I revisit one of the Question's finest appearances, and an overall highlight of Justice League Unlimited, this week at CBR. And if anyone cares, I'm not responsible for that "problematic" line in the blurb -- I have no problems with this noble truth-seeker!
A proposed follow-up to 1966's Batman: The Movie would've sent Adam West to Japan to face...Toho's King of the Monsters? I look at Batman Meets Godzilla (an actual pitch from 1966) this week at CBR.
I conclude my look at the Robert Kirkman days of Masters of the Universe comics this week at CBR, published just as a little book called The Walking Dead was getting off the ground...
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This week at CBR, I look back at Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore's pre-Walking Dead project, a Masters of the Universe special that humanized the most buffonish of '80s henchmen.
While operating as a publicly traded company, Marvel issued financial report/comic hybrids festooned with Wolverine and Spider-Man...and some truly stunning relics of the era. Herb Trime at his Rob-iest! I revisit this week at CBR.
Adventure(s) Time returns this week, as I revisit X-Men: The Animated Series and the "Sanctuary" two-parter, adapting Chris Claremont's 1991 swan song.
"Are you aware that over eighty percent of your novels fail the Bechdel Test? Fail it rather spectacularly?"
Times change. Can best-selling novelist Benny Stack change with them?
Sign up for my mailing list at this link and receive my free short story!
Batman screenwriter Sam Hamm tried twice to homage a fan-favorite moment from The Dark Knight Returns but to no avail. I revisit the original screenplays this week at CBR.
This week at CBR, I revisit Larry Hama's long out of print return to G. I. Joe (the first one). He's joined by Dan Jurgens, and if nothing else, it looks great.
After years of anticipation and a rivalry dating to 1939, the DCAU finally got its knock-down, drag-out fight between Superman & Captain Marvel. I revisit this week at CBR.
Hot off of Batman Begins, David S. Goyer was ready to bring The Flash to the big screen with Ryan Reynolds playing Wally West. I examine the screenplay this week at CBR.
Efficient and Divine: Almost Heaven is on Kindle Unlimited and now Audible! I have free US and UK Audible codes to give away to reviewers -- send me your email address and I can provide you with the codes. My narrator Brian L. Knutson did a fantastic job and I really want to get the word out.
Heck, here's a link to use a free US code -- paste in this text: 4BTDL4HEE2FHT
This is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Use the code to redeem your free copy (I only ask humbly for a review on the Audible page.)
Is there a demon hiding inside Mason Mackay? The world sees only a witty, handsome filmmaker. But one interview subject brings out something dark, something truly unspeakable, buried deep in Mason’s subconscious. Within hours, the interview subject is dead. The evidence points to Mason—and he can’t honestly say the police are wrong.
Forced to face the secrets of his past, Mason finds himself at odds with a retired FBI agent with cryptic motives. Meanwhile, a mysterious family is offering Mason not only answers but acceptance of even his darkest urges. What lies buried within Mason must be exposed…for good or ill.
Firestar's unusual introduction to the Marvel Universe and the structure of her debut miniseries has left some fans confused for decades. I look back at the story this week at CBR.
My new novel Honey Locust is out today! Check it out on Amazon -- and it's free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. Here's the blurb:
Mason Mackay is at peace with his lust, but this newfound sanguinity is a deadly thing. With the aid of a charming mentor, Mason's discovered a class of victim that can be targeted, hunted, and eliminated with ease. With a new love and a new taste for boozy treats, Mason is enjoying a life of sweet indulgence.
He's made some mistakes, though, unwilling to cut all ties to his past. Mason's former love Natalie Martinez is on his case, whether she knows it or not. A collision is coming, one that might claim both lives.
The second volume in the Efficient and Divine series is fast-paced, lean, and mean. A mystery thriller that promises both broken hearts and broken bones.
When Marvel Comics adapted the Transformers for a Western audience, the toy line narrowly avoided a kid-friendly, all-ages makeover. I look at the murky, odd early years of the Transformers at CBR.
A single, iconic episode of Justice League Unlimited showcased the Suicide Squad's potential as headliners years before the films. I revisit it this week for CBR.
In 2002, Dreamwave paired a fan-favorite writer and a popular online artist to craft a new chapter in Transformers lore. I revisit Simon Furman's return to the Transformers and the debut of Don Figueroa this week at CBR.
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Quick-witted and clean-cut Mason Mackay has something dark within. Struggling to accept his sinister urges, Mason must choose between those he loves and those who deserve brutal justice.
Gene Kendall here, shilling my latest releases. If I don't, who will? I believe I've mentioned earlier that I've had a few short stories published on the Saturday Evening Post website, and there's also a free short story available if you join my mailing list. But while short stories are likely better suited for contemporary attention spans, I personally favor full-length novels. Foolishly, I continue to peruse the monthly Amazon Prime releases of mysteries and thrillers. I say this because the description always intrigues, the early pages grab my attention (Murder! Mayhem! Betrayal!) , and the stories then proceed to fall off a cliff.
What if that didn't happen? What if a contemporary mystery/thriller delivered on its promise?
The goal of Efficient and Divine is to play off the modern-day tropes of the genre while also remaining true to what once made these stories so compelling in the days of loveable drunks like Raymond Chandler. No cookie-cutter characters, no contrived "save the cat" moments to make the lead likeable despite his flaws, no cheap handwaving at the end to assure readers that everything's going to be okay. Conversely, I didn't want the story to remain steeped in nihilism, either. The characters aren't saints, but I'd like to view them as believably human. This means they react as, well, humans would react in these situations, something that's seemingly a rarity in contemporary fiction.
The two novels in the series are on Amazon (one is pre-order and the other is out today) -- free for all Kindle Unlimited subscribers. The second is available for preorder and goes on sale on May 5. Is this a ridiculously long novel I've split up for the purposes of padding out releases? Nope! The novels take place years apart (one before the pandemic, and the other "today"), and have separate themes, tones, and character arcs. I'm releasing them a month apart, frankly, for the novelty of it. Why wait years for the next installment when it's already in the drawer?
Here's the official blurb for the opening novel, Efficient and Divine: Almost Heaven…
Is there a demon hiding inside Mason Mackay? The world sees only a witty, handsome filmmaker. But one interview subject brings out something dark, something truly unspeakable, buried deep in Mason’s subconscious. Within hours, the interview subject is dead. The evidence points to Mason—and he can’t honestly say the police are wrong.
Forced to face the secrets of his past, Mason finds himself at odds with a retired FBI agent with cryptic motives. Meanwhile, a mysterious family is offering Mason not only answers, but acceptance of even his darkest urges. What lies buried within Mason must be exposed…for good or ill.
The novel's official release is today, but you might still be able to download free preview ARCs at Booksirens and Prolific Works. The audiobook is also coming soon, narrated by the great Brian L. Knutson, who did a fantastic job on my novel Black Hat Blues and my NYPD Blue guidebook. If you check it out, I hope you leave a review, tell a friend, and all of these things you're always begged to do. Mostly, I just hope you enjoy. (But, seriously, reviews are nice.)
