about the book
Timid Izuku Midoriya is a wimp and a shrimp. Though he’ll break down crying at the drop of a leaf, this fourteen-year-old has a lot of heart and a willing spirit. More than anything, he would like to be a quirk. In Izuku’s world, eighty percent of the population have been born with a quirk—a super power. Some become heroes; some become villains. The other twenty percent, including Izuku, are “quirkless;” in other words, they are just plain old boring humans.
Every day, epic battles rage in the city between the quirky heroes and villains. Even in school, Izuku is constantly aware he is lacking. Katchan, an arrogant quirky schoolmate whose hands can generate explosions, taunts Izuku, constantly belittling the littler kid and giving him the insulting nickname, Deku.
Katchan may think he is hot stuff, but when a villain comes after him, he is quickly outmaneuvered. Acting impulsively and without a thought to his own safety, Izuku tries to protect the vulnerable bully. Luckily, All Might, the greatest hero of all, saves the day.
All Might is impressed with Izuku’s courage. For his bravery, he bestows on the boy the quirk One for All. Secretly, he tells Izuku that this power increases each time it is given to another with the result that the user can call forth great physical strength. To learn how to control his new quirk, Izuku will attend the prestigious Yuuei Academy, where future heroes are educated.
Though Izuku’s dream is coming true, the academy is much harder than he expected. He is not good at battling others, but if he doesn’t win, he’ll be expelled. Sadly, he is still called by Katchan’s nasty nickname. When gentle and sweet Ochako tells him that Deku makes him sound like he never gives up, Izuku decides to use it as his superhero moniker when he graduates!
IF he graduates! Having a quirk isn’t all what it is cracked up to be, especially one that could literally tear his body apart if he isn’t super careful!
about the author/illustrator
Kouhei Horikoshi was born in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on November 20, 1986, and he still lives in that area. His name is also written as Kōhei Horikoshi.
A graduate of the Nagoya University of the Arts, Kouhei is a Japanese magna artist, probably best known for his series Ōmagadoki Dōbutsuen, Barrage, and most recently “Boku no Hero Academia.“ These both appeared in serial form in the magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump, the most popular comic magazine in Japan.
Unfortunately, the Barrage adventure series was cancelled after only sixteen episodes, but luckily, it has been made into a two-volume graphic novel. Kouhei says, “I like American comics, so I’m excited about my own manga coming out in English. I’m going to work hard so that many people will be able to read it.”
Kouehi’s series, My Hero Academia, is also being published in graphic novel form in English. While being deeply rooted in shonen manga tradition, it bucks convention at just about every turn, taking familiar paths in exciting new directions. His previous failures spurred him to succeed just like his protagonist, Izuku in My Hero Academia, and Kouhei has worked very hard to be a great mangaka like his idol. Besides being hugely popular in Japan and gaining audiences in the U.S., My Hero Academia is being adapted into an Anime series, video games, card games, trading cards, and collectable figures!
Sources:
Author website : Tumblr
Webcomic website : Weekly Shonen Jump
Author profile : Manga Updates
Article on My Hero Academia: Snap Thirty
Also by Kouhei Horikoshi:
Barrage : 1. Viz Media. 2013.
read more!
Chase by Dan Curtis Johnson
When Agent Cameron Chase is on a field assignment for a government agency which has jurisdiction over superhuman activity, she encounters many well-known superheroes as well as other surprises…including the discovery of her own mysterious powers.
My Hero Academia : 2 by Kouhei Horikoshi
Thrilled to finally have a super-power quirk like most of the population and now on the road to becoming a superhero, Izuku Midoriya is finding the prestigious future hero academy much harder than he expected. He can barely control his One for All quirk which gives him amazing strength but could tear him apart. Now he learns that he has to battle his classmates…and if he doesn’t win, he’ll be expelled!