Prepare to Die! [Hardcover]

Paul Tobin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 29, 2012

Nine years ago, Steve Clarke was just a teenage boy in love with the girl of his dreams. Then a freak chemical spill transformed him into Reaver, the man whose super-powerful fists can literally take a year off a bad guy’s life. Days ago, he found himself at the mercy of his arch-nemesis Octagon and a whole crew of fiendish super-villains, who gave him two weeks to settle his affairs–and prepare to die. Now, after years of extraordinary adventures and crushing tragedies, the world’s greatest hero is returning to where it all began in search of the boy he once was . . . and the girl he never forgot.

Exciting, scandalous, and ultimately moving, Prepare to Die! is a unique new look at the last days of a legend.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The deconstruction of superheroes has been accomplished before, but rarely has it been done with the vigor and affection of comics veteran Tobin in his nearly pitch-perfect superhero tale for grownups... fierce action, sexy romance, warm nostalgia, and wry observations on being a superhero in the age of YouTube. Publisher's Weekly starred review

"A journey home, into the past - and the heart - of a superhero, by turns inventive, shocking, warm, clever, and very, very human." Kurt Busiek, Harvey & Eisner Award-Winning Author of Marvels, The Avengers, and Astro City.

About the Author

Paul Tobin lives in Portland, OR, despite not having a single tattoo. He has written the adventures of Spider-Man, Batman, the Hulk, Superman and hundreds of other comic book characters, bringing a sense of realism and character to a genre filled with over-the-top action. He and his wife, artist Colleen Coover, are the creators of two graphic novels, the acclaimed Banana Sunday as well as the recently released and oddly wonderful Gingerbread Girl.

Paul enjoys studying history, burlesque theater, thunderstorms, pretty girls on bicycles, good bagels, evil muffins, and occasionally claims that he would like to punch-fight a mastodon, though those claims have significantly tapered off after he stood next to a life size model at the Natural History Museum in Paris.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 350 pages
• Publisher: Night Shade Books; 1 edition (May 29, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1597804207
• ISBN-13: 978-1597804202
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.2 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #931,077 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very fun and engaging June 13, 2012

By willwheels

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The story of Steve Clark (aka Reaver), a superhero who is strong, fast, can heal, and has a bit of a temper when he fights; told against the backdrop of visiting his first love, and hometown, after he is defeated by his archenemies.

Very much a modern superhero story but still told in an unexpected way and the flashbacks (to Reaver's origin, beginnings, and growth as a superhero) establish a sense of tension throughout the book.

I hope Paul continues to write novels.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great original mythology December 27, 2012

By Robert Deters

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This was a great read from start to finish. Occasionally it dipped into a rather juvenile sexual outlook but overall, this was a great read. If you like comic books and like to build new mythologies (i.e. nothing from any of the already established comic book universes) then you'll love this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly affecting November 16, 2012

By Ronald G. Zucker

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I like comic books, but don't love them. I don't own everything Frank Miller has ever written, or that Bendis has ever written, or anything like that. I picked this up on a lark for an upcoming plane flight, and expected something silly and light and easy to read.

To my surprise, I couldn't put it down.

Paul Tobin, the author, seems to have figured out that, while many comic book fans are drawn to the fights and the action and the art, some of us are drawn to what makes someone do the things heroes do, and, just as important, what makes the villains do what they do. And he's done it with grace and with style. I was surprised by how much I rooted for all of the characters. Not just the hero, but the other characters as well. I had real affection for even the minor characters, like the parents of his friend who was also a hero. They are well drawn, complete people in most cases. I wanted to meet them, to hang out with them. And I thoroughly enjoyed my time in their presence.

One important but not focal character, the sister of the love interest, was weak enough to make this a four-star review, rather than a five star, but I'd give it four and a half if I could. Even very good books have flaws, and this is a very good book. If you have ever enjoyed mainstream super-hero comics but wish the characters in them had more human development, give this a try. (Another, similar book, Seven Wonders, is not quite as satisfying, though not bad either, so if you like this, give that a try. And if you like that, DEFINITELY read this.)