Starter Villain: John Scalzi's Delightfully Chaotic Superhero Comedy

June 28, 2025 • 👁️ Loading...

John Scalzi's Starter Villain is exactly what you'd expect from the author who brought us Old Man's War and The Kaiju Preservation Society — a clever, fast-paced romp that takes familiar tropes and spins them into something fresh and genuinely entertaining.

The Setup

Charlie Fitzer is having the worst possible day when he inherits his estranged uncle's "parking garage business." Except it turns out his uncle Jake was actually a supervillain, and Charlie has just become the reluctant heir to a criminal empire complete with a secret volcano lair, genetically modified intelligent cats, and a whole lot of people who want him dead.

What starts as a simple inheritance quickly spirals into Charlie trying to navigate the bizarre world of professional supervillainy while staying alive long enough to figure out what the hell he's supposed to do with weaponized dolphins and a talking cat named Hera.

What Works

The Cats: Scalzi's decision to make the genetically enhanced cats central characters is brilliant. They're not just comic relief — they have agency, personality, and their own agenda. Hera in particular steals every scene she's in with her perfectly cat-like combination of intelligence and complete disdain for human stupidity.

The World-Building: The supervillain industry is treated like any other corporate ecosystem, complete with professional relationships, business etiquette, and HR issues. It's absurd but internally consistent, which makes the comedy land even better.

Charlie's Voice: Our protagonist is refreshingly ordinary — he's not secretly competent or hiding special abilities. He's just a guy trying not to die while learning that his family tree includes someone who thought "let's militarize marine mammals" was a reasonable business plan.

The Pacing

This book moves. Scalzi doesn't waste time on lengthy exposition or world-building dumps. You're thrown into the chaos alongside Charlie, and the reveals come naturally through the action. At just over 260 pages, it never overstays its welcome.

Minor Quibbles

The romance subplot feels a bit underdeveloped, though it doesn't detract significantly from the main story. And while the ending is satisfying, it does wrap up a bit too neatly for my taste — though that might be intentional given the book's overall tone.

The Verdict

Starter Villain is pure entertainment. It's not trying to be deep commentary on power or morality (though there are some nice touches about corporate ethics). It's Scalzi doing what he does best: taking a ridiculous premise and executing it with precision, wit, and genuine heart.

If you enjoyed The Kaiju Preservation Society or Agent to the Stars, this is absolutely your speed. If you're looking for hard science fiction or complex moral philosophy, maybe skip this one. But if you want a book that will make you laugh out loud while featuring intelligent cats plotting world domination, you've found your next read.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Perfect for: Beach reading, commute entertainment, or anytime you need a reminder that books can be pure fun.

Where to Find It

Starter Villain is available wherever books are sold. I read it on Kindle, but the audiobook narrated by Wil Wheaton is supposed to be excellent.