Paul Tobin has spent many years writing comic books. When looking over his bibliography, I was surprised to find that he had been writing comics since the early 1990s. But he’s best known for his Marvel work in the late 2000s. His first novel, Prepare to Die, is a superhero novel, however, it’s not like any superhero story I’ve read before. Tobin has taken the basic superhero concept and used those characters for a returning home novel. It’s an interesting story that Tobin has done a great job with. So, let’s check out what happens when you return home to settle your affairs.
The superhero known as Reaver (aka Steve Clarke) is trapped. The arch villain, Octagon, (who is always two steps ahead of everyone else) and his band of baddies has Reaver trapped and they are about to kill him. Reaver, sensing the end, asks for two weeks to put his affairs in order. Surprisingly, Octagon grants it. And we set out on our trip back home. Reaver has lost his other two super heros (one to drugs and one to a volcano) and had to give up everything in his life when he got his powers. And at this time, before his certain death, his thoughts only go to one person, his high school girlfriend Adele.
From the frenetic start, the book goes back and forth in time. We slowly learn about how the Reaver started, how Steve and Adele met and what led us to the situation Reaver is in now. At the same time, going back home and re-meeting up with Adele. The discussions and time spent with Adele is the heart of the book and we see how the accident that gave Reaver his powers changed both of them and not necessarily for the better. Reaver isn’t the smartest bulb around. His powers are mainly superstrength and an amazing healing ability along with an interesting twist. If he punches you, he takes a year off your life. His fellow heroes (Warp, a Flash analogue, and Paladin, a Superman analogue) were more polished and more heroic (at least Paladin was), but Reaver is a slugger who usually punches first and asks questions later.
The interplay and relationship between Steve and Adele is the best part of the novel. Steve also spends a lot of time with Adele’s lesbian sister (and her girlfriend) and realizes that he has to deal with Paladin’s family and come to terms with the mess he has made in his life. The plot is fairly small and well done, since this is more of a character-based book. And Tobin does a good job with the characters. We mainly get to know Steve, since the book is told through his point of view, but his interactions with Adele and her family are great. The only problems I had with the novel was the ending was a little strange. I understood what Tobin was going for, but it didn’t quite work. Overall I enjoyed the book and look forward to future novels from Tobin. Recommended.