Review: BLACK ROSE ALICE Volume 1

BLACK ROSE ALICE, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Setona Mizushiro
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: John Werry
LETTERS: Evan Waldinger
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7160-7; paperback (August 2014); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Black Rose Alice is a dark supernatural romance from manga creator Setona Mizushiro.  Mizushiro made her professional debut with Winter Was Ending (Fuyu ga, Owarou Toshiteita), and she won the 1993 Shogakukan Manga New Author Award.  Her gender-bending psychological thriller, After School Nightmare (published by Go! Comi), was nominated for a 2007 Eisner Award (“Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Japan) and was also recognized by YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) as a “Great Graphic Novel For Teens” in 2008.

Black Rose Alice, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 4) opens in early 1900s Vienna, where there is a new opera star.  It is Dimitri Lewandowski, the celebrated tenor and former understudy, whose breakthrough was the lead in Faust.  Then, Dimitri is killed in an accident, and his corpse is colonized by the seeds of a vampire master.

At first, Dimitri denies that anything has changed, even after the vampire Maximilian explains to him his new “life.”  Then, friends and other people around him start dying, and Dimitri is forced to accept the ghastly truth.  A century later, Azusa Kikukawa meets Dimitri in her dying dreams.  He makes her a diabolical proposal to save her lover's life, but at what cost?

First volumes can be tricky.  If they start off slowly, some readers may see that as bad sign for the rest of the series, although it may take the creator(s) a few volumes worth of material before a series really hits a stride.  Some first volumes are so surprisingly good that one can't help but wonder if the series can maintain such a high quality throughout their run.

The Black Rose Alice manga does not have such first-volume jitters.  After reading Black Rose Alice Volume 1, readers will either be excited and intrigued or will find the series' concept and traits to be laughable.  I am laughing, but not at this series because I hate it.  I really like the first volume, and I don't want to reveal too much about this novel spin on vampires.  Of course, “novel spin” is the way to handle vampire fiction these days.  There is so much out there that each vampire tale has to find its own take, either unique or rarely seen, on these bloodsuckers.

I want to read more.  Black Rose Alice is weird, bizarre, and surprisingly, fiercely romantic.  It is as if Vincent Price's horror movies have met Guillermo del Toro's films to create a kind of elegant cheesy B-movie vibe.  Like other manga creators, Setona Mizushiro is imaginative in unexpected ways.  Perhaps, she wants Black Rose Alice to be about the unexpected.  And it is.

A

www.VIZ.com
www.shojobeat.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

"Action Comics #1" Sells for $3.2 Million on eBay

The Original Superman Comic, Action Comics #1, Sells for a Record-Breaking $3.2M on eBay

Prominent collectibles dealer Darren Adams sells the finest known copy of Action Comics #1

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--eBay announced a copy of Action Comics #1, with white pages and a grade of 9.0 from the Certified Guaranty Company (CGC), sold at auction for $3.2M, making it the most expensive comic in the world. The previous record for the most expensive comic book was set in 2011 when another copy of Action Comics #1, also with a 9.0 grade, but off-white pages sold for $2,161,000. The record-breaking comic was sold by prominent collectibles dealer Darren Adams, owner of Pristine Comics in Federal Way, Wash.

    “It's a historic moment that not only speaks to the greatness of Adams' Action Comics #1, but also the overall health of the comic book market”

Widely regarded as the “Holy Grail” of comic books, there are believed to be as few as 50 unrestored original copies of Action Comics #1 still in existence. The comic hit newsstands in 1938 for $.10 and marked Superman’s historic debut, giving birth to the multi-billion dollar global franchise that thrives today.

“I’m proud to have owned the most valuable comic book in the world,” said Darren Adams. “Working with eBay on this auction allowed me to share this rare treasure with their global community and ensure the next owner is just as passionate about its place in history.”

“This was a record auction for eBay as it was the most expensive comic book ever sold on our marketplace. The sale of Action Comics #1 is a prime example of how eBay plays a role in popular culture by connecting shoppers to must-have merchandise, including rare and valuable collectibles,” said Gene Cook, General Manager of Emerging Verticals for eBay Marketplaces. “This was an extraordinary opportunity to bring a comic – one that has captured the attention of passionate collectors and casual fans alike. We will continue to bring more of the world’s most unique and compelling merchandise to our passionate and global community of 149 million buyers, at a wide range of accessible price points.”

"It's a historic moment that not only speaks to the greatness of Adams' Action Comics #1, but also the overall health of the comic book market," said CGC Director of Operations, Harshen Patel. "You see it with collectors enjoying record sales, with the performance of Guardians of the Galaxy at the box office and with the attendance at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con this past week. It's a dynamic time for the comic book industry and its future is very bright."

A portion of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

About eBay Marketplaces
eBay (Nasdaq:EBAY) is one of the world’s largest online marketplaces, connecting people with the things they need and love virtually anytime, anywhere. eBay has 149 million active buyers globally and more than 700 million live individual and merchant listings at any given time. With mobile apps available in 190 countries, eBay delivers a personalized shopping experience and seamless access to inventory from down the street and around the world. Tailored shopping experiences customize buying and selling; and eBay provides variety and choice for sellers by enabling them to offer goods through online, mobile and local channels to consumers around the world. For more information, visit www.ebay.com.

About Certified Guaranty Company (CGC)
Founded in 1999, Certified Guaranty Company is the hobby’s most preferred third-party grading service for collectible comics, magazines, photos and lobby cards. CGC offers expert condition analysis, including thorough restoration detection before grading and encapsulating collectibles in state-of-the-art, archival-safe holders. CGC does not buy or sell collectibles – it is committed to providing an independent opinion that collectors and dealers can always trust, so they can buy and sell with confidence.

----------------------------

Gangsta: Hidden History

I read Gangsta., Vol. 3

I posted a review at ComicBookBin, which is seeking donations.  Follow me on Twitter.

Review: WAYWARD #1

WAYWARD #1
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

STORY: Jim Zub – @jimzub
ART: Steve Cummings
COLORS: John Rauch and Jim Zub
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon
COVER: Steve Cummings and Ross A. Campbell
VARIANT COVER:  Alina Urusov; Jeff “Chamba” Cruz; Adam Warren and John Rauch
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S.

Additional material by Zack Davisson and Kalman Andrasofszky

Jim Zub sent the ComicBookBin a PDF copy of the first issue of his new comic book series, Wayward, published by Image Comics.  I reviewed it for the Bin and am now posting a slightly altered version of that review for you, dear readers, on I Reads You.

Wayward is an intriguing new fantasy comic book series from writer Jim Zub (Skullkickers, Suicide Squad: Amanda Waller) and penciller Steve Cummings (Legends of the Dark Knight, Deadshot) and published by Image Comics.  The upcoming series focuses on a teen girl trying to start a new life only to find herself confronted by the ancient creatures that lurk in the shadows of Tokyo.

Wayward #1 (“Chapter One”) opens as Rori Lane arrives in Japan from Ireland.  She is the child of a Japanese mother and an Irish father.  Her parents divorced, and although she initially stayed in Ireland, she is now moving to Japan to live with her mother.

Moving halfway across the world from Ireland to make a new home means that Rori will have to make some cultural adjustments, but she is game.  Things are going well, and it seems as if she and her mother can live together.  However, things take a turn for the weird when Rori begins glimpsing signs, creatures, and other things that no one else can see.  Then, there is Ayane...

It seems as if the selling point of Wayward is to compare it to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  I received a PDF copy for review from series writer, Jim Zub, and on one page of the PDF is the tagline, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer for a new generation.”  On the same page, Hellboy is referenced.  With the comparisons/references to Buffy and Hellboy, you might think Wayward is a Dark Horse Comics title.  In truth, Wayward's first issue makes a good first step towards being the long-running fantasy franchise that both Buffy and Hellboy are.

However, Wayward does also resemble, to one extent or another, urban fantasy comics published by DC Comics' imprint, Vertigo (particularly Crossing Midnight), and by VIZ Media (the sublime Natsume's Book of Friends).  In fact, the manga and Japanese comparisons are appropriate as Wayward's pencil artist, Steve Cummings, drew the OEL manga (American manga) titles, Pantheon High and Star Trek: The Manga, for TOKYOPOP.

Whether the creators hope for their new comic book to inherit the mantle of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or not, we can keep discussing in the future.  What I can say is that Wayward is a series with promise and with a promising lead character.  Rori Lane is the kind of misfit who isn't afraid of the big, mean world.  She doesn't seem like a young woman ready to run away, and in that, she is like Buffy.  Zub uses internal dialogue (via caption boxes) both to endear her to us and to make her journey of discovery our journey also.  I can tell by this winning first issue that some readers will be glad to be Rori's Scooby gang, and, if need be, her BPRD.  I am one of them.

The art by Steve Cummings, John Rauch, and Jim Zub is colorful and vibrant.  Wayward's Tokyo might be a crowded modern city, but it isn't drab or dull; the monsters in the shadows will make sure of that.  Cummings' storytelling is clean and straight-forward, which makes the magic and mystery stand out.

I think that Wayward will be different from the other titles that Image is publishing, and that's a good thing.  I think the Young Adult novel has finally made it to comics in the form of Wayward, and I think it will be one of the standout new titles of the year.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 27, 2014

DC COMICS

JUN140250    ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #16    $3.99
JUN140245    ALL STAR WESTERN #34    $3.99
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DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES
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MAY140434    SCRIBBLENAUTS UNMASKED BMB MINI FIGURES SER 3    $89.10

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 27, 2014

MARVEL COMICS

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IDW PUBLISHING

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Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 27, 2014

DARK HORSE COMICS

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Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 27, 2014

IMAGE COMICS

JUN140539    BLACK SCIENCE #8 (MR)    $3.50
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IMAGE COMICS/MCFARLANE TOYS

APR140624    WALKING DEAD SER 3 PX RICK/ANDREA AF 2-PK CS    PI

Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for August 27, 2014

PREVIEWS PUBLICATIONS
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JUL140001    PREVIEWS #312 SEPTEMBER 2014    $4.50

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS
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JUN141359    LEGO LEGENDS OF CHIMA HC VOL 02 RIGHT DECISION    $12.99
JUN141337    LETTER 44 #9    $3.99
JUN141571    MAXIMUM RIDE TP VOL 08    $13.00
JUN140818    MEGA MAN #40 REG CVR (NOTE PRICE)    $3.99
JUN141356    MONOMYTH #2    $3.99
JUN141311    NO 6 GN VOL 08    $10.99
JUL141394    PARIAH MISSOURI GN VOL 01    $16.99
JUN148274    RAI #1 4TH PTG    $3.99
JUN148315    RAI #3 2ND PTG    $3.99
JUN141509    RAI #4 REG CRAIN (VF)    $3.99
JUN141510    RAI #4 VALIANTCRAFT CVR (VF)    $3.99
JUN140980    REGULAR SHOW #14    $3.99
MAR140974    RUST HC VOL 01 VISITOR IN FIELD    $24.99
APR141274    SAINT MAN WHO WOULDNT DIE GN    $7.99
JUN141313    SANKAREA GN VOL 08    $10.99
JUN141314    SAY I LOVE YOU GN VOL 03    $10.99
JUN140761    SHINOBI NINJA PRINCESS #1 MAIN CVR    $3.99
JUN141547    SHONEN JUMP PACK 2014 #3    $19.99
JUL141174    SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN SEASON 6 #1 ROSS VIRGIN ART    $100.00
JUN141338    SIXTH GUN #42    $3.99
MAY141038    SONIC THE HEDGEHOG TP VOL 01 COUNTDOWN TO CHAOS    $12.99
JUN140824    SONIC UNIVERSE #67 REG CVR (NOTE PRICE)    $3.99
APR140849    STEAM ENGINES OF OZ COMP COLL HC VOL 01    $29.95
JUN140957    STEED & MRS PEEL NEEDED #2    $3.99
JUN140961    SUPURBIA TP VOL 04    $14.99
MAY141163    TALENT DLX ED TP    $14.99
MAY141235    TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #87 DLX ED (MR)    $19.99
JUN141445    THESEUS & MINOTAUR GN    $16.95
JUN141295    TOMBOY GRAPHIC MEMOIR    $15.99
JUN141573    TRIAGE X GN VOL 07 (MR)    $14.00
JUL141103    TUROK DINOSAUR HUNTER TP VOL 01 CONQUEST    $16.99
JUN141316    WALLFLOWER GN VOL 33    $10.99
APR141312    WWE SUPERSTARS ONGOING #7    $3.99
JUN141503    X-O MANOWAR #28 REG BERNARD (AH)    $3.99
JUN141504    X-O MANOWAR #28 VALIANTCRAFT CVR (AH)    $3.99

MAGAZINES
JUN141699    COMIC SHOP NEWS #1419    PI

BOOKS
JUN141621    ART OF JOHN ALVIN HC    $34.95
JUL141662    DOCTOR WHO TALES OF TRENZALORE SC    $11.99
JUL141680    SCI FI MOVIE GUIDE FILM FROM ALIEN TO ZARDOZ SC 2ND ED    $19.95
JUL141634    SENSUAL DISTRESS ART OF STEVE O RENO SC VOL 01 (MR)    $9.95
JUL141635    SENSUAL DISTRESS ART OF STEVE O RENO SC VOL 02 (MR)    $9.95
JUN141575    SWORD ART ONLINE NOVEL VOL 02 AINCRAD    $13.00
JUL141653    WEIRD WORLD OF EERIE PUBLICATIONS HC    $32.95

Ikigami: The Final Volume

I read Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit, Vol. 10

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin, which is seeking donations.  Follow me on Twitter.

I Reads You Review: TEEN TITANS #1

TEEN TITANS #1 (2014)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

WRITER: Will Pfeifer
ART: Kenneth Rocafort
COLORS: Dan Brown
LETTERS: John J. Hill
COVER: Kenneth Rocafort
VARIANT COVERS: Cliff Chiang; Joe Quinones
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (September 2014)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

“Blinded by the Light” Part 1

DC Comics has once again relaunched the Teen Titans franchise.  I was a huge fan of the best Teen Titans rebirth, The New Teen Titans, which first appeared in DC Comics Presents #26, before debuting in The New Teen Titans #1 (November 1980). The series, created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez, ran from 1980 to 1996.  For awhile, The New Teen Titans was DC Comics' X-Men-like powerhouse, but I think the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths was the start of its downfall into irrelevance.  [For a number of reasons, including a refocus on core DC Comics franchises such as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, but that's for another discussion.]

The recently launched Teen Titans comic book series is written Will Pfeifer, drawn by Kenneth Rocafort, colored by Dan Brown, and lettered by John J. Hill.  The Teen Titans roster is Red Robin (Tim Drake), Beast Boy, Raven, Bunker, and Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark).  It is the second Teen Titans series of The New 52.

Teen Titans #1 (“Blinded by the Light” Part 1) finds the team taking on a school bus hijacking.  According the terrorist-like hijackers' leader, their target is really S.T.A.R. Labs, with the children on the bus merely being pawns.  Of course, the Teen Titans can easily handle such criminals, but are our heroes missing the bigger picture – a larger conspiracy.

A friend of mine who read Teen Titans #1 before I did told me that he did not like it, and he is a longtime Teen Titans fan.  I am really a fan of the Teen Titans from their Silver Age origins to The New Teen Titans.  I am not particularly interested in the various Teen Titans (and Titans) series that came afterward.  I did not care for this Teen Titans #1.

Will Pfeifer tries to write these Titans as cool-under-pressure, up-to-date, and on the cutting-edge of everything.  They actually come across as contrived and about as cool as plastic do-dads.  They are more a collection of character traits and personality quirks than they are real characters.  Kenneth Rocafort's art is crowded, and reading it is like trying to see through a television picture beset by static.  Dan Brown's coloring is just decoration.

I don't have anything against the Cassie Sandsmark Wonder Girl, originally created by John Byrne and introduced back in Wonder Woman (Vol. 2) #105 (cover dated: January 1996), but I prefer Donna Troy.  I like the costume that Raven wears, but I prefer the pre-New 52 character.  You know what:  I don't think these Teen Titans are for me.  Maybe others will enjoy it; maybe I'll even try another issue or two.

C

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Itsuwaribito: Village Village

I read Itsuwaribito , Vol. 12

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin, which is seeking donations.  Follow me on Twitter.

I Reads You Review: GRAYSON #1

GRAYSON #1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

PLOT: Tim Seeley and Tom King
SCRIPT: Tim Seeley
ART: Mikel Janin
COLORS: Jeremy Cox
LETTERS: Carlos M. Mangual
COVER: Andrew Robinson
VARIANT COVERS: Mikel Janin; Jock
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (September 2014)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

Dick Grayson is a DC Comics character best known as the first person to take on the identity of Robin, Batman's kid sidekick.  Robin/Dick Grayson was originally created by Batman's creators, artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and also artist Jerry Robinson.  Robin debuted in Detective Comics #38 (cover date:  April 1940).

Batman's a junior counterpart, Robin, was known as the “Boy Wonder,” during the first three decades of the character's existence.  The team of Batman and Robin is commonly referred to as the “Dynamic Duo” or the “Caped Crusaders.”  Over time, the men who wrote the Batman comic books depicted Dick Grayson as growing up, even graduating from high school and attending college.  Robin would go on to lead a group of teen characters and sidekicks called the Teen Titans.  Eventually, Dick Grayson relinquished the name Robin and became a new superhero, Nightwing (first appearance in Tales of the Teen Titans #43)

As Nightwing, Dick Grayson has been the star of two eponymous comic book series.  The New 52 version of Nightwing was canceled some months ago.  It was recently replaced by a new comic book series, entitled Grayson, that spins out of DC Comics' 2013-14 crossover event series, Forever Evil (which I did not read).

Grayson #1 finds Dick Grayson in a blond wig.  He is now known as “Agent 37,” and he works for an international spy organization known as Spyral.  Grayson has just hitched a ride aboard the Trans-Siberian Railway, where his target for acquisition is Dubov Ninel.  However, Agent 37 isn't the only one out to get Ninel, and even after he obtains him, there is a new player looking to take what Grayson just obtained.  [SPOILER Alert!]  Enter Midnighter.

I read a preview of Grayson #1 in another comic book (can't remember which one), and that preview intrigued me.  I was excited about the series and visited two comic book stores to find a copy of issue #1.  Having read it I can say that I don't think that I would pay to read Grayson again.

It is not that Grayson is bad.  It is entertaining, and I like the art by Mikel Janin with colors by the always good Jeremy Cox.  It's just that besides an appearance by Midnighter (of Stormwatch and The Authority fame), nothing else about this first issue excited me.  It's good; just not special enough for me to set aside the cash to buy it on a regular basis.  I must say that if I am excited by the guest star in a particular future issue, I might buy that issue.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Magi: Sacred Place

I read Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 7

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin, which is seeking donations.  Follow me on Twitter.

Review: THE BATTLE ROYALE SLAM BOOK

THE BATTLE ROYALE SLAM BOOK
VIZ MEDIA/Haikasoru – @VIZMedia; @haikasoru

EDITORS: Nick Mamatas and Masumi Washington
COVER: Tomer Hanuka
ISBN: 978-1-4215-6599-6; paperback, (April 2014)
192pp, B&W, $14.99 U.S., $19.99 CAN, £9.99 U.K.

The Battle Royale Slam Book: Essays on the Cult Classic by Koushun Takami is a collection of essays about the world of Battle Royale.  Battle Royale is a Japanese horror novel written by Koushun Takami.  Originally completed in 1996, Battle Royale was not published until 1999 by Ohta Shuppan, but it went on to become a surprise bestseller.  In 2000, the novel became a manga which Koushun Takami co-wrote with artist Masayuki Taguchi, who drew the manga.  A controversial film adaptation directed by Kinji Fukasaku was also released in 2000.

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the publication of Battle Royale the novel, Haikasoru (the fiction imprint of VIZ Media) published The Battle Royale Slam Book.  This original paperback release is a collection of essays by writers of popular fiction on the impact of the novel, the two film adaptations, and the Battle Royale manga on pop culture.  The essays also discuss the controversy and continuing social debate that has surrounded the novel ever since its first release.  The Battle Royale Slam Book is offered in print and also in digital editions as an eBook for $7.99 (U.S. / CAN), available for the Amazon Kindle and through Apple’s iBooks Store, Barnes & Noble’s Nook Book Store, and the Kobo eBooks Store.

Nick Mamatas, co-editor of The Battle Royale Slam Book, and 16 other authors offer an array of opinions on Battle Royale and about the enduring power of the acknowledged cult classic.  New York Times best-selling author John Skipp (The Light at the End) connects the novel to his childhood.  Cassie Cuinn talks about girl power.  Sam Hamm, who wrote the screenplay for the 1989 film, Batman (directed by Tim Burton), speculates on the survival chances of Hollywood cinema’s leading teen icons in a battle royale.  Jason S. Riddler (Blood and Sawdust) discusses the novel in the context of the popularity of professional wrestling.  Douglas F. Warrick closes out the book with an essay on Zen.

In order to enjoy and understand The Battle Royale Slam Book, the reader needs to be familiar with Battle Royale the novel or its adaptations.  I saw the film six years ago via a DVD available through Netflix.  The manga adaptation was collected in 15 graphic novel volumes, which were published by TOKYOPOP during the middle of the previous decade.  I read TOKYOPOP’s Battle Royale Ultimate Edition Vol. 1, which collected the first three manga volumes in one hardcover edition.  So I understand much of the context or what is being discussed in The Battle Royale Slam Book, although I have not as yet read the novel.

I think the best essay is the introduction to the book, “Blood in the Classroom, Blood on the Page: Will ‘Battle Royale’ Ever Be on the Test,” written by Nick Mamatas.  Basically, this piece is “what becomes a cult novel most.”  Mamatas discusses other controversial novels (such as Catcher in the Rye and Lord of the Flies) that eventually end up on high school and collegiate reading lists, which, in a way, serves to take away the edginess these works originally had.  I agree with a terrific instructor I had in college:  controversial novels with something meaningful to say about the human condition end up becoming children’s literature.  It is almost as if adults believe that turning such books into juvenile fiction can rob these works of their power to affect change.  I liked how much Mamatas’ essay engaged me and made me think, rather than just be passive, reading for amusement; I read the essay twice and picked through it a third time.

Two other essays also grappled with my imagination.  John Skipp’s “Death for Kids” uses his experience as the child of a U.S. government employee in late 1960s Argentina as the launching point for his essay.  The harrowing personal tale he tells should already be a memoir.

Before it was published, Battle Royale was entered into the 1997 Japan Grand Prix Horror Novel competition.  It did not win any prizes, as it was eventually rejected in the final round due to its content.  Japanese literary critic and editor, Masao Higashi, was there in the competition as a judge.  Higashi’s essay “‘Battle Royale:’ The Fight the Night Before” talks about his thoughts on the novel and why he voted the way he did.

Anyone who has experienced Battle Royale and/or its adaptations will find that The Battle Royale Slam Book is a collection of insightful essays.  Even those who normally don’t read essays will find the essays here worth reading.

A-

www.haikasoru.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 20, 2014

DC COMICS

JUN140219     BATMAN AND ROBIN #34 (ROBIN RISES)     $2.99
APR140275     BATMAN ARKHAM UNHINGED HC VOL 04     $24.99
MAY140377     BATMAN ARKHAM UNHINGED TP VOL 03     $16.99
JUN140209     BATMAN ETERNAL #20     $2.99
MAY140369     BATMAN INCORPORATED TP VOL 02 GOTHAMS MOST WANTED (N52)     $16.99
JUN140227     BATWOMAN #34     $2.99
APR140272     BRIGHTEST DAY OMNIBUS HC     $75.00
JUN140303     FABLES #143 (MR)     $2.99
JUN140243     GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #34     $2.99
JUN148151     HARLEY QUINN #0 DIRECTORS CUT 2ND PTG     $4.99
JUN140255     INFINITE CRISIS FIGHT FOR THE MULTIVERSE #2     $3.99
JUN140181     INFINITY MAN AND THE FOREVER PEOPLE #3     $2.99
MAY140365     JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK TP VOL 04 THE REBIRTH OF EVIL (N52)     $16.99
MAY140368     KATANA TP VOL 01 SOULTAKER (N52)     $19.99
MAY140408     LUCIFER TP VOL 04 (MR)     $29.99
JUN140145     MULTIVERSITY #1     $4.99
JUN140162     NEW 52 FUTURES END #16 (WEEKLY)     $2.99
JUN148150     NEW SUICIDE SQUAD #1 2ND PTG     $2.99
JUN140236     RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #34     $2.99
JUN140260     SCRIBBLENAUTS UNMASKED CRISIS OF IMAGINATION #8     $2.99
JUN140247     SENSATION COMICS FEATURING WONDER WOMAN #1     $3.99
JUN140206     SUPERGIRL #34 (DOOMED)     $2.99
JUN140178     TEEN TITANS #2     $2.99
JUN140291     TEEN TITANS GO #5     $2.99
JUN140184     TRINITY OF SIN PANDORA #14     $2.99
JUN140311     UNWRITTEN VOL 2 APOCALYPSE #8 (MR)     $3.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

FEB140310     BATMAN ARKHAM ASYLUM HARLEY QUINN STATUE     $124.95
FEB140312     BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE BY JAE LEE     $79.95

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 20, 2014

MARVEL COMICS

JUN140651     ALL NEW GHOST RIDER #6     $3.99
JUN140639     ALL NEW ULTIMATES #6     $3.99
JUN140704     ALL NEW X-FACTOR #12     $3.99
MAY140944     CAPTAIN AMERICA EPIC COLLECTION SOCIETY SERPENTS TP     $34.99
JUN140619     DAREDEVIL #7 SIN     $3.99
MAY140946     DAREDEVIL BY MARK WAID TP VOL 06     $15.99
JUN140660     DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #4     $3.99
JUN140697     DEADPOOL DRACULAS GAUNTLET #7     $3.99
JUN140694     DEADPOOL VS X-FORCE #3     $3.99
JUN140669     ELEKTRA #5     $3.99
MAY140940     JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY BY GILLEN TP VOL 02 COMPLETE COLL     $34.99
MAY140936     LOKI AGENT OF ASGARD TP VOL 01 TRUST ME     $19.99
JUN140698     MAGNETO #8     $3.99
JUN140636     MIGHTY AVENGERS #13     $3.99
JUN148106     MS MARVEL #1 6TH PTG PICHELLI VAR ANMN     $2.99
JUN148088     MS MARVEL #4 2ND PTG MCKELVIE VAR     $2.99
JUN148089     MS MARVEL #5 2ND PTG ALPHONA VAR     $2.99
JUN140673     MS MARVEL #7     $2.99
JUN140630     NEW AVENGERS #23     $3.99
JUN140615     NOVA #20 SIN     $3.99
JUN140614     ORIGINAL SINS #5     $3.99
MAY140933     PUNISHER TP VOL 01 BLACK AND WHITE     $17.99
JUN140708     SAVAGE WOLVERINE #22     $3.99
JUN140633     SECRET AVENGERS #7     $3.99
JUN148086     SPIDER-MAN 2099 #1 2ND PTG BIANCHI VAR ANMN     $3.99
JUN140705     STORM #2     $3.99
MAY140934     WINTER SOLDIER TP BITTER MARCH     $16.99
JUN140685     WOLVERINE ANNUAL #1     $4.99

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for August 20, 2014

IDW PUBLISHING

JUN140340     (USE JUN148390) LITTLE NEMO RETURN TO SLUMBERLAND #1 SUBSCRIPTION     $3.99
JUN140457     AIRBOY ARCHIVE TP VOL 02     $29.99
JUN140364     JUDGE DREDD #22     $3.99
JUN140339     LITTLE NEMO RETURN TO SLUMBERLAND #1     $3.99
JUN140377     MONSTER & MADMAN TP     $17.99
JUN140390     MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDS FOREVER #8     $3.99
JUN140395     SAMURAI JACK #11     $3.99
JUN140368     SINISTER DEXTER TP     $24.99
JUN140446     STAR SLAMMERS REMASTERED #6     $3.99
JUN140383     SUPER SECRET CRISIS WAR GRIM ADV OF BILLY & MANDY #1     $3.99
JUN140384     SUPER SECRET CRISIS WAR GRIM ADV OF BILLY & MANDY #1 SUBSCRIPTION     $3.99
JUN140405     TMNT ADVENTURES TP VOL 08     $19.99
FEB140386     TMNT ANNUAL 2014     $7.99
JUN140412     TRANSFORMERS ROBOTS IN DISGUISE #32 DAWN O/T AUTOBOTS     $3.99
JUN140430     X-FILES YEAR ZERO #2     $3.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 20, 2014

DARK HORSE COMICS

JUN140015     BPRD HELL ON EARTH #122     $3.50
JUN140028     BRAIN BOY MEN FROM GESTALT #4     $2.99
JUN140023     BTVS SEASON 10 #6 MAIN CVR     $3.50
FEB140110     CLASSIC MARVEL UNCANNY X-MEN 94 #2 WOLVERINE     $49.95
JUN140010     DARK HORSE PRESENTS 2014 #1     $4.99
JUN140079     EYE OF NEWT #3     $3.99
APR140075     SECOND CHANCE AT SARAH HC     $14.99
JUN140069     STAR WARS DARTH MAUL SON OF DATHOMIR #4     $3.50
JUN140009     STRAIN NIGHT ETERNAL #1     $3.99
JUN140014     WITCHFINDER MYSTERIES OF UNLAND #3     $3.50

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 20, 2014

IMAGE COMICS

JUN140537     ARTIFACTS #38     $3.99
JUN140545     DARK ENGINE #2 (MR)     $3.50
JUN140463     FADE OUT #1 (MR)     $3.50
JUN140480     GENIUS #3 (MR)     $3.99
JUN140556     MANIFEST DESTINY #9     $2.99
MAR140586     PETER PANZERFAUST #20     $3.50
JUN140564     PROTECTORS INC #8 (MR)     $2.99
MAR140593     SAVAGE DRAGON #197 (MR)     $3.99
FEB140627     SAVIORS #5 (MR)     $2.99
JUN148174     SOUTHERN BASTARDS #1 3RD PTG (MR)     $3.50
JUN140580     STRAY BULLETS THE KILLERS #6 (MR)     $3.50
JUN140581     SUPREME BLUE ROSE #2 (MR)     $2.99
JUN140584     TREES #4 (MR)     $2.99
JUN140585     UMBRAL #8 (MR)     $3.50
JUN140587     WICKED & DIVINE #3 (MR)     $3.50
JUN148168     WICKED & DIVINE #3 HANS CVR B (MR)     $3.50

Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for August 20, 2014

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

APR141328     ACG COLL WORKS ADV INTO UNKNOWN SLIPCASE ED VOL 08     $64.99
APR141327     ACG COLL WORKS FORBIDDEN WORLDS HC VOL 07     $47.99
MAY141547     ACG COLL WORKS FORBIDDEN WORLDS SLIPCASE ED VOL 07     $64.99
JUN140987     ADV TIME BANANA GUARD ACADEMY #2 MAIN CVRS     $3.99
JUN140983     ADVENTURE TIME #31     $3.99
MAY141183     ADVENTURE TIME FIONNA & CAKE MATHEMATICAL ED HC     $39.99
JUN141261     ALANS WAR GN     $24.00
MAY141573     ALICES ADV IN WONDERLAND & THROUGH LOOKING GLASS GN VOL 01     $14.99
JUN141273     AMULET SC VOL 06 ESCAPE FROM LUCIEN     $12.99
JUN141499     ARMOR HUNTERS BLOODSHOT #2 REG TAN (AH)     $3.99
JUN141500     ARMOR HUNTERS BLOODSHOT #2 VALIANTCRAFT CVR (AH)     $3.99
JUN141501     ARMOR HUNTERS HARBINGER #2 REG LAROSA (AH)     $3.99
JUN141502     ARMOR HUNTERS HARBINGER #2 VALIANTCRAFT CVR (AH)     $3.99
JUN141303     ATTACK ON TITAN BEFORE THE FALL GN VOL 02     $10.99
JUN141283     BABY SITTERS CLUB GN VOL 01 KRISTYS GREAT IDEA NEW PTG     $10.99
JUN140807     BEST OF ARCHIE COMICS TP VOL 04     $9.99
JUN140938     BLACK MARKET #2     $3.99
JUN141514     BLOODSHOT TP VOL 05 GET SOME     $14.99
JUN140994     BRAVEST WARRIORS TP VOL 03     $14.99
MAY141570     BULLYS BULLY TP VOL 01     $19.99
JUN141016     CARBON GN     $19.99
JUN140779     CAVEWOMAN 20TH ANN 2014 FULL COLOR SHOWBOOK SP ED (MR)     PI
MAY140990     CAVEWOMAN FALLEN ONE SHOT CVR B DURHAM     PI
JUN140780     CAVEWOMAN FALLEN ONE SHOT CVR D ROOT     PI
JUN141526     CHI SWEET HOME GN VOL 11     $13.95
JUL141217     CONSCIENCE OF A CARTOONIST HC     $100.00
JUN140937     DEAD LETTERS TP VOL 01     $9.99
JUN140773     DEATH IN OAXACA #1 (MR)     $4.99
JUN141491     DELINQUENTS #1 BLANK CVR (VF)     $3.99
JUN141489     DELINQUENTS #1 BOARD GAME CVR DOE (VF)     $3.99
JUN141487     DELINQUENTS #1 REG RIVERA (VF)     $3.99
JUN141488     DELINQUENTS #1 VALIANTCRAFT CVR (VF)     $3.99
JUN141193     DF AMAZING SPIDER MAN #1 DYNAMIC ULTRA RARE CVR     $29.99
JUN141192     DF AMAZING SPIDER MAN #1 DYNAMIC ULTRA RARE CVR SGN     PI
MAY141394     DF AMAZING SPIDER MAN #1 ULTRA RARE DODSON SGN     $49.99
JUN141203     DF IRON MAN #9 EXC CVR BONUS PKG     $14.99
MAY141393     DF SPIDER MAN 2099 #1 PETER DAVID SGN     $20.99
MAY141329     DOCTOR SPEKTOR #3     $3.99
FEB141376     DOCTOR WHO CRUEL SEA GN     $19.99
JUN141562     DOROHEDORO GN VOL 13 (MR)     $12.99
JUN140950     EMPTY MAN #3     $3.99
JUN141472     ENORMOUS #3 CVR A CHEGGOUR     $3.99
JUN141473     ENORMOUS #3 CVR B DELAINE     $3.99
MAY141606     FIRST KINGDOM HC VOL 05 (MR)     $19.99
MAY141668     FROM THE NEW WORLD GN VOL 05     $10.95
JUN141563     GANGSTA GN VOL 03 (MR)     $12.99
JUN141616     GFT ASCENSION TP     $15.99
JUN141576     GFT GRIMM FAIRY TALES #101 A CVR ARTGERM (AOFD) (MR)     $2.99
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I Reads You Review: GROO VS. CONAN #1

GROO VS. CONAN #1 (OF 4)
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

STORY: Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier
ART:  Sergio Aragonés and Thomas Yeates
COLORS: Tom Luth
LETTERS: Richard Starkings and Comicraft
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S. (July 2014)

I don't remember when or where I first encountered Groo the Wanderer, the classic 1980s independent comics character created by cartoonist Sergio Aragonés.  Groo first appeared in Destroyer Duck #1 in 1982 (which I believe I owned at one time).  I really got into the character during the long-running comic book series,  Groo the Wanderer, which was published by Marvel Comics' imprint, Epic, for 10 years from 1985 to 1994.   Aragonés plotted and drew Groo comic books and co-conspirator, Mark Evanier, provided the characters' dialogue.

Groo apparently began as a parody of the Conan the Barbarian comic books that Marvel Comics began publishing in the early 1970s.  Groo lives in a world that resembles Medieval Europe (with some anachronisms), although he has traveled to lands that resemble Africa, the Middle East, and the Far East, among others.  Groo is a large-nosed buffoon/oafish type; is probably the most stupid person of his time; and is clueless about his environment and surroundings.  However, this accident-prone fool is an almost supernaturally-skilled swordsman, which is why he tries to work as a mercenary, among other jobs.  He has a pet dog, Rufferto, that accompanies him.

I stopped reading Groo comic books sometime around the turn of the century (still sounds weird to me to say that).  However, when I discovered that the long-planned, crossover comic book featuring Groo and Conan the Barbarian was finally about to be published, I knew that it was time to return to Groo.

Groo vs. Conan #1 opens with Conan the Cimmerian in battle against a typical all-powerful and evil wizard.  Conan's appearance is no coincidence, because the story switches to the “real world” (or a cartoon version of it); there Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier are talking about bringing Groo and Conan together.  Sergio is not crazy about the idea; then, fate changes things.  And a king known as Murcia is about to give Conan a reason to join the story.

I started off excited to read Groo vs. Conan #1.  Then, I began to be annoyed by its meta-fiction quality and comic-within-a-comic story structure.  Then, I started to understand where the story was going (or where I thought it was going), and I enjoyed it, feeling disappointed when I came to the last page.  I must say that I like having Thomas Yeates drawing the Conan segments of the story and Sergio drawing the Groo parts of the story, as well as the scenes featuring himself and Mark Evanier.

Groo vs. Conan #1 promises that this four-issue issue miniseries will be unique both in terms of graphics and art and also in terms of the plot and narrative.  Unique is good, and if the creative team can come close to their best work, Groo vs. Conan will also be a great read.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

2014 Eisner Award Winners - Complete List

[Yep, late with this, too.  Xaime and 'Beto won, Yea!]

2014 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Winners List

Best Short Story: “Untitled,” by Gilbert Hernandez, in Love and Rockets: New Stories #6 (Fantagraphics)

Best Single Issue: Hawkeye #11: “Pizza Is My Business,” by Matt Fraction and David Aja (Marvel)

Best Continuing Series: Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image)

Best Limited Series: The Wake, by Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy (Vertigo/DC)

Best New Series: Sex Criminals, by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky (Image)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7): Itty Bitty Hellboy, by Art Baltazar and Franco (Dark Horse)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 8–12): The Adventures of Superhero Girl, by Faith Erin Hicks (Dark Horse)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13–17): Battling Boy, by Paul Pope (First Second)

Best Humor Publication: Vader’s Little Princess, by Jeffrey Brown (Chronicle)

Best Anthology: Dark Horse Presents, edited by Mike Richardson (Dark Horse)

Best Digital/Webcomic: The Oatmeal by Matthew Inman, http://theoatmeal.com

Best Reality-Based Work: The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story, by Vivek J. Tiwary, Andrew C. Robinson, and Kyle Baker (M Press/Dark Horse)

Best Graphic Album—New: The Property, by Rutu Modan (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium: Richard Stark’s Parker: Slayground, by Donald Westlake, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint: RASL, by Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips: Tarzan: The Complete Russ Manning Newspaper Strips, vol. 1, edited by Dean Mullaney (LOAC/IDW)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books: Will Eisner’s The Spirit Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material: Goddam This War! by Jacques Tardi and Jean-Pierre Verney (Fantagraphics)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia: The Mysterious Underground Men, by Osamu Tezuka (PictureBox)

Best Writer: Brian K. Vaughan, Saga (Image)

Best Writer/Artist: Jaime Hernandez, Love and Rockets New Stories #6 (Fantagraphics)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team: Sean Murphy, The Wake (DC/Vertigo)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist: Fiona Staples, Saga (Image)

Best Cover Artist: David Aja, Hawkeye (Marvel)

Best Coloring: Jordie Bellaire, The Manhattan Projects, Nowhere Men, Pretty Deadly, Zero (Image); The Massive (Dark Horse); Tom Strong (DC); X-Files Season 10 (IDW); Captain Marvel, Journey into Mystery (Marvel); Numbercruncher (Titan); Quantum and Woody (Valiant)

Best Lettering: Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark’s Parker: Slayground (IDW)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism: Comic Book Resources, produced by Jonah Weiland, www.comicbookresources.com

Best Comics-Related Book: Genius, Illustrated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth, by Dean Mullaney and Bruce Canwell (LOAC/IDW)

Best Scholarly/Academic Work: Black Comics: Politics of Race and Representation, edited by Sheena C. Howard and Ronald L. Jackson II (Bloomsbury)

Best Publication Design: Genius, Illustrated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth, designed by Dean Mullaney (LOAC/IDW)

Hall of Fame:
Judges’ Choices: Orrin C. Evans, Irwin Hasen, Sheldon Moldoff

Recipients: Hayao Miyazaki, Alan Moore, Dennis O’Neil, Bernie Wrightson

Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award: Aaron Conley

Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award: Joe Field

Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comics Writing: Robert Kanigher, Bill Mantlo, Jack Mendelsohn

Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award: Legend Comics & Coffee (Omaha, Nebraska), and All Star Comics (Melbourne, Australia)

"Love and Rockets" Creators Finally Among Eisner Award Winners; Image and IDW Also Win Big

[Yeah, I'm late.  Forgot to post this after losing track of time... - Editor/Leroy]

Saga, IDW Publishing Are Top Winners at 2014 Eisner Awards

Shorter Ceremony a Big Hit with Attendees

The big winners at the 2014 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, held Friday, July 25, 2014 at the Bayfront San Diego Hilton and sponsored by SHOWTIME, were Image Comics’ Saga—which received the awards for Best Continuing Series, Best Painter (Fiona Staples), and Best Writer (Brian K. Vaughan)—and publisher IDW, which took home six awards, including three for editor/designer Dean Mullaney (Genius, Illustrated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth, Tarzan: The Complete Russ Manning Newspaper Strips) and two for Darwyn Cooke’s Richard Stark’s Parker: Slayground.

Other projects receiving multiple awards were DC/Vertigo’s The Wake (Best Limited Series, Best Penciler/Inker for Sean Murphy), Marvel’s Hawkeye (Best Single Issue, Best Cover Artist for David Aja), and Fantagraphics’ Love and Rockets New Stories #6, which brought home first-time wins for brothers Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez. Matt Fraction was on the stage multiple to times to accept for Hawkeye as well as for Sex Criminals (with Chip Zdarsky) for Best New Series.

Besides IDW, other publishers with multiple wins included Dark Horse and Image with four, Fantagraphics with three, and both DC and Marvel with two. Many of these publishers also shared in the win for Jordie Bellaire as Best Colorist.

The coveted Best Graphic Album—New Award went to Rutu Modan’s The Property, published by Drawn & Quarterly, while Best Reality-Based Work was awarded to the five-years-in the-making The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story by Vivek J. Tiwary, Andrew C. Robinson, and Kyle Baker (published by Dark Horse).

The audience at the awards was entertained by presenters who included actor/comedian Orlando Jones (Sleepy Hollow, MADtv), actress Kelly Hu ((Arrow, Warehouse 13), actor/screenwriter/comedian Thomas Lennon (Reno 911, Balls of Fury), nominee Reginald Hudlin (writer, Black Panther; producer, Django Unchained), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman, Belgian graphic novelists Benoît Peeters and François Schuiten (Obscure Cities series), writer nominees Matt Fraction (Hawkeye, Sex Criminals) and Kelly Sue DeConnick (Pretty Deadly, Captain Marvel), Hall of Fame cartoonist Sergio Aragonés (Groo, MAD), writer/artist nominee Terry Moore (Rachel Rising, Strangers in Paradise), writer/artist Bill Morrison (Bongo Comics), voice actors Phil LaMarr (Samurai Jack, Justice League Unlimited, MADtv) and Vanessa Marshall (Young Justice, Spectacular Spider-Man), and British talk show host/comics writer Jonathan Ross, who was assisted onstage by Comic-Con special guest Batton Lash (cartoonist of Supernatural Law).

Sergio Aragonés presented the Hall of Fame Awards. The seven inductees were black comics pioneer Orrin C. Evans (All-Negro Comics), cartoonist Irwin Hasen (Wild Cat, Green Lantern, Dondi), Golden Age artist Sheldon Moldoff (Batman), manga giant Hayao Miyazaki (Nausicäa), writer Alan Moore (Watchmen, V for Vendetta, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), DC comics writer/editor Dennis O’Neil (Batman, Green Lantern/Green Arrow), and legendary comics artist Bernie Wrightson (Swamp Thing, Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein).

Among the other awards given out over the evening were the Comic-Con’s Clampett and Manning awards. The Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award, presented by Bob’s daughter Ruth, went to retailer Joe Field, for founding Free Comic Book Day. The Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award went to Aaron Conley (artist of Sabretooth Swordsman, published by Dark Horse) and was presented by past Russ Manning Award winner Jeff Smith.

The tenth annual Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing was presented by Mark Evanier and Bill Finger’s granddaughter, Athena, to three recipients: Jack Mendelsohn (Panic, Jacky’s Diary); Robert Kanigher (Sgt. Rock, Enemy Ace, Metal Men), accepted by Paul Levitz; and Bill Mantlo (Rocket Raccoon, Micronauts, Rom), accepted by Marv Wolfman. Maggie Thompson (editor of Comics Buyers Guide) introduced the special In Memoriam video salute.

The Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award, given to a store that has done an outstanding job of supporting the comics art medium both in the community and within the industry at large, went to Legends Comics & Coffee (Omaha, Nebraska), and All Star Comics (Melbourne, Australia).

The title sponsor for this year’s Eisner Awards was SHOWTIME. The principal sponsors were Gentle Giant and Lebonfon Printing. Supporting sponsors were Alternate Reality Comics of Las Vegas, Atlantis Fantasyworld of Santa Cruz, CA, Diamond Comic Distributors, Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff of Concord, CA, Strange Adventures of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Warp 1 of  Edmonton, Alberta, and Mel Thompson and Associates.

The Eisner Awards are part of, and underwritten by, Comic-Con International: San Diego, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular art forms, primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contributions of comics to art and culture.

I Reads You Review: STORM #1 (2014)

STORM #1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

WRITER: Greg Pak
ART: Victor Ibañez
COLORS: Ruth Redmond
LETTERS: VC’s Cory Petit
COVER: Victor Ibañez
VARIANT COVERS:  Simone Bianchi; Skottie Young
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2014)

Rated T+

My favorite member of the X-Men, Storm, has an eponymous new comic book series, launched as part of the All-New Marvel NOW! initiative.  Storm is written by Greg Pak, drawn by Victor Ibañez, colored by Ruth Redmond, and lettered by Cory Petit.  Of course, you know that Storm a/k/a Ororo Munroe is a Marvel Comics super-heroine and longtime member of the X-Men.  She was created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum and first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (cover dated: May 1975).

Storm #1 opens in the country of Santo Marco, where Storm is trying to use her weather-based powers to stop a tsunami, without making the situation worse.  But Suncorp and a local military unit do not want Storm’s help.  Meanwhile, back at the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning, a young mutant girl, Flourish a/k/a Marisol Guerra, has stinging words for Storm and about the school’s mission.

I didn’t expect much from Storm #1, but being that I love, love, love Storm, I was determined to read at least the first issue.  If this first issue is any indication, Storm will finally have the great solo series readers and fans first thought she deserved and should get thirty years ago.

Greg Pak manages to put Storm’s powers on full display, while delving into the human side of her character.  Storm:  the matron, the leader, the mother, the hope, and the salvation, has been as interesting (if not more so) as the superhero side of her.  Pak depicts Storm having to balance her power and her humanity and to find a way to be true to both her principles and to her role as X-Man:  defender and fighter.  Pak does a lot with this character in 20 pages.

Victor Ibañez is a good storyteller, and his warm, vibrant, and earthy style is a good fit for Storm.  Ibañez presents the fight-comics side of the story in a unique way, and his character drama is equally electric.

Dear Greg and Victor, please don’t let Storm #1 be a fluke.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

I Reads You Review: STORM #1 (2006)

STORM #1 (of 6)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

WRITER: Eric Jerome Dickey
PENCILS: David Yardin
INKS: Jay Leisten
COLORS: Matt Milla
LETTERS: VC’s Randy Gentile
COVER: Mike Mayhew
40pp, Color (April 2006)

Rated T+

Storm a/k/a Ororo Munroe is a Marvel Comics super-heroine and longtime member of the X-Men.  She was created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum and first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (cover dated: May 1975).

Storm is also the former queen consort of Wakanda, a title she held when she was married to King T’Challa, better known as the superhero, the Black Panther.  Before the two were married (in Black Panther #18 cover dated: September 2006), Marvel published several stories and comics under the tagline, “Prelude to the Wedding of the Century.”

One of those series was Storm, a 2006 six-issue miniseries, written by Eric Jerome Dickey and drawn by David Yardin.  Dickey (born July 7, 1961) is a New York Times bestselling African-American author, who is best known for his novels about contemporary African-American life.  He has also written crime novels that are international in their casts and settings.  With the Storm miniseries, Dickey re-imagines the first meeting between the younger versions of both Ororo Munroe and T'Challa.

Storm #1 (“Chapter One”) opens in an outdoor market in an unnamed African country.  Ororo Munroe, our future “Storm,” is among a number of street urchins that prowl the market looking for things they can steal from the shoppers and shopkeepers and even from those simply passing through the market.  Goaded by the others, Ororo steals a camera from a white man.  What she does not realize is that this white man is Andreas de Ruyter, a ruthless hunter who is also a racist.  He is determined to track Ororo using any brutal means necessary.  Zenja, a jealous rival of Ororo’s, watches the situation, making plans of her own.

Flashbacks also show Ororo with her parents, her father, David Munroe, and her mother, N'Dare.  With the upheaval of change causing so much turmoil in America, N’Dare wants to return to her home country in Africa.  David does not believe that they will be better off in Africa.  Will their marriage survive this crucial disagreement?

Meanwhile, Ororo’s strange powers began to manifest themselves.  Plus, Teacher arrives to tell Ororo that the lessons in picking pockets and thievery she learned from Achmed El-Gibar are not enough.

I have written, both here and at other places, about Black and African-American writers having more opportunities to write for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and even the larger independent publishers like Dark Horse Comics, Image Comics, and IDW Publishing.  I think that there should be more Black writers in comics, but not because of race and representation alone.  Black writers also mean different perspectives on storytelling and diverse points-of-view.

In one single issue, Storm #1, Eric Jerome Dickey shows what different perspectives on storytelling and diverse points-of-view can mean to the mythology of one X-Men in particular, Storm, and to the X-Men, in general.  Dickey really puts Ororo through her paces, forcing her to endure many challenges and obstacles if she is to survive her life as a thief and as a denizen of a jungle refuge.

However, Ororo’s life is not just difficult because she is an orphan, but also because she is, in some ways, a stranger in Africa.  Dickey, as a Black man, understands the stress fractures that exist in what it means to be Black and how it relates to heritage.  When Ororo’s fellow thieves insist that she is not one of them, Dickey brings a sense of authenticity and realism to those accusations.  He hits right at the heart of the matter.  Africans may see Ororo as a Black American and not at all as an African, no matter what her mother, N’Dare’s origins are.

This is a different kind of racial, ethnic, and national conflict than what we get in comic books written by white comic book writers trying to depict racial disputes.  An African-American understands the intercene conflicts that sometimes exist between black Africans and the descendants of the Diaspora.  Ororo is caught in the middle between Africa and America, or, perhaps, more accurately, she has a place on both sides.

I enjoyed reading Storm, a comic book made especially rewarding by the unique viewpoint and experience that Eric Jerome Dickey brings to the life of young Ororo Munroe.  The art by David Yardin and Jay Leisten, is not grand from a visual standpoint, something I expect of a Storm comic book.  However, Yardin and Leisten ground the story in reality, and are the right choices to illustrated and visualize both the ideas and pasts that Dickey is exploring.  I look forward to reading more of this miniseries.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

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