Birdie Lee, aka Super Mom, does all the things you’d expect from someone with that title — run a home, serve as PTA secretary, chaperone school dances, and hold down a full time job. But it doesn’t stop there. She is also, literally, a superhero.
She doesn’t set out to become one — she’s happy with her job at Marvel Fine Foods. But while using a mixture of bleach and ammonia-based cleanser on a stain (don’t try this at home, wannabes), she passes out and wakes up hours later with the cleaning power of ten thousand Swiffers. She can also sense when children or teens are in danger or about to misbehave, and set them straight with her Merciless Gaze.
Soon she’s making headlines: GIRL SAVED BY MYSTERY MOM, MYSTERY WOMAN BREAKS UP TEEN SEX PARTY, and even BATHROOM AT BUS STATION GETS OVERNIGHT MAKEOVER.
Birdie’s comic fan son Martin discovers her secret and designs her a costume. “But how am I supposed to fight crime in high heels?” she asks, as any of us would. “Oh, I thought of that,” he says, “Dr. Scholl’s foot cushions!”
The story wouldn’t be complete without villains (Birdie’s obnoxious ex isn’t really evil enough), a scheming couple who market “patriotic” junk food and video games with subliminal messages.
But, for me, the story takes second place to the comedy. The heroics are always mixed up with the everyday. Birdie fights crime, but still worries when her best friend is mad at her, her son doesn’t like her boyfriend’s son, or she doesn’t trust her daughter’s date. The mailouts she gets from the Justice League of America include promos for a timeshare resort. (It’s “a perfect spot to unwind and get away from that evil archnemesis”.)
If you’re too mature to read comics (and this book does have some adult-only content), or if you just want a laugh, try Confessions of Super Mom.
