Monday, August 12, 2013

Heroes in the Night: First Review!


I'm very happy to report that Heroes in the Night got its first official review! It comes from Booklist, a review magazine published by the American Library Association and geared toward libraries and library patrons. This is from their Sept.1 issue and I think it is a nice, concise review that captures the tone of the book. Review follows.

Heroes in the Night: Inside the Real Life Superhero Movement.
Krulos, Tea (Author)
Oct 2013. 288 p. Chicago Review, paperback, $16.95. (9781613747759). 

If you’ve seen the movies Mystery Men and Kick-Ass, you’re familiar with real-life superheroes (otherwise known as RLSH). These are men and women who dress themselves up in costumes and patrol the streets of their cities, trying to combat evil. Clearly that sounds silly, and the author certainly explores the silly elements of RLSH, but there’s a serious side, too. These are ordinary people taking, in some cases, extraordinary risks, often motivated by a deep need to make their world a safer, better place. The notion of the real-life superhero dates back centuries, at least as far back as Robin Hood, and its modern-day incarnations have formed a community, with online forums, fans, even a “secret text” (a 1980 self published book called How to Be a Super-Hero). 

It probably would have been easy for Krulos to make fun of these people, but, for the most part, he treats RLSH with respect because, if you factor out the comicbookish elements, these are men and women who are risking their own safety to make others feel a bit safer. And it’s hard to make fun of that.— David Pitt

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HEROES IN THE NIGHT, available for pre-order at IPG///BARNES & NOBLE///AMAZON///POWELL'S///INDIEBOUND
GOODREADS///FACEBOOK
Book available OCTOBER 1, 2013!

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