News: Vince Flynn’s MITCH RAPP Series to Continue!

Last September, I wrote a piece about how the movie Olympus Has Fallen bore some incredible similarities to Vince Flynn’s Transfer of Power. The piece was pretty short, but I also mentioned in it the fact that Flynn passed away in June 2013. It was also reported, through Flynn’s newsletter, that the planned next novel in the series, The Survivor, had been indefinitely suspended.

Since then, however, some very interesting news has arrived in my inbox! On June 22nd, Flynn’s Newsletter announced that “Mitch Rapp series will continue; The Survivor Tentatively Scheduled for 2015”!

As it turns out, one of my favourite thriller authors, Kyle Mills, has been selected to continue the series by Flynn’s estate and Emily Bestler, Senior VP and Editor-in-Chief of Emily Bestler Books. From the press release:

Mills will complete The Survivor, the book Flynn was writing at the time of his death on June 19, 2013, and then write two additional Mitch Rapp novels. The Survivor is tentatively scheduled to release in the fall of 2015.

“I’m really honored to have been asked to continue the Mitch Rapp series,” Mills said, “Vince was a great guy who helped me out in my career and as a diehard Rapp fan, I know how devastated his readers are. They’re big shoes to fill, but I’m looking forward to the challenge of continuing an iconic thriller character.”

“Vince and Mitch Rapp are so beloved by readers,” Bestler said, “It’s wonderful that we’ve found just the right partner to uphold the legacy of both.”

“To Vince’s wonderful fans, thank you for your love, support and patience,” Vince’s widow, Lysa Flynn said, “Vince was very proud of his team and we are confident that Kyle Mills will be a great addition. God bless and keep the faith!”

Mills is the author of the Mark Beamon thrillers and a handful of stand-alone thrillers. Most recently, he wrote The Immortalists (which, I am ashamed to admit, I have not read yet) and also The Ares Decision, The Utopia Experiment, and the upcoming The Von Neumann Machine – books 8, 10 and 1? of Tom Clancy’s Covert-One series. Many of Mills’s novels are very hard to find in the UK, which I think is a crime. It is also why it has always taken me a long time to get around to reading them – I discovered his novels well before CR was ever a thing.

Mark Beamon Series: Rising Phoenix, Storming Heaven, Free Fall, Sphere of Influence and Darkness Falls

Stand-Alone Novels: Burn Factor, Smoke Screen, Fade, The Second Horseman, Lords of Corruption, The Immortalists

The Importance of a Super-Hero Diaspora…

That’s a rather grand title. Rather than some deep analysis of why super-heroes should be based and from all over the world, this was just inspired by the fact that a). three super-heroes (at least) have re-located, and b). New York and Gotham have become ridiculously over-populated by super-heroes in Marvel’s and DC’s lines.

Upcoming/News: “REVIVAL” and “MR. MERCEDES” by Stephen King (Hodder)

I’m a relative newcomer to Stephen King, but I am certainly a fan of his writing (I’ve read a good amount of his non-fiction already). Last year, I finally read The Shining, and Hodder published its long-awaited sequel, Doctor Sleep. This year, Hodder will be publishing two new novels by King: Mr. Mercedes and Revival.

The latter was just announced on the publisher’s website, so I thought I’d start with that one. Here’s some info:

In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs Jacobs; the women and girls feel the same about Reverend Jacobs – including Jamie’s mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession. When tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.

Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from the age of 13, he plays in bands across the country, living the nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll while fleeing from his family’s horrific loss. In his mid-thirties – addicted to heroin, stranded, desperate – Jamie meets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil’s devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings.

Revival is due to be published by Hodder on November 11th, 2014. No artwork has been unveiled, yet (for either of these titles), but I’ll share them when they become available.

The other novel, Mr. Mercedes, will actually be published before Revival (in June 2014). Here’s the synopsis:

Retired homicide detective Bill Hodges is haunted by the few cases he left open, and by one in particular: in the pre-dawn hours, hundreds of desperate unemployed people were lined up for a spot at a job fair in a distressed Midwestern city. Without warning, a lone driver ploughed through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes. Eight people were killed, fifteen wounded. The killer escaped.

Months later, on the other side of the city, Bill Hodges gets a letter in the mail, from a man claiming to be the perpetrator. He taunts Hodges with the notion that he will strike again. Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing that from happening.

Brady Hartfield lives with his alcoholic mother in the house where he was born. And he is indeed preparing to kill again.

Hodges, with a couple of misfit friends, must apprehend the killer in this high-stakes race against time. Because Brady's next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim hundreds, even thousands.

Mr Mercedes is a war between good and evil, from the master of suspense whose insight into the mind of this obsessed, insane killer is chilling and unforgettable.

Upcoming: “The Fell Sword” by Miles Cameron. And Who is Miles Cameron, really…?

I’ve always found the practice of using pen names rather interesting. The various reasons people resort to using names other than their own, on creative works they have slaved for months or even years over are myriad. It’s particularly interesting to learn when some of your favourite authors have been secretly writing under different names for ages. Today, Gollancz has unveiled the true identity of “Miles Cameron”, the author of The Red Knight and the upcoming The Fell Sword (January 30th): it is none other than Canadian author Christian Cameron, bestselling author of historical fiction, such as the Tyrant , Long War, and Chivalry series. Rather cheekily, Christian has been claiming that “Miles” was his fantasy loving cousin… The scamp.

Here’s some information on The Fell Sword, Cameron’s next novel…

Loyalty costs money.

Betrayal, on the other hand, is free

When the Emperor is taken hostage, the Red Knight and his men find their services in high demand – and themselves surrounded by enemies. The country is in revolt, the capital city is besieged and any victory will be hard won. But The Red Knight has a plan.

The question is, can he negotiate the political, magical, real and romantic battlefields at the same time – especially when intends to be victorious on them all?

Upcoming: “Stormcaller” by Chris Wraight (Black Library)

The final Upcoming post related to Black Library for a little while, this is for the second in Chris Wraight’s Space Wolves series: Stormcaller. The sequel to Blood of Asaheim (which I really wish I’d had the chance to read by now), I’m really looking forward to it:

As events on the plague-wracked world of Ras Shakeh spin out of control, the Imperium descends upon the world in force. Njal Stormcaller, Space Wolves Rune Priest, arrives to reinforce the embattled Jarnhamar pack, and finds his battle-brothers at one another’s throats, each pursuing their own agendas. Meanwhile, the forces of the Ecclesiarchy arrive to retake their world and uncover the sinister secret behind the world’s corruption, a secret that threatens the survival of the Imperium itself…

One of the first Games Workshop books I ever bought was Codex: Space Wolves. Njal Stormcaller was a pretty prominent special character for Warhammer 40,000 game at that point. Interestingly (at least for me), the first ever issue of White Dwarf, the monthly gaming magazine that Games Workshop publishes, also featured the Space Wolves, as I think they’d just been re-released or something. It was so long ago, I can barely remember the details, expect for the battle report and the fact that Ragnar Blackmane was released that month. Perhaps. This would have been back in 1994/5, I think? [Damn, I’m getting old…] I kind of miss getting the magazine – I always liked looking at the new miniatures and reading the short bits of fiction and background when they were included. (This was before Black Library started, so there wasn’t much Warhammer fiction available at all.)

Stormcaller is due to be published by Black Library in March 2014.

And, in case you weren’t aware of it, here’s the synopsis for Blood of Asaheim…

The feral warrior-kings of Fenris, the Space Wolves are the sons of Leman Russ. Savage heroes, few can match their ferocity in battle. After half a century apart, Space Wolves Ingvar and Gunnlaugr are reunited. Sent to defend an important shrine world against the plague-ridden Death Guard, the Grey Hunters clash with the pious Sisters of Battle, who see the Space Wolves as little better than the enemy they fight. As enemies close in around them and treachery is revealed, Gunnlaugr and his warriors must hold the defenders together – even as hidden tensions threaten to tear their pack apart.

Blood of Asaheim is out now in Hardcover and eBook.

Tumbleweeds… Normal Service Will Resume Shortly…

Just a very quick post to say normal posting will start again hopefully soon! Just been very busy this week, and transitioning back to inconsistent internet service. Sigh. One day. One day, I will live somewhere with uninterrupted internet connection again…

Instead, here are a couple of silly pictures…

And Skeletor waxing philosophical…

Horus Heresy Exclusive – Last Chance to Order (Black Library)

A new Horus Heresy Exclusive, chronicling the aftermath of the Isstvan Dropsite Massacre

Nearly a quarter of a million loyal Space Marines lost their lives on Isstvan V – the Dropsite Massacre lasted only a few hours, and yet the Iron Hands, Raven Guard and Salamanders were slaughtered by those they had once called kin. With the disappearance of their primarch weighing heavily upon their hearts, Ra’stan and Usabius of the XVIIIth Legion leave behind their fellow survivors and strike out into the Urgall Depression. Their mission: to find what, if anything, remains of mighty Vulkan...

I was lucky enough to get an early excerpt of this novella. Not enough to write a full review, but if you were on the fence about it, I can report that Kyme’s firing on all cylinders with this book.

Some of you may have caught my review of Promethean Sun, the author’s first Black Library exclusive (also a Horus Heresy story featuring the Salamanders Legion). I wasn’t as impressed with that as I had hoped to be, and it did make me a little worried about Scorched Earth and Vulkan Lives. My fears have been proven unfounded, however.

In Scorched Earth, Kyme offers a great glimpse at the post-massacre fight for survival on Isstvan, as a pair of Salamanders witness the brutal aftermath of Horus's treachery. Atmospheric and well-composed, this bodes very well for Vulkan Lives, the author’s first full-length Heresy novel. (I started Vulkan Lives this morning, and so far I am really enjoying it, and it promises to offer something rather different from many of the previous Heresy novels. Review hopefully next week.)

Be sure to order Scorched Earth TODAY!

Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim rides again! And picks up some new jackets along the way… (Voyager)

Anyone who’s been reading CR for the past year will know that I’m a huge fan of Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim series. I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed the first four, and I am impatient to get my hands on the fifth in the series, Kill City Blues, to be published in hardcover this August in the UK (artwork above), and July in the US (artwork below).

In addition to book five, the first four are getting released in paperback in the UK as well. Voyager has commissioned some pretty cool, retro, quite ‘LA-punk’ covers for the books. The first two, Sandman Slim and Kill the Dead, will be published June 20th…

These will be followed by Aloha From Hell and Devil Said Bang, on July 5th and July 18th, respectively…

If you haven’t already tried this series, I highly recommend that you do. With the new editions, I can’t think of a better time, either. Even better, if you’re a UK Kindle owner, they’re currently discounted on Amazon…

This is one of my favourite series, which has also managed to maintain its high quality (something that seems rather rare, these days…). Deliciously dark, original, well-crafted, and often surprising.

C.S. Friedman’s COLDFIRE TRILOGY finally available as eBooks in the UK!

This is a series that people have been telling me to read for years! Sadly, it doesn’t seem readily available in the UK (and, when in the US, I could never find it in stores – even the massive Barnes & Noble in Union Square, New York, didn’t have any copies). So, now that it’s available in eBook format in the UK, I really have no excuse anymore! These will also be the first books I read by C.S. Friedman, which I’m a little ashamed about. Better late than never, though.

All three novels in the Coldfire Trilogy are available (they were apparently quietly made available at the beginning of May 2013): Black Sun Rising, When True Night Falls, and Crown of Shadows. In addition, the Coldfire short story, Dominion, is also available in the UK (and has been for a over a year, actually).

Here’s a synopsis for the first novel in the series…

Over a millennium ago, Erna, a seismically active yet beautiful world was settled by colonists from far-distant Earth. But the seemingly habitable planet was fraught with perils no one could have foretold, and the colonists found themselves caught in a desperate battle for survival against the fae, a terrifying natural force with the power to prey upon the human mind itself, drawing forth images from a person's worst nightmare or most treasured dreams and indiscriminately giving them life.

Twelve centuries after fate first stranded the colonists on Erna, mankind has achieved an uneasy stalemate, and human sorcerers manipulate the fae for their own profit, little realising that demonic forces which feed upon such efforts are rapidly gaining in strength. Now, as the hordes of the dark fae multiply, four people – Priest, Adept, Apprentice and Sorcerer – are about to be drawn inexorably together for a mission which will force them to confront an evil beyond their imagining, in a conflict which will put not only their own lives but the very fate of humankind in jeopardy...

DC Comics Axes Four More Titles

So DC Comics has decided to cancel four more of its New 52 titles – two from the original 52, one slightly new and one very new… Legion of Super-Heroes (#23), Demon Knights (#23), Dial H (#15) and Threshold (#8) will all come to an end in August 2013.

Apparently Legion and Dial H are as head-grabbingly-angsty about their cancellations…

iFanboy (a great site, FYI) had this to say about the cancellation: “It sucks that just about every book that DC tried to publish that was outside of the traditional superhero vein was met with abject indifference from the buying public.” Also, as Mark Waid pointed out, this is the first time in about 40 years that DC will not be publishing a Legion title. Having never read that series (New 52 or pre-52), I can’t say that it means anything to me…

Of these four series, I’ve read the first volume of Demon Knights (written by Paul Cornell, and which I rather enjoyed, but couldn’t afford to keep reading on a monthly basis), and some of Dial H (which I thought was rather weird, and continues to prove that just because China Miéville wrote it, doesn’t mean I’ll love it…). I had been waiting for the first volume of Threshold to be available on ComiXology before trying it (though was a little wary of the talking rabbit character, I must admit…). And I was never interested in Legion of Super-Heroes. I’m not sure why…

There are some new series on the horizon, too: Pandora, Superman Unchained (by the awesome Scott Snyder – #3 cover art, by Jim Lee and Scott Williams, below), Batman/Superman, Larfleeze, The Movement, and The Green Team

Upcoming: “The Detainee” by Peter Liney (Jo Fletcher)

MOAR upcoming Jo Fletcher Books titles?! Why yes. And it looks like a doozy. (No, I do not work for them, I just really like what they publish.) This time, it’s a sci-fi debut I only learned about today – not sure how it slipped by, actually, as it sounds really interesting – Peter Liney’s The Detainee. Here’s the synopsis…

When the fog comes down and the drums start to beat, the inhabitants of the island tremble: for the punishment satellites – which keep the tyrannical Wastelords at bay – are blind in the darkness, and the islanders become prey.

The inhabitants are the old, the sick, the poor: the detritus of Society, dumped on the island with the rest of Society’s waste. There is no point trying to escape, for the satellites – the invisible eyes of the law – mete out instant judgement from the sky.

The island is the end of all hope – until ‘Big Guy’ Clancy finds a blind woman living in a secret underground warren, and discovers a reason to fight.

Colour me intrigued. The Detainee will be published on July 4th 2013 in the UK by Jo Fletcher Books. Expect more about The Detainee and Peter Liney on the blog in the near future…

Upcoming: “The Tower Broken” by Mazarkis Williams (Jo Fletcher)

I just caught this over on BookSworn, and thought I’d share it on here as well. I’ve only read the first novel in Williams’ series, The Emperor’s Knife, and do intend to get to the second, Knife Sworn, as soon as time permits.

Is it just me, or does the fellow on the cover have a bit of a cheeky smile on his face…?

The only synopsis I could find of the novel was this single-sentence from Rising Shadow:

“Cerana faces down its historical enemy while a greater threat creeps through the desert towards the capitol city of Nooria.”

And over at the above-linked BookSworn page, Mazarkis Williams had this to say about the plot:

“Govnan gets a point of view in this final book, and the Tower is the focus of the story. When faced with the prospect of its utter ruin and the destruction of Nooria, Govnan must make some tough choices.”

I’ll keep my eyes open for a proper synopsis, and update this post as-and-when something more concrete becomes available.

UPDATE! [May 10] Here is the publisher’s synopsis for the book:

Nooria is at breaking point. The nothing bleeds out the very essence of all, of stone, silk – and souls. Sarmin thought he had stopped it, but it is spreading towards Cerana – and he is powerless to halt the destruction.

Even as Cerana fills with refugees, the Yrkmen armies arrive, offering to spare Sarmin’s people if they will convert to the Mogyrk faith.

Time is running out for Sarmin and Mesema: the Mage’s Tower is cracked; the last mage, sent to find a mysterious pattern-worker in the desert, has vanished; and Sarmin believes his kidnapped brother Daveed still has a part to play.

The walls are crumbling around them...

The Tower Broken will be available in “Late 2013”, published by Jo Fletcher books in the UK on November 7th 2013. (US details still pending confirmation.)

Congratulations to CHRIS BECKETT, Winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award!

Yesterday I attended the Clarke Award ceremony at the Royal Society in London. The event opened with a panel discussion on science in five years (in 2,001 days… Geddit?) – I was pleased to learn that there are people currently working on World Ships. That was cool.

Anyway, the reason most of us were there was to learn who won the prize (and, ahem, the drinks afterwards…). And so, big congratulations to…

CHRIS BECKETT, for his novel DARK EDEN (Corvus)

The runners-up, all equally interesting and high-quality science-fiction novels, were…

Adrian Barnes, Nod (Bluemoose)

Nick Harkaway, Angelmaker (William Heinemann)

Peter Heller, The Dog Stars (Headline)

Ken MacLeod, Intrusion (Orbit)

Kim Stanley Robinson, 2312 (Orbit)

After the event, I had the pleasure of meeting a great number of people who I have long respected and/or only known on the other end of an email conversation or through Twitter. It was wonderful to meet so many of you and chat about all things genre and much other things besides. A great evening.

Upcoming: “Apocalypse Now Now” by Charlie Human (Century)

Feast your eyes on this twisted, visual delight…

This is, as I’m sure you can gather, the cover for South African author Charlie Human’s debut novel, Apocalypse Now Now. The cover was first unveiled on the always awesome Pornokitsch (whose post also has an interview with Charlie Joey Hi-Fi – go check it out).

I’ve been hearing about this book a lot recently (from one person in particular…), and he has done a sufficiently excellent job of making me ridiculously excited to get my grubby mitts on a copy.

Baxter Zevcenko is your average sixteen-year-old-boy — if by average you mean kingpin of a schoolyard porn syndicate and possible serial killer who suffers from surreal  nightmares. Which may very well be what counts as average these days. Baxter is the first to admit that he’s not a nice guy. After all, if the guy below you falls, dragging you down into an icy abyss you have to cut him loose — even in high school. That is until his girlfriend, Esmé, is kidnapped and Baxter is forced to confront a disturbing fact about himself — that he has a heart, and the damn thing is forcing him to abandon high-school politics and set out on a quest to find her. The clues point to supernatural forces at work and Baxter is must admit that he can’t do it alone. Enter Jackie Ronin, supernatural bounty hunter, Border War veteran, and all-round lunatic, who takes him on a chaotic tour of Cape Town’s sweaty, occult underbelly.

What do glowing men, transsexual African valkyries, and zombie-creating arachnids have to do with Esmé’s disappearance? That’s what Baxter really, really needs to find out.

The cover at the top, by Joey Hi-Fi, is the UK edition (to be published by Century in August 2013), but Apocalypse Now Now will also be graced with an equally sinister and moody cover (also by Joey Hi-Fi) in the author’s native South Africa:

Art: VULKAN LIVES by Nick Kyme (Black Library)

Just caught this on Amazon UK: the artwork for Nick Kyme’s next Horus Heresy novel, Vulkan Lives…

Naturally, as someone who is rather addicted to the Heresy series, I can’t wait to get my mitts on this novel. Here’s the synopsis:

In the wake of the Dropsite Massacre at Isstvan V, the survivors of the Salamanders Legion searched long and hard for their fallen primarch, but to no avail. Little did they know that while Vulkan might have wished himself dead, he lives still. As the war continues without him, all eyes turn to Ultramar and Guilliman’s new empire there, and Vulkan’s sons are drawn into an insidious plot to end the Heresy by the most underhand means imaginable.

As far as I can tell, Vulkan Lives will be published in November or December 2013. Here’s the full artwork for the novel, which is rather eye-catching…

In related Nick Kyme news, the author has also penned one of two upcoming Heresy audio-dramas, Censure (which is due to be published in October 2013)…

In the depths of Calth’s arcology network, the Underworld War has raged for years. Aeonid Thiel, previously an honoured sergeant of the Ultramarines, once again finds himself in trouble – pitted against the daemonic forces of the Word Bearers, he has no choice but to venture back to the ravaged surface and brave the deadly solar flares that have scoured all life from this world. With a lowly Imperial Army trooper as his only companion, it falls to him to drive the maniacal Dark Apostle Kurtha Sedd and his warband from the overrun XIII Legion stronghold.

News! Gail Simone takes on Red Sonja!

The ever-awesome Gail Simone will be taking over writing duties for their fan-favourite series, RED SONJA!

Published by Dynamite Entertainment, Simone’s run will kick off with a brand-new #1 issue, to be published in July 2013. Hopefully this means it’ll be good for new readers… Interior art for the series will be provided by Walter Geovani

Red Sonja is a character I’ve been aware of for many years, and I remember watching the Red Sonja movie, many moons ago. In fact, I believe I even had a bit of crush on Brigitte Nielsen, who portrayed the titular character in that 1985 movie. It was released when I was only two years old, but I think I must have seen it around the age of eight or nine… For nostalgia’s sake, here’s the trailer:

Anyway, back to Simone and the comic. I haven’t had a lot of past reading experience of Simone’s work, and have actually only read the first nine issues of her current, storied run on DC’s New 52 Batgirl series (which is rather excellent).

Another Spider-Man Bites the Dust?

Is Marvel bumping off another Spider-Man? I’m guessing probably not, and this is just a marketing gimmick.

I’m a little behind on Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man, so I’m not 100% sure how this story is going to pan out. But, the series has been one of the better new comics I started reading in the last few months.

Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #23, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Dave Marquez, will be published in May 2013.

NEAL ASHER finally coming to the USA! (Night Shade Books)

Neal Asher, British Sci-Fi author extraordinaire, is finally coming to the US! Properly. Night Shade Books, “in an attempt to catch up with the British” (as it was told to me), are publishing Asher’s Owner series in quick succession in 2013. Starting with The Departure in February, and followed by Zero Point in May, and Jupiter War in August. Therefore, to celebrate this news, here are some details about the first two novels…

Marvel Tries Something Novel with She-Hulk & Rogue…

On February 7th, Marvel Entertainment and Hyperion Books announced that they were teaming up to release two novels set in the Marvel Universe. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this…

Unlike previous books, however, these will not be mere novelizations of existing Marvel storylines (for example, Civil War). Rather, these will be “two action-packed novels featuring… strong, smart heroines seeking happiness and love while battling cosmic evil.” Both of the novels are scheduled for release in June 2013 – one will feature the Avengers’ She-Hulk, the other the X-Men’s Rogue.

Also different from other Marvel novels in the past, these seem to be aimed for the “chick-lit” market (for want of a better term). The fact that they’re not your typical “lad-lit” or super-hero action-adventures shows some welcome out-of-the-box-thinking from Marvel. The idea of this genre with added superheroes… is kind of intriguing. The plots do sound just a tad derivative, though, and whoever wrote the synopses basically had one general premise in mind. (There is much juggling and navigating of normal-life challenges and relationships…)

More DC Cancellations & Intriguing New Titles

It’s spring-cleaning at DC once again, with six more titles getting the axe. From the initial New 52 series, we see the end of Deathstroke, Fury of the Firestorm, and The Savage Hawkman – all with their 19th issues.

From the “second wave” of New 52, we see Ravagers cut at issue #11. And, perhaps more depressingly in terms of longevity, Sword of Sorcery and Team 7 – both of which were only launched in September 2012, will end with their seventh issues.

Of these, I’ve only read Deathstroke and Savage Hawkman, both of which I’ve had mixed feelings about, so I’m not exactly sad to see them go. Fury of Firestorm I was actually quite interested in, seeing as it was co-written with Gail Simone. I’ve decided to pick up the collected editions, once they are all released. I also recently bought the five-issue (2004-7) run of the character, written by Dan Jolley with art by ChrisCross, as part of this week’s ComiXology Black History Month Sale. I’m sure I’ll pick up the collected editions of the other New 52 cancelled series in the future.

In related news, DC has also announced two new titles that will be coming soon. Taking cues from contemporary American politics, these two titles – The Greem Team and The Movement – could be quite interesting, if they are done well. The fact that Gail Simone is writing The Movement certainly bodes well, though.

The two books were announced over on Huffington Post (which was interesting in itself), and Bryan Young was able to get Gail Simone on the record about The Movement:

“It’s a book about power – who owns it, who uses it, who suffers from its abuse. As we increasingly move to an age where information is currency, you get these situations where a single viral video can cost a previously unassailable corporation billions, or can upset the power balance of entire governments. And because the sources of that information are so dispersed and nameless, it’s nearly impossible to shut it all down… It’s an adventure story, but it really isn’t about mad scientists and jewel heists, it’s more about the injustices that can affect real people’s lives, just tarted up in costumes and superpowers.”

Sounds very Occupy Wall Street. It will be interesting to see what the team comes up with.

The tag-line for The Green Team – “Teen Trillionaires” – makes me a little worried, though. I’ve never been keen on books that feature kids as heroes or so centrally – there is a tendency, that I’ve experienced, at least – that the characters are invariably terribly written. Perhaps the only exception that I’ve been reading lately is Batman & Robin, in which Damian (Robin) is actually a complex, nuanced and compelling character (I’ve read up to #10).