Hero: Power and Abilities
Gr. 8-12.H-E-R-Ois a collection of three stories about a mysterious device and its effects on the people around it. The apparatus gives its user the powers and abilities of a superbeing, but as Jerry Feldon, Matt Allen, and Andrea Allen learn, it doesn't change its user on the inside: the ability to lift up a truck doesn't necessarily make one a hero. The moral underpinnings are clear (it's the person you are inside that counts; heroic deeds come in all sizes), but the book doesn't come across as too preachy. The story is well told, and the art utilizes some classic comic book views to reinforce the difference between the characters' usual perceptions of themselves and who they think they become when they use the HERO device. A brief introduction provides some interesting history not only on this telling but also on other comics, going back to the mid-1960s, that deal with a similar hero theme. The story is also just plain fun.Tina ColemanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved