My Favorite Things with Errick Nunnally

They might not be raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but that doesn’t mean that we love them any less. Welcome back to My Favorite Things, the weekly column where we grab someone in speculative circles to gab about the greatest in geek. This week, we sit down with Errick Nunnally, whose novel, Lightning Wears a Red Cape, comes out Tuesday, October 8th, from ChiZine Publications!

What does Errick love when he’s not writing about superheroes who take a slightly different role in society? Spoiler alert: superheroes, of course! After all, there’s a lot of them, and far more than the movies have shared with us. Want to know more? Read on!

No matter how much I enjoy science fiction, thrillers, horror, or fantasy, I can’t help but come back to my fascination with “superheroes.” I put that in quotes because the idea of someone who’s both super and a hero is full-on absurd. It’s a completely insane, childish concept: a person with superhuman abilities that could not only locate crime, but effectively stop it as well, all while avoiding accidental deaths and significant entanglements with the criminal justice system.

I love it.

It’s the escapist fantasy of it all. To have superhuman abilities, face adversity, and come out victorious is something intrinsic to the human soul, it seems, if the legends of extraordinary heroes dotted throughout human history are any indication. And so, in chronological order, some of my favorite things:

Though my passion for superheroes began with Marvel comics, the cement of my fascination with grittier super-fare is the Wild Cards series. It was inspired by experiences co-editors Melinda Snodgrass and George R.R. Martin and the original authors had with a role-playing game. The first of the shared-universe, mosaic novel series was published in 1987 and continues to this day in various forms.

At the time, I was in the military, and a member of the Science Fiction Book Club. The club had the entire formative series and I gobbled them up, starting with the original title that kicks off right after WWII for an alternate history thrill ride.

“The shared world of the Wild Cards diverged from our own on September 15, 1946 when an alien virus was released in the skies over Manhattan, and spread across an unsuspecting Earth. Of those infected, 90% died horribly, drawing the black queen, 9% were twisted and deformed into jokers, while a lucky 1% became blessed with extraordinary and unpredictable powers and became aces. The world was never the same.” –George R.R. Martin

In 2002, along came The Ultimates, which heavily influenced the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When Marvel first introduced the mature comic-book series, I was more intrigued with Bryan Hitch’s artwork than Mark Millar’s hyper-violent, misogynistic, over-sexualized re-imaginings of the classic heroes comprising The Avengers. However, Millar did give us two things: 1) Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and 2) Making it clear how brutal and how much of a dead-end trying to be a superhero would be. And Hitch’s art is fantastic, driving much of the aesthetics that brought the MCU to life on the big screen.

You know what else happened in 2002? One of the greatest post-apocalyptic parodies of classic comic strips ever created. That’s right, everyone’s favorite blockhead: Weapon Brown. Created by Jason Yungbluth, the story follows a ragged, adult Charlie Brown surviving in the wastelands. Fortunately (unfortunately), the deadly organization, The Syndicate, has turned him into a highly skilled killer cyborg paired with an intelligent canine, Snoop. Together, they’re perfectly capable of handling just about anything from the freaks and mutants the rest of the comics pages have become.

Chuck and Snoop’s skills come in handy when they stumble upon a secret that could save humanity. A secret that The Syndicate is determined to control. The organization unleashes an even more dangerous cyborg, Cal-v1.N, and he’s paired with a pet, as well. Only this “pet” is a stuffed animal that can transform into a killer tiger named HOBS. The series is graphic in both violence and tone, as well as a near-perfect parody of the funny pages. Just about every character from the strips makes an appearance. As nutty as the series is, it’s tame compared to Yungbluth’s other work in Deep Fried comics, so beware.

An accomplished illustrator, able to employ multiple styles, Yungbluth’s detailed, black and white art in Weapon Brown is fantastic and the action-packed story hums right along. The comics themselves are somewhat obscure, but the omnibus is readily available, so get on that madness!

Austin Grossman’s trope-stuffed novel, Soon I Will Be Invincible, plays with a more adult look at the rollicking way DC has treated its continuity. In it, Dr. Impossible, a long-time nemesis of The New Champions — clearly an analogue of The Justice League — has escaped prison and plots his thirteenth attempt at taking over the world. Though it’s a first-person perspective by two protagonists, Dr. Impossible and the amnesiac cyborg, Lily, the megalomaniac doctor dominates the narrative. Despite the veritable garbage dump of DC Comics tropes within (far too many villains, superhero teams, impossible origin stories, excessive power sets, ecetera), there is an abundance of interpersonal connections that are revealed and explored, making the characters relationships and motivations fascinating. It even features a super-cool cover by renowned designer Chip Kidd. Coincidentally, the UK cover of the novel was illustrated by none other than Bryan Hitch!

Shrinking The Heroes by Minister Faust, published in 2011, is a relatively obscure, super-powered humans novel that received great reviews in a number of professional publications. It’s difficult to describe the story without giving too much away. It takes aim at particular flaws in both society and comics where it concerns African-Americans and other marginalized people’s relationships to the world at-large. It is a cutting commentary on common sense and social justice, expertly woven into an entertaining narrative. Faust draws all sorts of parallels between his characters — one of them, a psychiatrist, happens to be writing a book within the book — and the real world.

Dreadnought by April Daniels, published in 2017, features an unexpected and welcome protagonist in the form of a young man who wishes he was a young woman. His wish is surprisingly granted when he inherits the “mantle of Dreadnought” as the then current Dreadnought dies in front of him. Part of the acquired power-package is physically attaining an ideal self. And so, Danny becomes Daniella in one swift moment.

The action in the novel is fantastic, but the personal narrative and development of this miraculously transgender character is what’s most compelling. Daniella’s family’s reactions — particularly her father’s — and other superheroes’ perception of her are a wonderfully insightful experience right through to the end, as she learns how to use the Dreadnought power in ways the previous possessor had not.

This is about Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, but we’ve got a little background to go through in order to get there. Miles Morales hit the Ultimates comic line in 2011. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and lovingly illustrated by Sara Pichelli, Morales came into existence in the wake of Peter Parker’s death. (Because the Ultimates is ultimately about the unsustainability of super-powers and how it’s nigh impossible to have a perpetual series in this manner, Parker is killed in the line of duty.)

Morales’s story is one of modern intersectionality. He has an African-American father and a Puerto Rican mother, and lives in the diverse, young world of New York. Being an Afro-Latino character and not a scientific genius like Parker puts the younger Miles in an even more interesting every-man role. It’s one of the keys to the Spider-Man character. He has a lot to learn. His uncle is an unreformed criminal who his father wants him to stay away from, but Miles admires his uncle. It’s later revealed that Miles’s father was once a criminal as well. More and more depth is added to the characters as Miles slowly learns his powers and responsibilities while he builds to the moment of becoming Spider-Man in full. Despite what are clearly well-written stories and well-defined characters, there was something of a backlash for putting a brown kid in the Spidey role. Fortunately, Marvel stuck it out, trusting in the product and the audience.

“People who say this is a PC stunt miss the point. Miles Morales is a reflection of the culture in which we live. I love the fact that my son Tito will see a Spider-Man swinging through the sky whose last name is ‘Morales.’ And judging from the response, I can see I’m not alone.” –Axel Alonso

What is unfortunate, however, is that in later issues, Miles’s mother is murdered in front of him, his father is crippled in another incident, his girlfriend betrays him for Hydra, his best friend is held captive and near death, and more, and more, and more. The death and misery is all too much, too fast, and it’s not long before the reader has to wonder if Miles’s existence is defined by ever escalating torture. BECAUSE THIS SORT OF STORYTELLING IS UNSUSTAINABLE IN PERPETUITY.

Eventually, the Ultimates series of comics was closed and the delightful Miles character was added to the mainstream Marvel universe. Much better! Which brings us to Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, one of the best movies of 2018! The movie is an emotionally satisfying journey of Miles becoming Spider-Man without torturing him or murdering his parents and friends. A simply wonderful, uplifting, heroic story that plays with the idea of a multiverse and still has a big heart. Love. It.

Black Panther — still one of the best film entries in the MCU — released in 2018, marks the pinnacle of the character’s long existence. Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, the character first appeared as a supporting character in a 1966 Fantastic Four comic-book. He’s had a long and storied existence in the Marvel universe, having his own series, becoming an Avenger and more. I’ve always enjoyed the character and felt betrayed when he was misused in earlier comics and series. Christopher Priest’s and Reginald Hudlin’s writing — and especially illustrator Mark Texeira’s artwork — on the more modern comics, heavily influenced the portrayal of the character in the movie and beyond. Engaging with politics, leadership, spycraft, the Dora Milaje, Everett K. Ross, the Wakandan mythos — virtually all of the elements portrayed in the movie come from Priest’s and Hudlin’s respective runs. The Panther’s introduction to the MCU in Captain America: Civil War was a thrilling delight. Ryan Coogler’s very fine and exceedingly entertaining MCU adaptation brought tears to my eyes the first time I saw it. It is very much a favorite thing.

Errick Nunnally was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, and served one tour in the Marine Corps before deciding art school was a safer pursuit. He enjoys art, comics, and genre novels. A designer by day, he earned a black belt in Krav Maga and Muay Thai kickboxing by night. His work has appeared in several anthologies and is best described as “dark pulp.” His work can be found in Lamplight, Transcendent, Wicked Weird, The Final Summons, Protectors 2, The Podcast, Nightlight, and the upcoming ChiZine novel, Lightning Wears a Red Cape.

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