# A Superhero Called Doberman

By Shami Stovall & John Stovall · The Superhero Doberman, book 1

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/a-superhero-called-doberman-0c6de554/

Leon Lewis has excellent eyesight and a much more dangerous inheritance: a curse that lets him take the form of Anubis. He keeps his distance from people, afraid of what getting close might cost them. When a gang targets his neighbor Rachel, he intervenes in a Sacramento where licensed superheroes have official permission to fight crime and vigilantes don't.

## What makes it funny?

The criminals can't recognize a jackal, so a man who embodies an Egyptian god gets called Doberman. Copyrighted superhero names make the mistake rather convenient. Leon also keeps up a sarcastic commentary that the official hero Steelant doesn't always appreciate. Readers in LitRPG groups single out the naming joke while enjoying the superhero and game-system combination.

### The comedy at work

Leon has a frightening supernatural identity and an awkward public image. The narration adds smaller embarrassments: when he watches a strip club to protect Rachel, it hurriedly insists that he's never been inside. His defensive explanations and wisecracks give the danger a less solemn voice.

### Try this if…

Readers in LitRPG groups compare it to Super Powereds and ask for more of its superhero, fantasy and game-system mix. The appeal is a reluctant protector with a sarcastic streak, developing powers and personal reasons to fear using them.

### Good to know

Expect superhero fights, gang threats and peril, with mild language and a strip-club setting. Leon's fear that his curse endangers the people he loves gives the jokes an emotional weight.

## What to expect

- Genre: Fantasy · LitRPG
- On the shelf: Progression fantasy · Superhero · Urban fantasy
- Kind of humor: Dry wit · Situational comedy
- Format: Novel
- Published: 2026

## A few distinguishing details

- Anubis gets mistaken for a Doberman
- Superhero names are already copyrighted

## Questions readers ask

### Is Doberman pronounced like the dog breed?

The author says it is, except for a joke.

### Does he behave like a dog or jackal?

The author says his transformation serves as a superhero identity and doesn't give him animal behavior. His progression focuses on Anubis, including a sarcophagus.

## Sources & further reading

- Author commentary: [Author announcement and answers](https://www.reddit.com/r/litrpg/comments/1t04xy6/a_superhero_called_doberman_litrpg_releases_june)
- Book information: [Paperback listing](https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-superhero-called-doberman-shami-stovall/1149789742)
- Reading sample: [Review and reading excerpt](https://guatemalapaula.blogspot.com/2026/07/review-tour-giveaway-superhero-called.html)
- Review: [Review and excerpt](https://ginaraemitchell.com/a-superhero-called-doberman)
- Reader discussion: [Reader discussion](https://facebook.com/groups/LitRPG.books/permalink/27819918740938098)