Mister Invincible: Local Hero

Jousselin takes full advantage of the comics format to introduce Mr. Invincible—“the one and only true comic book superhero!”—who utilizes “the incredible magic of comics” in his heroics. Jumping between panels to affect a story line’s previous and future moments (“Time is space, and space is time”), the yellow-clad superhero considers no job too small, whether saving a cat (reaching down a panel to pluck it out of a treetop), confronting killer robots (bashing them with a mop through surrounding panels), or picking up a baguette for his grandmother (sending a note at the end of the strip to himself at the beginning). Single-page shorts, interspersed with longer tales, constitute most of this collection and serve to show all the ways Mr. Invincible creates an oft lighthearted meta narrative. Told in an art style reminiscent of Sunday comic strips and heavily rooted in visual gags, the vignettes aptly work outside the traditional box—er, panel—to explore a range of themes, including the value of hard work (Mr. Invincible learns early on in life not to use his powers to cheat), the dangers of corporate greed (a CEO embraces pollution to gain money and power), and the consequences of amassing military power (the U.S. attempts to weaponize a hero). Mr. Invincible, grounded and irreverent of his status as a major superhero, exudes infectious charm as he inspires those around him. Ages 9–12. [em](Aug.) [/em]