After the Golden Age

February 21, 2011
Vaughn (Discord's Apple) delivers a loving homage to classic superheroes, throwing in layers of darkness and realism while avoiding the cynical satire and deconstruction common in contemporary comics. Forensic accountant Celia West is the powerless and estranged daughter of two of Commerce City's great heroes, Captain Olympus and Spark. When the city prosecutes the evil Destructor for tax evasion, Celia gets pulled in to track down evidence. As a new crime spree creates tension between the city's heroes and the police force, Celia's investigation uncovers long-buried secrets about her family and the city. Vaughn throws in elements of romance and humor, but the drama between Celia and her father really drives the story. The story is very accessible to readers who have never picked up a comic book while boasting plenty of clever in-jokes for fans of golden age superheroics.

March 15, 2011

In this warm homage to and deconstruction of classic comic books, a young woman demonstrates that you don't need superpowers to be a hero.

Although estranged from her superhero parents, the amazingly strong Captain Olympus and pyrokinetic Spark, Celia West sees them every time they rescue her from villains attempting to use her as leverage against them (it's happened so often she's blasé about the whole thing). Possessing no superpowers herself, she's struggled to make her own life as a forensic accountant. Asked to analyze the financial records of Simon Sito (aka the Destructor), an insane supervillain currently on trial, her investigation leads her to a criminal conspiracy, the mysterious origin of the superheroes of Commerce City and, ultimately, love with the one man truly capable of understanding her troubled history. The author of the bestselling urban fantasy series starring radio talk-show host and werewolf Kitty Norville (Kitty Goes to War, 2010, etc.), Vaughn uses the comic-book setting to take a serious look at the seemingly superhuman pressure exerted by parents' expectations and how difficult it can be for children to create their own destiny. The more over-the-top elements of the plot are aptly balanced by the emotional validity of Celia, whose quest to find her own strengths feels real in spite of the fantasy trappings of her world.

For readers who admire Lois Lane more than Superman.

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