Unbelievably Cool – The Girl Who Would Be King

Some of you may know that I have this book called THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE KING that I almost sold to a major publishing house in the summer of 2010.

Since then it has gone on a shelf while I wrote another book, hoping the new book would be “less violent” and “more YA” (which were the ultimate reasons given that THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE KING didn’t sell). I hoped to sell it later…perhaps.

However after seeing Hunger Games in theaters this spring, I realized that THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE KING, awesome as it was, was maybe never going to be “YA enough” or “Un-violent enough” (not a word!) to suit the larger publishing market. So I decided to do a Kickstarter for it and self publish. That got put on hold as well (for a reason I hope to share with you all soon) but in the meantime I had already commissioned the absolutely fantastic Stephanie Hans to do my cover illustration for the book.

If all goes well, you all will be seeing the final cover illustration (and hearing more about the Kickstarter) sometime in June.

Stephanie, in addition to being a brilliant illustrator, actually read the entire book (it’s big) in order to do the cover work, which is above and beyond everything I could have hoped for. Perhaps even more amazing, she loved the book, and I think you can see how much in the quality of her illustrations. Below is a sketch that (though it’s perhaps my favorite of all the sketches she did) was more appropriate for a comic book than a novel and so we didn’t move forward with it. But Stephanie liked it so much that she kept on going…and the results are unbelievably cool.

So world…please welcome Bonnie and Lola into the world…two wonderful badasses that I love – and hope you’ll all get to read more about soon!

This is Stephanie’s first sketch – which blew my mind – from a scene mid-way through the book:

Bonnie & Lola Sketch (Bonnie in the water, Lola above)

This is the work in progress sketch:

Bonnie and Lola, wip

And the final version, which makes me want to do an illustrated edition, or a graphic novel adaptation SO MUCH:

Bonnie & Lola, final

A huge thanks to Stephanie, who went above and beyond, and is generally the best person ever. Buy her work here!

And you can of course see Stephanie and I collaborating on a comic together for Womanthology with “SuperLess Hero”

Follow me on twitter here: @79SemiFinalist

& Stephanie on twitter here: @HansStephanie

July 2012 DRUNK Marvel Cover Solicits In Three Sentences Or Less…

Here are the “rules“.

If you’d like to see the full Marvel July Cover Solicits head on over to CBR.

Avengers vs. X-Men shit is burning me out man. I can’t believe we still have another month (plus?) to go of this shit. That said, some pretty great covers in here and not a whole lot to snark at (especially on the objectification front)…Marvel has definitely cleaned up their cover game in the last year. I’m going to go ahead and take credit.

AVENGERS ACADEMY 13. Bitch looks good on a throne. Isn’t it nice when things come together?

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE 5. Marvel continuity is confusing me. Cause Black Widow is cozied up with two dudes this month (oh wait, that’s next month). And judging by that clipart explosion behind them…it’s a hell of a kiss. Also…I thought Hawkeye was with Spider-Woman…? So confusing.

AVENGING SPIDER-MAN 9. I like the simplicity of this and the sassiness…but something about it makes them looks like giants…which is freaking me out.

AVENGERS VS X-MEN 7. So I guess what we’re saying here is that Cyclops is the worst shot ever?

July 2012 DRUNK DC Cover Solicits In Three Sentences Or Less…

Here are the “rules“.

If you’d like to see the full DC July Cover Solicits head on over to CBR.

I don’t know if I’m just getting bored with things this month, or what but they’re very short and sweet tonight. Hopefully a few of them are also funny.  Look for Marvel to go up in a few hours!

ACTION COMICS 11.  Hey, Didyouguysknow Superman was the new Phoenix? Yeah, me neither.

ANIMAL MAN 11. Sometimes I feel like Animal Man’s sole goal is to give me nightmares. Mission accomplished dudes.

BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED 6.  BARDA!!!! WOO! Also, Barda’s Boobs. woo?

CBR Reviews: Conan The Barbarian #4, Saucer Country #3, and AvX: VS #2

Saucer Country #3

“Paul Cornell and Ryan Kelly’s “Saucer Country” continues to surprise me in a variety of ways, including how the main character takes a backseat this issue. After the focus of the story being primarily on Governor Alvarado for the first two issues, she’s in less than a dozen panels of “Saucer Country” #3 as we shift primarily to two of the side characters. It’s a good move that builds things nicely and begins already tying things together in a way that feels layered and well considered…”

Conan The Barbarian #4

“Becky Cloonan is some big shoes to fill. So it’s even more impressive that James Harren is able to pick up art chores so beautifully on the new arc for Brian Wood’s “Conan The Barbarian” #4. Wood continues the story of Conan and his queen Bêlit with the beginning of new arc “The Argos Deception” and he smartly writes this issue in a way that isn’t boring for continuing readers and easy to follow for those who might want to jump on now…”

AvX: VS #2

“AVX: VS” #2 is the second book in this six-issue limited series focusing on “off-panel” battles during the “Avengers vs. X-Men” crossover. The book is split in half with creative team Steve McNiven, John Dell and Morry Hollowell handling the Captain America versus Gambit section; and creative team Kieron Gillen, Salvador Larocca and Jim Charalampidis picking up the Spider-Man versus Colossus/Juggernaut segment…”

Long & Winding Road: Part III – Talking to Agents

Part III of my Lit Reactor piece about trying to get an agent, and sell my first novel. Check it out!

She Has No Head! – Dear Marvel: Please Stop Ruining Everything

It’s been a while now since I engaged in a full on rant. Stop on by She Has No Head! to see what all of the fuss is about this week.

Here’s a hint:

What Does Your Workspace Look Like?

Lit Reactor has a very cool post up about writing environments/work space. Since I find this a rather fascinating subject, I thought I’d share mine.

Keep in mind I live in NYC, so space is highly limited. That said, Adam and I have both tried to carve out serious (and organized) space for ourselves as we spend a lot of time working at home…me especially.

So here’s a peek (or two) at mine and yes, Adam’s and my workspaces face each other. It’s not to be cute, but for space saving. Fortunately our monitors are so big we can’t really see each other unless we try…it makes everything much less precious. Post links to your workspace on Lit Reactor!

Hello!

Hey, kids!

So I’ve been really sick, which is why you got no 3 Chicks and no She Has No Head! today. But I hope to be back with a new column next week, and 3 Chicks will be back soon as well.

In the meantime, here are some things I did prior to getting sick (and while sick). Enjoy!

Last week for She Has No Head! I wrote about the Avengers and the superheroine movies I’d like to see now that Joss Whedon has shown me that superheroines can be done right on the big screen. I even casted them – what more could you want?

I also put up a detailed Joss Whedon piece on Lit Reactor last week called “Can Joss Whedon Save The Superheroine?”

If you have any interest in writing, catch up on my Long & Winding Road pieces over on Lit Reactor, because Part III goes up next week!

I also participated in a Wonder Woman Roundtable over at Hooded Utilitarian. There are some amazing pieces up there, and here’s mine (which is less amazing): Wonder Woman: It’s In Her DNA (although Adam correctly pointed out that I should have called it “Wonder Woman makes a nice foot cushion”  I’m thinking of renaming my entire site that.

I only did two reviews for CBR last week thanks to illness but here they are in case you missed them:

The Walking Dead #97

Uncanny X-Force #25

Also, if you haven’t picked up Womanthology or Chicks Dig Comics yet (both of which I’m in!) then you should do that now. Greg Burgas has a nice review up of Womanthology…Greg doesn’t pull punches so you know he’s being straight with you. I’ve rarely been mentioned in the great reviews that have been coming in for Chicks Dig Comics, no real surprise there considering the company I’m in, but Tor.com mentioned my piece, which was an awesome moment.

I’m also WAY behind on Drunk Cover Solicits. But I should be able to do it this weekend…do not despair!

Also, I may be having some very cool original art to show you guys this week…so stay tuned.

Covers Of The Week – 4/25/12

Gotta give it to this smart cover for The New Deadwardians #2 (which is an excellent book you should all be reading). I believe the cover is by interiors artist I.N.J. Culbard:

Also great this week is this Becky Cloonan cover for B.P.R.D. Hell On Earth: Pickens County Horror #2:

I missed last week due to insane other commitments, but if I had picked a cover it probably would have been this gorgeous B.P.R.D. Hell On Earth: The Long Death #3 cover by Duncan Fegredo and Dave Stewart:

3 Chicks Review Comics – Episode 039

There’s a new 3 Chicks Review Comics up on CSBG. Head on over to hear reviews of Rachel Rising #7, B.P.R.D. Hell On Earth: The Long Death #3, as well as an interview with the uber talented Saga artist Fiona Staples.

She Has No Head! – Jean Grey Sheds Her Mary Sue Image, Becomes Awesome & Complex!

New She Has No Head! went up on Monday. All about Dennis Hopeless and Jamie McKelvie’s excellent X-Men: Season One.  Check it out!

Down The Rabbit Hole: Following Comic Book Creators

I’ve got a new piece up on Lit Reactor about the importance and advantages of following creators, not publishers or characters, especially when it comes to comic books. Check it out!

CBR Reviews: Wolverine & X-Men #9, Rachel Rising #7, and Birds of Prey #8

All my CBR Reviews are up already this week, and I got some great books in the draft…check them out!

Wolverine & The X-Men #9

“Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo’s “Wolverine & The X-Men” #9, despite being a tie-in book to the massive “Avengers vs. X-Men” crossover still maintains its identity. It also remains a pretty good book, which is no small feat when getting swallowed by such a gigantic idea so early in its existence.

Aaron continues to use his characters in smart ways and he has such a diverse and interesting cast at his disposal that he can lean heavily on how compelling everyone is, regardless of the very weak plot he’s given…”

Rachel Rising #7

“Terry Moore’s “Rachel Rising” #7 is a great comic book, and as Moore ratchets up the stakes and body count (neither of which I thought could get much higher) the book becomes even more layered and mysterious.

A couple issues ago a plot point struck me as a bit too cliché to work well in “Rachel Rising” but Moore redeems himself in this issue by creating a scene with the newly deceased Jet that absolutely makes your skin crawl in horrible anticipation, resolving itself into something absolutely unexpected and almost sweet. It’s a wonderful reversal and the kind of thing we see far too little of in even the smartest comics…”

Birds of Prey #8

“Duane Swierczynski and Jesus Saiz’s “Birds of Prey” has been a smart mix of superhero and crime comics with a lot of moving pieces and solid character development. Issue #8 continues that tradition and delivers an intriguing piece of the Birds’ story as we head into “Night of Owls” crossover territory next month.

Swierczynski has proven in his “Birds of Prey” run that he likes to jump around in time, but he does it so cleverly in this issue, it’s hard to fault him for using what works. His reveals pace out nicely and at the end of this issue we get a peek at Dinah’s big secret that he’s been teasing us with since issue #1…”

As always, likes and retweets are much appreciated and you can read all of my CBR Reviews here.

3 Chicks Review Comics – Episode 038

After far too long a hiatus, Sue and I are back with a new 3 Chicks Review Comics and a very special guest star – novelist and comics writer Marjorie Liu! We also have an all new Chick of the Week, two new comic book reviews, and a whole slew of chit chat to get caught up on!

Head on over and check it out, or subscribe via iTunes so you never miss an episode.

CBR Reviews: Saga #2, Glory #25, and the final issue of Northlanders #50

I read some great damn comic books this week and got to review some of the best of them for CBR:

Saga #2

“Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples “Saga” #2 by some miracle manages to live up to and possibly outdo the fantastic double-sized first issue. Equal parts divine character development and brisk plotting, this book continues to remind me that so many of my other comics are really unremarkable…”

Glory #25

“Joe Keatinge and Ross Campbell deliver a pleasantly surprising third issue in “Glory” #25, subverting what many readers might have expected and cranking the stakes up dramatically.  While Campbell’s powerful and unflinching visuals remain the star of this book, Keatinge’s story is taking a nicely unexpected turn, propelling us 500 years into the future (in a prophetic dream) and then yanking us back to the present with a doozy of a plot twist. The opening notes of a “new” superhero series are critical and it’s unfortunate that so many takes (and executions) feel so stale, but this is bold and unapologetic in the things it says about our characters and the paths they find themselves on…”

Northlanders #50

“Brian Wood’s grand saga “Northlanders,” set in the Viking Age, comes to an end with this month’s “Northlanders” #50. Bringing to a close his 9-part “Icelandic Trilogy” with art by Danijel Zezelj and colors by Dave McCraig, Wood delivers the same monumental and yet incredibly relatable stories he has brought throughout this series and it’s a loss to readers everywhere that is has all come to an end…”

As always, likes and retweets are much appreciated and you can read all of my CBR reviews thus far here.

Covers of the Week – 4/11/12

Wow. What a great week for comics covers!

I cannot possibly pick just one, there is such an embarrassment of riches…here we go!

First up this absolutely stunningly beautiful Conan The Barbarian #3 by Massimo Carnevale:

So glad to see this Amy Reeder Batwoman cover actually did get used, I talked about it a couple weeks ago on She Has No Head! and opined that it might not show, but happy to have it in my hands, absolutely gorgeous:

A wonderfully fitting and gorgeously illustrated cover for Brian Wood’s final Northlanders issue, again by Massimo Carnevale:

Wonderful weird-ness from Ross Campbell’s newest issue of Glory:

A simple but powerful cover from Fiona Staples for Saga #2:

Gorgeous and super fun alternate cover for Winter Soldier #4 by John Tyler Christopher:

Things about things!

Big news this week, as the book Chicks Dig Comics, which I was lucky enough to be a part of, released this week.

You can buy it online at Amazon & B&N and it should be available in some comic book stores as well.

My piece called “I am Sisyphus and I am Happy” is about how I came to comics, how I came to writing about comics, and specifically how She Has No Head! came to be. It’s a deeply personal piece, and I hope you all enjoy it. I am sandwiched in there with SO MANY amazing ladies including Gail Simone, Marjorie Liu, Amanda Conner, Carla Speed McNeil, Jen Van Meter, Colleen Doran, Jill Thompson, Jill Pantozzi, and of course, my partner in crime, SUE. And that’s just the beginning…there are plenty of other great female contributors as well as a few fantastic gents like Greg Rucka, Terry Moore, and Mark Waid.

Huge thanks to Sigrid Ellis and Lynn M. Thomas for letting me part of such a great book

I also have a new piece up at Lit Reactor that is the continued story of my path toward publication. Retweets, likes, and comments are (as always) much appreciated!

Thanks everyone for all the support!

She Has No Head! – Can I Be In Charge Please?

There’s a shiny new She Has No Head! up all about my fictional imprint and the comics creators I would tap for it. Enjoy!

Awesome Hunger Games fanart by Burdge-Bug and Peibee-an-Jay

Some Things I’ve Been Doing…

Woo. Been very busy. Here’s some stuff I’ve been up to, please check out anything that appeals to you!

I wrote about The Hunger Games for Lit Reactor. It went up yesterday and it’s a “Book vs. Film” piece…so you just know that’s going to be fun!

Oh yeah, I reviewed some book you guys might have heard about – Avengers vs. X-Men #1 – for CBR, it’s up now.

I wrote a review last week for CBR for The New Deadwardians #1, which was excellent, and I urge you to check out the book.

I also wrote a review for Daredevil #10, which if you’re not on board with already, you should get on now! Very good stuff.

I was a guest on the excellent Hideous Energy podcast last week to talk more about Wonder Woman #7 and a bunch of other awesome (and not awesome) things – it’s one of my favorite podcasts yet – so please give a listen!

All of you know how I love (and hate) comic book covers, so if you haven’t already, make sure to check out this week’s She Has No Head! which features 25 of the best superheroine comic covers of the past year.

OH! And I got this 100 kinds of awesome nomination from Hooded Utilitarian for “Best Online Comics Criticism for 2012″…I’m pretty much in there among giants, so it’s just an honor to be mentioned in the same post with them.

I’ve mentioned before that I have an essay called “I am Sisyphus, and I am Happy” in the new book Chicks Dig Comics from Mad Norwegian Press, a certain 3 Chicks Review Comics co-host also has a piece in the book and we are sandwiched in there with some truly epic people including Gail Simone, Jill Thompson, Colleen Doran, Marjorie Liu, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, Jen Van Meter, Carla Speed McNeil, Terry Moore, Jill Pantozzi, and so many more! So check that out if you haven’t already – it releases on April 10th.

Oh, and a new Audioshocker “Podcast with Ross & Nick” is up – I chat with Nick and Ross about “continuous on-tap properties” and fans reactions to them.

 

And of COURSE you all have your copies of Womanthology, right?!

She Has No Head! – 25 Great Superheroine Covers Of The Past Year

So I’ve got a nice fun and light new piece up on She Has No Head! this week called 25 Great Superheroine Covers Of The Past Year. It was originally intended to be a companion piece to my 25 Great Superheroine Moments in honor of Women’s History Month. But then the whole Wonder Woman #7 thing happened and well…you all know.

Anyway, so head on over for this late addition to Women’s History month!