Celebrating Pride Month: Dreadnought

[Winter]

If there was ever a story I connected to on a deep and personal level that was nearly soul shattering, it's Dreadnought, the first novel in the Dreadnought/Nemesis series. I've mentioned before that I'm trans and a Huge Superhero fan so when I heard that there was a Superhero story with a trans girl as the lead in the story I bought the book right away on Google Book.

The first couple of pages in I was in tears, because everything Danny was talking about (hating what she sees in the mirror, buying things that are feminine for herself and the fear of being found out) hit harder because that IS what I've gone through my whole life. And at the end of the first chapter when she is given her powers and, as a side effect, is given her ideal body and her confusion and joy at seeing herself for the first time and being free made me stop reading for a bit because I was crying harder then I had ever expected because if that did happen to me, that would be how I react.

About the only thing that I didn't really relate to was Danny's relationship with her parents (mine have been pretty supportive of me) and her being an Atheist (I have a more unusual view of religion but I do believe in a higher power and in the afterlife) but other then that, I saw myself more in Danny then any other character I've ever seen or read.

Helping matters is the fact that Danny and, by all accounts, the other Dreadnoughts before her are among the few Superman Expies who AREN'T Evil Monsters. I'm honestly sick of the Evil Superman Trope as it has been overplayed and often feels like Propaganda stories written by Lex Luthor to justify his hatred of the Man of Tomorrow. But Danny, while having her flaws, is a heroic woman who seeks to live up to the idea of being a superhero and hates it when she falls short of that ideal.

It also helps that while the story is filled with Angst it does have a sense of humor that helps to mitigate the darker moments and also allows Danny to be happy with her new body and reading about her going out and buying woman's shoes and cloths is more heartwarming to me then most of you can probably imagine.

Honestly, I love this series so much that it's one of those times that I hope that Disney just buys the series and works to integrate it into Marvel because I not only think, that Danny would be a perfect fit for the Marvel Universe but I also just want to see Danny and the rest of her cast interact with the rest of the Marvel heroes. I want to see Danny develop a father/daughter relationship with Steve Rogers, a uncle/niece relationship with Tony. I want to see her play video games with Miles Morals while Doctor Impossible and Peter cheer on their respective "Kids". I want to see Scarlet Witch take on and beat up Graywytch for her bigotry towards Danny cause I STILL hate that Bitch.

And finally, I was to see that scene in the sequel novel Sovereign where Danny is captured and rescued by her future girlfriend Calamity, with the Avengers fighting alongside the Legion (the Dreadnought equivalent of the Avengers/Justice League) because they heard their friend was in trouble and they were going to help save her.

So, yeah. I love this story and I hope that this silly little post makes you consider checking out if you haven't already.

[CharlesPhipps]

I personally hope Danny gets her own show as she definitely deserves it, though I think it would be diluted by being added to the Marvel Universe (albeit, the MCU could definitely use some LGBT exposure as Danny is both a trans woman as well as lesbian).

Here's my own review for Pride Month:

https://booknest.eu/reviews/charles/1459-dreadnought

4.5/5

DREADNOUGHT is the first novel of the Nemesis series. The premise is Danny Tozer, young transgender girl, is there when Dreadnought the world's greatest superhero is killed. Danny inherits the power of Dreadnought but also becomes her idealized self (effectively Supergirl). This is problematic since Danny is still hiding her trans identity from her transphobic parents as well as schoolmates. She is, after all, only fifteen. But there's more to her life than dealing with them. There's an entire army of evil she needs to defeat as the other superheroes have nothing on Dreadnought--and the world needs a Dreadnought.

I really liked this book and have to say that April Daniels did an excellent story of superheroics and a Spiderman "coming of age" origin while also telling a tale of a trans teen coming to terms with their new identity. Danielle is completely aware of who she is and what gender she is meant to be but is hiding it from her father.

Danny wants to be a hero, at least a little, but is mostly happy that she's been blessed with teenage supermodel looks that reflect how she wish she had been born. Danielle doesn't jump into superheroism automatically but deals with a lot of conflicting emotions regarding the process. The older superheroes of the setting are clear that it is a demanding and sometimes traumatizing life.

There are some people who will ask whether this is more a transgender awakening book or a superhero book. It's definitely both and the two don't conflict too much. There's perhaps a bit too much time spent on the father (who is, sadly, a one-dimensional piece of crap--but that's just how some parents are) but it is about Danny coming to terms with fact they don't have to be afraid anymore. They are the most powerful girl in the world and that liberation is a universal escapist fantasy that I think will appeal to all readers.

I like the supporting cast and appreciate virtually every character except Danny's family. Graywytch is an ugly bigot but is at least interesting in her reasoning (it offends her witchcraft-based religion), Valkyrja is very entertaining in her attempts to be supportive to Danny, and Doctor Impossible (no, not the one from Soon I will be Invincible) is highly entertaining. I think I loved the character of Calamity, a black teenage cowgirl vigilante, the most.

If I had one complaint, it is the fact that Danny does have to deal with such ugly and vile transphobia throughout the book. It's not that it isn't important for the book but that it is an unfortunate thing that makes the book uncomfortable. That it is something we have to deal with in the real world so often and that it must sadly also be confronted in our escapism. So a warning on the content as it doesn't shy away from the slurs thrown at many transteens in RL.

The highlight of the book for me was the easy friendship between Calamity and Danny. I don't know if Danny and Calamity are going to have a romance (Danny being a gay woman) but I think they'd make a cute couple if they were. I also appreciate how Danny, who is going to inherit the "whitecape" (noble paladin type) of Dreadnought, has ended up befriending a "graycape" (vigilante) as their friend as well as mentor.

So, did I like it? Oh yes. I picked up the sequel immediately. I should note that April Daniels is also writing from her own experiences with Danny's trans experience and this is something that made me more interested in checking out the book. This doesn't break the mold of superhero literature but that isn't necessary for someone who is looking for something that homages all the classic tropes as well as tells a deeply personal story.

[hammerofglass]

Partway through this because Winter talked it up on a different thread. The writing style isn't to my taste but I'd have loved it as a teenager.