Superhero Monster Hunter – The Good Fight edited by Thom Brannan and Miles Boothe (2015, 557 pages)
Full disclosure: I do have something in this thirty-three story anthology, but as usual, in the name of false modesty, I will not review it. The other stories, however, are fair game. With this many stories, I will only critique my favorites (for a longer review that includes all the stories, see Amazon), but I can’t promise brevity if the story is really good.
Red Fog by Greg Mitchell – A Super Power joins a team of Marines investigating a vampire invasion in Nebraska. Interesting for the nuanced conflict between the Marines and the Super and the vampires and the humans. I’d read the book.
Cat Got Your Tongue by Gary Buettner – I don’t usually care for stories that start in the middle of the action, but this one was excellent for a couple reasons: the “hero” is a former evil witch’s familiar turned humanoid to rectify his past sins (great origin), he has a wise-cracking sidekick (a Jack-o-lantern hanging on his arm!), and a light-hearted touch at the end. Well done.
Queen of Demons by Erik De Bie – I think I know this woman. She’s a former superhero named Lady Vengeance who worked for an arch-demon in hell but now she’s an empathic, alcoholic bar-owner who can’t keep her nose out of her customer’s business. Nice piece of initial misdirection, too.
Chasing the Dragon by Mike Chinn – This is far more than a superhero rescue. This is a tale of revenge and partnership and loss and self-rescue. Cicatrix, a super with living tattoos, comes to rescue Tabella, a super who could draw any object to life (until she was imprisoned by bad guys and had her hands crushed) only to discover the truth about Tabella and Cicatrix’s husband.
A Good Run by Mark Rivett – This could easily be a novel. Seraph, a retired hero with a human mother and an angel father, helps the city battle an ancient dragon. Unfortunately, a team defending the dragon shows up to rescue it and threaten the world. Nicely written and very appropriate title.
Dustboy Cometh by Robert Hart – I worried this charming tale of a nerd with his own jetpack would end badly (and dark). When he stops a late night mall heist stealing from his father’s store with three vacuum cleaners and some hamster balls, I applauded heartily.
Sometimes It’s Better Being a Sidekick by Amanda Williams – I wondered if writing about superheroes was a Men Only club so I’m glad to see Ms. Williams’s piece here. Her young hero is taking the Alpha test even though he believes his power to duplicate himself makes him more of a B-lister (and therefore a sidekick). He encounters explosive slugs, sand vultures, flesh-eating rats, the super-villain who killed his mother, and the terrible truth about the test.
Geremian/Ezekiel: The Truce by Marc Sorondo – Earth’s last hero, ruler of the planet, and its last villain, a demonic agent of chaos, join forces to battle a tentacled invader from another universe. Strong characterizations of a super-hero and a super-villain who have reached unimaginable levels of power.
Aeolus, Chiron, and the Sea Serpents by John A. McColley – A unique super-hero team of true friends in a steam punk world face death when battling with a hydra that is not what it seems. Clever and charming.
Tamperproof by Zoe McAuley – Although I worried about a monster-hunting therapist dragging a small boy to a battle with an unearthly creature, I enjoyed this story a great deal. The boy’s sister is missing, but no one remembers she ever existed. The therapist, instead of recommending to the parents that the boy be medicated, explains to him that monsters are eating people, not only their bodies but also memories of their existence. She knows this because she herself is “tamperproof” and kept her memories of her husband when he was taken. The boy shows her where his sister disappeared, and – after she dissolves the memory-sucker with an acid gun – vows to become a tamperproof warrior when he’s older. Amazingly consistent voice of a ten-year-old.
Holding Action by Matthew Baugh – Every couple of stories, I think this the best story in this anthology, but I suspect this one really is the best one. When I finished reading it, I felt as satisfied as if I’d read a good novel. An augmented soldier is released from prison to fight monsters on another Earth. He fights alongside a colorful band (including Hercules!) but when the higher powers decide this new Earth is too far-gone, he has to decide what to do. Influencing his decision is this world’s version of his dead wife.
The Falcon – An Outlier Story by Jonathan Ward – A real page-turner, here a police sergeant investigates a murder by an alleged vigilante but discovers her own dark past at St. Vincent’s orphanage for vulnerable children. Who is the Falcon and why does the murderer and thief seem so familiar?
For a Fistful of Diamonds – An Outlier Story by A. R. Aston – This story is written in the same world as “The Falcon” and even mentions him. This is a strong story of what happens when absolute power corrupts absolutely. A reluctant flame hero fights Super-Barbie when she decides she can take whatever and kill whomever she wants.
