Who knew an evil scientist with a potbelly could be so endearing? Austin Grossman has created his own colorful world brimming with original superheroes and villains in his new novel, Soon I Will Be Invincible. Grossman chose to write a novel rather than a comic book to give readers the experience of what his characters were feeling, to know “what it’s like to sleep and wake up with powers, to try to eat in a restaurant when you’re a living fusion reactor.”

Grossman succeeds in providing this experience from the perspective of Dr. Impossible, a supervillain suffering from “Malign Hypercognition Disorder,” also known as “evil genius.” This self-described “overage leotarded Peter Pan” is facing the supervillain version of a mid-life crisis. Aging and buckling under years of repressed self-doubt, Dr. Impossible picks himself up by his jet-boot straps and resolves to break out of prison and once again attempt to take over the world. Dr. Impossible already has an impressive supervillain resume by the time we meet him: “I’ve traveled backward in time to change history, forward in time to escape it; I’ve stopped time altogether to live in a world of statues. I’ve commanded robot armies, insect armies, and dinosaur armies. Fungus army. Army of fish. Of rodents. Alien invasion. Interdimensional alien invasion. Even a corporate takeover, Impossible Industries, LLC. Each time, it ended the same way. I’ve been to jail twelve times.”

Dr. Impossible is easily the most relatable character in this novel. It’s hard not to root for him as his plans are hindered by the Champions, a newly reunited superhero group.

The Champions are diverse superheroes who “look like a meeting of the board of directors in Candy Land.” Although not as engrossing as Dr. Impossible’s plight, the heroes face the pressures of fame and other all-too-human problems. Grossman’s present-tense prose helps us to feel the immediacy of their struggles with jealousy, insecurity, romance, and divorce. Dr. Impossible shares the role of narrator with Fatale, a young, insecure half-cyborg who has recently joined the Champions. Fatale struggles to find her femininity buried beneath 450 pounds of mechanical enhancements. These implants saved her life, rebuilding her body after an unfortunate incident with a dump truck, but they left her body looking like a “map of catastrophe.” She has super strength, speed, and x-ray vision, but she can’t have a child.

Through Dr. Impossible’s and Fatale’s eyes we are introduced to an Earth both more fantastical and more realistic than your classic superhero story. The world is teeming with every type of superhero and villain imaginable: animals, weather patterns, mutants, machines, chemically enhanced humans, aliens, time-travelers, and wizards.

But even with powers ranging from invincibility and flight to mind control, the heroes are not immune to the modern-day pressures of celebrity, approval ratings, and corporate backing. A fairy abandoned on Earth in 1674 finds herself battling a supervillain in a Starbucks, and the “World’s Mightiest Hero” endures a face-full of mashed potatoes during a Saturday Night Live appearance.

Dr. Impossible’s self-deprecating humor will keep you turning the pages, even through a few dull fight scenes early in the novel. The action picks up as the story progresses, building tension through a few plot twists and turns.

Grossman chose wisely when he opted for a novel over a comic book or a movie script. The rich settings and witty internal monologues make for a fun, imaginative, and touching read. This book is highly recommended for superhero fans looking for a fresh perspective, and for readers who are usually alienated by the unreality of the genre. You might be surprised how much you can relate to an evil supergenius in tights.