- Brozik, Matthew David and Jacob Sager Weinstein.
The Government Manual for New Superheroes.
Kansas City: Andrews McMeel, 2005.
ISBN 0-7407-5462-9.
-
(Guest review by
The Punctuator)
The Government of the Unified Nations has done a tremendous service to
all superheroes: whether alien, mutant, or merely righteous human
do-gooders, by publishing this essential manual filled with tips for
getting your crimefighting career off to the right start and avoiding the
many pitfalls of the profession. Short, pithy chapters provide
wise counsel on matters such as choosing a name, designing a
costume, finding an exotic hideaway, managing a secret identity,
and more. The chapter on choosing a sidekick would have allowed
me to avoid the whole unpleasant and regrettable business with
Octothorpe
and proceed directly to my entirely satisfactory present
protégé,
Apostrophe Squid.
The advantages and drawbacks of joining a team of superheroes
are discussed candidly, along with the warning signs that you
may be about to inadvertently join a cabal of supervillains (for
example, their headquarters is named “The whatever of
Doom” as opposed to “The whatever of Justice”).
An afterword by
The Eviliminator:
Eliminator of Evil Things but Defender of Good Ones
reveals the one sure-fire way to acquire superpowers, at least
as long as you aren't a troublemaking, question-asking pinko
hippie egghead. The book is small, printed with rounded corners,
and ideal for slipping into a cape pocket. I would certainly
never leave it behind when setting out in pursuit of the
nefarious Captain
Comma Splice. Additional information is available on
the Government's
Bureau of Superheroics
Web site.
June 2007 