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Super-Ego: Family Matters
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 28, 2014
A comic about a psychiatrist for superheroes? It’s not the worst idea for a comic but it’s also not the best. Plus the creator would need to have something interesting to say about superheroes’ psychology for it to be worthwhile – and unfortunately he doesn’t.
The Iron Man facsimile has a drinking problem and Dr. Ego’s advice is to only use his robot suit when sober. The son of the Superman and Wonder Woman facsimiles is a mess because his parents are always busy saving the world and weren’t cut out to be parents anyway. The Batman facsimile has rage issues.
Um… oh, that’s it? Well, that was boring and obvious!
Moving past the lack of insight into popular superheroes, what little story there is jack-knifes from one small thing to another haphazardly until it ends completely incongruously.
When the Iron Man facsimile fights a giant monster, I did like that he literally wears clothes rather than has colours sprayed onto his robot exterior. So he actually has to climb into his robot suit and THEN pull on his luchador outfit, zipping up the front - hilarious!
But we’re supposed to believe that the superheroes would trust their deepest secrets and fears to a “reformed” supervillain? I don’t buy that. No matter how much Lex Luthor changes, he’ll always be the bad guy and no hero in their right mind would trust him, reformed or not. So, because I don’t buy that weird setup, the ending falls flat.
Super Ego is a book that takes the psychological angle to superheroes and fails to deliver on it. The story fails to make much of an impression as it’s poorly constructed and executed, the art is unremarkable, and the characters are forgettable and one-dimensional. Super Ego? Super meh…
If you want to read an excellent dissection of superheroes from a subversive angle, the ‘80s staples Watchmen and Marshal Law spring to mind but I’d recommend Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s The Boys for a brilliant and funny savaging of Marvel and DC properties!
The Iron Man facsimile has a drinking problem and Dr. Ego’s advice is to only use his robot suit when sober. The son of the Superman and Wonder Woman facsimiles is a mess because his parents are always busy saving the world and weren’t cut out to be parents anyway. The Batman facsimile has rage issues.
Um… oh, that’s it? Well, that was boring and obvious!
Moving past the lack of insight into popular superheroes, what little story there is jack-knifes from one small thing to another haphazardly until it ends completely incongruously.
When the Iron Man facsimile fights a giant monster, I did like that he literally wears clothes rather than has colours sprayed onto his robot exterior. So he actually has to climb into his robot suit and THEN pull on his luchador outfit, zipping up the front - hilarious!
But we’re supposed to believe that the superheroes would trust their deepest secrets and fears to a “reformed” supervillain? I don’t buy that. No matter how much Lex Luthor changes, he’ll always be the bad guy and no hero in their right mind would trust him, reformed or not. So, because I don’t buy that weird setup, the ending falls flat.
Super Ego is a book that takes the psychological angle to superheroes and fails to deliver on it. The story fails to make much of an impression as it’s poorly constructed and executed, the art is unremarkable, and the characters are forgettable and one-dimensional. Super Ego? Super meh…
If you want to read an excellent dissection of superheroes from a subversive angle, the ‘80s staples Watchmen and Marshal Law spring to mind but I’d recommend Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s The Boys for a brilliant and funny savaging of Marvel and DC properties!
July 31, 2014
In this interests of full disclosure this is a Kickstarter that I contributed to. I liked the premise, and it made think back to the excellent Dr. Blink series of a few years ago. A therapist for supers, sounds like a premise that can be filled with both drama and comedy (and if anything Dr. Blink emphasized the comedy).
Dr. Goodman is no Dr. Blink. This is not a bad story, but not as good as the Dr. Blink series. Oliveira does a good job of taking super hero stereotypes and fitting them into the story of those who need a therapist. There are pastiches of Superman, Wonder Woman, Iron Man and more.
The twist at the end just didn't quite work for me (no spoilers here). Would I read a second installment? The answer at this moment is maybe.
Dr. Goodman is no Dr. Blink. This is not a bad story, but not as good as the Dr. Blink series. Oliveira does a good job of taking super hero stereotypes and fitting them into the story of those who need a therapist. There are pastiches of Superman, Wonder Woman, Iron Man and more.
The twist at the end just didn't quite work for me (no spoilers here). Would I read a second installment? The answer at this moment is maybe.
December 12, 2018
Quem conhece o Caio aqui do Brasil acha que ele faz só quadrinhos de humor. Mas este quadrinhos é sério. Sério mesmo. O Caio reimagina os arquétipos dos super-heróis mais populares do mundo através dos olhos de um psiquiatra de super-heróis. Sim, vale lembrar que isso já foi feito antes pelo Peter David analisando o X-Factor, em duas de suas melhores histórias já escritas. Acontece que as análises no universo do Caio fazem todas parte de um plano. Além disso, ele insere personagens inéditos - digo, que não são decalcados de outros -, que são muito interessantes. Por vezes esse quadrinho me lembrou Ex Machina, mas também me lembrou do Supremo, do Alan Moore. Também me lembrou alguns quadrinhos (bons) do Mark Millar e alguns projetos meus que continuam na gaveta. Para quem está acostumado a ver os desenhos do Caio em preto e branco ou em cores chapadas é uma boa oportunidade para ver como a arte do piauiense toma outra dimensão quando toma uma colorização industrial. Pensei que pela capa do Glenn Fabry iria encontrar algo no estilo Garth Ennis em The Boys, mas não, achei um quadrinho bem no estilo que o Alan Moore, o Mago Supremo gostaria de ter feito - mas com menos referências obscuras e com mais diversão.
January 22, 2024
Depiction of therapy with famous non-copyright-infringing superheroes. The therapist, Dr. Ego, helps superboy with shyness/dating issues, ironman with problematic drinking, and spider-man with ptsd. There isn't much therapy depicted, and even less mental illness--but it's still a cool enough idea. The most in-depth depiction is the pain of teenage alientation/rejection.
May 22, 2014
Full review at: http://thebookshelfgargoyle.wordpress...
I received a digital copy of this title for review from the publishers via Netgalley.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Dr Eugene Goodman dons the persona of SuperEgo to tend to the psychological wounds of the city's superheroes, but a deeply hidden family secret threatens to undo all his good work.
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I requested this title, but I find it hard to go past any book, but particularly fiction, in which mental health is mentioned, so mental health combined with a particularly unusual client group just tipped me over the edge.
There was a lot to like in this graphic novel I thought, particularly for those who, like me, only dip into this genre occasionally. The story was easy to follow, it was reasonably funny and the art resembled the traditional superhero comics that one might have read as a kid. There was also a nice bit of character development from both the superheroes, and from SuperEgo himself. Best of all, there is a twist at the end that cluey readers could probably guess early on, (but I didn’t!) that turns the whole plot on its head and proves that the fears of scientologists about the manipulative nature of psychiatry could be well-founded…in this graphic world, at least.
The thing I least liked about this was having to read it on a computer. I am of the opinion that graphic texts are always better in print – all the better to see the art without having to adjust your screen, zoom in, zoom out etc etc. Overall, the book didn’t blow me away, but certainly provided a fun interlude between the novels that are my bread and butter. I would be interested in seeing how the series pans out because I think this has been a promising beginning, but I’ll wait until the next instalment crosses my path, rather than rushing out to buy it.
I received a digital copy of this title for review from the publishers via Netgalley.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Dr Eugene Goodman dons the persona of SuperEgo to tend to the psychological wounds of the city's superheroes, but a deeply hidden family secret threatens to undo all his good work.
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I requested this title, but I find it hard to go past any book, but particularly fiction, in which mental health is mentioned, so mental health combined with a particularly unusual client group just tipped me over the edge.
There was a lot to like in this graphic novel I thought, particularly for those who, like me, only dip into this genre occasionally. The story was easy to follow, it was reasonably funny and the art resembled the traditional superhero comics that one might have read as a kid. There was also a nice bit of character development from both the superheroes, and from SuperEgo himself. Best of all, there is a twist at the end that cluey readers could probably guess early on, (but I didn’t!) that turns the whole plot on its head and proves that the fears of scientologists about the manipulative nature of psychiatry could be well-founded…in this graphic world, at least.
The thing I least liked about this was having to read it on a computer. I am of the opinion that graphic texts are always better in print – all the better to see the art without having to adjust your screen, zoom in, zoom out etc etc. Overall, the book didn’t blow me away, but certainly provided a fun interlude between the novels that are my bread and butter. I would be interested in seeing how the series pans out because I think this has been a promising beginning, but I’ll wait until the next instalment crosses my path, rather than rushing out to buy it.
June 27, 2014
'Super-Ego: Family Matters' features an interesting premise, a psychiatrist for superheroes. Unfortunately, the book dwells in parody rather than going in what I'd hoped would be a more thoughtful direction.
Superheroes are a bit screwed up. It takes someone with some issues to put on a suit and take justice in their own hands. When those heroes need help, they turn to Dr. Ego. He treats his patients by wearing a reflective hood over his face to reflect their faces back at him. His patients run the gamut of the familiar, but the story mainly concerns the all-too powerful son of a couple of major superheroes. This poor kid has daddy issues (and mommy issues), but he has the ability to destroy the galaxy. Then there is something strange going on with Dr. Ego's grandfather. There is some kind of secret he is keeping. Can Dr. Ego keep the kid from imploding and figure out what is going on with grandpa?
It parodies lots of existing comic book characters without naming them. This is fine, but eventually it pulls from the main story. Is the book supposed to be comedy or tragedy? Does it matter if the reader is trying to figure out who these other characters are supposed to be if they are insignificant to the ongoing story? It sounded like an interesting premise and maybe future issues will prove that out.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Superheroes are a bit screwed up. It takes someone with some issues to put on a suit and take justice in their own hands. When those heroes need help, they turn to Dr. Ego. He treats his patients by wearing a reflective hood over his face to reflect their faces back at him. His patients run the gamut of the familiar, but the story mainly concerns the all-too powerful son of a couple of major superheroes. This poor kid has daddy issues (and mommy issues), but he has the ability to destroy the galaxy. Then there is something strange going on with Dr. Ego's grandfather. There is some kind of secret he is keeping. Can Dr. Ego keep the kid from imploding and figure out what is going on with grandpa?
It parodies lots of existing comic book characters without naming them. This is fine, but eventually it pulls from the main story. Is the book supposed to be comedy or tragedy? Does it matter if the reader is trying to figure out who these other characters are supposed to be if they are insignificant to the ongoing story? It sounded like an interesting premise and maybe future issues will prove that out.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
August 16, 2014
Super Ego is a superhero spoof about a clinical psychotherapist who specializes in the superhuman condition. In order to meet with his super clientele, Dr. Eugene Goodman wears a silver,j reflective, skin-tight mask. Otherwise, he's dressed in suit and tie and goes to a typical-looking office with a stereotype for a secretary. This set-up could result in a very typical type of superhero parody, a sub-genre that's become almost as cliché as the superhero genre itself. However, Oliveira's dialogue and clever plot twists make Super Ego far better than most other parodies of this type.
Central to the superhero parody is making fun of famous characters... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Central to the superhero parody is making fun of famous characters... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
May 20, 2014
As a psych major, former counselor, and nerd, this book appealed to me on many levels. I found myself laughing out loud a few times. The parody of some common superheroes may have been my favourite part. You'll notice what I mean in the first few pages. The character development was well done for such a short collection volume. It didn't have a lot of diversity, racial or gender, and the women either had huge breasts (or, the one that didn't have big breasts, had bright circles around her chest to make sure you knew they were there). But I did like plot and plan on reading more. Enjoy the wit and a nice twist on superheroes.
May 7, 2014
Read as digital ARC.
I'm completely obsessed with this, and I want/demand more. As a DC enthusiast, I was thrilled to see Super-Ego taking cues from DC legends. I'm always looking for superhero work that rivals Hero, and I was not disappointed here. I was blown away by the art as well. Giving Dr. Ego the reflective mask was genius, and I definitely slowed down my reading just to admire the view. Strong story. Strong backstory... Show me what comes next!
I'm completely obsessed with this, and I want/demand more. As a DC enthusiast, I was thrilled to see Super-Ego taking cues from DC legends. I'm always looking for superhero work that rivals Hero, and I was not disappointed here. I was blown away by the art as well. Giving Dr. Ego the reflective mask was genius, and I definitely slowed down my reading just to admire the view. Strong story. Strong backstory... Show me what comes next!
May 26, 2014
This one was hilarious, it’s like a parody of the established superhero, except it’s told from the point of a guy who used to be a villain and after landing in prison somehow turns his life around and becomes the shrink all the supers go to.
It’s a short 92 page comic that is amusing, the graphic are your very typical hero comic book type. I say read, it’s funny because you never really think of heroes needed shrinks, that’s usually saved for the crazies.
Rating 4 out of 5
Read@Book
It’s a short 92 page comic that is amusing, the graphic are your very typical hero comic book type. I say read, it’s funny because you never really think of heroes needed shrinks, that’s usually saved for the crazies.
Rating 4 out of 5
Read@Book
May 13, 2014
This is really cool! I wasn't familiar with these creators so I'm glad it ended up on netgalley. This is the story ( origin) of Super-Ego a therapist who specializes in counseling Super Heroes.
This story has some really great characters that are similiar to well known characters.Lot's of humor and a suprise twist That I really enjoyed. I hope there are more volumes of the story to come.
This story has some really great characters that are similiar to well known characters.Lot's of humor and a suprise twist That I really enjoyed. I hope there are more volumes of the story to come.
July 10, 2014
5/30/14 If you like superhero comics, you need to read this book. I repeat, IF YOU LIKE SUPERHERO COMICS, YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK. It totally blew my mind. Best concept. So good. So smart. Review tk.
7/10/14 http://www.iwantmytwodollars.com/2014...
7/10/14 http://www.iwantmytwodollars.com/2014...
April 5, 2014
An entertaining enough read, with some cute/clever ideas.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews