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Feb 09, 2009

J.A. rated it:

For all of its unconventional prowess, the superhero trope has a tough time standing on its head. That is what G. Xavier Robillard has attempted to do with Captain Freedom with only middling success. There are some amusing elements to the story, as one would expect from an online humor writer, yet the overall effect is somewhat like watching a middle-aged man trying to win a bet by standing on his head. You might chuckle the first few times he tips over, but eventually your attention drifts a More...

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Feb 02, 2011

Paul rated it:

This book is a takeoff on all the superheroes out there making the world safe for humanity.

Captain Freedom is on the top of the comic book world, until he gets fired. He must now reinvent himself. He was a standalone superhero but feels he must get up to date by getting himself a sidekick. After all, Batman has Robin, the Green Hornet has Kato, and Laurel has Hardy.

Whatever!!!!!!

Robillard, using Captain Freedom, takes on politics, the office, celebrities, More...

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Dec 02, 2009

Alan rated it:

G. Xavier Robillard is—or, rather, was—a Boston-based blogger, it says here. He has since relocated to, of all places, Portland, Oregon. Captain Freedom is his first novel.

So, okay, it's not as polished or as deep as Michael Chabon's brilliant The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay, and to a great extent it treads the same ground as earlier humorously psychoanalytical superhero novels, such as the ones by Minister Faust (From the Notebooks of Dr. Brain) and Austin Grossman (Soon I Will Be Invincible More...

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Sep 09, 2009

Troy rated it:

Quite a few people, whose opinions I respect, didn't like this book and stopped reading around page 30. I slogged on. It wasn't that bad, really. The metaphors came fast and furious. The main character was alternately a moron and bland. I pressed ahead. The comic book cliches were many and varied, but it seemed that the author was going out of his way to be funny, like he had a 20-pun-a-page limit he had to reach. I say that he was co-signed by Neal Pollack and the McSweeney's crowd, and while t More...

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Jun 23, 2009

Amanda rated it:

I felt like this was a really cheap Chuck Palahniuk book. I see Robillard's intentions and ideas and I obviously found them interesting otherwise I wouldn't have read the book, but his execution was pretty subpar. Captain Freedom is an extremely shallow character, not just personality wise, but in the amount of information the reader can perceive. He doesn't feel real at all, just a person with a name. The active tense the book is written in doesn't make it any more exciting or involving, becaus More...

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Apr 15, 2009

Rachel rated it:

This book is hilarious! The plot lags a bit in the middle, but the number of laughs through the rest of the story make up for it. I love social satire, and this is a genuinely funny book that satirizes everything from corporate America to the fashion industry to Area 51-government conspiracy theories. It's also a spoof of the comic book genre, and begins when the protagonist, Captain Freedom, is forced into early retirement by his corporate sponsors. His popularity is waning, due to the fact tha More...

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Feb 07, 2009

Seth rated it:

This is very fun. It's uneven and often derivative, but that's kind of the point: it's in the "throw a joke a second and some are bound to stick" tradition and in the "broad and easy satire by forcing modern life into stock genre" genre, making it a light read filled with some good comic ideas and some light and easy social satire.

The book is billed as the memoir of Captain Freedom, a has-been superhero telling his rags-to-riches-to-washed-up-but-still-rich life s More...

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Feb 17, 2009

James rated it:

“You can't fight me,” he sneers. “You don't have insurance anymore.”
“I've got COBRA.”

That exchange, delivered during a mid-air melee, sums up the comedic blend of “Captain Freedom,” the new novel by G. Xavier Robillard. Secret lairs and teenage sidekicks share space with product endorsement deals and online archenemy-matching services. Heroics are evaluated by their impact on the comic-book company bottom line. And if you need to go back in time to spoil a nefarious plot, it's More...

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May 06, 2011

Shawn rated it:

I wished this had been more broadly likeable, because the premise feels fresh and the jokes are sophisticated and expertly timed. The superhero trope is such a symbolic way to address modern America - to fly through the air making fun of everyone, or to be not that smart of a Superman and be ground down by corporate machinations. I was almost able to be carefree enough to keep reading, but I needed a little bit more to go on - at least a likeable character or two and a clear overall plot. The More...

3 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 18, 2009

Katie rated it:

I read an uncorrected proof of this book, so maybe some things have been improved. But, on the whole, I thought Robillard tried too hard. Every single line was either a metaphor, an innuendo, a direct or indirect reference to some aspect of pop culture or politics, or a flat-out joke. And after about the fifth paragraph, it becomes very stale.

I appreciate the effort, and the premise itself was funny: a washed-up, out-of-work Superhero writing his memoir, but Captain Freedom was too m More...

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Apr 13, 2009

Dwhren rated it:

I really wanted to like this book better than I did. It's kind of clever in premise, but I found it's execution kind of lacking. It's the story of Captain Freedom obviously. It kind of crosses the third wall in that he is a superhero who works for the comic book that writes of his superhero adventures except that he really lives them out but also has his own will so that he is not just doing stuff that people are writing him to do. His actions eventually get him fired from Gotham Comics and More...

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May 10, 2010

Brandon rated it:

I skimmed the last few chapters because I couldn't wait to be done with this awful, awful book.

Purchased while in Portland at Powell's Book Store last February, the titular character relates his adventures through a first-person narrative. Robillard's book caught my eye for a few reasons: it's about superheroes, it was cheap, and Christopher Moore gave it a plug on the cover.

With my affinity for stories about jerks with superpowers, I thought it would be right up my alle More...

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May 13, 2009

Wendi rated it:

Oh the hilarity!

This may be a satire, but I've always wondered what the life of a superhero was like, the real life, the life outside of the Batman and Superman movies - who is the man behind the hero?

"It's all starting to come together. But I'm in shock. A Jewish Superhero? I've never heard of such a thing."

Meet Tzadik X/12-Friedman - a Jewish superhero who's powers include successfully predicting the weather (this from his alien father from the pl More...

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Jan 30, 2010

Greymalkin rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Aug 27, 2009

Tom rated it:

This book was cute, amusing at best. I didn't laugh out loud at anything involved in this superhero satire, though I didn't hate anything about it either. Robillard's humor is not terribly sophisticated, but he likewise doesn't go for obvious punchlines too often ("Supermodels"). He did manage to keep the entire book, including the Acknowledgements, all in character, that character being a moderately clueless superhero looking for a way to earn a living after the comic book publishe More...

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Jul 28, 2011

Austin added it

This book is written in a very unique way and is organized as if by the narrator's own thought process. The story takes place in what can only be described as a parallel reality with super heroes, aliens, and literal meanings. The language is such that I had to look up a word or two every other page but it worked for the story. This is the kind of book you can read over and over and keep catching new things.

I can't say I like the cover though. I was very self conscious when reading in public... More...

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Apr 02, 2009

Kari rated it:

Captain Freedom just wants a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Is that too much to ask after saving the world four times? G. Xavier Robillard’s debut novel tells the story of an unappreciated superhero’s quest for truth, justice, and, most importantly, recognition.

He has sponsorships, comic books, and a movie deal, but Captain Freedom’s career as a superhero is dwindling. After being fired by Gotham Comix, Freedom’s world is turned upside down, which leads him down the stereotypical path of a More...

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Sep 10, 2009

Josh rated it:

A nice enough idea - d-bag superhero who's more a brand than a person - but not all that interesting. Robillard is an essayist and the chapters - usually six to ten pages long - chronicling on adventure to the next, read like essays. The novel doesn't really flow, it more uses the premise as a platform for social commentary and snaky jokes at American politics, celebrity, and consumerism. All well and good, it just didn't do much for me.

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Mar 30, 2009

Marjanne rated it:

I would actually give this 2.5 stars. This novel reminds my of a celebrity memoir. It was funny to read a satire of memoirs, with a superhero as the narrator. I liked how the author made being a superhero a job, with HR, middle managers, etc. Unfortunately the story wasn't really funny. It was short enough to keep reading it, and it was mildly entertaining. But there was only one line that made me laugh out loud. I would probably read something similar again, though it really is just fluffy ente More...

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Jun 03, 2010

Robin rated it:

Unfortunately this is a case of a writer just trying too hard. Instead of focusing on a good plot with humorous tone the author seems to spend every moment trying to cultivate the most jokes possible out of every single line. While that does make for a few amusing moments and chuckles at some lines it ends up just tiring me out and making me wish for some serious scenes and for the main character to just shut up.

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May 26, 2009

Nicholas rated it:

4.20.09 -

Fun so far but not as humorous as I had thought.

I came across a great quote on page 165 when he is having a conversation with his life coach and starts to drift off, 'For me, listening is a time to think about what I'm going to say next.'

4.26.09 -

I was somewhat dissappointed in this novel. There was no substance. Each small chapter was a different story that read the same way as all the previous chapters. Funny in parts, but very repetativ

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Feb 19, 2009

Gary rated it:

When I first noticed the author's McSweeney's connection, I should have followed my gut instinct towards projectile vomit. But I decided to ignore it and press on -- "C'mon!" I told myself, "You don't read enough contemporary fiction. You should start."
So I gave this one a shot.
Thirty pages later, I <strike>threw</strike> gave up.
Ugh.

Seriously.
Don't bother with this one.

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Feb 28, 2011

Todd rated it:

Like a snarky retelling of The Incredibles, but the Incredibles was much better. Some of the humor in this book was good, but the plot was very jerky (maybe to mirror an actual comic book) and the ending was pretty bad. This was a bad choice of topics, but I'll expect the author to do better next time.

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Aug 20, 2009

Photojim rated it:

A fun read. Social commentary abounds in this tale of the life of a superhero. The wit is mostly dry and biting but I love it. The book follows Captain Freedom from his sidekick days to redecorating his secret hideout, trips to Home Depot, saving the Earth (again), and his battle with drugs and family issues.

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May 28, 2009

Marta rated it:

This book was really fun and a good read. I enjoyed both loving and hating Captain Freedom who is just a superhero trying to make it in the capital superhero business. I really liked the social commentary and utter ridiculousness of the book. I definitely would recommend it.

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Aug 09, 2011

Tom rated it:

A little too much of a kitchen sink approach to really amount to anything, and I feel like I wouldn't even understand all of the references contained inside if I come back to this again in five years but I still enjoyed it. It is a new take on the superhero and that much I can appreciate.

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Jan 02, 2011

Jason rated it:

A celebrity superhero battles his own ego along with assorted bad guys. Very clever but maybe too clever for its own good. Funny but in an obvious and punny sort of way. Entertaining all around but possibly too smug and ironic to fully be embraced.

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Oct 26, 2009

Christian rated it:

A very humorous story from the POV of a self-obsessed superhero who has lost his job and must find other avenues to support his secret hideout, his youthful sidekick, and his recreational cocaine habit. Some good satire about superheroes, celebrity, and the corporate world.

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Jan 16, 2011

Dave rated it:

On the front of the book, Christopher Moore says something to the effect of "finally a book that claims to be funny is actually funny." Unfortunately, Christopher Moore hasn't been funny since "Lamb" and this book shares that sense of humor. It does try to be funny. It turns some cute phrases and puts Captain Freedom in some potentially funny positions, but none of them made me laugh. I snickered a few times. I could appreciate that the author was trying, but the book never m More...

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Jul 27, 2009

Angela rated it:

I can see this being a great movie, or one that a director would REALLY mess up. I would also like to hear it read by Stephen Colbert, that would be amazing. It was really funny. I hope to read more books by this author (this is his first).

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