The Secrets of Supervillainy was a bit of an experiment where I got to investigate how Gary dealt with events challenging the bedrocks of his personality. Would he ever fall for someone as deeply as he fell for Mandy? Answer: no. Would he ever become a good guy? Answer: no. Would Gary ever be able to move on beyond a dead Mandy? Answer: nope. The nature of deconstruction, though, is such that you should be willing to put your toys back into their box after you’re done with them. You should never destroy something beyond repair.
In this case, I admit, The Secrets of Supervillainy had some flaws. I didn’t quite get where I wanted to go with the climax because I kept having to defer it. Why? Because I wasn’t done with the characters yet. President Omega and Other Gary proved to be wily foes, so I wanted to make sure they got the attention they were due. That, ironically, meant the book ended on a pre-climax.
Either way, I decided this book would reconstruct Gary’s fundamentals. Which means that it’s getting back to some old-school supervillainy action. What does it mean to be a supervillain in a world where good and evil are clearly defined? Who arbitrates who is good and who is bad? Are there any shades of gray in a world of four-color superheroism? What is justified evil in the name of the greater good, and does that mean it’s not evil? Also, punching President Omega and Other Guy in proper Adam West fashion.
We’ll also get more insight into some characters whom I haven’t been able to get into quite as much as I’ve wanted to. One of the benefits of having such a large and fascinating cast is that I get to cover many more stories than I expect; however, some characters don’t get explored as much. This book covers some of my favorite neglected characters.
Some people have asked me whether this is going to be the last of the Supervillainy Saga books. Not a chance. It is, however, going to wrap up the existing plot threads and definitively answer who our protagonist is. Still, comic book worlds are a playground of infinite potential. Honestly, getting into Gary’s headspace is something that never gets old.
I hope you guys enjoy.