5 out of 5

Super hero wish fulfillment, right?  No no – not to Nate Banks.  He’s just an adviser .  He advises his teacher’s alter ego Ultraviolet on the ways of heroes via his learnings from his comic book collection.  Yes, that is still ultra cool, getting to hang out with Captain Zombie and whatnot, but it’s why he doesn’t put on a mask and need hero training, which the elderly Doctor Nocturne is now insistent he go through if he wants to keep being an adviser.  Because remember book 1?  Remember book 2?  Hi-jinks seem to happen around Nate, and it’s best to be prepared.

Thus is the staging that allows Nate to be privy to the beginnings of a mystery: who’s trying to off Doctor Nocturne?  When Doc immediately jumps to the conclusion that it’s the long-retired Red Malice – and his equally elderly hero pals Tommy Torpedo and The Dart figure the same – Nate forcefully tags along, worried that these old timers are making mountains out of molehills just to feel relevant again.  But, y’know, the cover does show Red Malice and a giant laser, so rest assured that hi-jinks will once again ensue.

What makes this more compelling and worthwhile than a simple adventure tale, though, is Jake Bell’s slyly mature writing, which allows for a wealth of character development and truly grin-worthy jokes fully within the guise of a kid’s book from a kid’s point of view.  Nate is normal, and the proceedings don’t unfold just because gosh, it’ll be cool, but because A logically leads to B and C, and we understand the decisions made along the way.  Nate understands his limitations but still wants to be involved; his realism and eagerness make his point of view relatable, distracting us from the cute foreshadowing Bell lays out all throughout the book.  On top of this is the general comic book vibe (besides the awesome Chris Giarrusso bonus comic included), which is surprisingly original in its creation of a small set of heroes and villains: every time you think you’re going to get a tired Batman or Superman pastiche, Bell turns it into something fresh.  This is obviously the best form of tribute, just taking the note of inspiration and making it your own, and it’s rewarding to see it done so effectively in a book where the core audience probably has very little clue from whence it sprang.

Unfortunately, it does seem that Banks’ adventures have stalled after the fourth book.  But this was mighty fine kid lit, perfectly suitable for comic-loving adults, which probably gets glossed over in favor of more publicized adult-friendly kid fare.  That’s obviously too bad, ’cause Nate Banks’ adventures are, indeed, amazing.