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Summary
Summary
The second installment in acclaimed author Barry Lyga's Archvillain series!
Things haven't been going well for Kyle since Mighty Mike became the new town hero. He's pretty sure he could fix this disaster if he could expose Mike's secret (he's an alien), but to do that Kyle would have to admit he is the Azure Avenger-the unintentional town archvillain.
One night a new masked hero, aptly named the Mad Mask, arrives, boasting to the Azure Avenger of an off-the-charts IQ and superior superpowers. Yet the Mad Mask has come seeking intellectual assistance in building Ultitron (the robot of all robots). In exchange he offers to allow the Azure Avenger use of the awesome Ultitron to rid the world, or at least Bouring, of Mighty Mike. Forging alliances isn't usually Kyle's style, but it seems he has no choice. While Kyle agrees to help, he also has another plan: finding out who the Mad Mask is and how he got his powers. Because the last thing the Azure Avenger needs is another mindless archvillain hanging around town!
Author Notes
Barry Lyga was born on September 11, 1971. He received a BA in English from Yale University in 1993. Before becoming a full-time author, he worked in the comic book industry for ten years. His first young adult novel, The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, was published in 2006. His other works include Boy Toy, Hero-Type, Goth Girl Rising, I Hunt Killers, After the Red Rain, and as the Archvillain series for middle-grade readers.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-7-Endowed with extraordinary strength and brainpower by a mysterious "space plasma," sixth-grader Kyle (aka the Azure Avenger) continues his efforts to unmask the alien Mighty Mike. As in Archvillain (Scholastic, 2010), superpowered Mike is still the darling of the populace, even though his heroic efforts often have unfortunate consequences. He has taken over Kyle's spot as the most popular kid in Bouring Middle School and is center stage in every class. Still suspicious of Mighty Mike's ultimate plans, Kyle is working on a new device to expose him when he is contacted by yet another would-be archvillain. Calling himself the Mad Mask, the newcomer claims to have been disfigured by the same cosmic event that brought Mighty Mike to Earth and gave Kyle his enhanced abilities. He needs Kyle's help to finish his Ultitron robot and promises assistance against Mighty Mike in return. At first Kyle is delighted to have another superfriend in the mix. However, he begins to notice that his new ally has a rather cruel streak and is decidedly unreliable in crisis situations. Is the Mad Mask really all he seems? Readers familiar with the first adventure will find that Kyle shows considerable character growth in this installment. While he is still not above manipulating others for his own benefit, his experience with the Mad Mask's truly malicious plotting shows him the limits of cynicism and selfishness-perhaps moving him closer to being a genuine superhero. Filled with mock heroic dialogue and sly jabs at popular superhero conventions, this book will be welcomed by adventure fans.-Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Twelve-year-old Kyle continues his crusade against superhero (and extraterrestrial) Mighty Mike by teaming up with newcomer the Mad Mask, who is planning to build an unstoppable robot. However, Kyle soon discovers that the Mad Mask plans to wipe him out as well. Kyle's petty jealousies belie his "genius," and the narrative cleverly underscores an unlikable antihero in the process. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Archvillain (2010) everyone makes him out to be, a teenager with super powers complicates his case by falling in with a hilariously crazed megalomaniac bent on world conquest. It's just so frustrating. Despite a megagenius IQ and super powers of his own, every scheme Kyle has concocted to unmask widely admired superhero Mighty Mike as an alien in disguise has gone wrong while making him look like the Bad Guy. Worse yet, Kyle's long-time best friend Mairi has taken to hanging out with the hunky creep! Yet another teen superhero appears on the scene, this one wearing a cool wooden mask, given to frothy third-person rants ("The Mad Mask fears no one--man, woman, child, or platypus!") and sporting both plans for a titanic killer robot and some impressive tech gear. It's too much; Kyle disregards the reservations of the mouthy sidekick AI he's constructed in his iPod and jumps at the chance to, well, at least show Mighty Mike up. Styling himself "The Azure Avenger" but generally known as "The Blue Freak," Kyle isn't the most reliable of POV characters, but his intentions are generally good, despite a tendency to rationalize iffy acts like stealing chemicals for his basement lab or altering his parents' memories with a brain-wave manipulator. By the end, he finds himself actually having to help Mighty Mike. Figures. A fizzy mix of multilayered comedy and awesomely destructive battles, presented from an unusual narrative angle. (Adventure. 10-13)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
The superhero spoof that kicked off in Archvillain (2010) picks up again as supergenius kid Kyle (known as the Azure Avenger to himself and the Blue Freak to everyone else) continues his quest to prove to the world that his goody-goody rival, Mighty Mike, is really an alien bent on some nefarious cause. Kyle joins forces with another superpowered kid, the beauty-hating Mad Mask, and the lines between superhero, antihero, and outright villain get tangled beyond recognition. Lyga packs the story with enough bombastic mayhem and light moral ambiguity to keep the pages flipping faster than a speeding you-know-what.--Chipman, Ian Copyright 2010 Booklist
Excerpts
Excerpts
From The Mad Mask Kyle landed a few feet away from the interloper and took him in. He was tall and lanky, draped in a dark green cloak. His hands-the left one of which held the costume up in the air like a trophy-wore heavy leather gauntlets that matched his buckled boots. But most impressive was the mask. It was jet black, shaped like two half-ovals that had been joined off-center, such that one protruded at the top and the other at the bottom. An inlaid ivory tear wept down one cheek. Both eyes glowed green. "Greetings," the figure said. He chuckled, the sound low and echoing in the mask. Kyle darted toward him, a blur of speed, reaching out for his costume. Before his fingers could touch it, though, he saw and heard a loud, hot, electrical crackle that jerked his arm so powerfully he felt as if it would come right out of his shoulder socket. At the very same instant, the power of that shock spun him around and threw him back ten feet to smack against a tree. Excerpted from The Mad Mask by Barry Lyga All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
