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X8: No Credit Series
X is trying to find himself in a urban sprawl filled with super powered individuals. There are many who idolize the supers, even though some are super powered villains. These small Gee gods protect and simultaneously threaten mankind. There are also aliens flying in and out of this super magnet city. This is a familiar but super powered place. In this metropolis, there are also those who aspire to greatness despite the lack of super powers.
X struggles to be accepted and acknowledged and seen. X is brilliant and clever but after college finds himself an over educated, high-paid janitor. In this comic book world that many will recognize X fights for his own identity. Here he decides to zig when he usually zags. A small change begins a new life for X.
X struggles to be accepted and acknowledged and seen. X is brilliant and clever but after college finds himself an over educated, high-paid janitor. In this comic book world that many will recognize X fights for his own identity. Here he decides to zig when he usually zags. A small change begins a new life for X.
157 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2022
About the author
Mark T. Sneed
22 books35 followersBorn. Living. Learning. Writing. Southern memories, raised in Chicago and there I began writing. I moved west and was educated at the University of California, at Berkeley. Played collegiate football and rugby. First fell in love with comics. Have always read. Always writing. Became an English major. Took that major to Los Angeles and began teaching. Taught English to middle school and high school and junior college. Was a debate and chess coach. Continue to challenge myself.
Love Shakespeare. Wish to further the amazing writing experiences of those that I have read and read through an African American male lens. My desire is to write with passion and desire a varied style of genres with the hopes of being one of the heralded African American authors that others read and enjoy.
Love Shakespeare. Wish to further the amazing writing experiences of those that I have read and read through an African American male lens. My desire is to write with passion and desire a varied style of genres with the hopes of being one of the heralded African American authors that others read and enjoy.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 17, 2022
‘I was the lone black-eyed pea in the sea of white rice.’
Self-styled X feels like an alienated outsider at university, his work decried as ‘mad scientist level craziness’ by his ‘Neanderthal’ colleagues. Accepting what appears to be a promising post with the global corporation Atlas Corps in Metropolis, he finds himself working as not much more than the gofer. Managing to appropriate a sample of a top-secret substance one day, X embarks on a quest for ‘power and perfection’, hoping in the process to get the better of the ‘small gee gods’—the super-powered ones.
For this is the Metropolis of the comic books, where humans struggle in the search for a method by which to destroy the supers—because even those who would protect them do much collateral damage to the people in their conflicts with the hostile supers. It is for those engaged in this quest that X is now working and, feeling his own skills superior to theirs, he conducts secret work at home on the contraband sample which has come into his possession. When X tests the results of his labours on himself, he receives assistance from an unexpected quarter, which accelerates his mission for identity and acknowledgement.
This is an interesting undertaking by author Mark T. Sneed, and I can appreciate why a would-be human ‘superhero’ whose powers lie in his brain rather than his brawn would choose to tell his story in words rather than pictures. I’m afraid I find it difficult to warm to X, however. The reports of his fearsome intellect come from himself, and he’s rightly embittered at how others sneer at and seek to belittle him and his theories. I can’t help wondering whether he’s going to be one of the good guys or the bad, further through the series. Time will tell.
Self-styled X feels like an alienated outsider at university, his work decried as ‘mad scientist level craziness’ by his ‘Neanderthal’ colleagues. Accepting what appears to be a promising post with the global corporation Atlas Corps in Metropolis, he finds himself working as not much more than the gofer. Managing to appropriate a sample of a top-secret substance one day, X embarks on a quest for ‘power and perfection’, hoping in the process to get the better of the ‘small gee gods’—the super-powered ones.
For this is the Metropolis of the comic books, where humans struggle in the search for a method by which to destroy the supers—because even those who would protect them do much collateral damage to the people in their conflicts with the hostile supers. It is for those engaged in this quest that X is now working and, feeling his own skills superior to theirs, he conducts secret work at home on the contraband sample which has come into his possession. When X tests the results of his labours on himself, he receives assistance from an unexpected quarter, which accelerates his mission for identity and acknowledgement.
This is an interesting undertaking by author Mark T. Sneed, and I can appreciate why a would-be human ‘superhero’ whose powers lie in his brain rather than his brawn would choose to tell his story in words rather than pictures. I’m afraid I find it difficult to warm to X, however. The reports of his fearsome intellect come from himself, and he’s rightly embittered at how others sneer at and seek to belittle him and his theories. I can’t help wondering whether he’s going to be one of the good guys or the bad, further through the series. Time will tell.
October 14, 2022
X8 No Credit Series by Mark T Sneed was an interesting journey through the origins of a superhero, starting on the hero's journey through a fairly mundane lifestyle to a fully fledged action hero. The fight scenes were strong, the world building was creative, and the characters were interesting.
I liked X and the role he took in the corporation, as well as the presence of the Immortal and other gods and superheros. This gave the book a unique style which differs from other superhero books as there is much more going on than just the good guys and the bad guys. There was also a grey area around the superheros who cause a lot of damage while trying to do good.
The librarian was intriguing and I looked forward to his chats with X and the characters we meet early on pop up later, with some very good additions towards the end. This felt very much like an introduction into a comic book superhero world and I look forward to where it is going.
I liked X and the role he took in the corporation, as well as the presence of the Immortal and other gods and superheros. This gave the book a unique style which differs from other superhero books as there is much more going on than just the good guys and the bad guys. There was also a grey area around the superheros who cause a lot of damage while trying to do good.
The librarian was intriguing and I looked forward to his chats with X and the characters we meet early on pop up later, with some very good additions towards the end. This felt very much like an introduction into a comic book superhero world and I look forward to where it is going.
December 7, 2022
Engaging Origin Story
An alternative perspective on the familiar world of superheroes and villains, X8 starts with a very human main character wrestling with issues of privilege and recognition. Rather than seeing superheroes as heroes, he is focused more on the unequal and unfair power dynamic that keeps some people down, while elevating others, all by the accident of their birth. Turning his substantial intellect to addressing the problem, the protagonist tries to harness the powers of science and magic to level his playing field.
A bit slow in places, but an engaging and thought-provoking read.
An alternative perspective on the familiar world of superheroes and villains, X8 starts with a very human main character wrestling with issues of privilege and recognition. Rather than seeing superheroes as heroes, he is focused more on the unequal and unfair power dynamic that keeps some people down, while elevating others, all by the accident of their birth. Turning his substantial intellect to addressing the problem, the protagonist tries to harness the powers of science and magic to level his playing field.
A bit slow in places, but an engaging and thought-provoking read.
November 16, 2022
Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship
This hero origins story is a great beginning for super powered world savers. Sneed has captured the spirit and grit of what the hero saga should look like. Fun and exuberant. You will love it.
This hero origins story is a great beginning for super powered world savers. Sneed has captured the spirit and grit of what the hero saga should look like. Fun and exuberant. You will love it.
April 9, 2024
X8 is a gritty origin story set in the familiar Metropolis where there is a super villain and superpower alien hero from another world. The backstory of X, the main character, is driven by his lack of recognition or acknowledgement of his intelligence or insights drives the story, but it is when X lands in Metropolis and interacts with the various characters of the city. An interesting story. Not just a simple capes and boots smash and crash of most comic book stories. The story is nuanced. There is the superpower hero and X. It seems such an uneven fight on paper, but that is why they play the game. Fun read. Entertaining.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews