Brand New: First in an all new series of DC UNIVERSE novels

[BMK!]

I was at Borders Books this morning and I happened to glance over by the new paperback release table and a particular cover (painted by James Jean)caught my eye. There was only one copy left. It's the first of a new series of novels under the DC UNIVERSE banner entitled, "Last Sons" by Alan Grant, copyright 2006.

Here's the back cover copy:

Meta-humans, aliens, magical entities, or mortals driven by iron wills. Superheroes, renegades, or villains-out for justice, vengence, or cash. Whether legendary, infamous, or little known, these extraordinary beings are the true champions of the...

DC UNIVERSE


Superman. Martian Manhunter. Lobo.

Interplanetary bounty humter Lobo is a notorious maverick. Happily wreaking havoc as he brings in his prey, he cares little who his clients or targets are--even when his latest quarry is J'onn J'onzz, Martian Manhunter of the Justice League. Suddenly Lobo finds himself confronting...Superman. Cogs in the machinations of a powerful artificial life-form, these three aliens, the sole survivors of the planets Krypton, Mars, and Czarnia, have only one thing in common--they are the last of their kind...LAST SONS.


I also went to a Barnes & Noble to find a copy for my brother. I found that there was only one copy left as well. So, I thought to pass the word around.

The next novel in the DCU series will be "Inheritance" by Devin Grayson (out in June '06), featuring Batman, Green Arrow, Aquaman, Nightwing, Arsenal & Tempest Vs. Deathstroke the Terminator.

-BMK!-

[Great Rao]

Have you read any of it?  I found the first chapter online at the twbookmark site and it did an amazing job of convincing me that I do not want to go anywhere near that book.

[nightwing]

I never understood how anyone other than comics fans could be expected to follow a story like this, or Roger Stern's "Life and Death of Superman" or any of those things.  There are so many characters running around that most people have never heard of...how does one keep track of who's who, what powers they have and all that?  I don't care if they do sweeten the pot with Superman and Batman...who wants to read a novel about Arsenal, Lobo or Tempest?

I guess I just expect different things from a novel than a comic.  In a novel I want some point of identification, some connection to the real world.  A novel about a world full of superheroes is no more interesting to me than a novel about dragons and faeries (though I know some people dig that stuff).  With color pictures, I'll tolerate it and maybe even get into it.  But as a work of prose, my eyes glaze over pretty fast.

[Great Rao]

I certainly understand your point Nightwing, but I want to clarify and explain that the reason that I didn't like what I read of the book was because of the disgustingly graphic violence, the childish writing, and the complete lack of any redeeming qualities at all.  Perhaps some people enjoy reading things like that, but I don't, and certainly not in a book that claims to have Superman as one of its main characters.

[ShinDangaioh]

How about theese anthologies of superhero stories:

Path of the Bold
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1894938437/qid=1138139436/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-3168198-2108666?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Path of the Just
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1894525825/qid=1138139471/sr=8-3/ref=pd_bbs_3/103-3168198-2108666?n=507846&s=books&v=glance

Superheroes
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0441001378/qid=1138140366/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-3168198-2108666?s=books&v=glance&n=283155


Some are good, some aren't.  Some are incredibly funny.  Who can forget Theme Music Man?

[BMK!]

Have you read any of it?  I found the first chapter online at the twbookmark site and it did an amazing job of convincing me that I do not want to go anywhere near that book.

Yeah....5 chapters in and so far it's reading like LOBO:THE MAIN MAN, guest-starring Martian Manhunter & Superman. I'll give a full review once completed.

[Permanus]

How about theese anthologies of superhero stories:

Path of the Bold
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1894938437/qid=1138139436/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-3168198-2108666?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Path of the Just
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1894525825/qid=1138139471/sr=8-3/ref=pd_bbs_3/103-3168198-2108666?n=507846&s=books&v=glance

Superheroes
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0441001378/qid=1138140366/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-3168198-2108666?s=books&v=glance&n=283155


Some are good, some aren't.  Some are incredibly funny.  Who can forget Theme Music Man?

Yeah, I have a copy of Superheroes somewhere, and I enjoyed it very much. Two stories especially spring to mind: "Peer Review" and "Reflected Glory" -- I think, but am not sure (I haven't got the book to hand) that the latter was written by Kurt Busiek.

[ShinDangaioh]

Peer Review was written by Michael A. Stackpole
Reflected Glory was written by Paul Kupperberg


From the Silver Age Sentinels superhero antholgies:
From the Path of the Just  antholgy, one of my favorites is The Final Equation by Robin D. Laws.  Yes, Max Libery aka The Sentinel is a Superman homage, but that's what makes him so fun.(Of course, since he's been around since World War One is also interesting.  He's been a superhero since WWII.  He was a pilot that got shot down by the Red Baron)

From Path of the Bold, SF by John Kovalic.  It's a story about a super-hero comicbook writer living in a world populated by super-heroes.

I do hope that Guardians of Order makes some more anthology books.