The Supervillainy Saga, Volume One by C.T. PhippsMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I've reviewed each book that makes up this volume (The Rules of Supervillainy, The Games of Supervillainy, and The Secrets of Supervillainy) so, this is more or less a review of the series itself. But if you haven't read or listened to any of the books in this series, you don't even need to read the rest of this review -- go ahead and buy it! You won't regret it. Most omnibus volumes are a good value, but getting three books of the Supervillainy Saga for the price of one is one hell of a good deal. The Supervillainy Saga is easily one of my favorite series, and there would be no way I'd turn down this bargain.
Supervillainy Saga is a fun, light-hearted parody of the superhero genre that elicits nostalgia for the golden age of comics. It's purposely packed with superhero tropes and comic references yet is still wildly entertaining with a roller-coaster ride of a plotline. However, all the poking-fun at the genre does not prevent it from being a great superhero story (or supervillain story, I suppose), and its satirical approach is fun, clever, and unique; Phipps really enjoys writing Supervillainy Saga, and you can tell that it is a labor of love by someone who has a life-long passion for comics.
Each book in the series gives a new satirical take on a genre of media or pop culture. For example, while the first focuses on comics, heroes, and villains, the second book is full of witty humor and parodies of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror genres. Even with the humor and spoofs, Phipps still manages to make his characters interesting and has created them with unique personalities and interpersonal relationships, which continue to develop throughout each book and narrative arc. It's a rare thing to have such deep and unique characters in a light-hearted comedy series. My favorite thing about the series is that it is full of irreverent comedy, entertaining pop-culture references, and satirical allusion to classic comics; reading or listening to The Supervillainy Saga is a guaranteed way to lift your spirits and make you smile.
The narration is excellent and really brings life to the saga's characters. Jeffrey Kafer is a talented narrator that has really managed to capture (or create) the personality of the primary characters through unique voices and makes this book very entertaining to listen to. I already knew Kafer was an excellent voice actor, so it's even higher praise for me to say that he takes his performance to an all-new level with The Supervillainy Saga. His excellent narration creates tense moments, engaging action scenes, lovable characters (even the villains!), and hilarious dialog. Phipps and Kafer together make this book a great success.
Special thanks to C.T. Phipps, who provided me with this book at my request.
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