Category Archives: Comics/Books

Love it? Hate it? New Avengers Lineup!

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We all know by now that Marvel comics is doing a massive crossover (and money-maker) beginning in May. You’ve heard the name before: yes, they’re redoing Secret Wars. Of course they’re doing it differently, but just the name alone is going to suck recovering comic book addicts like me back in. Sometimes I feel like Michael Corleone in Godfather III (which isn’t as bad as it’s reputation, but that’s a different story).

I’m not going to talk about the new Secret Wars, but I’m going to talk about the aftermath. Marvel recently revealed it’s post-Secret Wars lineup for the Avengers. I love it.

I love it because it shows that Marvel is trying to reach a wider demographic: Not just white boys, but boys and girls of all races and religions.

The new line up is:

Iron Man: Maybe it’s Tony, maybe it’s Pepper Potts

Ms. Marvel: Not Carol Danvers, but the teen Kamala Khan (the first Muslim and Pakistani Marvel Superhero)

Thor: Not Donald Blake, but the new female wielder of Mjolnir. Her identity is still unknown.

Captain America: Not Steve Rogers (who was artificially aged, nor Bucky Barnes. It’s Sam Wilson–The Falcon–who carries the shield (does he carry the shield? I hope so).

Vision: Let’s face it, you can’t have the Avengers without Vision.

Nova: The teenaged Sam Alexander, who is also half Latino.

Spider-Man: Not Peter Parker, but Miles Morales. Yes, Miles Morales is sucked into the main continuity from the Ultimates Universe (which gets destroyed). I love Miles, he’s a great character, and I think he fits perfectly what a modern Spider-Man should be. What this means for Pete, I don’t know, but I hope he gets a happy ending, or at least not die.

The New Avengers

So as you can see, Marvel is going young (Nova, Spidey, and Ms. Marvel) and they’re going diverse. They’re going for the new generation, and I think that’s the right move. Diversity is the key.

Like my posts? Follow my website or “Like” my facebook fan page and/or follow me on Twitter. You can also purchase my debut novel, Song of Simon, at any online bookstore or a real one (they both exist). Song of Simon currently has a 4.7/5.0 rating on Amazon, so it’s pretty damn good. If you’re looking for something FREE, you can read my serial (soon to be an expanded series of novels) The Watchmage of Old New York. Though it ended in February, 2014, it remains one of the most popular serials on JukePop OF ALL TIME!

Ninja Turtle Donatello Dies! (maybe)

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A quick reminder: My Goodreads giveaway runs out at the end of the month. Enter now for a chance to win a signed copy of SONG OF SIMON.

I haven’t read the TMNT comic in many years, but I have a lot of love for the heroes in a half shell. That’s why when I read that Donatello dies in the next issue, I was shocked.

Actually, I wasn’t shocked. If I remember correctly, Donatello was once shot and thrown from a helicopter. They kept him alive with robotic parts, turning him into a cyborg.

Yes, a teenage mutant ninja cyborg.

Donnie was never my favorite (that goes to Leo), but I liked him a lot. I always saw him as the most pure-hearted of the turtles, even more than Mikey. Donnie was the introverted nerd, and the nerd in me related to him. Nerds of a feather…er…shell…flock together.

I’m sure that they will find a way to revive him. After all, in comics everybody comes back except Uncle Ben, Batman’s parents, and Bucky Barnes…forget that last part.

Here’s a screen shot from the comic.

Poor Donnie.

I told my pet turtle Shelvin about it. He was unmoved, and went back to fighting Godzilla.

Shelvin vs Godzilla

Like my posts? Follow my website or “Like” my facebook fan page and/or follow me on Twitter. You can also purchase my debut novel, Song of Simon, at any online bookstore or a real one (they both exist). Song of Simon currently has a 4.7/5.0 rating on Amazon, so it’s pretty damn good. If you’re looking for something FREE, you can read my serial (soon to be an expanded series of novels) The Watchmage of Old New York. Though it ended in February, 2014, it remains one of the most popular serials on JukePop OF ALL TIME!

Terry Pratchett and the Splinter in Your Heart

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First, a reminder: I’m having a Goodreads Giveaway for 2 signed copies of Song of Simon. You can enter here

I never read any Discworld. I never read Strata or The Unadulterated Cat. The only book I ever read of his was Good Omens, with Neil Gaiman. Despite this, I’m very moved by his death.

Books make a difference. They make people happy, and his work brought so much joy to people. He died too soon, of a horrible disease that took his mind before his body. Yet he is now immortal, for his work will live on. Isn’t that all a writer wants–to live beyond death? I know that it is for me.

I wonder if he’d appreciate the irony around his death. He was a proponent of assisted suicide, and that caused great controversy. People championed him, and others damned him. It’s a subject that he had the courage to fight for. In the end, he died before he had a chance.

According to Gaiman, none of us really knew him. He was not the comic personality that we assume from his writing. He was angry, even before his disease. To quote “Some people have encountered an affable man with a beard and a hat. They believe they have met Sir Terry Pratchett. They have not.”

He had a splinter digging into his heart, and it fueled his books. His mastery came from fury. Can you blame him?

I found this collection of quotes by him. Can you see the anger? Anger made him strong. It made him real. It made him a master. May we all keep that splinter in our hearts.

“And Death said: ‘AT LAST, SIR TERRY, WE MUST WALK TOGETHER.’”

“Terry took Death’s arm, and followed him through the doors and on to the black desert under the endless night.”

I hope that you find peace, Sir Terry.

Like my posts? Follow my website or “Like” my facebook fan page and/or follow me on Twitter. You can also purchase my debut novel, Song of Simon, at any online bookstore or a real one (they both exist). Song of Simon currently has a 4.7/5.0 rating on Amazon, so it’s pretty damn good. If you’re looking for something FREE, you can read my serial (soon to be an expanded series of novels) The Watchmage of Old New York. Though it ended in February 2014, it remains one of the most popular serials on JukePop OF ALL TIME!

Turning Over an Old Leaf

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First, a reminder: I’m having a Goodreads Giveaway for 2 signed copies of Song of Simon. You can enter here

Now then…
For the past month, my productivity has been way down. What happened is that I finished the first draft of the second Watchmage novel, and I’m in revision mode. That means that I’m not writing, and when I don’t write, I start to come apart. I’ve been watching too much Netflix and playing too many video games. Worse, my anxiety has been through the roof, which I attribute to the lack of writing.

ba8b3-dog-meme-no-idea

I started writing a short story the other day, and I suddenly suck. This is what happens when you don’t write on a schedule. It’s also what happens when you play video games and watch tv (even good tv) instead of read.

I’m trying to develop better coping methods for anxiety, and I think I need to read more. Getting lost in a book is the second best way for me to forget my troubles (writing is the best). Also, if I want to write better, I have to read more. If I fill my head with garbage, garbage comes out. Fill it with literary fruits and vegetables, and I produce something better, like a parfait or Edible Arrangement.

So I’m going to get back to my old school self and dive into books. It saved my sanity as a teen, maybe it’ll save it again.

Like my posts? Follow my website or “Like” my facebook fan page and/or follow me on Twitter. You can also purchase my debut novel, Song of Simon, at any online bookstore or a real one (they both exist). Song of Simon currently has a 4.7/5.0 rating on Amazon, so it’s pretty damn good. If you’re looking for something FREE, you can read my serial (soon to be an expanded series of novels) The Watchmage of Old New York. Though it ended in February 2014, it remains one of the most popular serials on JukePop OF ALL TIME!

FREE GIVEAWAY!!!

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You heard me right. I’m diving into the Goodreads swamp and offering TWO, yes two, neither one nor three (five is right out), signed paperback copies of SONG OF SIMON. Since this is a book that sells for $23.50, it’s a pretty good deal. Not to mention that it’s a helluva read.

Here’s the link for it. Enter now. Tell your friends. The more entrants I get, the better.

songofsimon

In addition, I’m holding a giveaway on this very website. Not only am I giving away two copies here, but the winners will also receive copies of the anthology Twisted Love, filled with stories of romance gone horribly wrong. My short story “If You Leave Me,” is in there.

If you are interested in this giveaway, just comment below, or on the official giveaway page.

twisted love

You can enter both the Goodreads and my personal one. I suggest both, as it doubles your chances.

Feel free to reblog this. Again, the more entrants, the more likely that I will do this again.

excited space cat

Like my posts? Follow my website or “Like” my facebook fan page and/or follow me on Twitter. You can also purchase my debut novel, Song of Simon, at any online bookstore or a real one (they both exist). Song of Simon currently has a 4.7/5.0 rating on Amazon, so it’s pretty damn good. If you’re looking for something FREE, you can read my serial (soon to be an expanded series of novels) The Watchmage of Old New York. Though it ended in February, it remains one of the most popular serials on JukePop OF ALL TIME!

Agent Carter Finale

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So what did you think of last night’s Agent Carter finale? I was very pleased with it. Writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely should be proud of what they created here. They brought the plot together full circle, with Stark attempting redemption not just for Midnight Oil, but for losing Captain America (which wasn’t his fault anyway, but guilt is a funny thing). Stark was clearly the focus of the episode, and Peggy was the catalyst character for him to change his ways through the series. To paraphrase, “you (Peggy) are the only one that believes in me.”

The climax was fantastic. Stark was hypnotized by Doctor Faustus (the Comic Book name for Ivchenko) into believing that he could save Cap. It took Peggy to bring him down by convincing him that Captain America was dead, and we had to move on. Of course, that’s something that Peggy couldn’t do, at least not yet. When she destroyed his blood sample at the end, well, that’s where she finally achieved peace. It’s not easy getting over a loved ones’ death, but there’s peace at the end of that tearful ride.

Jarvis tailing Stark to shoot him down, was pretty cool too.

I’m hoping that there’s a second season. At the end they brought in Armin Zola. You can’t bring in a major villain like that, have him talk to Faustus, and not have some sort of ramification. Does anyone know if they’ve been renewed?

David Tennant to Play The Purple Man

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Well this was a surprising turn of events. David Tennant, best known as the Tenth Doctor on Doctor Who, will play The Purple Man (Dr. Zebediah Killgrave), in the new Netflix series Aka, Jessica Jones. The Purple Man is one of the most dastardly, depraved villains in the entire Marvel Universe. This should be interesting.

Here Tennant talks about his upcoming part:

“I grew up on Marvel Comics so it’s very exciting to be part of their ever expanding entertainment empire,” he said. “I love the movies, I love the TV shows that they do so I’m very pleased to be part of one.”

The Purple Tie, a beginning

The Purple Man (they’re calling him Kilgrave in the series) is a long time villain of the “street level” Marvel heroes, mostly Daredevil, Jones, Heroes for Hire, and the like. He has mind control powers, and he has no problem using them for horrible acts, including rape. He once abducted and controlled Jessica Jones for several months, subjecting her to all sorts of torture. This will probably be part of her backstory in the series, and his reappearance will cause all sorts of trauma and conflict. With Luke Cage and potentially Iron Fist also in the series, this could be excellent (or terrible).

I’m dying to see how Tennant takes on such an evil role, so unlike his stint as The Doctor. He’s done evil before–he played Barty Crouch Jr in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but that was more of an insane evil (Chaotic Evil, you might say). The Purple Man is a Lawful Evil type, a tyrant hungry for wealth, power, and ultimate control. He’s a master manipulator and true sociopath. In other words, he’s a bastard.

If Marvel wanted to hook me into this series, they did their job well. I’ve got a fever, and the only prescription is…well, you get it.

Like my posts? Follow my website or “Like” my facebook fan page and/or follow me on Twitter. You can also purchase my debut novel, Song of Simon, at any online bookstore or a real one (you’ll probably have to order it). Of course, you can always buy an autographed one from me, just send me a message. Song of Simon currently has a 4.7/5.0 rating on Amazon, so people seem to like it. If you’re looking for something FREE, you can read my serial (soon to be an expanded series of novels) The Watchmage of Old New York. Though it ended in February, it remains one of the most popular serials on JukePop OF ALL TIME!

Marvel vs Attack on Titan is Here!

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Marvel’s been using the term “titanic team up” for decades, but nothing like this.

News about a Marvel and Attack on Titan has been circling for a weeks, and now it’s HERE. Actually, it’s over here. Below is the first page, a little squeezed together to protect Marvel’s copyright.

Page 1

It’s shorter than I wanted it, but it’s pretty good. It’s got Spider-Man trying to psyche out Titans with trash talk (good luck with that), banter between Hawkeye and Black Widow, and Captain America being Captain America. There’s a pretty cool “ending,” but i’d hardly call it an ending. Really, it’s every superhero playing their bare bones character archetype instead of going into depth. I want more than just 8 pages, no, I DEMAND it.

If you’re going to do something so awesome, don’t skimp on the awesomeness. I’m hoping that this is just a tease. I won’t be satisfied until the last titan takes a shot to the back of the neck.

Meanwhile, a clever AoT fan took the Attack on Buffalo (with lots of snow) and recreated a classic scene from the series. You can check that out here.

Like my posts? Follow my website or “Like” my facebook fan page and/or follow me on Twitter. You can also purchase my debut novel, Song of Simon, at any online bookstore or a real one (they both exist). Song of Simon currently has a 4.8/5.0 rating on Amazon, so it’s pretty damn good. If you’re looking for something FREE, you can read my serial (soon to be an expanded series of novels) The Watchmage of Old New York. Though it ended in February, it remains one of the most popular serials on JukePop OF ALL TIME!

CM Punk to Write for Marvel!

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CM Punk is going to write Thor Annual #1 for Marvel, and I’m about to leap out of my chair with joy. My geek worlds are colliding in this explosion of Awesomeness. Now if only he finds a way to work D&D into the storyline (Thor: Volstagg, thou must save versus Will. Thy DC is 16).

Check out his interview at Marvel.com for more information.

This is the bees knees, the tops, jolly good, and other olde timey phrases. After Punk quit the WWE, I wondered what he was going to do next. Would he come back to the WWE or maybe Ring of Honor? Would he marry his girlfriend, wrestler AJ Lee? (he did). Would he go on tour with Rancid (Valerie would’ve smiled down from heaven for that). I knew that he was a comicbook fan (He once worked at a comic shop, and “it’s clobbin’ time” has been one of his catch phrases for a long time). He’s also a very intelligent, creative person, which you can see in his promos and interviews. Despite that, it never occurred to me that he might write a comic, let alone a Marvel icon.

Apparently it’s been something he’s wanted to do for years. He’s been studying scripts and the Marvel Method. Putting on tights and performing stuntman fights in front of 30k people a night has got to be great preparation for the world of comics.

Tell it again…

Thor is going through a lot of changes right now. Last month he lost his arm in a fight with Malekith, and an unnamed (so far) woman now wields Mjolnir. It’ll be interesting to see where CM Punk goes with it. “Best in the world?” We’ll find out soon.

Damn, he still looks badass.

Like my posts? Follow my website or “Like” my facebook fan page and/or follow me on Twitter. You can also purchase my debut novel, Song of Simon, at any online bookstore or a real one (they both exist). Song of Simon currently has a 4.8/5.0 rating on Amazon, so it’s pretty damn good. If you’re looking for something FREE, you can read my serial (soon to be an expanded series of novels) The Watchmage of Old New York. Though it ended in February, it remains one of the most popular serials on JukePop OF ALL TIME!

The Ten (Fifteen) Book Challenge

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I’ve been tagged by a dozen people to list the 10 books that have stayed with me and had a great influence. I have to expand it to 15, and I’m still not done. I did a list on my Facebook fan page, but I think I’ll do a more detailed one here (because reasons). There are many books that I had to leave out, including the many comic books that have influenced me. Maybe I’ll do another post on those…

(In chronological order)
1. Chicken Soup With Rice–Maurice Sendak
Maurice Sendak was my favorite author as a small child, even more than Doctor Seuss. This is my favorite book from the nutshell collection (A Alligators All Around, Pierre, etc). I almost put The Monster at the End of This Book (which is not Sendak) instead.

In January it’s so nice…

2. The Pushcart War–Jean Merrill
A fantastic book about the little guy standing up against unstoppable forces. This gave me the idea, foolish that it may be, that equality is worth fighting for, even if it’s blowing tacks into a truck’s tires.

Fuck those trucks!

3. The Great Brain Series–John D. Fitzgerald
I love these books so very much. Not only did Fitzgerald create a vivid setting (his own childhood), he painted his family with a deft hand. Someone, he’s able to make a swindler like his brother Tom into a roguish hero. Every child should read these books.

4. The Call of the Wild–Jack London
I read this book in 7th grade. While I enjoyed White Fang more, The Call of the Wild really stuck with me. The setting was fantastic, and seeing the savage world from a domestic (though physically superior) dog’s point of view entranced me. Buck, Sol-leks, Francois and Perrault, they were all incredible characters that I still hold in my heart.

5. The Crystal Shard–R.A.Salvatore
I read this at age 14, just as I was getting back into D&D. It has everything you would want in pulp fantasy: Evil wizards, A demon, a powerful artifact, noble warriors, and the renegade dark elf that would soon have over 30 books about him, Drizzt Do’Urden. Although Wulfgar was the main protagonist in TCS, Drizzt stole the show. After all these years, I’m still a mark for Drizzt and Salvatore’s work.

My dog ate the cover

6. The D&D Players Handbook–Various Authors
My love for D&D is well documented in this blog (and in various interviews). The Players Handbook (2nd edition) was the door. I could also include The Fighter’s Handbook, The DM Guide, and Creative Campaigning (my first exposure to world building and story structure).

7. Catcher in the Rye–JD Salinger
It’s become trendy to disparage Holden Caulfield as some whiny kid with entitlement problems. I say that if you read it this way, you’re completely missing the point. Holden is a deeply scarred boy: devastated by his brother’s death, ostracized by his family, sexually abused by his teachers (you have to pay attention, but it’s there). He’s a walking contradiction, a cynic, an idealist, a person willing to stand up for his beliefs and to bury them under the skin. That makes him as true to a real person as you can get.

8. Animal Farm–George Orwell
A shocking and apt political allegory. What this book did was open my eyes to a common theme in my writing: “all actions have unforeseen repercussions.” It’s the corruption of the pigs that destroys a noble endeavor. We all know that power corrupts, but how many pay attention to the people that suffer from such corruption?

9. Bastard out of Carolina–Dorothy Allison
A dramatic and tragic coming of age story with a vivid backdrop. The South is pretty foreign to me, and Allison paints a striking and disturbing picture. She fearlessly tackles physical and sexual abuse. Despite all of her flaws, she turns her mother into a character you empathize with, all the while reviling her choices.

10. Rule of the Bone–Russell Banks
Another coming of age novel that deals with abuse. Bone is a modern day Huck Finn (another book I should’ve included), running away from home, bouncing from crazy experiences to crazier ones.

sup to you, Bone…

11.The DemonWars Series–R.A.Salvatore
DemonWars (I hate the series title, but it stuck) is more complex than the Drizzt books. They certainly carry more emotional heft. Salvatore builds his own world, filled with rich history and religion. Several storylines echo modern ethical questions. I especially recommend the novel Mortalis, one of the most emotionally charged books in the genre that I’ve ever read.

12. The Harry Potter Series–JK Rowling
A classic example of The Hero’s Journey, good vs evil, and the redemptive power of love. What I love most about this series is that you can see Rowling improve as a writer with every book.

13. The Writer’s Journey–Christopher Vogler
A non-fiction book that spelled out the Hero’s Journey better than Campbell ever could. It offers a lot of practical advice for writers. If you haven’t heard of Vogler, it’s because he’s a Hollywood script consultant. He’s worked on some of the most popular movies in history, especially for Disney.

14. A Song of Ice and Fire–George RR Martin
Dark, complex (I seem to say that a lot on this list), and a complete perversion of the fantasy genre. ASOIAF is a masterpiece, and if it continues at this level, it will be the greatest fantasy series ever written. The HBO version, Game of Thrones, holds up well, but it lacks the complexity of the books. Yes, the books are even more complex than the tv show.

15. American Gods–Neil Gaiman
My all time favorite book. Read this book! Read it!!

I mean it, READ AMERICAN GODS!!

There is nothing about this book that isn’t excellent

And this list is still not complete! I’m not going to include any honorable mentions, because they’re just too many. This list could conceivably go on for another dozen entries. I’ve hardly scratched the surface.

Like my posts? Follow my website or “Like” my facebook fan page and/or follow me on Twitter. You can also purchase my debut novel, Song of Simon, at any online bookstore or a real one (they both exist). Song of Simon currently has a 4.8/5.0 rating on Amazon, so it’s pretty damn good. If you’re looking for something FREE, you can read my serial (soon to be an expanded series of novels) The Watchmage of Old New York. Though it ended in February, it remains one of the most popular serials on JukePop OF ALL TIME!