Confessions of a D-List Supervillain

By: Jim Bernheimer

Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer, Talmadge Ragan

Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Exploding from the pages of Horror, Humor, and Heroes, Volume One - it’s the full length adventures of the one and only Mechani-Cal! So grab your battlesuit and prepare to get a little nasty.

"Being a supervillain means never having to say you’re sorry - unless it’s to the judge or the parole board. Even then, you don’t really have to. It’s not like it’s going to change the outcome or anything." Those are the words of Calvin Matthew Stringel, better known as Mechani-Cal. He’s a down-on-his-luck armored villain. Follow his exploits as he gets swept up in a world domination scheme gone wrong and ends up working for these weak willed, mercy loving heroes. Immerse yourself in epic battles and see what it’s like to be an outsider looking in at a world that few have ever experienced. Climb into Cal’s battlesuit and join him on his journey. Will he avoid selling out his principles for a paycheck and a pardon? Can he resist the camaraderie of being on a super team? Does he fall prey to the ample charms of the beautiful Olympian Aphrodite? How will he survive the jealous schemes of Ultraweapon, who wears armor so powerful it makes Cal’s look like a museum piece?

See the world of “righteous do-gooders” through the eyes of someone who doesn’t particularly care for them. Revel in his sarcasm and hang on for one wild ride! Just remember: losing an argument with a group of rioters isn’t a good excuse to start lobbing tear gas indiscriminately at them. You’ve only got so many rounds and it’s going to be a long day, so make sure you get as many as possible with each one.

©2011 Jim Bernheimer (P)2011 Jeffrey Kafer

All around fun

I listen to this series about once a year. It was the first superhero type story I listened to and it's still the best in my mind because of the simplicity. Stringle is an easy character to like.

Better than it started out to be

If you could sum up Confessions of a D-List Supervillain in three words, what would they be?

Fun, reasonably predictable with a couple of surprises here and there

Would you recommend Confessions of a D-List Supervillain to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes. Entertaining

Would you listen to another book narrated by Jeffrey Kafer and Talmadge Ragan ?

Maybe

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A Campy Superhero Romp

Any additional comments?

I should say I don't listen to much fiction.

I enjoy it each time I listen again.

I've listened to this one multiple times and enjoyed out each time. It always evokes my inner geek wishing I could build my own power armor.

Awesome story!

Any additional comments?

Great story and awesome narration by Jeffrey Kafer. Talmadge Ragans performance was ok, perhaps I would like it more if her part was longer so that I had time to get into it.So now how about a sequel?

A fun view point

It is a fun to watch a mediocre supervillian find himself in the role of a hero. Watching how he deals with a world class crisis and mature along the way is interesting. It is hard to give more of a review without revealing parts of it. This is a book where it is advisable to read/listen to 'Origins of a D-List Supervillian' first. That book lays the foundation for much of what happens in this one. I enjoyed how Jeffery Kafer narrated the story. Talmadge Ragan reading of the epilogue was a surprise and the right touch. I recommend this book to those wanting a different viewpoint of a world with super heroes and super villains.

Super-awkwardly awesome!

I was surprised and moved by the sometimes cheesy but mostly human descriptions of all the Heroes. I would recommend it to other young adults and older as it has moral issues that might confuse teens and younger.

Disregard the awful cover, this is a great title!

Confessions of a D-List Supervillain is a story that portrays the typical superhero scenario in a much more realistic, funny, and cynical way.

The Good:
+Great plot that plays with the role of heroes and how they fit into modern society, which includes image consultants, ad agents, and monetary troubles.
+Excellent pacing, the book is relatively short but is captivating throughout.
+Jeffrey Kafer is a little hammy at times, but the audio effects on his voice make the different characters distinct.
+Lots of humor, the main character has a lot of excellent lines.

The Bad:
-Talmadge Ragan isn't a bad narrator, but her dialect doesn't fit her character.
-A lot of the comedy is referential, which means that it won't be for everyone.
-Clocking in at 5½ hours means that you won't be getting as much material for a credit as you could.

Bottom Line:
Disregard what the website says, this is the first book in the series and it is a great listen. If you like the superhero genre, I guarantee that you will enjoy this book.

Strong Story with a Weak Ending

I really enjoyed the story following a low tier villain as he is suddenly thrust into a position of preventing a potentially apocalyptic event and has to make smart, measured plans with what resources he can scrounge while convincing the only hero around to work with him. What really surprised me was that Mechanical succeeds in less than half of the book and now he has to deal with mundane hero work as thanks for saving the world. I think listening to Mechanical have to deal with looters and deal with rioters was my favorite part of the story.

* Potential Spoilers Ahead*



That said the story really suffers, in my opinion, with drawing out the story into a series of books rather than sticking with a single book. I mainly say this because the main romantic relationship of the story takes a huge leap back for no reason other than to make sure there would be something to build up to in the next books, at least that is what I assume happens. That leap back, and the fact that Mechanical can by no means be considered a D-List anything by the end of this book really killed my excitement for seeing how the story went forward and so I haven't read the following books or the prequel.



Bottom line, I really would have enjoyed the story as a stand alone book rather than making it a series of books. I would recommend the book because the characters are enjoyable, the story is unique, and the trials and tribulations the characters experience are relatable and gripping. I just really, really did not like the epilogue.

New twist on Superheroes

Makes you think about what makes a person who they are. Heart wrenching and a good twist on the Superhero story.

Diamond in the rough

Yeah this beat all my expectations. Great story and it flowed well, parts had me cracking up. Enjoyed the MC. It was nice having a story with an MC that wasn’t a chump, whipped or socially inept.

This for me is up there with Superpowereds.