Customer Reviews

Rise of the Heroes (Hero.com)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I very rarely give bad reviews. Not because I'm that nice, but because I can usually find the good side of things. In this case, the three stars are entirely because the intended audience is young, and therefore less likely to be offended by the abundance of cliches within these pages.

If you like to read comics but don't take the time to look too closely at the pictures, you might enjoy this book. It offers action-packed, but poorly hough out scenes, strung together with enough forward momentum to keep you interested.

The premise is simple: A group of four friends stumble upon a website (hero.com) that grants them temporary use of super powers in exchange for successfully completing missions, and/or for cash. Once they have their powers, they are compelled to do good, and sign up for missions via a "job board" of sorts. They become involved in a struggle against the sinister Doc Tempest, who kidnaps their mother and forces them into a dangerous rescue mission.

Hero.com appealed to me because I like reading YA novels (I refuse to grow up, despite my age). However, I like to think that kids deserve a bit more credit than given them by books like hero.com. This was an uncorrected advanced copy, so I won't take the various grammatical errors into account. I will penalize hero.com for a few things though. First, the story didn't seem to be planned out at all. "Oh, I'm in trouble!" is followed by "Aha, but I have this other super power to get me out of it!" The worst example of writing this story out of a corner is when we discover that the Council of Evil contractors sometimes label things wrong, causing unexpected doors to open, etc.

Another unforgiving failing is the incorrect / inaccurate references to things like physics and the workings of the Internet. If a lesson is being attempted, it could have used a bit more research, rather than encouraging kids to buy cool things online (in secret!), with nothing more than a false reference to phishing.

However, YA books are for young adults, right?

If you're a young adult, and you want to read about people flinging fireballs around while flying through the air, being shot by the same glue guns used in "The Incredibles" (fired by bad guys riding the same hover-discs, for that matter) ... well, this is the book for you. It's three solid stars of erratic action and zany laser-eye-beam combat.

Superpowers.

Andy Briggs deserves 5 stars for the premise alone. Unfortunately the rest of the book doesn't quite measure up. On the one hand he is gently poking fun at a lot of costumed superhero cliches; on the other hand he is guilty of producing as trite and hackneyed a bunch of costumed superhero cliches as I've seen in a long time, making the better costumed superhero comic books look like great literature in comparison.

Part of the problem is too many main characters; 251 pages just wasn't enough room for Mr. Briggs to do more than give us four walking, wisecracking collections of comic book stereotypes that would be recognizable in any comic book universe: the bullied nerd, the bickering siblings, the poor kid tempted by ill-gotten gain, etc.

In addition Mr. Briggs cannot quite decide whether he is writing a realistic adventure in which people get hurt and die or a cartoon in which characters just "shake off" the damage like Wile E. Coyote and return to the fight. Nor does he offer any explanation for a world suddenly full of superheroes fighting super villains that our heroes just hadn't noticed before.

Interestingly, this prepublication copy offers evidence that Mr. Briggs is capable of more in the included first three chapters of Council of Evil, which appears to be a much better book. Perhaps it is merely the known tendency for villains tend to be more interesting characters, but I think it is also the fact that Mr. Briggs was wise enough to have only a single main character for the second book, allowing more character development in the first three chapters than in ALL of this book.

This is actually a fun book to read. If you're looking for depth, this book isn't for you. It will be easy to read, and honestly won't last more than a few hours. If you wanted to condense this book into a TV-show, it would probably take a 30-minute episode to tell the story.

In fact, that's the main appeal of this book. It would make a perfect television series - perhaps a weekly 30-minute show on a young children's network, either as a cartoon or as live-action. If I had to label this, I would call it "throw-away fiction". There's no need to read it more than once. Although probably geared toward "tweens", the story will appeal to anybody.

The story is fast-paced. The plot develops with very little back-story, and many things are left unexplained. You may shake your head during the first two chapters, telling yourself "this possibly can't happen", but considering that it's a book about superheroes - like a comic book - it actually really doesn't matter. The young leading characters are shallow, there isn't a lot of depth to them, and many of their situations are quite cliché. You'll experience the perceived differences between wealthy and poor, boys and girls, good and bad. There are arguing parents, missing parents, and sibling rivalry. There is some humor in the story, as the leading characters fumble with their newfound powers and try to deal with their particular situations.

The bright spot is the nemesis of the story - Doc Tempest. Although, as an evil villain, his character remains just as shallow as the others, what he's trying to do and how he's doing it will keep you captivated. Many of the situations are typical of comic-book genre - from his hideout, to his vehicles, to his army of henchmen. He's unique, but quite honestly an amalgam of other super-villains you already know.

Many times, you'll find yourself saying "oh, how convenient!" as the plot progresses. But this book isn't meant to be deep, it's just meant to be fun. If you enjoy comic books, sci-fi/fantasy, and extremely short stories, you won't be disappointed with this book.

I was wary about the whole ".com" gimmick. It felt like a plea for attention, a slight twist to divert attention from a story without much to say.

That's pretty much the case. Hero.com is a comic book come to life, sort of a Spy Kids 3-D meets MySpace meets the Teen Titans, but lacking the heart and soul of the best comic books. It's fun -- I gave it to my son to read, too, and he enjoyed it well enough -- but it's also kind of empty.

The wish fulfillment aspect is in full swing here, but modernized for a 2009 audience. Instead of gamma rays or irradiated spiders, kids get powers from the Internet. Kids of the wired generation should appreciate that. And if the kids skew a bit younger than the 9-12 age range -- say, 8-10 -- they won't might that Hero.com is a bit light in the depth department. It's a fun little romp with a modern twist for younger readers. No, it isn't much MORE than that, but so what? Nothing wrong with that. It's fine for what it is.

I wouldn't put it at the top of your kid's reading pile, as there are much better books in this age range for them, books with something more to say than this one, but it's a solid, average (3 stars) adventure book for kids.

***may contain mild spoilers***
If I were a preteen boy with a comic book fetish, I would probably like this book.

If I were a young child totally immune to cliches, I would probably like this book.

Not going to lie, the concept is cool: kids get to download superhero powers. Who hasn't dreamed of flying, shooting lasers, teleporting, or turning into a human bullet? Well, maybe not that last one, but the first three have probably at least crossed every active young mind.

My main problem with this book is that the cool factor didn't go much of anywhere from there. Maybe I just don't care all that much for the writing style. That's not to say there's something wrong with it, but it just doesn't appeal to me.

The characters seem like cardboard cutouts of the superhero characters at least one of them idolizes. The dialogue among the young heroes is okay, but the heroes/ villain dialogue is just awful. It contains pretty much every cliched line out there. I don't read all that many comics, but I know enough to expect the evil cackle, "End of the line...", "this is for(name here)", "you'll never get away with this..." etc.

The plot meandered about a bit. Again, I can't quite put my finger on what I didn't like about it, but on the other hand, nothing jumped out at me and propelled the story forward. I give it 3 stars becuase I can see all the reasons it does not appeal to me... and some of the reasons it will appeal to another group of readers. If you fit into the first two categories I mentioned or know someone who does, by all means, hurl this book at them, they'll probably love it.

This book has the depth of a typical episode of your favorite sci-fi TV show. Beyond the initial premise (kids downloading superpowers) there is very little imaginative about the plot, which plods along predictably to the end. The dialogue is trite and the writing made me cringe. Actually, the publication of this book should inspire hope in the millions of aspiring authors out there. If this can get published, it just can't be that hard.

But for all that, it's not terrible. 8-11 year old boys will surely overlook the uninspired writing and enjoy the superhero plot in all its simplicity. I would definitely recommend this to the younger side of the age-range, as older readers may have developed a sophistication that would decrease their enjoyment of this run-of-the-mill book. Younger readers, not ready for much characterization or complexity of plot, will probably enjoy this book .

I have to say that I found Hero.Com to be a pleasant and fast-moving read. Additionally, it was competently written -- definitely not the kind of trash that often gets pawned off on kids -- and struck a fine balance between pure wish-fulfillment and character work.

That said, given the glut of superhero product in the marketplace today, I have some doubts about the reception it will receive from kids accustomed to comics and videogames -- especially as regards the wholly derivative nature (Cyclops eye blasts, Human Torch fire blasts) of the superpowers involved.

Will they be bored? Possibly.

In summation, there is little here that's new, but nothing here that is poorly done. Amusing, a pleasing distraction, but definitely a minor YA work.

Bored in the house one afternoon, Toby and Lorna and their friends stumble upon an interesting website that grants them superpowers for an hour. They try out the powers, not believing their eyes.

After a parent interrupts them, they're desperate to try again. They reconvene at the next possible opportunity to each sign up for powers and test them out. With their new powers comes responsibility - they now must stop a robbery in progress.

However, the foursome hasn't thought this plan all the way through. Weapons may trump superpowers. Luckily, with their new powers, they come out on top this time, but they make a new enemy: Doc Tempest.

He's got major supervillain powers and he's targeting Toby and Lorna's mother. He kidnaps her and holds her as a hostage. Can the group use their superpowers to locate his hideout and rescue her before things get much worse?

RISE OF THE HEROES has a companion book, COUNCIL OF EVIL, plus an interactive website where readers can take a test to see what side they would play for, create their own characters, and battle their friends.

It's a good read for middle school students who like comic book superheroes or for someone looking for a fast-paced adventure.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

Hero.Com has it's good points: it's an interesting story with fun ideas for a YA book. If you like comic books, super heroes and villians that do things like cast ice or lightening that's a plus.

The Heroes of the story can download superpowers from their computer and then on a sort of message board get assignments to help with crimes in their city. The powers only last for an hour at a time though and they get in a little over their heads with a villian and the adventure is on.

The downside of the book is it could have been a little better written. It's more like a blow by blow account vs. good writing and even YA, even if geared toward boys, can be written well without the show vs. tell issue coming into play.

All in all, this is an enjoyable book with a great premise for younger readers with imagination. I think it does make a good series for kids in the computer age.

Toby, Pete, Lorna and Emily are average kids playing on the computer during a stormy day. When lightning strikes the telephone wires outside their house, the computer gives them access to a strange website called Hero.com. Thinking it must be an online game, Toby clicks on one of the icons and discovers he has super-sticky powers that allow him to walk up walls. His best friend Pete becomes the human torch and almost sets the house on fire.

Initially the kids try out their superpowers fighting crime. They thwart a bank robbery perpetrated by supervillain Doc Tempest. Planning to use the money to fund his plans for world domination, Doc Tempest uses his powers of weather control to swoop down on their house in the form of a tornado. He abducts Toby and Lorna's mother to exact his revenge and lure the young heroes to his icy lair.

With their mother's life hanging in the balance, the heroes realize that what began as a game has become more serious. Using the mysterious powers downloaded from the website, they must work together to rescue their mother and try to save the world.

Written with humor and a focus on action over violence, author Andy Briggs pokes fun at superhero themes while adding new twists to the genre. For example, Hero.com's downloaded superpowers are limited and wear out after a few hours. Additional powers must be earned through heroic deeds or purchased for a price.

Likewise, the icons representing the superpowers on the website are difficult to decipher, often resulting in mistakes. Imagine downloading X-ray Vision when you wanted Laser Vision. Or finding that your superpower allows you to do nothing more than shoot flies out of your mouth.

The reader learns about Hero.com's powers, rules and limitations at the same time as the young heroes in the book. They embark on their adventures with little knowledge of their powers and no formal training. It is only late in the book that they meet a "prime" called Chameleon who helps them complete their mission. Chameleon was born with superpowers. Primes are the naturally gifted individuals who provide the models for the website's powers.

RISE OF THE HEROES also deals with the temptations that come with power. Pete imagines using his superpowers to beat up school bullies, but ultimately finds that his heroic activities have given him the confidence to avoid a fight. He also imagines keeping the money from the bank robbery for his parents, who are always fighting about money.

The potential to use the powers for good or evil is a theme explored more broadly in Hero.com's companion series, Villain.net. The books are also represented online with a website, www.heroorvillainbooks.com, where readers can take a hero or villain quiz and invent their own superheroes.

Both Hero.com and the more sinister companion, Villain.net, offer an engaging and action-packed new series for young readers. Based on the simple premise of ordinary kids suddenly possessing superpowers, these books will appeal to anyone who enjoys superhero comics, cartoons or movies.

--- Reviewed by Sarah A. Wood