By Daniel Clowes
Publisher: Jonathon Cape
ISBN: 978-0-224-09411-5
Well, this is a little different. And nothing wrong with that.
Clowes has created a superhero, but this superhero wasn't bitten by a radioactive termite or has had powers bestowed upon him by an ancient deity. No, this superhero is powered by nicotine. Whenever he takes a drag on a cigarette he is emboldened by an amazing strength, and when an otherwise harmless ray-gun is placed in his hands it becomes an instrument of justice. But this isn't some superhero who leaps buildings in a single bound, but a bored and disaffected teenager who is battling the everyday troubles of school, bullies and working out exactly where he fits.
There are lots of elements of classic superhero mythology in here, but it's not really about any of that. It's about an orphaned teenager who's unsure who he is or where he's going, but thanks to his father's tinkering has been given an unusual advantage.
Clowes is brilliant at this sort of storytelling, and doesn't disappoint with The Death-Ray. There are no super-villians here, no Earth that needs saving, no criminals to punish. But there are the regular, mundane aspects of life, and they bring their own kind of problems. Clowes pushes the what-ifs further and the outcomes feel honest, if a little frightening, with the overall effect being a terrific read.
And if you liked that: Pick up Wilson, also by Clowes
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