Over at the news site Comics for Sinners, you’ll find my review of Fake Empire #1, which offers the first sample chapter of the upcoming graphic novel of the same name from Darby Pop Publishing. Written by Eric Palicki and illustrated by Vinnie Rico, it’s a dark-urban-fantasy adventure that involves the murder of the Tooth Fairy and the investigation of it by her sisters: one an NYPD detective, the other a street-smart ex-fairy. If you’re a fan of, say, the Vertigo comics series Fables, head over to C4S to learn more.
Speaking of dark-urban-fantasy characters, are you aware that StarWarp Concepts has a few of its own? No? Then allow me to fill you in…
Pandora Zwieback and Sebastienne “Annie” Mazarin: Pan is a teenaged Goth with the power to see through the human disguises of the monsters that actually exist in the world; Annie is Pan’s immortal, monster-hunting mentor. Together they star in The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, a series of dark-urban-fantasy novels that involve vampire civil wars, fallen angels, and a legion of other monsters. Currently, you’ll find Pan and Annie clashing with monsterdom in the following titles:
Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1: This critically acclaimed novel is the beginning of Pan’s story, explaining how she, her parents and friends, and Annie are drawn into a conflict among warring vampire clans searching for the key to an ultimate weapon (or so the legend goes)—a key that just so happens to have been delivered to the horror-themed museum owned by Pan’s father. It’s a character-driven action-fest that leads immediately into the second novel:
Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2: Pan and Annie face even greater challenges as the vampire clans draw up plans to go to war with humanity. Leading the charge is a fallen angel named Zaqiel, whose previous attempt at subjugating the world was stopped by Annie—who, back in the day, was Zaqiel’s lover!
The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1: A spinoff from the novel series, this 56-page, full-color comic special finds the teenaged Goth adventuress battling vampires and a jealous, man-stealing siren. It features stories by me and Sholly Fisch (Scooby-Doo Team-Up), art by Eliseu Gouveia (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0), comic-art legend Ernie Colon (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld), and Elizabeth Watasin (Charm School), and cover art by award-winning artist Henar Torinos (Mala Estrella).
But long before she started teaching Pan how to deal with the creatures of the night, Annie was also the star of a short-lived “bad girl” comic book miniseries in the 1990s: Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa. Here you’ll find Annie doing a bit of research for an article about gentlemen’s clubs in Times Square—research that includes actually performing as an exotic dancer (I did say it was a ’90s comic, didn’t I?). It’s that part-time gig that brings her into contact with Corum de Sade, a heavy metal singer with a deadly secret: he’s a soul-devouring incubus! And all three issues are available for free from this very website!
Lorelei: SWC’s first leading lady of horror, Lori is a succubus who revels in devouring the souls of bad guys, and currently stars in two critically acclaimed projects:
Lorelei: 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 Ghost Rider, 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), a frontispiece by original Vampirella artist Tom Sutton (Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night), and a one-page history of succubi illustrated by Ernie Colon (Vampirella, The Grim Ghost).
Lorelei Presents: House Macabre: It’s Lori’s first outing as the hostess of a horror comic anthology, in this one-shot special that contains four tales of horror, behind eye-catching cover art by fan-favorite artist Louis Small Jr. (Vampirella, Supergirl, Batman 80-Page Giant).
- “The Old, Dark Manse” is written by me and illustrated by Uriel Caton (JSA Annual, The Ex-Mutants, Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa) and “Chainsaw” Chuck Majewski (Harvey Kurtzman’s New Two-Fisted Tales), and has Lori welcoming readers to this special.
- “All in Color for a Crime” is another tale from me, with art by Lou Manna (T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Young All-Stars). Two comic book collectors clash over a rare back issue—and only one of them will be adding it to their long boxes!
- “The Basilisk,” from me and artist John Pierard (Graphic Classics: Horror Classics, My Teacher Fried My Brains), is a “Lori’s Feary Tale” that examines the history of a supernatural creature that’s a cross between a deadly snake and a…chicken?!
- Wrapping up the special is “Requiem for Bravo 6,” by New York Times bestselling author and comic writer Dwight Jon Zimmerman (She-Hulk, Steve McQueen: Full-Throttle Cool) and artist Juan Carlos Abraldes Rendo. A special-ops team goes on a life-or-death mission…but will they be prepared for what awaits them at mission’s end?
Troubleshooters, Incorporated: The graphic novel Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings involves a supernatural team of superfolk-for-hire, consisting of a wizard, a sorceress, a female ninja, a high-tech-armor-wearing rock concert lighting designer, and a werewolf. Not every superhero team has Tony Stark’s billions to play with, you understand, and the Troubleshooters are just looking to earn a living while fighting the monsters that have always lurked in the shadows. Makes sense, right? Of course it does! Written by the husband-and-wife team of Richard C. and Joni M. White, and illustrated by Reggie Golden and Randy Zimmerman, Night Stalkings presents the TSI members on their first mission: protecting a multimillionaire from a trio of Middle Eastern demons out to raise a little hell!
Lorelei: Sects and the City, Lorelei Presents: House Macabre, Blood Feud, Blood Reign, the Pandora Zwieback Annual, and Troubleshooters, Incorporated are available in print and digital formats. Heartstopper is a digital exclusive. Visit their respective product pages for ordering information, as well as sample pages and chapters.
As regular visitors to this site might be aware, since 2014 I’ve been a comic and graphic novel reviewer for the news site Comics for Sinners, giving my opinion on some of the latest releases for bad-girl fans and general readers alike. Here are the titles I reviewed in February 2016:
It’s celebration time! Over at Comics for Sinners you’ll find my 75th review: 
Over at the news site Comics for Sinners, you’ll find my review of 
It’s a special day for fans of fantasy adventures, as bestselling author Richard C. White (Gauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil, Star Trek: SCE: Echoes of Coventry) launches a Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund the publication of his upcoming short story collection, 
In 
If you’ve never heard the name Gahan Wilson, then you don’t know macabre cartoons—and you’ve been missing a lot of great ones. For sixty years, Wilson has been drawing creepy one-panel gags for magazines like The Twilight Zone, Playboy, National Lampoon, and The New Yorker. He’s the cartooning soul mate of Charles Addams, whose equally low-key cartoon horrors brought us The Addams Family. And today’s the day he turns 86!
Except that’s not how we met. That happened when I stepped out of my office to do something (I forget what) and practically walked into him. And then he uttered his memorable first words to me:
Working with him on Gravediggers’ Party, and its follow-up volume, Gahan Wilson’s Monster Party, was a joy, because I got to drool over five decades’ worth of incredible images (don’t worry, my lobster bib kept me from damaging anything). And Wilson agreed with about 85 percent of my choices, which made me even happier.
Over at the news site Comics for Sinners, you’ll find my review of 
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