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Masked
WELCOME TO THE SECOND “GOLDEN AGE” OF SUPERHEROES AND HEROINES
Superheroes have come a long way since the “Man of Steel” was introduced in 1938. This brilliant new collection features original stories and novellas from some of today’s most exciting voices in comics, science fiction, and fantasy. Each marvelously inventive tale shows us just how far our classic crusaders have evolved—and how the greatest of heroes are, much like ourselves, all too human.
In “Call Her Savage,” MARJORIE M. LIU enters the dark heart of a fierce mythic heroine who is forced, by war, to live up to her own terrible legend.
In “A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (Villains Too),” BILL WILLINGHAM presents a fully-realized vision of a universe where epic feats and tragic flaws have transformed the human race.
In “Vacuum Lad,” STEPHEN BAXTER unveils the secret origins of the first true child of the space age—and disproves the theory that “nothing exists in a vacuum.”
In “Head Cases,” PETER DAVID and KATHLEEN DAVID blast through the blogosphere to expose the secret longings of a Lonely Superhero Wife.
In “The Non-Event,” MIKE CAREY removes the gag order on a super-thief named Lockjaw . . . and pries out a confession of life-altering events.
Also includes stories by Mike Baron • Mark Chadbourn • Paul Cornell • Daryl Gregory • Joseph Mallozzi • James Maxey • Ian McDonald • Chris Roberson • Gail Simone • Matthew Sturges . . . and an introduction by Lou Anders, “one of the brightest and best of the new generation of science fiction editors” (Jonathan Strahan, The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year ).
Superheroes have come a long way since the “Man of Steel” was introduced in 1938. This brilliant new collection features original stories and novellas from some of today’s most exciting voices in comics, science fiction, and fantasy. Each marvelously inventive tale shows us just how far our classic crusaders have evolved—and how the greatest of heroes are, much like ourselves, all too human.
In “Call Her Savage,” MARJORIE M. LIU enters the dark heart of a fierce mythic heroine who is forced, by war, to live up to her own terrible legend.
In “A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (Villains Too),” BILL WILLINGHAM presents a fully-realized vision of a universe where epic feats and tragic flaws have transformed the human race.
In “Vacuum Lad,” STEPHEN BAXTER unveils the secret origins of the first true child of the space age—and disproves the theory that “nothing exists in a vacuum.”
In “Head Cases,” PETER DAVID and KATHLEEN DAVID blast through the blogosphere to expose the secret longings of a Lonely Superhero Wife.
In “The Non-Event,” MIKE CAREY removes the gag order on a super-thief named Lockjaw . . . and pries out a confession of life-altering events.
Also includes stories by Mike Baron • Mark Chadbourn • Paul Cornell • Daryl Gregory • Joseph Mallozzi • James Maxey • Ian McDonald • Chris Roberson • Gail Simone • Matthew Sturges . . . and an introduction by Lou Anders, “one of the brightest and best of the new generation of science fiction editors” (Jonathan Strahan, The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year ).
399 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 2010
29 people are currently reading
1338 people want to read
About the author
Lou Anders
39 books202 followersLOU ANDERS is the author of the novel Once Upon a Unicorn, the Thrones & Bones trilogy of fantasy adventure novels (Frostborn, Nightborn, and Skyborn), and the novel Star Wars: Pirate’s Price. He is the recipient of a Hugo Award for editing and a Chesley Award for art direction. In the tabletop roleplaying game world, Anders is the creator and publisher of the Thrones & Bones: Norrøngard campaign setting. He has also done game design for Kobold Press, River Horse, and 3D Printed Tabletop. In 2016, he was named a Thurber House Writer-in-Residence and spent a month in Columbus, Ohio, teaching, writing, and living in a haunted house. When not writing, designing, and editing, he enjoys playing roleplaying games, 3D printing, weightlifting, and watching movies. He lives with his wife, children, and two golden doodles in Birmingham, Alabama. You can visit Anders online at louanders.com or on Facebook, Instagram, and other social networks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
February 25, 2018
I was raised on comic books. I used to read them and reread them dozens of times. I remember the look my parents gave me when I told them that I wanted to be an X-Men once I grow up. I guess they wanted a different career for me. And yet all I wanted to do was to go to X-Mansion and hang out with all the mutants and go on adventures. Sure, I had some backup plans but this was my dream.
Sadly, things didn’t go as planned. As I’m not gifted with omega level mutant power I finished as an HR Consultant and part-time yoga teacher. Not exactly Wolverine.
I accepted my fate. If I grow claws one day and teleport myself to Paris to grab a coffee and a croissant for breakfast, I’ll let you know. For now, though, I still enjoy superheroes, especially the ones with the mutant super powers. I still read some comic series but I have impression Marvel lost a sense of direction a bit.
As books were always my true love, I’ve been trying to find good books about superheroes. I loved The Rook by Daniel O’Malley, but couldn’t get into most books in the genre. And I tried more than few in recent years.
Masked was recommended to me on r/fantasy board and as I like to struggle with anthologies, I grabbed a copy.
As usually, I'll update this post regularly with mini-reviews of all the stories and then I will share some final thoughts with you.
Here we go.
Cleansed and Set in Gold by Matthew Sturges - ★★★★
It starts well. It made me want to understand what was happening. A strong first line is important. What about the rest of the story? It follows one of Wildcard heroes. He's nobody's favorite hero - he's not particularly handsome. He doesn't have a heart-breaking origin story. Journalists usually focus on other League of Heroes members. It's good. The less they know about him the better.
It's a dark story but not devoid of humor. It explores the theme of sacrifice and shows a reader what it truly takes to be heroic. Sometimes you have to sacrifice your own self-worth in order to do the right thing.
I really liked it despite some corny jokes and one-liners (very few of them, but still).
Where Their Worm Dieth Not by James Maxey - ★★
The Retaliator sees the world in white and black and he has a clear vision. He's ready to sacrifice a lot to make right choices.
He's part of a group of superheroes with cool powers. For example, his close friend Atomahawk has blood more radioactive than uranium and he has to bury his feces in lead jars because they'd kill any ordinary man that got near them. Other heroes that are mentioned have some interesting skills as well.
Retaliator's nemesis Prime Mover makes a move (pun intended) and things are coming to a closure. Hard choices will be made.
While I enjoyed the ideas in the story, the story itself and it's resolution didn't impress me that much. It was ok and pleasant to read but nothing more.
Secret Identity by Paul Cornel - ★
The Guardian is a gay hero. Clothed in a rainbow suit, he fights magical threats and villains. The thing is when he changes, he becomes more muscled and more masculine. It seems he may have some straight tendencies as a Guardian. It leads to some troubles in his private gay life.
While the story touches some interesting issues, it does so in a juvenile way. The story was rather simplistic and the plot and its resolution were anticlimactic. An idea is here. The execution, though, is rough. Too rough. So far the weakest story.
The Non-Event by Mike Carey - ★★★★★
Brilliant. I was laughing loud while reading it. More than once.
The story is told in first person POV. The narrator is a villain, but he doesn't want to rule the world. He just wants to do some old-school burglary. It's not easy, though, in a world where there are much more heroes than villains. Good guys in tights are everywhere.
We start at the end. The narrator tells the story of how the things went off the rails. His voice is snarky and I absolutely loved it. Here's a sample describing one of villains powers.
Avatar by Mike Baron - ★
It was sort of realistic approach to the theme. I didn't like this story as the writing was rather lacking in quality. Not my cup of tea.
Message from the Bubblegum Factory by Daryl Gregory - ★★★★
Eddie King, a former sidekick of a famous superhero, believes the whole world has been invented for the amusement of Soliton, the world’s first superhero, and Eddie’s adoptive father. After Soliton arrived, supervillains and more superheroes started popping up, freak accidents began giving people powers instead of killing them, and the laws of physics got rubbery.
Eddie knows Soliton came here from a mundane parallel universe that sounds suspiciously like the readers. So that raises some questions for Eddie. Is everyone in his world living in some kind of virtual reality, or personal artificial universe? And is every event — even Eddie’s plot to kill his father — part of Soliton’s script? Eddie King is trying to figure out if he’s fated to play out his role, or if he has free will… or if he’s just crazy.
I thought it would get five stars from me. And it would. However, the ending didn't give any sense of closure. Therefore I'll lower the rating a bit. It's excellent but I like short stories to be self-contained.
On the other hand, if there are more stories about Eddie and his new team, I'll read them.
Thug by Gail SImone - ★★★★★
Alvin Becker is a particularly large young man. He's HUGE. Mountain from Games of Thrones would run away from him, terrified. He's also developmentally challenged. Speaking bluntly - he's dumb. The story is written in Alvin's words, and we read it in journal format. The writing is painstakingly detailed and is brilliant. Despite grammar errors (purposeful - remember we're reading a journal written by titular Thug, who doesn't have a lot to share in IQ department; he has the heart in the right place, though).
The story is short and it tells us a complex story of Alvin's life and him becoming the THUG. Normally, we would see him as a bruiser, a bad guy who uses his strength to bully others. That's not the case.
Alvin tells his true story. His language is simple, guileless and punchy. It does give a glimpse of how Alvin's mind works. And Alvin isn't really a bad guy.
I'm impressed by this story - it managed to create an engaging and sympathetic character, show the other side of the coin while devastating English grammar. It was awesome.
Vacuum Lad by Stephen Baxter - ★
Ok. It mat be only me, but it was boring. There's some talk about the science and little else. I have nothing against science but in this anthology I want superheroes bending the laws of physics.
A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows by Chris Roberson - ★★
Decent story about the hero with mystical powers and not-so-mystical .45 Colts. He's looking for a demon in a California town during WW2.
The story is decently written and I guess it's just a matter of taste that I didn't enjoy it more than that.
Head cases by Peter David and Kathleen David - ★
It seems the story is part of / inspired by the sitcom series about Thunderhead - a would be hero whose inability to utilize his ability to produce loud thunder blasts without injury to himself leads him to become a source of comedic derision in the superhero community.
It was supposed to be funny. It wasn't.
To me, it was rather poor.
Downfall by Joseph Malozzi - ★★★
Marshall was born with hereditary superpowers. He never learned the identity of his father. He has a list of potential candidates. He plans to learn his father identity one day but life happens and Marshall becomes a member of supervillains gang.
Them after getting married he quits and then relapses shortly after. When we meet him, he's on a parole. There's a guy who wants to reveal his identity. Intellectually, it was interesting. But it didn't really entertain me.
By My Works You Shall Know We by Mark Chadbourn - ★★
Nox can use all of his brains and make his body do all kinds of crazy things. Unfortunately, his body shuts down when the sun comes up. There's also a girl, a friend, a treason and a twist. None of them spoke to me.
Call Her Savage by Marjorie Lu - ★★
It was ok. Nothing more. The world inspired by China permeated with steampunk elements is interesting but all these details were introduced a bit too late. In the end, it feels a bit like a chapter taken from a much larger novel and all the interesting bits have already happened. Or, maybe, are just about to happen.
Tonight We Fly by Ian McDonald - ★★★
Even heroes and villains grow old and suffer from arthritis. The story is nice, with a good sense of humor and interesting take on superheroes mythos. It was sweet to see our hero and his archnemesis together.
A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe by Bill Willingham - ★★★
It's pretty interesting considering the cast of characters involved and the experimental ABC plot structure of the piece - each chapter starts with the letter of the alphabet. A lot of characters are introduced and their plotlines connect. It was engaging and I liked it. I'm not crazy about this one but I appreciate experimenting with the short story format, especially that everything gels in the end.
Let’s look at stats.
The Anthology contains fifteen short stories. Each is written in different style. Not all styles speak to me. The truth is in numbers and the numbers are as follows:
★★★★★: 2
★★★★: 2
★★★: 3
★★: 4
★: 4
On the whole, the writing level and my personal enjoyment (which is, to me, most important factor) varied mostly around a mediocre level. Some of it got a little worse; some a little better. There were obvious exceptions that you’ll easily spot by looking at my ratings.
My favorite one is Thug followed shortly by The Non-Event. Both were excellent.
I'm glad I was recommended this anthology. While it's not groundbreaking, it was mostly fun to read about guys and gals with superpowers. I need more of superhero books in my life :)
I encourage you to try the anthology. I'm sure everyone will find at least one brilliant short story worth rereading multiple times. You know how it is with books and stories, right? The same story appeals to some readers, bores others, depresses some, enrages others. All of these are perfectly valid, reasonable responses. Treat my rating this way - they're by no means objective.
Most of all have fun with these stories :)
Sadly, things didn’t go as planned. As I’m not gifted with omega level mutant power I finished as an HR Consultant and part-time yoga teacher. Not exactly Wolverine.
I accepted my fate. If I grow claws one day and teleport myself to Paris to grab a coffee and a croissant for breakfast, I’ll let you know. For now, though, I still enjoy superheroes, especially the ones with the mutant super powers. I still read some comic series but I have impression Marvel lost a sense of direction a bit.
As books were always my true love, I’ve been trying to find good books about superheroes. I loved The Rook by Daniel O’Malley, but couldn’t get into most books in the genre. And I tried more than few in recent years.
Masked was recommended to me on r/fantasy board and as I like to struggle with anthologies, I grabbed a copy.
As usually, I'll update this post regularly with mini-reviews of all the stories and then I will share some final thoughts with you.
Here we go.
Cleansed and Set in Gold by Matthew Sturges - ★★★★
I'm on the ground trying to breathe through a chest full of broken ribs. The only reason I'm still alive is that I happen to be invisible at the moment.
It starts well. It made me want to understand what was happening. A strong first line is important. What about the rest of the story? It follows one of Wildcard heroes. He's nobody's favorite hero - he's not particularly handsome. He doesn't have a heart-breaking origin story. Journalists usually focus on other League of Heroes members. It's good. The less they know about him the better.
It's a dark story but not devoid of humor. It explores the theme of sacrifice and shows a reader what it truly takes to be heroic. Sometimes you have to sacrifice your own self-worth in order to do the right thing.
I really liked it despite some corny jokes and one-liners (very few of them, but still).
Where Their Worm Dieth Not by James Maxey - ★★
The Retaliator sees the world in white and black and he has a clear vision. He's ready to sacrifice a lot to make right choices.
The True evil of the world was insidious in its smallness, the petty, pointless meanness that would pistol-whip a grandmother or badger a crying child.
He's part of a group of superheroes with cool powers. For example, his close friend Atomahawk has blood more radioactive than uranium and he has to bury his feces in lead jars because they'd kill any ordinary man that got near them. Other heroes that are mentioned have some interesting skills as well.
Retaliator's nemesis Prime Mover makes a move (pun intended) and things are coming to a closure. Hard choices will be made.
While I enjoyed the ideas in the story, the story itself and it's resolution didn't impress me that much. It was ok and pleasant to read but nothing more.
Secret Identity by Paul Cornel - ★
The Guardian is a gay hero. Clothed in a rainbow suit, he fights magical threats and villains. The thing is when he changes, he becomes more muscled and more masculine. It seems he may have some straight tendencies as a Guardian. It leads to some troubles in his private gay life.
While the story touches some interesting issues, it does so in a juvenile way. The story was rather simplistic and the plot and its resolution were anticlimactic. An idea is here. The execution, though, is rough. Too rough. So far the weakest story.
The Non-Event by Mike Carey - ★★★★★
Brilliant. I was laughing loud while reading it. More than once.
The story is told in first person POV. The narrator is a villain, but he doesn't want to rule the world. He just wants to do some old-school burglary. It's not easy, though, in a world where there are much more heroes than villains. Good guys in tights are everywhere.
We start at the end. The narrator tells the story of how the things went off the rails. His voice is snarky and I absolutely loved it. Here's a sample describing one of villains powers.
Vessell's deal is that he can instantaneously appear anywhere his name is written down. I know, I know, it's like a bad joke. You blink out of reality and reappear inside a fucking mailbox, right?
Avatar by Mike Baron - ★
It was sort of realistic approach to the theme. I didn't like this story as the writing was rather lacking in quality. Not my cup of tea.
Message from the Bubblegum Factory by Daryl Gregory - ★★★★
Eddie King, a former sidekick of a famous superhero, believes the whole world has been invented for the amusement of Soliton, the world’s first superhero, and Eddie’s adoptive father. After Soliton arrived, supervillains and more superheroes started popping up, freak accidents began giving people powers instead of killing them, and the laws of physics got rubbery.
Eddie knows Soliton came here from a mundane parallel universe that sounds suspiciously like the readers. So that raises some questions for Eddie. Is everyone in his world living in some kind of virtual reality, or personal artificial universe? And is every event — even Eddie’s plot to kill his father — part of Soliton’s script? Eddie King is trying to figure out if he’s fated to play out his role, or if he has free will… or if he’s just crazy.
I thought it would get five stars from me. And it would. However, the ending didn't give any sense of closure. Therefore I'll lower the rating a bit. It's excellent but I like short stories to be self-contained.
On the other hand, if there are more stories about Eddie and his new team, I'll read them.
Thug by Gail SImone - ★★★★★
Hello, my name is alvin becker but i guess you know that already becuz i am the only one that will read. my pee oh said i wasn't learning from my mistakes so I should keep a JOURNAL.
Alvin Becker is a particularly large young man. He's HUGE. Mountain from Games of Thrones would run away from him, terrified. He's also developmentally challenged. Speaking bluntly - he's dumb. The story is written in Alvin's words, and we read it in journal format. The writing is painstakingly detailed and is brilliant. Despite grammar errors (purposeful - remember we're reading a journal written by titular Thug, who doesn't have a lot to share in IQ department; he has the heart in the right place, though).
The story is short and it tells us a complex story of Alvin's life and him becoming the THUG. Normally, we would see him as a bruiser, a bad guy who uses his strength to bully others. That's not the case.
Alvin tells his true story. His language is simple, guileless and punchy. It does give a glimpse of how Alvin's mind works. And Alvin isn't really a bad guy.
I'm impressed by this story - it managed to create an engaging and sympathetic character, show the other side of the coin while devastating English grammar. It was awesome.
Vacuum Lad by Stephen Baxter - ★
Ok. It mat be only me, but it was boring. There's some talk about the science and little else. I have nothing against science but in this anthology I want superheroes bending the laws of physics.
A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows by Chris Roberson - ★★
Decent story about the hero with mystical powers and not-so-mystical .45 Colts. He's looking for a demon in a California town during WW2.
The story is decently written and I guess it's just a matter of taste that I didn't enjoy it more than that.
Head cases by Peter David and Kathleen David - ★
It seems the story is part of / inspired by the sitcom series about Thunderhead - a would be hero whose inability to utilize his ability to produce loud thunder blasts without injury to himself leads him to become a source of comedic derision in the superhero community.
It was supposed to be funny. It wasn't.
To me, it was rather poor.
Downfall by Joseph Malozzi - ★★★
Marshall was born with hereditary superpowers. He never learned the identity of his father. He has a list of potential candidates. He plans to learn his father identity one day but life happens and Marshall becomes a member of supervillains gang.
Them after getting married he quits and then relapses shortly after. When we meet him, he's on a parole. There's a guy who wants to reveal his identity. Intellectually, it was interesting. But it didn't really entertain me.
By My Works You Shall Know We by Mark Chadbourn - ★★
Nox can use all of his brains and make his body do all kinds of crazy things. Unfortunately, his body shuts down when the sun comes up. There's also a girl, a friend, a treason and a twist. None of them spoke to me.
Call Her Savage by Marjorie Lu - ★★
It was ok. Nothing more. The world inspired by China permeated with steampunk elements is interesting but all these details were introduced a bit too late. In the end, it feels a bit like a chapter taken from a much larger novel and all the interesting bits have already happened. Or, maybe, are just about to happen.
Tonight We Fly by Ian McDonald - ★★★
Even heroes and villains grow old and suffer from arthritis. The story is nice, with a good sense of humor and interesting take on superheroes mythos. It was sweet to see our hero and his archnemesis together.
A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe by Bill Willingham - ★★★
It's pretty interesting considering the cast of characters involved and the experimental ABC plot structure of the piece - each chapter starts with the letter of the alphabet. A lot of characters are introduced and their plotlines connect. It was engaging and I liked it. I'm not crazy about this one but I appreciate experimenting with the short story format, especially that everything gels in the end.
Let’s look at stats.
The Anthology contains fifteen short stories. Each is written in different style. Not all styles speak to me. The truth is in numbers and the numbers are as follows:
★★★★★: 2
★★★★: 2
★★★: 3
★★: 4
★: 4
On the whole, the writing level and my personal enjoyment (which is, to me, most important factor) varied mostly around a mediocre level. Some of it got a little worse; some a little better. There were obvious exceptions that you’ll easily spot by looking at my ratings.
My favorite one is Thug followed shortly by The Non-Event. Both were excellent.
I'm glad I was recommended this anthology. While it's not groundbreaking, it was mostly fun to read about guys and gals with superpowers. I need more of superhero books in my life :)
I encourage you to try the anthology. I'm sure everyone will find at least one brilliant short story worth rereading multiple times. You know how it is with books and stories, right? The same story appeals to some readers, bores others, depresses some, enrages others. All of these are perfectly valid, reasonable responses. Treat my rating this way - they're by no means objective.
Most of all have fun with these stories :)
August 25, 2017
It was ok. I have laboured and finally finished this anthology. And my reaction - it was ok.
There are 15 short stories about masked heroes and villains, written by big names in the comics and superhero graphic novels industry. Sadly, I would say only eight of them are worth reading. And maybe four of them were really well written. It seems everyone was given some memo about how superhero stories should be, and the ensuing storytelling ended up being monotonous and lackluster. You would expect anthologies to be more diverse in tone, but it wasn't. However, the most noteworthy stories were:
1) A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (Villains Too) by BILL WILLINGHAM - This story alone deserved a 4.5 stars! Written in alphabetical order, it gave the perspectives of 36 characters within the short story limit, and made for a wildly fun read. If this was a full length book, I'd read it.
2) Thug by GAIL SIMONE - A 4 star story about a mentally disabled kid and how he fell into the circle of criminal activity. Written in broken english and faulty spellings, it is a heart wrenching story that made me question the perspectives of criminals, and how circumstances can truly make a man.
3) Where Their Worm Dieth Not by JAMES MAXEY - I'd give this a 3.5 stars. Your run of the mill superhero story, with a cunning villain always two steps ahead, and a hero having an existential crisis about the never-ending battle against evil. Thought-provoking with Greek mythology canon implied.
His voice dropped to a near whisper as he asked the question that terrified him most. “Is this. . . is this hell? Am I Sisyphus? Is this how you’ve chosen to punish me?"
4) Cleansed and Set in Gold by MATTHEW STURGES - A 3 star story about an unlikely superhero who gains his powers by eating flesh of dead superheroes/villains. Questions the true meaning of courage, bravery and goodness. Does doing a terrible thing that kills you inside, only for the good of others, make you better than the most infallible superhero with the justest mind?
I started reading this book because I hardly ever read about the superpowers side of fantasy. Supernatural fantasies are my preference, but I'll definitely give this side of the coin a try again.
There are 15 short stories about masked heroes and villains, written by big names in the comics and superhero graphic novels industry. Sadly, I would say only eight of them are worth reading. And maybe four of them were really well written. It seems everyone was given some memo about how superhero stories should be, and the ensuing storytelling ended up being monotonous and lackluster. You would expect anthologies to be more diverse in tone, but it wasn't. However, the most noteworthy stories were:
1) A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (Villains Too) by BILL WILLINGHAM - This story alone deserved a 4.5 stars! Written in alphabetical order, it gave the perspectives of 36 characters within the short story limit, and made for a wildly fun read. If this was a full length book, I'd read it.
2) Thug by GAIL SIMONE - A 4 star story about a mentally disabled kid and how he fell into the circle of criminal activity. Written in broken english and faulty spellings, it is a heart wrenching story that made me question the perspectives of criminals, and how circumstances can truly make a man.
3) Where Their Worm Dieth Not by JAMES MAXEY - I'd give this a 3.5 stars. Your run of the mill superhero story, with a cunning villain always two steps ahead, and a hero having an existential crisis about the never-ending battle against evil. Thought-provoking with Greek mythology canon implied.
His voice dropped to a near whisper as he asked the question that terrified him most. “Is this. . . is this hell? Am I Sisyphus? Is this how you’ve chosen to punish me?"
4) Cleansed and Set in Gold by MATTHEW STURGES - A 3 star story about an unlikely superhero who gains his powers by eating flesh of dead superheroes/villains. Questions the true meaning of courage, bravery and goodness. Does doing a terrible thing that kills you inside, only for the good of others, make you better than the most infallible superhero with the justest mind?
I started reading this book because I hardly ever read about the superpowers side of fantasy. Supernatural fantasies are my preference, but I'll definitely give this side of the coin a try again.
April 27, 2011
Over all a fairly solid collection of super-hero themed stories, this volume suffered a little from excessive uniformity of tone. It wasn't a bad tone, but after a few stories it got a tad predictable, and I can't help but feel that the authors as a whole were overly influenced by Austin Grossman's Soon I Will Be Invincible.
My favorite stories were uniformly by authors who were already on my to-read list: Matthew Sturges, James Maxey, Chris Roberson, Daryl Gregory, and Gail Simone. So while this volume did not suggest any new authors for me to try, it is nice to have the confirmation that I probably will like their books once I get them.
My favorite stories were uniformly by authors who were already on my to-read list: Matthew Sturges, James Maxey, Chris Roberson, Daryl Gregory, and Gail Simone. So while this volume did not suggest any new authors for me to try, it is nice to have the confirmation that I probably will like their books once I get them.
September 25, 2010
Whoo-ee. Finally, a book that isn't quite as downbeat as the other stuff I've been reading lately... although it can still get pretty grim.
Editor Lou Anders collects a clever mélange of all-new stories (every one is ©2010, according to the copyright page)—gritty, realistic (or at least relatively verisimilitudinous) tales of people with abilities that cause them problems, Pyrrhic superpowers they can't cope with, wild talents that make the world a more precarious place for themselves and others.
These are not characters drawn in the uncomplicated primary colors of my childhood's comic books. Sure, they can fly, become invisible, punch through steel walls, live in vacuum... but these are jaded heroes with paunches and drinking habits, shameful secrets and spouses who won't let them out at night. Their opposite numbers, too, have relationship issues, neuroses, petty jealousies and crises of confidence—villains with family lives and four-door sedans, who may be having their own trouble fitting into their costumes these days. You know, regular folks.
Which makes them more interesting, of course, especially to our knowing post-modern eyes.
Lou Anders' Introduction sets the tone, contrasting the monochromatic origins of superheroes with the more complex beings they've become in the Modern Age, touching on the obvious touchstones of the change (works like Alan Moore's Watchmen and Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns), and describing the authors herein as "actual masters of the comic book form."
Standouts for me included the ugly revelations of the lead story, Matthew Sturges' "Cleansed and Set in Gold"; the consciously Keyesian "Thug" by Gail Simone; the criminal element in Joseph Mallozzi's "Downfall" and the surprises hidden within Mark Chadbourn's "By My Works You Shall Know Me." You might well find an entirely different set of stories to like. Add to those some power-hitters like Ian McDonald and Stephen Baxter, and you've got a pretty solid anthology.
I won't say this was an excellent book; the stories collected here are not always that wonderful, and the anthology as a whole seems somewhat too much enslaved to its theme—there's not quite enough variation in tone among the stories, it seems to me. But it was a good book for me to read right now.
Editor Lou Anders collects a clever mélange of all-new stories (every one is ©2010, according to the copyright page)—gritty, realistic (or at least relatively verisimilitudinous) tales of people with abilities that cause them problems, Pyrrhic superpowers they can't cope with, wild talents that make the world a more precarious place for themselves and others.
These are not characters drawn in the uncomplicated primary colors of my childhood's comic books. Sure, they can fly, become invisible, punch through steel walls, live in vacuum... but these are jaded heroes with paunches and drinking habits, shameful secrets and spouses who won't let them out at night. Their opposite numbers, too, have relationship issues, neuroses, petty jealousies and crises of confidence—villains with family lives and four-door sedans, who may be having their own trouble fitting into their costumes these days. You know, regular folks.
Which makes them more interesting, of course, especially to our knowing post-modern eyes.
Lou Anders' Introduction sets the tone, contrasting the monochromatic origins of superheroes with the more complex beings they've become in the Modern Age, touching on the obvious touchstones of the change (works like Alan Moore's Watchmen and Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns), and describing the authors herein as "actual masters of the comic book form."
Standouts for me included the ugly revelations of the lead story, Matthew Sturges' "Cleansed and Set in Gold"; the consciously Keyesian "Thug" by Gail Simone; the criminal element in Joseph Mallozzi's "Downfall" and the surprises hidden within Mark Chadbourn's "By My Works You Shall Know Me." You might well find an entirely different set of stories to like. Add to those some power-hitters like Ian McDonald and Stephen Baxter, and you've got a pretty solid anthology.
I won't say this was an excellent book; the stories collected here are not always that wonderful, and the anthology as a whole seems somewhat too much enslaved to its theme—there's not quite enough variation in tone among the stories, it seems to me. But it was a good book for me to read right now.
June 9, 2016
Nice collection of short stories. Mostly just good reads but a few gems and duds as is usual with a collection like this. Overall a nice entertaining read if you like Superhero stories. Recommended
January 13, 2020
There is something for everyone.
June 28, 2022
Usually I’m not that big a fan of short stories collection, but this one really stood out. Of course, some stories were better than others, but overall, it was a pretty good selection!
June 29, 2011
As I was reading and enjoying the superhero stories that made up this anthology book, I thought a lot about why I don't read many short stories. I used to. I bought lots in middle school and high school, collections about dragons and wizards and dinosaurs. But Masked is the first collection I've read since Joe Hill's (perfect) 20th Century Ghosts a couple years ago. I think it has something to do with how slow I read. I figure that if it is going to take me a month to get through a book during the school year, then I should really get comfortable spending time with the characters that I'm reading about. Another thing is that I like a solid resolution, and a lot of these stories, even the really good ones, did what they needed to do, sprung their plot twists, then ended.
Enough of my self-examination though. Lets review this sucker, shall we? There were 14 stories in the collection, but I'll just hit those that stood out.
"Where Their Worm Dieth Not" was probably my second favorite in the whole book, and not just because it had one of the greatest superhero names ever (a Native American with a fusion reactor for a heart who shoots nuclear blasts called... wait for it... ATOMAHAWK!). It starts out being really funny, with Atomahawk and the Retaliator on a stakeout talking about all the times they've died and come back (a comic book cliche if ever there was one), but then it ends up being really dark, comparing the heros to Sisyphus eternally rolling his rock up the hill in the Greek underworld.
"Secret Identity" was fun with an interesting moral dilemma at its heart. Chris is gay, and devoted to his partner Joe, but when Chris says the magic word passed down through the ages and turns into the Manchester Guardian, the Guardian is attracted to women. So does he keep saving the city and breaking Joe's heart, or retire the magic word for good?
"Avatar" was probably the weakest story in the book. It was well written, but it tells a story I've read too many times: regular kid trains real hard, puts on a suit, tries to stop crime, gets in over his head.
"Message from the Bubblegum Factory" was by far my favorite story in the book. The plot is complex, but basically a one-time junior mascot of a superteam tries to bust some incarcerated heroes out of a super-maximum security prison to take down that world's Superman-analog. This one ends on a ridiculous cliffhanger.
"A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows" is notable because it builds an entire, deep mythology around its 1940s pulp hero, the Wraith. This is one hero I would absolutely read a full-length novel about.
"Call Her Savage" tried to do the same kind of thing, but it just ended up feeling like a chapter taken from a much larger alternate history novel where all the interesting bits have already happened, or are just about to.
"Tonight We Fly" was a sweet story about an elderly retired hero and his equally geriatric archnemesis who meet up in the park and go flying, just for old times sake.
Fables mastermind Bill Willingham wraps things up with a novella entitled "A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (Villains Too)" in which he tells the equivalent of a massive comic company crossover while introducing heroes and villains for ever letter of the alphabet. Trust me, it works better than it sounds. My favorites were Dormouse, with the ability to never get tired, and Saint George, who looks like a man in a robotic suit but turns out to be a bunch of fairies piloting a person-shaped battleship.
Nox, from the story "By My Works You Shall Know Me", has a cool power too. He can use all of his brain, which regulates his body's abilities to do all kinds of amazing things, but his body completely shuts down when the sun comes up... or so he thinks.
All in all this was a pretty cool collection of stories with various twists being put on the established superhero paradigm. You'll enjoy it, if you like that sort of thing.
Enough of my self-examination though. Lets review this sucker, shall we? There were 14 stories in the collection, but I'll just hit those that stood out.
"Where Their Worm Dieth Not" was probably my second favorite in the whole book, and not just because it had one of the greatest superhero names ever (a Native American with a fusion reactor for a heart who shoots nuclear blasts called... wait for it... ATOMAHAWK!). It starts out being really funny, with Atomahawk and the Retaliator on a stakeout talking about all the times they've died and come back (a comic book cliche if ever there was one), but then it ends up being really dark, comparing the heros to Sisyphus eternally rolling his rock up the hill in the Greek underworld.
"Secret Identity" was fun with an interesting moral dilemma at its heart. Chris is gay, and devoted to his partner Joe, but when Chris says the magic word passed down through the ages and turns into the Manchester Guardian, the Guardian is attracted to women. So does he keep saving the city and breaking Joe's heart, or retire the magic word for good?
"Avatar" was probably the weakest story in the book. It was well written, but it tells a story I've read too many times: regular kid trains real hard, puts on a suit, tries to stop crime, gets in over his head.
"Message from the Bubblegum Factory" was by far my favorite story in the book. The plot is complex, but basically a one-time junior mascot of a superteam tries to bust some incarcerated heroes out of a super-maximum security prison to take down that world's Superman-analog. This one ends on a ridiculous cliffhanger.
"A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows" is notable because it builds an entire, deep mythology around its 1940s pulp hero, the Wraith. This is one hero I would absolutely read a full-length novel about.
"Call Her Savage" tried to do the same kind of thing, but it just ended up feeling like a chapter taken from a much larger alternate history novel where all the interesting bits have already happened, or are just about to.
"Tonight We Fly" was a sweet story about an elderly retired hero and his equally geriatric archnemesis who meet up in the park and go flying, just for old times sake.
Fables mastermind Bill Willingham wraps things up with a novella entitled "A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (Villains Too)" in which he tells the equivalent of a massive comic company crossover while introducing heroes and villains for ever letter of the alphabet. Trust me, it works better than it sounds. My favorites were Dormouse, with the ability to never get tired, and Saint George, who looks like a man in a robotic suit but turns out to be a bunch of fairies piloting a person-shaped battleship.
Nox, from the story "By My Works You Shall Know Me", has a cool power too. He can use all of his brain, which regulates his body's abilities to do all kinds of amazing things, but his body completely shuts down when the sun comes up... or so he thinks.
All in all this was a pretty cool collection of stories with various twists being put on the established superhero paradigm. You'll enjoy it, if you like that sort of thing.
October 2, 2011
Masked is a collection of short stories about superheroes--the good, the bad, and the ugly. I've never reviewed something like this before, so I hope the format works. The stories (and my thoughts on some of 'em):
Cleansed and Set in Gold by Matthew Sturges
A somewhat-disturbing story about where The Wildcard gets his powers. I'll let you read it to find out for yourself, but, ewwwwwww. However, the story does make you wonder what you'd do in the name of the greater good.
Where Their Worm Dieth Not by James Maxey
A tale of the endless cycle of life and death, misplaced trust, and loss. Along with passing commentary on smoking's ills. I felt horrible for the hero in this one.
Secret Identity by Paul Cornell
Superhero in a rainbow costume gets heckled for kissing a woman. Can donning a superhero costume mess with your sexual identity?
The Non-Event by Mike Carey
A heist gone wrong. So bloody wrong.
Avatar by Mike Baron
Newbie do-gooder realizes that actions have consequences.
Message from the Bubblegum Factory by Daryl Gregory
Breaking into prison to break out of prison to save the world. Eh, it's a complicated world, it is.
Thug by Gail Simone
Written without proper spelling or capitalization, I found this journal a bit difficult to read, but I may give it another whirl when my head's not pounding.
Vacuum Lad by Steven Baxter
Launch of a new superhero? Is it a miracle, or just another result of genetic manipulation?
A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows by Chris Roberson
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery... And provides an apprentice.
Head Cases by Peter David and Kathleen David
Funny short story with a character with my son's name. *grin*
Downfall by Joseph Mallozzi
By My Works You Shall Know Me by Mark Chadbourn
Call Her Savage by Marjorie M. Liu
A futuristic society with echoes of history where the superhero(-ine) is a killer without a cape.
Tonight We Fly by Ian McDonald
So what do superheroes (& villains) do when they "retire"? Alumnus groups? Online forums? Secret messages in the daily paper for secret meetings with your former enemy to relive the good ol' days?
A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (Villains Too) by Bill Willingham
Cleansed and Set in Gold by Matthew Sturges
A somewhat-disturbing story about where The Wildcard gets his powers. I'll let you read it to find out for yourself, but, ewwwwwww. However, the story does make you wonder what you'd do in the name of the greater good.
Where Their Worm Dieth Not by James Maxey
A tale of the endless cycle of life and death, misplaced trust, and loss. Along with passing commentary on smoking's ills. I felt horrible for the hero in this one.
Secret Identity by Paul Cornell
Superhero in a rainbow costume gets heckled for kissing a woman. Can donning a superhero costume mess with your sexual identity?
The Non-Event by Mike Carey
A heist gone wrong. So bloody wrong.
Avatar by Mike Baron
Newbie do-gooder realizes that actions have consequences.
Message from the Bubblegum Factory by Daryl Gregory
Breaking into prison to break out of prison to save the world. Eh, it's a complicated world, it is.
Thug by Gail Simone
Written without proper spelling or capitalization, I found this journal a bit difficult to read, but I may give it another whirl when my head's not pounding.
Vacuum Lad by Steven Baxter
Launch of a new superhero? Is it a miracle, or just another result of genetic manipulation?
A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows by Chris Roberson
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery... And provides an apprentice.
Head Cases by Peter David and Kathleen David
Funny short story with a character with my son's name. *grin*
Downfall by Joseph Mallozzi
By My Works You Shall Know Me by Mark Chadbourn
Call Her Savage by Marjorie M. Liu
A futuristic society with echoes of history where the superhero(-ine) is a killer without a cape.
Tonight We Fly by Ian McDonald
So what do superheroes (& villains) do when they "retire"? Alumnus groups? Online forums? Secret messages in the daily paper for secret meetings with your former enemy to relive the good ol' days?
A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (Villains Too) by Bill Willingham
![Profile Image for Ed [Redacted].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1429513592i%2F3968676.jpg&w=128&q=75)
May 31, 2011
Cleansed and Set in Gold-- Matthew Sturges.
A superhero gets his powers in a very un-superheroic way. A story exploring the depraved things people will do to gain or maintain power. 4.5/5
Where Their Worm Dieth Not-- James Maxey
fable like tale of the ultimate end of superheroes 4/5
Secret Identity-- Paul Cornell
When an average man changes into his super alter-ego, what else changes. A solid story but ultimately fails to fulfill in the end. 3.5/5
The Non-Event--Mike Carey
The story of a robbery gone very wrong. One of the best in the book 5/5
Avatar--Mike Baron
A young would-be Batman learns that life isn't always like it is in the funny papers. 3/5
Message from the Bubblegum Factory--Daryl Gregory
an odd prison break. This story seems more like the prologue to a novel but it is very well done 4/5
Thug--Gail Simone
This is the tale of one of the faceless minions routinely employed by super villains. I was at first put off by the simple, phonetic language used in the story. I have rarely found this trope to be worth wading though in the past. In this case, it is worth every bit of the effort as this is a story brilliantly realized. 5/5
Vacuum Lad--Stephen Baxter
An interesting but ultimately unfulfilling superhero story.
A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows--Chris Roberson
Interesting 30's style pulp hero in a demon haunted world, well done 4/5
Head Cases--Peter David and Kathleen David
A dissatisfied housewife/wife of superhero...meh. 3/5
Downfall--Joseph Mallozzi
Did't finish this one, it just went on forever and didn't go anywhere. -/5
By My Works You Shall Know Me--Mark Chadbourne
Interesting, fun, well done story about a hero and his nemesis locked in battle 4/5
Call Her Savage--Marjorie M. Liu
Didn;t finish this one either, it just bored me -/5
Tonight We Fly--Ian McDonald
Superheroes get old too. A surprisingly good story built on not much more than that. 4/5
A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (Villains Too)--Bill Willingham
interesting concept fairly well done. 4/5
All in all this is a very worthwhile use of valuable reading time. 4 stars overall and believe me when I say I was not prepared to like this book nearly as much as I did.
A superhero gets his powers in a very un-superheroic way. A story exploring the depraved things people will do to gain or maintain power. 4.5/5
Where Their Worm Dieth Not-- James Maxey
fable like tale of the ultimate end of superheroes 4/5
Secret Identity-- Paul Cornell
When an average man changes into his super alter-ego, what else changes. A solid story but ultimately fails to fulfill in the end. 3.5/5
The Non-Event--Mike Carey
The story of a robbery gone very wrong. One of the best in the book 5/5
Avatar--Mike Baron
A young would-be Batman learns that life isn't always like it is in the funny papers. 3/5
Message from the Bubblegum Factory--Daryl Gregory
an odd prison break. This story seems more like the prologue to a novel but it is very well done 4/5
Thug--Gail Simone
This is the tale of one of the faceless minions routinely employed by super villains. I was at first put off by the simple, phonetic language used in the story. I have rarely found this trope to be worth wading though in the past. In this case, it is worth every bit of the effort as this is a story brilliantly realized. 5/5
Vacuum Lad--Stephen Baxter
An interesting but ultimately unfulfilling superhero story.
A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows--Chris Roberson
Interesting 30's style pulp hero in a demon haunted world, well done 4/5
Head Cases--Peter David and Kathleen David
A dissatisfied housewife/wife of superhero...meh. 3/5
Downfall--Joseph Mallozzi
Did't finish this one, it just went on forever and didn't go anywhere. -/5
By My Works You Shall Know Me--Mark Chadbourne
Interesting, fun, well done story about a hero and his nemesis locked in battle 4/5
Call Her Savage--Marjorie M. Liu
Didn;t finish this one either, it just bored me -/5
Tonight We Fly--Ian McDonald
Superheroes get old too. A surprisingly good story built on not much more than that. 4/5
A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (Villains Too)--Bill Willingham
interesting concept fairly well done. 4/5
All in all this is a very worthwhile use of valuable reading time. 4 stars overall and believe me when I say I was not prepared to like this book nearly as much as I did.
November 29, 2010
Lou Anders’ anthology of original superhero-themed short fiction caught my eye not so much because I’m in love with the genre, but because I liked the idea of a contributor list including both writers from the comic book world (like Bill Willingham, Mike Baron, Peter David, Marjorie Liu, and Gail Simone) and prose sf authors (like Stephen Baxter and Ian McDonald).
And in fact, the prose authors delivered several of the high points. My favorite story was McDonald’s “Tonight We Fly” — brief, moving, unexpected, hard to discuss without risking spoilers. Baxter’s Daryl Gregory’s streamlined and action-packed “Message from the Bubblegum Factory” put his debut novel Pandemonium onto my to-read list. I also liked Stephen Baxter’s “Vacuum Lad.” Screenwriter Joseph Mallozzi makes his prose debut with the novella “Downfall,” a story about a reformed villain living undercover. I was gripped by the first three-quarters of it, but thought the dénouement sank into cliché. Chris Roberson’s “A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows” deftly ties together a number of ’40s pulp elements with a few twists much more original than its heavily-used title.
Many of these stories opt for an approach that seems inspired by Alan Moore’s landmark Watchmen, emphasizing grit and emotional realism, with liberal amounts of violence and pseudo-realistic extrapolation. (One might get the impression that nanomachines are the millennial equivalent of hard radiation doses in Golden Age comics.) I found this a bit wearying en masse and I would have liked to see something in the outré vein of Rachel Pollack’s Doom Patrol, or some satire of comics’ overblown excesses. (Peter and Kathleen David’s “Head Cases” provides a shift of mood, but although I found its setup promising, I didn’t think it followed through.)
One very positive note: the volume is largely free of in-jokes of the “figure out which trademarked character I’m slyly re-purposing” variety.
And in fact, the prose authors delivered several of the high points. My favorite story was McDonald’s “Tonight We Fly” — brief, moving, unexpected, hard to discuss without risking spoilers. Baxter’s Daryl Gregory’s streamlined and action-packed “Message from the Bubblegum Factory” put his debut novel Pandemonium onto my to-read list. I also liked Stephen Baxter’s “Vacuum Lad.” Screenwriter Joseph Mallozzi makes his prose debut with the novella “Downfall,” a story about a reformed villain living undercover. I was gripped by the first three-quarters of it, but thought the dénouement sank into cliché. Chris Roberson’s “A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows” deftly ties together a number of ’40s pulp elements with a few twists much more original than its heavily-used title.
Many of these stories opt for an approach that seems inspired by Alan Moore’s landmark Watchmen, emphasizing grit and emotional realism, with liberal amounts of violence and pseudo-realistic extrapolation. (One might get the impression that nanomachines are the millennial equivalent of hard radiation doses in Golden Age comics.) I found this a bit wearying en masse and I would have liked to see something in the outré vein of Rachel Pollack’s Doom Patrol, or some satire of comics’ overblown excesses. (Peter and Kathleen David’s “Head Cases” provides a shift of mood, but although I found its setup promising, I didn’t think it followed through.)
One very positive note: the volume is largely free of in-jokes of the “figure out which trademarked character I’m slyly re-purposing” variety.
March 12, 2012
An uneven collection of prose superhero stories; none of the stories were terrible, but a lot were pretty pedestrian. The best was Gail Simone's 'Thug'; the honourable mentions were by Matthew Sturges, Mike Carey, Paul Cornell, Chris Roberson, Marjorie Liu and Bill Willingham. The rest... well, whatever.
Two asides:
1 - There's an interesting mix of comics writers and prose writers here, but there's also a strong deconstructive tendency from the non-comics authors. It's not enough for them to simply write a superhero story; it has to be one that critiques the genre and its conventions, and usually in a way that finds those conventions wanting. The comics authors, on the other hand, were more interested in following those conventions to find a story that respected them while still working within a different medium/form. Those stories tended to be better, if only because I could read the story without the chip on the author's shoulder getting in the way.
2 - The proofreader and editor of this book doesn't seem to understand the difference between 'canon' and 'cannon'. Which is just embarrassing, frankly.
Two asides:
1 - There's an interesting mix of comics writers and prose writers here, but there's also a strong deconstructive tendency from the non-comics authors. It's not enough for them to simply write a superhero story; it has to be one that critiques the genre and its conventions, and usually in a way that finds those conventions wanting. The comics authors, on the other hand, were more interested in following those conventions to find a story that respected them while still working within a different medium/form. Those stories tended to be better, if only because I could read the story without the chip on the author's shoulder getting in the way.
2 - The proofreader and editor of this book doesn't seem to understand the difference between 'canon' and 'cannon'. Which is just embarrassing, frankly.
July 22, 2010
Masked is more of an inside look into what makes a superhero in their truest form. So if you are looking for lots of action and adventure then you may be a little disappointed. I mean there was some fighting going on but I was expecting this anthology to be like the comics and television series I grew up with. Though, I have to say that I did really like some of the stories featured like: Where Their Worm Dieth Not (kind of like the stories I was used to reading. Also it reminded me some of the Twilight Zone), Secret Identity, Avatar and Call Her Savage.
I am not saying that some of the other stories weren’t bad but this is one time where I felt that the stories were too short. They were just start getting going and then the story would end. The more human aspect of the superheroes was nice to see where these characters come from and who they are. Though, I was introduced me to a bunch of new writers. Overall, Masked didn’t reveal itself to me, in order to fully enjoy this anthology.
I am not saying that some of the other stories weren’t bad but this is one time where I felt that the stories were too short. They were just start getting going and then the story would end. The more human aspect of the superheroes was nice to see where these characters come from and who they are. Though, I was introduced me to a bunch of new writers. Overall, Masked didn’t reveal itself to me, in order to fully enjoy this anthology.
July 30, 2014
Neither exceptional nor earth-shatteringly disappointing.
The main problem: Masked's thesis states that by presenting us with these classic comic book tropes in a literary format, it's ending the debate on whether or not comic books can be a form of literature.
Sure, comic books can be a form of literature. We don't need a wordy foreword to tell us this. But these short stories about superheroes--though entertaining and clever at times--aren't really literature. Most sort of just toss around cringeworthy narration before rushing into uninspired endings.
What really stands out as strong: The plot setups are some of the most interesting around, either putting entirely new twists on old comic standards or rejuvenating tired tropes. Sure, they're good by comic book standards.
However, they're not good by literature standards. Despite including work from over a dozen authors, by the end they all miraculously sound the same. I've never known comic writers to be able to craft good endings, and--as said before--this is no different.
The main problem: Masked's thesis states that by presenting us with these classic comic book tropes in a literary format, it's ending the debate on whether or not comic books can be a form of literature.
Sure, comic books can be a form of literature. We don't need a wordy foreword to tell us this. But these short stories about superheroes--though entertaining and clever at times--aren't really literature. Most sort of just toss around cringeworthy narration before rushing into uninspired endings.
What really stands out as strong: The plot setups are some of the most interesting around, either putting entirely new twists on old comic standards or rejuvenating tired tropes. Sure, they're good by comic book standards.
However, they're not good by literature standards. Despite including work from over a dozen authors, by the end they all miraculously sound the same. I've never known comic writers to be able to craft good endings, and--as said before--this is no different.
July 10, 2020
Superheroes, what are they good for? Absolutely nothing. “Always playing to the media, their public acts of altruism little more than a bullshit patina glossing over the ugly truths—alcoholism, malignant narcissism, anger management issues. Their slightest charities aggrandized, their failings easily forgiven and forgotten, inculpable colossi towering over their lessers, imposing themselves and shattering lives with a casual indifference born of self-affected ambition.”
September 6, 2022
Not bad, not bad at all. Certainly not an epic, but a nice collection of shorts about heroes and villains. Some hits and some misses, but a nice assortment of creativity and character ingenuity presented and developed in just a few pages. Certainly worth the $5.99 I paid in the Borders Bargain Book Bin. A nice easy read, and a great volume for "fall asleep in bed" reading; small bites and easily digested, but easy to put down and pick back up.
January 22, 2019
There are two things I consider essential to the superhero genre: a sense of hope, and a sense of wonder. Few of the stories in this collection have either, and only one has both. This book was published in 2010, so the vast majority of these stories are drenched in post 9/11, post Nolan's Dark Knight cynicism. The Mike Carey, Daryl Gregory, Gail Simone, Chris Roberson and Bill Willingham stories are the only ones I truly enjoyed in this mostly sub-par collection.
October 2, 2012
Some good concepts, but very uneven execution in the 100 pages I was able to slog through. I had high hopes for this, but was disappointed and just don't have the patience to push through more of it.
January 30, 2014
Masked was... well, it was PRETTY good, no more or less.
Some of the stories were great, while others were really boring, making me wanna skip 'em all together.
But, since the good kinda outweighed the bad, I'll give the book 3 stars.
Overall a good read for every superhero-fan out there!
Some of the stories were great, while others were really boring, making me wanna skip 'em all together.
But, since the good kinda outweighed the bad, I'll give the book 3 stars.
Overall a good read for every superhero-fan out there!
December 29, 2013
A couple of the stories were pretty good and there were some interesting concepts, but on the whole it felt like the authors were trying to condense novel length ideas into 20 pages or so.
June 20, 2015
One of the best pieces of superhero media I've ever read.
March 13, 2016
As usual I'll review each story individually and then give a wrap up. From the offset I should say however that at least five of the authors here are comic book writers that I idolize ::cough Gail Simone cough:: so this may be slightly more skewed then usual. I take my comics very seriously (which is why you rarely if ever will see me review them, I get too passionate).
"Cleansed and Set in Gold" by Matthew Sturges
A reservist member of the League of Heroes, named Wildcard because his powers are "variable", finds himself at the center of an ongoing conflict that killed the supposedly immortal hero Veraine. I couldn't quite guess the trick to Wildcard's powers. The trick is disturbing, though in all honesty I see the merit in it. While the basic premise of the story is one that floods comics on a monthly basis (uber-powerful enemy kills one of the greats and everyone else has to figure out how to stop it), the delivery is more than worth it. Wildcard felt realistic, like an ordinary guy who just stumbled into this hero gig. I did not guess how he resolved the reporter thing, or how he came to terms with his powers.
"Where Their Worm Dieth Not" by James Maxey
Death is as commonplace to heroes as rebirth is. But sometimes the knowledge that you are one of the few who can--and has--returned from death multiple times can be more torturous than anything else. Oh this story made me tear up. It hit home a lot of pertinent facts about superheroes and villains--the whole game can be very like the myth of Sisyphus. While death for most people is the final act, how often has Superman or Cyclops or any hero been brought back to life through some weird invented excuse. I guess that's part of the charm, good will always rise again. Sadly often it also means evil will rise again. Maxey does a good job sketching out the consequences of that hope and how it can break a man.
"Secret Identity" by Paul Cornell
The Manchester Guardian takes his secret identity very very seriously. At first I was really confused by this story. It was all over the place and didn't seem to connect very well. Cornell writes for the new Doctor Who, which when I read that made sense for how the story developed. The Guardian is a figure of power and protection for Manchester's gay community, which is fine except--why is the Guardian making time with the woman thief?! By the end of the story I understood better where Cornell was going, so I re-read this immediately. The disjointed nature of the segements makes more sense once the Guardian's alter-ego is fully out. Its a little campy, and since I don't read a lot of GLBT fiction (outside of yaoi) I was taken aback by the story. Not that I'm judging, but is it normal for GLBT to treat being gay as the societal norm and being straight as the 'sin'?
"The Non-Event" by Mike Carey
Gallo lived a pathetic life, but his death? His death was really something. This is told as a 'confession' by one of Gallo's cohorts and 'friends', Lockjaw. A fairly routine heist goes wrong, horribly horribly wrong. I really enjoyed this story. I liked that it looked at the opposite end of the spectrum, how people with slightly off-kilter powers don't always want to be mass murdering thugs or moralizing prigs. How the smallest change in plans could be the factor that changes a relatively harmless heist into a massacre. I would have liked to know more about Gallo (aka 'Non-Event', he neutralizes the cause-and-effect principle as well as superpowers) and Lockjaw's relationship before the heist.
"Avatar" by Mike Baron
The line between the reality of being a vigilante and the surreal life vigilantes live in comics becomes glaringly obvious to one ambitious boy. On the surface I wasn't very hopeful for this story--its premise is the argument you often hear from parents objecting to the violence of video games and comic books--but Baron handled this in a careful thoughtful manner. This wasn't a kid given over to impulsive acts or violence; he was careful to wait until he felt ready for the challenge he was planning to undertake. And I think if he had stopped after the first thug or two, things would have turned out differently. However as it turned out he got a little drunk on his 'power', his ability to take down guys bigger than himself, the 'revenge' he was seeking for years of abuse and bullying. Well he learns the hard way consequences of actions.
"Message from the Bubblegum Factory" by Daryl Gregory
The former sidekick to the World's Greatest Hero has a secret and a new view of life. This story kind of made me laugh in that dark way when you understand what's happening. I've wondered about what the world did before Super-Heroes. Oh comics ret-con in super-powered villains or super-heroes as far back as you please, but "Message from the Bubblegum Factor" questions whether its a chicken or egg sort of deal. And why the world suddenly went to hell once Soliton appeared. Or is it a coincidence that the lawful Good don't die, that before Soliton if someone got dropped in a vat of acid they didn't get super-powers--they died. Its all really interesting, and sure the narrator, Eddie, admits he's insane, but he's the sort of insane I can get behind.
"Thug" by Gail Simone
Which is worse--the guy who looks like a monster, but tries never to hurt anyone or the guy who looks like an angel and purposely sets out to hurt those weaker? Oh Gail made me cry, which isn't surprising since I've cried over her comics before. It took me a page or two to get used to the fact the writing/spelling is very immature (its on purpose), but I felt so bad. I guessed what was going to happen fairly quickly, but it broke my heart to see Alvin go through all that loss. He wasn't a bad guy, though he did bad things. He fell into it, because he lost his way and that one moment in his life made everything worse. The story is short, but Simone packs a lot of emotional punch into it.
"Vacuum Lad" by Stephen Baxter
Vacuum Lad thought he was for bigger things than just an Insurance publicity gimmick, but is he really ready for all his genetics entail? I may have spent some time chuckling during this story because Vacuum Lad acted just like any other teenager given powers. Also this story has a lot more 'science' involved than any of the proceeding ones, which makes sense since even I know Baxter is big on science fiction. This was a sad moment for me because I couldn't understand even a quarter of what Dr. Stix was saying, I'm really not scientifically inclined (which is why I avoid hard science fiction). I thought this was an interesting look at how people can view 'gifts' differently. Vacuum Lad saw it as his duty to the people to help keep them safe (even if it was a puff job half the time). The Damocletians saw it as a duty to keep people safe as well, but in a less hands-on manner. I wish there was more about the 'bad guys', the Earth First League. Their motivations were rather murky to me.
"A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows" by Chris Roberson
I could not, for the life of me, read this story for more than a couple pages before becoming completely bored. I thought I would at least want to read this since Roberson has written two comics I enjoy (Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love and I, Zombie.) But I suppose since this is an anthology, its bound to happen at least once.
"Head Cases" by Peter David and Kathleen David
Who said people with powers can't have regular angst-problems like the rest of us? Peter David will forever be my hero because he worked on my favorite comic book of all time--Young Justice. Plus he helped create the too short tv series Space Cases. That said this was a fun and quirky story, written with his wife Kathleen. Ari just wants to strum on his guitar (badly), Xander likes to mess with Simon's head, Simon is trying to look out for his friend Vikki who is a dissatisfied housewife. The fact they all have powers of some sort is incidental. The sideline about Ari's once girlfriend Zola was definitely interesting. I've always liked how Peter David handles banter and wit, which was in plenty of abundance. I'd like to see more short stories about these folks in fact!
"Downfall" by Joseph Mallozzi
A formerly unkillable hero dies and its up to a reformed villain to find the man behind it--even as it takes him down memory lane. Why yes this is Joseph Mallozzi who I can thank for Stargate SG-1, Atlantis and Universe as well as Big Wolf on Campus! None of that should be interpreted as sarcastic--that was all sincere. This was however a surprising hit with me. Mallozzi gave a developmental depth to the story that left me feeling satisfied, as if I had just read a novel instead of a short story. There was a couple of surprises, like the ending pages, but overall I just found myself enjoying the story and hoping for the best for Marshall.
"By My Works You Shall Know Me" by Mark Chadbourn
Matt was given a new lease on life by his best friend, but is it possible that a betrayal runs deep? Mind-screw. This story is an utter mind-screw, in a really good way. And to be fair, after the first page I had a crack theory about Styx, that apparently turned out to be the truth so yeah. Told in flashbacks and recordings that Matt keeps as a sort of journal, we read as Matt reviews the previous year and his fight against Styx. This was a surprising read and the end is quite thought-provoking.
"Call Her Savage" by Marjorie M. Liu
Namid only wished to remain in peace in the mountains to forget the bloody past. Unfortunately sometimes facing your past is the only option. I was mightily confused at first by this story. I know nothing about the 'crystal skulls' myth/legend (except that it was part of a very bad Indiana Jones movie) so the mentions of the skulls and what was almost, but not quite world history threw me for a loop. This one felt more abrupt than the other stories, it began mid-action and kept refocusing about different things. A lot of details were contained in this story, but I wanted to know more about how the crystal skulls effected Namid and others.
"Tonight We Fly" by Ian McDonald
A shout out from an old enemy is all Mr. Miracle really needs. This was a sweet story about a hero (and villain) who both grew old and dissatisfied with the way the world evolved. It had that 'In my day!' ring to it. Despite this being one of the least 'superheroic' stories in the anthology (as far as actions go), I think this presented itself really well; superheroes grow older, just as villains do and everybody wants one more moment to relive their glory days don't they?
"A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (and Villains Too)" by Bill Willingham
There isn't a synopsis that would give this justice, the title pretty much says it all. For anyone who reads DC or Marvel titles regularly, many of the heroes and villains presented in here will sound familiar in many ways. Which is on purpose. This read like a Big Publisher crossover event--that is, it was all over the place in terms of story, focus and such. I liked how Willingham (who writes Fables for Vertigo, a comic everyone should read) organized the story--ABC order according to the character's name--and tied it together.
My three favorite stories were "Thug", "Head Cases" and "Downfall", though noticed a trend amongst the majority of the stories--that is a great many of them dealt with heroes who were gigantic jerks. Either as the main character, a catalyst for the action or holding some plot relevance. This was a little disconcerting for me since seeing heroes as 'bullies' or 'glory-hounds' kind of makes me despite them.
Surprisingly this anthology is probably one of the best put together I've read in a long time. Other than Roberson's story I enjoyed all the stories to some degree. They covered the vastness that is 'superheroes' and certainly proved that you can take a similar premise and make it entirely different but interesting in more than a dozen ways.
"Cleansed and Set in Gold" by Matthew Sturges
A reservist member of the League of Heroes, named Wildcard because his powers are "variable", finds himself at the center of an ongoing conflict that killed the supposedly immortal hero Veraine. I couldn't quite guess the trick to Wildcard's powers. The trick is disturbing, though in all honesty I see the merit in it. While the basic premise of the story is one that floods comics on a monthly basis (uber-powerful enemy kills one of the greats and everyone else has to figure out how to stop it), the delivery is more than worth it. Wildcard felt realistic, like an ordinary guy who just stumbled into this hero gig. I did not guess how he resolved the reporter thing, or how he came to terms with his powers.
"Where Their Worm Dieth Not" by James Maxey
Death is as commonplace to heroes as rebirth is. But sometimes the knowledge that you are one of the few who can--and has--returned from death multiple times can be more torturous than anything else. Oh this story made me tear up. It hit home a lot of pertinent facts about superheroes and villains--the whole game can be very like the myth of Sisyphus. While death for most people is the final act, how often has Superman or Cyclops or any hero been brought back to life through some weird invented excuse. I guess that's part of the charm, good will always rise again. Sadly often it also means evil will rise again. Maxey does a good job sketching out the consequences of that hope and how it can break a man.
"Secret Identity" by Paul Cornell
The Manchester Guardian takes his secret identity very very seriously. At first I was really confused by this story. It was all over the place and didn't seem to connect very well. Cornell writes for the new Doctor Who, which when I read that made sense for how the story developed. The Guardian is a figure of power and protection for Manchester's gay community, which is fine except--why is the Guardian making time with the woman thief?! By the end of the story I understood better where Cornell was going, so I re-read this immediately. The disjointed nature of the segements makes more sense once the Guardian's alter-ego is fully out. Its a little campy, and since I don't read a lot of GLBT fiction (outside of yaoi) I was taken aback by the story. Not that I'm judging, but is it normal for GLBT to treat being gay as the societal norm and being straight as the 'sin'?
"The Non-Event" by Mike Carey
Gallo lived a pathetic life, but his death? His death was really something. This is told as a 'confession' by one of Gallo's cohorts and 'friends', Lockjaw. A fairly routine heist goes wrong, horribly horribly wrong. I really enjoyed this story. I liked that it looked at the opposite end of the spectrum, how people with slightly off-kilter powers don't always want to be mass murdering thugs or moralizing prigs. How the smallest change in plans could be the factor that changes a relatively harmless heist into a massacre. I would have liked to know more about Gallo (aka 'Non-Event', he neutralizes the cause-and-effect principle as well as superpowers) and Lockjaw's relationship before the heist.
"Avatar" by Mike Baron
The line between the reality of being a vigilante and the surreal life vigilantes live in comics becomes glaringly obvious to one ambitious boy. On the surface I wasn't very hopeful for this story--its premise is the argument you often hear from parents objecting to the violence of video games and comic books--but Baron handled this in a careful thoughtful manner. This wasn't a kid given over to impulsive acts or violence; he was careful to wait until he felt ready for the challenge he was planning to undertake. And I think if he had stopped after the first thug or two, things would have turned out differently. However as it turned out he got a little drunk on his 'power', his ability to take down guys bigger than himself, the 'revenge' he was seeking for years of abuse and bullying. Well he learns the hard way consequences of actions.
"Message from the Bubblegum Factory" by Daryl Gregory
The former sidekick to the World's Greatest Hero has a secret and a new view of life. This story kind of made me laugh in that dark way when you understand what's happening. I've wondered about what the world did before Super-Heroes. Oh comics ret-con in super-powered villains or super-heroes as far back as you please, but "Message from the Bubblegum Factor" questions whether its a chicken or egg sort of deal. And why the world suddenly went to hell once Soliton appeared. Or is it a coincidence that the lawful Good don't die, that before Soliton if someone got dropped in a vat of acid they didn't get super-powers--they died. Its all really interesting, and sure the narrator, Eddie, admits he's insane, but he's the sort of insane I can get behind.
"Thug" by Gail Simone
Which is worse--the guy who looks like a monster, but tries never to hurt anyone or the guy who looks like an angel and purposely sets out to hurt those weaker? Oh Gail made me cry, which isn't surprising since I've cried over her comics before. It took me a page or two to get used to the fact the writing/spelling is very immature (its on purpose), but I felt so bad. I guessed what was going to happen fairly quickly, but it broke my heart to see Alvin go through all that loss. He wasn't a bad guy, though he did bad things. He fell into it, because he lost his way and that one moment in his life made everything worse. The story is short, but Simone packs a lot of emotional punch into it.
"Vacuum Lad" by Stephen Baxter
Vacuum Lad thought he was for bigger things than just an Insurance publicity gimmick, but is he really ready for all his genetics entail? I may have spent some time chuckling during this story because Vacuum Lad acted just like any other teenager given powers. Also this story has a lot more 'science' involved than any of the proceeding ones, which makes sense since even I know Baxter is big on science fiction. This was a sad moment for me because I couldn't understand even a quarter of what Dr. Stix was saying, I'm really not scientifically inclined (which is why I avoid hard science fiction). I thought this was an interesting look at how people can view 'gifts' differently. Vacuum Lad saw it as his duty to the people to help keep them safe (even if it was a puff job half the time). The Damocletians saw it as a duty to keep people safe as well, but in a less hands-on manner. I wish there was more about the 'bad guys', the Earth First League. Their motivations were rather murky to me.
"A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows" by Chris Roberson
I could not, for the life of me, read this story for more than a couple pages before becoming completely bored. I thought I would at least want to read this since Roberson has written two comics I enjoy (Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love and I, Zombie.) But I suppose since this is an anthology, its bound to happen at least once.
"Head Cases" by Peter David and Kathleen David
Who said people with powers can't have regular angst-problems like the rest of us? Peter David will forever be my hero because he worked on my favorite comic book of all time--Young Justice. Plus he helped create the too short tv series Space Cases. That said this was a fun and quirky story, written with his wife Kathleen. Ari just wants to strum on his guitar (badly), Xander likes to mess with Simon's head, Simon is trying to look out for his friend Vikki who is a dissatisfied housewife. The fact they all have powers of some sort is incidental. The sideline about Ari's once girlfriend Zola was definitely interesting. I've always liked how Peter David handles banter and wit, which was in plenty of abundance. I'd like to see more short stories about these folks in fact!
"Downfall" by Joseph Mallozzi
A formerly unkillable hero dies and its up to a reformed villain to find the man behind it--even as it takes him down memory lane. Why yes this is Joseph Mallozzi who I can thank for Stargate SG-1, Atlantis and Universe as well as Big Wolf on Campus! None of that should be interpreted as sarcastic--that was all sincere. This was however a surprising hit with me. Mallozzi gave a developmental depth to the story that left me feeling satisfied, as if I had just read a novel instead of a short story. There was a couple of surprises, like the ending pages, but overall I just found myself enjoying the story and hoping for the best for Marshall.
"By My Works You Shall Know Me" by Mark Chadbourn
Matt was given a new lease on life by his best friend, but is it possible that a betrayal runs deep? Mind-screw. This story is an utter mind-screw, in a really good way. And to be fair, after the first page I had a crack theory about Styx, that apparently turned out to be the truth so yeah. Told in flashbacks and recordings that Matt keeps as a sort of journal, we read as Matt reviews the previous year and his fight against Styx. This was a surprising read and the end is quite thought-provoking.
"Call Her Savage" by Marjorie M. Liu
Namid only wished to remain in peace in the mountains to forget the bloody past. Unfortunately sometimes facing your past is the only option. I was mightily confused at first by this story. I know nothing about the 'crystal skulls' myth/legend (except that it was part of a very bad Indiana Jones movie) so the mentions of the skulls and what was almost, but not quite world history threw me for a loop. This one felt more abrupt than the other stories, it began mid-action and kept refocusing about different things. A lot of details were contained in this story, but I wanted to know more about how the crystal skulls effected Namid and others.
"Tonight We Fly" by Ian McDonald
A shout out from an old enemy is all Mr. Miracle really needs. This was a sweet story about a hero (and villain) who both grew old and dissatisfied with the way the world evolved. It had that 'In my day!' ring to it. Despite this being one of the least 'superheroic' stories in the anthology (as far as actions go), I think this presented itself really well; superheroes grow older, just as villains do and everybody wants one more moment to relive their glory days don't they?
"A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (and Villains Too)" by Bill Willingham
There isn't a synopsis that would give this justice, the title pretty much says it all. For anyone who reads DC or Marvel titles regularly, many of the heroes and villains presented in here will sound familiar in many ways. Which is on purpose. This read like a Big Publisher crossover event--that is, it was all over the place in terms of story, focus and such. I liked how Willingham (who writes Fables for Vertigo, a comic everyone should read) organized the story--ABC order according to the character's name--and tied it together.
My three favorite stories were "Thug", "Head Cases" and "Downfall", though noticed a trend amongst the majority of the stories--that is a great many of them dealt with heroes who were gigantic jerks. Either as the main character, a catalyst for the action or holding some plot relevance. This was a little disconcerting for me since seeing heroes as 'bullies' or 'glory-hounds' kind of makes me despite them.
Surprisingly this anthology is probably one of the best put together I've read in a long time. Other than Roberson's story I enjoyed all the stories to some degree. They covered the vastness that is 'superheroes' and certainly proved that you can take a similar premise and make it entirely different but interesting in more than a dozen ways.
September 21, 2018
A great Anthology, very well put together. A few of the stories were a bit of a drag to read but the collection has some really great stories that more than make up for it (Cleansed and set in gold, Thug and a Knight of Ghosts and Shadows are just three of my favorites). This is only the second time am reading superhero fiction in prose format (I prefer my superheroes in full colour to be honest, but this works).
The writers know their medium and it was quite refreshing seeing new heroes come to life and super hero tropes get turned on their heads.
The stories don't merely rehash old good versus evil stories. However, they humanize both the heroes and the villains the prose allows the writers to paint both sides of the epic struggle as humans trying to do what they think is the best they can with the hand that chance has dealt them.
The writers know their medium and it was quite refreshing seeing new heroes come to life and super hero tropes get turned on their heads.
The stories don't merely rehash old good versus evil stories. However, they humanize both the heroes and the villains the prose allows the writers to paint both sides of the epic struggle as humans trying to do what they think is the best they can with the hand that chance has dealt them.
August 4, 2024
*4.5 stars*. I love me some superheroes and this short story collection delivered! Pathos, tragedy, heroics, heart, humor….these stories have everything. I just loved this anthology!!!!! Favorite & top book of the year!! I truly liked every story in this collection.
From the book blurb: “Superheroes have come a long way since the “Man of Steel” was introduced in 1938. This brilliant new collection features original stories and novellas from some of today’s most exciting voices in comics, science fiction, and fantasy. Each marvelously inventive tale shows us just how far our classic crusaders have evolved—and how the greatest of heroes are, much like ourselves, all too human.”
From the book blurb: “Superheroes have come a long way since the “Man of Steel” was introduced in 1938. This brilliant new collection features original stories and novellas from some of today’s most exciting voices in comics, science fiction, and fantasy. Each marvelously inventive tale shows us just how far our classic crusaders have evolved—and how the greatest of heroes are, much like ourselves, all too human.”
September 17, 2014
A short story collection of 14 brand-new superhero tales written just for this book. Overall this is a terrific collection. There are a couple stories which aren’t as good as the rest, but they don’t detract too much from the general quality. A few of the stories have adult language and themes, so it’s not for little kids, but certainly fine for teenagers and up.
Everyone knows that Superman is a dick. There’s even a whole website devoted to just that. So it is en vogue to make fun of big-time overpowered superheroes and I expected a lot of that. There is some of that, but most of these stories are so good that I didn’t mind at all.
The specific stories:
Cleansed and Set in Gold – Matthew Sturges
A B-string superhero in a superteam like the Justice League or Avengers who has to face a monstrous supervillain alone after all the top-flight heroes (the equivalent of Superman and Captain America) have been killed or grievously wounded. He has an unusual power which causes him to have serious doubts about his worth as a hero, but once the premise is revealed, Sturges takes it to the logical and satisfying conclusion. Superb writing, excellently timed reveals, interesting internal conflict and a great battle.
Where Their Worm Dieth Not – James Maxey
Maxey pushes the comic book conceit of superheroes and supervillains coming back from the dead to the breaking point, willing to go all the way in the exploration of the idea. With superb results.
Secret Identity – Paul Cornell
From a writer of the Doctor Who series, this seemingly frivolous tale inverts the idea of a secret identity. It’s somewhat humorous but has a serious point to make about the differences between a superhero’s private life and his public persona… which isn’t all that different from how we behave, is it? That the story is also clever is a bonus.
The Non-Event – Mike Carey
This is a character piece, told as a police confession, about a robbery gone wrong. Sometimes the easy way isn’t as easy as one hopes, and when it comes down to it, you have to face the responsibility for cleaning up your mess. Brutally excellent.
Avatar – Mike Baron
This is essentially the good version of Millar’s “Kick-***.” A young guy realizing the difference between fantasy and reality, even though he had his head on straight from day one. That’s why he didn’t see it coming.
Message from the Bubblegum Factory – Daryl Gregory
This story seems a little too self-aware at first but as it goes along you realize why that’s so. Imagine if Robin were the ward of Superman but then turned on him and became an insane criminal mastermind. That’s pretty much the plot of this story. But the sidekick has a POINT. And the story I so much better than that simplistic plot decription.
Thug – Gail Simone
This is a heartbreaking tale of a simple man who is taken advantage of. It’s as if Charly from “Flowers For Algernon” could pick up a Sherman tank.
Vacuum Lad – Stephen Baxter
More way-out sci-fi than a superhero tale, it sort of bridges the two genres. It’s mostly a story about superpowers as an evolutionary step, but said abilities are based on science rather than flights of fancy.
A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows – Chris Roberson
This is the only real pulp-style story in the lot. It comes across as pretentious, stilted and clunky. It’s serviceable enough, I suppose.
Head Cases – Peter David and Kathleen David
This one is fine, but rather slight. It’s one of the weaker entries, but even Peter David on autopilot and with a co-writer is still pretty good.
Downfall – Joseph Mallozzi
A satisfying and complete story about the interconnections between heroes and villains. This reads like the best of stories from something like Busiek’s Astro City series.
By My Works You Shall Know Me – Mark Chadbourn
This is a really twisty – and twisted – tale of a hero and his arch-nemesis. It’s the kind you can’t really talk about without giving it away, but even correctly guessing at what the reveal will be doesn’t spoil it. Darkity dark dark.
Call Her Savage – Marjorie M. Liu
This story was okay, but it’s one of the weaker entries for me. It’s a bit vague on the superhero connection and why the titular character is considered such, and clearly takes place in an alternate universe where our natural laws don’t apply. It’s not a bad tale, but it just kind of sits there.
Tonight We Fly – Ian McDonald
Since I grow more curmudgeonly as I get older, I can relate to two older superbeings grousing about how crappy the world is these days. No action to speak of, but these are my peeps representin’. Now get off my superbase’s lawn, you damn kids!
A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (Villains Too) – Bill Willingham
This is Willingham showing off… and I loved it. Not just because I’m the Alt Alphabet guy, but because it does a number of things at once: makes fun of DC/Marvel cross-over events, sends up the “comic book universe” type of publication, is witty, and manages to tell a complete story in vignettes, some small and some downright microscopic. This was an awesome finish to the book.
Everyone knows that Superman is a dick. There’s even a whole website devoted to just that. So it is en vogue to make fun of big-time overpowered superheroes and I expected a lot of that. There is some of that, but most of these stories are so good that I didn’t mind at all.
The specific stories:
Cleansed and Set in Gold – Matthew Sturges
A B-string superhero in a superteam like the Justice League or Avengers who has to face a monstrous supervillain alone after all the top-flight heroes (the equivalent of Superman and Captain America) have been killed or grievously wounded. He has an unusual power which causes him to have serious doubts about his worth as a hero, but once the premise is revealed, Sturges takes it to the logical and satisfying conclusion. Superb writing, excellently timed reveals, interesting internal conflict and a great battle.
Where Their Worm Dieth Not – James Maxey
Maxey pushes the comic book conceit of superheroes and supervillains coming back from the dead to the breaking point, willing to go all the way in the exploration of the idea. With superb results.
Secret Identity – Paul Cornell
From a writer of the Doctor Who series, this seemingly frivolous tale inverts the idea of a secret identity. It’s somewhat humorous but has a serious point to make about the differences between a superhero’s private life and his public persona… which isn’t all that different from how we behave, is it? That the story is also clever is a bonus.
The Non-Event – Mike Carey
This is a character piece, told as a police confession, about a robbery gone wrong. Sometimes the easy way isn’t as easy as one hopes, and when it comes down to it, you have to face the responsibility for cleaning up your mess. Brutally excellent.
Avatar – Mike Baron
This is essentially the good version of Millar’s “Kick-***.” A young guy realizing the difference between fantasy and reality, even though he had his head on straight from day one. That’s why he didn’t see it coming.
Message from the Bubblegum Factory – Daryl Gregory
This story seems a little too self-aware at first but as it goes along you realize why that’s so. Imagine if Robin were the ward of Superman but then turned on him and became an insane criminal mastermind. That’s pretty much the plot of this story. But the sidekick has a POINT. And the story I so much better than that simplistic plot decription.
Thug – Gail Simone
This is a heartbreaking tale of a simple man who is taken advantage of. It’s as if Charly from “Flowers For Algernon” could pick up a Sherman tank.
Vacuum Lad – Stephen Baxter
More way-out sci-fi than a superhero tale, it sort of bridges the two genres. It’s mostly a story about superpowers as an evolutionary step, but said abilities are based on science rather than flights of fancy.
A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows – Chris Roberson
This is the only real pulp-style story in the lot. It comes across as pretentious, stilted and clunky. It’s serviceable enough, I suppose.
Head Cases – Peter David and Kathleen David
This one is fine, but rather slight. It’s one of the weaker entries, but even Peter David on autopilot and with a co-writer is still pretty good.
Downfall – Joseph Mallozzi
A satisfying and complete story about the interconnections between heroes and villains. This reads like the best of stories from something like Busiek’s Astro City series.
By My Works You Shall Know Me – Mark Chadbourn
This is a really twisty – and twisted – tale of a hero and his arch-nemesis. It’s the kind you can’t really talk about without giving it away, but even correctly guessing at what the reveal will be doesn’t spoil it. Darkity dark dark.
Call Her Savage – Marjorie M. Liu
This story was okay, but it’s one of the weaker entries for me. It’s a bit vague on the superhero connection and why the titular character is considered such, and clearly takes place in an alternate universe where our natural laws don’t apply. It’s not a bad tale, but it just kind of sits there.
Tonight We Fly – Ian McDonald
Since I grow more curmudgeonly as I get older, I can relate to two older superbeings grousing about how crappy the world is these days. No action to speak of, but these are my peeps representin’. Now get off my superbase’s lawn, you damn kids!
A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (Villains Too) – Bill Willingham
This is Willingham showing off… and I loved it. Not just because I’m the Alt Alphabet guy, but because it does a number of things at once: makes fun of DC/Marvel cross-over events, sends up the “comic book universe” type of publication, is witty, and manages to tell a complete story in vignettes, some small and some downright microscopic. This was an awesome finish to the book.
August 5, 2024
I LOVE SUPERHEROES. Perhaps my favorite genre of speculative fiction, I dare say. A fun anthology of superhero stories, loved the unique worldbuilding and characters for each story. A few were misses but overall a resounding hit! I crave superhero fiction.
August 29, 2025
A joyless slog. If it weren't for the names of comic writers that I recognize like Peter David or Gail Simone I would have assumed the editor picked the authors specifically because they don't like superhero comics.
October 14, 2017
8/10 for Gail Simone's entry Thug, which I really enjoyed.
June 5, 2018
An interesting mix of stories. Not as much humor as I would have liked, but all around a decent mix.
April 7, 2019
An enjoyable little collection of stories. Some very good and some less so, but overall an entertaining read.
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