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Bystander 27
After his pregnant wife is senselessly killed in a clash between the mysterious super-powered 'costumes', ex-Navy SEAL Jon Hayes fights to discover the truth about their identity and origins.
For Jon Hayes, the super-powered 'costumes' are just part of ordinary life in New York City, until the day his pregnant wife Melanie is senselessly killed in a clash between Captain Light and The Jade Shade.
But as Hayes struggles to come to terms with his loss, and questions for the first time who the costumes are and where they come from, the once sharp lines of his reality begin to blur...
If Hayes wants to uncover the shocking truth about the figures behind the costumes, and get justice for his fallen family, he'll have to step out of the background, and stop being a bystander.
File Under: Superhero Fantasy [ It's Clobberin' Time - Hayes One - Panel Beater - No Capes ]
For Jon Hayes, the super-powered 'costumes' are just part of ordinary life in New York City, until the day his pregnant wife Melanie is senselessly killed in a clash between Captain Light and The Jade Shade.
But as Hayes struggles to come to terms with his loss, and questions for the first time who the costumes are and where they come from, the once sharp lines of his reality begin to blur...
If Hayes wants to uncover the shocking truth about the figures behind the costumes, and get justice for his fallen family, he'll have to step out of the background, and stop being a bystander.
File Under: Superhero Fantasy [ It's Clobberin' Time - Hayes One - Panel Beater - No Capes ]
400 pages, Paperback
First published August 11, 2020
14 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 26, 2020
Jon Hayes just saw his wife die during a battle between two superpowered individuals. Now he's on a quest to find out why, even though it seemed perfectly random. This book is really dour. Hayes really struggles with his wife's death. The book could have had a hundred pages cut out of it as it's the same thing over and over. Hoskin couldn't decide if he wanted to make this book meta or not. After he hints in that direction for a LONG time, he pulls back to just a man looking to lash out and for answers. It's not until nearly the end that Hoskin reveals the big "twist". One that many comic book fans have seen before in the pages of Animal Man or Cerebus.
Received a review copy from Angry Robot and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and uninfluenced by the aforementioned.
Received a review copy from Angry Robot and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and uninfluenced by the aforementioned.
August 5, 2020
As a lifelong superhero genre fan, I’m thrilled to see fresh ways in which people twist it. Bystander 27 shows the world of vigilantes from the perspective of a bystander whose life was destroyed by superhumans doing their usual stuff (fighting, saving the planet, and more).
After witnessing a gruesome death of his pregnant wife during a super-powered battle, Jon Hayes’ becomes obsessed with superhumans. He tries to understand who they really are and why his wife died. His investigation reveals something weird - the crowds of spectators across multiple super fights are always the same people. He even spots himself and his family in recordings of such fights, in places they’ve never visited.
Hayes tries to uncover who calls the shots, and to exact his vengeance. Nothing in Bystander 27 is as it initially appears. The book contains at least a few layers of misdirection. It took me half its length to figure out what was going on and the other half to work out what it might mean.
In terms of theme, the idea is clever and flexible. It presents superheroes as a threat to normal people trying to live their lives. It fits into a fashionable trend of deconstructing the subgenre. Of course, Hikman isn’t the first to do it. Garth Ennis’ The Boys series changed people’s approach to the subgenre and its staples.
As a former SEAL, Jon has a lot of hidden skills, and he uses them to find the truth. Hikman captures, convincingly, his character’s paranoia and obsession but doesn’t develop him as much as I would like. Defined by his neuroses, and badass past, he remains two-dimensional. Fortunately, other things make up for it. Thanks to quickly paced plot and plenty of meta content, I finished the book in two sittings.
Bystander may seem basic in its premise, but it packs a strong and divisive twist near the end of the book. I didn’t like it and it soured my experience. I can see readers loving it, though. I don’t like characters interacting with their creators, that’s all. And I’ve probably said more than I should have.
Anyway, Bystander 27 has great pacing, plenty of action, and it packs a few nice twists. It doesn't break new ground, but it feels fresh. Worth a read.
After witnessing a gruesome death of his pregnant wife during a super-powered battle, Jon Hayes’ becomes obsessed with superhumans. He tries to understand who they really are and why his wife died. His investigation reveals something weird - the crowds of spectators across multiple super fights are always the same people. He even spots himself and his family in recordings of such fights, in places they’ve never visited.
Hayes tries to uncover who calls the shots, and to exact his vengeance. Nothing in Bystander 27 is as it initially appears. The book contains at least a few layers of misdirection. It took me half its length to figure out what was going on and the other half to work out what it might mean.
In terms of theme, the idea is clever and flexible. It presents superheroes as a threat to normal people trying to live their lives. It fits into a fashionable trend of deconstructing the subgenre. Of course, Hikman isn’t the first to do it. Garth Ennis’ The Boys series changed people’s approach to the subgenre and its staples.
As a former SEAL, Jon has a lot of hidden skills, and he uses them to find the truth. Hikman captures, convincingly, his character’s paranoia and obsession but doesn’t develop him as much as I would like. Defined by his neuroses, and badass past, he remains two-dimensional. Fortunately, other things make up for it. Thanks to quickly paced plot and plenty of meta content, I finished the book in two sittings.
Bystander may seem basic in its premise, but it packs a strong and divisive twist near the end of the book. I didn’t like it and it soured my experience. I can see readers loving it, though. I don’t like characters interacting with their creators, that’s all. And I’ve probably said more than I should have.
Anyway, Bystander 27 has great pacing, plenty of action, and it packs a few nice twists. It doesn't break new ground, but it feels fresh. Worth a read.
August 11, 2020
Bystander 27 is a thriller set in a world where superheroes are real; you walk past them in the street every day barely blinking an eye until one day their actions have a devastating impact on your life. This is exactly what happened to ex-Navy Seal Jon Hayes. Jon and his pregnant wife, Melanie, are living their best lives together awaiting the arrival of their baby as the perfect accompaniment to their partnership. When a violent altercation breaks out between superhero, Captain Light, and supervillain, The Jade Shade, Melanie is caught in the crossfire and is killed as collateral damage when a helicopter descends on her. Hayes really just wants to move on, to heal and to mourn his loss but he can't help but wonder why. He begins to investigate the superheroes and villains who inhabit the city alongside him and needs to know exactly who is behind the costumes and capes in order to gain justice for his late wife. But the deeper he dives the more dangerous and disturbing it becomes and he then comes to the realisation that the quest for truth is not going to be an easy one.
This is a gripping action novel with plenty of danger and dark deeds but with a touch of emotion too as we feel for protagonist, Jon, and his situation. It's a fun and highly entertaining read packed with strangeness — aliens, robots and fae roam the city and there is a selection of interesting gadgets mentioned throughout. I must admit that I rarely read superhero fantasy fiction as normally it isn't my thing but I found this engaging, well-plotted and decently paced and what I particularly appreciated was instead of the caped crusaders being front and centre in the story Jon, a bystander, was the central figure which makes a refreshing change. But when Melanie is killed he decides he must act rather than just stand by and look as it is the only way to achieve the justice he very much craves. His tenacity and ceaseless effort is admirable and makes clear just how much he loved his wife. The narrative flows easily and this is very much a book you can race through in a couple of hours. Oh, and the twist at the end blew me away. Unexpected and satisfying. Many thanks to Angry Robot for an ARC.
This is a gripping action novel with plenty of danger and dark deeds but with a touch of emotion too as we feel for protagonist, Jon, and his situation. It's a fun and highly entertaining read packed with strangeness — aliens, robots and fae roam the city and there is a selection of interesting gadgets mentioned throughout. I must admit that I rarely read superhero fantasy fiction as normally it isn't my thing but I found this engaging, well-plotted and decently paced and what I particularly appreciated was instead of the caped crusaders being front and centre in the story Jon, a bystander, was the central figure which makes a refreshing change. But when Melanie is killed he decides he must act rather than just stand by and look as it is the only way to achieve the justice he very much craves. His tenacity and ceaseless effort is admirable and makes clear just how much he loved his wife. The narrative flows easily and this is very much a book you can race through in a couple of hours. Oh, and the twist at the end blew me away. Unexpected and satisfying. Many thanks to Angry Robot for an ARC.
September 5, 2021
Over the years, although an avid comics fan, I've pretty much 'grown out' of superhero themed stuff, largely with the rest of the public keeping up with increasingly good and experimental big budget movie versions of characters and titles I've known in the past as well as more recently invented ones.
As a canvas for a seemingly 'conventional' thriller novel in particular, I had my doubts that a superhero-dominated milieu could work convincingly. It's inherently silly with huge gaps of logic and continuity and you have to enjoy it as, in part, a joke or a romp in an essentially absurd world.
Rik Hoskin cleverly and with real impact, subverts both the genre expectations and story you think you're initially reading with flair and ingenuity. His shock-twist, and it's a genuinely jolt-you-off-the-page one, is well thought through and highly original.
Already in the realms of fantasy and science fiction, the sudden turn of direction in the book is stark and mysterious and provokingly eerie. It leads the character places you, and he, are completely unprepared for in a satisfying way.
I don't like spoilers in reviews, so I say just read it for the experience of watching a dedicated and skilful, imaginative writer give you his best on the page. The book starts out with jeopardy implicit to the main character, but it rises from that just when you think the peril couldn't get more intense.
There's also some great satire of comics fandom and the creative process of the writers and artists embroiled in that world along the way, and you get a lot more than the seeming One Man Against The Superbeings premise it starts out.
I've been following Rik Hoskins' work for some time now and he's getting better and better. Looking forward to his next novel...
As a canvas for a seemingly 'conventional' thriller novel in particular, I had my doubts that a superhero-dominated milieu could work convincingly. It's inherently silly with huge gaps of logic and continuity and you have to enjoy it as, in part, a joke or a romp in an essentially absurd world.
Rik Hoskin cleverly and with real impact, subverts both the genre expectations and story you think you're initially reading with flair and ingenuity. His shock-twist, and it's a genuinely jolt-you-off-the-page one, is well thought through and highly original.
Already in the realms of fantasy and science fiction, the sudden turn of direction in the book is stark and mysterious and provokingly eerie. It leads the character places you, and he, are completely unprepared for in a satisfying way.
I don't like spoilers in reviews, so I say just read it for the experience of watching a dedicated and skilful, imaginative writer give you his best on the page. The book starts out with jeopardy implicit to the main character, but it rises from that just when you think the peril couldn't get more intense.
There's also some great satire of comics fandom and the creative process of the writers and artists embroiled in that world along the way, and you get a lot more than the seeming One Man Against The Superbeings premise it starts out.
I've been following Rik Hoskins' work for some time now and he's getting better and better. Looking forward to his next novel...
August 20, 2020
A gripping and enjoyable read. I loved this superhero fantasy that kept me hooked and entertained till the last page.
The world building is excellent, I loved the storytelling and the character development, and couldn't put this book down.
I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
The world building is excellent, I loved the storytelling and the character development, and couldn't put this book down.
I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
August 5, 2020
I was skeptical when I first tried the book, as superhero's aren't really my thing.
But I can tell you - they are now!
This is an absolutely dazzling book! The writing is punchy and snappy, the plot twisting left and right. The protagonist (I won't spoil too much about him) has a really intimate relationship with the reader, and I felt the emotions he felt through every page.
I naively thought, from my brief excursion into comics, that I had the super hero world figured out but Hoskin has shown me how wrong I was. If you're looking for an action driven book with nuanced character depth - look no further!
All I've left to say is: When's the sequel?
But I can tell you - they are now!
This is an absolutely dazzling book! The writing is punchy and snappy, the plot twisting left and right. The protagonist (I won't spoil too much about him) has a really intimate relationship with the reader, and I felt the emotions he felt through every page.
I naively thought, from my brief excursion into comics, that I had the super hero world figured out but Hoskin has shown me how wrong I was. If you're looking for an action driven book with nuanced character depth - look no further!
All I've left to say is: When's the sequel?
August 4, 2020
Full disclosure: Rik and I have worked on a few comic projects together and he let me give this book a read early.
This is a really fun book that takes you in a place you don't really see coming. But it takes you there naturally, as well.
If you are looking for a quick, but fun read that enters territory you have seen, but not really thought about it, you really can't go wrong with this.
This is a really fun book that takes you in a place you don't really see coming. But it takes you there naturally, as well.
If you are looking for a quick, but fun read that enters territory you have seen, but not really thought about it, you really can't go wrong with this.
June 8, 2021
I guess the problem with superhero books is the high expectations, the promise of super powers and super battles with exciting heroes and thrilling villains. Unfortunately, that high expectation had me falling flat.
The premise is an interesting one, a bystander who, after suffering a terrible loss, looks to fight against these supers for justice. But sadly it plods along almost aimlessly. We follow the main character Jon Hayes as he first reels from the loss of his wife, then to traipsing around NYC to stakeout possible villain points of interest. It's a lot of standing on the sidelines and watching, with little reward. Jon's progression from bystander to seeker of justice never materializes, the whole foundation of his quest sidelined in the final chapters for the "twist" that sees him go from bystander to villain.
Speaking of, that "twist" becomes pretty apparent about halfway through, dulling any surprise it may have wanted. The problem is, the entire universe acts and feels like a comic, so how can it be of any real surprise that it is one? There's no real explanation for where the supers came from, the lack of any real public outcry or concern for the weekly/monthly superbattles that all are waged amid the skyscrapers of NYC, and thus nothing to put any real tension into the story. "Oh no! A villain is spawning a horde of orcs in the middle of Central Park!" is conveyed with as much tension as "Oh no! That kid just swiped a pack of bubble gum!". Alien invasion? Yep, that's a regular Tuesday. Evil sorcerer turning Manhattan into a 1400's medieval playland? Yawn, must be a lazy Saturday. There's no sense of real danger, of real panic or tension. The battle wages, the hero wins, and everyone returns to life as if nothing happened. Even a television series would allow for some carryover or continual build of tension. This instead is clunky and dismissive, forgotten when the last page of that issue is read. In a world full of super heroes and villains, it somehow makes it all feel very vanilla.
And then there's the characters themselves. Initially I sided with Jon's quest for answers, but more and more his character became flawed. And with the transparent "twist" it really came as no surprise of his villain status by the end. Let's talk about those heroes and villains. It's obvious the author is pulling inspiration from current comic lore, but with far less creativity. The Iron Man wannabe? He's called The Mechanic. The superfast hero? Chase. The skater hero? Skate - seriously? That feels so lazy it hurts. Splatter (shoots glue from gauntlets), Swan (flies, I think, dresses like a swan), Retro (likes "retro" dress, as in old western motif, also wordplay on his "real" name Rhett). Most of the costume names feel almost like placeholders that were accidentally left in. And because there's so many stuffed in the story - not in scenes, but rather 80% of the costumes named are in reference only, never seen - it strikes as being lost for creative titles amid the sea of supers they created. There's no real dive into the origins of any of the heroes or villains, all the paper time spent with Jon and his one-man quest. The villains we do encounter aren't "super" at all, but rather ordinary people who somehow have developed incredible tech - which also raises the question as to why aren't they selling their tech for millions rather than holding up a pawn shop for a few hundred bucks. Makes no sense, even in a comic world, a result of offering no origin or look into what drives these characters to do what they do. Cardboard cutouts in fancy costumes, that's it. So it becomes a story of Jon versus the ambiguous entity, and even that battle is slow and unrewarding, not to mention unresolved at the end (seemingly baiting for a sequel instead).
In the "big twist" section of the final chapters, there was a chance to redeem the story, answering questions that had been raised throughout. Like the other him he had seen, or the people who always appeared to be in the crowd at the battle sites - i.e. the artist using a batch of figures to fill in crowds in the background, drawing from a group of standby figures (Jon being one of those figures and thus why he saw himself at one battle). Or how the comics are meant to inspire people in the real world, and how the artists never considered the collateral damage. Any of the plethora of interesting directions the story could have gone. Instead, the comic artists draw Jon back into the story, thus "teleporting" him back to his comic world, setting him as the villain rather than offering any sort of redemption. And what could have proven to be a much more interesting hero (bystander who braves the creators to create change, returning to his world a mysterious hero who fights the good fight as he did as a Navy SEAL) is instead flushed away for a unresolved ending of him in a cell planning his "revenge" plot, the justice for his deceased wife and child forgotten as casualties of a past life.
Lastly, during the big climax the revelation of why the Jade Shade's cell was blank also serves to destroy the logic of the story. If the Jade Shade's cell was blank because the artists/creators hadn't envisioned it and where her story might go, then why does Jon have a full backstory and history? If things in the comic world aren't there until the creators create them, then how does Jon, an average Joe Nobody in the background, have a full life history, home, job, and so forth? His Navy SEAL history fighting in Afghanistan, his Navy buddies, his in-laws, even his deceased wife's pregnancy. You cannot set a rule of spacial creation through the creators and break that rule with everyone else just to serve that one plot point. Either the universe is fully created or it isn't. The blank space between the comic panels doesn't exist in their world.
Overall, I thought the basis for the story was great for setting a compelling tale within a world where superheroes exist. Sadly, between the almost comically (pardon the pun) terrible villains and the sheer ambiguity of the heroes, it's reduced to a sad, slow stroll following a soldier suffering from PTSD. The only villain he's fighting is himself, and the only hero sadly is Jon's character at the beginning, who is slowly killed off by his villainous self. It may be set for a sequel, but for me I'm leaving this comic story on the shelf.
The premise is an interesting one, a bystander who, after suffering a terrible loss, looks to fight against these supers for justice. But sadly it plods along almost aimlessly. We follow the main character Jon Hayes as he first reels from the loss of his wife, then to traipsing around NYC to stakeout possible villain points of interest. It's a lot of standing on the sidelines and watching, with little reward. Jon's progression from bystander to seeker of justice never materializes, the whole foundation of his quest sidelined in the final chapters for the "twist" that sees him go from bystander to villain.
Speaking of, that "twist" becomes pretty apparent about halfway through, dulling any surprise it may have wanted. The problem is, the entire universe acts and feels like a comic, so how can it be of any real surprise that it is one? There's no real explanation for where the supers came from, the lack of any real public outcry or concern for the weekly/monthly superbattles that all are waged amid the skyscrapers of NYC, and thus nothing to put any real tension into the story. "Oh no! A villain is spawning a horde of orcs in the middle of Central Park!" is conveyed with as much tension as "Oh no! That kid just swiped a pack of bubble gum!". Alien invasion? Yep, that's a regular Tuesday. Evil sorcerer turning Manhattan into a 1400's medieval playland? Yawn, must be a lazy Saturday. There's no sense of real danger, of real panic or tension. The battle wages, the hero wins, and everyone returns to life as if nothing happened. Even a television series would allow for some carryover or continual build of tension. This instead is clunky and dismissive, forgotten when the last page of that issue is read. In a world full of super heroes and villains, it somehow makes it all feel very vanilla.
And then there's the characters themselves. Initially I sided with Jon's quest for answers, but more and more his character became flawed. And with the transparent "twist" it really came as no surprise of his villain status by the end. Let's talk about those heroes and villains. It's obvious the author is pulling inspiration from current comic lore, but with far less creativity. The Iron Man wannabe? He's called The Mechanic. The superfast hero? Chase. The skater hero? Skate - seriously? That feels so lazy it hurts. Splatter (shoots glue from gauntlets), Swan (flies, I think, dresses like a swan), Retro (likes "retro" dress, as in old western motif, also wordplay on his "real" name Rhett). Most of the costume names feel almost like placeholders that were accidentally left in. And because there's so many stuffed in the story - not in scenes, but rather 80% of the costumes named are in reference only, never seen - it strikes as being lost for creative titles amid the sea of supers they created. There's no real dive into the origins of any of the heroes or villains, all the paper time spent with Jon and his one-man quest. The villains we do encounter aren't "super" at all, but rather ordinary people who somehow have developed incredible tech - which also raises the question as to why aren't they selling their tech for millions rather than holding up a pawn shop for a few hundred bucks. Makes no sense, even in a comic world, a result of offering no origin or look into what drives these characters to do what they do. Cardboard cutouts in fancy costumes, that's it. So it becomes a story of Jon versus the ambiguous entity, and even that battle is slow and unrewarding, not to mention unresolved at the end (seemingly baiting for a sequel instead).
In the "big twist" section of the final chapters, there was a chance to redeem the story, answering questions that had been raised throughout. Like the other him he had seen, or the people who always appeared to be in the crowd at the battle sites - i.e. the artist using a batch of figures to fill in crowds in the background, drawing from a group of standby figures (Jon being one of those figures and thus why he saw himself at one battle). Or how the comics are meant to inspire people in the real world, and how the artists never considered the collateral damage. Any of the plethora of interesting directions the story could have gone. Instead, the comic artists draw Jon back into the story, thus "teleporting" him back to his comic world, setting him as the villain rather than offering any sort of redemption. And what could have proven to be a much more interesting hero (bystander who braves the creators to create change, returning to his world a mysterious hero who fights the good fight as he did as a Navy SEAL) is instead flushed away for a unresolved ending of him in a cell planning his "revenge" plot, the justice for his deceased wife and child forgotten as casualties of a past life.
Lastly, during the big climax the revelation of why the Jade Shade's cell was blank also serves to destroy the logic of the story. If the Jade Shade's cell was blank because the artists/creators hadn't envisioned it and where her story might go, then why does Jon have a full backstory and history? If things in the comic world aren't there until the creators create them, then how does Jon, an average Joe Nobody in the background, have a full life history, home, job, and so forth? His Navy SEAL history fighting in Afghanistan, his Navy buddies, his in-laws, even his deceased wife's pregnancy. You cannot set a rule of spacial creation through the creators and break that rule with everyone else just to serve that one plot point. Either the universe is fully created or it isn't. The blank space between the comic panels doesn't exist in their world.
Overall, I thought the basis for the story was great for setting a compelling tale within a world where superheroes exist. Sadly, between the almost comically (pardon the pun) terrible villains and the sheer ambiguity of the heroes, it's reduced to a sad, slow stroll following a soldier suffering from PTSD. The only villain he's fighting is himself, and the only hero sadly is Jon's character at the beginning, who is slowly killed off by his villainous self. It may be set for a sequel, but for me I'm leaving this comic story on the shelf.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2020
As much as i enjoyed this book (and I did, it’s very good) I wish that the “hero” for once could be a normal person pushed to the edge and not an ex SEAL/SF character as i would love to see the struggle and mistakes an average person could make but still persevere, that aside this book is fun, it has mystery and misery, violence and vindication, well worth a read
September 16, 2020
3 / 5 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
I’d class this as Punisher crossed with the Reckoners, but I’m not much of a comics guy so there could well be a closer match. There’s a heavy superhero/comic influence, mixed with a science-fiction/alternate world setting, and a bit of a mystery thrown in. It’s a curious combination—one that I feel could’ve been an amazing read when done right. While Bystander 27 did quite a few things right, it was far from perfect. Let’s get into it.
Ex-SEAL Jon Hayes has never felt so small.
With the Navy he’d served multiple tours all around the globe, battling terrorists in the Middle East and chasing cartels in South America. He returned to the States and married his dream girl, Melanie, before moving to New York to start their life together. But for a man who’d toured all around the globe New York might as well be a different world.
For New York is where the ‘Costumes’ hang out. Superpowered heroes and baddies overrun the place, battling it out in the streets on a daily basis. For the residents, it’s just a fact of life; pollution is annoying, traffic always terrible, and the costumes are out to play. Like the rest, Hayes does his best to ignore it, but is generally wowed along with the rest when the heroes take center stage.
Until Melanie is caught in the crossfire. She—along with their unborn child—is killed in a clash between Captain Light and the Jade Shade.
As Hayes struggles to come to terms with the loss, he uncovers a mystery at the center of the Costumes conspiracy. Deeper and deeper he digs, until the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur. But as Hayes pieces the mystery together, he must decide whether he’s after just the truth of the matter, or vengeance for his fallen family.
So… I’m really torn on this one. Bystander 27 does a lot of things right; it combines a compelling mystery with an action-packed thriller, a heavy does of science fiction, and a tangible sense of urgency—all within the head of a man overcome by grief, his life slowly descending into madness as his chase takes him down the rabbit hole. While it’s a fairly slow build, I never had trouble reading it. The mystery—it’s a good one—kept me interested until the very end, where everything kinda goes to hell. And while I absolutely hated the conclusion, I very much liked the epilogue tacked on the end. The thing is, Jon Hayes is a pretty good protagonist. He’s a bit ordinary, bland, and forgettable in the beginning, but that makes his character development all the more impressive. He literally goes from just another face in the crowd to an unforgettable piece of the puzzle. You know the puzzles that have one piece shaped like an apple? That’s Hayes. He’s an apple.
No matter how many things it does right, Bystander 27 is constantly in its own way. The fascinating mystery at the forefront is countered by a slow build and just strange language. Jon Hayes—who’s in his early 30’s—talks like a man from the mid-twentieth century. “Son of a gun”, flakes with hypno-discs and popguns”, and “punk kids on their way to band camp” highlight some of my favorites. It’s not used to replace anything explicit—the author still uses plenty of that—it’s just like something out of the fifties. Or a comic. Or a comic from the fifties. The language is… just strange.
The author is also constantly reminding us that Hayes was a SEAL. I mean, CONSTANTLY. I can understand the references to it in the beginning and at certain times that relate to backstory, but we’re reminded of Hayes’ SEAL training at least once a chapter through the first hundred pages. After that it drops off a bit only to pick up again, so that we’re still being told about his SEAL training past page 300.
The book’s conclusion—which I won’t talk much about—is unoriginal at best, and clichéd at the worst. That said, I liked the epilogue. Way more than the conclusion to the story, in fact.
The last thing I want to harp on is 9/11. It’s mentioned as the reason Hayes joined the Navy. In a world where superheroes have roamed downtown New York, Manhattan in particular, since the mid-Sixties, how exactly is 9/11 still a thing? Worse, it establishes the time of the story. I might’ve accepted the language being as it is in a story set before the seventies. But as a post-9/11 thing? Nope.
TL;DR
Something like a cross between the Punisher and Reckoners, or the novelization of a superhero comic book, Bystander 27 does a lot of things right. Possessive of a intricate mystery and very real character development, I never thought about giving up on it. Unfortunately, with a slow pace, dated if not odd language, and a clichéd ending—the book constantly made me question my decision not to bin it. At the end of the day Bystander 27 just can’t get out of its own way. And while it legitimately contains a good, even provocative story, in the end it just doesn’t deliver.
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
I’d class this as Punisher crossed with the Reckoners, but I’m not much of a comics guy so there could well be a closer match. There’s a heavy superhero/comic influence, mixed with a science-fiction/alternate world setting, and a bit of a mystery thrown in. It’s a curious combination—one that I feel could’ve been an amazing read when done right. While Bystander 27 did quite a few things right, it was far from perfect. Let’s get into it.
Ex-SEAL Jon Hayes has never felt so small.
With the Navy he’d served multiple tours all around the globe, battling terrorists in the Middle East and chasing cartels in South America. He returned to the States and married his dream girl, Melanie, before moving to New York to start their life together. But for a man who’d toured all around the globe New York might as well be a different world.
For New York is where the ‘Costumes’ hang out. Superpowered heroes and baddies overrun the place, battling it out in the streets on a daily basis. For the residents, it’s just a fact of life; pollution is annoying, traffic always terrible, and the costumes are out to play. Like the rest, Hayes does his best to ignore it, but is generally wowed along with the rest when the heroes take center stage.
Until Melanie is caught in the crossfire. She—along with their unborn child—is killed in a clash between Captain Light and the Jade Shade.
As Hayes struggles to come to terms with the loss, he uncovers a mystery at the center of the Costumes conspiracy. Deeper and deeper he digs, until the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur. But as Hayes pieces the mystery together, he must decide whether he’s after just the truth of the matter, or vengeance for his fallen family.
So… I’m really torn on this one. Bystander 27 does a lot of things right; it combines a compelling mystery with an action-packed thriller, a heavy does of science fiction, and a tangible sense of urgency—all within the head of a man overcome by grief, his life slowly descending into madness as his chase takes him down the rabbit hole. While it’s a fairly slow build, I never had trouble reading it. The mystery—it’s a good one—kept me interested until the very end, where everything kinda goes to hell. And while I absolutely hated the conclusion, I very much liked the epilogue tacked on the end. The thing is, Jon Hayes is a pretty good protagonist. He’s a bit ordinary, bland, and forgettable in the beginning, but that makes his character development all the more impressive. He literally goes from just another face in the crowd to an unforgettable piece of the puzzle. You know the puzzles that have one piece shaped like an apple? That’s Hayes. He’s an apple.
No matter how many things it does right, Bystander 27 is constantly in its own way. The fascinating mystery at the forefront is countered by a slow build and just strange language. Jon Hayes—who’s in his early 30’s—talks like a man from the mid-twentieth century. “Son of a gun”, flakes with hypno-discs and popguns”, and “punk kids on their way to band camp” highlight some of my favorites. It’s not used to replace anything explicit—the author still uses plenty of that—it’s just like something out of the fifties. Or a comic. Or a comic from the fifties. The language is… just strange.
The author is also constantly reminding us that Hayes was a SEAL. I mean, CONSTANTLY. I can understand the references to it in the beginning and at certain times that relate to backstory, but we’re reminded of Hayes’ SEAL training at least once a chapter through the first hundred pages. After that it drops off a bit only to pick up again, so that we’re still being told about his SEAL training past page 300.
The book’s conclusion—which I won’t talk much about—is unoriginal at best, and clichéd at the worst. That said, I liked the epilogue. Way more than the conclusion to the story, in fact.
The last thing I want to harp on is 9/11. It’s mentioned as the reason Hayes joined the Navy. In a world where superheroes have roamed downtown New York, Manhattan in particular, since the mid-Sixties, how exactly is 9/11 still a thing? Worse, it establishes the time of the story. I might’ve accepted the language being as it is in a story set before the seventies. But as a post-9/11 thing? Nope.
TL;DR
Something like a cross between the Punisher and Reckoners, or the novelization of a superhero comic book, Bystander 27 does a lot of things right. Possessive of a intricate mystery and very real character development, I never thought about giving up on it. Unfortunately, with a slow pace, dated if not odd language, and a clichéd ending—the book constantly made me question my decision not to bin it. At the end of the day Bystander 27 just can’t get out of its own way. And while it legitimately contains a good, even provocative story, in the end it just doesn’t deliver.
August 1, 2021
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.5 of 5
The earth is protected by superheroes - who are really nothing more than vigilantes with some sort of unusual power. But this book isn't the story of one of those superheroes ... not really. This is the story of one of the many, an innocent bystander who happened to be in the area where a superhero and a supervillain are squaring off.
Former Navy SEAL Jon Hayes and his wife Melanie (pregnant with their first child) are witness to a moment when superhero Captain Light is attempting to bring the criminal Jade Shade to justice. A super-powered battle is always going to draw attention and a news helicopter was already in the area to get the best shots.
The fight was reaching a fevered pitch, creating a stampede of people trying to get out of the way of the supers. The fight takes to the air and Jade Shade reaches out and grabs the helicopter to hurl it at Captain Light, who knocks it aside. But by knocking it away, it goes hurling into the stampeding crowd below, which has swept up Melanie who is directly in the path of the falling helicopter and is killed instantly.
And so begins Jon Hayes' singular focus of avenging his wife and unborn child. To do so, he must study and learn everything he can about Captain Light and the other superheroes, and some surprising revelations come to light. Among them, he notices that the same people seem to be bystanders over and over again at superpowered fights. He even spots himself ... and his family? ... at one.
Jon recognizes that by seeking revenge against Captain Light it puts him in the role of villain, but he has no other choice. Perhaps literally? Is someone else behind it all, pulling the strings?
I really liked the concept of the book, although I do feel as though the idea of superheroes as a problem is almost too common now. I also found that I liked author Rik Hoskin's writing, but at the same time, the book was a bit over-written. There's a lot of action in the opening couple of chapters, and the ending, with its twists and turns, holds the reader's attention, but the very large middle portion of this book is one very long set-up which has Hayes planning what he'll do, then questioning himself, then planning, then questioning, and so on. Fortunately, Hoskin's prose keep the book flowing pretty smoothly, but if 100 pages were cut from the middle of the book, I don't think it would affect the story.
I liked Hayes, but the fact that we're told he was once a Navy SEAL (and told this more than once) always felt emboldening. I never really got the sense of this man as a SEAL - he seemed a lot more 'everyman-ish' than strong, military type.
I'm glad to have read this, and fans of superhero novels might find this an enjoyable read.
Looking for a good book? Bystander 27 by Rik Hoskin is a modern superhero story with a common Joe taking on a 'super' (if your common Joe is a Navy SEAL), and the story offers up some fun twists along the way.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
The earth is protected by superheroes - who are really nothing more than vigilantes with some sort of unusual power. But this book isn't the story of one of those superheroes ... not really. This is the story of one of the many, an innocent bystander who happened to be in the area where a superhero and a supervillain are squaring off.
Former Navy SEAL Jon Hayes and his wife Melanie (pregnant with their first child) are witness to a moment when superhero Captain Light is attempting to bring the criminal Jade Shade to justice. A super-powered battle is always going to draw attention and a news helicopter was already in the area to get the best shots.
The fight was reaching a fevered pitch, creating a stampede of people trying to get out of the way of the supers. The fight takes to the air and Jade Shade reaches out and grabs the helicopter to hurl it at Captain Light, who knocks it aside. But by knocking it away, it goes hurling into the stampeding crowd below, which has swept up Melanie who is directly in the path of the falling helicopter and is killed instantly.
And so begins Jon Hayes' singular focus of avenging his wife and unborn child. To do so, he must study and learn everything he can about Captain Light and the other superheroes, and some surprising revelations come to light. Among them, he notices that the same people seem to be bystanders over and over again at superpowered fights. He even spots himself ... and his family? ... at one.
Jon recognizes that by seeking revenge against Captain Light it puts him in the role of villain, but he has no other choice. Perhaps literally? Is someone else behind it all, pulling the strings?
I really liked the concept of the book, although I do feel as though the idea of superheroes as a problem is almost too common now. I also found that I liked author Rik Hoskin's writing, but at the same time, the book was a bit over-written. There's a lot of action in the opening couple of chapters, and the ending, with its twists and turns, holds the reader's attention, but the very large middle portion of this book is one very long set-up which has Hayes planning what he'll do, then questioning himself, then planning, then questioning, and so on. Fortunately, Hoskin's prose keep the book flowing pretty smoothly, but if 100 pages were cut from the middle of the book, I don't think it would affect the story.
I liked Hayes, but the fact that we're told he was once a Navy SEAL (and told this more than once) always felt emboldening. I never really got the sense of this man as a SEAL - he seemed a lot more 'everyman-ish' than strong, military type.
I'm glad to have read this, and fans of superhero novels might find this an enjoyable read.
Looking for a good book? Bystander 27 by Rik Hoskin is a modern superhero story with a common Joe taking on a 'super' (if your common Joe is a Navy SEAL), and the story offers up some fun twists along the way.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
August 11, 2020
(Full disclosure: I received an advance review copy of this book several months ago.)
At this point, nearly 35 years after the arrival of Watchmen, deconstructing comic books is nothing new. From the afore-mentioned Alan Moore seminal classic to Garth Ennis' timely The Boys, and everywhere in between, we have seen comics be dissected, scrambled, and put through pretty much every kind of filter. Usually a grimdark one, largely thanks to the success of Frank Miller's classic The Dark Knight Returns.
What Rik Hosik brings to the table with Bystander 27 is something entirely different. Hoskin clearly grew up with a love for the 70's and 80's era glory days of Marvel Comics, when costumed super heroes would tear up the streets of New York City on a near-daily basis, and the local citizenry just kind of took it in stride. Where most comic book deconstructions flow from the question "what are the real-world repercussions of demi-god power fantasies" and delves into the lives of said demi-gods, this novel asks an entirely different question: Who are all of the random bystanders that populate the background during these epic conflicts, and how are they able to go about their lives with the constant threat of wanton violence and demolition?
The lead character Hayes suffers the loss of his wife in the fallout of just such a battle (this is not a spoiler, it is literally the first sentence of the book), and the rest of the story flows from his desire to understand not only the world of the "supers", but also to understand why it is that the rest of the population seems un-bothered by living in such a turbulent world.
There is plenty of action, to be sure. Hoskins' pedigree in writing both comics and pulp fiction novels is on full display here with snappy action sequences and colorful characters. But there is also a surprising depth to the story and to the mysteries being solved.
Mostly, though, there is an exuberant joy in paying homage to Marvel's heyday. Yes, Marvel is also riding high today with the success of their cinematic universe, but that came after decades of teetering on the edge of financial collapse and is in many ways driven by the stories created by the likes of Jack "King" Kirby, Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, and dozens of other creators from the mid-60's through the mid-80's, before Moore and Miller shifted the tone of the entire industry. Bystander 27 captures that bygone era with all its color and flair, and delivers drama and conflict without wallowing in darkness and brutality. In short, it is a fantastic summer read that I can heartily recommend.
At this point, nearly 35 years after the arrival of Watchmen, deconstructing comic books is nothing new. From the afore-mentioned Alan Moore seminal classic to Garth Ennis' timely The Boys, and everywhere in between, we have seen comics be dissected, scrambled, and put through pretty much every kind of filter. Usually a grimdark one, largely thanks to the success of Frank Miller's classic The Dark Knight Returns.
What Rik Hosik brings to the table with Bystander 27 is something entirely different. Hoskin clearly grew up with a love for the 70's and 80's era glory days of Marvel Comics, when costumed super heroes would tear up the streets of New York City on a near-daily basis, and the local citizenry just kind of took it in stride. Where most comic book deconstructions flow from the question "what are the real-world repercussions of demi-god power fantasies" and delves into the lives of said demi-gods, this novel asks an entirely different question: Who are all of the random bystanders that populate the background during these epic conflicts, and how are they able to go about their lives with the constant threat of wanton violence and demolition?
The lead character Hayes suffers the loss of his wife in the fallout of just such a battle (this is not a spoiler, it is literally the first sentence of the book), and the rest of the story flows from his desire to understand not only the world of the "supers", but also to understand why it is that the rest of the population seems un-bothered by living in such a turbulent world.
There is plenty of action, to be sure. Hoskins' pedigree in writing both comics and pulp fiction novels is on full display here with snappy action sequences and colorful characters. But there is also a surprising depth to the story and to the mysteries being solved.
Mostly, though, there is an exuberant joy in paying homage to Marvel's heyday. Yes, Marvel is also riding high today with the success of their cinematic universe, but that came after decades of teetering on the edge of financial collapse and is in many ways driven by the stories created by the likes of Jack "King" Kirby, Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, and dozens of other creators from the mid-60's through the mid-80's, before Moore and Miller shifted the tone of the entire industry. Bystander 27 captures that bygone era with all its color and flair, and delivers drama and conflict without wallowing in darkness and brutality. In short, it is a fantastic summer read that I can heartily recommend.
August 16, 2020
What’s it like to live in a world of superheroes? To turn on the news and hear that an invasion from another dimension has just been foiled by a team of brightly costumed men and women with incredible powers. For the second time that year. Or your trip to the shops is disrupted by an army of living clothes or a wall-destroying rumble between two men in hi-tech armour?
This is a question that’s been on the mind of Rik Hoskin and it’s the kernel that has resulted in “Bystander 27”, an exciting science fiction adventure, set in a brand new world of superheroes and villains. Hoskin is a veteran author of many rollicking science fiction adventures in the “Deathlands” and “Outlanders” series, writing under the name of James Axler. He’s also written a comic shop’s worth of material for Superman, a host of Disney properties and many indies as well. In “Bystander 27” he brings all that love for the genre into an ingenious page-turner.
Ex-Navy SEAL Jon Hayes is standing on a Manhattan corner, looking forward to meeting his pregnant wife Melanie, but instead witnesses her violent death as collateral during a fight between Captain Light and one of his archenemies, the Jade Shade. His grief soon turns into an obsession to find out more about how these super-powered individuals operate. However, the more he discovers about them, the more questions he has. Then whilst reviewing a piece of video footage of a recent costumed conflict, he sees something truly impossible.
There are plenty of twists and turns to come that I would hate to spoil because a lot of the pleasure in this novel is the way the mystery is unravelled. Hoskin clearly has a ball creating a fresh hierarchy of heroes, their mighty nemeses, and then dropping in references to previous adventures. Some have echoes of famous DC and Marvel characters and there is fun to be had recognising the little tips of the hat. He captures the tone of classic comics exactly right, and leaves the reader wishing to know more about the exploits of The Hunter, The Mechanist or Doctor Decay. It feels like an established world.
New York is described equally well, with some great turns of phrase and touches of humour about its inhabitants. When it comes to action, and there is plenty of that, the fight scenes are excellently choreographed and sharply written. Hayes is an engaging protagonist, capable, skilled but still vulnerable and believable.
In a media landscape saturated with comic strip heroics, Hoskin manages to find an original angle and has written an exciting high-concept science fiction adventure.
This is a question that’s been on the mind of Rik Hoskin and it’s the kernel that has resulted in “Bystander 27”, an exciting science fiction adventure, set in a brand new world of superheroes and villains. Hoskin is a veteran author of many rollicking science fiction adventures in the “Deathlands” and “Outlanders” series, writing under the name of James Axler. He’s also written a comic shop’s worth of material for Superman, a host of Disney properties and many indies as well. In “Bystander 27” he brings all that love for the genre into an ingenious page-turner.
Ex-Navy SEAL Jon Hayes is standing on a Manhattan corner, looking forward to meeting his pregnant wife Melanie, but instead witnesses her violent death as collateral during a fight between Captain Light and one of his archenemies, the Jade Shade. His grief soon turns into an obsession to find out more about how these super-powered individuals operate. However, the more he discovers about them, the more questions he has. Then whilst reviewing a piece of video footage of a recent costumed conflict, he sees something truly impossible.
There are plenty of twists and turns to come that I would hate to spoil because a lot of the pleasure in this novel is the way the mystery is unravelled. Hoskin clearly has a ball creating a fresh hierarchy of heroes, their mighty nemeses, and then dropping in references to previous adventures. Some have echoes of famous DC and Marvel characters and there is fun to be had recognising the little tips of the hat. He captures the tone of classic comics exactly right, and leaves the reader wishing to know more about the exploits of The Hunter, The Mechanist or Doctor Decay. It feels like an established world.
New York is described equally well, with some great turns of phrase and touches of humour about its inhabitants. When it comes to action, and there is plenty of that, the fight scenes are excellently choreographed and sharply written. Hayes is an engaging protagonist, capable, skilled but still vulnerable and believable.
In a media landscape saturated with comic strip heroics, Hoskin manages to find an original angle and has written an exciting high-concept science fiction adventure.
August 24, 2020
n Bystander 27 by Rik Hoskin, superheroes and supervillains are a fact of life. They are famous, or infamous, depending on what side they are on. We get to follow a single man, Jon Hayes, as his entire existence is changed at a fundamental level by a seemingly random, horrific event that involves the biggest hero in New York.
Those of you who have read or watched The Boys are going to see, at least initially, similarities between Hayes and Wee Hughie’s origin story, but don’t worry that doesn’t last for long. The plot of this novel veers off on a completely different tangent to Garth Ennis’ comic book creation. Rest assured, Bystander 27 is entirely its own beast.
At first glance you might also be fooled into thinking that Hayes’ story is just one of revenge, but it goes much deeper than that. Hayes is utterly consumed by uncovering the truth. He can’t accept his wife’s death as a tragic accident, there has to be a reason behind it all. He doesn’t want vengeance; he just wants to try and understand an event that is beyond his capacity to understand. There are elements to his wife’s death that just don’t add up and Hayes can’t stop looking for answers, no matter what the cost.
I found myself imagining that Hayes’ story is taking place in tandem with bigger events that remain as yet unseen. He exists on the periphery of this larger story. New York is in a constant state of flux. You know the sort of thing – epic battles, virtuous good versus sinister evil locked in an eternal struggle. I liked that approach. Instead of focussing on all the bombastic superhero stuff we get to follow a far more personal journey.
One of the things I really liked were all the little details, the throw away lines about the heroes and villains in the city. Scattered throughout the narrative are tantalizing little titbits about what is going on elsewhere in the five boroughs. I suspect (hope) the author has a vast compendium that details all his various A, B and C list creations. I would love to know them all.
I really enjoyed Bystander 27, to borrow from comic book parlance, it’s a perfect origin story. The world Rik Hoskin has created is rife with possibility. I was left wanting more, hopefully the author will revisit his superhero infused version of New York again, and we can all tag along for the ride. Put it this way, if you’ve ever tried the anthology novels from the shared Wild Cards universe, then I suspect you’ll get a kick out of Bystander 27. I would suggest you give it a go.
Those of you who have read or watched The Boys are going to see, at least initially, similarities between Hayes and Wee Hughie’s origin story, but don’t worry that doesn’t last for long. The plot of this novel veers off on a completely different tangent to Garth Ennis’ comic book creation. Rest assured, Bystander 27 is entirely its own beast.
At first glance you might also be fooled into thinking that Hayes’ story is just one of revenge, but it goes much deeper than that. Hayes is utterly consumed by uncovering the truth. He can’t accept his wife’s death as a tragic accident, there has to be a reason behind it all. He doesn’t want vengeance; he just wants to try and understand an event that is beyond his capacity to understand. There are elements to his wife’s death that just don’t add up and Hayes can’t stop looking for answers, no matter what the cost.
I found myself imagining that Hayes’ story is taking place in tandem with bigger events that remain as yet unseen. He exists on the periphery of this larger story. New York is in a constant state of flux. You know the sort of thing – epic battles, virtuous good versus sinister evil locked in an eternal struggle. I liked that approach. Instead of focussing on all the bombastic superhero stuff we get to follow a far more personal journey.
One of the things I really liked were all the little details, the throw away lines about the heroes and villains in the city. Scattered throughout the narrative are tantalizing little titbits about what is going on elsewhere in the five boroughs. I suspect (hope) the author has a vast compendium that details all his various A, B and C list creations. I would love to know them all.
I really enjoyed Bystander 27, to borrow from comic book parlance, it’s a perfect origin story. The world Rik Hoskin has created is rife with possibility. I was left wanting more, hopefully the author will revisit his superhero infused version of New York again, and we can all tag along for the ride. Put it this way, if you’ve ever tried the anthology novels from the shared Wild Cards universe, then I suspect you’ll get a kick out of Bystander 27. I would suggest you give it a go.
June 29, 2020
What was this? I mean what the actual hell was this? I was thinking 3 stars until the TWIST came and I has to rethink the stars. So 4 it is because I never ever ever ever saw this coming.
Jon Hayes lives his normal life with his wife Melanie. Melanie is pregnant. They are so happy. Until the unthinkable happens: Melanie dies. Not in a heart attack or a car crash oh no. She dies when a helicopter falls on her. It was an honest accident but explain that to her mourning husband. How could a helicopter drop on her, you ask? Hang on people. This world has superheroes and villains and everything in between. Aliens, fae and sentient swords. Melanie dies in a fight between a hero - Captain Light- and a villain- Jade Shande-. Yep, crazy place. Hayes can’t move on but could you? He wants to know why. Wants to know who are behind the costumes and wants justice for his wife. But as he delves deeper and deeper into the world of the costumes he finds out more and more disturbing things about his world.
I love superhero stories. They mostly revolve around the superheroes themselves but Bystander 27 is about a bystander who just stops and stares while the heros fight and win and then he just goes home. But when his wife dies something changes, he stops being a bystander. Jon Hayes in ex-SEAL so in theory he knows what he is doing but with superheroes he is at a loss. We follow Jon as he tries to figure out a way to get close to Captain Light and to get answers and justice. There aren’t too many characters you need to remember because the is about Hayes and his struggles and not about the heroes. Jon Hayes is relentless in his quest and he is not giving up, not ever. I can’t help but admire him, his love for Melanie.
The story was easy to follow but it was a little slow. The ending though, now that was something. Not what I expected and that makes is all the more crazy and fun.
Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for my copy.
Jon Hayes lives his normal life with his wife Melanie. Melanie is pregnant. They are so happy. Until the unthinkable happens: Melanie dies. Not in a heart attack or a car crash oh no. She dies when a helicopter falls on her. It was an honest accident but explain that to her mourning husband. How could a helicopter drop on her, you ask? Hang on people. This world has superheroes and villains and everything in between. Aliens, fae and sentient swords. Melanie dies in a fight between a hero - Captain Light- and a villain- Jade Shande-. Yep, crazy place. Hayes can’t move on but could you? He wants to know why. Wants to know who are behind the costumes and wants justice for his wife. But as he delves deeper and deeper into the world of the costumes he finds out more and more disturbing things about his world.
I love superhero stories. They mostly revolve around the superheroes themselves but Bystander 27 is about a bystander who just stops and stares while the heros fight and win and then he just goes home. But when his wife dies something changes, he stops being a bystander. Jon Hayes in ex-SEAL so in theory he knows what he is doing but with superheroes he is at a loss. We follow Jon as he tries to figure out a way to get close to Captain Light and to get answers and justice. There aren’t too many characters you need to remember because the is about Hayes and his struggles and not about the heroes. Jon Hayes is relentless in his quest and he is not giving up, not ever. I can’t help but admire him, his love for Melanie.
The story was easy to follow but it was a little slow. The ending though, now that was something. Not what I expected and that makes is all the more crazy and fun.
Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for my copy.
November 27, 2020
Bystander 27 almost (but not quite) gives away its premise in its title, but the premise is so wild that you can't be blamed if you don't pick up on it.
Ex-Navy SEAL Jon Hayes lives in a world where superheroes and villains (called 'costumes') exist and becomes an indirect victim when a clash between Jade Shade (villain) and Captain Light (hero) results in the crash of a news helicopter - killing his pregnant wife, Melanie.
In trying to figure out why this happened, Jon makes a weird discovery - news photos from the scenes of previous costume battles show him and Melanie, with (and without) a young daughter, well before her death (and, yes, they would have had a daughter).
One of the delights of Bystander 27 is that there are some cool superhero/villain analogs - a speedster (called Chase), a scare-the-$#!+ -out-of-the-bad-guys-nighttime-avenger (The Hunter) and more - as well as ones who aren't (at least not as overtly).
Hayes' need to find out what the hell is going on leads to an adventure that could be an epic Marvel crossover event filtered through The Twilight Zone.
Hoskin's writing is propulsive - like the best Marvel and DC books - but shaded with nuances that make his universe feel real.
Hayes makes for an unusual protagonist in this world where he's a normal guy (for an ex-SEAL) trying to find out why his wife had to die. His ingenuity in attempting to find out is thoroughly entertaining and a bit poignant.
The world of Bystander 27 is well thought out and the revelations that lie in store for Hayes are positively mindbending in the best comic book/graphic novel tradition. Indeed, with a world so well thought out, there's plenty of potential for a series (though it might be hard to top this in subsequent efforts).
This is one very impressive debut novel. Check it out.
Ex-Navy SEAL Jon Hayes lives in a world where superheroes and villains (called 'costumes') exist and becomes an indirect victim when a clash between Jade Shade (villain) and Captain Light (hero) results in the crash of a news helicopter - killing his pregnant wife, Melanie.
In trying to figure out why this happened, Jon makes a weird discovery - news photos from the scenes of previous costume battles show him and Melanie, with (and without) a young daughter, well before her death (and, yes, they would have had a daughter).
One of the delights of Bystander 27 is that there are some cool superhero/villain analogs - a speedster (called Chase), a scare-the-$#!+ -out-of-the-bad-guys-nighttime-avenger (The Hunter) and more - as well as ones who aren't (at least not as overtly).
Hayes' need to find out what the hell is going on leads to an adventure that could be an epic Marvel crossover event filtered through The Twilight Zone.
Hoskin's writing is propulsive - like the best Marvel and DC books - but shaded with nuances that make his universe feel real.
Hayes makes for an unusual protagonist in this world where he's a normal guy (for an ex-SEAL) trying to find out why his wife had to die. His ingenuity in attempting to find out is thoroughly entertaining and a bit poignant.
The world of Bystander 27 is well thought out and the revelations that lie in store for Hayes are positively mindbending in the best comic book/graphic novel tradition. Indeed, with a world so well thought out, there's plenty of potential for a series (though it might be hard to top this in subsequent efforts).
This is one very impressive debut novel. Check it out.
December 6, 2020
Was Captain Light aware of the grief he had caused? Did this mighty protector know that she was not simply collateral damage? Ex navy seal Jon Hayes and his beloved wife Melanie were innocent bystanders amongst a crowd, looking on in horror, during an explosive battle between Captain Light and arch nemesis the Jade Shade.
Melanie was killed and now Hayes wants to confront Captain Light face to face for answers? An acknowledgement of his actions? An apology wasn't anywhere near enough...was Hayes seeking revenge?
Rik Hoskin takes us on a heart tugging, gripping thriller into the unravelling mind of a man seeking to avenge his wife, no matter the cost.
Hoskin's writing is clear and concise, his descriptive powers are above par, you are kept in the moment and feel as though you are sat next to Hayes in every coffee shop and on every lonely stake out, listening to his thoughts. You find yourself nodding in agreement with his decisions or fascinated with his reasoning but one thing is for sure, you will be shocked by the outcome you never saw creeping up on you. A pure delight and it's not the only rug pull in this tremendous page turner.
Comic book aficionadoss or lovers of the current wave of super-hero cinema will be thrilled in the giant, action packed set pieces. There are a galaxy of new, original super powered characters to meet and the balance of action and emotion make this a highly recommended read.
Hoskin is on fire here, you'll quickly become a fan of his writing.
Melanie was killed and now Hayes wants to confront Captain Light face to face for answers? An acknowledgement of his actions? An apology wasn't anywhere near enough...was Hayes seeking revenge?
Rik Hoskin takes us on a heart tugging, gripping thriller into the unravelling mind of a man seeking to avenge his wife, no matter the cost.
Hoskin's writing is clear and concise, his descriptive powers are above par, you are kept in the moment and feel as though you are sat next to Hayes in every coffee shop and on every lonely stake out, listening to his thoughts. You find yourself nodding in agreement with his decisions or fascinated with his reasoning but one thing is for sure, you will be shocked by the outcome you never saw creeping up on you. A pure delight and it's not the only rug pull in this tremendous page turner.
Comic book aficionadoss or lovers of the current wave of super-hero cinema will be thrilled in the giant, action packed set pieces. There are a galaxy of new, original super powered characters to meet and the balance of action and emotion make this a highly recommended read.
Hoskin is on fire here, you'll quickly become a fan of his writing.
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August 1, 2020Bystander 27 by Rik Hoskin | Aug 11, 2020 | Angry Robot
When former seal Jon Hayes sees his wife killed as collateral damage in a fight between superhero and supervillain, he is driven to understand why. When he looks through every uploaded video and photograph of superhero battles and finds himself and his wife at events they never attended, he knows he has to dig deeper into the superhero scene and uncover the truth behind everything. You should be careful what you wish for.
This is a wonderful romp through the superhero premise as Jon pulls on a thread that threatens to unravel his reality in his search for answers. Is it science fiction? Strictly speaking, probably not. Angry Robot tags it as Superhero Fantasy, and I can see that, but Rik Hoskin has written a novel about real people in an unreal world, and to me that speaks to the essence of science fiction, which asks “What if?” Not to mention the aliens, robots, and gadgets galore.
More: http://www.e357.net/beingernest/?p=60...
When former seal Jon Hayes sees his wife killed as collateral damage in a fight between superhero and supervillain, he is driven to understand why. When he looks through every uploaded video and photograph of superhero battles and finds himself and his wife at events they never attended, he knows he has to dig deeper into the superhero scene and uncover the truth behind everything. You should be careful what you wish for.
This is a wonderful romp through the superhero premise as Jon pulls on a thread that threatens to unravel his reality in his search for answers. Is it science fiction? Strictly speaking, probably not. Angry Robot tags it as Superhero Fantasy, and I can see that, but Rik Hoskin has written a novel about real people in an unreal world, and to me that speaks to the essence of science fiction, which asks “What if?” Not to mention the aliens, robots, and gadgets galore.
More: http://www.e357.net/beingernest/?p=60...
September 6, 2020
Jon Hayes is merely Bystander 27 (paper from Angry Robot) when his pregnant wife is killed during a fight between Captain Light and the Jade Shade. He can’t let well enough alone, slowly realizing how inane his world’s logic is. Villains somehow have access to super science to commit stupid crimes. Damage is cleaned up the next day. He even visits the Jade Shade, only to discover an empty space instead of a jail. Stealing weapons from minor villains, he plans to confront Captian Light at the ceremony honoring him to help discover why his world is so caught up in super hero battles. While the solution is a bit odd, Rik Hoskin tells an exciting and centered tale of a Navy Seal veteran using all his skills to probe the impossible. Lots of fun.Review printed by Philadelphia Free Press
September 17, 2023
First let me say that I love reading new takes on the comics/superhero/supervillain genre and this was an interesting version of that genre. The reason I gave this a 3 star rating was because I found it that it didn’t consistently hold my interest. It dragged in spots and those spots kept reappearing. BUT the ending was really good….and once I thought about it, I think how the book was written (the slow spots for me) was intentional and made sense when I reached the conclusion of the book. So…..I do recommend the book especially if you enjoy the comic superhero genre, I think you’ll enjoy this book.
January 4, 2021
Bystander 27 is one of those books that dumps a boxful of puzzle pieces in your lap, and slowly, you begin to piece together the picture until that last piece fits and you realize you've done the puzzle upside-down. Rik Hoskin has written a captivating action novel that, when the last piece fits together and you turn it over, completely changes the way you'll think about what you've read. I can't really go into more detail without spoiling the reveal (that makes the book), but let's just say this book is worth the read.
April 9, 2023
Bystander 27 by author Rik Hoskin is a really good idea that's not completely executed right. It's a mystery set in the world of super-heroes and that central mystery carries the plot forward, but the pacing is way off and it's way too long. I enjoyed the story he was telling but found myself skimming over too much of it. I'm a huge comic book fan so this one kind of hit that sweet spot for me but I can't wholeheartedly recommend it due to the pacing issues.
October 16, 2020
This book was well structured and I can see myself rereading it in the near future. I came into it expecting to see a “the boys” vibe to it but walked away feeling better that it wasn’t and that it was a fresh take on a bystander that was LITERALLY from a comic, that twist just got to me and I’m really glad I gave this a read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2024
WARNING - SPOILERS AHEADI gotta be honest - I read the first 80 pages of this book and just could NOT get into it. So, to feel a bit better, I read the last couple chapters and was surprisingly impressed with where it ended! Hayes being part of a comic world without him knowing, at least in the beginning? Cool! Too bad it couldn’t hold my focus long enough.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2022
This book is populated by cliches and cardboard characters. The protagonist is some sort of high-speed special forces guy with an apartment in New York City. There aren't any SF bases in NYC. It goes downhill from there.
The ghost of Dorothy Parker rose in a manner adroit and definitive.
The ghost of Dorothy Parker rose in a manner adroit and definitive.
August 18, 2025
This book was VERY VERY repetitive. The idea is nice, and the beginning is good. However, it just keeps repeating THE SAME thing for 200 pages. At one point I COULD NOT take it anymore. I just skipped and read the last 100 pages and did not miss a thing. Should have been WAY WAY WAY shorter.
August 4, 2020
Really enjoyed this story. Plenty of twists and turns to keep u guessing. Well thought out characterisation. Definite page turner
December 6, 2020
It was ok, took along time to get going.
March 21, 2021
Would have been an easy 5 star if the middle like, 150 pages were just cut out.
November 20, 2022
Well written but just couldn’t stick the landing
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