Owen King & John McNally (Ed.)

Extreme makeover for superheroes

The new breed of super-powered protagonists has arrived. These next-door-neighbors-turned-superheroes may need therapy more than they need a cape, yet in the 22 eclectic short stories collected here they still manage to save the world and get the girl.

Notable contributors, including George Singleton, Tom Bissell, Scott Snyder and Jennifer Weiner, take a hand at creating today’s legions of heroes. Editor Owen King gives us one of the best: In “The Meerkat,” human-turned-herpestid Wade Hanes comes to terms with feelings of sexual inadequacy and has a go at four-legged crime fighting. After seeking intelligence from Cleveland’s squirrel population, Hanes must leap into battle to protect the city from a mad professor.

This collection gives comic fans the impossible, the daring, and a huge helping of the unbelievable. It seems today’s heroes need as much saving as those they rescue, but they’re likable all the same.