Reviewed by Stephen K.
TITLE: Junior Hero Blues
AUTHOR: J.K. Pendragon
PUBLISHER: NineStar Press
LENGTH: 186 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 29th 2021
BLURB:
Last year, Javier Medina was your average socially awkward gay high schooler with a chip on his shoulder. This year, he’s…well, pretty much the same, but with bonus superpowers, a costume with an ab window to show off his new goods, and a secret identity as the high-flying, wise-cracking superhero Blue Spark.
But being a Junior Hero means that Javier gets all the responsibility and none of the cool gadgets. It’s hard enough working for the Legion of Liberty and fighting against the evil Organization, all while trying to keep on top of school work and suspicious parents. Add in a hunky boyfriend who’s way out of Javier’s league, and an even hunkier villain who keeps appearing every time said boyfriend mysteriously disappears, and Blue Spark is in for one big dollop of teenage angst. All while engaging in some epic superhero action and, oh yeah, an all-out battle to protect Liberty City from the forces of evil.
Welcome to the 100% true and totally unbiased account of life as a teenage superhero.
REVIEW:
Since the author decided to introduce his readers to a story already in progress, it’s only fair for me to do the same in this review. That (figurative) “chip on his shoulder” that they mention in the book blurb has migrated a bit further south and is implanted somewhat deeper. And that’s just one of Javier’s problems.
All of the heroes in the Legion of Liberty, (both full time and junior grade) have been tagged with chips that allow for GPS location if you’ve got the right secret software. Problem is, rival super gtoup “The Organization” has designs on gaining the ability to track those chips.
Ever since I first encountered Peter Parker many, many years ago, I’ve had a thing for young, overly kvetchy superheroes with some insecurities, and a snarky sense of humor. Javier continues a long and entertaining tradition. He certainly plays Peter Parker to his potential beau’s, Harry Osborne. Skinny, self-deprecating, Javi comes from a close knit and accepting hard-working lower income family where English is a second language. Meanwhile his athletically gifted, white-bread potential beau has access to a palatial family lake house but mostly absent parents.
They say that reading allows you to walk a mile in the other guy’s moccasins and here we get to do a bit of that. But with Javi the metaphorical moccasins are a pair of expensive sneakers that he pestered his parents into buying for him, despite their limited budget. Of course, being Javi, he loses them day one to a bunch of school bullies who relieve him of the shoes, tie them together and toss them high into a nearby power line. His quixotic quest to get them back, despite his fear of heights, is at the same time, telling of our boy’s character, the beginning of his bigger problems, and a super-hero origin story all rolled into one. True to his character, despite a life-changing accident, more than a year (and many mishaps) later, he still wears the now thread-bare sneakers… and still complains about the whole thing.
With Javi’s Latino background, we also get some insight into what it must be like to be transplanted into a culture where you can’t even speak the native language. At one point Javi revels in being able to slip back into Spanish with his family after speaking English all day in a sometimes hostile outside world. His initial inability to communicate is part of what made him the tough little loner that he is, and it’s clear that he’s also proud of how he’s adapted. Though, being Javi, it’s equal parts insecure adolescent and cocky super-hero (junior grade).
Another aspect most of us will identify with is when Javi expresses his concerns about an out gay boy needing to keep his super-hero status closeted, the ramifications are intriguing, enlightening, and a bit comical. His concerns about keeping his super-hero costume hidden are oddly reminiscent of most baby gays’ worries over keeping mom from finding their porno stash.
At one point, Javi’s continual belly-aching had me singing along with his “internal soundtrack.” Beck’s “I’m a loser” with it’s bi-lingual refrain came to mind and seems to sum things up perfectly. Soy un perdedor, I’m a loser baby so why don’t you kill me??”
But this tale’s not all comedy. Complicating Javi’s romantic and family concerns there’s also a darker sub-plot in that it’s unclear just how idyllic his Legion of Liberty really is. What if the much maligned “Organization” also has a valid point of view? And what if they’re using tactics that might deprive folks of their free will? Is it ethical to force people to abandon their delusions? Even if those delusions were imposed on them in the first place? These are big and important concerns that have relevance in the real world. and readers who prefer looking for deeper meanings will find a few things to think about here. (Ex-gay movement metaphors anyone?)
But don’t expect any answers here. Given that the tale is told from the POV of a stressed out teen who’s still trying to graduate from high school… and who hasn’t been laid in a while, don’t expect that analysis to run too deep. What do you expect from Junior Grade super-hero?
As might be expected when the angst quotient is this high, the concerns about Javi’s sexual preferences never get much beyond the theoretical stage. If you’re looking for a read with plenty of sweaty bedroom action, then this is NOT the book for you. But if you’re up for a ride-along inside the head of an angsty, smart, and sometimes overly-snarky teen Super Hero (Junior Grade) then perhaps you should check this out.
RATING: 
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