Creepy Scarlett is a figure from Sunnyville folklore. Some say she's a great evil who once destroyed Sunnyville, while others say she's heroic and saved the town, but no one is quite sure which story is true. In reality, Scarlett is some sort of supernatural entity who possesses superior combat abilities, a love of candy, and is trapped in Sunnyville's cemetery except on Halloween of each year, which is when our stories take place.
Books & S--t #002: Domaine Ste McNeil
*Warning: Contains strong language, alcohol consumption, and adult content.
In this episode of the scalding hot, new podcast celebrating our love of literature and booze, Brian & Sam welcome special guest author Gretchen McNeil (Possess, Ten) and focus on the growing trend of Twitter chats as book promotion and publicity (Tor Chat, Random House Chat). They also discuss Gretchen's favorite literary heroine, who ACTUALLY wrote To Kill A Mockingbird, and also go through the steps of performing a Christian exorcism as dictated by Wiki-how.
When I heard DC was going to be relaunching their universe from square one, I was intrigued because my least favorite part of superhero comics are the convoluted backstories and continuity; it's enough to make anyone confused. While in this case, the New 52 did not meet my expectations for all of their titles, I stuck with it, finding some titles I really enjoyed and some not so much. What I can say is I read at least a little bit of almost every title and now have a thorough appreciation for what the New 52 is and isn't. Below are the the titles I'm going to be sticking with, keeping an eye on, and a few that I don't see myself going back to anytime soon.
Epic Kill is the summer action film of comics. Comparisons to movies like Hanna or Kill Bill would not go amiss as 18-year-old Song goes after the man, Senator Rook, who killed her parents and best friend when she was a child.
Because Epic Kill is all about action, it's a good thing that Raffaele Ienco is able to bring these ridiculously awesome set pieces to life. Song comes across as confident, powerful, and an utter bada-- whether she's chasing her prey in a stolen big rig or taking out a pack of guards. And, explosions? Yeah, there are plenty of those, too.
This is one title that could benefit from a synopsis in the front. According to Wikipedia (which means it must be true), the story is about Conrad Paulson, a thief who screwed up his relationship with his ex-wife Audrey and his son Augustus and now is looking for ways to repair those relationships while changing his preferred marks from the rich to other thieves.
The latest character in the Turtles universe to get the focus of a micro-series issue is Fugitoid. Issue #8 in the micro-series shines the spotlight on Fugitoid.
Well, this certainly brings me back. I had read this issue as part of a much larger graphic novel a hundred times over as a child. Easy. Though the cartoon show was my introduction into Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's world of mutated, ninja reptiles, it was the comic books I became most hooked on. Yes, I know the comics came out before the cartoon, but I hadn't heard of them. One Christmas I received two enormous TMNT graphic novels that became my new obsession. Sure, the show was great at the time, but these books were how I thought the turtles should really be. It was dark, gritty, violent, and just felt more real.
Rex Mundi is a fascinating book. The setting is nearly as interesting as the plot, which is shocking in a conspiracy story. Set in 1930s Paris, this comic slowly peels back layers of a vast and unusual mystery. The story follows the dark alleys of heresy in the Catholic Church in France and the moral ambiguities that power plays in a religious face. The easy comparison would be to The Da Vinci Code, so I will make that one. Personally, I liked this book much better than Dan Brown’s derivative opus. For one, the characters are interesting. Also, the mystery is more entertaining. I don’t want to get into details, but let’s just say this book is willing to take its time revealing the secrets. Speaking of which, don’t pick this one up expecting all the answers. This is just volume one.
Jim McCann's soap opera murder mystery set primarily in a young woman's mind was missing one key ingredient, and clearly that ingredient was hoodie-wearing werewolves expertly drawn by Rodin Esquejo. Oh, thank goodness, they've remedied that oversight in this expertly crafted fourth issue of Mind the Gap. This book is a high drama mystery where nothing is as it seems, and every character you meet has hidden agendas and ulterior motives. At the center of all of this is Elle, who's recently been murdered and is searching through her fragmented memories in the “Garden,” a mysterious world that balances between life and death, while her body lies lifeless in a coma.
The first arc of Creator-Owned Heroes wraps up with this issue. In case you didn't know, Creator-Owned Heroes, the brainchild of Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Steve Niles, is a monthly comic anthology collecting 40+ pages of comics, interviews, and artwork from top comics professionals. The first arc (Issues #1-4) has two ongoing comic stories: Trigger Girl #6 by Gray and Palmiotti with art by Phil Noto and American Muscle by Steve Niles and Kevin Mellon. This anthology is a really cool idea that not only puts two awesome comics in your hand but gives you a look between the pages as top industry professionals show you the tricks of the trade.