Capstone expands super heroes into fun lines of regular books

I can’t say I’ve ever been big into novelizations of comic books. But if it adds a chance to get a child interested in reading, I’m all for it.

Capstone was kind enough to send me a selection of its hardcover line of DC Super Hero and DC Super Villain illustrated chapter books for slightly older readers, and I thought they were really cool.

Capstone also publishes a line of DC Super-Pets books for beginning readers, with super fun illustrations by Art Baltazar, who did “Tiny Titans” for DC until recently.

I’ve picked up a few of the Super Pets books at my comic shop, but I hadn’t seen the older-kid line, which is also available in paperback.

Being the Aquafan that I am, I immediately gravitated toward the DC Super Villain book “Black Manta and the Octopus Army.” (There’s an Aquaman hero book, but that wasn’t included in my bundle.) It was written by Jane B. Mason with art by Luciano Vecchio.

Both do a fine job of capturing Black Manta for younger readers, including some back story on why Manta hates Aquaman so much. Aquaman shows up to save the day, of course, but it’s Manta’s book through and through. In it, Manta launches a plot against Atlantis using octopi in weaponized, mind-controlling suits.

All in all, it’s a fun book with vibrant illustrations, and a great way to foster a kid’s love of comic books. And what comic book geek doesn’t want to see that happen?

Others in the lines include “Joker on the High Seas,” “Cheetah and the Purrfect Crime” and “Bat-Mite’s Big Blunder.”

I’d suggest a new line featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes.

But Capstone isn’t the only game in town. Random House also has a line of books based on the DC Super Friends toys, and LB Kids did a series of Marvel Super Hero Squad titles.