Static Up All Night (volume 1) by Lamar Giles and illustrated by Paris Alleyne is a nice teen superhero story. Our main character, Virgil, is trying to balance a normal life and being a superhero. Set in the DC universe, we have mutant humans (mostly still looking human) that were created by a supposedly safe gas. Afterwards, those who made it were given some sort of powers (one girl hasn’t slept literally since it happened, so she has time to study, do multiple jobs, and observe; our hero can control electricity). So we have seen this story before. It is Spiderman in DC. The fun part is, our heroes are people of color, given it a wonderful diversity in its cast.
There isn’t a lot to be, “OMG this is best!” about, but it does allow for a fun, cozy, familiar read. The illustrations are bold, and classic comic/graphic novels. They are busy giving you action and the scene/setting. It does feel like it started in “in the middle” of things, but we can easily catch up. The author and illustrator include a bonus story that was fun, but is just a nice bonus, not necessarily needed.
Contemporary themes and situations help keep the story modern, but might eventually date it (such as modern looking social media influencers). But it also brings in LGBTQ theme, the idea of consent, making yourself happy, and a bit more. The humor is a bit dry sometimes, but that is the point. It won’t be for everyone, but it will be a fun quick read for someone into the genre, or a nice one to start with.
