House of Reviewapalooza

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Steven

Dawn-Vampirella-1_Variant-CoverOver at the news site Comics for Sinners, as some of you may be aware, starting last year I became a comic and graphic novel reviewer, giving my opinion on some of the latest releases for bad-girl fans and general readers alike. Here are the titles I’ve reviewed in March 2015:

Dynamite Entertainment
Altered States: Vampirella: Written by Nancy A. Collins, art by Francesco Manna
Dawn/Vampirella #1–3: Written and illustrated by Joseph Michael Linsner
Lady Rawhide/Lady Zorro #1: Written by Shannon Eric Denton, art by Rey Villegas

Marvel Comics
Princess Leia #1–2: Written by Mark Waid, art by Terry and Rachel Dodson

Interested in seeing what else I’ve reviewed? Then check out these lists and head over to C4S to read the entries:

The Ghost of Reviewapalooza: an overview of 2014 titles
Reviewapalooza Meets the Wolfman: January and February 2015 titles

And be sure to bookmark Comics For Sinners to keep up-to-date on my opinionated ramblings about bad-girl (and other) comics.

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Star Wars: Princess Leia Review at Comics for Sinners

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Steven

PrincessLeia01-cvrNow at the news site Comics for Sinners, you can read my review of Princess Leia #1–2; issue 2 is currently available from Marvel Comics. Written by Mark Waid (Daredevil) and illustrated by Terry and Rachel Dodson (Wonder Woman), this five-issue miniseries takes place shortly after the original Star Wars (that would be Episode IV: A New Hope, for you younger fans), and involves Leia racing around the galaxy in search of fellow survivors of the destruction of Alderaan (you know, the planet blown up by the Death Star). It’s a difficult mission to undertake, given the Galactic Empire has placed a sizable bounty on Leia, but if you think that’s going to stop her, you don’t know the determined, blaster-toting former senator. Punch the hyperdrive and head over to C4S to read all about it.

The Bob Larkin SketchbookSpeaking of Star Wars, are you familiar with the work of legendary artist Bob Larkin, who’s painted a Star Warrior or two in his time? If you’ve ever seen Marvel’s 1980 comic adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back (aka Episode V), then you’ve seen Bob’s fantastic cover painting of Luke Skywalker and his tauntaun, with Darth Vader looming in the background. He followed that with the cover for Star Wars (no subtitle), a mass-market paperback collection of comic strips originally done for Marvel UK’s Star Wars Weekly. And that doesn’t even include his SW parody covers for Marvel’s humor magazine, Crazy!

So why am I mentioning all this? Well, it just so happens that StarWarp Concepts is the publisher of The Bob Larkin Sketchbook, which contains spectacular pencil drawings of a host of subjects by the talented Mr. Larkin—including Skywalker & Company! It’s 24 pages of artistic goodness, available exclusively from the StarWarp Concepts webstore. Visit the Bob Larkin Sketchbook product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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Lady Rawhide/Lady Zorro Review at Comics for Sinners

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Steven

LadyRawhide-LadyZorro1-CovNow at the news site Comics for Sinners, you can read my review of Lady Rawhide/Lady Zorro #1—written by Shannon Eric Denton (Vampirella Halloween Special 2013), illustrated by Rey Villegas (Lady Rawhide), and currently available from Dynamite Entertainment. Lady Rawhide, in case you’ve never heard of her, was one of the top-tier members of the 1990s “Bad Girl Era”—a fiery-haired, corset-and-thigh-high-boots-wearing counterpart to Zorro, one of pulp fiction’s greatest swashbuckling heroes. Reintroduced last year to comic fans by Dynamite as part of their Zorro revival, in this four-part miniseries Rawhide teams up with a recent addition to the franchise: Lady Zorro, who’s as lethal with her sword as Lady Rawhide is with her whip and six-guns. Head on over to C4S to find out more.

Speaking of adventurous bad girls, especially those of the fiery-haired variety, have you met Lorelei, StarWarp Concepts’ resident soul-stealing succubus? Making her comics debut in 1993, Lori has remained SWC’s first leading lady of horror, and currently stars in two critically acclaimed projects:

Lorelei: Sects and the CityLorelei: Sects and the City is a Mature Readers graphic novel in which Lori battles a cult of Elder God worshipers attempting to unleash hell on Earth. Basically a love letter to 1970s horror comics like Vampirella, Tomb of Dracula, and Satana the Devil’s Daughter, it’s written by yours truly, Steven A. Roman (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, X-Men: The Chaos Engine Trilogy), and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia (Vengeance of the Mummy, Lady Death), Steve Geiger (Web of Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk), and Neil Vokes (Flesh and Blood, Fright Night). It also features a cover by legendary artist Esteban Maroto (Vampirella, Zatanna, Lady Rawhide) and a frontispiece by original Vampirella artist Tom Sutton (Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night). It’s available in both print and e-book formats, so visit the Lorelei: Sects and the City product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

House_Macabre_large_finalLorelei Presents: House Macabre is Lori’s debut as the hostess of a horror anthology comic. Behind that eye-catching cover by bad-girl artist supreme Louis Small Jr. (Vampirella, Vampirella/Lady Death), you’ll find stories by Steven A. Roman (yep, me again) and Dwight Jon Zimmerman (Iron Man, Web of Spider-Man). Art is provided by Uriel Caton & “Chainsaw” Chuck Majewski (Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa), Lou Manna (T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents), John Pierard (Graphic Classics: Horror Classics), and Juan Carlos Abraldes Rendo. It’s available in print for $3.99 (plus shipping) exclusively from the StarWarp Concepts webstore, and in digital form for $1.99 from DriveThru Comics and the SWC webstore. Visit the Lorelei Presents: House Macabre product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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Blood Reign: Author Steven A. Roman Interview

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Steven

Blood-Reign-FinalCvrThe promotional tour for Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2 continues today at the Pandora Zwieback website, where SWC editorial director K. C. Winters interviews author Steven A. Roman (that’s me) about his latest release, and some of the tricks of his writing trade. Head over there now and give it a read!

And in case you hadn’t heard the news, over at my Goodreads author page I’ve activated the “Ask the Author” function. So if you’re a Goodreads member and you’ve got a question about The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Lorelei: Sects and the City, X-Men: The Chaos Engine Trilogy, or any of the other projects I’ve written over the years, head over there now and ask away!

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A Princess of Mars E-book On Sale at SWC Webstore

Posted on March 28, 2015 by Steven

princess_bookfestDo you enjoy adventure stories filled with nonstop action, epic battles, numerous swordfights, handsome heroes, and beautiful heroines? Are you intrigued at the notion of a man from Earth battling a hostile alien world for the love of a beautiful princess? Then you should definitely check out the science-fiction epic A Princess of Mars, whose PDF e-book edition is available from the StarWarp Concepts webstore!

A Princess of Mars is the classic science-fantasy novel written in 1912 by Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs that served as the basis for Disney’s 2012 film adaptation, John Carter, and inspired numerous SF works, from Flash Gordon to Star Wars to James Cameron’s Avatar. It’s also the source material for Dynamite Entertainment’s various Mars-related comic book projects, including the current series, John Carter: Warlord of Mars. Not bad for a novel that’s been in print for over a hundred years, wouldn’t you say? The special StarWarp Concepts edition of A Princess of Mars features six incredible illustrations by SWC artist supreme Eliseu Gouveia (Carmilla, Lorelei: Sects and the City, The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0, The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1), and a special introduction by Mars-fiction expert John Gosling, author of Waging the War of the Worlds.

For those of you who might be unfamiliar with this classic novel, here’s the synopsis:

Captain John Carter thought his days as a fighter were over. The South had lost the Civil War, and as a soldier now without a battle to fight or a cause to believe in, he journeyed west in search of a new life.

But not even Carter could have expected that his new life would begin with his death in the Arizona desert, and his inexplicable arrival on the barren plains of the planet Mars. Or that he would find love in the eyes of the beauteous Dejah Thoris, princess of Helium.

A prisoner of the giant, green-skinned warrior race called the Tharks, Dejah Thoris is meant to be used as a pawn in the ongoing war between the Tharks and her people, the red Martians—unless the gentleman from Virginia takes sword in hand to free her…and thus unite a divided world.

Once more, John Carter has a cause to fight for—and this time, a love to win, as well….

Visit the Princess of Mars product page to order and download your copy. And don’t worry, book lovers, we also have the print version available for those of you who prefer holding a physical book in your hands; you can order it from the product page, too.

Get started reading today!

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Blood Reign: Pandora Zwieback 2 E-book On Sale at Kobo

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Steven

Blood-Reign-FinalCvrThe Zwiebackian takeover of digital readers continues, because now you can find the ePub edition of Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2—my young adult, dark-urban-fantasy novel—at Kobo! Here’s the synopsis:

She was stabbed in the heart with an ancient mystical spear. Her mother was kidnapped by a band of vampires led by a fallen angel—their goal: unleashing hell on earth. And every living creature on the planet faces extinction at the hands of a race of biblical monsters. But for Pandora Zwieback, the worst may be yet to come.

In this terrifying next chapter of the story begun in the critically acclaimed novel Blood Feud, join the teenaged Goth adventuress as she discovers that death is only the beginning of her saga…

You’ll find Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2 here for $2.99 at the Kobo Store. Order it today!

And don’t forget: the first Pandora Zwieback novel, Blood Feud, is still available from Kobo. Want to know how Pan begins her saga? Then purchase Blood Feud and Blood Reign and get started reading!

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Blood Reign: Pandora Zwieback 2 E-book at Scribd

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Steven

Blood-Reign-FinalCvrGood news, e-book lovers! You can now find the ePub edition of Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2—my young adult, dark-urban-fantasy novel—at digital subscription library Scribd! Here’s the synopsis:

She was stabbed in the heart with an ancient mystical spear. Her mother was kidnapped by a band of vampires led by a fallen angel—their goal: unleashing hell on earth. And every living creature on the planet faces extinction at the hands of a race of biblical monsters. But for Pandora Zwieback, the worst may be yet to come.

In this terrifying next chapter of the story begun in the critically acclaimed novel Blood Feud, join the teenaged Goth adventuress as she discovers that death is only the beginning of her saga…

You’ll find Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2 here at Scribd. Add it to your subscription queue today!

And don’t forget: the first Pandora Zwieback novel, Blood Feud, is also available at Scribd. Want to know how Pan begins her saga? Then purchase Blood Feud and Blood Reign and get started reading!

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Altered States: Vampirella Review at Comics for Sinners

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Steven

AlteredVampi-CovNow at the news site Comics for Sinners, you can read my review of Altered States: Vampirella, now on sale from Dynamite Entertainment. Written by Vampirella series scribe Nancy A. Collins (Swamp Thing, Sunglasses After Dark) and illustrated by Francesco Manna (Vampirella #100, Army of Darkness #1992.1), this one-shot special puts a 180-degree spin on Vampi’s 1960s origin as an outer space vampiress from a planet of bloodsuckers. In this situation, Ella is a human astronaut traveling from Earth to the planet of vampires—where the fluid in their veins isn’t blood, it’s life-giving water! Filled with small nods to Vampirella’s Warren Publishing past, it’s an “Elseworlds” take that should appeal to longtime fans. Head on over to C4S to read all about it.

Speaking of otherworldly bad girls, have you met StarWarp Concepts’ resident soul-stealing succubus, Lorelei? She currently stars in two critically acclaimed projects:

Lorelei: Sects and the CityLorelei: Sects and the City is a Mature Readers graphic novel in which Lori battles a cult of Elder God worshipers attempting to unleash hell on Earth. Basically a love letter to 1970s horror comics like Vampirella, Tomb of Dracula, and Satana the Devil’s Daughter, it’s written by yours truly, Steven A. Roman (Stan Lee’s Alexa, X-Men: The Chaos Engine Trilogy), and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia (Vengeance of the Mummy, Lady Death), Steve Geiger (Web of Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk), and Neil Vokes (Flesh and Blood, Fright Night). It also features a cover by legendary artist Esteban Maroto (Vampirella, Zatanna, Lady Rawhide) and a frontispiece by original Vampirella artist Tom Sutton (Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night). It’s available in both print and digital editions, so visit the Lorelei: Sects and the City product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

House_Macabre_large_finalLorelei Presents: House Macabre is Lori’s debut as the hostess of a horror anthology comic. Behind that eye-catching cover by bad-girl artist supreme Louis Small Jr. (Vampirella, Vampirella/Lady Death), you’ll find stories by Steven A. Roman (yep, me again) and Dwight Jon Zimmerman (Iron Man, Web of Spider-Man). Art is provided by Uriel Caton & “Chainsaw” Chuck Majewski (Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa), Lou Manna (T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents), John Pierard (Graphic Classics: Horror Classics), and Juan Carlos Abraldes Rendo. It’s available in print for $3.99 (plus shipping) exclusively from the StarWarp Concepts webstore, and in digital form for $1.99 from DriveThru Comics and the SWC webstore. Visit the Lorelei Presents: House Macabre product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages

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Blood Reign: Pandora Zwieback 2 E-book at Oyster Books

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Steven

Blood-Reign-FinalCvrE-book lovers, take note: you can now find the ePub edition of Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2—my young adult, dark-urban-fantasy novel—at digital subscription library Oyster Books! Here’s the synopsis:

She was stabbed in the heart with an ancient mystical spear. Her mother was kidnapped by a band of vampires led by a fallen angel—their goal: unleashing hell on earth. And every living creature on the planet faces extinction at the hands of a race of biblical monsters. But for Pandora Zwieback, the worst may be yet to come.

In this terrifying next chapter of the story begun in the critically acclaimed novel Blood Feud, join the teenaged Goth adventuress as she discovers that death is only the beginning of her saga…

You’ll find Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2 here at Oyster. Add it to your subscription queue today!

And don’t forget: the first Pandora Zwieback novel, Blood Feud, is also available at Oyster. Want to know how Pan begins her saga? Then purchase Blood Feud and Blood Reign and get started reading!

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Dawn/Vampirella Review at Comics for Sinners

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Steven

DawnVampi01-CovNow at the news site Comics for Sinners, you can read my review of Dawn/Vampirella #1–3; issue 3 is currently available from Dynamite Entertainment. Written and illustrated by Dawn creator Joseph Michael Linsner, it’s the first time his goddess of rebirth and horror comics’ vampiric queen of the bad girls have crossed paths, and only because they’ve been kidnapped by a demon in search of a bride. But instead of getting into a catfight to settle who gets to be the loser, the two supernatural ladies settle for a storytelling contest to postpone their fate (shades of Scheherazade and her 1,001 Arabian Nights!). Head on over to C4S to read all about it.

Speaking of femmes fatales, especially those of the redheaded variety, have you met Lorelei, StarWarp Concepts’ resident soul-stealing succubus? Making her comics debut in 1993, Lori has remained SWC’s first leading lady of horror, and currently stars in two critically acclaimed projects:

Lorelei: Sects and the CityLorelei: Sects and the City is a Mature Readers graphic novel in which Lori battles a cult of Elder God worshipers attempting to unleash hell on Earth. Basically a love letter to 1970s horror comics like Vampirella, Tomb of Dracula, and Satana the Devil’s Daughter, it’s written by yours truly, Steven A. Roman (Stan Lee’s Alexa, X-Men: The Chaos Engine Trilogy), and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia (Vengeance of the Mummy, Lady Death), Steve Geiger (Web of Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk), and Neil Vokes (Flesh and Blood, Fright Night). It also features a cover by legendary artist Esteban Maroto (Vampirella, Zatanna, Lady Rawhide) and a frontispiece by original Vampirella artist Tom Sutton (Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night). It’s available in both print and e-book formats, so visit the Lorelei: Sects and the City product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

House_Macabre_large_finalLorelei Presents: House Macabre is Lori’s debut as the hostess of a horror anthology comic. Behind that eye-catching cover by bad-girl artist supreme Louis Small Jr. (Vampirella, Vampirella/Lady Death), you’ll find stories by Steven A. Roman (yep, me again) and Dwight Jon Zimmerman (Iron Man, Web of Spider-Man). Art is provided by Uriel Caton & “Chainsaw” Chuck Majewski (Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa), Lou Manna (T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents), John Pierard (Graphic Classics: Horror Classics), and Juan Carlos Abraldes Rendo. It’s available in print for $3.99 (plus shipping) exclusively from the StarWarp Concepts webstore, and in digital form for $1.99 from DriveThru Comics and the SWC webstore. Visit the Lorelei Presents: House Macabre product page for all the ordering information, as well as sample pages.

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