Chapter by Chapter features me reading one chapter (or possibly multiple chapter for this one) of the selected book at the time and reviewing it as if I were reviewing an episode of a TV show or an issue of a comic. There will be spoilers if you haven’t read to the point I have, and if you’ve read further I ask that you don’t spoil anything further into the book. Think of it as read-along book club.
Well, last time Mike actually showed there’s a brain in that muscle head of his. Could this lead to a better showing for him than last time? One can only hope.
This chapter focuses on what Paul Hood is up to, though I have not read it yet going into the intro. Paul was the only likable and competent person in the series cast while everyone else were exclusive to that story, unlikable, or not so much incompetent as not being able to get along and thus weakening their ability to solve the situation. This is the issue with some origin stories. Sometimes I really do just want to jump to them full-formed, or at least mostly formed. You can still challenge them. Just because they have skills doesn’t mean you can’t push those skills and challenge them, or have fiction among members of the team that form the personal drama. Origins have their importance, but so does seeing the characters as able to do the job instead of fumbling in the dark.
The last book was Op-Center’s second mission, admitting their first one was a disaster. Would you really want to read that story? That’s usually the backstory for the comedic goofballs who manage to come together. This is a serious political drama with the occasional action moment. I expect to see my heroes as worthy of the task in front of them without it being too easy and killing the drama. I’ve seen it done, but not so much in the first book. I’m hoping for better here as we get back to our adventure.
