The Adventures of Invisible Boy: Zeroes to Heroes

Gr 3-6–This graphic novel sequel begins with a quick recap to catch readers up on former enemies, now friends, Stan and Gene. After an accident with Gene’s enhanced stain remover, both boys have the power to tun invisible whenever they burp or sneeze. While their powers aren’t new, their ability to control those powers is unique to the sequel, leading to Stan wanting to use his now-controllable invisibility to save their town from crime and become a superhero. However, a few problems delay his quest: Gene isn’t interested in being a superhero, and he makes fun of Stan’s dreams. While Stan tries to brush this aside, the lack of real crime in their town makes it difficult to save the day. Just as Stan is about to give up, a new villain joins the adventure. While the side plot exploring Gene and Stan’s friendship provides a bit of depth, this sequel doesn’t stand on its own. Plot holes abound that might have been answered in the first book but won’t make sense to new readers, such as how they manage to follow each other through town when they can’t see each other. The villains’ journey to evil is less impactful when readers don’t have a full understanding of their back story. Fans of series like “Hilo” or “The Last Kids on Earth” might try their luck with Invisible Boy’s first volume, instead.