Does This Cape Make Me Look Fat?
by Chelsea Cain & Marc Mohan
Chronicle Books
Attention Superheroes! Are you tired of fighting the same bad guy only to get the same result? Are you an aspiring superhero looking for just the right costume or name? Then look no further than Does This Cape Make Me Look Fat? by Chelsea Cain & Marc Mohan. Chronicle Books has filled the niche neglected by so many other publishing companies: the aspiring superhero crowd. Does This Cape Make Me Look Fat? explores every aspect of a superhero’s life and what can be done to make it better. It’s like Dr. Phil for superheroes. It starts off by exploring the perfect name; from “everybody hates me” names like Dark Apocalypse to “everybody thinks you’re a joke” names like Pixie Lad, good names vs. bad names (ala Good Idea/Bad Idea from Animaniacs) like Lightspeed vs. The Whizzer and bad abbreviations (The Astonishing Silver Sprinter [A.S.S.]).
Every one of the 19 brief chapters is absolutely hysterical and I could write in detail about the entire book, but here are a couple of my favorites. There is a debate as to whether to have a secret identity or not. The problem is that not all superheroes have this option. “If you are ten feet tall and made of shingles, it may prove difficult to ‘pass’ in the workaday world, though you can always camouflage yourself as a roof.” Coming up with a catchphrase can also be tedious. Not only do you need a catchphrase, but a battle cry as well. A formula that works well for developing a catchphrase is this: [Adjective] + [Adjective Ending in “Ing”] + [Plural Noun] such as “Great Thundering Oats” or “Fantastic Flying Ferrets.” For a battle cry, “It’s [Fill in the Blank] Time!” works quite well as noted in these examples: “It’s Tusslin’ Time!” or “It’s Scufflin’ Time!” or “It’s Regretting-Your-Evil-Actions Time!” Does This Cape Make Me Look Fat? is an absolute must-have for anybody who is a fan of any superhero or comic book (as it is written in comic book style), not just an aspiring superhero. The humor is plentiful and intelligent and the way that the authors make fun of the main superheroes without mentioning their names is pure genius. This is a book I have already read three times (partially because it only takes me about an hour) and I find something different every single time. Check it out. You just might find the superhero in you.
