Fallen Superheroes

June 25, 2012
"Sometimes, those with the most extraordinary abilities are the most ordinary people," co-author Mock writes in the forward to this collection of candid shots of everyday superheroes. Instead of Batman, Superman and the Hulk, Mock and company focus on a curious mix of oddball also-rans: Infinity Girl is a young woman whose ability "to make things happen over and over" has relegated her to spending eternity in a dead-end job at a bar; Fast Food is an overweight, uninspired lay-about with a multi-holster belt of sodas; and Vane is a smug, self-satisfied pretty boy with mirrors on his gloves and boots, enabling him to admire himself from all angles. Operating from an unoriginal premise, the execution is hit and miss. Photographer Curtis's shots are crisp, well-lit, and unique, highlighting the figure in question and creating a unique sense of melancholy that carries through the book. But conceptually, the trio has a long way to goâcaptions often rely on fading internet memes and clichés. Ostensibly meant to show "the vulnerability of life, our embarrassing failures, and those colorful people who dare to dream light-years beyond themselves," Curtis, Perry, and Mock's collection of washed-up superheroes falls short of its mark. Photos.