Recommendation - published work

[hsavinien]

Hero by Perry Moore

Thom is a teenager, a basketball player, an okay guy.  He has seizures sometimes.  Thom's mom disappeared a while ago and his dad never manages to get ahead at work - everyone blames him for a disaster that happened a while ago.  Thom's dad hates superheros and gay people.  Thom thinks he's probably gay and something weird is happening to his body that might...possibly...be the first signs of super powers. 

Structured on the superhero genre, this YA novel is an amazing addition to the capes-and-tights mythos.  Despite the presence of a few openly queer superheroes in mainstream comics now, most representations of sexual minorities are tragic, stereotyped, or both.  Hero is a valiant remedy to that, letting the reader into the main character's head as he struggles with his sexuality and his burgeoning powers, a privilege that the comics medium can not really support.  Beyond the soul-searching, though, there are plenty of adventures and conflict in the true super-heroic style, as Moore pays heed to the tropes on which he draws.

Perry Moore mentioned that he may, possibly, be heading up a television series based on Hero!

Comments

[yuri-shoujo.livejournal.com]

Huh, neat. Sounds like someone got inspired by Xmen.

I heartily argue though that the comics medium CAN let you into the narrator's head. Good ones, aynway.

Your mood tag makes me lol, what is that?

[hsavinien.livejournal.com]

Somewhat. ^_^

It can, but superhero genre comics don't generally.

Heh. Is a due South screencap. RayK and Fraser spent the night sleeping in somebody's backyard on a stakeout.

[yuri-shoujo.livejournal.com]

This is very true. Hmm maybe that's why I have a hard time getting into them... no idea.

Oh heh.

[hsavinien.livejournal.com]

*shrug* Maybe.

^_^

[julyflame.livejournal.com]

Book might be good, but I went to a panel on LGBT in comics at Comic-Con year before last, and Moore had replaced one of the intended guests for it (Judd Winick! )and acted like a complete ass the entire time to boot.

He talked over and interrupted everyone else constantly mainly to insult people who weren't there and plug his book.

So can't say I can really agree with the recc based on his personal behavior. It just left a bad taste in my mouth.

[hsavinien.livejournal.com]

That's unfortunate... :( It is a good book. I'm sorry that he didn't comport himself well.

[julyflame.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm sorry too, because the rest of the panelists were really thoughtful and bringing up stuff they'd seen themselves or were doing until they got tired of him interrupting and putting down their friends and colleagues for any instance of gaybashing he thought he heard of or not having gay characters in the limelight in any recent comics.

If I'd read the book before that panel or he hadn't acted like that I probably would have enjoyed it, but bad experiences with the person behind the book or whatever never helps with enjoying the work itself.

[hsavinien.livejournal.com]

It does sound like it would be a good panel.

No, it really doesn't. I cannot read Orson Scott Card (for a completely opposite mindset, but similarly high levels of douchebaggery).

[julyflame.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I can't read anything by Card anymore for the same reason.