Thursday, July 29, 2021

Nuclear Power #4 And One Of The Greatest Covers Of All-Time


Nuclear Power #4
Writers: Desirée Proctor and Erica Harrell
Artist & Letterer: Lynne Yoshii
Ages: 18+

I love Nuclear Power. It's that simple. There are so many moments when a story comes along and you notice parallels within the real world and it can be startling. The creators of Nuclear Power do not disappoint in Issue 4 as intense sequences elevate the fact that consequences come at times, whether we're ready for them or not.

One of the reasons I love this series falls upon the shoulders of this beautifully illustrated cover. It's amazing. The scene; flames, sparks flying, and her screams belting out into the world, pain weeping down her face. On a more personal note, this cover is how I feel on the inside. As soon as I initially saw it, I felt it.

It's not easy to discuss my emotions, but this cover depicts my swirling mass of feelings in a way that I can admit unapologetically that this is me. It is rare for me to see something and have such a profound connection to it. That's the magic of the comic book medium, and after the past year and a half of a pandemic and the despair of everything wrong with the world, this cover, and this story, are brilliant.

I highly encourage everyone to take a look at this series. 

Nuclear Power #4 is available on Hoopla and ComiXology. Plus, there are perks to pre-ordering the trade paperback. Pre-order the entire trade paperback now, and if you do so by August 1, 2021, you'll receive "exclusive signed prints of the single issue covers, as well as an Issue #1 variant cover, signed by the creative team."


Thursday, July 8, 2021

First Review In For IMAGINING RACHEL And It's 5 Stars!


My New Book And My First Review 

I am super happy to share that my new romance book, Imagining Rachel, is out in the world; plus, it already has a review! I am quite pleased with the feedback I've gotten on this story so far, and getting a review helps a lot.

For anyone who has taken the time to already purchase my book - THANK YOU!! If it is at all possible, I would love it if you'd share your thoughts in a review. I want to do whatever I can to move Imagining Rachel up the ranking within its genre category. The more people share, the more opportunities for it to be bought (and hopefully reviewed), and that helps to get the needle moving.

If you are able to, please share the book's link on your social media channels or you can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and simply RT my own (pinned) posts. Again, to everyone who has liked, shared, bought, and to the first person who wrote a review, thank you so much for helping me make some noise for Imagining Rachel.

If this is the first time you're hearing about my new book, Rachel is a quirky character who finds herself unable to control her imagination, daydreaming about a professor, leaving her zoned out in the middle of a work day with her boss asking if she's okay. It's a little rom, a little com, and I can't wait for you to read this story and the characters I'm proud to say I created.

Check out the first review for Imagining Rachel!! Who wants to be the second person to write a review?



Monday, June 28, 2021

New Romance 'Imagining Rachel' Coming Soon & Available For Pre-Order


So, friends, I wrote a romance book. Yes, my wife asked me to write it. Fortunately, she digs it. Imagining Rachel follows the titled character Rachel and how she navigates a new job and steamy fantasies about a certain dreamy professor.

I'm really proud of this book. I love the characters I've created and the personal feelings they invoke when we remember those once upon a time "love at first sight" feelings. There's the "can't think straight, daydreaming" kind of mindset that sometimes leads to heartbreak or the complete opposite that makes us all stop and smile.

For those of you interested in finding your next favorite romance book, with the second book currently in the works, then this is a great opportunity to become a fan of Rachel and all of her quirkiness. 

I would love to see this book make some noise, so-to-speak ;-), and your support means the world to me. Help me make some noise with Imagining Rachel by pre-ordering and you'll be doing just that! 

Imagining Rachel is now available for pre-order here!


Monday, June 14, 2021

Nuclear Power #3 Heralds The Horror Of Politics Perfectly



Nuclear Power
#3
Writers: Desirée Proctor and Erica Harrell
Artist & Letterer: Lynne Yoshii
Ages: 18+

The creative team behind Nuclear Power unleashes the horror behind political corruption in Issue 3. Imagining what might've been, had things happened differently in our past, is a very dark reminder that such deceitfulness feels unfortunately authentic in today's world. In the face of political leaders arguing about choosing a correct path, life is taken in response to not getting what one wants. Then, a cover up.

Nuclear Power #3 is brilliant and startling at the same time, and when there is hope in those who are demonized, those potential saviors also fight amongst themselves. It's a devastating reality we all face and I only hope this fictional tale, with characters worth rooting for, will come to play in today's society. Dr. Tocci is just that: fearless, willing to admit any past failings, helps those in need regardless of who they are, and wanting to take a stand against those who don't care about how they rose to power.

The artwork continues to work beautifully with this story, and with such a frightening cover image, you'll become unhinged when you discover the truth behind its origin. There isn't any letting up with Nuclear Power #3, as dramatic storytelling lands with some intense action sequences in the closing panels that makes the reader wonder what will happen next. Yes, I need to know what happens next. No, I cannot wait for more!


Nuclear Power #3 will be available on June 23, 2021 on Hoopla and ComiXology. Plus, there are perks to pre-ordering the trade paperback. Pre-order the entire trade paperback now, and if you do so by August 1, 2021, you'll receive "exclusive signed prints of the single issue covers, as well as an Issue #1 variant cover, signed by the creative team."

Saturday, May 15, 2021

Nuclear Power #2 Continues Its Excellent Storytelling



Nuclear Power #2
Writers: Desirée Proctor and Erica Harrell
Artist & Letterer: Lynne Yoshii
Ages: 18+

Nuclear Power starts its second issue with a fantastic action sequence. As a pair of "Variants" abduct Dr. Tocci and her patient, both of whom are pregnant, they head out on a wild ride to escape. Nuclear Power #2 excels with amazing visuals from artist Lynne Yoshii, while we continue to see bureaucratic nonsense about who's to blame - again, highlighting disturbing parallels to the real world.

Having a great first issue is one thing, but following it up with an equal showing is just as impressive. There isn't any drop in pacing, and the initial action catapults Nuclear Power #2 to one of the best second issues in any comic book series that I've read. Along with wonderful artwork, highlighted by varied panel sizes, amazing linework, and one devastating fall from up high, Issue 2 builds upon its character development. Although faced against people with enhanced powers, Dr. Tocci does not mess around. She holds her own and we clearly see a potential hero path with this character. 

The creative team behind Nuclear Power is doing a wonderful job engineering a duplicitous backdrop where all of the puzzle pieces are yet to be discovered. This type of storytelling creates a heightened sense of intrigue, leading us to wonder what's going to happen next, and it absolutely has me entranced and ready for more!


Nuclear Power #2 will be available on May 19, 2021 on Hoopla and ComiXology. Plus, there are perks to pre-ordering the trade paperback. Pre-order the entire trade paperback now, and if you do so by August 1, 2021, you'll receive "exclusive signed prints of the single issue covers, as well as an Issue #1 variant cover, signed by the creative team."

Saturday, April 10, 2021

Nuclear Power #1 Is A Powerful Start



Nuclear Power
Writers: Desirée Proctor and Erica Harrell
Artist & Letterer: Lynne Yoshii
Ages: 18+

The moment I've been waiting for has arrived. I love dystopian fiction and Nuclear Power does not disappoint. This tragic look at a nuclear war depicts parts of the world as we see it now. The disillusionment of treating everyone equally is front and center. The fictional country has turned into a place where women are accosted for showing emotions, while those beyond the border wall are seen as a scary threat, despite not really knowing what's out there.

Nuclear Power drives home parallels from this fictional world to our own - and it's powerful, hammering home how damning and shameful such things exist in real life. Issue 1 is the first chapter in a six-part series and the wheels are spinning wildly as those within come face-to-face with those who have breached the walls. Not everything is what it seems and I'm already looking forward to Issue 2 in this series.

The artwork of Nuclear Power captures this altered world perfectly with reddish tones, mixed with shadowy figures and super powers that lets us know much more is to come. Wonderful facial expressions elevate tense or witty conversations, which provide balance with well-timed levity. I'm all aboard the Nuclear Power train and I can't wait to see where it takes me next!!


Nuclear Power #1 will be available on April 21, 2021 on Hoopla and ComiXology. Plus, there are perks to pre-ordering the trade paperback. Pre-order the entire trade paperback now, and if you do so by August 1, 2021, you'll receive "exclusive signed prints of the single issue covers, as well as an Issue #1 variant cover, signed by the creative team."


Friday, March 5, 2021

WandaVision Connects With Me More Than Any Other Fictional Story

 

WandaVision Episode 9

You are about to reach the spoiler zone for the Wanda/Vision and its brilliant finale. Although much of this article won't touch content, my own feelings might take away from seeing the finale with fresh eyes. This is your last chance to turn back before being spoiled.


You're now entering the heartbreak zone. 


As I watched each episode of WandaVision, I tried to fully process the dynamic storytelling that was happening right in front of my eyes. It was transformative in the fictional craft. Leaning into something unique and going down a completely undiscovered rabbit hole. Going to a place that I was unexpected to find: connection on the deepest levels of anything I've ever grasped before.

WandaVision is the story, now that I've watched every episode, that once completed I felt a semblance of feeling like I've watched the greatest thing I've ever watched. Will it ultimately be my all-time favorite show? I've long held the feeling that Star Trek: The Next Generation is the only piece of my heart, with Fringe following oh, so closely behind.

But, for me, in this moment, no other story has captured me in such a way where I felt quite so connected. In watching WandaVision, it was like watching my own internal struggles play out on screen. The earliest of episodes depict this weird, perhaps corny, and somewhat jovial disposition. But, underneath the surface, we see that something isn't right.

As we move further along, those happy moments, those smiles, those feelings of belonging are hiding something. We don't necessarily know what's wrong or that it's something fixable, but it's there. And, by the end, we're struggling to grasp with the overwhelming sense of grief and sadness. Something that was there all along, but until you saw it, until you understood what you were actually seeing and feeling, it was all masked by an illusion.

The finale of WandaVision is devastatingly great. The bond between Wanda and Vision is the relationship of all relationships, and the crushing realization that it's over before you even realized what they had is, well, just what it sounds like. It hurts. It's sad. The feelings I have as I try to articulate their love are churning as I come to grips with my own self. Seeing each episode play out as I grapple with the realization that my own feelings, my headspace, my own internal struggles, resemble a 9-episode series.

The creators of this show have generated something amazingly honest, surreal, and profoundly impactful for me. I'm not sure how impactful it will be for others, though I assume their own feelings will be just as great. For me, how can WandaVision mirror my own being in such a way? How do the tears I held back further shape the story, the characters, or me moving forward?

WandaVision is magnificent. There's no denying that for me. If I were to state anything else, I'd be denying the fact that I recognize my own struggles. In recent times, I've tried to do so much more to be more open to those struggles, those fears, the inescapable questioning of my own self-worth. To not state unequivocally that WandaVision is the greatest show I've ever seen would be a disservice to me. I'd be lying to myself, because the feelings this show generated are beyond the limits of Westview's scarlet wall.

Wanda and Vision's pain is real. Their love is boundless. Their story is beyond anything I've ever seen or felt before in fiction, or at least, I haven't seen replicated in any other character that resembled my own existence.

I am not alone.