DC Super Hero Girls: Katana at Super Hero High

So, after the disappointment of the recent DC SuperHero Girls graphic novel, I figured I may as well read Lisa Yee's most recent DC SuperHero Girls novel and see how it compares.  And honestly - it's almost as different as night and day!

Katana at Super Hero High is definitely a refreshingly good read.  In fact, I'd say this is the best DC SuperHero Girls book written to date.  Not only does it highlight some of DC's lesser known characters (and I'm not just talking about Katana, because Miss Martian also plays a larger role in the story, as does Big Barda), but it actually has a nicely plotted mystery to it that gives readers the opportunity to learn all about Katana's past, her family, and her heritage.  Instead of the normal teen angst or obvious super villain battles, Lee provides readers with a quest of sorts.

First, there's the sudden appearance of 100 mysterious swords in an underground tunnel.  Then there's the constant chittering sounds that suddenly appear throughout the school, with Katana as the focal point.  Then there's Liberty Belle's history project for the students to look into their heritage and report what they find.  Katana is surprised as she begins to learn that all three things are connected, and their impact will forever change her point of view about her life as a hero!

Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Batgirl - all of whom played large parts in the previous three books - have only supporting roles in this story, which really gives Katana and Miss Martian a chance to shine.  Yee may be writing these stories for the pre-teen age kids, but she treats the characters in this book with respect and does not dumb-down the story at all.  While Katana has some self-doubt and there is a bit of teen angst, it is not overplayed, and it flows nicely with the story.  There is a natural progression as Katana looks into the secret of the 100 swords, as she and Miss Martian learn how to deal with the ghost-crabs, and how she and her fellow super hero students must face off against a villain from Katana's past.

Something else I will mention, and not just about this book, but about the series as a whole, is the treatment of Harley Quinn.  Instead of the dark psychopath that DC has made her in recent years (with the exception of Palmiotti/Conner's take), Yee allows her to be a free-wheeling, high-spirited, fun-loving, hyper-active teen who simply seems to enjoy life.  And, of course, this is clearly a different reality, as these characters were not all teens at the same time, and most of them were not "heroes" in their teen years; however, it's nice to see the author really just having some fun with the characters.

As with the previous books, the epilogue in this books features the set up for the next book scheduled to come out - featuring, who else?  Harley Quinn!

RATING:  8 cryptic haikus out of 10 for combining female super heroes, the comic genre, and prose novels, and making it fun to read.