Archvillain

Lyga, Barry. 2010. ARCHVILLAIN. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 9780545196499 [Suggested Grade Levels 3-6]

REVIEW
This is a fun and fast-paced comic book story written in prose format. For those who love to read about superheroes and supervillains, this book will be a delight. Add science fiction to the mix by way of an unexplained meteor/plasma storm and its effects, as well as an alien, and you have the makings of a book that will be loved by all readers at the elementary and intermediate levels. The school setting brings the story especially close to home for the reader. Boys will particularly enjoy the antics of main character Kyle Camden as they try to determine whether Kyle is a hero to be admired or a villain to be stopped.

This is the first book in an “Archvillian Series.” It will be interesting to see if the alien brought by the storm remains a superhero or whether Kyle is correct to be concerned about the alien. We will all watch to see what Kyle will do next!

CONNECTIONS
Other books and comic books about superheroes can be compared with this book noting similarities and differences.

RELATED BOOKS
Other books that look at superheroes:
Lupica, Mike. 2010. HERO. ISBN 9780399252839
Pilkey, Dav. 1997. THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS. (Series) ISBN 9780590846288

By Kaye E. Bray