Supervillains – Kristen Brand

Mary Jane Watson’s Wedding Dress is Perfection (And Other Thoughts on Weddings and Comics)

So… I’m getting married later this month.

I know, right? It’s incredibly exciting yet stressful. I’m super ready to marry this man, but wedding planning is such an ordeal, you guys. It’s given me a deep and unyielding sympathy for every character in a superhero franchise whose wedding ceremony was crashed by marauding supervillains.

That poor couple spent months searching for a venue, finding an officiant and a caterer, choosing colors, arranging centerpieces, ordering favors–and I’ll stop now, otherwise this post will become a 500-word checklist of all the things you need to do to plan a wedding.

And then some costumed jerk comes and ruins everything. You’re never going to get those months of your life back!

Flash Wedding Gif — NO RORY. THIS IS LITERALLY THE WORST POSSIBLE THING THAT COULD HAPPEN.

Continue reading Mary Jane Watson’s Wedding Dress is Perfection (And Other Thoughts on Weddings and Comics)

New Superhero Fiction of 2019 (Part 3)

Happy Halloween, everybody! I should probably have a Halloween-themed post today, but it’s been a while since I’ve done a roundup of new superhero fiction, so here we are. I’ll say it’s still Halloween-related, since a lot people dress up as superheroes for the holiday. 😉

As usual, I haven’t read all of these books personally, so check out the reviews and previews before purchasing. And happy reading!

This post contains affiliate links.

Sidekicks: Superpower Chronicles Books 1

by Arthur Mayor

All the superheroes died, who’s left?

My life is full of choices. Paper or plastic, cake or pie, tackle my chem homework or give a supervillain a well-deserved smackdown? (The answer’s obvious: cake.) When the leader of the world’s most powerful superhero team asked me to become Raven, his apprentice, that was the easiest choice ever. But I blew it. Continue reading New Superhero Fiction of 2019 (Part 3)

Turn Back the Pages: Secret Six

Turn Back the Pages is a feature where I spotlight a comic that is not fresh and new. It may have come out a few months ago or even a few years ago. Maybe it was hyped and popular, or maybe it was an underappreciated gem. Whatever the case, it’ll be a great comic that’s well worth a read.

Ah, villains. Some, we love to hate. Others, we hate to love. And some, we just can’t get enough of because despite their poor decisions, twisted moral code, and tenuous grip on sanity, they’re just so darn charismatic and fun.

Enter the Secret Six.

Continue reading Turn Back the Pages: Secret Six

New Superhero Fiction of 2019 (Part 2)

Hey, super-readers. It’s been a while since I’ve posted a new superhero fiction roundup, so here’s a giant mega-post with ~~twelve~~ thirteen new books! I’m tempted to call it “New Supervillain Fiction,” since the villains almost outnumber the heroes. But I love a compelling, complex supervillain, so bring on the bad guys.

As usual, I haven’t personally read all of these books, so check out the samples and review before purchasing. And happy reading!

(And here’s Part 1, if you missed it.)

How to Become a Henchman, A Novel: The Henchman’s Survival Guide

by J Bennett

Welcome to Big Little City, a semi-reality town where everyone who isn’t already a hero or a villain wants to become one.

Well, almost everyone… Alice just needs to keep her head down, earn her college degree, and then she’ll finally be able to escape this crazy place and find a real job. Too bad a super scary villain just blew up the restaurant where she works and her paycheck along with it!

Now Alice finds herself running low on funds and employment options. Her tuition bill is due, and the university doesn’t take promises or tales of woe.

As luck would have it, one of the town’s most famous villains is holding henchmen auditions. The gig would earn Alice the money she needs; all she has to do is betray every instinct and play the “Fame Game” she despises.

Oh, and she’s also got to beat out the other competitors who might just kill for the limited henchmen spots. Continue reading New Superhero Fiction of 2019 (Part 2)

Summer Getaway: A White Knight & Black Valentine Series Short Story

Dave set their suitcases on the dresser and stretched, still stiff from the flight. He surveyed the cozy bedroom, taking a moment to appreciate the view of the mountains out the window.

“This is nice,” he said to Val.

“I need to have it redecorated,” she called back from the bathroom, where she was touching up her make-up before their dinner reservation. “Everything’s horribly out of date—which I guess I should’ve expected. I haven’t used this place in years.”

Dave was just happy to visit one of her properties on a vacation and not as a safehouse to hide in while someone was trying to kill them. He pulled off his watch, wanting to wear a nicer one for dinner, and opened the top draw of the nightstand to put it in.

He stopped, watch still in hand, and stared down for several moments. Continue reading Summer Getaway: A White Knight & Black Valentine Series Short Story

Older Characters in Superhero Media

Readers of The White Knight & Black Valentine Series sometimes ask me why I chose to make my heroes “older.” The superhero genre doesn’t have an age limit: it includes heroes from children to seniors. Just look at the Power Pack or the Justice Society of America. Like most media, though, I’d say it skews young, and the genre has its roots in teen heroes and superpowers as a metaphor for puberty.

With the explosion of live-action superhero films and television starring actors who are human rather than ink on page and therefore age, we’re seeing a few more characters on the older half of the spectrum. Except when CGI makes them look younger. Oh, and those aging actors are rarely women.

But we’re all growing older (unless you’re reading this from a Lazarus Pit), so let’s take a look at those awesome elders of superhero media who don’t let age stop them from saving (or destroying) the world. Continue reading Older Characters in Superhero Media

How to Write a Series of Superhero Fiction

I’ve made some mistakes.

I’ve also written some pretty good stuff, in my totally-not-biased opinion.

If nothing else, now that I’ve finished The White Knight & Black Valentine Series and am the author of five superhero novels, I’ve learned a lot. And, like the veteran superhero imparting her knowledge to her young sidekick, I’m here to pass on what I’ve learned so you can do better than me. Continue reading How to Write a Series of Superhero Fiction