Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation

Myklusch’s debut is an ambitious, no-holds-barred adventure that makes effective use of some familiar tropes. Orphan Jack Blank’s dismal life in a New Jersey orphanage comes to an explosive end after a robot from a favorite comic book proves all too real and attempts to destroy him. Narrowly surviving the battle, 12-year-old Jack is rescued by the fast-talking Jazen Knight and taken to his true home—the hidden island of the Imagine Nation, where anything is possible, but which is also fast becoming a surveillance state. When Revile, the deadliest Rüstov, attacks the city and sheds light on Jack’s origins, Jack must master his new powers to forge his own destiny. There’s some clunky exposition and common themes aplenty (lonely orphan discovers superhuman powers, is both honored and ostracized, and is inextricably linked to a powerful enemy). But the exuberance and anything-goes whimsy of this story—enhanced by a light, comic book sensibility along with questions it raises about fate, corporate power, and heroism—make this a concept with potential. Ages 8–12. (Aug.)