WHERE THINGS COME BACK

In the remarkable, bizarre, and heart-wrenching summer before Cullen Witter’s senior year of high school, he is forced to examine everything he thinks he understands about his small and painfully dull Arkansas town. His cousin overdoses; his town becomes absurdly obsessed with the alleged reappearance of an extinct woodpecker; and most troubling of all, his sensitive, gifted fifteen-year-old brother, Gabriel, suddenly and inexplicably disappears.

Here is my review of this YA mystery by John Corey Whaley (with other book recs) >>
​More YA mysteries >>

---

​He's one of the first superheroes created — and arguably the greatest. He's Superman, the Man of Steel. My new curated collection offers some of Superman's best titles, from the 1930s to the modern day. SEE THE COLLECTION >>

NEW FROM LAUGHING BOY BOOKS:

Hollow by Branden Boyer-White

Batman/Superman: World's Finest Vol. 7: Total Eclipso by Mark Waid and Dan Mora

Marvel: Spider-Man: The Official Cookbook by Von Diaz, Jermaine McLaughlin and Paul Eschbach

Universal Monsters: Creature From the Black Lagoon Lives! by Dan Watters

Downlands by Norm Konyu

Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Last Amazon by Kelly Thompson

DC Pride Box Set by Various Authors (2025)

Star Wars: Legacy of Vader Vol. 1 - The Reign of Kylo Ren by Charles Soule and Luke Ross

Don't Let Me Go by Kevin Christopher Snipes

Star Wars: The High Republic: The Edge of Balance—Premonition by Daniel José Older and Haining

Predator vs. Wolverine by Benjamin Percy, Andrea Di Vito and Greg Land

The Raven Boys: The Graphic Novel by Maggie Stiefvater, Stephanie Williams and Sas Milledge

Dungeons & Dragons Art & Arcana: A Visual History by Sam Witwer and Jon Peterson

Yucatan 1512 by Alex Vede

Absolute Superman Vol. 1: Last Dust of Krypton by Jason Aaron

The Art of Star Wars Outlaws by Massive Entertainment

BOOKSHOP UPDATES:

REVIEW: SUMMER SHADOWS

The Talented Mr. Ripley meets Dracula, this stylish neo-noir horror graphic novel will sink its teeth into you and leave you infatuated. Forever. This is my review of Summer Shadows by John Harris Dunning. This review comes with book recommendations  of similar titles. MORE >>

THE LEGACY OF AGENT CARTER

Marvel's Agent Carter was only on the air for two years, but a decade after its cancellation it still ranks as one of the studio's best series — and probably one ahead of its time. MORE >>

REVIEW: REd Hood-Outlaws, Vol. 1

Rejected by the mainstream superhero community, Jason Todd, Artemis and Bizarro have formed their own mercenary band, aptly named The Outlaws. Their latest gig? A shady gangster named Franco Bertinelli hires them to retrieve a mysterious idol he claims was stolen from his ancestors. MORE >>

NEW COOKBOOKS ADDED TO "BEYOND DORITOS"

Game, movie and book club nights can become even better when you introduce some creative cooking and baking to the mix! I've just add a bunch more themed books to the collection! MORE >>

Best VISUAL GUIDES TO SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY MOVIES AND TV

I have always been fascinated by the creative process of making movies and television shows. Here, I have curated some of the best books that capture the process, from concept sketches to fabrication and everything in between.  MORE >>

SUPERMAN COLLECTION NOW ADDED

He's one of the first superheroes created — and arguably the greatest. He's Superman, the Man of Steel. This curated collection offers some of Superman's best titles, from the 1930s to the modern day.  MORE >>

REVIEW: WHERE THINGS COME BACK

In the remarkable, bizarre, and heart-wrenching summer before Cullen Witter’s senior year of high school, he is forced to examine everything he thinks he understands about his small and painfully dull Arkansas town. His cousin overdoses; his town becomes absurdly obsessed with the alleged reappearance of an extinct woodpecker; and most troubling of all, his sensitive, gifted fifteen-year-old brother, Gabriel, suddenly and inexplicably disappears. MORE >>

QUINTON'S CURIOUS MIND SERIES:

This YA series follows the highly creative and equally anxious Quinton Wyatt through the entirety of his high school years.  When first introduced, Quinton's a fourteen-year-old who very much lives in his own world — a mostly imaginary place where his best friends are robots who shelter him from some of the unpleasant realities of his personal life. Then he meets T.J. Shapleigh and everything changes. The series follow Quinton through the next four years as he navigates his first loves, crushing heartbreak, personal triumph and ultimate redemption.  MORE  >>

---

ARTICLES & FEATURES:

For decades, the relationship between Batman and Robin has been the source of vulgar jokes. But when Tim Drake came out as bisexual in 2022, the character reclaimed the "gay Robin" story for the positive.

My first (albeit unpublished) novel was a tale about a mysterious vandal, a parapsychologist and about dark and sinister alter-egos. And it was based on a true story!

Authors often complain about the struggle to stay focused and productive. But you can enhance your productivity by utilizing the S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting strategy. Here's how. 

Batman's not famous for his parenting skills. Should DC Comics better address a father who weaponized his adopted children?

My novel My Summer (and the Song of Cicadas) features a video arcade in one chapter. Writing about it made me reconsider the role arcades played in my life, starting in the early 1980s. 

One of the most pivotal moments in Lake Stehle's life was when he first played Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda. For many years since, he's been a devoted cosplayer who specializes in impersonating Link, the game's elfish main character. 

The 1990s wasn't an outstanding decade for pop culture, but that doesn't mean it didn't have some memorable contributions.

They're rare now, but once upon a time the novelization held particular significance for nerds of all kinds. Here's is their story...

Produced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, this feature helped readers document the rare tranquility of social distancing with a short video.