Hey friends!
Sorry to go quiet for a stretch there. I was laid up with COVID for a week and change and just playing catch up, which is never fun. So please enjoy this lengthy, in-depth update!
First off - we unveiled pages from the second issue of THE AWAKENED a few weeks ago. Wait, you haven’t subscribed yet? Well, for five bucks a month, you can get a chunk of comics by me, Michael Moreci, Dean Kotz, Jason Wordie, Jim Campbell, Chantelle Aimée Osman, and Brian Cunningham. That’s less than a decent latte. THE AWAKENED has gotten some nice feedback as people start to tap into our superhero murder mystery. Hope you join the fun. As an added bonus, that's a great team shot of the Freedom Alliance we haven't shown anywhere! Dean and Jason are really making some magic together.
I've also got a great double-shot of Marvel news - I'm writing two short stories for them! One is a White Tiger tale for the latest Marvel Voices: Comunidades (9/28), with art by the amazing Roge Antonio; and I've also got a short Araña story with art by Caio Majado in Edge of Spider-Verse #1 (8/3)! The latter story sets a new status quo for Anya, a character I love. I'm honored to be able to write these two iconic heroes and I hope I do them justice. Let your comic shop know you want a copy of each! Wild to see my name alongside so many greats like Karla Pacheco, Dan Slott, Fabian Nicieza, and many more.
In other news - ComiXology and Dark Horse announced that The Black Ghost is returning! The second arc of our superhero noir series, Shame the Devil, hits next month via ComiXology digitally, and will be collected in print in January of next year by Dark Horse, courtesy of me, co-writer Monica Gallagher, artist George Kambadais, colorist Ellie Wright, letterer Taylor Esposito, and editor Greg Lockard!
I'm also writing a Scarlet Sisters one-shot, with art by the talented Emiliana Pinna!
Over at InterPop, co-writer Chantelle Aimée Osman and I launched The Rejects with artist Adrian Guttierez and co! This is our love letter to classic teen superhero books like Claremont's Uncanny X-Men, so please give it a shot if that's your bag. Chantelle's been a fantastic collaborator and Adrian is a superstar-in-waiting!
That's not all, folks - as I let our Kickstarter backers know, we're closing in on the finish line for The Dusk graphic novel! This has taken a long time, but we're so excited to finally share the final product with backers and to see what the future holds for our daring crimefighter. More soon on both fronts! In the meantime, here's a three-page preview, spotlighting artist David Hahn and colorist Ellie Wright's mastery:
Whew, that's a lot! Here are some quick press and promo updates, too -
John Valeri at Criminal Element had some very nice things to say about Secret Identity! "Simply put, Secret Identity is the book Alex Segura was born to write. His passion for the world of comics, in all its complexities and colorfulness, comes through on every page and will fascinate both the fandom and casual readers alike."
The Washington Examiner also dug the book: "Set decades before the box-office dominance of Batman and the Avengers, when comic publishers struggled to survive by catering to children and misfits, Secret Identity is both an intriguing mystery and a fun exploration of why these characters enduringly appeal."
The fantastically talented writer (and pal) Erica Wright interviewed me over at Mystery Tribune!
That time I was on a Book Riot list that featured Michael Chabon. 👀
This is particularly wild: my hometown alt-weekly, The Miami New Times, named me the "Best Writer" of 2022! High praise. Still floating over this.
And also huge - NPR listed Secret Identity among it's top books of 2022, in their Books We Love feature. I was so honored and excited to see this. Even cooler to be alongside so many books by friends. If that wasn't enough, The Boston Globe also included Secret Identity in their 2022 summer best-of list!
Had a wonderful time talking diversity in graphic novels with good friends and super-talents, Greg Lockard and Jeremy Holt! We plugged our recent work, talked about our experienced and inspirations, and lots more. Check out their work and grab them from my local indie, Kew & Willow Books!
A friend sent me this pic of Secret Identity - which has been named one of the Oakland Public Library’s “Lucky Day” titles, which means it’s an in-demand book that roams the library system, and that you can only check out for a limited time. Quite the honor! Even sweeter to be next to my bestie Kellye Garrett’s fantastic Like A Sister.
On 7/25, I'll be part of the Bryant Park Reel Talks cinema discussion series! I'll be talking Batman movies with awesome crime writer/friend/and film expert, Scott Adlerberg. If you're in the area, join us. We'll have copies of Secret Identity on sale, too!
I'll be in conversation with good pal/awesome writer Preeti Chhibber on 7/29 at Print Bookstore to discuss her amazing new MG novel, Spider-Man's Social Dilemma! I loved this novel and Preeti totally gets Spider-Man. It's a treat for longtime and new Spidey fans alike. Please join us!
Also, MARK YOUR CALENDARS! On 8/1 I'll be at The Strand Bookstore to launch the wonderful Amina Akhtar's superb new thriller, Kismet! Tickets are limited, so please RSVP now!
Hope you're all having as pleasant a summer as possible! Talk soon, and please consider subscribing to The Awakened here on Zestworld for a monthly dose of our new series!
Best,
Alex