The Bookwyrm's Review of The Return of Supervillainy by C.T.Phipps

 

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Rating: 9/10 Stars

Plot Synopsis

“Gary’s back. Tell a friend.”

Gary Karkofsky AKA Merciless: The Supervillain without MercyTM has managed to fall into a comfortable routine as the (acting) Supreme Archmage of Earth. More hero than villain these days, he’s recruited to a shadowy black ops team with a shocking mission: assassinate Helios: The Sun King, ruler of Tomorrow Island. Gary immediately twigs to the fact he’s the fall guy even as he has his own score to settle with Helios. Joining him will be a number of fan favorite characters as well as several new additions to the surreal world of the Supervillainy Saga.

The Return of Supervillainy is the tenth volume of the Supervillainy Saga, following the world’s worst (best?) supervillain. It has two bonus stories in “Sidekick Girl versus Merciless” and “The Freelancer’s Cunning Plan.” It also contains “The Guide to the Supervillainy Saga” which will detail the entire history of the setting for long-term and new fans.

Review

The Return of Supervillainy is the 10th entry in C.T. Phipps Supervillainy saga. As in the other books, it chronicles the adventures, or maybe misadventures would be better, of Gary Karkofsky, aka Merciless, who has gone through a gamut of adventures throughout the series. These adventures ranged from inheriting a magic cloak and becoming a super-villain to becoming an actual minor dirty, from robbing banks to saving the universe. By this book, Gary has settled down with his rather unorthodox family to enjoy the spoils of his successes. and that's where things go pear shaped, with Gary receiving a note from his wife, the vampire Mandy, that she wants a divorce. 

This is where that story kicks off. It is very much in keeping with previous entries in the series, with an initiating event causing Gary and crew to to swing into action to save the day. Or cause havoc. or both in this case. The plotting in this one is very interesting, being a bit more chaotic than usual, but in a good way, since Gary has to deal with not only an enemy of ridiculous power with an entire country at his command, but also with the most pernicious enemy of all, a bureaucracy run by his father in law. And is his wife really divorcing him? You find out as Gary is basically forced into joining a team he certainly wouldn't choose to try and take out Helios, leader of Tomorrow Island, which is completely copyright distinct from Magneto and Genosha, honest. It's a neat bit of world building that pays satirical homage to one of the best story lines in comics, showing the strengths and weaknesses of it. It is a worthy addition to the world the author has created before, 

The characters are the usual eclectic bunch the series is known for. The  story as always centers around Gary, who has settled into his life of semi retirement and as the "acting" arch-mage supreme, under his title Gary the Pink. because if Gandolf can be the Grey and white, Gary is what he is, the Pink. Still a terrible mage, but he somehow still manages to come out on top. Gary is such a funny character. He has so many narcissistic characteristics, but he is so dedicated to his family that it really offsets it. He takes care of his own, as much as he is able, and whether they want it or not. 

The secondary characters are fun as well, ranging from a Society for World Harmony agent who changes from a small Asian woman to a Norse demigod woman named Valkyrie, Gary's cousin, who is basically the distillation of Florida Man, a billionaire inventor who seems a hilarious mix of Tony Stark and Elon Musk, and so many more that just add flavor to the story, and both hinder and help Gary as he attempts to stop Helios and his plans.

The villains are an interesting mix of new and old. Helios does bear resemblance to a certain super-villain in the X-Men universe, although his powers are not based around magnetism, but he has similar goals and ambitions for himself and his people. Arrogant, powerful and dismissive of others, he is one of the most powerful individuals Gary has ever faced in his own reality, and their showdown is one series with Gary against and antagonist, The other villain toward the end is a blast from Gary's past, a villain Gary had thought defeated permanently, but instead has returned from the grave for one last chance of ruining Gary, and what happens with them is as shocking as possible, with consequences we'll have to see in later installments. It should be interesting to see where it goes.

It's been an amazing ride for ten books so far in this series, with an amazing cast of characters that has just kept getting better with each story. It's got so much to recommend it for any fan of comics and sci-fi. In fact, I think as just a work of fiction, it has broader appeal for fans of comedic satire as well, and if they are willing to try the series, they wont be disappointed. I highly recommend this book, and series in general. Get your copy today.