Phenomenons is a new collection
of short stories gathered by Mike Friedman inspired by his love for comic book
superheroes.
In the foreword to this volume,
Mike credits his parents for his love of reading by encouraging his comic
habit, because as far as his mother and dad were concerned, "reading is
reading." This fed not only his love of comic book literature, but other
forms as well. He cites his parent's encouragement as a source for creating
Phenomenons.
What follows is a collection of
short vignettes featuring numerous superheroes who experience varying levels of
success in their crime-fighting endeavors. All the principal characters are
ordinary people, each with an extraordinary power. But all take their cue from
one hero who inspired them, the mysterious Grey Guardsman, a shield wielding
character who either appears or is referred to in every story.
Of course, with every superhero
story, there also must be a super villain, and with this collection, there may
be several, including the self-doubt of many of the heroes. But the real
villain seems to be the economy of the times. There is a lot of greed in the
world these stories are set in, and it seems the rich just keep getting richer,
while the common people suffer. A situation no true superhero can tolerate, no
matter the odds they face.
This anthology includes two
entries by the editor, Mike Friedman, who gathered an all-star bullpen of
writers who contributed their genius project. They are (in alphabetical order)
Ilsa J. Bick, Michael A. Burstein, Russ Colchamiro, Peter David, Keith R.A.
DeCandido, Mary Fan, Robert Greenberger, Glenn Hauman, Dan Hernandez, Heather
E. Hutsell, Paul Kupperberg, Ron Marz, Aaron Rosenberg, Hildy Silverman,
Geoffrey Thorne, and Marie Vibbert. Add in the artwork by Ciao Cacau, Mike
Collins, and Blair Shedd, and you have a phenomenal and fun collection of high
entertainment value (yes, the pun is intended).
I tried to find a favorite
story to write about but found it impossible to choose because all the
vignettes included are superior in every way. They are all very different from each other and
take different tacks. What binds them together is they are all set in the same
world and in the same era. And they are all leading to a showdown in the
future, so I am hoping there will be another volume coming soon.
If you enjoy reading about the
lives of superheroes seeking justice under difficult conditions, then this is a
collection for you.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In 1992 Friedman wrote Reunion,
the first Star Trek: The Next Generation hardcover, which introduced the crew
of the Stargazer, Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s first command. Over the years, the
popularity of Reunion has spawned a number of Stargazer stories in both prose
and comic book formats, including a six-novel original series.
Friedman has also written for
the Aliens, Predator, Wolf Man, Lois and Clark, DC Super Hero, Marvel Super
Hero, and wishbone licensed book universes. Eleven of his book titles,
including the autobiography Hollywood Hulk Hogan and Ghost Hunting (written with
SciFi’s Ghost Hunters), have appeared on the prestigious New York Times primary
bestseller list, and his novel adaptation of the Batman & Robin movie was
for a time the #1 bestselling book in Poland (really).
Friedman has worked at one time
or another in network and cable television, radio, business magazines, and the
comic book industry, in the process producing scripts for nearly 180 comic
stories. Among his comic book credits is the Darkstars series from DC Comics,
which he created with artist Larry Stroman, and the Outlaws limited series,
which he created with artist Luke McDonnell. He also co-wrote the story for the
acclaimed second-season Star Trek: Voyager episode “Resistance,” which
guest-starred Joel Grey.
As always, he advises readers
that no matter how many Friedmans they know, he is probably not related to any
of them.
For more on Michael Jan
Friedman and his fiction, follow him on Twitter@FriedmanMJ, like him on
Facebook, and check out Crazy 8 Press.
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
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