Behind the Mask: A Superhero Anthology

Behind the Mask: A Superhero Anthology by Tricia Reeks

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


*I received this book from the publisher and NetGalley in return for a fair review.*

Holy Angst Batman! This sure is an angsty bunch of stories. Super depressing. Anyone who decides to become a hero is stupid (judging by these stories). These are stories of the lives behind the mask. The mask of superheroes. Turns out superheroes have crappy lives, who knew, eh (maybe anyone who has watched most superhero movies and seen how angsty and depressing superheroes are)?

Cat Rambo: Ms. Liberty Gets a Haircut
FF; All Female Super Team

A group of all female superheroes boredly do stuff. Like bicker amongst themselves, interview potential new team members, fight others (and have the fight be basically described in the story in the super exciting way of one liners like 'fought parallel versions of ourselves').

One is a cyborg, another is an alien, another is a shape-shifting blob, another is 'the brain', etc. Two of them flirt with the idea of dating each other and then do. Hence my 'FF' tag.

Rating: 3.21

April 13 2017

Kate Marshall: Destroy the City with Me Tonight
Amnesia; Mental Illness; Forgetfulness

Apparently superheroes and super villains are a disease. A virus. One that can be sexually transmitted. And, as seems to be a common theme in this book based on the few stories I've read so far, being a superhero or villain is a super depressing angsty life to have. A curse, not a benefit.

Rating: 3.12

April 13 2017

Keith Frady: Fool
Super villain; mad scientist; secret lair; Tropical Island; volcano; robots

Just in case you didn't know - superheroes aren't the only ones with crappy, depressing, angsty lives - super villains also are super depressing people. The one here. Dr. Entropy who lives in a volcano on a tropical island building 'death machines' and stuff like that (also robots). He's inches away from pushing a giant red button that may or may not actually be connected to anything, though he believes that if he pushes it he will end all life on earth (well, at least human life). He is weirdly reluctant to push the button, though, and keeps monologuing. And doing even more monologuing. While starring up to see if anyone will stop him. Then more monologuing.

Rating: 3.03

April 13 2017

Seanan McGuire: Pedestal
Paparazzi

Paparazzi really are scum of the earth.

A young superhero attempts to go out in civilian clothing to get some stuff, like ice cream. You know normal human level stuff. She's afraid to go out, though, because, like how I started this mini-review, paparazzi are scum - as in, there are people who will thrust cameras in her face and take her picture.

Well, a blogger stops inches from her in the ice cream aisle and taunts her, then takes her photo. Posts it. Then, because the blogger left 'location' on - a giant squid appears and starts destroying the supermarket and the superhero has to fight the giant squid. Meanwhile the blogger continues to taunt her. Because, well - scum of the earth and stuff. I can seriously see an advantage of being a super-villain in this universe. I wanted to rip the blogger's balls off.

Of note: I believe this story falls within the same universe as McGuire's superhero series (Velveteen vs.).

Rating: 3.45

April 13 2017

Aimee Ogden: As I Fall Asleep
Mental Illness; Background LGBT Character*

A woman destroys a secret lab. Smashing computers and stuff. Beating up her former side-kick who, it appears, has turned traitor.

Story reminded me of one I'd read by Jude McLaughlin, the one where a reporter interviews an old retired superhero. Well no reporters here. Just an old ex-superhero with diminished mental abilities due to aging.

* The other woman in the story mentions how she had been on a date with a cute woman when she had to get involved in the action in this story

Rating: 3.7

April 13 2017

Jennifer Pullen: Meeting Someone in the 22nd Century or Until the Gears Quit Turning
Cyborg

A man meets a woman. Flirts. Dates. Marries. Time passes. Babies attempted to be born - fail. More time passes. Kind of both boring and annoying.

My greatest problem with this story is the part where it is set in the future and there kept being little comments here and there like 'what do you expect, hover-chairs, just because we live in the future?' Um, you don't live in the future; you live in your own present. But, meh, whatever. Close behind that 'greatest problem' would be the blunt style of the story. (Then there's the part where no superheroes are actually characters in the story).

Rating: 3.0

April 13 2017

Michael Milne: Inheritance
PoC, Family

A boy of a failed marriage grows older. His mother is an accountant. His father is . . . a superhero (and mostly absent father). The boy himself has 'inherited' super powers himself and attempts to fit in as best as he can. The mother, divorced from the father, dates others, marries others, many others. The end.

Rating: 3.39

April 13 2017

Lavie Tidhar: Heroes
Berlin, Spies, Cold War

Two superhero powered spies sit around in a room watching one of the gates into/out of East Berlin while waiting for the arrival of 'Medicus' - an ex-NAZI 'superhero' who was still in East Berlin when the Soviets took over back during WWII and then worked for them. The two spies, one from the USA, one from the UK, fight Jewish superheroes to 'help' the ex-NAZI go into US control.

Rating: 3.42

April 14 2017

Nathan Crowder: Madjack
Music; Aliens

A female musician plays on stage, suddenly she just 'knows' her father is dead, and everyone within, if I recall correctly, 30 rows begins crying (for this musician has emo power - sense others emotions/project emotions onto others).

Quite interesting and good story - I want more. So far it is/was the best story in the collection.

Rating: 4.30

April 14 2017

Patrick Flanagan: Quintessential Justice
Sidekick/support

This story is set from the point of view of a sidekick/support person – not a Robin type but more of a Alfred type. The kind of person who help get coffee, not the kind who will help fight bad guys.

Well there’s this superhero dude who is named QED. He goes about his day and the support person follows along behind. Constantly suppressing, and occasionally letting her eyeballs roll hard. For, you see, QED is a pompous type who needs constant reassurance and constant praise – so much so that there are paid ‘plants’ in the crowds who will cheer for QED. Oh, and once, the superhero actually does get into a fight with a villain.

Not a super exciting story but . . . there. And read.

Rating: 3.10

April 17 2017
Stephanie Lai: The Fall of the Jade Sword
Melbourne, Australia, Steampunk

A young Chinese woman grows up in some steampunk like Melbourne in some unknown date. She reads of a hero bouncing around named Jade Sword. She, the young woman, is not Jade Sword. She reads 'Art of War'. She sits on someone else's steam-bicycle and gets chased for her troubles. She falls off a roof. A few confuse her with Jade Sword. The real Jade Sword interacts with her, but it is unclear if the young woman realizes, in both encounters (one 'in costume', one 'in civilian guise'), that she has encountered Jade Sword. Refuses to be trained by Jade Sword. Or doesn't. Bloody confusing story.

Rating: 2.7

April 17 2017

Carrie Vaughn: Origin Story

A woman gets stuck in a bank robbery/hostage situation and expectedly recognizes the supervillain.

Nice enough story. Certain issues with it that I can't recall now beyond feeling that I had certain issues with it.

Rating: 3.73

April 17 2017

Ziggy Schutz: Eggshells
Young Adult

A young woman slip and falls, knocks her head against the ice. Has trouble remembering things. This symptoms go on long after they should have 'stopped' but she doesn't tell anyone and just continues on.

Quite a nice story really.

Rating: 4.55

April 17 2017

Chris Large: Salt City Blue

A rich powerful woman likes hanging out at bars. As a consequence, she begins glowing.

Interesting story.

Rating: 3.89

April 17 2017

Stuart Suffel: Birthright

A young woman in something like 2021 A.D. wanders around on motorcycle. Swims. Does stuff. She's elaborately described in the beginning - the thing that makes her a mutant - I couldn't make heads or tails of the description. So . . . she's different. And is the daughter of a 'birdwoman' - both mutated by the 'Darwin bombs' that had been dropped.

And . . . um . . not really sure what all else to say.

Rating: 3.50

April 17 2017

Sarah Pinsker: The Smoke Means It's Working
Sidekicks

A woman you wants to, someday, become a sidekick has gone to a special school so that she can operate a robot. Specifically a robot that helps wander wreckage, find people, and attempt to say to save them (as in, here's someone under debris, lift debris, lift person, carry person to an EMT person).

Neat story.

Rating: 4.15

April 17 2017

Keith Rosson: Torch Songs
Supervillains; carnivals

At a carnival several 'oddities' sit in a tent. People wander and stare at them. One used to be a supervillain, but is now just a shrivaled up thing. The point of view is with this 'thing', this 'Madam' of many names.

Interesting enough story. Deeper than my rating my suggest. But ultimately fails as being just a snippet. A snippet that ends with a cliff-hanger.

Rating: 3.30

April 18 2017

Matt Mikalatos: The Beard of Truth
Superheroes; Slice of life

A man, while driving around one day, suddenly realizes he has a superpower - the ability to, just by existing, get people to tell him the truth. Out-pourings of truth (though it seems more like - 'gets people to tell him super depressing things, while truthful, they are also the darkest things the person thinks is 'the truth').

Apparently people can just suddenly get superpowers. And, as part of that, they have to call a specific number. So he does. And stuff unfolds.

Just a small slice of life type story. Oddly satisfying for all of its shortness.

Rating: 4.15

April 18 2017

Adam R. Shannon: Over an Embattled City
Alternate Timelines/earths

A young woman of about 16 heads into the city, the city of New York, to . . . do many things. It is hard to say without being all spoiler-y.

She remembers another city, another time. She's like a character I read in something else, someone who had reached into their pocket and pulled out a coin. Had that years date on it. But some other guy was the head on the dime, the 10 cent piece. And that was how he knew he had slipped from one reality to another. Just like him, the lead character in this story 'slipped' from one reality to another - unlike him, the reality she came from is slowly disappearing - it's less of an alternate time/world/universe, and more of a reworking/unmaking/remaking of a specific time-line.

Neat story.

Rating: 4.22

April 18 2017

Kelly Link: Origin Story
Waitress

A waitress rolls around some ruins with the guy who she grew up with. Whose name is, apparently, Bisquit. Oh, and he's a superhero. He's in town for a parade. She's there because she lives there with her mom.

Weird and strange story.

Rating: 3.00

April 18 2017

OVERALL
Cat Rambo: Ms. Liberty Gets a Haircut: 3.21
Kate Marshall: Destroy the City with Me Tonight: 3.12
Keith Frady: Fool: 3.03
Seanan McGuire: Pedestal: 3.45
Aimee Ogden: As I Fall Asleep: 3.70
Jennifer Pullen: Meeting Someone in the 22nd Century or Until the Gears Quit Turning: 3.0
Michael Milne: Inheritance: 3.39
Lavie Tidhar: Heroes: 3.42
Nathan Crowder: Madjack: 4.3
Patrick Flanagan: Quintessential Justice: 3.10
Stephanie Lai: The Fall of the Jade Sword: 2.7
Carrie Vaughn: Origin Story: 3.73
Ziggy Schutz: Eggshells: 4.55
Chris Large: Salt City Blue: 3.89
Stuart Suffel: Birthright: 3.50
Sarah Pinsker: The Smoke Means It's Working: 4.15
Keith Rosson: Torch Songs: 3.30
Matt Mikalatos: The Beard of Truth: 4.15
Adam R. Shannon: Over an Embattled City: 4.22
Kelly Link: Origin Story: 3.00
Overall ----------------------: 3.5455

April 18 2017



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