ZERO TO HERO

After a completed seven-volume saga and a feature-film adaptation from the Academy Award–winning director of Spotlight, the Timmy Failure franchise has only one way to go: the prequel route.

Fans eager to know the exact circumstances of the first time Timmy and his polar bear partner, Total, meet or the proper origins of Total Failure Inc. will be delighted by this tale of Timmy’s humble origins, narrated with Timmy’s usual aplomb and occasionally punctuated by best friend Rollo’s exasperated footnotes. Newcomers will find plenty to enjoy as well. The absurd wit Pastis pumped into previous Timmy Failure books is in full supply here, offering silly asides and LOL–worthy sight gags on nearly every page. Timmy’s exasperating nature may wear on some readers, but Pastis is smart to sprinkle just enough hints at why Timmy is the way he is that patient new readers will see just enough of the sweet underbelly this series usually offers. The book is a bit unevenly paced, with a chunky middle, but readers looking to spend a bit more time with Timmy’s delusions of grandeur won’t mind. Timmy’s world remains an apparently all-white one.