Surfer Girl

Posted on January 15, 2012 by

In her first adventure, Jo Tanis managed to save Earth by foiling an alien invasion. But now she’s getting her “ass kicked by a pair of pimply thugs” in a dark alley. It’s obvious that she still has a lot to learn about being a superhero.

That’s because until recently Tanis was a superhero in name only. Known publicly as Surf, she was part of a performing troupe who participated in highly rated skirmishes on television. Her superpowers were real, but the fights were choreographed and fake. She was simply a celebrity who looked good in spandex as she streaked across the sky.

But give her a little bit of credit. When space aliens came to town, she got her priorities in order. With the help of a hastily assembled crew of superhumans, she was able to negotiate a resolution to the crisis. On that day, the world lost a sexy pinup model and gained an honest-to-goodness superhero.

Now there’s another crisis on the horizon. A couple of rogue supers have vowed to destroy various cities around the world (starting with Erie, Pennsylvania, apparently) unless they receive a suitcase filled with $50 billion cash money. A showdown is arranged between Tanis and a guy named GroundPounder in the Nevada desert. And this time the skirmish won’t be televised or fake.

There’s plenty of super action in this book. But the author is more interested in her characters’ inner lives. Tanis, of course, is the number one navel gazer of the bunch. But everyone’s got issues to resolve, even the bad guys.

There’s also a big romance brewing between Tanis and one of her teammates. Deep down all she wants is “true love, peace and happiness for the world.” But the sexual tension she feels for Hunter Dillon is driving her crazy. “I know one thing,” she says just prior to her mano a womano bout in Nevada, “I’m not going to die without at least getting laid once.” Everyone needs a little inspiration in life. It’s nice to see that Jo Tanis has finally found hers.

[Heroes Without, Heroes Within / By Sheryl Nantus / First Printing: January 2012 / ISBN: 9781609285746]

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Invisible and Justice for All

Posted on January 8, 2012 by

James Maxey has written a book with a split personality. On one hand, Nobody Gets the Girl is a novel of moral ambiguity on a Biblical scale. It is the story of a man named Dr. Knowbokov who knowingly sparks a second big bang and puts the universe back together wrong. He is God, in other words. And he is a supervillain.

It is also a novel that caters to adolescent fanboy fantasies. The hero of the story is an invisible man who sleeps with sexy superheroes and spies on girls in the shower. He is, writes the author, “a voyeur ghost, eternally seeking truth and beauty, jerking off when he finds it.” The guy is an invisible horndog, an everyman with a comic book kink.

For his part, Dr. Knowbokov is trying to save the world by reforesting and repopulating the vanished species of Earth. That sounds noble, doesn’t it? But to do so, he needs to round up every human on the planet and stack them up like firewood in life-supporting wombs in floating super-cities in the middle of the ocean.

Like all great villains, the doctor thinks he’s the hero of his story. He may have initiated a second big bang (oops!), but he’s doing his best to put the pieces of reality back together again. So what if he has to manipulate the total obliteration of Jerusalem? No sacrifice is too big to stop him from his final solution.

Nobody Gets the Girl is a novel inspired by all the madness and speculation surrounding the end of the millennium. It features big ideas and humor, and borrows bits and pieces from Alan Moore’s Watchmen. In the end, two superheroes rejoin on Mars to reflect upon the future. It is here, on a planet symbolizing war and violence, where a new universe will be born. As the book’s title promises, the invisible man gets the girl. Horny comic book readers shout hooray.

[Nobody Gets the Girl / By James Maxey / First Printing: July 2003 / ISBN: 9780972002622]

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Career of Evil

Posted on January 1, 2012 by

H.I.V.E. is the world’s most unique and prestigious educational establishment. Founded in the late 1960s in Iceland (and later moved to a dormant volcano in the middle of the ocean), the institute represents a state-of-the-art training facility. Its friendly and professional staff is available 24/7 to motivate and assist students strive for greater excellence. It takes the best, after all, to produce the worst.

That’s because H.I.V.E. is the world’s first and only school of applied villainy. Only the worst, the most cunning, the most mischievous kids from around the world are allowed to enroll. “The Higher Institute of Villainous Education does not train bank robbers, burglars, car thieves, or muggers,” explains Dr. Maximilian Nero, the school’s founder and controller. Instead, it prepares students to rule the world of the future. If Lex Luthor or Lord Voldemort had kids they would undoubtedly be sent to H.I.V.E.

But training criminal masterminds can be harder than it seems. It’s always a delicate balancing act for the school to produce leaders and not monsters. And sometimes the unthinkable happens. Sometimes the Alpha track teen villains aren’t so evil. Sometimes they’re actually pretty decent.

Take Otto Malpense, for example. He’s a mischievous troublemaker with “potential like an unexploded nuclear bomb.” But deep down he’s not such a bad guy. In fact, he and his friends are all sort of sweet.

We love the idea of a school for supervillains. But we were disappointed the author didn’t do much to exploit the dichotomous potential of the situation. Why, for example, did he create such a wonderfully unique environment and then immediately concoct an escape plan for Otto and his pals? As readers, we don’t want to leave H.I.V.E. We want to live there. We want to take classes in elementary evil and global domination. We want to study with Ms. Leon, the professor who’s trapped inside the body of a cat because of a semi-permanent consciousness transfer. We definitely don’t want to waste time on a silly escape plan down a laundry chute.

We were also vaguely disappointed in the cast of teen villains. Otto is the focus of the book, but it’s actually his wingman Wing Fanchu (!) who’s the most interesting character. Even Nigel, the wimpy son of Diabolus Darkdoom, has a smidge more personality. Most disappointing of all, however, is how the two female characters, Laura Brand and Shelby Trinity, are dismissed during the book’s frankenflower finale. The author barricades them inside their dorm room until the crisis is over. What a shame. Before coming to H.I.V.E., Shelby was a cat burglar infamously known as Wraith. But now she’s cowering in her room when a mutant flower takes over the school. That doesn’t sound like super villainous behavior to us. By reputation she’s a teenage Catwoman. But in reality she’s nothing but a pussycat.

[H.I.V.E.: The Higher Institute of Villainous Education / By Mark Walden / First Printing: May 2007 / ISBN: 9781416935711]

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Superhero Novels: The Best of 2011 and a Peek at 2012

Posted on December 25, 2011 by

When someone discovers SuperheroNovels.com for the first time, they inevitably ask the same question: Are there enough superhero books being written to support a blog? The truth is we struggle mightily to keep abreast of all the novels that are published throughout the year. Big publishing houses may be slow to embrace the genre, but small imprints, ebooks, and self-publishing ventures are picking up the slack with gusto.

Below is a list of the top-five superhero novels of the past year. We’re not particularly interested in producing a consumer guide, but we wholeheartedly recommend these books as the best of 2011.

1) After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn. It’s always interesting when a best-selling mainstream author dips into the superhero genre pool. The results are often awkward and slightly condescending. We’re happy to report, however, that Vaughn’s first superhero novel is a winner. It’s the story of a young woman who is struggling with her superhero pedigree. And it’s our pick for best novel of the year.

2) Chicks in Capes edited by Lori Gentile and Karen O’Brien. Superhero antics are mostly a game for boys. That’s why this collection of gender-specific short stories is such a breath of fresh air. It’s time to let the girls into the clubhouse. Congratulations to the editors, the writers, and everyone involved. Let’s hope a second volume is already in the works.

3) Empire State by Adam Christopher. Superheroes are only a small part of this wildly creative novel. Their influence, however, weighs heavily upon every plot twist leading up to the final resolution. Empire State is an impressive novel that successfully combines pulp fiction, crime fiction, science fiction, noir affectations, surrealism, and superheroes. We applaud the author for his generous nature.

4) Invasion: Book One of the Secret World Chronicle by Mercedes Lackey, Steve Libbey, Cody Martin and Dennis Lee. Lackey and her crew are clearly having a blast creating their delightfully knotty superhero universe. We especially like Steve Libbey’s stories featuring Natalya Shostakovich. She and her team of displaced Russian superheroes are like a shot of Stolichnaya Elit every time they show up.

5) The Damned Busters by Matthew Hughes. Hughes is a quirky and witty writer, and much of this novel can be enjoyed simply by reading the sentences as they fly by. But Hughes is also a genre enthusiast who gleefully bends superhero tropes to his will. As a result, he’s produced a devilish superhero yarn about God and Satan and insurance company hubris. The end of the world was never so funny.

Now that we’ve successfully wrapped up 2011. It’s time to start looking ahead to next year. Below is a list of superhero novels we’re anticipating in 2012. It is a woefully incomplete list. So if you are an author or publisher and you don’t see your novel in the queue, please feel free to contact us. We’ll update this post faster than Kid Flash can tie his shoes.

2012  novels

Archvillain Book 2: The Mad Mask by Barry Lyga. Changeling by Kelly Meding. Civil War by Stuart Moore. The Coldest War by Ian Tregillis. Corrupts Absolutely edited by Lincoln Crisler. Costume Not Included by Matthew Hughes. Ex-Communication by Peter Clines. Fourteen Days of Asphalt by Blake M. Petit. Flying into Fire by Susan Jane Bigelow. Force and Deception by Jim Bernheimer. The Girl With the Granite Heart by A.J. Menden. The Green Lama: Crimson Circle by Adam Lance Garcia. Hell to Pay by Matthew Hughes. Heroes Without, Monsters Within by Sheryl Nantus. I, Crimsonstreak by Matt Adams. Mask of Anarchy by Jeff Pearce. The Monsters of Madame Atomos by André Caroff. No More Heroes edited by Wayne Goodchild and Bill Tucker. Nomorrow by Tommy Hancock. Only Superhuman by Christopher Bennett. Prepare to Die by Paul Tobin. The Red Rook by Fritz Freiheit. S.C.P.D.: Avenging Amethyst by Keith R.A. DeCandido. Seven Wonders by Adam Christopher. Shadow on the Wall by Pavarti Tyler. Sky Girl and the Superheroic Adventures by Joe Sergi. Soldiers of Legend: Collision by Danielle Kazemi. Stronger by Michael Carroll. The Super Evils by Carlton Mellick III. Tales of the Rook by Barry Reese and others. Villains Inc. by Marion G. Harmon. Warbound: Book III of the Grimnoir Chronicles by Larry Correia. Wayne of Gotham by Tracy Hickman. World Divided: Book Two of the Secret World Chronicle by Mercedes Lackey, Cody Martin, Dennis Lee and Veronica Giguere. H.I.V.E.: Zero Hour by Mark Walden.

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The God Machine

Posted on December 18, 2011 by

In Danielle Kazemi’s first book, a squadron of super soldiers was created as mercenary chattel. Later, in a laboratory accident, “chemicals fused with their genetically altered bodies,” and somehow they acquired extraordinary superhuman powers. With one of these soldiers on the payroll, any country could change the course of any war at any time.

Now in Kazemi’s follow-up novel, a machine has been assembled that can isolate genes within the human body and magnify their capacity even further. This machine can take superhuman potential to the cosmic level. In other words, it can turn Captain America into the Silver Surfer.

The machine is controlled by a lunatic who everyone calls the Commander. He’s cut from the same cloth as the Red Skull and Arnim Zola, and he has made it clear that he will continue to push his evil agenda until he has the entire world under his thumb. He is also the guy, btw, who helped create the original batch of superheroes.

And that’s when things really get really complicated. A handful of these superheroes have vowed to kill the Commander and destroy his god-making machine. But an equal number have steadfastly remained loyal to their creator. For our heroes, this divide sparks an existential struggle. There’s a lot of backstabbing and romantic tension in this novel, but it’s the bigger philosophical questions that we found most interesting. No matter how fucked up the world gets, it’s not easy to stand up and confront your progenitor. Just ask Frankenstein’s monster.

[Soldiers of Legend: Project Winter / By Danielle Kazemi / First Printing: October 2011 / ISBN: 9781465719270]

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Teen Titans Go!

Posted on December 11, 2011 by

There’s an old African saying that goes something like this: “When two elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers.” That pretty much sums up the MetaWars, a five-year battle between warring superheroes and supervillains. During that time period, Los Angeles became a ghost town, Chicago was left a smolder husk, the Mississippi River disappeared, Lake Erie was reduced to a cesspool, the Great Salt Lake became too alkaline to live near, New York’s five boroughs were trashed, and Central Park became ground zero in the war zone. While the MetaHuman elephants clashed overhead, the citizens suffered in the grass below.

Not only were the superheroes destroying the country they were fighting to save, their approval ratings were dipping lower and lower. Something had to be done quickly. The government eventually found a way to pull the rug from under the combatants and bring an end to the war. Everyone was stripped of their powers and contained. The bad guys were quarantined within Manhattan Island Prison, and the good guys were erased from the zeitgeist. This solution, controversial as it may have been, kept the peace for the next fifteen years.

But as quickly (and unexpectedly) as they disappeared, the superpowers eventually came back. “Having superpowers rudely restored after a fifteen-year disruption is a lot like childbirth,” explained Teresa West; “painful, beautiful, messy, and with lots of screaming.” And with the superpowers came the old rivalries. The MetaWar was back on.

Unfortunately, most of the original Ranger Corps (the good guys) were either dead or inactive. It was now up to a new, younger generation of heroes to carry the guidon into battle. These new recruits included an “oddball quintet of two shapeshifters, a strongman, a power blaster, and a man with enhanced senses.” The Justice League of America was dead; long live the Teen Titans.

And that’s exactly what this is, a respectful salute to the New Teen Titans. Author Kelly Meding even thanks Marv Wolfman and George Perez in her foreword for creating the series that launched her life-long obsession with superheroes.

In Meding’s world, MetaHuman history is a bit sketchy. No one, she writes, knows how the superheroes came into existence. And no one knows how long they’ve been hanging around. Were they created by God? By space aliens? Evolution? Radiation? No one really knows, but here’s our guess: MetaHumans have been around forever. Each new generation simply remakes them in their own image. Wolfman and Perez did it back in 1980 with the New Teen Titans. And now Meding is doing the same thing with her novel, Trance.

[Trance / By Kelly Meding / First Printing: October 2011 / ISBN: 9781451620924]

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Superheroes vs. Zombies, Part II

Posted on December 4, 2011 by

In Peter Clines’ latest book, superheroes are still fighting zombies at the end of the world. But now the Army has gotten involved. And that’s bad news. The military always turns evil during a zombie apocalypse. Everybody knows that.

Things were looking pretty good at the conclusion of Ex-Heroes, the first novel in this highly entertaining series. St. George and his super friends had defeated a supernatural zombie threat, made peace with a rowdy street gang called the South Seventeens, and shored up their home base at Paramount Studios. Sure, there were still five million zombies chewing up the scenery in Los Angeles. But overall, life in the “zombocalypse” had become relatively manageable.

That was before the U.S. Army showed up, however. Uncle Sam has heard about the super shenanigans going on in L.A. and he wants a piece of the action. “There’s no point in having superheroes in the United States if the government doesn’t control them,” explains Agent John Smith of the Department of Homeland Security. Push comes to shove and before you know it, the superheroes, the Army, and the zombies are caught in an Arizona desert haboob.

Like the first novel, Ex-Patriots is hellah fun. Clines has an ear for snappy dialog and a propulsive way of telling a story. He also has great affection for his superheroes. And so do we. Without a doubt, our favorite of the bunch is Stealth. Before the world started to crumble, she was a wealthy fashion model with multiple athletic championships and doctoral degrees. Now she’s a sexy Batman-like ninja assassin (or whatever). Secret identities are irrelevant in the apocalypse, but nobody has ever seen her in anything but a bodysuit and mask. “Her costume might actually be sewn on,” speculates an Army guard at one point. No matter how freaky she may seem, we love her commitment and candor. She is easily the most captivating and complex character in the book.

Unfortunately, the novel isn’t a total success. The unsatisfying denouement will have many readers shaking their heads in frustration. In the end, the evil Homeland Security agent escapes and the pesky zombie villain is abandoned in the Arizona desert. Nothing is really resolved. The Awesome Ape doesn’t even make an appearance. The novel has plenty of humor and carnage. But it feels incomplete. It’s almost like the author is saving his big bang for the next book. Fingers crossed.

[Ex-Patriots / By Peter Clines / First Printing: September 2011 / ISBN: 9781934861875]

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