This is Stuntboy. This guy, right here. HIM. You can’t tell just looking at him, but he’s the greatest superhero you’ve never ever heard of. And the reason you’ve never ever heard of him is because his superpower is making sure all the other heroes stay super. And safe. Supersafe. And he does it all on the hush. That’s right—it’s a secret.
This is how the title character is introduced. It goes on like this for a bit longer before finally revealing the secret identity of Stuntman and describing that name as the “best human name that a superhero can have.” That name is Portico Reeves. Which, you have to admit, is a pretty cool name. Kind of sounds like an old forgotten jazzman along the lines of Bossy Marmalade or Shaky Premise. In fact, it is just entirely possible that this story is one of those very rare cases where the real name of the secret identity of the superhero is cooler than his superhero name. After all, Stuntboy kind of has a “meh” quality to it. But Portico Reeves, now that’s a great name deserving of a great character, which, fortunately, just so happens to be the case. It probably goes without saying, but just in case otherwise: the book features a drawing of Stuntboy next to the “this guy, right here” part of the text.
Portico Reeves lives in the biggest house on the block. The biggest house in the whole wide neighborhood. Maybe even the biggest house in the whole wide city. Don’t know if you would consider it a castle or nothin’ fancy like that, but to Portico, it sure seems like one. A giant castle of rectangles made from the glassiest glass and the brickiest bricks on Earth.
The quote serves to situate the primary setting of the story. The apartment building by itself is impressive enough, but even things which are impressive can stand a jolt of imagination. As the narrative continues along, many of the residents who call this apartment building home will be introduced. Most will prove to be as eccentric as the description of the glass and bricks. That descriptive quality is important to the story and is not to be taken as laziness on the part of the author or narrator. This is a book designed for a middle school readers, after all, and so a certain level of goofiness in the language is only to be expected.
“We’re all hiding from something.”
There is a villain in the story, though not quite a supervillain. Herbert Singletary the Worst (the latter is not actually part of his legal name) is a bully who loves to tease as a means of wreaking havoc. As the story progresses, Portico and his best friend Zola will learn some secrets about Herbert, including the fact that he often in the room behind a half-door. Understanding what Herbert is hiding from will ultimately facilitate a change in the relationship between the three kids. The narrative will also reveal—or, more likely, hint at—things that other characters are hiding from in this story that becomes less a superhero parody than a quest taking some kids from innocence to experience as a way of understanding some of the more complex issues they must face. Don’t fret—or get a case of the frets—however; this makes it the book sound much more darkly serious than it actually is. Lessons are learned, but not at the expense of a fun read.
