<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br>"Ka-boom! Clobbered by fallout from a blast that kills the local superhero, Defender, Andrew Ryan suddenly has super strength and speed! And he can fly! Now it's up to him to protect citizens from thieves, thugs, and fearsome villains. He dons a homemade costume to hide his true identity, and Smash is born! But fighting crime isn't easy, especially when you're in fifth grade. On top of evil robots and trigger-happy bank robbers, there's homework, curfew, and the school bully to deal with. Not to mention the Magus, a fearsome villain who will stop at nothing to steal Smash's superpowers for himself! Influenced by film, cartoons, and of course, classic comic books, this vivid escapade features a rib-tickling, high-energy storyline and the colorful, exaggerated figures of nostalgic comic-book art: a combo perfect for kids longing for a secret identity of their own. Whap! Thud! Crash! An action-packed graphic novel simultaneously spoofs and pays tribute to superhero lore while inspiring a new generation of crimefighters"--Provided by publisher.<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><b>Superhero. Super young. Super freaked out! In his second adventure, Smash has his hands full with old enemies and a few new ones -- not to mention homework.</b> <p/>Thanks to a strange twist of fate -- and a massive explosion -- Andrew's dream of having the strength and abilities of his superhero idol came true, and Smash was born. Great, right? <i>Wrong!</i> As superhero Smash, Andrew finds himself in a losing battle with the one emotion no hero should ever feel: <i>fear</i>. And he definitely didn't count on becoming the prime target of Magus, the vilest supervillain of all time, who will stop at nothing to steal Smash's powers. It's going to take Andrew everything he's got to conquer his fears, safeguard the city, keep his identity a secret . . . and pass the fifth grade.<p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br>A fifth-grade superhero gets caught up in a three-way struggle with a supervillain and a mad scientist in his second round of adventures (Smash: Trial by Fire, 2013)...Brisk, nonstop, chock-full of awesome exploits.<br>--Kirkus Reviews<br><p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br><b>Chris A. Bolton</b> has written short fiction, stage plays, sketch comedy, and screenplays. He is the writer of the webcomics <i>Z-squad</i> and <i>Fireborn. </i>He lives in Portland, Oregon. <p/><b>Kyle Bolton </b>is an artist and video game animator. He has been drawing since the age of four, although <i>Smash</i> is his first professional comic work. He lives in Seattle.