A Different Take on the Trend of Superhero Satire

Superhero fiction as a genre has recently taken on a trend that befalls all genres in danger of slipping from the cultural zeitgeist. Revisions and re-imaginings. The shift in genre has gone from classical superhero to gritty capepunk in order to stay relevant. Hench is one of these novels but it stands out even amongst the others in its subgenre. There are few stories that explore the other side of the superhero coin as intricately as this one, fewer still that focus on the bureaucratic aspects necessary to make the whole system function, and even fewer still that give a voice to those who would normally be considered the “red shirts”. Hench is a brilliant, original, and creative novel that dares to pull back from the high-flying super-heroics and zoom in on the day-to-day behind-the-scenes bureaucracy required to run an evil organization. Our protagonist is believably motivated in her actions and the supporting cast is almost just as strong. Hench is a deep-cut satire of the various aspects of super-heroism and villainy that force you to think twice about what you thought you knew about the genre and closely examines the line between good and evil. Some of the aspects it satirizes could be seen as a turn-off for casual superhero fans who aren’t aware of just how outlandish some of these stories can be, especially in reference to some of the actions taken by various superheroes, and may think the story is just being presumptuous. That being said, for those in the know, the story is full of indirect references that satirize the madness that is comic book lore. This story is great and a welcome entry into the cynical, gritty side of the superhero genre.