Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

Heroless by Antoine Monks begins with Carp, a former supervillain who helped Alexander Corman and the New Order defeat Earth’s heroes and assume control of the United States. Fifteen years later, Carp is summoned to investigate a superhuman detected moving across the Kansas Blight, a region destroyed during the war. As Carp joins operatives, including Fire Ruby, Grey Skull, Lowe, and Pumpkin Eater, fractures inside the ruling order start to appear. Running alongside this present crisis is Elizabeth, formerly Disk Girl, who recalls the rise, collapse, and public rejection of organized hero teams. Through Carp’s missions and Elizabeth’s backstory, the book traces how heroes fell, villains became governors, and how an apparent new threat forces both sides to confront the system they created.

Heroless by Antoine Monks offers a unique twist on the superhero genre with a sober look at superhuman life after faith in heroes has waned. Conversations, particularly between Elizabeth and Roy, function as lived history, using shared memories and bitterness to convey how loyalties eroded and why former allies no longer act in concert. When the action arrives, it redirects the plot’s course: Captain Infinity’s violent flight from law enforcement forces public debate, regulation, and fear, while Ms. Universe’s defeat by superior technology resets both her standing and the city’s expectations. These figures are defined by consequence, not costume, as each decision reshapes alliances, policy, and reputations. The setting operates under press coverage, political arguments, and emergency responses, and the author trusts readers to connect these signals themselves, pairing private exchanges with citywide consequences in equal measure.