Superfail by Max Brunner is an entertaining and humorous graphic novel that brings a refreshing twist to the superhero genre. The story follows Marshall, a teenager who dreams of becoming a superhero despite having no superpowers. When an experiment to gain abilities goes wrong, Marshall and his friends find themselves with powers that are more hindrance than help. Brunner’s engaging storytelling, combined with masterful illustrations by Dustin Mackay, creates a vibrant and action-packed adventure that is both funny and heartwarming.

Brunner’s writing captures the awkwardness and determination of adolescence, with Marshall and his friends navigating the challenges of high school while trying to make a difference as unlikely heroes. The witty dialogue and clever scenarios make Superfail a delightful read for both young adults and older readers. The illustrations are dynamic and colorful, perfectly complementing the lighthearted yet impactful narrative. Superfail is a charming and original take on the superhero story, celebrating the idea that even those who feel powerless can make a significant impact.

This is a fun idea, people with superhero like powers but something that makes them a little defective so their power is dangerous or useless instead of good. Marshall is one of these kids called "Defectives." When Marshall and his best friend discover a plot to destroy a whole team of superheroes, no one believes them and they have to strike out on their own to save the day.
The story itself is amusing (I imagine the target audience of middle grade readers would find it hilarious!), but nothing special. The formatting of the electronic book was so screwed up on my kindle that I had an extremely hard time enjoying the pictures. I would definitely recommend this one as a print book, not an e-book. If you're a fan of silly or superhero books, give this one a shot.

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I'm a fan of superhero stories that explore the inherent foibles and failings of the genre. Like powers that you can't control properly or which take a toll on your life. Like a world that structures itself and values people not on morality or inherent "goodness" but on the strength of one's abilities. Is this book a bit ridiculous? Sure. Its not particularly deep nor contemplative. But it's a fun read.

This is a decent enough look at an amalgam of comics and straight fiction, set in the world of superheroes. A lot of children have powers - except our hero and his friends are quite inept at using or controlling them, or both. But when baddies start being bad, it's a case of needs must... I really liked the artwork, all smooth shades of grey with just one or two colours picked out in distinctive fashion, but the script is definitely average - see early on how it bends from one thread to another, and from one flashback to another, just to try and hide how slight it is. Still, it does improve, and the end book is something the target audience would be happy with, if not completely in love with. Three and a half stars.

A book that fans of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series will love, Superfail is a combination of well-written story and fun illustrations that will appeal to middle grade and adult readers alike. You can't help but cheer for the main character, the most hapless kid to have superpowers in the history of superheroes.

I like that Marshall Preston and his story proves that just because your different or differently-abled doesn't mean that you can't do something.

*thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

3.5 stars.
Boys all over are gonna love this! I can already predict that. It is really good and its got nearly everything to make a great middle grade comic book. From a (mentally unstable) old man, to a boy who turns into the hulk when he eats peanut butter. A girl who can talk to animals and the 'hero' who can shoot lazer beams out of his eyes (but beware, hes cross eyed so they dont always work as he wants them to!) There is so much humor in this. Ohh and be warned...there is barfing. Lots of green barf. (Told you boys and prob girls, will like this). Its also a decent length at 226 pages. Very well done.

Superfail combines graphic novel elements with a first person narrative from the perspective of the main character. It is a quick read with lots of action. I would love to get this book into the hands of a reluctant reader. The illustrations are fantastic and I laughed out loud at the dialogue.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for a review of this story. Unfortunately, the formatting was not great and so, while I'm sure I got the gist of the story, the pictures were not put together completely and the captions were not in order.

Overall, though, the premise of the story is really great and it's wonderful that there is a positive twist in so many of the accidents that occur.

I think that this is a fun story that many kids will love and that they will enjoy reading while cheering for the superheroes and the ones that fail!

A story about a bunch of misfit superheroes trying to save the day. The main characters have super powers, however, they don't work properly. Having superpowers that are defective makes for a funny and thoughtful comic. The message of the book, according to my son, is that if you work together anything is posible.

My son, aged 10, loved this boy. He said that it was a great and funny book. He hopes that there will be more books about these characters.

I like how this mirrors the securities of adolescence.

And, on one side, I like the mix of prose and comic book art. But on the other, it made it a bit disjointed. Almost like there were some scenes missing in between. Like, we was the Superteam at a TV studio?

Anyway - it was an ok story, but it didn’t flow smoothly enough to really get into it.

I’m thinking my 10-year-old son might enjoy it more than I did.

Fans of stories where the good guys may be just a bit too good to be true will find plenty to enjoy in this tale of kids with defective super powers. Imagine having laser blasts come from your eyes - but you are cross-eyed, so you can't aim properly. Or perhaps you can control animals, but you live in a city so your choices are limited to pigeons, mice, or cockroaches. Maybe you have super speed, but can't turn or stop. Well...you get the idea. Marshall (with the laser blasts) is taunted about his eyes in middle school, and has to see one of his jock tormentors become a member of the greatest superhero team ever. And when Marshall and his friends uncover a plot, no one will believe them. The defective powers of the group will have to be enough to save the day, or it may all be over for Superteam.

If you've ever wondered what it would feel like to have some sort of super ability, yet not qualify to be on the team, this story has your answer. And if you've ever felt like an outsider, or as if your best wasn't good enough, then you can easily sympathize with Marshall and the others with defective powers. But as they learn, "just because you're defective doesn't mean you can't be a hero."

Dustin Mackay (Disney animator and story artist) does a great job of bringing the scenes to life. Images of Marshall's lasers blasting everything but the villains, the elderly Night Owl hobbling to the rescue, or Marshall's little sisters chewing on his favorite video game all add to the humor of the story.

A clever take on the superhero story. Misfits with superpowers that are just a little off, ultimately come together to fight evil. The set up and the individual characters are charming and well developed. The plot slows in the middle and an older character is brought in which muddles the waters a bit, but overall a fun read.

Wow, this is a pretty dark premise for a children’s book: a kid with superpowers can’t use them because he’s cross-eyed and gets motion sickness, which is definitely worse than not having superpowers at all. And then an old has-been superhero enlists—blackmails—him to help deal with his archnemesis.
Some of the more interesting points:
“Fine, whatever. You hired me for my directorial experience, but you don’t listen to me. Don’t blame me when you don’t get any views on You Tube!” Henchmen have sure come a long way.
The blonde kissing the startled raccoon. . . on the lips. . .
Saw that last cross-eyed laser shot coming. . . but not the very last twist, which was inspired.
But there just wasn’t enough here to keep my interest. Seems like they go through every possible situation from comics and movies in pursuit of. . . halfway through I couldn’t remember what/who they were after. Can’t shake the feeling this could have been better, or at least more concise. The good moments were not enough to offset all the filler.
2.5 pushed up to 3/5

Ok... Superfail was a superfail for me... I thought this would be a funny read and I would totally crack up while reading it... oh well things did not turn out this way. If I was 12/14 I would have absolutely loved it, but the humour and the rest did not deliver to me not sure maybe I am ''defective'' too??

Anyway despite that it did not work out for me if you are between 12-15 you might really enjoy this graphic novel so go pick it up and read it. C'mon there are superheroes that are not your normal superheroes!!

P.S. The artwork is amazing though

I loved this funny book with a message, and I'd happily recommend it to readers of all ages.
Told from the perspective of so called "defective" Marshall Preston, a twelve year old kid whose superpowers don't work quite as intended, the book had me laughing from page one, with it's description of how dangerous laser vision can be if you are cross eyed , and the giggles kept on coming as the book went on. Despite being reluctant to use his powers because of the unintended damage that always happens, Marshall is forced into action when he realizes his town is under threat, and the "real" superheroes aren't taking it seriously. He teams up with several other kids with less than ideal control over their powers, as well as an elderly retired hero to save the town , but can this bunch of "misfits" really do it?
Smart and funny, with some really dynamic illustrations, this is a book that will appeal not only to children, but also to the inner child in all of us. Who doesn't love rooting for the underdog, and in this book the characters are really easy to relate to. Anyone who is familiar with writing for children knows that the "gross" factor is not something to be ignored and it's handled well here, just enough to be humorous without tipping over the edge. As I mentioned earlier, the book does have some valuable messages about the importance of trying even when it seems the odds are stacked against you, and the value of working with others, but these are deftly and subtly woven into the story .
Overall a really enjoyable and fun read for all ages, and hopefully we will have more adventures from "The Defectives" to enjoy in the future.

The entire time I was reading this book, I had a smile on my face. It's a fun graphic novel with an important message.

When I initially stumbled upon Superfail on Netflix, I wasn't sure what to expect. I admittedly don't read many Middle Grade novels, so I wasn't sure if this one would hold my interest, and yet, I found myself unable to stop reading once I'd started. Max Brunner has crafted such a fun story about a group of outcast superheroes that serves an important message of acceptance. (In fact, I immediately preordered a copy for my nephew once I finished reading it.)

The artwork is fantastic and truly adds to the story, yes, but it's the dialogue and the exploration of these characters that are so often pushed aside that makes this story shine. They may be Defectives, but this group of characters are a great bunch of superheroes in the end.

This was sooooo cute! I just want to hug all my defective babies and tell them that they're perfect just the way they are, especially poor Ninja. I mean, how does he even function on a daily basis?

And that plottwist though. Holy hell, Superguy!

This was a funny and fun ride filled with flawed characters that I didn't have to strive hard to relate to. I would definitely read this again.

Have you ever been the odd one out in a class? Do you have any traits that make you stand out in all the wrong ways? Well, then, this is a story for you.

Marshall Preston has superpowers that don't feel very super. Lasor vision is pretty hard to get right when you're cross-eyed and every time he takes flight everything in his stomach comes up, too. Marshall is a defective and he's not the only one. But when a supervillian with a notorious plan arises and no one believes him, will he be able to save the day with a band of defective friends?

I really enjoyed the message of Superfail and it's great for all ages. Through this story we can each learn to find strength in our weaknesses to become our own superheroes.

This book is perfect for anyone who's ever dreamed of being a superhero and for anyone who's ever felt, or been made to feel, not good enough. So, basically everyone.

I really enjoyed the storyline and the positive messages that shine through between the non-stop action and laughs. There was something to love about every character, even the villain. Max Brunner (author) and Dustin Mackay (illustrator) complemented each other so well to bring the story and graphics together it would be easy to believe that one person was responsible for both the words and pictures. Their collaboration on this book was seamless and I hope they team up again for future projects. The choice of fonts was in keeping with the style of book and the illustrations were brilliant. I loved the mix of black and white with selected areas of colour to make details pop.

This would be a fantastic gateway book for kids who aren't usually a fan of reading as they'll experience firsthand how much fun reading can be. If you buy this book for your child make sure you steal it from them to read it yourself as well. The laughs aren't just for kids. As I was reading I could easily imagine this book being made into a movie.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley (thank you very much to NetGalley and Perseus Books, Running Press) in exchange for honest feedback. I'd recommend this book both to the young and the young on the inside, and I'll be rereading it again very soon. I really hope there'll be a sequel. There's no way the Defectives only have one story to tell!