Each Book Is Distinct!

We craft each STAR POWER storyline to be capable of standing on its own.  While there’s a clear chronological order, we think it’s easy for a new reader to jump in to whichever book or story sounds the most appealing to them.

This was put to the test at New York Comic Con, where I found myself pitching that very idea to many curious people.  As I told them that each book is a complete story, with a clear ending and no annoying cliffhangers, I also found myself pitching the unique flavor of each book.  As the weekend wore on I found myself rather proud of our four complete stories, and how they would read as stand-alone graphic novels.

Here’s how I pitched each story / book to new readers who were curious about being able to jump in wherever they wanted:

STAR POWER & THE NINTH WORMHOLE:  “This is our hit-the-ground-running origin story.  Danica gets her powers by Page 6 and things go crazy from there.  It’s a fast-paced action and adventure tale in the spirit of classic Star Wars and old-school space superheroes.”

STAR POWER & THE SEARCH FOR BLACK HOLE BILL:  “This is our character study story.  We introduced the characters and the setting in The Ninth Wormhole, but here we slow down and get to know them.  We learn more about Danica, her friends, and The Star Power itself.”

STAR POWER & THE MYSTERY OF THE ZEL GUX DYNASTY:  “This is our Indiana Jones-like planet hopping adventure.  Each chapter takes place on a different planet, as our heroes search ancient ruins in their quest to uncover the last secret of a long-dead alien race.”

STAR POWER & THE LONELY WAR:  “This is our darkest story.  This is our war story.  Star Power has known combat and battle in her previous adventures, but here she comes face-to-face with war for the first time.  There’s no clear villain and her friends are far away.  But while it’s our darkest story, it’s an ultimately uplifting tale.”

These pitches may sound short, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned from doing conventions and promotion for over fifteen years(!) it’s that you only have a brief window of opportunity to capture someone’s attention.  You blabber and you lose them.  And they worked a few times!  Most notably, one new reader was sold and said, “I want to start with the third book!  That sounds the most fun!”

I’m proud of STAR POWER.  I’m proud of the stories we’ve told.  I’m proud of how they sound when pitched as individual books or a complete set.  We may not be blazing new trails or deconstructing the superhero genre, but I feel we have a lot to be proud of.