Mark Misercola's genuinely suspenseful new e-novel, Death to the Centurion, is a murder-mystery that goes where no e-book yet gone: deep into the mind of a comic book killer who will stop at nothing to prevent the death of a make-believe character. We've seen similar metadramatic games before, but their cleverness has often been overshadowed by too many gimmicks, a love of confusing the audience beyond the level of enjoyment, or simply too many "surprises."
Death to the Centurion keeps things simple, once we understand the basic premise, and remains true to its wild premise: Comic artist Richard MacAllister is ordered by his scheming publisher to kill off the Mighty Centurion, Excelsior Comic's anemic-selling flagship superhero, in a desperate bid to re-ignite sales and save the company from bankruptcy. Soon, young writer who must "kill off" the world's greatest superhero finds himself being stalked.
MacAllister, who has no wish to see the end of Centurion for personal reasons and love of the character, devises a better plan to kill off the character and then bring him back in a star-studded Fourth of July promotional stunt that's "sure" to revive interest in the character. Unfortunately, the man's plans must be kept secret, and one deranged fan takes revenge on the company. McAllister has to figure out what's going on before he's the last person on the killer's list.
The story is for anyone who likes sci-fi or murder mysteries, but should particularly appeal to Trekkers, as the book was inspired in part by the comic book industry's continued repackaging of Mr. Spock's death and resurrection in Star Treks II and III. But it takes Spock's life-from-death tale (and the uproar that ensued when word of his demise leaked out) one step further by examining what could happen when somebody learns that their favorite icon is about to die. If this reminds you a little bit of Misery, it should, but the psychological ground covered in the book is completely different.
"The comic industry went on a tear in the mid-1980s where it started killing off and then reviving all of the classic comic book characters I grew up with as a kid," Misercola says in an interview (exclusive!). "First it was the Flash, then it was Supergirl, Robin, and then Superman.
"It was very upsetting, and the more I thought about it, two things became quite clear. First, this was nothing more than a continued repackaging of what Hollywood did to Spock in the movies. And second, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch, given the world we live in, to think that somebody would be so upset that they might do something violent at the prospect of losing their favorite superhero."
The result is a page...er...byte-turning thriller that takes readers into a Crichton-like "novel/movie": lots of action, lots of fun descriptions of the comic book world (fact and fiction), enough self-deprecating humor to allow the reader to enjoy themselves, especially in the highly satisfactory (and actually not-quite-what-I-expected) ending. I particularly enjoyed the "in" jokes, such as the name of the company: Excelsior Comics.
"I'm as big a Star Trek fan as I am a comic book fan," Misercola says. "So it was easy to see the influence that Star Trek has had on the comic book medium. But after a certain point, you start wondering how many times can you go back to the well and kill off another comic book character?
"It worked with Spock because it was original, or as Kirk might say, 'it had the virtue of never having been tried before.' But by the time they got around to killing off Superman in 1992, the story line was predictable. That's why the comic book industry is in so much trouble today…the story lines aren't compelling. And more than anything else, I wanted to send a message to the comic book industry to come up with something new."
For sci-fan fans who are looking for some old-fashioned escapism, Death the Centurion is the recommended download. If you don't want to take my word for it, an excerpt is available on the author's web page at markmisercola.com.
Reviewed by Julia Houston, editor of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy page at About.com
Ever wished you didn't have to bite your tongue; that you could say exactly what is on your mind? Ever wondered what the consequences would be? Richard Stewart McAllister, who has just joined the staff at Excelsior Comics, is about to find out!
Matt Payne, the 50-year veteran who created the Centurion--the cartoon character that made Excelsior in the past--is retiring; or, more specifically, being retired off by Sterling Sanborn III, renowned British publishing magnate who has just become Excelsior’s new owner. The staff--and all the powers that matter--are attending a dinner in Payne's honor, when Sanborn ends the evening with a speech and gives the retiree and his wife two cruise tickets. The evening might have ended without consequence had Payne accepted his golden handshake gracefully, but when he rises from his chair--to much applause and ardent attention--he responds to Sanborn's speech in an unexpected way.
It is as if he's swallowed a truth drug! His peers are aghast, and extremely embarrassed, as he reveals some hitherto kept secrets about the company and its staff, and when he finally walks out he doesn't leave alone. McAllister, who is narrating the tale, states: Two tornadoes had passed in the night, leveling just about everything in their path. But for me, the real storm was just beginning.
He isn't kidding! From that point on, accompanied by invigorating dialogue and visually inspiring descriptions, McAllister takes you with him on an exciting journey to the brilliant conclusion. One by one, unfortunate events occur that coincidentally parallel the events written in the first few issues of the Centurion. There is murder, there is double-dealing, clandestine meetings between manipulative and unscrupulous souls--indeed, one has to wonder if some of them have souls--and you are kept on tenterhooks wondering who is playing the part of the evil Dr. Terror.
I'm not a lover of comic books, but this book written around the subject kept me captivated until the last page. Being a lover of mystery novels I automatically look for clues along the way, but this writer very cleverly gave nothing away until the very last chapters. Only then did I get an inkling; an exciting can't-wait-to-see-if-I'm-right suspicion. Know the feeling?
Well-paced, vivid and well written, DEATH TO THE CENTURION is a stimulating piece of work, as are many of the characters! Congratulations Mr. Misercola, you've created a stunning book. I look forward to reading more of your work.
Reviewed by Celia A. Leaman, author of No More Regrets and other stories for Ebook-Reviews.net Copyright © 2002. All rights reserved.
This book is a Thriller that revolves around the comic book industry. The idea for this story was based upon The Death and Life of Superman where the writers killed off the most famous superhero in American comics and then brought him back to life a few months later. The book goes a step further and lends credence that some maniac just couldn't handle the thought of the Centurion being killed and takes matters into their own hands. Could a fan ever feel such a tie to a superhero to take their fanaticism to the ultimate extreme? This book answers that question.
Having been an avid reader of comics in my past, especially the Superman titles, and still dabbling with a few titles, I was anxious to read this story. Right away, I found that I didn't want to put the book down as I immersed myself into the storyline. Since I had gone through the angst of losing my favorite superhero when Superman died in the mid 1990's, I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. As the body count increased, I tried to figure out who the killer was. I knew it wasn't the obvious choice...couldn't be. And when the mask was finally removed...color me surprised. I had no idea. This story slowly builds to a wonderful conclusion that kept me up late into the night, as it only took me a little over a day to read it because I just couldn't put it down. Mr. Misercola has created a wonderful thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat as you try to figure out who the killer is. This is a great first effort and I really enjoyed this e-book. I can't wait to see what he will write next.
I rated this book an 8 out of 10. You can order this e-book online at Twilight Times Books.
Reviewed by Conan Tigard, BookBrowser.com.
Mark Misercola's Death to the Centurion offers much to comic book fans and to those who simply appreciate the craft of writing. The in-jokes for comic book lovers are many, but the explanations will fascinate those who do not frequent comic book shops. For instance, ever wonder why Marvel's comic books are smaller in length than DC's comic books? Mr. Misercola reveals the answer.
The uncovering of this printing enigma is not padding. Not one scene in the novel does not belong. Every word either strengthens the characterization or the plot. Every "panel" feeds either suspense or the machinations of the true villain. There is no padding.
The story opens on a retirement party. The original creator of the Centurion has been ousted from his own book. He doesn't go quietly and reveals practically every dirty secret he has gathered through the years. In an average mystery, Matt Payne's rant would mark him for demise. Death to the Centurion is not Matlock. In Mr. Misercola's novel, the creator's actions catalyze ironically the death of his character, or so he thinks.
The Centurion given the background intricately woven into the story sounds like he may actually make a very good super-hero. In the fiction of the novel, the Centurion's death becomes the motive behind the madness of gruesome death and an escalation of crime that will eventually be recognized within a gripping climax by the entire city.
The murders are ghoulish not in content, and those expecting below average giallo will be disappointed. The characters become likable and multidimensional in a short period of time. Each has a distinctive voice which the reader will find she misses when they are gone. The deaths for this reason are memorable and shocking.
Approximately eighty percent of the novel is humorous. Whether focusing on a Rupert Murdoch figure's sub-legal shenanigans or the wonder of neophyte writer and hero Richard McCallister, the book makes you laugh. Twenty percent of the novel however will make [you] cringe. Revulsion and comedy is easy. Terror is hard.
5 Bullets
Reviewed by Ray C. Tate, Silver Bullet Comics
So. At Excelsior Comics, someone has decided that the world’s greatest superhero must die.
The reason why is that the man who created the Centurion, said hero, fifty years ago has made a well-publicized walkout from the company, taken the leading talent with him in an Image-like exodus, and left Excelsior’s stock prices to tank. Which they are doing.
Some executive gets mad enough at the artist to yell that he wished somebody would kill the guy. Another exec hears it, thinks he’s talking about the Centurion, and thinks that’s a wonderful idea. After all, kids may have contemplated leaving the Centurion (who stood a good chance of being made into a major Hollywood movie) if the best artists and writers left him. But if they learn he’s gonna be killed, what red-blooded American kid could miss out on that?
And that, of course, is the turning point of Death of the Centurion. It’s all about corruption and cynicism and the darkening of the American comic book hero. It’s also a thinly-disguised diatribe against the death of Superman. But it’s also about the hope and joy and heroism comic book heroes bring into our lives, in particular Superman.
...So. What have we got in this novel?
Basically, the author is working out a lot of rage about the conned-up death of Superman, about modern comics’ fascination and obsession, all too often, with blood and gore and death, about the publishers and editors who let such things happen, nay, encourage them in the name of sales, and the fans who buy same because they don’t want to be left out of the Next Big Thing.
...I had fun with it. I think you will, too. You’ll also like spotting the names of people involved with Superman which are salted into the work. And, somehow, after reading the description of the comics’ plot, I did end up wanting to read the Death and Return of the Centurion. I guess that’s enough of a tribute to the work.
Reviewed by DarkMark, alt.comics.superman
