Assured by the enigmatic founder of an academy for superheroes that he belongs, Ben signs up en though he has no apparent special powers d discovers that aside from the occasional fireball or invisible prankster, it doesn't seem so different from any other middle school. First impressions can be deceptive, though, and as he tries to discover what his powers might be (and not be too envious as he watches classmates experiment with their own), Ben not only learns that the school was established to persuade young enrollees to hide their abilities, but he also makes the horrifying (not to mention deliciously gross) discovery that students are being gradually replaced by worm-eating doppelgängers. Despite these darker elements, Emerson largely plays his opener for laughs, endowing his motley cast with such "powers" as the ability to indefinitely extend a big toe. Frequent cartoon line drawings add visual gags as well as punch lines and side comments to a narrative that culminates in a wild climax but leaves plenty of secrets for future episodes to resolve.

Ben Braver: superhero or superzero?With best friend Finn moved away, Ben Braver has spent the summer binge-watching Adam West-era Batman, playing video games alone, and reading comics…and wishing to be a hero. When he responds to a cry for help, the resultant conflict with school bully (and evidently supervillain) Dexter Dunn leaves Ben frozen—literally. Ben is whisked away from the hospital by mysterious, old Donald Kepler, who invites Ben to Kepler Academy, "a secret school for kids with special abilities," hinting Ben may have "abilities" of his own. Once Ben's sure it's not an elaborate prank, he agrees, wondering what his superpower…er, "ability" will be when it manifests. However, Kepler Academy is no school for training heroes à la the Xavier Institute of X-Men fame; aside from ordinary classes, Kepler trains its students not to use their powers. While Ben tries to figure out why Kepler recruited him, he and his fireball-belching roommate, Noah, and their small-animal-controlling friend, Penny, uncover a mystery. Can they figure out what's causing students to act like zombies (and eat worms!)? With this title, Emerson launches a new series narrated by sarcastic sixth-grader Ben. The inline comics proffer punchlines and extra laughs (some are metacomments on the action of the tale); in the illustrations, black-haired Ben and blonde Penny are depicted with light skin and Noah with dark. Fans of superhero fiction will laugh out loud and identify with the aggressively regular Ben.Just the right mix of mystery and kooky fun. (Graphic/adventure hybrid. 7-12)

Gr 4-6 Ben Braver's dad calls him "creative" and his mom says Ben is a "free spirt," but Ben thinks he's just a typical, boring 11-year-old boy. He's spending the summer at home watching old Batman reruns starring Adam West, reading comics, and dreaming of becoming a superhero. His whole life changes when he has a craving for a peanut butter cup. He sets off on his bike for the local gas station to buy the delicious treat and return home. But events result in a big detour when he hears someone crying for help. Though his intervention doesn't go well, he winds up getting selected to attend a school for kids with super abilitiesthat is, if the school doesn't find out he has no superpowers. Entertaining "zip-pop-go" action is divided into 53 brief chapters and accompanied by numerous black-and-white cartoon illustrations. VERDICT A clever hybrid novel that's sure to be a hit with the comic-cartoon crowd and fans of superhero tales. Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego