I really only have three criticisms of this book. Otherwise, it's good stuff and I look forward to the sequels.

First, the "snarky narrator" bit is too much. I have nothing against comedy - far from it! - but the story is serious, and the narrative voice clashes with that in a big way. It works okay in the "catty/playful Shero" scenes as a Deadpool-esque "battle of the caption boxes," but the numerous breaches of the fourth wall just felt gratuitous. I think making a brutal edit pass to chop that snark out would make the book much better; the story is strong enough to play it serious and leave the snarky commentary in Shero's head and in dialogue.

Second, the terminology is problematic in a couple of ways. Shero is referred to from the start as a straight male crossdresser who isn't trying to pass for or transition to a female persona, which threw me for a big loop when he repeatedly referred to himself as "transgendered." Aside from the preference for women's clothes, he seems to be a completely cisgender man. I would suggest considering "crossdresser" or "genderqueer," or at least qualifying the term "transgender" (and please, no -ed) to better convey the intended meaning - especially in the crucial first few chapters.

Finally, there are some copyediting and continuity goofs. Most of it is minor stuff, but in one memorable instance, a Black Squad member shifts from male to female and back to male within the space of a couple of paragraphs. Either Shero's not the only super who likes to mess with gender, or that needs to be fixed. Likewise, there's a very obvious background hole that could be fixed with a couple of careful omissions: why does a fingernail-firing superhero need manicures or care about breaking a nail? Just drop it and regrow; that seems to happen instantly anyway.

Aside from those, this is a very good story. The "hidden history" and "disgraced hero" tropes are used well, and the interactions felt authentic. Just as some people are fine with Shero's mode of dress, others are not, and it's good to see that spectrum of reactions. Some more information on certain motives would have been appreciated; we are told that a character did something shocking, but not shown anything of the thought processes behind it or even how that character obtained the one piece of knowledge needed to make the decision in the first place.

Recommended, but not without (the above) reservations. I intend to pick up the two sequels soon. ( )