Francesco Francavilla’s Lullaby
How often do you get something good for free?
Well, if you’re a regular reader of Francesco Francavilla’s blog, pretty often would be the correct answer. So head on over and enjoy!
Category: Crime
A 2nd Season is Justified
Yippee! FX has ordered a second season [13 episodes] of the new fan favorite series Justified. That news has made my day. From The Hollywood Reporter:
“We are very excited about the tremendous, widespread acclaim that Justified has received from both audiences and television critics,” said FX president and GM John Landgraf. “Graham Yost, Tim Olyphant, Elmore Leonard and their talented partners have crafted a uniquely ambitious and entertaining series which is everything we aspired to when we developed the show.”
Everyone Needs A Bullet to the Head
That’s the partial cover to Bullet in the Head #2 published by Dynamite. I’d actually meant to post about the series sooner, but it’s still not to late to get on board — the first issue won’t be out until June. Bullet in the Head was first published in France back in 2004. It went on to win “Best Story” at the Prix Saint-Michel comics awards. In 2009 the film rights were optioned by Warner Bros.
So, what’s Bullet in the Head about you ask? [And I’m glad you did.] Bullet in the Head is a crime noir about a pair of buddy cops, a pair of buddy hitmen, some femme fatales and a ever-increasing body count. Written by Matz, with art by Colin Wilson, the series is geared toward mature audiences.
You can read more about the series and see the first two covers here.
“Incognitio” Optioned
If like me you’re a fan of Sean Phillips & Ed Brubaker or maybe just their cool crime series, Incognito, then you’ll be pleased to hear that the series has been optioned.The Big Bang by Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins
The Big Bang: The Lost Mike Hammer Sixties Novel.
If you’re a Spillane fan, then we probably thought the same thing as we read the line above: I want it now. Although we’re going to have to wait a bit longer, at least we know the broad strokes:
Drawing on an unpublished partial Spillane manuscript dating from the ’60s, [Max Allan] Collins resurrects Spillane’s randy, two-fisted New York City PI, Mike Hammer…
From Max Allan Collins’ website:
In midtown Manhattan, Mike Hammer, recovering from a near-fatal mix-up with the Mob, runs into drug dealers assaulting a young hospital messenger. He saves the kid, but the muggers are not so lucky. Hammer considers the rescue a one-off, but someone has different ideas, as indicated by a street-corner knife attack.
With himself for a client, Hammer — and his beautiful, deadly partner Velda — take on the narcotics racket in New York just as the streets have dried up and rumors run rampant of a massive heroin shipment due any day. In a New York of flashy discotheques, swanky bachelor pads, and the occasional dark alley, Hammer deals with doctors and drug addicts, hippie chicks and hit men, meeting changing times with his timeless brand of violent vengeance.
The Big Bang is available for pre-order now.
American Vampire #1
The Pitch: Cowboys and Vampires, oh and did I mention Stephen King wrote one of the stories?
The Overview: Two stories [one written by Scott Snyder and the other by Stephen King, both with amazingly good art by Rafael Albuqerque] combine to tell the tale of Skinner Sweet. In 1880, Sweet was an outlaw in the wild west. That was also the year that he became a vampire. Jump forward 45 years. A young woman named Pearl comes to Hollywood to make her fortune in the movies. Things are rough, but she has no idea how bad things can get until vampires are thrown in the mix, and I’m not just talking about Summer Sweet.
The Good: Both stories are excellent. The concept works. Rafael Albuquerque’s art is a joy. Love the characters, especially Pearl. Summer Sweet’s appearances in Pearl’s story is well done. I am looking forward to more about the vampires in Hollywood. Alburquerque draws a great western! Love the foreshadowing with the big, bald guy.
The Bad: Going to a Hollywood party hosted by vampires. Shooting a vampire and it only ticks him off.
The Ugly: What happens to guests at parties hosted by vampires. What happens when you tick off a vampire.
The Summary: I loved the first issue. Everyone involved did a bang-up job and I look forward to the second issue. American Vampire #1 is available now.
Andrew Vachss: The Weight
If you’re an Andrew Vachss fan, then I’ve got some good news and some bad news. First, the good news: Vachss has a new crime novel coming out called The Weight. Now for the bad news: There will be a wait for The Weight, since it won’t hit stores until November. Arrgh!
To hold us over Andrew Vachss has posted a summary and some excerpts on his website.
Iron Man 2: Black Widow
After busting on the last Iron Man 2 poster, I am happy to report that I really like THIS new Black Widow character poster. It has a dramatically cropped photo of the very curvaceous Black Widow. The big “2” created in the “Iron Man” colors and style clues us in to the fact that it’s an Iron Man 2 poster… and for anyone who doesn’t pick up on it, there’s IronManMovie.com listed below it.
Yeah, this poster is a winner!
Elmore Leonard Feels Justified
TVGuide.com just posted a piece titled Elmore Leonard: Justified Gets It Just Right. I’m happy that Elmore Leonard, who wrote the novella that the series is based on, is as happy with the show as the rest of us [on the night it premiered it ranked No. 1 on cable in overall viewers and in its time slot beat the broadcast networks among men 18-to-49]. I was was even happier to learn that…
…Leonard has begun work on a new Raylan Givens story which he hopes might inspire plots for the show’s second season, if FX renews the series… And if they don’t, Leonard says he will pen a couple more Raylan stories and publish a collection.
Darwyn Cooke & The Man with the Getaway Face
Richard Stark fan? Check.
Darwyn Cooke fan? Check.
Crime stories fan? Check.
Comic Book fan? Check.
Loved Darwyn Cooke’s adaptation of Richard Stark’s Hunter? Check.
Okay. If that’s the case, and you have two bucks and are going to attend WonderCon next week, then you may be one of the lucky folks who can pick up an…
…exclusive prelude to The Outfit, the second of Richard Stark’s Parker novels that Cooke is adapting… This 8″x12″ preview book offers one entire chapter of The Outfit and will be included in the finished graphic novel, coming in October.
What’s that? You won’t be able to attend WonderCon? Well, don’t fret because…
…the preview will be available in comic stores everywhere in July at the same low price and large size.
Be sure and let your local comic shop manager know that you’re going to want a copy. Check.
Steranko’s Classic Noir
It’s no secret that Steranko’s classic noir illustrated novel Chandler: Red Tide is being reprinted in a hardcover edition. Although I’ve got an original copy, I’ve put in an order for the updated version. You’ll get a better feeling for why I’m so excited if you click here.
Win a Copy of The Deputy
You’ve heard me singing the praises of Victor Gischler many times before. It’s no secret that I’m really looking forward to his soon-to-be-released crime/noir novel, The Deputy.
If you’re feelin’ lucky [said in my best Clint Eastwood voice], then you might want to enter a contest that Keith Rawson is running over at his Bloody Knuckles, Callused Fingers site. If you win you’ll get an advanced reading copy of, you guessed it, Gischler’s The Deputy.
Of course you can also order The Deputy from the publisher and use the promo code “twitter” to get three bucks off and free shipping! And if you prefer Amazon, here’s a link for that as well. The cool thing about ordering the book is that you’re a guaranteed winner!
The Art of Sketch Cards
No, that isn’t me when I first wake up. It’s actually a card that my buddy, Rafael Kayanan did for a Lord of the Rings trading card set. You can see that card and others when you check out this interview with Raf over at the Sketch Card Art Blog.
SouthLAnd is Back, Baby!
From Entertainment Weekly’s The Must List for March 19, 2010:
“SouthLAnd on TNT:
It’s been more than nine months since we last saw new episodes of this blood-and-grit cop series, but now it’s back and we couldn’t be happier. It’s the best drama since the NBC fiasco that led to its cancellation.”
I’d just add two things: 1] I totally agree and 2] Thank you TNT for bringing SouthLAnd back!
Crime/Noir: “The Deputy”
I’m a big Victor Gischler fan. I’ve enjoyed everything that I’ve read by him and am really looking forward to his latest novel, The Deputy. Fans of crime/noir can look forward to a worthy read. I know I do. Here’s part of the publisher’s summary…
Toby doesn’t have a lot going for him. Twenty-five, a couple of years of junior college, married to a girl he got pregnant and living in a trailer on the edge of town. He’s working part time for the police department, hoping the budget comes through and they can put him on full time, so he can get health benefits. His wife is a waitress at a little crap diner near the railroad tracks. When he gets the call about the dead body, he pins his tin star to his Weezer t-shirt, slips into a pair of sweatpants and grabs his revolver…
As you can imagine, it’s all downhill from there.
If you order The Deputy from the publisher and use the promo code “twitter” you’ll get three bucks off and free shipping! Prefer Amazon? Here’s a link for that as well.
