Books: My Hero Academia

Superhero stories are a dime a dozen these days, but I've enjoyed breezing through "My Hero Academia," a manga series by Kōhei Horikoshi. The books are set in a modern-day Japan where 80% of the population manifests supernatural powers called "Quirks." Most people's Quirks are minor enough that they live ordinary lives, but a select few become government-sanctioned professional superheros ("Pro Heroes")... and others become dastardly villains.

The series follows Izuku Midoriya, a timid boy who was born without a Quirk. Izuku dreams of becoming a Pro Hero like his idol, the Superman-esque No. 1 Pro Hero, "All Might." Through a twist of fate, Izuku gets enrolled in Japan's elite academy for heroes, U.A. High School, and encounters a wide selection of friends, rivals, heroes, and villains.

"My Hero Academia" is hardly original (it's basically "X-Men" crossed with "Harry Potter"), but the characters are charming enough and the plot beats are absurd enough (a battle royale hero licensing exam) that it's still a lot of fun.