Mission Preposterous: Still Want to Be a Superhero?
Thomas J. Brodeur
Independently Published (2021)
ISBN: 979-8-4574-7346-1
Reviewed by Amy Lignor for Reader Views (11/2021)
Okay readers, this was like having your cake, eating it, and then still having more cake to feed upon. What do I mean by that, you ask? The pre-teen/YA genres have always been among my favorites. Heck, the ones written over the past two decades have become iconic hits. However, this book also presents perfect satire; my second favorite thing. Whether you’re into Swift, Pope or, in my opinion, the master of satire, Mark Twain, you will know that humor done well makes a book better. Then, you have the superhero genre. I don’t care if you’re into Batman, Superman… the Eternals—it doesn’t matter. Slap a cape or a cool suit on the person and give them powers, and you got yourself a killer movie. Through “Mission Preposterous,” with its incredible plotline as well as the main character, twelve-year-old Travis Warnofski, you get it all! Every sentence was wrapped in humor, every scene was as memorable as Spielberg’s Indiana Jones on his adventures, and the plot caters to everyone’s desire to be the ultimate superhero who saves the world.
In 2017, author Thomas John Brodeur introduced Travis (AKA: Trav) in “Faces Behind the Masks: So, you want to be a Superhero?” The book was completely unique and made everyone want more. Now… we are back with Trav in a very odd place. Inside a temple, our main character (who should be rethinking his desire to be a superhero for life by now), is walking across planks that give way, threatening to send him falling into a black abyss. Grabbing onto a totem to save his life, a gargoyle shrieks, Trav lunges for the Katana sword he carries with him, lightning scorches the area… you name it, it happens. Turns out, this is a dangerous “lesson” for Trav to learn and not the scene of his demise.
Fast forward to a Comic Con, basically, being held aboard a cruise ship. Trav, as well as his Aunt Leslie and Uncle Alex, are there mingling with other families and tour groups that are dressed in their capes and colored tights to enjoy the event. However, Trav and his family are there to meet a contact. You see, they are working a special ops mission: ships have been disappearing from the ocean, never to be seen again, and they are trying to figure out WHAT the heck is going on.
But the missing ships are not the only thing Trav and his other heroic friends will deal with in this amazing novel; they will also find themselves staring at a jar that was once held in the coffers of the Nazi regime – a jar that many people are desperate to get their hands on in order to use for their own evil purposes. (Apocalypse, anyone?)
You can’t say a whole lot about this book, or the adventures within, without giving away some serious nuggets of information that would be major “spoiler alerts,” so I digress. Just know that this plotline is action-packed and fresh, and the satire is the best part. Yes, any kid who wants a cape will love this author’s books, however, there’s so much humor embedded within that would be missed by the wee ones that this book will also make adults laugh out loud. Best part? It also leads to another adventure that will take place on Mars. Something else to look forward to! Your best bet is to go back and read the first one, sink your teeth into this one, and get ready for the next piece of cake that’s coming soon. (Don’t you just love cake?) 5-Stars!
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