Barry Lyga started his career writing comic books. In 1996 and 1997, he wrote multiple issues set in Antarctic Press’s Warrior Nun Areala universe. From there, he vanished for several years before he resurfaced in 2006 as a writer for young adults with such stories as The Adventures of Fan Boy & Goth Girl and Boy Toy (both available on the Cedar Rapids Public Library network).
He started writing middle grade books in 2010 with Archvillain, and he flashes back to his comic writing days in the process.
Archvillain is a unique idea for a book aimed at readers 12 and under. Kyle Camden used to be the school’s biggest prankster until the arrival of Mighty Mike. Mighty Mike is a Superman-esque figure… only he possesses the body of a twelve year old and isn’t very bright.
Kyle watched Mike crash to Earth in a meteor shower, but in the process was exposed to the mutational effects of the plasma energy. Now he has super powers as well as a highly increased level of intelligence. He sets out to prove that Mike is an evil alien with them.
He goes about this with plans that to everyone else seem blatantly evil, though often unintentionally.
The narrative is crisp and clean and makes sure we understand Kyle’s thought processes along the way, even as we realize they may not be wholly sane. Lyga has proven himself a master of teenage characterization in his young adult novels and he shows equal skill with this shorter more briskly paced novel. Journal entries break up the regular narrative to put us straight in to what Kyle is thinking at any time.
Archvillain isn’t without faults. The narrative stops dead at page 180 and the attempt at a climax seems rather thin. Lyga clearly planned a series of books with this title; in fact the second book of the series was just released in paperback at the beginning of 2012. This Examiner can’t help but think young readers will feel just as exasperated as he did with the abrupt stop and the wait to get book two.
Sadly, serial fiction is often a regular occurrence in modern middle grade writing. It would have been great to see a stronger finish to the novel, but despite that weakness Archvillain is still one of the best super powered novels aimed at young readers in a long, long time. Hence, despite its weak ending, this book comes Highly Recommended.
Archvillain is now available in hardcover and paperback wherever books are sold. Cedar Rapids area readers can also pick up a copy through the Cedar Rapids Public Library.
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