Comment

Aug 13, 2019
Johnny Hiro by Fred Chao is the type of graphic novel that follows not only a hero but also the generic life that Johnny Hiro lives. The fact that Johnny is your typical young adult who has responsibilities and struggles with real-life situations is what makes him such a likeable character to read about. He is not just like any other superhero; he has no powers and does not search for trouble, however, when he encounters it he is courageous enough to save his loved ones and those in need. The situations he ends up in are almost always too absurd that it makes the entire story seem lighthearted and sometimes even comedic. I believe that the ability to keep the story not too dark is one of the novel’s strongest points. Aside from the humorous aspects, the story still explores the hardships that many characters face. For example, Johnny struggles with being able to support himself and Mayumi while she faces issues at work due to her difficulties with the English language. Overall, I would highly recommend Johnny Hiro to anyone looking for a lighthearted graphic novel. 4/5 stars. @nevertrustaduck of the Teen Review Board at the Hamilton Public Library