Zeroes

Kids in a society have special "powers". One has "the voice" that takes over his voice to allow him to get out of any sticky situation. Another is always forgotten. One girl can control crowds. Some of them meet together as Zeros. The boy with the voice gets involved with a gang and then a bank robbery when attempting to get a ride home. The daughter of one of the robbers has powers (but is not part of the Zeros). Boy and girl both try to hide. (Boy hides with "anonymous" kid in a luxury penthouse.) Boy and girl meet. They eventually uncover powers of each other. There is another big event in the city that they use their powers on.

Thief of Souls: Star Shards Chronicles, Book 2

The kids impacted by the star shards want to use their powers to do good, but they find out that is hard. They try to "undo" harm that they have done and realize patterns to help others. One heals others. He ends up getting followers, including some that harm people so they can get healed. There are episodes where they go into a casino and win a lot of money and then donate it to charity. In the process they remove the glass from a shark tank, yet the water stays. Only at the end do they discover that a traveling companion has been manipulating them to do harm to assist in the harvesting of souls.

Scorpion Shards: Star Shards Chronicles Series, Book 1

A few teenagers live bizarre lives. They seem to have special powers that drive them to do "bad" things. There is also some related special strengths. One teenager draws girls to be romantically attracted to him. Another can see many paths and thus use a small event to drastically change somebody's life. There are abilities to reverse entropy, age in reverse and other mixtures of good and bad. The kids try to get together. They have been fighting their powers, however, one eventually "gives in". They later discover that there are demons from an exploding star that possess them. They find they can "scare" them out by threat of death, but still remain with "good powers". It is an interesting take on super powers that can be both good and bad.

The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture

Batman has come to occupy a significant place in popular culture. The comic book representations of the caped crusader have changed with the times. At times he has protected the rich from wrongs, while at other times he is a dark vigilante or a protector of the common man. Batman's representation in media has been extremely popular, yet very different. The 1960's Adam West Batman was the epitome of camp, complete with "POWs". In the late 1980s, Time Burton put his spin, making a darker, yet still quirky Batman. Joel Schumacher took the movies into a lighter, more comic vein. However, he went too far with his second movie, alienating many of the core fans. With the internet, these fans were able to unite and helped lead to the bad reception of the movie. These fans were enthusiastic when Christopher Nolan went back to the comic book roots with Batman Begins. These movies were even more successful than the previous ones.

Through time, many people have seen parts of Batman in themselves. His sidekick Robin has come and gone. Batman has at times fought more "regular criminals", while at other times dealt with "super villains". At times he is very masculine, while at other times he is more homosexual. Batman has changed with the times. The comic books and movies continue to be popular as times have changed.

Superman: The High-Flying History of America's Most Enduring Hero

Superman has been one of the most enduring superheroes. He was created by two Jewish boys in Cleveland. They lived in difficult circumstances and were somewhat socially outcast. They worked hard to get their comic published somewhere. Eventually it was published and went on to be extremely successful. Superman spawned radio shows, movies, TV shows and many other tie ins. Over the years, superman gained new talents. (The original Superman did not fly.) Superman was observant of current events, but stayed somewhat aloof from direct involvement. While other superheroes would fight Nazis, Superman tried to enlist put ended up failing due to an X-Ray vision issue. This allowed him to support the troops at home without being directly involved.

The original creators felt that they never got their fair share from the revenues of Superman. I don't have a lot of support for their constant quest for more. They were paid handsomely, and were able to live a good life with the money they earned. They further received an annuity for the remainder for their life. While they did "create" Superman, many of his characters were borrowed from others of the day. Superman also evolved with a great deal of creative work from other people. It seems that our current system gives too much credit for certain "key" activities. Do they really deserve the outsize gains? The strength of the Superman brand also owes a debt to lawsuits against other similar comics. The creators borrowed from other "strong man" comics of the day, yet the attorneys shut down future comics like the old "Capitian Marvel" that look a lot like Superman.

Superman has remained popular, though not always invincible. There have been "Superflops" of movies. The broadway musical was reported to make back its money, but did not last long. There have been run-ins with parents who feel comic books kill brain cells and encourage kids to perform dangerous acts. There is also the "curse" of Superman, with one Superman actor dying of suicide and another being paralyzed in a horse accident.  Yet Superman lives on. National media extensively covered his "death" in comic books. (Of course, he came back alive later.) There have been a number of "spin off" television shows that focus more on "Clark Kent" than Superman. He has evolved to reach new generations of fans, yet still remains "super".

Supernova: Renegades Series, Book 3

In the third Renegades book, everything goes crazy. Nightmare's secret identity is found out. Then through subterfuge it is not. Then it is found out again. Allies keep shifting. The consequences keep getting bigger. Characters that seemed fairly balanced suddenly get really bad - and then they are killed. At all reaches a grand climax where all superpower disappear only to reappear dispersed through society. We also find out about a number of different relationships. People are their own worst enemies. People that were thought dead are actually not and are living right under each other's eyes. There is a tight interrelated connection between various characters.

It all feels like a mash up. The superhero concept is a lot like Brendan Sanderson's Reckoners series. The "one person can save the world" ending seems straight from any summer blockbuster. The underlying love story also seems familiar. Boy and girl have secrets. They secretly hate each other, yet are in love with each other. Sounds like a "You've Got Mail" double identity plot. The most originality is in the super powers. There are a lot of heroes and villains that  appear with a plethora of super powers. Alas, it feels like we have a couple of complex three-dimensional leads with a number of flat supporting characters. (The character of Honey was especially bizarre. Suddenly she turned really mean - only to be killed off.) The book is very neatly wrapped up at the end, yet keeps plenty of threads open for future extensions.

Archenemies: Renegades, Book 2

The second book in the Renegades series sees the main characters get closer together while their alter-egos get further apart. When they are on "official" superhero control, they have a budding romance that ramps up. However, they also both have "secret identities" that are intent on revenge. The romance dials up in the second book as does the conflict. There are new superpowers that show up, including one that lets people "see the good" in things. It seems a little far fetched that nobody would get a clue. (But, hey, what do you expect from a superhero book?) The end of this books dials up the drama and makes the third book a necessity.

Renegades

Renegades is set in a post-apocalyptic world where many "prodigies" have super powers. Some are born with the powers, while others get them later. The world had previously fallen apart during the time of anarchy. The "renegades" used their super powers to bring order to society. Now they are the celebrated law enforces. Anarchists are the "bad guys" in society. There are regular "renegade" tries for new people to join the ranks of the renegades.

Alas, things are not quite that simple. The book centers around "Nova". She lost her family and hates the renegades. She tried to bring them down as "Nightmare". However, she later pivoted and adopted the identity of "Insomnia" to become one of the renegades. She tries to bring them down from the inside, yet ends up falling for them instead. (Of course, there is a boy involved.) She is torn between her loyalties. She also discovers that things are not black and white. There is good and bad on both sides. There are also some bigger forces at play.

The story is in a similar vein of Brendan Sanderson's Calamity series. These are heroes that need to be discovered, yet still have many of the foibles of man. The book is somewhat on the longer side, but is fairly fast paced. It is a little confusing at first as the characters adopt multiple identities and switch loyalties. However, it gradually becomes clearer as the book progresses. At the end, it is still not certain which side you should be rooting for. 

Transparent

Transparent centers around the life of an invisible girl, Fiona. She was dropped on her head as a baby because nobody could see her. She was one of many children born with unique "defects" cause by their parents use of a radioactive drug. The drug has been heavily restricted, but has a huge black market following. Her brothers also have powers (flying and smells.) Her father is the leader of a crime syndicate, and he uses his children to help out in nefarious efforts. (Fiona's invisibility makes her a great spy. Once she removes her clothes, nobody can tell where she is. She can also hide things in her mouth to make them invisible.)
Fiona and her mother have had enough and try to escape. She enrolls in a school in small town Arizona, and then struggles as a fish out of water. Some of her friends have powers also. All of the typical big-city girl in small town tropes apply. She makes friends with a girl in a big Catholic family and a smart boy and his brother. Fiona's brothers also appear to help her (though she thinks her "flying" brother is there to hurt her.) It is hard to keep track of all the different characters - especially the boys. Fiona struggles with her feelings towards a boy - even more so after she discovers that he can see her. Eventually they make peace and the family manages to defeat the charming father.
The book is a very "chick-lit" take on super heroes. Not much time is spent going into details about the society or the science of the story. (That is a good thing - there are so many holes in the scenario, that even spending a little time would detract from the experience.) The book provides a literal take on the figurative story of the girl that nobody can see finally finding the boy that sees her for what she is.

Steelheart

In the typical superhero tale, the hero puts on his tights and goes out to round up the bad guys. Eventually, he may run into the "super villain", but that is not until after the "good guy" has shown his worth to society.

What if the tables were turned? What if the super villains came out first? And what if there were not any super heroes out there?

Steelheart is set in a near future Chicago that has been taken over by the eponymous Steelheart. He is an "Epic" with various super powers, including the ability to turn things to Steel. "Newcago" as it is called is now a city of Steel ruled by a super dictator. Steelheart does engage in acts of random killing. However, he provides general infrastructure and some sense of daily life for humans, making his city more desirable than many of the others.

David witnessed Steelheart killing his father a decade ago. In the intervening decade, David has been consumed by the thought of revenge. He had been spending most of his time researching Epics and finding their weaknesses, with a goal of eventually taking down Steelheart. He manages to meet up with the anti-Epic group, "the Reckoners" and help take down many of the Epics. Being a YA novel, he falls in love with Megan, a Reckoner with a few secrets of her own. However, here they are busy with the action.

The book is fast paced and loaded with plenty of twists and surprises that all seem to make sense in the end.

Each Epic has their own power and weakness, providing all sorts of fun in the story. David also has a knack for really bad metaphors, with explanations that manage to be even more over the top. Though Sanderson is best known for his Epic fantasy, he seems to have the most fun when he writes for younger ages.

Hulk

The Hulk is a very different movie than some of the modern comic book movies like Dark Knight or Spiderman. Instead, it seeks inspiration from the likes of the old Batman TV show. Instead of a Dark, brooding scores of other movies, we get a light, yet ominous score. Rather than hide from its comic book origin, the Hulk embraces it. From the opening credits, to the scattershots, this one feels like a comic book.

However, is this a good thing?

The "lightness" of the movie makes it more difficult to be engaged. Sure there are some big action scenes, but you feel that these are mere bullies fighting. You don't feel a strong attachment to the outcome.

The relationship between Bruce Banner and the "token love interest" brings back memories of King Kong and the girl. The big green monster cares for the puny girl. But its hard to feel much fear or involvement in their actions.

I did like the style of the movie. However, it didn't quite fit the content. Hulk is a dark, scary figure. The style Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon would have been better suited for this movie. Perhaps that's what the producers were expecting when they picked the director.

Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises is ostensibly a superhero movie with Batman. However, he only makes a few token appearances. You could got out a few of those scenes, and it is just a dark gangster movie. The big bad guy can be hard to hear at times, but he is bad and strong. He gets people to follow him. They proceed to kill and maim people in the name of "liberating" them from the oppressors. Some people like this because that allows them to start doing the oppression. Batman eventually saves the day.

This is not as good as the previous Dark Knight. Parts of it seem to drag on for too long. (You could probably cut out an hour and still have a good movie.) It does have a good ending, and the supporting characters (such as Anne Hathaway) are well developed and add a lot to the film.

Iron Man

Comic book movies are popular today. Perhaps comic books are akin to the serials of days past.
As the first Iron Movie, this one spends time covering the origin of the super hero. Tony Stark is a playboy genius who owns a large arms manufacturer. He is nearly killed, but saved with s special implant. Some terrorists ask him to help build is super-weapon for them. Instead, he builds his iron man suit to destroy them. He gets away and attempts to make his company peace-loving. However, the bigwig in the company who had organized the original hit is still after him. Eventually there is a big Iron Man fight, and everything is good. Tony is supposed to give an alibi at a press conference, but instead admits that he is Iron Man.

The story is ok. There is some love interest thrown in, but it is really about action and technology. While superheros of the past were often portrayed as getting their powers through some fluke. Today, they tend to have more scientific explanations. IronMan, already being fairly scientific, can be even more so today. The science is just plausible enough to make all the action work. Tony Stark is an "ok" character who grows in the story, yet still seems a little shallow.

Mo and Jo Fighting Together Forever

Mo and Jo are constantly bickering siblings who happen to share a love for a great superhero, "Mojo". As it so happens, his secret identity is as the local mailman. He is ready to retire, so he gives his costume to the two kids. They fight over it, and eventually it breaks in two. Luckily, their Mom fixes it and transforms it in to two costumes. Mo gets the stretchy arms, while Jo gets the magnetic boots. They are still bickering. At a parade, they run in to a bad guy who is trying to spread his badness. Mo and Jo finally learn to work together and are able to defeat the bad guy.

This comic is lighthearted and humorous. Sure, they save the world, but being kid focused, the more important message is that they achieve peace with each other. The best part, however, is the stretchy plastic-man type stretchy superpower.

Spiderman, Hulk and Ironman

In this book, Hulk is always Hulk, though tends to be more "stupid" than mad. Hulk, Ironman and Spiderman are buddies who have a few random adventures. They babysit Cerebrus, they save the world by participating in "intergalatic xgames". Their adventures are geared towards children, and don't have the heaviness and vulgarity of modern comic books. However, they also lack some of the advanced characterization in those books. If only we could get something in between those extremes.