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Other People's Heroes (The Heroes of Siegel City #1)

by Blake M. Petit (Goodreads Author)

4.00 · rating details · 47 ratings · 9 reviews

Imagine, for a moment, that you live in a world full of superheroes. Imagine a world where people bend steel in their bare hands, where champions dart across the sky, where avengers step out of the shadows to protect the innocent. Imagine a man larger than life protecting the innocent, imagine a family of heroes, imagine warriors dedicated to the safety of mankind. Imagine...more

Paperback, 1st Edition, 239 pages

Published June 15th 2002 by PublishAmerica

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Sep 09, 2011

L. A. rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: action, adventure, book-reviews, science-fiction, comic

Article first published as Book Review: Other People's Heroes by Blake M. Petit on Blogcritics.

Comic books have long been a way to savor our heroes and find those with super human powers that do good in our world. As with most, in order to be successful as a hero, there must also be villains. In Other People’s Heroes by Blake M. Petit, we follow the exploits of a group of heroes and villains known as Capes (superheroes) and Masks (villains).

Ever since being rescued as a y...moreArticle first published as Book Review: Other People's Heroes by Blake M. Petit on Blogcritics.

Comic books have long been a way to savor our heroes and find those with super human powers that do good in our world. As with most, in order to be successful as a hero, there must also be villains. In Other People’s Heroes by Blake M. Petit, we follow the exploits of a group of heroes and villains known as Capes (superheroes) and Masks (villains).

Ever since being rescued as a young child from a burning building by the superhero Lionheart, Josh Corwood has been enamored of the Capes. His obsession never waned and as he gained adulthood he went into the only profession he could that he felt would bring him close to his idols. Working for Powerlines kept his finger on the pulse of crime, and he could stay in contact with the inevitable conflicts that continued to rise between these two forms of superpowers.
Over time, his hero worship never really dimmed although his favorite hero Lionheart had disappeared in a confrontation with the Mask known as Carnival. When Josh receives an opportunity for an exclusive interview with Dr. Noble, one of the most highly respected of the Capes he is excited. His best friend Sheila is his copy editor at Powerlines and is just as discouraged as he is, by the pompousness experienced during his interview. The one thing though that Josh did find interesting was the rush of power he experienced when he was around Dr. Noble. It was the same feeling he had experienced so many years ago when rescued by Lionheart.

As he experiments with this power with seems to fill him in the presence of both Capes and Masks alike, he realizes that he is capable of becoming one of them and fulfilling is lifelong dream. He soon realizes that everything he believes my not be real. And even as this education initiates, it begins to appear as though there is now an extreme super villain. Can Josh with his new powers along with the other Capes save the day, or will they need more than what they themselves are capable of.

Petit has done an exceptional job of building heroes and villains that are unique and quite true to form from the comic books and cartoons. He has taken this group and built an incredible story around them. Like reading a comic from the beginning issue to the end, it is satisfying and enriching. As with the comic when I was young I could become the hero or the villain, and while they were both incredibly talented, they were not extremely evil. It was fun to make believe because there was always just a bit of good even in the worst of the bunch. However, when real evil enters the fray all bets are off, and it is anyone’s guess who will win and who will lose.

Written with a keen eye it is easy to picture the characters and the places. The story told is exceptional, and if I had pictures with it, I would have felt again as a child as I read the most recent issues of my favorite hero. The thing about comics though is some readers never gave up and have been followers for their whole lives. The true comic lovers are the people I envy even as I read and find myself transported back to a time of real believing.

I would recommend this book for anyone that enjoys action and adventure, and especially those that enjoy comic book heroes. It is fun and absorbing. I found it hard to put down once I began.

This book was received as a free download from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.(less)

like 2 likes

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Jan 12, 2012

Kathy rated it

I really enjoyed this novel. I read the 2011 edition of this story which I understand is a bit different from a version published a few years ago. This is probably one the best superhero themed books I've read. It tells the story of Josh Corwood, a reporter in Siegal City who finds he has an unusual super power and then finds that there is a big secret that all the superheroes and villains are hiding....This is one of those gems you sometimes unearth in self publishing and I'm really glad I pu...more

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May 05, 2011

Two Bibliomaniacs rated it

· review of another edition

“I don’t know what’s worse, your stupidity or your low opinion of me.”

The age old story... boy longs for superpowers. Boy recognizes his dream. Boy falls in love with super good looking, yet slightly insecure super-heroine. Boy uncovers sinister plot. Boy must make a cadence of decision that will have a profound influence on the fate of the entire world, all the while, indulging a journey of self discovery and trying not to get blown up by a deadly Teke-blast.

Josh Cor...more“I don’t know what’s worse, your stupidity or your low opinion of me.”

The age old story... boy longs for superpowers. Boy recognizes his dream. Boy falls in love with super good looking, yet slightly insecure super-heroine. Boy uncovers sinister plot. Boy must make a cadence of decision that will have a profound influence on the fate of the entire world, all the while, indulging a journey of self discovery and trying not to get blown up by a deadly Teke-blast.

Josh Corwood has spent his entire life hero-worshiping his city’s superheroes. In fact, he’s made a career of reporting and writing stories about them. Then, one fateful day, after witnessing a battle between Dr. Noble and Miss Sinistah, Josh realizes he also possesses a few super skills (as an added bonus he doesn’t have to fall into an oversized vat of toxic ooze). At once, the main character makes plans to integrate himself into the world of Superheroes and Super-villains. Only then does he realize the world in which he has longed to become a part of, is not all that it seems. In fact, it’s nothing like it seems and all too vulnerable to corruption and greed. Will our young hero pull the curtain on the hoax? Will he fight for justice and honor against a corrupt system? Or will he lose his lower extremities and suffer the same fate as washed up superheroes of the past? Sorry, you’re just going to have to read Other People’s Heroes to find out...

Other People’s Hero’s has the distinct honor of standing as our first superhero related novel. Fortunately, it did not disappoint. From the beginning we were sucked into the fantastical world of superheroes and super-villains. The text contains many unique personalities, yet there was a good balance of back-story while at the same time keeping the story moving forward. It’s hard not to be intrigued with characters like Merlin Junior, the Conductor, Particle, Animan, the Goop, the Gunk, Justice Giant, and Herr Nemesis.

Other People’s Heroes had a few minor flaws, yet none were significant enough to distract from the overall story. The writing was simple (in a good way) and fun and we found ourselves laughing at more than one analogy. The themes are what you’d expect from a comic book type novel – good vs. evil, power vs. submission, greed vs. selflessness, super-speed vs. super-strength – yet each topic was given interesting perspective. For anyone looking to hero-up or for something different than the novel their currently reading (assuming they’re not reading something from the superhero genre), Other People’s Heroes will prove a worthy ally.
(less)

like 1 like

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May 12, 2011

Sarah (Workaday Reads) rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011, 5-stars, dare-you-to-read

Josh Corwood has always wanted to be a superhero, and when he unexpectedly develops a special talent, he is excited to join the league. But what if the life of a superhero isn't as real as it seems?

I have never read a superhero story before, so I didn't know what to expect. What I got was an amazing read. Action, excitement, surprise, and even a sweet love story.

Josh is a really nice guy. He has a solid moral and ethics code, and everything he does is in line with this. T...more

· see review

Jan 29, 2012

Rosalind M rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I started out not being too keen on the whole "reporter reveals all" idea but determined to read the book. I soon found myself picking the book up to continue reading at every opportunity. Looking forward to the next one in the series.

Note that there's also a short story starring the main character of this book: "The Restless Dead of Siegel City".

· see review

Aug 14, 2011

Aaron rated it

A decent take on a superhero book. I enjoyed seeing the progression of the main character. I hope there is a 2nd book.

· see review

Jul 31, 2011

Eric rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, superhero-fiction

"There is no peace for me," says the villain in Other People's Heroes. "There will never be peace for me, and it's all because of the stupid, stupid superheroes." Poor guy. All he wants to do is take over the world. And those darn superheroes keep getting in his way. Tsk! The book ends with the phrase: "... it was a start." That's a mildly clever way to end a novel.

Full review here: http://superheronovels.com/2011/07/31/th...

· see review

Nov 08, 2011

iamjacksfingers rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: superheroes

Stellar. Great, great story.

· see review

Sep 05, 2011

Kenneth rated it

· review of another edition

Great book!

· see review

Feb 10, 2012

Dennis Hughes rated it

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Feb 07, 2012

Adamk959 marked it as to-read

Feb 06, 2012

Melissa Rihel marked it as to-read

Feb 09, 2012

Matt rated it

· review of another edition

Jan 22, 2012

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Jan 15, 2012

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Jan 10, 2012

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Jan 10, 2012

Wit S. is currently reading it

Jan 09, 2012

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Dec 28, 2011

Kate marked it as to-read

Dec 17, 2011

Kate marked it as i-should-read-this

Dec 07, 2011

Brandon Heyer rated it

· review of another edition

Dec 15, 2011

Experiment rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Nov 28, 2011

Michael rated it

Nov 27, 2011

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About Blake M. Petit

Blake M. Petit is a writer, columnist, reviewer, podcaster, actor, director, and teacher from Ama, Louisiana. He is the author of the novels Other People’s Heroes and The Beginner (coming soon as an eBook), as well as the short story collection A Long November and Other Tales of Christmas. His weekly comic book column, Everything But Imaginary, has appeared Wednesdays at CXPulp.com since 2003. In ...more

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Quotes from Other People's Heroes

“I don’t know what’s worse, your stupidity or your low opinion of me.” — 2 people liked it

“Try 'Thank-you'," Ted said, giving me a hug (with the requirement of pounding me fraternally on the back - the only way that males are allowed to hug one another unless at least one of them has a fatal disease).” — 1 person liked it

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Other People's Heroes (The Heroes of Siegel City #1)

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