Superhero Novels and Non-Fiction

[The Black Guardian]

So the Wild Card books are short stories written by different authors featuring the same characters?

Pretty much. Each book is a collection of short stories that connect to the book's central plot. Each author has his/her own characters that get the focus of their stories, but other authors' characters in the shared universe might appear now and then. For instance George RR Martin might use Roger Zelazny's or Lewis Shiner's characters in one of his stories.

The stories aren't kid-stuff, either, dealing with drugs and sex and lots of violence. One character changed powers and looks every time he slept, so he got himself hooked on amphetamines. Another character was a pimp who needed to have sex to use his powers. Yet another temporarily had his mind transferred into a woman's body and was repeatedly raped by his own son.

[MegaNaught]

Pretty much. Each book is a collection of short stories that connect to the book's central plot. Each author has his/her own characters that get the focus of their stories, but other authors' characters in the shared universe might appear now and then. For instance George RR Martin might use Roger Zelazny's or Lewis Shiner's characters in one of his stories.

The stories aren't kid-stuff, either, dealing with drugs and sex and lots of violence. One character changed powers and looks every time he slept, so he got himself hooked on amphetamines. Another character was a pimp who needed to have sex to use his powers. Yet another temporarily had his mind transferred into a woman's body and was repeatedly raped by his own son.

Sounds, very interesting. I am going to start reading this series. I hope my library has copies of the books.

[Expletive Deleted]

The Black Guardian described it pretty well, but I want to add that they do change up the format on occasion. Several of the books are so-called "mosaic" novels, where each writer does a different character's storyline and then Martin dices them up and edits them into a single, linear narrative. And there are one or two standalone, single author novels mixed in, if I'm remembering correctly.

[MegaNaught]

The Black Guardian described it pretty well, but I want to add that they do change up the format on occasion. Several of the books are so-called "mosaic" novels, where each writer does a different character's storyline and then Martin dices them up and edits them into a single, linear narrative. And there are one or two standalone, single author novels mixed in, if I'm remembering correctly.

OK, you guys have officially piqued my interest. Library-ho! (By which I mean on to the library, not that creepy lady who hangs around the library at night with way to much make-up and a constant stream of cigarttes at her lips)

[MegaNaught]

How important is it to read the books in order going back to the orginal Wild Cards? My library only seems to have the Tor books beginning with Inside Straight.

[nocutename]

I just finished reading Wayne of Gotham byTracy Hickman. Pretty good book, but the constant switching from Batman/Bruce to Thomas Wayne (circa 1958) kind of slowed the book down. Also, the book has a section where Bruce is listening to some recordings Thomas made about Thomas having TWO sons and it was almost mentioned in passing, rather than being a major plot point (although maybe I missed something?). Does anyone know what I am missing? In Batman cannon, I thought Bruce was an only child. Maybe this was an Elseworlds novel or something.

In World's Finest 223 and then in a follow up issue 227, It is revealed that Bruce has a brother that was institutionalized. I believe that his brother dies in the follow up issue. The brother's name was Thomas Wayne Jr.

To your original question: Flash Motion was the best Super-hero story I have read but I am not that well read in the novel area of super-heroes. http://www.amazon.com/Flash-Stop-Mot...p+motion+flash

I would recommend this book even if you don't care for the Flash. The way his super speed powers are explained was like poetry to me.

[T Hedge Coke]

I want to see the movie version of Jodi Picoult's The Tenth Circle just to see the comics and superhero bits go away massively.

Wild Claw was a decent enough comic, in the excerpts we see, and that it's being marketed as a "new! innovative! mature!" comic in a vaguely late 90s Image style with large portions of the character modeled directly from Spawn and Wolverine with a dash of fatherhood and aging issues makes it just the believable side of satire.

It was really nice to see the comics guy think like someone who's read a lot of comics, too. He even does the Miller bound and naked in the snow thing at one point, because y'know, Miller's taught us that's how you teach these jerks a lesson. It's in our RNA or some such.

[geddlo]

A Once Crowded Sky

Its a book about Super-Heroes that to save the Earth have to give up their powers.

I met the author at ComicCon this weekend and picked up the book. Nice guy. Just started reading the book, its pretty good so far from the few chapters ive read.

[Gizmoduck]

Seven Wonders by Adam Christopher

Its a book about a guy who gets super-powers and while learning how to use his powers runs into the most powerful super-villain.

[BigJeff]

I didn't like Seven Wonders. It's like the author changed his mind several times about where the story was headed. A big mess.

[lilyinblue]

This thread just reminded me that I was supposed to check out A Once Crowded Sky. Just bought it. Too bad I didn't remember before I got stuck in an airport for 3 hours this weekend...

Anywho... I absolutely recommend Ex-Heroes and Ex-Patriots by Peter Clines. They're about superheroes fighting the zombie apocalypse in LA.

I call them summer blockbusters in book form. They aren't the deepest or most thought-provoking reading... but they are 100% pure bombastic fun. There's supposed to be a third book at some point too...

[Gizmoduck]

This thread just reminded me that I was supposed to check out A Once Crowded Sky. Just bought it. Too bad I didn't remember before I got stuck in an airport for 3 hours this weekend...

Anywho... I absolutely recommend Ex-Heroes and Ex-Patriots by Peter Clines. They're about superheroes fighting the zombie apocalypse in LA.

I call them summer blockbusters in book form. They aren't the deepest or most thought-provoking reading... but they are 100% pure bombastic fun. There's supposed to be a third book at some point too...

Just finished Ex Heroes and found it to be not a great book but it was a good story. Now i am reading Wearing The Cape by Marion G. Harmon.

[hugglebunny]

Has anyone checked out Shadow Ops: Control Point? It looks kind of interesting.

[jvchamary]

I managed to make it about 40% of the way through before I happily took it back to the library. The "history" portions I'd read before a dozen times from better sources. The info about Morrison's life simply wasn't interesting. I found the book to be an utter waste of time.

I agree that it's tough getting through certain parts of 'SuperMorrison', especially on the history of comics. But the second half, on the influence of Image Comics and the impact of superheroes on popular culture, is actually pretty interesting (if you manage to get that far!) I'd recommend pushing through the book and skipping the passages where he describes how he revolutionised the medium so you can get to the good stuff.

[Andrez]

I just finished Michael Chabon's 'The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay', which isn't exactly a superhero novel, but a fictionalized look at the making of comicbooks in the late 1930s/early '40s. Definitely worth a look at.