March 23rd, 2021 
Charles Solomon 
One of the big hits of the last decade, Kohei Horikoshi’s “My Hero Academia” (2014) has sold more than 30 million books worldwide. The TV series is in its fifth season, and the eagerly awaited third feature will debut this summer.
Horikoshi set “Academia” in an alternate world where many children are born with “Quirks:” special powers that can be developed until the possessors become superheroes–or arch-villains. Unfortunately, Izuku “Deku” Midoriya was born without one. But despite that lack, Deku is determined to become a great superhero so he can help people in trouble. His dedication impressed All-Might, the ultimate superhero, who shared his staggeringly powerful “One for All” Quirk with Deku.
At U.A. High, the elite school for superheroes, Deku faces a steeper learning curve than his naturally gifted classmates. But his kindness, sincerity and determination win him friends. Short, skinny and untidy, Deku doesn’t look like a standard-issue hero. Horikoshi notes, “his sweat glands never have a day off” and his “tear ducts are always on duty.” He’s both a redoubtable warrior and a worrywart.
Viz is releasing the new spinoff manga, My Hero Academia: Team Up Missions, written and drawn by Yoko Akiyama, the creator of “Saguri’s Expedition Team.” Fans will be pleased to see how well he preserves the look and tone of the original manga. In the new stories, Deku and his classmates gain hands-on experience by assisting professional heroes. These mini-adventures are enjoyable, but occur outside the central continuity—the manga equivalent of the wafer that comes with a hot fudge sundae.
In their first adventure Deku, Katsuki Bakugo (who fights with controlled explosions) and Uchaco Uraraka (she can negate gravity) are sent to work with Rabbit Hero: Mirko. They’re after Takeshi Busujima, whose Quirk causes him to secrete poison gas. The story takes an interesting twist when the students discover that Busujima doesn’t want to hurt people, but he must release the gas or die. Deku tells him “you have to trust us,” then has Uchaco levitate him high above the city. Busujima releases the gas where it can’t harm anyone and Bakugo ignites it. Deku restates his credo: “Heroes…don’t just beat up villains. Heroes help people in trouble.”
A second story brings back Melissa Shield, who debuted in the second theatrical feature, My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (2018). A brilliant teen-age scientist, she created a hi-tech gauntlet that enabled Deku to release powerful moves like the Double Detroit Smash without shattering the bones in his fist.
Another story shows Melissa as a little girl who’s disappointed that she doesn’t possess a Quirk. But when All-Might explains how her father’s hi-tech inventions help him defeat villains, she finds a focus for her intelligence and creativity. At a time when so many American comics and animated films feature one-note, butt-kicking heroines, Melissa offers an engaging role model for smart girls interested in the STEM curriculum.
“Deku tells a different hero’s journey than we’re used to seeing: A lot of hero characters are handed everything; Deku really has to work for it,” says Justin Briner, who provides the animated Deku’s voice. “He’s dealing with pretty substantial high school-age problems, struggling with his self-worth. Most high school kids know what that feels like, so it makes him easier to root for.”
Its energetic blend of heroism, comedy and rock ‘em sock ’em combat has made “My Hero Academia” a hit on both sides of the Pacific. But it’s Deku’s sincerity and selfless courage that viewers remember after the smoke has cleared.
My Hero Academia: Team-Up Missions Volume #1
(Viz: $9.99, 198 pp)
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