After the fantastic Meta series by Tom Reynolds, it was refreshing to get something more real-world heroics to read. The Outlaw series by Alan Janning offers exactly that.
Set In contemporary Los Angeles, it's a very different and fresh take on colorful and fun superhero stuff. If Tom Reynolds's Meta is the new Superman, Outlaw would be the new Batman.
Chase and chased
The main character Chase Jackson is a familiar YA protagonist. A college student In his seventeens, who has a huge talent In one field: football. He’s also clumsily untalented in other field: relationships.
As if crush with a childhood friend, hot latina Katie and a formal relationship with a rich cheerleader Hanna wasn’t enough, Chase has to mess up his life by going after muggers who robbed him and Katie.
To hide his identity he puts on a ski mask, hiding his lower face. What started as a simple quest to retrieve stolen cellphone becomes suddenly complex, when he stumbles on another mugging and saves a girl from thugs.
She's not just another girl. She's Natalie North, a Hollywood superstar, who's bigger than Jennifer Lawrence, Aniston and Connelly together. Naturally she has to brag in interview about a sexy masked superhero rescuing her, backed up with a CCTV footage of it. Thus, a new real life superhero The Outlaw is born.
This is our world!
The world of Outlaw is refreshing. As I mentioned, it's set In contemporary Los Angeles. More precisely 2017 L.A.
A city that's torn by crime and rioting latino communities, afraid of Trump's new laws and wall building. To a person following US politics from outside and who is neutral to Trump, it's great that this series doesn't have politics In it.
Outlaw is what a good superhero story should be: fun and inspiring. It offers the Hero's Journey In fun and refreshing way. It also shows Los Angeles in a way, that makes me both want to see it and avoid it at the same time.
Once you pick up this book...
Alan Janning's Outlaw saga is super addictive reading. Although I'm only half way through second book, I'm so hooked I can't wait to find out, what happens next.
I'm still tossing coin, whether this or Meta by Tom Reynolds are my favorite superhero novels. I suppose it all goes down on how each series ends. Next installation on Meta series is still on the way, so hopefully I've managed to read the whole Outlaw series by then.
But so far it's been stimulating read. Check it out yourself!
Thanks for reading!
-Alex
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