Superman's a Fascist Fantasy... a Huge Twist... and More Self-Promotion

Over at Sequart Research & Literacy Organization, my analysis of Miracleman's second chapter goes live today. It's good stuff, during which I call Superman a fascist fantasy. Because he is. Hey, I like him too, but he is.

If you know anything about comics, you know how important this landmark series by Alan Moore is -- and how rarely discussed, in any depth. Check it out.

Over at Martian Lit, the fourth chapter of my The Many Lives of Yelena Moulin is also up, illustrated with original art by the great Doug Smock. This chapter has a huge twist in it -- two, actually. How huge? PRETTY GODDAMN HUGE.

If you haven't been following this biweekly experiment in serialized, illustrated, wild, sci-fi fiction, you owe it to yourself to start from the beginning. If you don't like it, there's something wrong with you. Seriously, go read Twilight or something. But then, if you weren't smart, why would you be here to begin with?

Did you know I have three books available on Kindle for 99 cents each? Yep, that's how desperate I am! Years of my life, for the price of a telephone call!

If you like comics and comics movies, there's Improving the Foundations: Batman Begins from Comics to Screen. Terrorism and dead kids more your style? Then there's Watching People Burn, the real-life story of the worst school massacre in U.S. history that you didn't know about. Systematic oppression like slavery more your speed? Then check out The Slave Factory, literary historical fiction in 12 short and beautiful chapters.

As we march towards the release of my novel, Nira/Sussa, it's now got a page up on Goodreads. Go rate it five stars, even though you haven't read it. Then spam all your Facebook friends about it, because that's what they'd want you to do.

Then if you do all that, go buy yourself a flagon of ale. You deserve a break today.

Two Books by Me for Just 99 Cents Each

Sequart has made my book on Batman Begins a mere 99 cents on Kindle. I'm very excited to have this full-length book, which has been taught at NYU, reaching an expanded audience. If you prefer iPad or NOOK, the book's also available for those devices for just $1.99. (Here's a full list -- in particular, check out the Goodreads reader, which looks just beautiful... and be sure to fan me on that site too!)

And in even more exciting news, Martian Lit has also made my "The Slave Factory" 99 cents on Kindle. This one is a short book, more like a long short story, but still comprising 12 brief chapters. It's historical, literary fiction about the Atlantic slave trade, and it means a great deal to me. It's exclusively available on Kindle, where it's 99 cents to buy and free to read if you have an Amazon Prime membership.

Thank you very much in advance for any support you can offer these two labors of love. Anything you can do to spread the word means a great deal to me.

My Batman Begins Book

I've just completed a draft of a book for Sequart Research & Literacy Organization.

In 2005, I authored Batman Begins and the Comics, the first book published by Sequart. I managed to write it between the movie's theatrical release and its DVD release, getting it out there before the DVD hit stores.

It sold okay for a first effort, and we started working on our next books, including another from me, Tim Callahan's Grant Morrison: The Early Years, and Tom McLean's Mutant Cinema: The X-Men Trilogy from Comics to Screen. Everything took way longer than expected, going through several drafts. During that time, I started and stopped several books. Along the way, Sequart became a non-profit and got a new logo. The spectacular Kevin Colden stepped in to do all our covers. We've learned a lot about making books. The new, spiffy book line now has three books available, and the first one is coming to comic book stores in about a month.

But there was that old, embarrassing Batman Begins and the Comics out there... with our old name and logo... with that crappy photo cover... with our old, cramped interior formatting and no images... and with typos because we rushed it to press. Sitting next to our new books, it just looked stupid.

Well, I've now finally completed a full revision, with expanded contents, interior illustrations, and our nice new formatting. It was a lot more work than I expected, though the original version was in a lot better shape than I had worried.

It's also got a new, tentative title: Improving the Foundations: Batman Begins from Comics to Screen.

I formally submitted it to Sequart today.

There's still a lot of work to go. The editing process can take months and feel endless, and we're short of good editors right now. The cover's not completed. So we have no idea when it will be out.

But it feels good to finish a book, even if it's only a new draft of an old one. I think that it's a good book. I'm proud of it, and I'm proud that our organization's very first book is going to take its place along our nice new ones. It's been a long road, but a rewarding one.

Impoved foundations indeed.