:

"You're going down," he growled. "After you," Motley said. "But maybe you could shave first. That stubble's going to chafe my inner thighs."
Not the most subtle humor, I know, but I love it anyway!

Other team members/characters include Coltan (an idealistic youth who despises capitalism), Baelphegor (basically a rotting corpse), Cube-Girl (you would never guess what pink cubes can do to a human body!), and more. It's clear Chandler had lots of fun creating characters and their superpowers. He pokes fun at the genre and its beats but never at the cost of the plot and the high stakes of the story. I don't want to spoil too much, but one example of the author having fun is the name of a sensual heroine named Pheromoan (this name still makes me laugh).

Above all, though, The Astounding Antagonists is a pure reading delight. With its strong characterization, tight plotting, sense of humor, and riveting twists, I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended!

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Astounding Antagonists is an entry into the sparsely populated field of superhero novels. It skillfully blends common superhero tropes, subverted tropes, and obvious deep thought about the implications.

The book focuses on the exploits of a group of supervillains who run the gamut from idealistic rebellion against the status quo to self interested greed. The Antagonists present a varied group with complex motivations, interpersonal relationships and behaviors. Chandler has clearly taken the idea that "everyone is the hero in their own story" and run with it. None of the characters are doing what they're doing simply because they're evil, or for an undirected desire for "power." [insert maniacal cackle here]

When Doctor Agon, a super-intelligent inventor, learns that the heroes are bringing a satellite online that will be able to track and target anyone on earth from space, he launches a desperate scheme to bring it down before they can create an iron grip on the earth.

Chandler has clearly done a lot of thinking about superheroes, and is equally clearly very familiar with the source material. Common archetypes from the pages of comics appear in the book. Sometimes there are clear analogues. Sometimes the trope is spread out over two or more characters, and sometimes two characters embody the same archetype in different ways. Readers familiar with cape comics will recognize: The Old Fashioned Do-gooder. The Comedic Villain. The Rich Vigilante. The Gadgeteer. The Speedster.

Where Chandler diverges from the traditional superhero plot is in the implications. What sort of people would be given government sanction to operate a super team? How would vast wealth and fame affect the attitudes of the ones that have them? Especially if they're born to it? When there are no procedures in place for arrest, evidence gathering and the like, what would happen when it was time for trials and sentencing? What would that sort of privilege, to be able to ignore the laws and dictates of society do to the behaviors and thoughts of the recipients?

Conversely, what sort of villains would dare to oppose a force like that? What would motivate someone to stand up to people that could kill you without charges, or incarcerate you without trial? And lesser offenders - what is their thought process? How do they get by?

The book's only real weakness is that the heroes are too uniformly despicable. While the protagonists/villains are quite varied in their presentation and motivations, the heroes don't really rise above the level of jaded cynicism. I believe the book would have benefited from either eschewing the hero point of view entirely, or by including some younger, idealistic crusader who still hadn't sunk into the self-satisfied swagger of the veterans. (This character existed on the villains' side.)

It really is a great book, and if you have ever had any interest in superheroes, I highly recommend it.

[Sophie Lagacé · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rafael Chandler's "The Astounding Antagonists" is a superhero-and-supervillain page-turner and, so far, the best novel I have read in the genre. It's not easy to make a genre primarily associated with visual media come alive solely with words, but Chandler does a beautiful job.

The first thing that hooked me, from the very first few paragraphs, is the strong characterization, with interesting, likeable, believable, and diverse characters. Then we get to see a web of relationships established between them, which will drive the plot throughout the book. It was lovely to see lots of different types of protagonists with different ways of seeing the world.

The rhythm and writing style are excellent, making it hard to put down the book (or rather the e-reader). I kept wanting to find out what happened next. I would be delighted if this was turned into a graphic novel or, let's dream big, a movie. But I have to admit that losing direct access to the writing style in the process would be a down side.

I also loved the way Chandler addresses his readers as smart, well-read, and engaged. He drops references to the classics of superhero comics and of Greek literature with equal aplomb and makes apologies for neither, counting on the reader to follow along. He plays on stereotypes without ever becoming heavy-handed, just to keep you from making unwarranted assumptions while you read. As a result, I was far more frequently surprised by the plot twists than I had been by, say, Austin Grossman's otherwise enjoyable "Soon I Will Be Invincible."

If I must pick weaknesses in the writing, I'd have to say that a few more likeable superheroes would have made the tension more powerful. The other potential flaw is inherent to the genre: it's very difficult to describe the kind of wide-spread, free-for-all battles that are its trademark. From time to time I had a little trouble visualizing this type of scene. However, those were "in passing" remarks, while the strengths of the book were ever-present.

If you loved "Watchmen" or "Astro City", I expect you will greatly enjoy this book. In fact, I liked it so much that I immediately started reading Chandler's other novel, "Hexcommunicated."

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what to rate this one.

It didn't really grab me the way some books have, but at the same time ... there are a lot of books out there I've liked a lot less. So, I guess I'll go with three stars.

The story direction is reasonable: A harsh look at the so-called superheroes who run things from the perspective of their "antagonists". The writing is decent in most places, although some of the scene descriptions are lacking and left me somewhat confused as to what actions were taking place. At times it felt we were glossing over huge sections (like where Agon's secret underwater base came from) in order to dwell upon transitory feelings and who was sleeping with whom.

My problem I suppose is that I didn't really like most of the protagonists. I liked Motley, but the book is told from several points of view, and hers is only featured perhaps 25 percent of the time. The rest all managed to annoy me in one way or another. To be fair, the heroes are supposed to be annoying, but the villains weren't much better.

I would like to clarify here: While the book is told from several perspectives, the transitions between perspectives is handled quite well, unlike some books I've read.


So .. overall, it's a superhero book, told from the perspective of the antagonists. It's a bit of a bleak story, and the action scenes can be fairly brutal. There are a number of amusing pop culture references and some curious forays into history, but I'm sorry to say that it wasn't quite as much "fun" as I look for in a superhero story.

I paid retail price for the Kindle version of this book, my thoughts on it are my own. They were neither solicited by, nor compensated for, by either the author or the publisher.

[Stephen Brophy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best capepunk novel since "Soon I Will Be Invincible"

I've read a lot of books in this genre in the past few years, and discovered many gems among the dross, but Chandler's is the first since Grossman's to give me this much of a visceral, emotional and literary thrill. His characters are so strong, uniquely voiced, understandably motivated, and genuinely engaging I found myself fearing for their lives and well-being with every turn of the page. Well, the villains anyway. Chandler creates a root-for-the-bad-guys scenario that never seems like a cheat. They aren't forced to save the day at the last minute, nor are they motivated by some vague notion of evil or menace. They are more like Dante's Satan, ultimate rebels out to bring down a status quo overlorded by a Justice League's worth of entitled a-holes. The writing is terrific, funny, moving, and with surprising moments of depth and empathy for these slightly twisted underdogs the author truly loves. Bring on the sequels!

[Deanna Stanley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just don't care any more. I don't particularly like any of the characters. The "heroes" are all petty, entitled, shallow snots. The villains are more likeable but even then they have their own goals and have no problem manipulating the rest to accomplish them. The author has a very strong 1% v 99% theme going where being rich and powerful automatically makes you bad and only the poor are deserving of anything. I kept waiting for someone to scream "occupy Wall street!" Eventually, I just wore out.

[Tuftears · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fun

The author succeeds in one very important thing: sympathetic villains. The titular Antagonists are out to defend themselves against dysfunctional, tyrannical heroes who are seeking only to preserve the status quo, and must do so with frankly not a lot of resources against the most powerful heroes the Earth has to offer. Self-contained story, no cliffhanger at the end. Motley is surprisingly the cleverest, battling above her weight class with misdirection and strategy-- as you'd expect from a thief.

[Joel Krause · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting, liked the concepts of good vs. evil but in way you don't expect it. Characters grow on you, they have good depth and are interesting. Really enjoyed the style, and I am not a huge comic fan.

[Jessica Bronder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a super hero story told from the villain’s view point. Doctor Agon, a super inventory learns that the super heroes are going to be launching a satellite into space that can track everyone on Earth. With the help of other villains, he plans on stopping the little, pompous twerps in their tracks.

With super heroes and comics/graphic novels becoming so popular, we are starting to see more super hero stories. And where there are heroes, there are villains. But what really defines a villain? What if they are the hero of their own stories? Are the heroes really heroes? This story makes you think twice about the typical villain.

Now, there are a couple things that did annoy me about the story. The whole political and economic views did make this story drag. They just kept going and drug away from my enjoyment of the story.

I loved the stories that twist the approach and make you think twice about the norms. I previously read Renegades by Marissa Meyer and enjoyed that book. I could see some of that in The Astounding Antagonists. If you like the super hero stories you should check this one out. You might enjoy it too.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

[Edwin Rydberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written, well-paced, gripping superhero story. Worth the read if you can overlook the amateurish formatting and obvious political slant.

The Astounding Antagonists is a story about superheroes and supervillains, only, it flips the script on the usual take. Heroes are self-absorbed superbrats and vile corporate billionaires, villains are socially sensitive rebels fighting an uncaring system of financial and legal oppression. Well mostly.

The story is told from the points of view of several different heroes and villains. It unfolds at a controlled but steady pace as the plot is developed until, in true super-story fashion, we're immersed in an all-out brawl for the fate of the planet.

I very much enjoyed The Astounding Antagonists and found it hard to put down. The characters were well-developed and interesting, and the plot was compelling and moved at a fast but well-structured pace. It's a professionally crafted story let down only by a lack of professional presentation, with poor interior formatting and rare, but noticable, editing issues. Still, if you're not bothered by the technical presentation, I highly recommend The Astounding Antagonists.

[Carl Klutzke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The superheroes have made the world safe. They've also made themselves fantastically wealthy, distorted all the laws in their favor, and locked up or killed anyone else with superpowers. They're jerks. Basically the only thing that differentiates them from villains is good PR: the public still loves them, no matter how horribly they repress. The situation feels uncomfortably like a logical extension of our own society's plutocratic and capitalistic tendencies, which is surely Chandler's extent.

The few remaining supervillains are a blend of ne'er-do-wells, freedom fighters, contrarians, and retirees that just want to be left alone. But when they learn the superheroes have a new plan to find and eradicate them, they must band together. Sort of. It's not something they do well.

This is a story about the difference between being a hero and being heroic. The characters are well-developed and engaging, and they have good chemistry together. If you like superhero stories that are turned on their head, or stories about a band of misfits fighting against impossible odds (who doesn't?), this is a story you'll enjoy. It might even give you something to think about.

[Valerio Pastore · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had to be the conclusion of a trilogy:

part 1 - Origin Story, the author gets us familiarized with the cast, as we pick sides. he's GOOD at characterizazion.
part 2 - Battle of Tenet, and where the heroes starts going crazy while the surviving villains rethink their positions
part 3 - The circle is complete, the villains go more anti-heroes and the fallen heroes are defeated for good.
Cramming everything in one, way too-short book, gives life to a confusing story, you can't really familiarize with the cast. Sure, some of them are more interesting than the others, and given that this is about the supervillains, it is them that get the betters spotlight...but at the sime time, they are too close to be antiheroes while their enemies are too embedded in their corruption. Without understanding how and why.
Regardless, the pacing is good, it's almost always engaging, and it's not wasted time. But I had better expectations and in the end this doesn't deliver.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Antiheroes vs. the status quo

This is my second reading of this book. Didn’t think I would, but right before Election Day 2020, I needed something where people were fighting the status quo and won. This book has that in spades, plus great diversity in characters (gay main character, Latina main character, Japanese-American main character). If you like cape stories, give this one a spin.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really expected to enjoy this one, but it didn't work for me at all. There were a few characters I liked, but for the most part that were just really unpleasant. I hate books where I don't like the characters. Then the superheroes and the villains all sit around discussing politics. Really? Socialism vs. capitalism? That's your banter?

I think the author had some interesting questions in here, like what happens when the heroes get powerful that they can't be controlled, what would happen to an average dude who got super powers, but it was just so preachy. I was so disappointed.

[Alon Lankri · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF 5%
The concept seems fun and the author has a unique voice but I didn't get any stakes, pain or direction to the story in the first pages and therefore had nothing to hook me forward. This could be a great story with some editing.

2.5/5
I may read other works by the author in the future.

[Pete Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

Great it was great. Fun read. Love motley. Funny why do I need a long description. It was a fun read.

[Miriam Robern · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book totally changed my understanding of superheroes. It is brilliant.

[Florian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-conceived twist on a popular formula

I enjoyed my time with these anti-heroes. The fast-paced story, satirical subversion of genre tropes, and overall intriguing characters had me hooked, even though I am not usually a supers fan. Just be warned: the book contains sudden bursts of darkness and brutality, reminiscent of The Boys. Entirely fitting, I felt, but this might not be for everyone.

[Fangs for the Fantasy · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the urging of his alien partner in crime, Helen Damnation, Dr. Argon is putting together a supervillain team to pull off the ultimate crime – the destruction of Helen’s space station to keep it out of the hands of super heroes.

If they pull it off, the world will be free – if not, the heroes will have unprecedented power to impose their vision on the world – a vision garnered from their ivory towers that cares little for the people who are disposed of out of their view.




This book hit all the right notes for me and it’s actually taken me a while to try and find the way to explain just how excellent this book was. I’m struggling because I really don’t know how to truly explain this book without spoiling it.

While there are certainly many elements of the Superhero genre that are willing to go dark, to espouse an anti-hero and even flirt with the ideas of oppression and superheroes being on the wrong side, I don’t think any book I’ve come across has gone as far, as dark or as brutally critical as this one

Rather than aiming for typical castings of good and evil, this book is cruelly scathing on what we ACTUALLY consider good and how that would reflect on superheroes in our world. So we have superheroes with their millionaire secret identities (playboy, genius, scientists) and they have vast, multi-national companies… But vast, multinational companies are responsible for all kinds of abuses – employee rights, pollution, raiding developing nations, having vast influence over governments – how much more so would this be if they were headed by beings with super-powers and the unquestionable support of the populace.

Historic heroes from the US’s Cold War past are still around, champions of the American Way – but super hero comics have used heroes to combat all kinds of real world issues – especially during World War 2 and the Cold War. What is the actual implication of super-powerful beings being involved in a lot of proxy cold-wars, regime changes and a myriad of other actions in the name of fighting communism and/or terrorism? There’s even a superhero slaughtering undocumented migrants along the US/Mexico border.

And, of course, in a world with actual super-villains issues like “due process” and “enhanced interrogation” are much more dire – if “terrorism” has us excusing torture and detention without trial, what would be our reaction to super-powered villains?

In short, the superheroes, the paragons of law and order pretty much do exactly what I would cynically expect paragons of “law and order” to actually do. It’s corrupt, it’s brutal and it’s all the abuses that the powerful can inflict to maintain that power and the system writ large. Especially since the most common way of becoming super heroes, the Prisms, are tightly policed by the superheroes and American government themselves furthering their power and control by controlling this vital new resource. Many of these superheroes are obvious excellent parallels with major DC or Marvel characters


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[Ned Leffingwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this tale about a group of super-villains and their plot against the world's superheroes. What made this book enjoyable was the author's exploration of the motives of the villains versus the hubris of the heroes. The villains are criminal with sympathetic motives, while the heroes are powerful and act like jerks. My favorite characters where Agon, the genius villain who is so analytical that he feels removed from humanity and Sacrament, a Christian-right version of Superman. Recommended for fans of post-modern comics.

[Jayson Jackson-Coller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read.

A lot of the reviews here bash the book for its politics and nearly made me pass this one by. I'm glad I didn't. I like my heroes and villains all sorts of grey and gray, and this book delivered. The action flowed nicely, characters stayed true to themselves, and even though the line up of heroes and villains is stereotypical, Chandler does an excellent job with them. While this book won't change your life, it is a wonderful time waster and is fun to read.

[David Harriss · Rating 4 out of 5]

High Three. 3.8 probably

In a frighteningly familiar dystopia, America's greatest heroes are its most wanted villains.

As others say, the "heroes" are evil and selfish jerks, the villains are the ones trying to make the world better, and they are about to lose forever.

Well paced with interesting characters, following Motley is what keeps you reading. Without her, its another depressing 'look at these powerful monsters' tale. With her, it is quite enjoyable.

[Scott Wozniak · Rating 2 out of 5]

Other reviews warned me of the political preaching--they didn't prepare me fully. Every single character talked or thought about their political agenda in almost every scene. Even the guys in power gloated about the corrupt they managed to create and hoped to sustain. I liked the overall plot, but just couldn't stomach the constant preaching.

[K.F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing--absolutely amazing.

Guardians of the galaxy meets Star Wars. Diverse, well-written, complex, fast paced--basically everything you want from a superhero novel called "astounding antagonists." I fell in love with all the characters and the POV switch was masterful. Srsly--A+

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're going to write a superhero novel, you might as well turn up the volume and wake up the neighbors. Otherwise, what's the point?

[Marika C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stupid, but a good light read.

[Andrew Walls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining. Moves at a good pace with sympathetic characters that are a few degrees off from your typical hero.

[Leslie Light · Rating 5 out of 5]

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