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Goosebumps #25
Attack of the Mutant
He's no superhero.... He's a supervillain!
Skipper Matthews has an awesome comic book collection. His favorite one is called The Masked Mutant. It's about an evil supervillain who's out to rule the universe!
Skipper can't get enough of The Mutant. Until one day he gets lost in a strange part of town. And finds a building that looks exactly like The Mutant's secret headquarters. A building that appears and disappears!
Has Skipper read one too many comic books? Or does The Masked Mutant really live in Riverview Falls?
Skipper Matthews has an awesome comic book collection. His favorite one is called The Masked Mutant. It's about an evil supervillain who's out to rule the universe!
Skipper can't get enough of The Mutant. Until one day he gets lost in a strange part of town. And finds a building that looks exactly like The Mutant's secret headquarters. A building that appears and disappears!
Has Skipper read one too many comic books? Or does The Masked Mutant really live in Riverview Falls?
144 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1994
About the author
R.L. Stine
1,602 books16.1k followersRobert Lawrence Stine known as R. L. Stine and Jovial Bob Stine, is an American novelist and writer, well known for targeting younger audiences. Stine, who is often called the Stephen King of children's literature, is the author of dozens of popular horror fiction novellas, including the books in the Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room and Fear Street series.
R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children's author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.
Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA's Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.
http://us.macmillan.com/itsthefirstda...
R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children's author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.
Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA's Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.
http://us.macmillan.com/itsthefirstda...
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August 9, 2020
Attack of the Mutant (Goosebumps, #25), R.L. Stine
Goosebumps is a series of children's horror fiction novels by American author R. L. Stine, published by Scholastic Publishing. The stories follow child characters, who find themselves in scary situations, usually involving monsters and other supernatural elements. From 1992 to 1997, sixty-two books were published under the Goosebumps umbrella title.
Skipper Matthews has an awesome comic book collection. His favorite one is called The Masked Mutant. It's about an evil supervillain who's out to rule the universe!
Skipper can't get enough of The Mutant. Until one day he gets lost in a strange part of town. And finds a building that looks exactly like The Mutant's secret headquarters. A building that appears and disappears!
Has Skipper read one too many comic books? Or does The Masked Mutant really live in Riverview Falls?
عنوانها: سایه وحشت کتاب بیست و پنج؛ حمله جانور عجیب الخلقه؛ نویسنده: آر.ال. استاین؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز بیستم ماه دسامبر سال 2010میلادی
عنوان: سایه وحشت کتاب بیست و پنج (نشر ویدا جلد بیست)؛ حمله جانور عجیب‌الخلقه؛ نویسنده آر.ال استاین؛ مترجم دلارام کارخیران؛ تهران، ویدا، پژواک فرهنگ، 1389؛ در 126ص؛ شابک 9789642912506؛ چاپ دوم و سوم 1390؛ چاپ چهارم 1397؛ موضوع داستانهای کودکان از نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 20م
سری سایه وحشت (به انگلیسی گوسه بامپ) از مجموعه داستانهای «آر.ال استاین» نویسنده ی آمریکایی است؛ این مجموعه شصت و دو جلدی در ایران توسط نشر «ویدا» در دو سری، «سایه وحشت (سی جلد)» و «دایره وحشت (سی و دو جلد)» منتشر شده است.؛ این مجموعه برای گروه سنی نوجوان است.؛ «حمله ی جانور عجیب الخلقه (سایه وحشت کتاب بیست و پنج)» عنوان کتابی است از «آر.ال استاین» با ترجمه ی خانم «دلارام کارخیران» که توسط انتشارات «ویدا» در سال 1389هجری خورشیدی در 128ص و در سال 1390هجری خورشیدی در یکصدوشصت صفحه به چاپ رسیده است
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 18/05/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Goosebumps is a series of children's horror fiction novels by American author R. L. Stine, published by Scholastic Publishing. The stories follow child characters, who find themselves in scary situations, usually involving monsters and other supernatural elements. From 1992 to 1997, sixty-two books were published under the Goosebumps umbrella title.
Skipper Matthews has an awesome comic book collection. His favorite one is called The Masked Mutant. It's about an evil supervillain who's out to rule the universe!
Skipper can't get enough of The Mutant. Until one day he gets lost in a strange part of town. And finds a building that looks exactly like The Mutant's secret headquarters. A building that appears and disappears!
Has Skipper read one too many comic books? Or does The Masked Mutant really live in Riverview Falls?
عنوانها: سایه وحشت کتاب بیست و پنج؛ حمله جانور عجیب الخلقه؛ نویسنده: آر.ال. استاین؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز بیستم ماه دسامبر سال 2010میلادی
عنوان: سایه وحشت کتاب بیست و پنج (نشر ویدا جلد بیست)؛ حمله جانور عجیب‌الخلقه؛ نویسنده آر.ال استاین؛ مترجم دلارام کارخیران؛ تهران، ویدا، پژواک فرهنگ، 1389؛ در 126ص؛ شابک 9789642912506؛ چاپ دوم و سوم 1390؛ چاپ چهارم 1397؛ موضوع داستانهای کودکان از نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 20م
سری سایه وحشت (به انگلیسی گوسه بامپ) از مجموعه داستانهای «آر.ال استاین» نویسنده ی آمریکایی است؛ این مجموعه شصت و دو جلدی در ایران توسط نشر «ویدا» در دو سری، «سایه وحشت (سی جلد)» و «دایره وحشت (سی و دو جلد)» منتشر شده است.؛ این مجموعه برای گروه سنی نوجوان است.؛ «حمله ی جانور عجیب الخلقه (سایه وحشت کتاب بیست و پنج)» عنوان کتابی است از «آر.ال استاین» با ترجمه ی خانم «دلارام کارخیران» که توسط انتشارات «ویدا» در سال 1389هجری خورشیدی در 128ص و در سال 1390هجری خورشیدی در یکصدوشصت صفحه به چاپ رسیده است
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 18/05/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
October 10, 2018
#25 "He's no superhero. He's a supervillain!"
Skipper is a huge comic book nerd. His most favorite comic to read is one called The Masked Mutant which is about a supervillain out to gain control the universe. But one day when Skipper gets lost and finds a strange building that looks a lot like the one in his comics suddenly the books seem to jump right off the page... literally!
Skipper is a huge comic book nerd. His most favorite comic to read is one called The Masked Mutant which is about a supervillain out to gain control the universe. But one day when Skipper gets lost and finds a strange building that looks a lot like the one in his comics suddenly the books seem to jump right off the page... literally!
September 30, 2022
This will be my last Goosebumps review for a while. With the Halloween season approaching, I want to read something actually scary for my next book. I've also found that rereading the original Goosebumps series of sixty-two books, of which I've now reread thirteen, has been a largely unenjoyable experience, so I'm taking a bit of a break from it for a while. With two or three exceptions, the books I've reread so far range from "average" to "downright terrible", and the writing, plots, and characters are incredibly repetitive and recycled throughout the different books.
It's almost enough to bring me to tears, knowing that R.L. Stine pumped out these books and somehow sold over 400 million copies of them, when there are certainly books many times better than these being written every day and never published because a publisher didn't want to take a chance on them, or because they received too many submissions.
The world is an unfair place, my friends.
But I don't want to dump too much on R.L. Stine here though, because I do love the guy. I regularly tell people I talk to about books that he basically "wrote my childhood", because I consider that to be true. I was a regular reader of Goosebumps as a kid, and have fond memories of reading them back then. But I'm reviewing these as an adult, and as an adult...the ones I've reread so far just don't hold up. For the most part. Two were really good so far, which were The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight and Egg Monsters From Mars. If you're looking for some good ones, check those out. I still have forty-nine to go in the original series, if I continue in my misguided quest to reread them all, so I'm certain there are more gems to be had. But of the ones I've reread so far? It's mostly been a disappointing experience.
But let's talk about a Goosebumps book that wasn't terribly disappointing: Attack of the Mutant. This one wasn't bad. Not great, but not bad either. It's comic book themed, and follows a kid, Skipper Matthews, who collects comic books. His favourite comic book series is The Masked Mutant, in which the title character is a supervillain capable of manipulating his molecules, allowing him to transform into any physical object. One day, Skipper sees a building that looks exactly like the Mutant's secret headquarters in his own town in real life. Is it really the Mutant's headquarters? How can that be? Surely Skipper has to investigate. But will his curiosity be his undoing?
I liked this one overall. It's one of the better written entries I've reread in the series so far, and had a more intelligent story than most others I've reread. In classic Goosebumps fashion there's a twist at the end, but it was a little underwhelming. I didn't exactly see it coming, but I knew this particular character wasn't what they appeared to be, so when that was revealed I wasn't exactly surprised. I have mixed feelings about the final scene in the book. I like how it ended because it was thought-provoking and different, but I simultaneously don't like how it ended because it doesn't really make sense, and it kind of glaringly highlights how the whole premise of the book doesn't make much sense either.
Overall, a decent entry in the series, and a refreshingly different one, as it's heavily comic book themed. It's not particularly memorable, and it's clunky at times, but it's worth checking out if you're looking for a Goosebumps book that's a little different, or if you love comic books, as I think you'd enjoy it a little more in those cases.
Because of how the CAWPILE rating system works, this gets three stars, but this one was really a 3.5 for me.
CAWPILE rating:
Characters: 6.0
Atmosphere / Setting: 6.5
Writing Style: 6.5
Plot: 6.5
Intrigue: 6.0
Logic / Relationships: 5.5
Enjoyment: 6.5
= 43.5 total
÷ 7 categories = 6.21 out of 10
= 3 stars
It's almost enough to bring me to tears, knowing that R.L. Stine pumped out these books and somehow sold over 400 million copies of them, when there are certainly books many times better than these being written every day and never published because a publisher didn't want to take a chance on them, or because they received too many submissions.
The world is an unfair place, my friends.
But I don't want to dump too much on R.L. Stine here though, because I do love the guy. I regularly tell people I talk to about books that he basically "wrote my childhood", because I consider that to be true. I was a regular reader of Goosebumps as a kid, and have fond memories of reading them back then. But I'm reviewing these as an adult, and as an adult...the ones I've reread so far just don't hold up. For the most part. Two were really good so far, which were The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight and Egg Monsters From Mars. If you're looking for some good ones, check those out. I still have forty-nine to go in the original series, if I continue in my misguided quest to reread them all, so I'm certain there are more gems to be had. But of the ones I've reread so far? It's mostly been a disappointing experience.
But let's talk about a Goosebumps book that wasn't terribly disappointing: Attack of the Mutant. This one wasn't bad. Not great, but not bad either. It's comic book themed, and follows a kid, Skipper Matthews, who collects comic books. His favourite comic book series is The Masked Mutant, in which the title character is a supervillain capable of manipulating his molecules, allowing him to transform into any physical object. One day, Skipper sees a building that looks exactly like the Mutant's secret headquarters in his own town in real life. Is it really the Mutant's headquarters? How can that be? Surely Skipper has to investigate. But will his curiosity be his undoing?
I liked this one overall. It's one of the better written entries I've reread in the series so far, and had a more intelligent story than most others I've reread. In classic Goosebumps fashion there's a twist at the end, but it was a little underwhelming. I didn't exactly see it coming, but I knew this particular character wasn't what they appeared to be, so when that was revealed I wasn't exactly surprised. I have mixed feelings about the final scene in the book. I like how it ended because it was thought-provoking and different, but I simultaneously don't like how it ended because it doesn't really make sense, and it kind of glaringly highlights how the whole premise of the book doesn't make much sense either.
Overall, a decent entry in the series, and a refreshingly different one, as it's heavily comic book themed. It's not particularly memorable, and it's clunky at times, but it's worth checking out if you're looking for a Goosebumps book that's a little different, or if you love comic books, as I think you'd enjoy it a little more in those cases.
Because of how the CAWPILE rating system works, this gets three stars, but this one was really a 3.5 for me.
CAWPILE rating:
Characters: 6.0
Atmosphere / Setting: 6.5
Writing Style: 6.5
Plot: 6.5
Intrigue: 6.0
Logic / Relationships: 5.5
Enjoyment: 6.5
= 43.5 total
÷ 7 categories = 6.21 out of 10
= 3 stars
April 29, 2015
WOW. This book was so amazing!!!! It is my new favorite Goosebumps book!
I love, love, LOVE books about comics. Not comic books. But books about comics and comic nerds. For instance, the book "Soon I Will Be Invincible" by Austin Grossman, or the movies "Megamind," and "Sky High." So this book was right up my alley.
...
Skipper Matthews LOVES comic books. Most of them he keeps in sealed plastic bags, sure that they will be worth a fortune when he grows up. He is small, dark, and chubby. He realizes that if he were in a comic book, his friend Wilson (tall, blonde, blue-eyed, and athletic) would be the hero, and he would just be the chubby, funny sidekick.
Even though he's saving all his comics, he does read one comic - every single issue. It's called The Masked Mutant and it is the best-written, best-illustrated, and most exciting comic ever written!
One day, while going to his orthodontist appointment, a small redhead girl sits next to Skipper. She introduces herself as Libby, a fellow comic lover. Only she doesn't read superhero comics, she reads High School Harry & Beanhead, read: Archie and Jughead. He thinks that is lame and boring! As they're chatting, Skipper suddenly notices he missed his stop and is in an unfamiliar neighborhood. He immediately gets off the bus with Libby.
To his shock and amazement, right across the street is the headquarters of The Masked Mutant! He'd recognize that gigantic pink fire-hydrant-shaped building with a bright green roof anywhere! Could it really be true? Could The Masked Mutant, the most evil supervillain in the world, live right here in Riverview Falls?
Skipper has to find out...
...
Wow. This book knocked my socks off. I loved it. I was completely riveted. Like I said, I am a sucker for a good comic-book novel, and this one didn't disappoint! I never knew what was coming - Stine could have taken it in a billion different ways - but I was very satisfied with how it turned out!
Some notes:
1.) I loved the names in the comic book! Main characters were Libby, Skipper, Wilson, and Mitzi. Awesome names. And I found out that Skipper is a real name! Although in this case it turned out to be a nickname for Bradley.
2.) The superhero names were SO LAME. These were the superheroes of the book: The Galloping Gazelle, The Amazing Tornado-Man, Speedboy, The Sensational Sponge, and The Battling Birdboy. Don't quit your day job, Stine! LOL Unless he was trying to be silly and funny. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. ;) No female villains OR heroes. :( The heroes are called... wait for it... The League of Good Guys. Seriously. SERIOUSLY.
3.) While Skipper isn't a jerk (especially compared to some of the horrible brat characters Stine comes up with) he still is no Gary-Stu. Imagine you are a dark-haired, 12-year-old, chubby comic book nerd. Okay? You're on the bus and a cute little redhaired girl sits down next to you. You strike up a conversation with her and she likes comics, too. Skipper should be all over this. A cute girl is talking to him. SHE LIKES COMICS, TOO! Even he admits to himself that most girls he meets don't like comics. And what does he do? If you said, "He is nice to her and they become friends" - you would be wrong! Instead, he tells her that the comics she likes (Archie and Jughead) are stupid and lame. Also, when she invites him over to her house to look at her comic collection, HE SAYS NO. What a moron! He's no Casanova, that's for damn sure. I was rolling my eyes and yelling at him a lot, you can imagine.
4.) He also doesn't treat his best friend Wilson so well. Wilson collects rubber stamps, which Skipper thinks is super-lame. He never listens to Wilson when Wilson wants to talk about stamps, but expects Wilson to listen to hours of talk about comic books. Sheesh. Friendship goes two ways, bub.
5.) Bad parenting. I have two examples.
a.) His mom and dad are always yelling at him about how many comics he reads. I'm like, "Be glad your kid reads ANYTHING." Comics are not bad! It is great if your kids takes an interest in reading, even if it is only issues of The Masked Mutant."
b.) When he tries to tell his mom and dad something VERY IMPORTANT they pay absolutely no attention to him. If a kid is making an excited effort to tell you something, LISTEN TO HIM. It could be important. You don't have to talk with him for an hour or anything - it usually just takes 5 minutes. Also, there's going to be a day when you're kid won't tell you squat - so revel in the fact that your kid is still young enough to WANT to talk to you about his problems.
6.) I love Stine's ripping on Archie comics.
[They] are the most boring comics in the world. And the art is so lame. Can't everyone see that the two girls are drawn exactly the same, except one has blond hair and one has black?
I laughed out loud, Stine! Good one.
7.) Stine did a GREAT job of explaining little-boy life and thought processes in this book. I was cracking up.
After school the next afternoon, I had to go with my mom to the mall to buy sneakers. I usually try on at least ten or twelve pairs, then beg for the most expensive ones. You know. The ones that pump up or flash lights when you walk in them.
But this time I bought the first pair I saw, plain black-and-white Reeboks. I mean, who could think about sneakers when an invisible building was waiting to be discovered.
Driving home from the mall, I started to tell Mom about the building. But she stopped me after a few sentences. "I wish you were as interested in your schoolwork as you are in those dumb comics," she said, sighing.
That's what she always says.
"When is the last time you read a good book?" she continued.
That's the next thing she always says.
I decided to change the subject. "We dissected a worm today for science," I told her.
She made a disgusted face. "Doesn't your teacher have anything better to do than to cut up poor, innocent worms?"
There was just no pleasing mom today.
LOL I laughed out loud reading that. So true to life.
8.) I don't know how to feel about Stine's treatment of being chubby in this book. On one hand, Stine obviously makes Skipper a brave, clever, and moderately heroic character, who clearly IS capable of doing heroic things. There are some moments of doubt where Skipper regrets eating so much and thinks things would be easier for him if he were thinner, but in the end I think Stine is saying that he is cool just the way he is. :) And that is a good message. :)
9.) Skipper is 12. He takes the bus by himself. He goes to the orthodontist by himself. This allows him to make friends and have adventures and be an (older) kid. Rocking parenting, right there. Love it. #FreeRangeKids
...
Tl;dr - So many things to enjoy in this novel. I was loving every minute of it, and that's rare for me to say about a Goosebumps book - I'm just too old for them and the writing is obviously aimed at children. But because Stine is speaking to my love of comic book stories, I was riveted. Also, he seemed to be a little funnier and more descriptive in this book. And no lame twists. Only SUPER-AWESOME twists!!!! :) Definite winner in the series.
I love, love, LOVE books about comics. Not comic books. But books about comics and comic nerds. For instance, the book "Soon I Will Be Invincible" by Austin Grossman, or the movies "Megamind," and "Sky High." So this book was right up my alley.
...
Skipper Matthews LOVES comic books. Most of them he keeps in sealed plastic bags, sure that they will be worth a fortune when he grows up. He is small, dark, and chubby. He realizes that if he were in a comic book, his friend Wilson (tall, blonde, blue-eyed, and athletic) would be the hero, and he would just be the chubby, funny sidekick.
Even though he's saving all his comics, he does read one comic - every single issue. It's called The Masked Mutant and it is the best-written, best-illustrated, and most exciting comic ever written!
One day, while going to his orthodontist appointment, a small redhead girl sits next to Skipper. She introduces herself as Libby, a fellow comic lover. Only she doesn't read superhero comics, she reads High School Harry & Beanhead, read: Archie and Jughead. He thinks that is lame and boring! As they're chatting, Skipper suddenly notices he missed his stop and is in an unfamiliar neighborhood. He immediately gets off the bus with Libby.
To his shock and amazement, right across the street is the headquarters of The Masked Mutant! He'd recognize that gigantic pink fire-hydrant-shaped building with a bright green roof anywhere! Could it really be true? Could The Masked Mutant, the most evil supervillain in the world, live right here in Riverview Falls?
Skipper has to find out...
...
Wow. This book knocked my socks off. I loved it. I was completely riveted. Like I said, I am a sucker for a good comic-book novel, and this one didn't disappoint! I never knew what was coming - Stine could have taken it in a billion different ways - but I was very satisfied with how it turned out!
Some notes:
1.) I loved the names in the comic book! Main characters were Libby, Skipper, Wilson, and Mitzi. Awesome names. And I found out that Skipper is a real name! Although in this case it turned out to be a nickname for Bradley.
2.) The superhero names were SO LAME. These were the superheroes of the book: The Galloping Gazelle, The Amazing Tornado-Man, Speedboy, The Sensational Sponge, and The Battling Birdboy. Don't quit your day job, Stine! LOL Unless he was trying to be silly and funny. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. ;) No female villains OR heroes. :( The heroes are called... wait for it... The League of Good Guys. Seriously. SERIOUSLY.
3.) While Skipper isn't a jerk (especially compared to some of the horrible brat characters Stine comes up with) he still is no Gary-Stu. Imagine you are a dark-haired, 12-year-old, chubby comic book nerd. Okay? You're on the bus and a cute little redhaired girl sits down next to you. You strike up a conversation with her and she likes comics, too. Skipper should be all over this. A cute girl is talking to him. SHE LIKES COMICS, TOO! Even he admits to himself that most girls he meets don't like comics. And what does he do? If you said, "He is nice to her and they become friends" - you would be wrong! Instead, he tells her that the comics she likes (Archie and Jughead) are stupid and lame. Also, when she invites him over to her house to look at her comic collection, HE SAYS NO. What a moron! He's no Casanova, that's for damn sure. I was rolling my eyes and yelling at him a lot, you can imagine.
4.) He also doesn't treat his best friend Wilson so well. Wilson collects rubber stamps, which Skipper thinks is super-lame. He never listens to Wilson when Wilson wants to talk about stamps, but expects Wilson to listen to hours of talk about comic books. Sheesh. Friendship goes two ways, bub.
5.) Bad parenting. I have two examples.
a.) His mom and dad are always yelling at him about how many comics he reads. I'm like, "Be glad your kid reads ANYTHING." Comics are not bad! It is great if your kids takes an interest in reading, even if it is only issues of The Masked Mutant."
b.) When he tries to tell his mom and dad something VERY IMPORTANT they pay absolutely no attention to him. If a kid is making an excited effort to tell you something, LISTEN TO HIM. It could be important. You don't have to talk with him for an hour or anything - it usually just takes 5 minutes. Also, there's going to be a day when you're kid won't tell you squat - so revel in the fact that your kid is still young enough to WANT to talk to you about his problems.
6.) I love Stine's ripping on Archie comics.
[They] are the most boring comics in the world. And the art is so lame. Can't everyone see that the two girls are drawn exactly the same, except one has blond hair and one has black?
I laughed out loud, Stine! Good one.
7.) Stine did a GREAT job of explaining little-boy life and thought processes in this book. I was cracking up.
After school the next afternoon, I had to go with my mom to the mall to buy sneakers. I usually try on at least ten or twelve pairs, then beg for the most expensive ones. You know. The ones that pump up or flash lights when you walk in them.
But this time I bought the first pair I saw, plain black-and-white Reeboks. I mean, who could think about sneakers when an invisible building was waiting to be discovered.
Driving home from the mall, I started to tell Mom about the building. But she stopped me after a few sentences. "I wish you were as interested in your schoolwork as you are in those dumb comics," she said, sighing.
That's what she always says.
"When is the last time you read a good book?" she continued.
That's the next thing she always says.
I decided to change the subject. "We dissected a worm today for science," I told her.
She made a disgusted face. "Doesn't your teacher have anything better to do than to cut up poor, innocent worms?"
There was just no pleasing mom today.
LOL I laughed out loud reading that. So true to life.
8.) I don't know how to feel about Stine's treatment of being chubby in this book. On one hand, Stine obviously makes Skipper a brave, clever, and moderately heroic character, who clearly IS capable of doing heroic things. There are some moments of doubt where Skipper regrets eating so much and thinks things would be easier for him if he were thinner, but in the end I think Stine is saying that he is cool just the way he is. :) And that is a good message. :)
9.) Skipper is 12. He takes the bus by himself. He goes to the orthodontist by himself. This allows him to make friends and have adventures and be an (older) kid. Rocking parenting, right there. Love it. #FreeRangeKids
...
Tl;dr - So many things to enjoy in this novel. I was loving every minute of it, and that's rare for me to say about a Goosebumps book - I'm just too old for them and the writing is obviously aimed at children. But because Stine is speaking to my love of comic book stories, I was riveted. Also, he seemed to be a little funnier and more descriptive in this book. And no lame twists. Only SUPER-AWESOME twists!!!! :) Definite winner in the series.
September 8, 2021
It’s a fun way to include comic book villains into the Goosebumps world.
Skipper loves reading comics, he’s favourite being The Masked Mutant. He can’t wait to read the next issue.
So imagine Skipper’s excitement when by accident he discovers a building that looks exactly like the HQ in the comic books.
It’s one of the sillier entries in the series, though as a one of story it surprising works really well!
Skipper loves reading comics, he’s favourite being The Masked Mutant. He can’t wait to read the next issue.
So imagine Skipper’s excitement when by accident he discovers a building that looks exactly like the HQ in the comic books.
It’s one of the sillier entries in the series, though as a one of story it surprising works really well!
March 22, 2017
shoulda named himself the galloping mouth, instead
October 25, 2015
Source: I own this book.
Cost: Unknown
Title: Attack of the Mutant
Series: Goosebumps #23
Author: RL Stine
Overall Rating: 3 stars
This is your average, typical Goosebumps book where nothing is as it seems. It just didn't leave me with as much as a shock factor as some of them do, and that's okay, it's a massive series. There are bound to be some average ones, this is an average one about a boy obsessed with comic books and maybe his obsession can lead him into trouble.
Cost: Unknown
Title: Attack of the Mutant
Series: Goosebumps #23
Author: RL Stine
Overall Rating: 3 stars
This is your average, typical Goosebumps book where nothing is as it seems. It just didn't leave me with as much as a shock factor as some of them do, and that's okay, it's a massive series. There are bound to be some average ones, this is an average one about a boy obsessed with comic books and maybe his obsession can lead him into trouble.
December 31, 2021
I spent a month re-reading all 62 original Goosebumps books to see if they still hold up today, you can check out my 3.5 hour vlog here: https://youtu.be/2C73xc1FS5o
You can also check out my entire ranking of the original Goosebumps books from worst to best here: https://youtu.be/lBfaxCOwAnA
You can also check out my entire ranking of the original Goosebumps books from worst to best here: https://youtu.be/lBfaxCOwAnA
May 10, 2020
Apparently this is one of R.L. Stine’s favorite Goosebumps books. Which is interesting to me because it’s one of his least popular. IMO it’s just kind of your average run-of-the-mill Goosebumps book, and nothing really stands out about it. In fact I had completely forgotten it existed until coming across it again as an adult.
However 5 stars because, as usual, Goosebumps books are just so charming. This wasn’t one of my favorites but is still enjoyable and entertaining
However 5 stars because, as usual, Goosebumps books are just so charming. This wasn’t one of my favorites but is still enjoyable and entertaining
September 12, 2015
Well, this was an...interesting read. The concept of Attack Of The Mutant was very creative and the story takes many turns, making it impossible for me to see what's coming next...which I love, especially from a Goosebumps book. Plus, the writing is just as good as it always is. But the ending just left me feeling ....confused. I'll get to why later.
Plot Synopsis: Skipper LOVES collecting comic books. His favorite comic would easily be The Masked Mutant, which centers around a diabolical supervillain with the power to transform into any solid object. Then, one day, Skipper finds himself in an unfamiliar part of town-and discovers a building that strongly resembles The Masked Mutant's secret headquarters. Has Skipper taken his love for comic books too far-or has he really discovered the headquarters of the world's worst villain?
Like I said before, the plot is unique and takes several twists and turns along the way, keeping you on the edge of your seat, wondering what will happen next. As for characters, Skipper is a decent protagonist. He's overly obsessed with comics and the comic book references he makes throughout the book can get a bit annoying, but otherwise, he's a likable guy Libby, the girl who Skipper meets on the bus on the day he discovers the building, is also an interesting character and reminds me of another Goosebumps character I enjoyed: Andy from the Monster Blood series. As for the side characters, while they don't get much time in the book and therefor don't develop as well as Skipper and Libby, they make the most of their limited time and develop into good characters. The best examples are Skipper's Dad, his sister Mitzi, and his friend Wilson.
OK, now that I've discussed what I like about this book, it's time to address my one gripe: The ending. Here we go:
OK, the ending left a lot of plot holes. Maybe I'm just overanalyzing this, but the ending just left me a bit confused. At least the twists were shocking and, for the most part, made sense.
Overall, Attack Of The Mutant was a very solid Goosebumps story. The plot was intriguing, the characters were likable, the writing was good, and the twists and turns made the mystery and suspense of the story all the more enjoyable for me. Any Goosebumps fan needs to read this.
Pros: The creative plot, the likable characters, the detailed writing, and the overall feeling of mystery and suspense.
Cons: The off-putting ending.
Plot Synopsis: Skipper LOVES collecting comic books. His favorite comic would easily be The Masked Mutant, which centers around a diabolical supervillain with the power to transform into any solid object. Then, one day, Skipper finds himself in an unfamiliar part of town-and discovers a building that strongly resembles The Masked Mutant's secret headquarters. Has Skipper taken his love for comic books too far-or has he really discovered the headquarters of the world's worst villain?
Like I said before, the plot is unique and takes several twists and turns along the way, keeping you on the edge of your seat, wondering what will happen next. As for characters, Skipper is a decent protagonist. He's overly obsessed with comics and the comic book references he makes throughout the book can get a bit annoying, but otherwise, he's a likable guy Libby, the girl who Skipper meets on the bus on the day he discovers the building, is also an interesting character and reminds me of another Goosebumps character I enjoyed: Andy from the Monster Blood series. As for the side characters, while they don't get much time in the book and therefor don't develop as well as Skipper and Libby, they make the most of their limited time and develop into good characters. The best examples are Skipper's Dad, his sister Mitzi, and his friend Wilson.
OK, now that I've discussed what I like about this book, it's time to address my one gripe: The ending. Here we go:
OK, the ending left a lot of plot holes. Maybe I'm just overanalyzing this, but the ending just left me a bit confused. At least the twists were shocking and, for the most part, made sense.
Overall, Attack Of The Mutant was a very solid Goosebumps story. The plot was intriguing, the characters were likable, the writing was good, and the twists and turns made the mystery and suspense of the story all the more enjoyable for me. Any Goosebumps fan needs to read this.
Pros: The creative plot, the likable characters, the detailed writing, and the overall feeling of mystery and suspense.
Cons: The off-putting ending.
March 2, 2019
Con la prosa y pluma increíble que caracteriza a R.L. Stine, en este tomo número 17 de escalofríos, conoceremos a Skipper un chico de 12 años que es coleccionistas de historietas, su obsesión a estas lo llevara a creer que uno de los supervillanos de su comic favorito habita en su ciudad ¿o realmente vive en ella?
Skipper se enfrentará a la mayor aventura de su vida cuando accidentalmente se pasa de su parada de bus y llega a un barrio totalmente desconocido para él. Pero lo que llama su atención es el edificio rosado con verde, que es igual al escondite secreto de su supervillano favorito. Sin entender bien si es real o no lo que esta viviendo, Skipper se acerca para observar que hay dentro, su sorpresa es mayúscula cuando se da cuenta de que no hay absolutamente nadie, sorprendido regresa a su casa para reflexionar acerca de lo acontecido.
Pasado unos días, después de la escuela, decide ir nuevamente a ver el edificio, pero esta vez solo encontró un solar vacío, decepcionado regresa a su casa y se encuentra con el nuevo volumen de su comic favorito. Y para su sorpresa la respuesta de que ha pasado con el edificio se encuentra en ese tomo.
Skipper deberá resolver el enigma del edificio y convertirse en un superhéroe, pero los riesgos que correrá serán insondables, pero la supervivencia del mundo solo depende de él.
Una historia entretenida, ligera y ágil que te mantiene en vilo durante todo el libro, la narración de R.L. Stine como siempre es grandiosa y es un agrado disfrutar de tan maravillosa pluma. La nota que le puse es simplemente que mas que una novela de terror es más bien de fantasía, pero de igual manera se disfruta muchísimo.
Skipper se enfrentará a la mayor aventura de su vida cuando accidentalmente se pasa de su parada de bus y llega a un barrio totalmente desconocido para él. Pero lo que llama su atención es el edificio rosado con verde, que es igual al escondite secreto de su supervillano favorito. Sin entender bien si es real o no lo que esta viviendo, Skipper se acerca para observar que hay dentro, su sorpresa es mayúscula cuando se da cuenta de que no hay absolutamente nadie, sorprendido regresa a su casa para reflexionar acerca de lo acontecido.
Pasado unos días, después de la escuela, decide ir nuevamente a ver el edificio, pero esta vez solo encontró un solar vacío, decepcionado regresa a su casa y se encuentra con el nuevo volumen de su comic favorito. Y para su sorpresa la respuesta de que ha pasado con el edificio se encuentra en ese tomo.
Skipper deberá resolver el enigma del edificio y convertirse en un superhéroe, pero los riesgos que correrá serán insondables, pero la supervivencia del mundo solo depende de él.
Una historia entretenida, ligera y ágil que te mantiene en vilo durante todo el libro, la narración de R.L. Stine como siempre es grandiosa y es un agrado disfrutar de tan maravillosa pluma. La nota que le puse es simplemente que mas que una novela de terror es más bien de fantasía, pero de igual manera se disfruta muchísimo.
January 28, 2018
Thank goodness for the fourth wall.
In case you're not sure what that is, it's basically what separates the audience from the characters in a TV show, play, et cetera. It gets broken when characters turn to the viewers and address them directly, or when they somehow indicate awareness that they're in a production.
But anyway, we often find ourselves saying "thank goodness" when the story is dark, and relieved that the characters aren't in our world - or that we're not in theirs. Because more often than not, that's simply terrifying to think about on so many levels, and such is the basic premise for this Goosebumps installment, entitled "Attack of the Mutant."
Goosebumps fans who watched the TV show probably remember this as the episode where Adam West (R.I.P.) guest starred, and for the PC game adaptation. Adam West's guest appearance was one of the few the series had, and certainly the most memorable. But since this is about the book, not the TV episode, let's not change our focus. A heads up in advance, my review contains some minor spoilers, so if you don't want those, read no further.
The book centers on a young comic book nerd by the name of Bradley "Skipper" Matthews, whose parents constantly rag on his obsession with comic books, which apparently is badly affecting his grades. Like many of Stine's protagonists, he's someone readers can identify with, because lots of nerdy people no doubt have memories of their parents criticizing their interests as age-inappropriate. But it all changes one day, when he comes across a mysterious building that looks identical to the headquarters of his favorite comic villain, The Masked Mutant. From there, he travels in, and it's all pretty cool, until he finds a comic strip depicting himself - that's when the horror aspect kicks in.
I won't get too spoiler-y in my review here, so instead, I'll address the cons the book has - not that they outweigh the book's pros, because they certainly don't. First off, there's the cheesiness of the various superhero and supervillain names, but it's understandable - you can only get so creative in naming your superheroes without getting into plagiarism territory. On that note, it's interesting to note that early on in the book, the narrator directly references Captain America and Spawn, while later in the story, there's discussion of a fictional comic strip called "High School Harry and Beanhead." Said strip is an obvious nod to - or parody of - Archie comics, with the narrator noting that "the two girls are drawn exactly the same, except one has blond hair and one has black." Guess the budget for licensed property reference usage wasn't very big…
That last bit, in turn, brings me to the only other real minus point the book has. Early on in the story, Skipper (why he likes to be called that as opposed to Brad, I'll never know) meets a new girl on the bus, Libby, who tells him about the Harry and Beanhead comics. At the story's climax, we find out that she has in fact been the Masked Mutant in disguise all along, which I find somewhat to be a somewhat overused cliché in fiction. But it's not too badly done, especially when you look at it from a kid's mindset - how many times have I unknowingly been talking to a supervillain, disguised as a human? For that matter, can I really trust anyone? It's paranoia-inducing, which is quite fitting seeing as the book ends on an unnervingly ambiguous cliffhanger.
If you're a Goosebumps fan, or a comic nerd - both of which apply to me - you'll enjoy the book for sure. It's definitely worth buying, particularly if you're looking to get all the "good" Goosebumps books while not buying too many - don't want too many overflowing collections…
Rating: 4 out of 5
In case you're not sure what that is, it's basically what separates the audience from the characters in a TV show, play, et cetera. It gets broken when characters turn to the viewers and address them directly, or when they somehow indicate awareness that they're in a production.
But anyway, we often find ourselves saying "thank goodness" when the story is dark, and relieved that the characters aren't in our world - or that we're not in theirs. Because more often than not, that's simply terrifying to think about on so many levels, and such is the basic premise for this Goosebumps installment, entitled "Attack of the Mutant."
Goosebumps fans who watched the TV show probably remember this as the episode where Adam West (R.I.P.) guest starred, and for the PC game adaptation. Adam West's guest appearance was one of the few the series had, and certainly the most memorable. But since this is about the book, not the TV episode, let's not change our focus. A heads up in advance, my review contains some minor spoilers, so if you don't want those, read no further.
The book centers on a young comic book nerd by the name of Bradley "Skipper" Matthews, whose parents constantly rag on his obsession with comic books, which apparently is badly affecting his grades. Like many of Stine's protagonists, he's someone readers can identify with, because lots of nerdy people no doubt have memories of their parents criticizing their interests as age-inappropriate. But it all changes one day, when he comes across a mysterious building that looks identical to the headquarters of his favorite comic villain, The Masked Mutant. From there, he travels in, and it's all pretty cool, until he finds a comic strip depicting himself - that's when the horror aspect kicks in.
I won't get too spoiler-y in my review here, so instead, I'll address the cons the book has - not that they outweigh the book's pros, because they certainly don't. First off, there's the cheesiness of the various superhero and supervillain names, but it's understandable - you can only get so creative in naming your superheroes without getting into plagiarism territory. On that note, it's interesting to note that early on in the book, the narrator directly references Captain America and Spawn, while later in the story, there's discussion of a fictional comic strip called "High School Harry and Beanhead." Said strip is an obvious nod to - or parody of - Archie comics, with the narrator noting that "the two girls are drawn exactly the same, except one has blond hair and one has black." Guess the budget for licensed property reference usage wasn't very big…
That last bit, in turn, brings me to the only other real minus point the book has. Early on in the story, Skipper (why he likes to be called that as opposed to Brad, I'll never know) meets a new girl on the bus, Libby, who tells him about the Harry and Beanhead comics. At the story's climax, we find out that she has in fact been the Masked Mutant in disguise all along, which I find somewhat to be a somewhat overused cliché in fiction. But it's not too badly done, especially when you look at it from a kid's mindset - how many times have I unknowingly been talking to a supervillain, disguised as a human? For that matter, can I really trust anyone? It's paranoia-inducing, which is quite fitting seeing as the book ends on an unnervingly ambiguous cliffhanger.
If you're a Goosebumps fan, or a comic nerd - both of which apply to me - you'll enjoy the book for sure. It's definitely worth buying, particularly if you're looking to get all the "good" Goosebumps books while not buying too many - don't want too many overflowing collections…
Rating: 4 out of 5
May 29, 2016
I will preface this review by saying I'm SO happy to have read this book (and watched the TV episodes) before the next Welcome to Deadcast postcast episode airs. I'm actually up to speed and can read along with each episode.
I didn't have much of a recollection of this book, but I know I definitely read it as a kid. I know that I didn't think too highly of it, but reading it as an adult I found it pretty hilarious.
The story revolves around Skipper Matthews, who is an avid collector of comic books. This I understand, what I don't really understand is how obsessed he is with how much the comic books are worth. He seems kind of money-grubbing, but I like that about him. It's refreshing to see in a 12 year old. His favourite comic book (and the only one that he takes out of the plastic wrapping) is called The Masked Mutant. He is obsessed with the comics, and they're constantly getting in the way of his school work. His next door neighbour Wilson also has an obsession - collecting rubber stamps - and he's always trying to get Skipper to look at his collection. Unfortunately, Skipper is just not that into stamps. Just do you, Wilson. Just do you.
Skipper meets a girl named Libby on the bus on the way to his orthodontist appointment, and when he misses his stop he stumbles across a building that looks an awful lot like the masked mutant's headquarters (as pictured on the cover of the book). He's a bit flustered so he goes back home, and when he returns to take another look at the building he discovers that it has disappeared. How mysterious. When Skipper gets home he finds a new edition of The Masked Mutant waiting for him, in which the Masked Mutant has thrown an invisibility shield around his headquarters! Well, that explains it.
Skipper decides to go back and see what's going on with the invisible headquarters, and bumps into Libby on the way. She tags along, and they both find their way into the invisible building. Once inside they get trapped inside an elevator that QUICKLY DROPS MANY FLOORS DOWN INSTEAD OF GOING UP and thus our protagonist survives my literal worst nightmare. The pair get seperated, and Skipper stumbles across some drawings that confirm they are in fact inside a building that is somehow related to The Masked Mutant. There are also some drawings of Skipper himself, which he (for understandable reasons) freaks out about. He meets up with Libby, they flee the building, and Skipper returns home to find yet another edition of the comic - this time featuring a character that looks just like him. This leads to one of the funniest parts of the book, IMO, where Skipper shows some interesting self reflection -
"The next drawing showed a closeup of my face. Big balls of sweat rolled down my pink face. I guess that meant I was scared. I'm a little too chubby in that drawing, I thought."
lol.
For some reason Skipper feels like despite how creepy stumbling across drawings of himself in what seems like an abandoned building is, it would be a good idea to return once again to The Masked Mutant's "headquarters". So he does, and of course ends up in some a kind of of epic battle with the mutant. Of course it ends well, with Skipper realising what The Masked Mutant's weakness would be (unsurprising, as he's read the comic books for years). There is a good final twist, although it comes across a bit stunted.
Generally I found this one of the more entertaining Goosebumps book, but I think that was due for the most part to Skipper being a really amusing and sarcastic character. The story itself wasn't one of the best of the series.
4/10
I didn't have much of a recollection of this book, but I know I definitely read it as a kid. I know that I didn't think too highly of it, but reading it as an adult I found it pretty hilarious.
The story revolves around Skipper Matthews, who is an avid collector of comic books. This I understand, what I don't really understand is how obsessed he is with how much the comic books are worth. He seems kind of money-grubbing, but I like that about him. It's refreshing to see in a 12 year old. His favourite comic book (and the only one that he takes out of the plastic wrapping) is called The Masked Mutant. He is obsessed with the comics, and they're constantly getting in the way of his school work. His next door neighbour Wilson also has an obsession - collecting rubber stamps - and he's always trying to get Skipper to look at his collection. Unfortunately, Skipper is just not that into stamps. Just do you, Wilson. Just do you.
Skipper meets a girl named Libby on the bus on the way to his orthodontist appointment, and when he misses his stop he stumbles across a building that looks an awful lot like the masked mutant's headquarters (as pictured on the cover of the book). He's a bit flustered so he goes back home, and when he returns to take another look at the building he discovers that it has disappeared. How mysterious. When Skipper gets home he finds a new edition of The Masked Mutant waiting for him, in which the Masked Mutant has thrown an invisibility shield around his headquarters! Well, that explains it.
Skipper decides to go back and see what's going on with the invisible headquarters, and bumps into Libby on the way. She tags along, and they both find their way into the invisible building. Once inside they get trapped inside an elevator that QUICKLY DROPS MANY FLOORS DOWN INSTEAD OF GOING UP and thus our protagonist survives my literal worst nightmare. The pair get seperated, and Skipper stumbles across some drawings that confirm they are in fact inside a building that is somehow related to The Masked Mutant. There are also some drawings of Skipper himself, which he (for understandable reasons) freaks out about. He meets up with Libby, they flee the building, and Skipper returns home to find yet another edition of the comic - this time featuring a character that looks just like him. This leads to one of the funniest parts of the book, IMO, where Skipper shows some interesting self reflection -
"The next drawing showed a closeup of my face. Big balls of sweat rolled down my pink face. I guess that meant I was scared. I'm a little too chubby in that drawing, I thought."
lol.
For some reason Skipper feels like despite how creepy stumbling across drawings of himself in what seems like an abandoned building is, it would be a good idea to return once again to The Masked Mutant's "headquarters". So he does, and of course ends up in some a kind of of epic battle with the mutant. Of course it ends well, with Skipper realising what The Masked Mutant's weakness would be (unsurprising, as he's read the comic books for years). There is a good final twist, although it comes across a bit stunted.
Generally I found this one of the more entertaining Goosebumps book, but I think that was due for the most part to Skipper being a really amusing and sarcastic character. The story itself wasn't one of the best of the series.
4/10
August 26, 2016
Skipper, a small and chubby boy, is a huge fan of comic books. He has a variety of comic books that he includes in his collections, which he hopes will be worth millions in the future. Most of the books are still sealed in the plastic bags, "The Masked Mutant" series is his most favorite and he reads every single issue of it. One day when he forgets his bus stop, he unintentionally arrives another side of town with which he isn't familiar. One thing catches his eyes though, and he just cannot believe it: a building that resembles the Mutant's headquarter that can appear and disappear. Is the Mutant real or it is just an illusion due to his obsession with comic books?
I would love this book more if I were a kid, but still, it did a pretty good job to entertain me. If you want something to read that can be finished in a short time on a boring day, I'd recommend you this one.
I would love this book more if I were a kid, but still, it did a pretty good job to entertain me. If you want something to read that can be finished in a short time on a boring day, I'd recommend you this one.
October 11, 2011
http://www.davidasantos.com/
What in the name of sugary fruit loops did I just read? If I wanted to read a comic book, I'd just buy one. Skip reads his comics to us for a little while, which I mainly skim-read. The final 5 chapters are just weird. I finished reading it in 5 hours Not because it was good, no, but because I wanted to get it over with asap! The tower, funny how Skipper was the only person to see it and not see it and walk into it. The idea of a comic book coming to life isn't bad. A good concept, just terribly executed in this book. I think it could have been written much better. I don't have much to say about this, but I hope the next book #26 My Hairiest Adventure, makes it up to me. And if you judge a book by its title..."sigh" this is going to be a long weekend!
What in the name of sugary fruit loops did I just read? If I wanted to read a comic book, I'd just buy one. Skip reads his comics to us for a little while, which I mainly skim-read. The final 5 chapters are just weird. I finished reading it in 5 hours Not because it was good, no, but because I wanted to get it over with asap! The tower, funny how Skipper was the only person to see it and not see it and walk into it. The idea of a comic book coming to life isn't bad. A good concept, just terribly executed in this book. I think it could have been written much better. I don't have much to say about this, but I hope the next book #26 My Hairiest Adventure, makes it up to me. And if you judge a book by its title..."sigh" this is going to be a long weekend!
February 6, 2016
Βλέποντας το εξώφυλλο του βιβλίου και διαβάζοντας την περίληψή του, περιμένεις κάτι εντελώς διαφορετικό από αυτό που είναι στην πραγματικότητα. Δεν πρόκειται για ένα από τα αμιγώς τρομακτικά βιβλία της σειράς, αφού διαθέτει μπόλικα στοιχεία μαύρου χιούμορ και αυτοσαρκαστικής σάτιρας (σε μεγαλύτερο βαθμό, τουλάχιστον, σε σύγκριση με άλλα), αλλά παρ' όλα ταύτα απολαμβάβεις την ανάγνωσή του.
October 13, 2019
I kinda liked the idea of this one more than the actual book I think. From memory it was a pretty weak ending.
It's got a fun comic-book-loving theme happening but it went awry a little in the delivery so ended up being just okay. Not terrible, just not as fun as it could have been.
It's got a fun comic-book-loving theme happening but it went awry a little in the delivery so ended up being just okay. Not terrible, just not as fun as it could have been.
August 5, 2020
I couldn’t figure out what made the Mutant the supervillain that he was supposed to be. I really thought the entire comic book adventure was just a dream that Skipper had. Not the same wow factor with the twist ending.
August 19, 2015
#IcantHelpButPutSpoilers
This book has a cruel twist in the end. I'm kind of sad for the poor boy. He's friendless, and now he's also bloodless. -_-
This book has a cruel twist in the end. I'm kind of sad for the poor boy. He's friendless, and now he's also bloodless. -_-
January 11, 2017
This book was a total standout from the Goosebumps series, comic book villains and heroes coming out of the book in real life. Wow! Bit not so Wow when you read the book. It could have done a really good job of scaring the readers if the plot was changed. It sure is a mystery book and you cannot suspect whats going to happen next but you burr can determine something about the characters, his likes and dislikes and opinions. The book wasn't scary at all. Most of the time, our hero reads comic books, takes a bus ride, visits the "Alien" Mutant Building, the architecture of the building is very beautifully described by Stine. I love the idea of what happens in the comic happens in real life. investigates it and battles the Mutant. I wonder how he felt like when he fought his favorite supervillain. It would be great if the Masked Mutant had a back story. The ending is just perfect, with character switching and illusions and how the Masked Man was killed. I think that the masked mutant was so very easily killed. The girl character was also great. (She was the Masked Mutants assistant really) this book invades the young mind who like comics and action sequences. Not a remarkable one from the Goosebumps NotSoHorrifying series.
Danger does not approach our hero here, instead he approaches and searches for danger. Its all because of curiosity. Well, curiosity killed the cat
Skipper Matthews is an overweight twelve-year-old comic-book collector who loves collecting many comics yet only reads one: the Masked Mutant. The Masked Mutant is an evil super-villain who can change his molecular form into any solid material. He is constantly opposed by a league of superheroes lead by the Galloping Gazelle, the world's fastest man. Skipper has a friend named Wilson who is into collecting rubber stamps and attempts at various times throughout the novel to share his passion with Skipper to no avail. Skipper also has a little nine-year-old sister Mitzi who always likes to mess around with him.
One day while riding the bus to the dentist, he meets a pretty redhead girl named Libby (not knowing that she was actually the Masked Mutant in disguise), who strikes up a conversation with him about comic books. He gets so caught up talking to her that he gets off on the wrong stop and spots a building that looks exactly like the Masked Mutant's headquarters! He almost goes inside the building, but he is late for his dentist appointment and decides to come back. The next day he comes back to see the building but it has disappeared. Later that night he goes home and reads the newest issue of the Masked Mutant that has arrived in the mail for him and sees that in the comic book the Masked Mutant has put an invisibility cloak on the building.
Going back the next day, Skipper runs into Libby for a third time. The two decide to see if they can access the invisible building and sure enough they enter successfully. When they arrive, a yellow light ray scans over Skipper's body but has no apparent effect on him. The two ventures into one of the building's elevators and are whisked down to the basement of the building. The two get separated and while alone Skipper finds a large printing press and layouts for the last issue of the Masked Mutant. Skipper concludes that the building is likely the headquarters for the comic book publisher. While leafing through the layouts Skipper notices a series of panels for the next issue, and the new character drawn within looks exactly like Skipper. At this point, Libby reappears and makes Skipper leave with her. That night, Skipper gets home and there is another new issue of the comic waiting for him.
Inside the issue Skipper spies drawings of himself walking around the headquarters with the words "A NEW FOE" written about him. Skipper also finds out that the Galloping Gazelle has been held hostage in the Masked Mutant's headquarters, and that only "the Boy" can save him.
So Skipper returns again to the headquarters and makes his way up the elevator to rescue the Galloping Gazelle! He finds the bound superhero tied to a chair in an unlocked room, unties him, and the two leave the room to confront the Masked Mutant.The Galloping Gazelle is convinced that Skipper is a superhero and keeps drilling him for his secret power as they make their way to the Mutant's private offices. The Galloping Gazelle informs Skipper that his plan is to run around and around the Mutant at such a fast speed that he becomes a cyclone and sucks the Masked Mutant into submission. Suddenly the Masked Mutant morphs out of hiding (he was disguised as office furniture) and the Gazelle makes good on his plan. However the Mutant outsmarts him and sticks his foot out, tripping the Gazelle. The Masked Mutant then transforms into the form of a leopard and tries to eat the Galloping Gazelle.
The Galloping Gazelle proves himself to be a coward as he escapes the Masked Mutant's leopard clutches and abandons Skipper with the Masked Mutant as he makes his escape. The Masked Mutant returns to his normal form and he too starts to drill Skipper about his secret mutant-power. The Mutant lifts Skipper all the way up to the ceiling of his private office and is about to drop him to his death when Libby appears in the doorway.
The Masked Mutant safely sets Skipper down as he goes to confront Libby. Libby removes a yellow toy gun from her satchel and tells Skipper that if this is really a comic book then anything can happen, so she tells the Masked Mutant that the toy gun is a Molecule-Melter. The Masked Mutant doubts her and he advances as she pulls the trigger. The gun fires at the Masked Mutant and the Mutant melts down into nothing. Skipper is overjoyed and Libby tells him of course it worked, after all, it is a Molecule-Melter, and Skipper is the next victim and target.
Skipper then watches as Libby transforms into the real Masked Mutant. It turns out that the previous Masked Mutant was actually theMagnificent Molecule Man, who worked for the Masked Mutant. What else matters is that, there is no girl named Libby at all after the Masked Mutant himself ditches his female disguise. The Masked Mutant also informs Skipper of another dastardly deed. He has turned Skipper into a comic book character, which turned into a big shock! The mysterious yellow ray when he first entered the building was a scanner and it scanned him into the comic book! With no hope of escape the Masked Mutant prepares to destroy Skipper until Skipper stops him by announcing that he is not actually Skipper! No, he is the Colossal Elastic Boy in disguise. The Masked Mutant shakes his head and says, "I knew it!" Skipper reveals that nothing can harm him, but sulfuric acid. Skipper throws a bucket of water onto the Mutant which makes him melt into a wave of acid. Skipper barely misses the wave and the acid eats into the carpet.
Skipper made up the whole thing about being the Elastic Boy. Since the Masked Mutant could only transform himself into solids, Skipper had tricked him into transforming into a liquid and thus the Masked Mutant was unable to return to his original form. Skipper was very happy to be alive and performed a little victory dance, on the carpet. He could not wait to return home and see his family again. It seemed like the bus ride home took hours, but as soon as he got home and walked into the front door, he was glad to be back. He had enough adventure for one day, and decides not to read the new comic that has arrived for him in the mail. "Who needs it?" he asked himself about the comic. He then, celebrates his victory later on that night, by playing Frisbee with his little sister Mitzi for a half an hour. They had a great time. Then Skipper asked his little sister Mitzi if they wanted a snack. She said yes, and they decided to have some chocolate cake together. As Skipper is cutting the cake with a big cake knife, he accidentally cuts the back of his hand. But he discovers that it was not blood coming out...he was bleeding red, blue, yellow and black ink. Looks like Skipper's comic book career is not over yet and now he must read the next issue of the Masked Mutant comic series in order to continue.
Danger does not approach our hero here, instead he approaches and searches for danger. Its all because of curiosity. Well, curiosity killed the cat
Skipper Matthews is an overweight twelve-year-old comic-book collector who loves collecting many comics yet only reads one: the Masked Mutant. The Masked Mutant is an evil super-villain who can change his molecular form into any solid material. He is constantly opposed by a league of superheroes lead by the Galloping Gazelle, the world's fastest man. Skipper has a friend named Wilson who is into collecting rubber stamps and attempts at various times throughout the novel to share his passion with Skipper to no avail. Skipper also has a little nine-year-old sister Mitzi who always likes to mess around with him.
One day while riding the bus to the dentist, he meets a pretty redhead girl named Libby (not knowing that she was actually the Masked Mutant in disguise), who strikes up a conversation with him about comic books. He gets so caught up talking to her that he gets off on the wrong stop and spots a building that looks exactly like the Masked Mutant's headquarters! He almost goes inside the building, but he is late for his dentist appointment and decides to come back. The next day he comes back to see the building but it has disappeared. Later that night he goes home and reads the newest issue of the Masked Mutant that has arrived in the mail for him and sees that in the comic book the Masked Mutant has put an invisibility cloak on the building.
Going back the next day, Skipper runs into Libby for a third time. The two decide to see if they can access the invisible building and sure enough they enter successfully. When they arrive, a yellow light ray scans over Skipper's body but has no apparent effect on him. The two ventures into one of the building's elevators and are whisked down to the basement of the building. The two get separated and while alone Skipper finds a large printing press and layouts for the last issue of the Masked Mutant. Skipper concludes that the building is likely the headquarters for the comic book publisher. While leafing through the layouts Skipper notices a series of panels for the next issue, and the new character drawn within looks exactly like Skipper. At this point, Libby reappears and makes Skipper leave with her. That night, Skipper gets home and there is another new issue of the comic waiting for him.
Inside the issue Skipper spies drawings of himself walking around the headquarters with the words "A NEW FOE" written about him. Skipper also finds out that the Galloping Gazelle has been held hostage in the Masked Mutant's headquarters, and that only "the Boy" can save him.
So Skipper returns again to the headquarters and makes his way up the elevator to rescue the Galloping Gazelle! He finds the bound superhero tied to a chair in an unlocked room, unties him, and the two leave the room to confront the Masked Mutant.The Galloping Gazelle is convinced that Skipper is a superhero and keeps drilling him for his secret power as they make their way to the Mutant's private offices. The Galloping Gazelle informs Skipper that his plan is to run around and around the Mutant at such a fast speed that he becomes a cyclone and sucks the Masked Mutant into submission. Suddenly the Masked Mutant morphs out of hiding (he was disguised as office furniture) and the Gazelle makes good on his plan. However the Mutant outsmarts him and sticks his foot out, tripping the Gazelle. The Masked Mutant then transforms into the form of a leopard and tries to eat the Galloping Gazelle.
The Galloping Gazelle proves himself to be a coward as he escapes the Masked Mutant's leopard clutches and abandons Skipper with the Masked Mutant as he makes his escape. The Masked Mutant returns to his normal form and he too starts to drill Skipper about his secret mutant-power. The Mutant lifts Skipper all the way up to the ceiling of his private office and is about to drop him to his death when Libby appears in the doorway.
The Masked Mutant safely sets Skipper down as he goes to confront Libby. Libby removes a yellow toy gun from her satchel and tells Skipper that if this is really a comic book then anything can happen, so she tells the Masked Mutant that the toy gun is a Molecule-Melter. The Masked Mutant doubts her and he advances as she pulls the trigger. The gun fires at the Masked Mutant and the Mutant melts down into nothing. Skipper is overjoyed and Libby tells him of course it worked, after all, it is a Molecule-Melter, and Skipper is the next victim and target.
Skipper then watches as Libby transforms into the real Masked Mutant. It turns out that the previous Masked Mutant was actually theMagnificent Molecule Man, who worked for the Masked Mutant. What else matters is that, there is no girl named Libby at all after the Masked Mutant himself ditches his female disguise. The Masked Mutant also informs Skipper of another dastardly deed. He has turned Skipper into a comic book character, which turned into a big shock! The mysterious yellow ray when he first entered the building was a scanner and it scanned him into the comic book! With no hope of escape the Masked Mutant prepares to destroy Skipper until Skipper stops him by announcing that he is not actually Skipper! No, he is the Colossal Elastic Boy in disguise. The Masked Mutant shakes his head and says, "I knew it!" Skipper reveals that nothing can harm him, but sulfuric acid. Skipper throws a bucket of water onto the Mutant which makes him melt into a wave of acid. Skipper barely misses the wave and the acid eats into the carpet.
Skipper made up the whole thing about being the Elastic Boy. Since the Masked Mutant could only transform himself into solids, Skipper had tricked him into transforming into a liquid and thus the Masked Mutant was unable to return to his original form. Skipper was very happy to be alive and performed a little victory dance, on the carpet. He could not wait to return home and see his family again. It seemed like the bus ride home took hours, but as soon as he got home and walked into the front door, he was glad to be back. He had enough adventure for one day, and decides not to read the new comic that has arrived for him in the mail. "Who needs it?" he asked himself about the comic. He then, celebrates his victory later on that night, by playing Frisbee with his little sister Mitzi for a half an hour. They had a great time. Then Skipper asked his little sister Mitzi if they wanted a snack. She said yes, and they decided to have some chocolate cake together. As Skipper is cutting the cake with a big cake knife, he accidentally cuts the back of his hand. But he discovers that it was not blood coming out...he was bleeding red, blue, yellow and black ink. Looks like Skipper's comic book career is not over yet and now he must read the next issue of the Masked Mutant comic series in order to continue.
September 7, 2022
actual rating: 3.5
Once again I listened to the abridged version of this from the 90s so I'm sure there's some stuff I'm missing out on but I just really like listening to Goosebumps rather than reading them. Rounding up on this one because while I do think it was maybe a bit too silly for my personal taste I guess that does make sense for a story based around comic books and also it's a kids book so I know I'm not the target audience.
Once again I listened to the abridged version of this from the 90s so I'm sure there's some stuff I'm missing out on but I just really like listening to Goosebumps rather than reading them. Rounding up on this one because while I do think it was maybe a bit too silly for my personal taste I guess that does make sense for a story based around comic books and also it's a kids book so I know I'm not the target audience.
January 18, 2018
This was like two different books smooshed together. The first is about a kid who found a building which was featured in his favorite comic book series and he keeps strolling into that building uninvited. The second is... well, it's your typical Goosebumps book, where things are happening and everything's a little bit bizarre.
Let's talk about what this is if you remove the supernatural element because, once again, it's very easy: Skipper, or Bradley as it's his real name, is obsessed with comics, but The Masked Mutant in particular. Every time he gets one of those, he reads it instead of shrink wrapping it and putting it away for collection purposes.
One day he gets a MM comic which shows the MM's HQ (I'm so hip, y'all) and, on the way to an orthodonist's appointment, sees a building that looks exactly like that. He becomes obsessed with going into this building even though it's private property. The building is usually deserted and looks (and essentially functions) like a regular office building. (Does he never stop to consider that he might just be catching these guys after everyone's gone home and someone's gone lax on locking up the building?)
Oh, yeah, and Stine also decides to rip on Archie comics for some reason:
Strong words from the author of Goosebumps.
Also, that building? The description of it always reminded me of a penis. Stine, you troll.
Let's talk about what this is if you remove the supernatural element because, once again, it's very easy: Skipper, or Bradley as it's his real name, is obsessed with comics, but The Masked Mutant in particular. Every time he gets one of those, he reads it instead of shrink wrapping it and putting it away for collection purposes.
One day he gets a MM comic which shows the MM's HQ (I'm so hip, y'all) and, on the way to an orthodonist's appointment, sees a building that looks exactly like that. He becomes obsessed with going into this building even though it's private property. The building is usually deserted and looks (and essentially functions) like a regular office building. (Does he never stop to consider that he might just be catching these guys after everyone's gone home and someone's gone lax on locking up the building?)
Oh, yeah, and Stine also decides to rip on Archie comics for some reason:
Those High School Harry & Beanhead comics are the most boring comics in the world! And the art is so lame. Can’t everyone see that the two girls are drawn exactly the same, except one has blond hair and one has black?
Strong words from the author of Goosebumps.
Also, that building? The description of it always reminded me of a penis. Stine, you troll.
October 5, 2020
This was great. Its a really cool concept that comic books are real and maybe we are all part of a comic book!!!! How do we know? This one was fun and quick and I enjoyed it completely.
April 21, 2016
Attack of the Mutant is the second "Goosebumps" book I've read. I thought it was far superior to the first, The Werewolf of Fever Swamp. The protagonist is a 12-year-old boy who collects comic books, most of which he doesn't read, but keeps pristine in plastic wrappings so they'll be worth a lot of money later.
But he does have one favorite series, starring a supervillain, that he eagerly reads every issue of, "The Masked Mutant." One day, while riding the bus in a strange part of town, he sees a garish pink-and-green building that looks exactly like the supervillain's secret headquarters. Is it real or is his comics-addled mind hallucinating it?
One thing I liked about this book was the satirical humor, which might be enjoyed more by grown-ups than by kids. As for the ending, appreciating it requires a tolerance for ambiguity, but I liked it fine.
But he does have one favorite series, starring a supervillain, that he eagerly reads every issue of, "The Masked Mutant." One day, while riding the bus in a strange part of town, he sees a garish pink-and-green building that looks exactly like the supervillain's secret headquarters. Is it real or is his comics-addled mind hallucinating it?
One thing I liked about this book was the satirical humor, which might be enjoyed more by grown-ups than by kids. As for the ending, appreciating it requires a tolerance for ambiguity, but I liked it fine.
July 24, 2010
I used to read a lot of Goosebump books when I was growing up, since I was going through elementary school when Goosebumps and Animorphs both put Scholastic on the map.
This one was one of my favorites. It wasn't really scary (although even at the time I didn't find the Goosebumps books scary), but this was a fun one. I love comic books, so the use of nods to comic book conventions in this book were cool. The story is cheesy (but the same could be said of most of Goosebumps), but it sort of works especially since the whole story is based around, well, parodies of cheesy comic books.
If you can track down some of the old Goosebumps books and you have young kids in elementary school, you could do a lot worse than digging up some of the better Goosebumps books like this one.
This one was one of my favorites. It wasn't really scary (although even at the time I didn't find the Goosebumps books scary), but this was a fun one. I love comic books, so the use of nods to comic book conventions in this book were cool. The story is cheesy (but the same could be said of most of Goosebumps), but it sort of works especially since the whole story is based around, well, parodies of cheesy comic books.
If you can track down some of the old Goosebumps books and you have young kids in elementary school, you could do a lot worse than digging up some of the better Goosebumps books like this one.
September 8, 2017
I'm attempting to read all 62 of the original Goosebumps series. I've read many as a kid, but there's just as many I didn't read. I'm going through them all.
Call me a bit biased, as I'm a big comic book fan, but this story was great! I had never read this one before, but just the premise alone reeled me in. A kid believes that his favorite comic book super-villain may be real. Yeah, the comic characters may be silly and weirdly named, but it was a fun story. I did laugh that 'The Masked Mutant' artists name is 'Jimmy Steranko'. Clearly a nod to the famous Marvel Comics artist, Jim Steranko, but they didn't even try to change it.
All in all, a fun little read.
Call me a bit biased, as I'm a big comic book fan, but this story was great! I had never read this one before, but just the premise alone reeled me in. A kid believes that his favorite comic book super-villain may be real. Yeah, the comic characters may be silly and weirdly named, but it was a fun story. I did laugh that 'The Masked Mutant' artists name is 'Jimmy Steranko'. Clearly a nod to the famous Marvel Comics artist, Jim Steranko, but they didn't even try to change it.
All in all, a fun little read.
April 15, 2015
Rated for children, not enjoyment for adults.
This is a cute Goosebumps book - the main character is sarcastic, of course dislikes his sister (a theme), does terribly in school, thinks funny thoughts about others, and doesn't listen. He's actually likeable and realistic for one this age. His obsession with comics is fun and his best friend trying to show him his rubber stamp collection kept cracking me up. It became silly a little but that's part of the fun. The ending was another open-ended one.
This is a cute Goosebumps book - the main character is sarcastic, of course dislikes his sister (a theme), does terribly in school, thinks funny thoughts about others, and doesn't listen. He's actually likeable and realistic for one this age. His obsession with comics is fun and his best friend trying to show him his rubber stamp collection kept cracking me up. It became silly a little but that's part of the fun. The ending was another open-ended one.
February 1, 2019
I really enjoyed this one I think it’s got impeccable detail I don’t want to spoil it but I know a bunch of people who think this series is boring but honestly these books aren’t all that bad to be completely honest they’re short and easy to read and they have good story plots in my opinion. The author should’ve made it longer not to much longer but I would’ve loved more of this.
July 2, 2018
Review by L.K.: "I liked that it had a super villain. People who like super villains [would like this]." (2016, 4.5 stars)
Review by J.S. : "I don't really know what I liked, but it was one of the best Goosebumps books ever!" (2015, 5 stars)
Review by J.S. : "I don't really know what I liked, but it was one of the best Goosebumps books ever!" (2015, 5 stars)
July 23, 2014
Loved this book! because lets face it. Who doesn't love superheroes?
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