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The Con Artist
This illustrated mystery will appeal to comic book fans and anyone who appreciates an unconventional whodunit.
Comic book artist Mike Mason arrives at San Diego Comic-Con, seeking sanctuary with other fans and creators—and maybe to reunite with his ex—but when his rival is found murdered, he becomes the prime suspect. To clear his name, Mike will have to navigate every corner of the con, from zombie obstacle courses and cosplay flash mobs to intrusive fans and obsessive collectors, in the process unraveling a dark secret behind one of the industry’s most legendary creators.
Comic book artist Mike Mason arrives at San Diego Comic-Con, seeking sanctuary with other fans and creators—and maybe to reunite with his ex—but when his rival is found murdered, he becomes the prime suspect. To clear his name, Mike will have to navigate every corner of the con, from zombie obstacle courses and cosplay flash mobs to intrusive fans and obsessive collectors, in the process unraveling a dark secret behind one of the industry’s most legendary creators.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 10, 2018
35 people are currently reading
1526 people want to read
About the author
Fred Van Lente
1,358 books320 followersFred Van Lente is the New York Times-bestselling author of comics as varied as Archer & Armstrong (Harvey Award nominee, Best Series), Taskmaster, MODOK's 11, Amazing Spider-Man, Conan the Avenger, Weird Detective, and Cowboys & Aliens (upon which the 2011 movie was based), as well as the novels Ten Dead Comedians and The Con Artist.
Van Lente also specializes in entertaining readers with offbeat histories with the help of his incredibly talented artists. He has written the multiple-award winning Action Philosophers!, The Comic Book History of Comics, Action Presidents! (all drawn by Ryan Dunlavey), and The Comic Book Story of Basketball with Joe Cooper (Ten Speed September 2020).
He lives in Brooklyn with his wife Crystal Skillman, and some mostly ungrateful cats.
Van Lente also specializes in entertaining readers with offbeat histories with the help of his incredibly talented artists. He has written the multiple-award winning Action Philosophers!, The Comic Book History of Comics, Action Presidents! (all drawn by Ryan Dunlavey), and The Comic Book Story of Basketball with Joe Cooper (Ten Speed September 2020).
He lives in Brooklyn with his wife Crystal Skillman, and some mostly ungrateful cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
September 9, 2018
Some comics professional got murdered at San Diego Comic Con - whodunit?
The real question is: who cares? Because Fred Van Lente’s novel The Con Artist is utter rubbish - a failed attempt at a nerd-flavoured murder mystery that only ever bores.
The book is less about the murder mystery as it is about Van Lente droning on about the comics industry. How creators back in the day got screwed, toxic fandoms, how underappreciated comics pros are, the crass commercialisation of San Diego Comic Con, blah blah blah.
There’s definitely some weight behind it all as Van Lente has been a comics writer for many years, having written everything from his creator-owned indies to the heavyweight IPs of Marvel, but he focuses way too much on that aspect of the story to the point where it supplants it entirely. Also, as a lifelong comics fan myself, I’ve heard a lot of this ranting before so it came off as inane, repetitive and unoriginal.
I could’ve forgiven some of that if the murder mystery was any good - and it wasn’t. There’s zero tension as you already know our protagonist - comics artist Mike - didn’t do it, and the cops don’t really think he did either. There are no clues for the reader themselves to try and figure it out. Then nothing further happens until the final act when Mike happens to stumble across the actual murderer, who conveniently exposits enough to fill in all the necessary blanks just in time for the ending. Pointless, contrived, dull, uninspired writing.
None of the subplots went anywhere - the rickshaw driver was a half-assed attempt at romance, the uber-fan who might’ve done it, the two Aryan Brotherhood bikers who came out of nowhere - nor are any of the characters at all memorable or interesting. Tom Fowler pointlessly contributes some scratchy art that added nothing. The endless descriptions of the pop culture makeup of SDCC gave me flashbacks to that godawful novel Armada by Ernest Cline where Cline spent pages reeling off pop culture references for the tedious sake of it - it’s no better when Van Lente does the same thing. I get it, SDCC is pop culture at its most hyper-gaudy, stop describing it already and try to do something with the plot!
I was mildly interested in trying to figure out which real-life comics pros Van Lente was caricaturing - I think the murder victim was meant to be former DC editor Eddie Berganza, going by his sleazy past of sexual harassment of female co-workers - and it’s not hard to figure out which character is meant to be former Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter. But that only speaks to the inside baseball nature of this book. Its insularity means it’s not going to appeal to anyone uninterested in comics and not really to comics readers either as it’s not good! And, not that all comics readers don’t read “real” books, but quite a few don’t so the audience for this one is about as small as you can get!
The Con Artist is just a bad novel that’s not half as good as Fred Van Lente’s effort last year, Ten Dead Comedians, and even that was mediocre at best! He’s a fine comics writer but a good novelist he is not.
The real question is: who cares? Because Fred Van Lente’s novel The Con Artist is utter rubbish - a failed attempt at a nerd-flavoured murder mystery that only ever bores.
The book is less about the murder mystery as it is about Van Lente droning on about the comics industry. How creators back in the day got screwed, toxic fandoms, how underappreciated comics pros are, the crass commercialisation of San Diego Comic Con, blah blah blah.
There’s definitely some weight behind it all as Van Lente has been a comics writer for many years, having written everything from his creator-owned indies to the heavyweight IPs of Marvel, but he focuses way too much on that aspect of the story to the point where it supplants it entirely. Also, as a lifelong comics fan myself, I’ve heard a lot of this ranting before so it came off as inane, repetitive and unoriginal.
I could’ve forgiven some of that if the murder mystery was any good - and it wasn’t. There’s zero tension as you already know our protagonist - comics artist Mike - didn’t do it, and the cops don’t really think he did either. There are no clues for the reader themselves to try and figure it out. Then nothing further happens until the final act when Mike happens to stumble across the actual murderer, who conveniently exposits enough to fill in all the necessary blanks just in time for the ending. Pointless, contrived, dull, uninspired writing.
None of the subplots went anywhere - the rickshaw driver was a half-assed attempt at romance, the uber-fan who might’ve done it, the two Aryan Brotherhood bikers who came out of nowhere - nor are any of the characters at all memorable or interesting. Tom Fowler pointlessly contributes some scratchy art that added nothing. The endless descriptions of the pop culture makeup of SDCC gave me flashbacks to that godawful novel Armada by Ernest Cline where Cline spent pages reeling off pop culture references for the tedious sake of it - it’s no better when Van Lente does the same thing. I get it, SDCC is pop culture at its most hyper-gaudy, stop describing it already and try to do something with the plot!
I was mildly interested in trying to figure out which real-life comics pros Van Lente was caricaturing - I think the murder victim was meant to be former DC editor Eddie Berganza, going by his sleazy past of sexual harassment of female co-workers - and it’s not hard to figure out which character is meant to be former Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter. But that only speaks to the inside baseball nature of this book. Its insularity means it’s not going to appeal to anyone uninterested in comics and not really to comics readers either as it’s not good! And, not that all comics readers don’t read “real” books, but quite a few don’t so the audience for this one is about as small as you can get!
The Con Artist is just a bad novel that’s not half as good as Fred Van Lente’s effort last year, Ten Dead Comedians, and even that was mediocre at best! He’s a fine comics writer but a good novelist he is not.
July 8, 2018
I was sent a copy of The Con Artist in exchange for an honest review.
The Con Artist by Fred Van Lente follows Mike Mason, a formally famous, now homeless comic book artist who spends his life traveling from Comic-Con to Comic-Con. When a murder occurs at the San Diego Con, the police begin to connect the murder to Mike. Thus begins a weekend-long romp of Comic-Con insanity to expose the killer and clear his name.
The murder mystery sub-genre is pretty cut-and-dry when you get down to it: a murder occurs and someone must track down said murderer. Simple and familiar, sometimes effective, but almost always an entertaining ride. The Con Artist is exactly that, but there is something that makes it unique: nerd culture.
Yours truly has never attended a Comic-Con before, as I am quite the introvert and find large crowds to be unpleasant and, frankly, annoying. Too much noise, too many smells, too much energy, too many lines... Basically, a big part of what Comic-Con is. However, as a nerd, there are aspects of it I find appealing, so The Con Artist was a nice way to experience Comic-Con without actually putting strain on my social battery. I'm sure a lot of you can relate.
That being said, The Con Artist was still a bit exhausting because you have the chaos of three different parts moving at once: the murder mystery, Mike Mason's personal life, and the Comic-Con itself. Fred Van Lente does a mostly decent job of organizing it all and keeping the reader on their toes, but it does feel a bit busy at times... much like an actual Con. Therefore, it should be obvious that if you aren't a die-hard nerd or don't find Comic-Con appealing, this novel probably isn't for you. There are dozens upon dozens of references to pop culture, so you really need to know your stuff before going in.
Speaking of references, there are a few that gave me pause while reading, things I've never seen in a novel before. For instance, toward the beginning of the book there is reference to the first season of HBO's Westworld coming to Blu-ray later this year. This stuck out like a pop-up ad on Buzzfeed, even though you know for a fact your ad-blocker is enabled. I don't know if this was an actual paid advertisement or not, but regardless it felt like product placement to me. There were a few instances like this, and they were pretty distracting from the story. Again, I don't know if this was actual product placement, but I could have done without it.
Otherwise--entertaining, funny, and smart--The Con Artist is a truly unique spin on the mystery genre. Mike Mason is a character readers can root for, and it is through his perspective that Van Lente gives an interesting commentary on the comic book industry, making some truly hard-hitting points about its creators and the endless cycle that turns them out and spits them back out. It's not pretty when you think about it, and Fred Van Lente really makes you think. Recommended.
OVERALL, 3.5 STARS.
The Con Artist by Fred Van Lente follows Mike Mason, a formally famous, now homeless comic book artist who spends his life traveling from Comic-Con to Comic-Con. When a murder occurs at the San Diego Con, the police begin to connect the murder to Mike. Thus begins a weekend-long romp of Comic-Con insanity to expose the killer and clear his name.
The murder mystery sub-genre is pretty cut-and-dry when you get down to it: a murder occurs and someone must track down said murderer. Simple and familiar, sometimes effective, but almost always an entertaining ride. The Con Artist is exactly that, but there is something that makes it unique: nerd culture.
Yours truly has never attended a Comic-Con before, as I am quite the introvert and find large crowds to be unpleasant and, frankly, annoying. Too much noise, too many smells, too much energy, too many lines... Basically, a big part of what Comic-Con is. However, as a nerd, there are aspects of it I find appealing, so The Con Artist was a nice way to experience Comic-Con without actually putting strain on my social battery. I'm sure a lot of you can relate.
That being said, The Con Artist was still a bit exhausting because you have the chaos of three different parts moving at once: the murder mystery, Mike Mason's personal life, and the Comic-Con itself. Fred Van Lente does a mostly decent job of organizing it all and keeping the reader on their toes, but it does feel a bit busy at times... much like an actual Con. Therefore, it should be obvious that if you aren't a die-hard nerd or don't find Comic-Con appealing, this novel probably isn't for you. There are dozens upon dozens of references to pop culture, so you really need to know your stuff before going in.
Speaking of references, there are a few that gave me pause while reading, things I've never seen in a novel before. For instance, toward the beginning of the book there is reference to the first season of HBO's Westworld coming to Blu-ray later this year. This stuck out like a pop-up ad on Buzzfeed, even though you know for a fact your ad-blocker is enabled. I don't know if this was an actual paid advertisement or not, but regardless it felt like product placement to me. There were a few instances like this, and they were pretty distracting from the story. Again, I don't know if this was actual product placement, but I could have done without it.
Otherwise--entertaining, funny, and smart--The Con Artist is a truly unique spin on the mystery genre. Mike Mason is a character readers can root for, and it is through his perspective that Van Lente gives an interesting commentary on the comic book industry, making some truly hard-hitting points about its creators and the endless cycle that turns them out and spits them back out. It's not pretty when you think about it, and Fred Van Lente really makes you think. Recommended.
OVERALL, 3.5 STARS.
February 10, 2019
A match made in heaven for comic book buffs and pop culture nerds who like their lives spiced with a little crime fiction.
Set among the cosplay chaos that is the San Diego Comic-Con, famous illustrator, Mike Mason finds himself smack-bang in the middle of a murder investigation.
The deceased happens to be the guy Mike's wife left him for some years back and the candle still burns bright for this comic-book stalwart. A chance encounter and subsequent public display of violence at bar with the deceased, prior to, you know, being murdered, firmly points the fingers of justice in Mike's unassuming direction.
What follows is crafty crusade to clear his name involving comic book art commissions, reformed Nazi's, shady art dealers, a crazy cosplay chick, and an awards ceremony, oh, and zombies - fake zombies but zombies nonetheless.
Special shout out to Tom Fowler who provided some really cool art to accompany the prose, depicting scenes from the text in perfect rendition.
My rating: A solid 3.5/5 stars. The Con Artist is a fun form of escapism tailor made for pop culture con goers.
Set among the cosplay chaos that is the San Diego Comic-Con, famous illustrator, Mike Mason finds himself smack-bang in the middle of a murder investigation.
The deceased happens to be the guy Mike's wife left him for some years back and the candle still burns bright for this comic-book stalwart. A chance encounter and subsequent public display of violence at bar with the deceased, prior to, you know, being murdered, firmly points the fingers of justice in Mike's unassuming direction.
What follows is crafty crusade to clear his name involving comic book art commissions, reformed Nazi's, shady art dealers, a crazy cosplay chick, and an awards ceremony, oh, and zombies - fake zombies but zombies nonetheless.
Special shout out to Tom Fowler who provided some really cool art to accompany the prose, depicting scenes from the text in perfect rendition.
My rating: A solid 3.5/5 stars. The Con Artist is a fun form of escapism tailor made for pop culture con goers.
Read
April 26, 2025I really wanted to love this book, and I had a kind of hard time deciding how to rate it. The Con Artist is a murder mystery set at San Diego Comic Con from the perspective of a comic book artist who is off his game, divorced, and basically lives at conventions. The premise sounded amazing, and there are things to like here, but ultimately the negatives pulled the rating down for me.
What I liked:
- References to lots of very specific geeky things
- In depth background on the history of comics
- Sometimes funny and clever writing
- A decent plot that takes jabs at predatory corporate behavior
What I didn't like:
- A narrator who can indulge in too much navel-gazing
- A tone of thinly veiled condescension toward a lot of fans and fandoms
- Occasionally offensive language and plot points with regards to race, mental disability, former prisoners, and probably more.
Overall, reading this book felt a bit like navigating a minefield. I might be enjoying the story when suddenly something would be said or something would happen that would feel uncomfortable or offensive. And if this just happened once or twice, I would probably brush it off and give it a pass. But it was a consistent issue throughout the book. Among some of the more egregious ones:
- Having a Latina character with one arm who could have been really inspiring, but instead is used as a mentally unstable plot device.
- Poking fun at fans on the autism spectrum
- Making a group of former convicts into racist Nazi criminals
So I can understand why people might enjoy this book, but these issues just detracted too much from the story for me. It had a lot of potential, but it was a miss for me. I read an advance copy of this book.
What I liked:
- References to lots of very specific geeky things
- In depth background on the history of comics
- Sometimes funny and clever writing
- A decent plot that takes jabs at predatory corporate behavior
What I didn't like:
- A narrator who can indulge in too much navel-gazing
- A tone of thinly veiled condescension toward a lot of fans and fandoms
- Occasionally offensive language and plot points with regards to race, mental disability, former prisoners, and probably more.
Overall, reading this book felt a bit like navigating a minefield. I might be enjoying the story when suddenly something would be said or something would happen that would feel uncomfortable or offensive. And if this just happened once or twice, I would probably brush it off and give it a pass. But it was a consistent issue throughout the book. Among some of the more egregious ones:
- Having a Latina character with one arm who could have been really inspiring, but instead is used as a mentally unstable plot device.
- Poking fun at fans on the autism spectrum
- Making a group of former convicts into racist Nazi criminals
So I can understand why people might enjoy this book, but these issues just detracted too much from the story for me. It had a lot of potential, but it was a miss for me. I read an advance copy of this book.
November 12, 2021
Comic book artist Mike Mason arrives at San Diego Comic-Con expecting the usual things, fan contact, meeting up with other creators and spending time in the bars with the odd hangover.
What he is not expecting though is his main rival, Danny Lieber, to stagger through a load of cosplayers and drop down dead from two gunshot wounds. Nor is he expecting to be the prime suspect of murder because Danny had been having an affair with his wife.
He knows he didn’t do it, however, persuading the police that he is innocent is going to take a lot of work. First, he has to find the girl who took him on her rickshaw to the Unconditional Surrender statue to prove that he wasn’t there when it took place. Finding her would take him into some of the darker and weirder places of counter culture and be a bit of an eye-opener for him.
I don’t want to say too much more as it would give stuff away, but I thought that this was a bit of a romp. It is full of things that you would expect to find at a con, loads of comic book references and dropped unsubtly in the middle is a murder mystery. I liked the fast pace of it too and thought that the plot was fairly well constructed all things considered.
What he is not expecting though is his main rival, Danny Lieber, to stagger through a load of cosplayers and drop down dead from two gunshot wounds. Nor is he expecting to be the prime suspect of murder because Danny had been having an affair with his wife.
He knows he didn’t do it, however, persuading the police that he is innocent is going to take a lot of work. First, he has to find the girl who took him on her rickshaw to the Unconditional Surrender statue to prove that he wasn’t there when it took place. Finding her would take him into some of the darker and weirder places of counter culture and be a bit of an eye-opener for him.
I don’t want to say too much more as it would give stuff away, but I thought that this was a bit of a romp. It is full of things that you would expect to find at a con, loads of comic book references and dropped unsubtly in the middle is a murder mystery. I liked the fast pace of it too and thought that the plot was fairly well constructed all things considered.
February 7, 2019
I’ll be honest, I initially requested this from Netgalley because I thought it was a graphic novel. When I realized it wasn’t, it took me a good long while to finally decide to read it. I really am glad I decided to though. This ended up being a very entertaining dark satire about the comic con world, and those that inhabit it. Both by working ‘the con’ and going to it. Alongside the busy goings on of the event, we are treated to a multi-layered murder mystery, a zombie obstacle course, and an amputee with detachable limbs, many a nerd references, and, of course, Nazis.
Would highly recommend to anyone that enjoys the comic culture and who can appreciate a good dry satire.
I read this for the ‘Horror Aficionados Mount TBR Challenge’ for 2018.
I won a copy of this story through a Goodreads giveaway and provided a review of my own accord.
Would highly recommend to anyone that enjoys the comic culture and who can appreciate a good dry satire.
I read this for the ‘Horror Aficionados Mount TBR Challenge’ for 2018.
I won a copy of this story through a Goodreads giveaway and provided a review of my own accord.
July 14, 2018
*5/5 STARS*
The Con Artist is an Adult Murder Mystery by Fred Van Lente.
The story follows comic book artist, Mike Mason as he lands in San Diego to attend this year’s Comic-Con. Being a comic book artist, Mike has an open invitation to attend Comic-Con every year and because Mike has recently separated from his wife and is basically living from con-to-con, he attends as many as he can in order to support himself. As well as a way to avoid settling down.
Soon after arriving at Comic-Con, Mike finds himself in a very unfortunate situation when he becomes the prime suspect in a former co-worker’s murder. Not only is the murdered man Mike’s former co-worker, but he is also the man that Mike’s wife left him for. Hence the prime suspect situation. From there, this book basically chronicles Mike's adventures and misadventures as he tries to prove his innocence by hunting down his lone alibi and teaming up with friends and former co-workers to try and track down the real killer.
Okay, so let's talk characters. Mike is hilarious in a way that many people might overlook. He’s got this kind of dry, sardonic sense of humor that I adore. Probably because I myself have been told that I have the same kind of sense of humor. In fact, yes, I'm just gonna go ahead and say it: I whole-heartedly consider Mike to be a brother from another mother. As much as I adored Mike, the side characters were just as great. This is not the kind of book that has boring, one-dimensional characters thrown throughout as a filler. Each and every one was just as hilarious and memorable.
The writing was smart, funny and so easy to read. I wasn’t expecting this book to be as funny as it was, but it honestly had me laughing the whole way through. Pacing was also fantastic. I never felt bored or like I was getting info dump on unnecessary topics. It was as solid a read as I can recommend if you're looking for a quirky, murder-mystery.
However, if you’re not a nerd, The Con Artist probably isn’t the book for you. Fortunately for me, I am the nerdiest of nerds and understood each and every pop culture reference and enjoyed this book immensely. I will definitely be looking into more of Fred Van Lente’s work in the near future.
(Thank you again to Quirk Books for sending me an advanced reader’s copy of this book!)
The Con Artist is an Adult Murder Mystery by Fred Van Lente.
The story follows comic book artist, Mike Mason as he lands in San Diego to attend this year’s Comic-Con. Being a comic book artist, Mike has an open invitation to attend Comic-Con every year and because Mike has recently separated from his wife and is basically living from con-to-con, he attends as many as he can in order to support himself. As well as a way to avoid settling down.
Soon after arriving at Comic-Con, Mike finds himself in a very unfortunate situation when he becomes the prime suspect in a former co-worker’s murder. Not only is the murdered man Mike’s former co-worker, but he is also the man that Mike’s wife left him for. Hence the prime suspect situation. From there, this book basically chronicles Mike's adventures and misadventures as he tries to prove his innocence by hunting down his lone alibi and teaming up with friends and former co-workers to try and track down the real killer.
Okay, so let's talk characters. Mike is hilarious in a way that many people might overlook. He’s got this kind of dry, sardonic sense of humor that I adore. Probably because I myself have been told that I have the same kind of sense of humor. In fact, yes, I'm just gonna go ahead and say it: I whole-heartedly consider Mike to be a brother from another mother. As much as I adored Mike, the side characters were just as great. This is not the kind of book that has boring, one-dimensional characters thrown throughout as a filler. Each and every one was just as hilarious and memorable.
The writing was smart, funny and so easy to read. I wasn’t expecting this book to be as funny as it was, but it honestly had me laughing the whole way through. Pacing was also fantastic. I never felt bored or like I was getting info dump on unnecessary topics. It was as solid a read as I can recommend if you're looking for a quirky, murder-mystery.
However, if you’re not a nerd, The Con Artist probably isn’t the book for you. Fortunately for me, I am the nerdiest of nerds and understood each and every pop culture reference and enjoyed this book immensely. I will definitely be looking into more of Fred Van Lente’s work in the near future.
(Thank you again to Quirk Books for sending me an advanced reader’s copy of this book!)
March 31, 2019
O.W.L.s read #4
Completes Charms - Age-line: Read an adult work
This book is hilariously entertaining.
I was definitely sold at the synopsis, but I didn't know how much fun I would have reading this. I'm not really a murder mystery fan but boy oh boy, a mystery taking place at a convention made all the difference. Now I want to go to comic con more than ever and also - I want more books like this XD
Completes Charms - Age-line: Read an adult work
This book is hilariously entertaining.
I was definitely sold at the synopsis, but I didn't know how much fun I would have reading this. I'm not really a murder mystery fan but boy oh boy, a mystery taking place at a convention made all the difference. Now I want to go to comic con more than ever and also - I want more books like this XD
May 6, 2018
To be published in time for SDCC, The Con Artist is a hilarious mystery where a slightly washed-up comics artist is blamed for the death of his bitter rival.
It's important to note that both the author and illustrator are seasoned comics veterans and that really shines through the pages. I've only been to one big comic con (ECCC, big but not nearly as big as SDCC I know) but I relived some of my experiences (lines! getting to meet rad artists in Artists' Alley! awesome cosplayers!) while reading this book.
In getting the con experience right, and in highlighting the details that only the people on the other side of the table (comics professionals) would experience, the author holds up con culture, nerd culture, and the entire comics industry for scrutiny. Pay attention to the social commentary, especially surrounding the darker side of comics where artists' original intellectual properties become absorbed by mega publishers and where no health care is to be found for these artists and writers who brought so much joy to children and adults through their staple-bound pages.
The text is lightly peppered with sketches from the main character's notebook, and I figured there would probably be clues in them that the reader should try to interpret to determine whodunnit. The MC, Mike, occasionally recalls a clue from one of his sketches, but once or twice he recalled details I could not discern from the sketches I saw. Either I'm really bad at this (likely) or the sketches in the ARC are preliminary and will have more detail provided in the final copy.
There was just one thing that bugged me: there's a paragraph after Mike gets into [someone's] previously locked phone where he then changes a setting so the phone never goes sleep so that he can get back in again. Why doesn't he just change the password, or remove the lock screen entirely? It's a detail that doesn't further the plot but it does frustrate the reader.
Other than that, this book was perfect and exactly what I hoped it would be!
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley for review consideration.
It's important to note that both the author and illustrator are seasoned comics veterans and that really shines through the pages. I've only been to one big comic con (ECCC, big but not nearly as big as SDCC I know) but I relived some of my experiences (lines! getting to meet rad artists in Artists' Alley! awesome cosplayers!) while reading this book.
In getting the con experience right, and in highlighting the details that only the people on the other side of the table (comics professionals) would experience, the author holds up con culture, nerd culture, and the entire comics industry for scrutiny. Pay attention to the social commentary, especially surrounding the darker side of comics where artists' original intellectual properties become absorbed by mega publishers and where no health care is to be found for these artists and writers who brought so much joy to children and adults through their staple-bound pages.
The text is lightly peppered with sketches from the main character's notebook, and I figured there would probably be clues in them that the reader should try to interpret to determine whodunnit. The MC, Mike, occasionally recalls a clue from one of his sketches, but once or twice he recalled details I could not discern from the sketches I saw. Either I'm really bad at this (likely) or the sketches in the ARC are preliminary and will have more detail provided in the final copy.
There was just one thing that bugged me: there's a paragraph after Mike gets into [someone's] previously locked phone where he then changes a setting so the phone never goes sleep so that he can get back in again. Why doesn't he just change the password, or remove the lock screen entirely? It's a detail that doesn't further the plot but it does frustrate the reader.
Other than that, this book was perfect and exactly what I hoped it would be!
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley for review consideration.
did-not-finish
August 22, 2018Ugh.
February 21, 2018
I received an ARC from the publisher because working at the library is the best.
Crime and Comic Con are two of my favorite things (especially if I don't have to moderate a panel), so this was right up my alley. Clever and witty with lots of geek easter eggs, cosplay, zombie prison breaks, and of course because this is 2018, Nazis, and the requisite twistyness is entirely plausible instead of ridiculous. A fine homage to being a nerd that doesn't gloss over some of the issues specific to women nerds. My only issue is probably ARC-related . The top end of three stars.
Crime and Comic Con are two of my favorite things (especially if I don't have to moderate a panel), so this was right up my alley. Clever and witty with lots of geek easter eggs, cosplay, zombie prison breaks, and of course because this is 2018, Nazis, and the requisite twistyness is entirely plausible instead of ridiculous. A fine homage to being a nerd that doesn't gloss over some of the issues specific to women nerds. My only issue is probably ARC-related . The top end of three stars.
August 29, 2018
I’ve never been to a comic con. I’d be interested to go, but not enough to warrant the cost of admission, so a literary trip it is, then. Enhanced all the more by its San Diego location, another place I’ve never been, but would definitely be worth the money. Franky, the eponymous protagonist of this oh so punnily titled novel might have wished he’d never gone to this particular comic con. But it’s what he does, no steady residence, just traveling con to con since his marriage ended, doing his art. Usually it’s pretty smooth sailing, but this time it’s murder. Several murders, actually. And he just may be the main suspect. So he sets off on his own investigation to prove his innocence and ends up tangled with an unsavory bunch of desperate artists, greedy businessman and neo Nazis, among others. It isn’t all fun at the comic con. But it is very entertaining. Despite some grim goings on, the novel maintains a lighthearted tone, even occasionally humorous. And it gives a very good inside tour of the comic industry and comic cons, it’s a nerdy delight, but never too nerdy for general population who doesn’t care for stories with pictures. In fact this book has some pictures of its own, just sketches really, pretty unnecessary, didn’t seem to add a thing to the overall production, but presumably it’s to help readers gets inside the protagonist’s mind. Well, that’s what books do in general, so let’s say more so, albeit not every picture’s worth a thousand words. Anyway, this was a fun quick read. You don’t have to be a fan of comic books to enjoy it, but if you are, it’ll probably add another dimension to the reading experience. Thanks Netgalley.
dnf
May 25, 2018This book is not my type...It is filled with the terms I don't have any idea what are these. DNFing it.
July 22, 2018
2.5 stars- all of the elements of this were things that I should love, but it just didn't come together in a way that I personally enjoyed. I think the humor attempts didn't quite work for me... but to be fair, noir in general is a little bit of a hard sell for me anyways, so that may have impacted my experience. If you like noir and comic culture, I think this is worth a try
January 15, 2020
The characters all feel one-dimensional, including the main character who I never got around to liking because of all the terrible decisions he made. This book thinks it's woker than it is, ie. it makes a point of stating outright some progressive things about nerd/geek culture, but all the while the narration includes offensive language and a hefty dose of contempt for fans and fandom. Also several characters are just there to be plot devices, and huge chunks of the plot are left unresolved.
September 16, 2018
A mystery sent at a Comic Con, sign me up.
The best-selling point of this novel are the inside jokes about culture – the LOTR references, Star Wars, Cosplay. There are even some interesting points about how it is a Comic Con but most people seem to think that comics are no longer being published. A convention to celebrate something and that thing gets pushed to the margins.
Mike Mason is a comic artist who makes his living by going to cons. He is currently unemployed by a publisher. At the most recent con, he finds himself a quasi-suspect in the murder of his sort of romantic rival who also was a harasser. Mason then sets out to solve the mystery and save the job of a friend, who as a woman artist is in danger of being replaced on the Batman like book.
And along the way, you have rants about everything that is wrong in the comic industry.
Which is fine. The mystery is workable, there are some funny jokes. But, but,
But but.
First the romantic lead is totally added on and feels so false. Second, we have the stereotypical noir of good girl= blonde, bad girl = dark hair, which pisses me off because I have dark hair.
But the main problem for me, and one that isn’t at first obvious, is that despite being a partial critique/send up of comic cons, it still hues to some of the problems of fandom and its treatment of women.
In this book, there are four women of note– the ex-wife Mason still has a thing for and who isn’t an angel; the Pedi-cab driver who is a nice, caring blonde, Mason’s biggest fan who has a pretty good cosplay, and Mason’s artist friend who helped get her start.
The cosplayer is eventually revealed to have mental issues, so female fans are at risk of being crazy; the artist needs to have her job saved and only Mason can do it. See, she’s about to give birth, and her husband has some shit going out his job. Which, quite frankly, jerked me out of the book because the description of her husband’s adjunct life makes very little sense, and I say this as an adjunct. For one, most adjuncts teach in at least colleges/universities. But I digression. The ex-wife is revealed to be a baddie and gets murdered. So that leaves with the romantic interest of a Pedi-cab driver, who really isn’t into the whole con thing and just makes money. She is on the margins, and she is the only woman without problems or in need of saving.
So, women don’t belong in fandom is being showcased whether that was Van Lente’s intention or not. And to be fair, I don’t think it was. He doesn’t describe women by their tits.
Perhaps I am too sensitive to it because I feel like I am always on the fringes of fandom. I tend to prefer the books over the media. I tend to play more attention to plot. I have a decidedly feminist bent to how I look at sci-fi and fantasy.
But still, especially with the treatment of the woman fan, this book just re-enforces the idea of women and fandom not mixing.
Nice artwork, however.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2018
I enjoyed Fred Van Lente's debut comedic mystery novel, 2017's 10 DEAD COMEDIANS, but THE CON ARTIST finds the author fully in his element. (Although Dante Dupree from 10 DEAD COMEDIANS is name-checked in THE CON ARTIST, which I guess puts both novels in the same...Van Lenteverse?) A murder mystery set at a nerdy convention isn't exactly a new concept (Sharyn McCrumb's 1988 BIMBOS OF THE DEATH SUN comes to mind, as does Nick Mamatas's 2016 I AM PROVIDENCE), but what makes THE CON ARTIST special is its insider's view of San Diego Comic-Con. (Van Lente himself has been a comic book professional for decades and is no stranger to comics conventions.)
The mystery is more grounded this time around, with less of a ticking clock, which allows the reader plenty of opportunities to soak in the narrator's observations about the convention, which I suspect are not all that different from Van Lente's own. Some of those observations are quite funny, such as the breakdown of the five categories of people the artists in Comic-Con's Artists Alley regularly have to interact with, while others are more poignant or disturbing, like the trajectory that can gradually transform a fan who loves comics more than anything into someone who harasses comics creators online with insults and death threats.
THE CON ARTIST is a fun, quick read with a compelling mystery and a singular and truly enjoyable insider's POV. Mystery readers will be entertained, but if you're also into comic books you'll definitely get something extra out of it.
The mystery is more grounded this time around, with less of a ticking clock, which allows the reader plenty of opportunities to soak in the narrator's observations about the convention, which I suspect are not all that different from Van Lente's own. Some of those observations are quite funny, such as the breakdown of the five categories of people the artists in Comic-Con's Artists Alley regularly have to interact with, while others are more poignant or disturbing, like the trajectory that can gradually transform a fan who loves comics more than anything into someone who harasses comics creators online with insults and death threats.
THE CON ARTIST is a fun, quick read with a compelling mystery and a singular and truly enjoyable insider's POV. Mystery readers will be entertained, but if you're also into comic books you'll definitely get something extra out of it.
July 9, 2018
I love mysteries, and when I saw that this was going to be a murder mystery with a bit of nerdtastic fun, I was in. I enjoyed The Con Artist. We follow a comic book artist named Mike who has arrived at San Diego Comic Con. When Mike's known professional and romantic nemesis turns up dead, and Mike is struggling to find a solid alibi for the time of the murder, he makes his way through the chaos of the convention to solve the mystery itself. This was a lot of fun. My favorite characters were probably the cops, Sam and Twitch, their deadpan sarcastic dialogue had me chuckling a few times. I liked Mike as a character, he read like a Jason Bateman straight-man type. He was honest about the not so great things about comic culture, like the treatment of artists and the often toxic culture that exists in fandoms. He's a character that you can root for as a reader.
The back cover said that there were supposed to be clues in the ten illustrations, but I didn't find anything. The pictures were sketches, so it was hard to see any details in the background. The story does a get a little overwhelming at times, but not in a messy way that loses the reader.
This was a fun, quirky read that I would recommend to anyone who considers themselves a "nerd."
*I received a copy of The Con Artist from Quirk Books in exchange for a review*
July 10, 2018
I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.
I used to live in San Diego and used to go to SDCC annually until movies and tv took over and getting tickets became a lottery system. I think it’s been 5 years (maybe 6) since I’ve been able to get tickets.
Fred Van Lenth does a great job of capturing the essence and atmosphere of Comic-con. He’s been on both sides of the table, as well as in the Hall and the after parties. (I have to guess about the parties.)
My only concern is that the comic-con and nerd culture references fly so consistently and accurately, will some reader outside “the fandom” be able to make sense of it?
I used to live in San Diego and used to go to SDCC annually until movies and tv took over and getting tickets became a lottery system. I think it’s been 5 years (maybe 6) since I’ve been able to get tickets.
Fred Van Lenth does a great job of capturing the essence and atmosphere of Comic-con. He’s been on both sides of the table, as well as in the Hall and the after parties. (I have to guess about the parties.)
My only concern is that the comic-con and nerd culture references fly so consistently and accurately, will some reader outside “the fandom” be able to make sense of it?
September 16, 2019
Full disclosure: I won a free Kindle copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. And then I managed to forget said win completely and wound up buying a paperback copy anyway. My life, honestly … On the plus side, buying a copy means I read it that much sooner. My Kindle backlog is frightening.
So the elevator pitch is “Murder at Comic-Con.” Artist Mike Mason was looking forward to spending his time in San Diego knocking off commissions for fans, and presenting a lifetime achievement award to hs mentor, legendary comic book artist Benjamin Kurtz. But then Mike’s former editor--the man who his wife left him for--shows up dead, and it looks like he's the prime suspect …
This was an enjoyable read. Half the fun was in the lovingly detailed setting and characters. I’ve never been to San Diego, but I’ve been to enough smaller cons to recognize the spirit and the culture. One of my favorite parts was a recurring character who seems to be a loving caricature of Grant Morrison’s more eccentric character traits--I imagine Grant laughing his ass off reading it. There are sketches interspersed here and there throughout the text--Mason is an artist, after all--and at least some of them contain actual clues. It adds a level of fun to the whole thing.
The last third of the book or so gets just a little too action movie-ish for my liking. Things become just a little too convenient for our hero. Although all of the pieces fall into place for the ending, the fit is a little rough. It's as if Van Lente knew how it all needed to end, but couldn't quiiiiiiiite figure out how to logically get there, so he just kind of pushed everything together and hoped for the best. It's not outright bad or anything, just … vaguely unsatisfying. I wish I could better put my finger on why it seems off to me.
The ending aside, the book is heaps of fun. It's a nice, loving look at comics and at geek culture in general. Recommended!
So the elevator pitch is “Murder at Comic-Con.” Artist Mike Mason was looking forward to spending his time in San Diego knocking off commissions for fans, and presenting a lifetime achievement award to hs mentor, legendary comic book artist Benjamin Kurtz. But then Mike’s former editor--the man who his wife left him for--shows up dead, and it looks like he's the prime suspect …
This was an enjoyable read. Half the fun was in the lovingly detailed setting and characters. I’ve never been to San Diego, but I’ve been to enough smaller cons to recognize the spirit and the culture. One of my favorite parts was a recurring character who seems to be a loving caricature of Grant Morrison’s more eccentric character traits--I imagine Grant laughing his ass off reading it. There are sketches interspersed here and there throughout the text--Mason is an artist, after all--and at least some of them contain actual clues. It adds a level of fun to the whole thing.
The last third of the book or so gets just a little too action movie-ish for my liking. Things become just a little too convenient for our hero. Although all of the pieces fall into place for the ending, the fit is a little rough. It's as if Van Lente knew how it all needed to end, but couldn't quiiiiiiiite figure out how to logically get there, so he just kind of pushed everything together and hoped for the best. It's not outright bad or anything, just … vaguely unsatisfying. I wish I could better put my finger on why it seems off to me.
The ending aside, the book is heaps of fun. It's a nice, loving look at comics and at geek culture in general. Recommended!
February 9, 2019
While I didn't have high expectations for this, I was nevertheless disappointed. A lot of the characters were obvious caricatures, including the CEO of the biggest comic book/entertainment distributor (a la Marvel) asking un-ironically "Do we still make comics?". The main character is also the biggest unironic white knight I've ever read, constantly finding ways to be more PC than every other scumbag in the narrative. This was a marginally more realistic interpretation of the white male fantasy. The main character does a legit slide across a car hood at one point like he's in a action film and he's a comic book artist. On a little bit of nicer note, I did like the final untangling of threads in the whodunnit, even if the road there didn't make sense and I didn't understand the motives of the police and why they didn't just question people which is, like, their job???
March 17, 2019
When I picked up this book at the 2019 ECCC from the Quirk Books booth I was expecting great outside the box material and The Con Artist delivered. Set in the San Diego Comic Con, the mother of all nerd and geek fandom gatherings, Fred and Tom orchestrate a story that includes drama, suspense, humor, and vivid illustrations about the scene of the crime. As someone born and raised in the 80s, I appreciated the gags, jokes and schticks used to develop the narrative, which is full of sarcastic one liners, and very well executed twists and turns. It describes rich and diverse characters which was a really nice touch since the city itself and fans have a very interesting mash of peoples and cultures. It was such a compelling "who done it" that read it all in one sitting!
Having attended the San Diego Con myself, I can vouch for the landmarks and locations the author used. If you haven't been there it might be hard to follow or understand; check out a map of the area ahead of reading or during to clarify points. Based on my Con experience, the book can serve as an introduction to what to expect from your visit and experiences at the events. I passed it along to my sister who was very excited to figure out how the book ends. Share this tome with your fellow nerds/geeks. It's a really cool gift or stocking stuffer.
Having attended the San Diego Con myself, I can vouch for the landmarks and locations the author used. If you haven't been there it might be hard to follow or understand; check out a map of the area ahead of reading or during to clarify points. Based on my Con experience, the book can serve as an introduction to what to expect from your visit and experiences at the events. I passed it along to my sister who was very excited to figure out how the book ends. Share this tome with your fellow nerds/geeks. It's a really cool gift or stocking stuffer.
Read
March 29, 2018Michael Miller is a comic book artist down on his luck who heads to the annual Geek heaven event that is San Diego comic con. He hopes to spend the time signing comics and drawing commissions but instead gets embroiled in murder, mayhem and Mister Mystery.
I loved this.
As a geeky convention-goer it really ticked all the boxes in terms of pop culture references and reality. Certain inside jokes (Con-time, the various stereotypes, cosplayers and celebrity) were lovingly laid and gently mocked.
It was also brilliant to see the other side of the artists table. I love comics but have never been a stalwart collector so it was fascinating to hear of all of the careers that you didn't even realize existed.
I'm so happy that there are more and more books coming out that focus on the geek side of popular culture; having drown in a sea of Summer Camp or Space/Jock/fat/cheer camp stories it is lovely to finally have something that we can identify with.
Fred Van Lente is a great comic book artist himself and knows how to set the story with words as well as pictures. The sketch outlines were interesting in ebook form so I assume in print form they are even better.
I loved this.
As a geeky convention-goer it really ticked all the boxes in terms of pop culture references and reality. Certain inside jokes (Con-time, the various stereotypes, cosplayers and celebrity) were lovingly laid and gently mocked.
It was also brilliant to see the other side of the artists table. I love comics but have never been a stalwart collector so it was fascinating to hear of all of the careers that you didn't even realize existed.
I'm so happy that there are more and more books coming out that focus on the geek side of popular culture; having drown in a sea of Summer Camp or Space/Jock/fat/cheer camp stories it is lovely to finally have something that we can identify with.
Fred Van Lente is a great comic book artist himself and knows how to set the story with words as well as pictures. The sketch outlines were interesting in ebook form so I assume in print form they are even better.
April 23, 2018
*received an ARC for review*
4.5 stars*
This book is written for fans. Fans of TV, comics, movies, all fans of all kinds. I LOVED all the references, the shout outs to all kinds of fandoms, the loving detail that went into coming up with future ideas that are completely plausible for the entertainment industry. I loved all of it.
It's too bad the story wasn't as good. It's a typical 'who dunnit' murder mystery, and it got kind of convoluted near the last third, but it was still enjoyable.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who's a major fan of the entertainment industry in general. I loved all the artwork throughout the book as well.
On a side note, I could totally see this being turned into an amazing one shot TV show or movie. It was so fun to recognize all the references thrown in (I'm a huge purveyor of all mediums of entertainment so this was completely up my alley). It would probably star Nathan Fillion.
4.5 stars*
This book is written for fans. Fans of TV, comics, movies, all fans of all kinds. I LOVED all the references, the shout outs to all kinds of fandoms, the loving detail that went into coming up with future ideas that are completely plausible for the entertainment industry. I loved all of it.
It's too bad the story wasn't as good. It's a typical 'who dunnit' murder mystery, and it got kind of convoluted near the last third, but it was still enjoyable.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who's a major fan of the entertainment industry in general. I loved all the artwork throughout the book as well.
On a side note, I could totally see this being turned into an amazing one shot TV show or movie. It was so fun to recognize all the references thrown in (I'm a huge purveyor of all mediums of entertainment so this was completely up my alley). It would probably star Nathan Fillion.
August 7, 2018
*3.5
As someone who works at SYFY and worked at SDCC this year, this was a very enjoyable and detailed story based at this convention. I enjoyed the few references to SYFY as well. Very fun story!
As someone who works at SYFY and worked at SDCC this year, this was a very enjoyable and detailed story based at this convention. I enjoyed the few references to SYFY as well. Very fun story!
May 13, 2019
PopSugar Reading Challenge 2019
Book about a hobby - Cosplay / comics
Book about a hobby - Cosplay / comics
April 18, 2023
A solid mystery with plenty of pop culture references and beautiful illustrations.
January 10, 2019
Not a big fan of this one. The reveal was lack luster and honestly the characters were so one dimensional. I love Comic Con and that’s what caught my eye. Unfortunately the author spent too much time describing the minutiae of the ins and outs of the streets around comic con that he forgot to develop a character worth liking.
May 30, 2018
The title of Fred Van Lente's book is brilliant, to say the least. It's a novel about a comic book artist, in particular Comic Con artist, who spends his days with no fixed address, going from one comic book convention to the next giving talks and signing books.
The book has a hilarious tone to it, despite the anxiety that envelopes the whole situation. It's worthy of farce, punctuated with recurring comments, such as when Mike responds to questions about what he does for a living:
"Comic books. Really? They still make those?"
The book is a nod to Comic Book fandom. It's a fast read that makes a great carry-on when you're travelling by air, or the train, and perfect for a weekend vacation. Don't be surprised to get nods and questions from fellow travellers though. The cover of The Con Artist really catches the eye.
An entertaining read 👍
★★★★☆
sukasareads.com
The book has a hilarious tone to it, despite the anxiety that envelopes the whole situation. It's worthy of farce, punctuated with recurring comments, such as when Mike responds to questions about what he does for a living:
"Comic books. Really? They still make those?"
The book is a nod to Comic Book fandom. It's a fast read that makes a great carry-on when you're travelling by air, or the train, and perfect for a weekend vacation. Don't be surprised to get nods and questions from fellow travellers though. The cover of The Con Artist really catches the eye.
An entertaining read 👍
★★★★☆
sukasareads.com
November 9, 2018
THE CON ARTIST is a fun book. Fred Van Lente gives the comic book industry in general and San Diego Comic-Con in particular a big wet kiss on the cheek, well aware of the warts that lie in wait.
That’s a lot to digest in a short paragraph, so let me back up for just a moment as a courtesy to the uninitiated. Van Lente has written comics that you have read if you are a fan of the medium and have heard of if you aren’t --- The Amazing Spider-Man, Deadpool vs. The Punisher and G.I. Joe, among others. He also authored one of my favorite titles, MARVEL ZOMBIES, which should be glass-cased in every library in the country. Maybe the world. Van Lente is an industry insider because he is a part of the industry. THE CON ARTIST, his second novel (after TEN DEAD COMEDIANS), takes place over a very long four days at San Diego Comic-Con.
Comic-Con, as it is popularly known, is somewhere between an experience and an endurance contest. What began as a celebration of comic books and a place to buy, sell and trade them has morphed into a popular culture pop-up city that attracts hundreds of thousands of people. I have a friend who has been to every single one since the inaugural event in 1970, which was attended by a few hundred. He insists every year that he won’t go back, but he always does. Van Lente captures the spirit, form and substance of Comic-Con while using it as a backdrop for a murder mystery. Actually, maybe it’s the other way around, given that the whodunit portion of the book plays second fiddle to the swirling events of Comic-Con and Van Lente’s harpooning of the industry’s main players and powers. As a bonus, his descriptions are augmented by the sketchings of comic artist Tom Fowler, who has illustrated and inked any number of books for most of the major companies and currently works on Doom Patrol.
THE CON ARTIST is told through the voice of Mike Mason, a semi-legendary comic creator and artist who ekes out a living by attending comic conventions and providing the faithful with original art on demand and for a fee. He is officially at Comic-Con to accept an award on behalf of his mentor, Ben K, and unofficially to possibly hook up with his ex-wife. When Mike arrives in San Diego, he learns that Ben has died suddenly. The unsettling news sets him in a spiral, which causes him to pick a fight in front of God and everybody with a major, and much-hated, industry figure named Danny Lieber. It was Danny who helped put the “ex-” in front of Mike’s wife. Accordingly, when Danny is found dead the next morning, all eyes, including those of the investigating detectives, are on Mike. He has an alibi --- the driver of a pedicab who took him to an iconic San Diego landscape after his confrontation with Danny --- but he can’t find her.
Meanwhile, the Con goes on, with Mike dodging the police (with no success) and a couple of bikers (with success), and attempting to contact his ex-wife (with some success). When another murder occurs, though, Mike is truly on the run. Hiding among hundreds of thousands of people in various degrees of costume should be easy unless you’re Mike Mason. He basically has a few days to determine who is doing what to whom. Maybe he can pull it off if he stays alive that long.
The 2018 San Diego Comic-Con runs from July 19th to 22nd, and the perfect timing of the publication of THE CON ARTIST gives attendees, fanboys and industry people who are in-the-know a week or so to read it --- or, better yet, buy a copy at the Con and have it autographed by the author and illustrator, who no doubt will be there. While the novel may not hold much interest for those who were never comic book fans, those who whiled away their youth reading four-color panels will find plenty to love here.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
That’s a lot to digest in a short paragraph, so let me back up for just a moment as a courtesy to the uninitiated. Van Lente has written comics that you have read if you are a fan of the medium and have heard of if you aren’t --- The Amazing Spider-Man, Deadpool vs. The Punisher and G.I. Joe, among others. He also authored one of my favorite titles, MARVEL ZOMBIES, which should be glass-cased in every library in the country. Maybe the world. Van Lente is an industry insider because he is a part of the industry. THE CON ARTIST, his second novel (after TEN DEAD COMEDIANS), takes place over a very long four days at San Diego Comic-Con.
Comic-Con, as it is popularly known, is somewhere between an experience and an endurance contest. What began as a celebration of comic books and a place to buy, sell and trade them has morphed into a popular culture pop-up city that attracts hundreds of thousands of people. I have a friend who has been to every single one since the inaugural event in 1970, which was attended by a few hundred. He insists every year that he won’t go back, but he always does. Van Lente captures the spirit, form and substance of Comic-Con while using it as a backdrop for a murder mystery. Actually, maybe it’s the other way around, given that the whodunit portion of the book plays second fiddle to the swirling events of Comic-Con and Van Lente’s harpooning of the industry’s main players and powers. As a bonus, his descriptions are augmented by the sketchings of comic artist Tom Fowler, who has illustrated and inked any number of books for most of the major companies and currently works on Doom Patrol.
THE CON ARTIST is told through the voice of Mike Mason, a semi-legendary comic creator and artist who ekes out a living by attending comic conventions and providing the faithful with original art on demand and for a fee. He is officially at Comic-Con to accept an award on behalf of his mentor, Ben K, and unofficially to possibly hook up with his ex-wife. When Mike arrives in San Diego, he learns that Ben has died suddenly. The unsettling news sets him in a spiral, which causes him to pick a fight in front of God and everybody with a major, and much-hated, industry figure named Danny Lieber. It was Danny who helped put the “ex-” in front of Mike’s wife. Accordingly, when Danny is found dead the next morning, all eyes, including those of the investigating detectives, are on Mike. He has an alibi --- the driver of a pedicab who took him to an iconic San Diego landscape after his confrontation with Danny --- but he can’t find her.
Meanwhile, the Con goes on, with Mike dodging the police (with no success) and a couple of bikers (with success), and attempting to contact his ex-wife (with some success). When another murder occurs, though, Mike is truly on the run. Hiding among hundreds of thousands of people in various degrees of costume should be easy unless you’re Mike Mason. He basically has a few days to determine who is doing what to whom. Maybe he can pull it off if he stays alive that long.
The 2018 San Diego Comic-Con runs from July 19th to 22nd, and the perfect timing of the publication of THE CON ARTIST gives attendees, fanboys and industry people who are in-the-know a week or so to read it --- or, better yet, buy a copy at the Con and have it autographed by the author and illustrator, who no doubt will be there. While the novel may not hold much interest for those who were never comic book fans, those who whiled away their youth reading four-color panels will find plenty to love here.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
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