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Media Monday: Superheroes

Media MondayThe books: Reformed: Supervillain Rehabilitation Project #1 by HL Burke and The Superhero Publicist by Janeen Ippolito

The song: “Holding out for a Hero” by Jennifer Saunders and Frou Frou and Bonnie Tyler

I’m not a big superhero person. I like Batman but haven’t seen any of the new Superman or Batman or Wonder Woman (why is that two words but Superman isn’t??) movies or any of the Marvel universe ones. That said, I still enjoyed these superhero stories.

The first one, Reformed: Supervillain Rehabilitation Project #1 by HL Burke, is set in a world that reminds me of The Incredibles. Superpowers are common enough, and the heroes work with the government to thwart the villains. It’s a bit too black-and-white – there aren’t many sables, as they’re called, who reject either side – but it still works. The MC, Prism, reboots a government program aimed at reforming villains, and she sets her sights on the worst of the worst: Fade, who is accused of betraying her father’s trust when he ran the program before, and of killing a bunch of people. There’s some romance thrown in, of course, as Prism tries to convince Fade he really is a good person inside. As someone who has no qualms about straddling the line between chaotic good and chaotic neutral, I don’t necessarily agree with this – why can’t people just be evil because they want to be evil? – but otherwise, it’s a nice story and a quick read. The characters are similar to those in other books by the author, but that’s not a bad thing either.

The second book, The Superhero Publicist by Janeen Ippolito, is a short about, as the title aptly describes, a publicist for superheroes. She’s working with a new client, a reformed villain now trying to be on the right side of the law for a very specific reason that twists the story around. Definitely worth reading as well.

The song is one of my favorites. When I was 5 or 6, my parents, for whatever reason, got me the Footloose soundtrack for Christmas (and The Go-Go’s Beauty and the Beat, also for reasons beyond me because both had already been out for many years and my parents didn’t even really listen to this kind of music but whatever). I listened to it a TON and still have a soft spot for most of the songs. This is one of my favorites, and so of course I was thrilled when it showed up at the end of the best Shrek movie, Shrek II. Frou Frou, a band I love, also threw in a version for the end credits.

I’m not sure I’d hold out for a hero from either of these two books, but it’s still fitting.

Which version of the song do you like best? What are your thoughts on superheros, heroes vs villains, and superpowers in general? Tell me in the comments below!

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