Superpunk

Gr 5 Up–Every superhero has a unique origin story, but few of them involve listening to Grandpa’s punk rock cassette tapes backwards to gain superpowers and the ability to see invisible monsters. Enter ­Superpunk: a 13-year-old girl named Violeta. Alongside her best friend Alan, Superpunk fights creatures no one else can see, all to generate content for their podcast. But when the magical cassette player is taken by a teacher and the monster gets out, they’ll need to get creative to save the day. The premise is a blast, mixing superhero and supernatural story elements. Petreca and Santana bring their passion for music and skateboarding culture to the forefront, paying homage to 1990s gaming soundtracks and the rebellious nature of the time. The fast pace meshes well with the speedy punk aspect, and track listings to punk songs that would work well as background music during certain scenes are dispersed throughout the panels for readers that are musically inclined. Violeta is portrayed with light skin; Alan has dark brown skin.