World Trigger: Outsmart Thy Neighbor

I read World Trigger, Vol. 7

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Book Review: DEPRAVED HEART by Patricia Cornwell

DEPRAVED HEART
HARPERCOLLINS – @HarperCollins

AUTHOR: Patricia Cornwell – @1pcornw
ISBN: 978-0-06-232540-2; hardcover (October 27, 2015)
480pp, B&W, $28.99 U.S.

Depraved Heart is a 2015 crime novel from best-selling author Patricia Cornwell.  It is the 23rd novel in Cornwell's “Kay Scarpetta” series, which began with the 1990 novel, Postmortem.  Depraved Heart finds Scarpetta besieged by a spooky blast from the past when mysterious, decades-old videos appear on her phone while she is right in the middle of a suspicious death scene.

As Depraved Heart begins, medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta is in the home of Chanel Gilbert, the grown daughter of Hollywood heavy-hitter producer, Amanda Gilbert.  Chanel is dead, in what seems to be an accidental fall.  Apparently, she fell while trying to change a light bulb in her historic house, located near the Harvard campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Then, it happens.  An emergency alert sounds on Scarpetta's phone.  It heralds the arrival of a video link that lands in her text messages and seems to originate from her niece, Lucy Farinelli, a computer genius.  What instantly troubles Scarpetta is that this video link opens to a surveillance film of Lucy in her room at the FBI Academy, Washington Dormitory, Room 411, but that was almost 20 years ago!

The video not only troubles Scarpetta, but also supports her suspicions that the murder scene at the Gilbert house is suspicious.  There are more videos to come, each one making her frightened for Lucy, the niece she loves and raised as if she were her own daughter.  Are these videos connected to Chanel Gilbert's murder?  Does Lucy have a connection to Chanel?  What Scarpetta is sure of is that an old enemy is back in full force, and the machinations of this brilliant monster will make Scarpetta suspicious of everyone and everything around her.

After reading Flesh and Blood last year, I eagerly awaited the next Kay Scarpetta novel.  If Patricia Cornwell had decided to take a break from Scarpetta and produce some other book for publication this year, I would have had to turn to crack for comfort.  So I was happy when HarperCollins public relations offered reviewers a galley edition of Depraved Heart.

Where as Flesh and Blood's story traveled across the Eastern seaboard and into the Bermuda Triangle, Depraved Heart is set mainly in Chanel Gilbert's house.  And it is an old house, jealously guarding secrets and fostering lies.  No matter where Scarpetta wants to go, this haunted house calls her back.

On Cornwell's part, this is an impressive feat of writing, even for someone who has been writing novels for the better part of three decades.  It is not such much that the plot and storytelling of Depraved Heart are restrained; rather, it is that Cornwell must restrain her lead character, Scarpetta.  A woman of intelligence and discipline, Scarpetta finds her life, her loved ones, her friends, her colleagues, and her work endangered in such a way that she wants to drop the facade of reason and let the animal loose.

Not that it matters either way.  Scarpetta cannot trust her memories and her emotions are suspect.  Also, for her all skills and intellect, Scarpetta does not figure things out so much as she merely stumbles about – making discoveries as if she were a janitor finding a penny in the corner.  That is what is so troubling and simultaneously thrilling, you don't when or if the death blow is coming, and neither does our forensic god, Scarpetta.

If you wonder why book series seem to become a little less interesting with each book, it is because a series will naturally play up the “same old things.”  Usually, for things to change, the original author has to die, and the estate has to be smart enough to find a new writer or new writers that can pump life back into a series.  Patricia Cornwell proves that the Kay Scarpetta series won't need Kay Scarpetta's talents anytime soon, not when the latest book can keep even depraved hearts pounding to the very last “little bit.”

A

www.patriciacornwell.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Food Wars: Put Your Heart Into It

I read Food Wars!, Vol. 8: Shokugeki no Soma

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Review: MAN IS VOX: Barracudae (Expanded Edition)

MAN IS VOX: BARRACUDAE (Expanded Edition)
CANDLE LIGHT PRESS – @candlelightpres

WRITER: John Ira Thomas
ARTIST: Carter Allen
INKS: Jeremy Smith (“Dessert” story)
LETTERS: John Ira Thomas
COVER: Carter Allen
ISBN: 978-0-9966176-1-1; paperback (2015)
144pp, B&W and Color $14.95 U.S.

Published by Candle Light Press (CLP), Man is Vox: Barracudae is a 2003 original graphic novel (OGN) created by writer John Ira Thomas and artist Carter Allen.  The story follows a man who is essentially a killer on the search for a psycho who kills some women and abuses in terrible ways those that he does not kill.  Because of the resources and processes available to them at the time, Thomas and Allen were not able to see Barracudae published the way they intended it.

2015 is Candle Light Press' 20th anniversary.  In fact, there is a book celebrating that anniversary, CLP20: Twenty Years of Candle Light Press (http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/clp20.htm), a book to which I have contributed a few notes.  For CLP, this anniversary provides an opportunity to re-release, re-present, and repackage some of its publications.

Man is Vox: Barracudae (http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/barra.htm) gets a makeover with the release of Man is Vox: Barracudae (Expanded Edition).  It is the same graphic novel, but with color restored to the sections that were meant to be presented in color.  Additional material has been added to the main narrative, and there is a new color story produced by Thomas and Allen for this new edition of one of CLP's classic comics.  Man is Vox: Barracudae (Expanded Edition) is also published in a larger format, 7.25” x 9.5” (where as the original 2003 edition was small at 6” x 9”)

Man is Vox: Barracudae follows the trippy adventures of Tyson Gurst a.k.a. “The Fearsome Shade” a.k.a. “The Husband.”  Early in the story, a dying mobster tries to make a trade for his life (because Gurst is going to kill him).  The doomed criminal alerts Gurst to a bigger crime.  Traveling a state highway of gas stations and cheap motels, the Fearsome Shade will discover a conspiracy that ends with some of the most powerful good guys around.

Man is Vox: Barracudae is crazy.  John Ira Thomas is experimental and sometimes avant-garde, to the detriment of the narrative in a few places.  That said:  this comic book is unabashedly humorous, and, in its final act, it playfully skewers superhero comics, particularly the post-modern twisting of traditional superhero comics that started in the 1980s and continues to this day.  I like its ideas; truth and justice do come at a cost.  What do we really want from our saviors?  Do they really know what we want?

With Man is Vox: Barracudae, Carter Allen shows off his storytelling skills.  Mixing both media and drawing styles, Allen makes Thomas' script work as graphical storytelling without grounding it into boring practicality.  Allen remains an original voice in American comic books.

What I said about the original is true of Man is Vox: Barracudae (Expanded Edition).  It is both trippy and inspired.  It puts the original in OGN – original graphic novel.  Readers looking for high-quality independently published graphic novels will find one in the spiffy new Man is Vox: Barracudae (Expanded Edition).

http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/
http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/barra2.htm
https://www.facebook.com/Candle-Light-Press-43073733772/

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Magi: Magnoshutatt Academy

I read Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 14

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Review: DNAgents #1

DNAGENTS No. 1
ECLIPSE COMICS

[This review first appeared on Patreon.]

WRITER: Mark Evanier
PENCILS: Will Meugniot
INKS: Al Gordon
COLORS: Janice Cohen
LETTERS: Carrie McCarthy
COVER: Will Meugniot and Al Gordon
32pp, Color, $1.50 U.S., $1.75 CAN (March 1983)

DNAgents was a comic book series created by writer Mark Evanier and artist Will Meugniot.  For most of its run, DNAgents was published by Eclipse Comics, beginning in 1983 with the first issue.  DNAgents follows a team of superheroes comprised of a five young people that were created by a corporation using genetic engineering.

DNAgents #1 (“Born Orphans”) opens in the bowels of the Matrix Corporation.  There, we meet five individuals who are not quite people and are not human.  They began as “hundreds of beakers of chemicals waiting to interact.”

When they are freed from their stasis chambers, we are introduced to a new team of superheroes, who have code names instead of birth names.  Rainbow is a young woman who is a powerful telepath and an illusionist.  Amber projects disks of electromagnetic energy that she can use as shields and weapons, or as platforms upon which she can fly.  The beefy Tank is super-strong and wears heavy body armor to regulate and augment his strength.  A conceited young man, Surge can fire blasts of lighting.  A little guy, Sham is a shapeshifter with training as a commando.

The DNAgents are immediately sent on a mission, but things are not as the youngsters are told they would be.  Can they survive in a world that they only know by the information their corporate overseers programmed into them?

It has been ages since I read DNAgents, but for some reason, the series never left my memory.  I have always remembered it fondly, so during a Mile High Comics sale, I bought a copy of DNAgents #1.  I promptly lost track of the comic book, and when I found it, I decided to read it... and to write a short review of it.

DNAgents #1 is a comic book of its time.  It's quasi-science slash fictional science is not presented in a complex or detailed manner.  Writer Mark Evanier focuses on creating the dynamics of a team and on the relationships within the team and on their relationships with other people.  Evanier (pronounced Ev-a-near) emphasizes character relationships, as he also delves into the politics within the Matrix Corporation.  Evanier's script offers plenty of action, but also has a wry sense of humor.  It would not be a stretch to say that Evanier uses Chris Claremont's storytelling on Uncanny X-Men as a template.

Artist Will Meugniot (pronounced Mineo) is good at storytelling, and his page layouts are imaginative, tending towards dynamism.  His art is not highly polished, and is somewhat awkward, in the way one might expect of an artist that has not illustrated many comic books.  There are, however, many moments when Meugniot shows that he has strong drawing skills.

Looking over DNAgents #1 before I read it, I did not think that I would read more than this first issue.  Now, that I have read it, I want to read at least a few more issues.  I also think that this series has potential.  There are a number of writers currently working in comic books that can reboot, re-imagine, or even restart DNAgents in new and interesting ways.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for November 25, 2015

DC COMICS

SEP150324     AMERICAN VAMPIRE SECOND CYCLE #11 (MR) (NOTE PRICE)     $4.99
SEP150202     AQUAMAN #46     $3.99
SEP150320     ART OPS #2 (MR)     $3.99
AUG150260     BATMAN 66 MEETS THE GREEN HORNET TP     $14.99
SEP150196     BATMAN AND ROBIN ETERNAL #8     $2.99
SEP150257     BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT ROBIN SPECIAL #1     $2.99
SEP150252     BATMAN ENDGAME DIRECTORS CUT #1     $5.99
SEP150179     DARK KNIGHT III MASTER RACE #1     $5.99
SEP150212     DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS #5     $3.99
SEP150209     DEATHSTROKE #12     $2.99
JUL150311     EARTH 2 HC VOL 06 COLLISION     $22.99
AUG150265     EARTH 2 TP VOL 05 THE KRYPTONIAN     $16.99
SEP150215     FLASH #46     $3.99
AUG150268     FLASH BY GEOFF JOHNS TP BOOK 01     $24.99
SEP150267     GRAYSON #14     $3.99
SEP150281     HE MAN THE ETERNITY WAR #12     $2.99
SEP150316     JACKED #1 (MR)     $3.99
SEP150219     JUSTICE LEAGUE 3001 #6     $2.99
AUG150174     JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #5     $3.99
AUG150292     KITCHEN TP (MR)     $16.99
SEP150225     OMEGA MEN #6     $2.99
SEP150273     ROBIN SON OF BATMAN #6     $3.99
SEP150279     SINESTRO #17     $2.99
SEP150245     SUPERMAN #46     $3.99
SEP150247     SUPERMAN LOIS AND CLARK #2     $3.99
SEP150243     SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #23     $3.99
SEP150275     WE ARE ROBIN #6     $3.99
SEP150237     WONDER WOMAN #46     $3.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

APR150332     ARROW TV ARSENAL AF     $24.95
AUG150307     BATMAN ANIMATED SERIES BANE AF     $25.00
AUG150308     BATMAN ANIMATED SERIES MAD HATTER AF     $25.00
AUG150305     BATMAN ANIMATED SERIES NIGHTWING AF     $25.00
AUG150306     BATMAN ANIMATED SERIES SCARECROW AF     $25.00
JUN150343     BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT CATWOMAN AF     $24.95
MAY150291     DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS JOKER & HARLEY QUINN STATUE     $249.95
APR150346     GOTHAM CITY GARAGE HARLEY QUINN STATUE     $349.95

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for November 25, 2015

MARVEL COMICS

SEP150724     ALL NEW WOLVERINE #2     $3.99
SEP150820     ANGELA QUEEN OF HEL #2     $3.99
SEP150742     CARNAGE #2     $3.99
SEP150841     CHEWBACCA #4     $3.99
SEP150830     DARTH VADER #13 VDWN     $3.99
SEP150875     DEADPOOL CLASSIC TP VOL 14 SUICIDE KINGS     $34.99
SEP150817     GROOT #6     $3.99
SEP150815     GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #2     $3.99
SEP150846     GUIDE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNI INCREDIBLE HULK IRON MAN #2     $3.99
AUG150678     HAIL HYDRA #4 SWA     $3.99
SEP150807     HOWLING COMMANDOS OF SHIELD #2     $3.99
SEP150881     JESSICA JONES TP ALIAS VOL 03 (MR)     $19.99
SEP150844     MARVEL UNIVERSE ULT SPIDER-MAN SPIDER-VERSE #1     $3.99
SEP150874     MILES MORALES ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN ULT COLL TP BOOK 03     $34.99
SEP150727     MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR #1     $3.99
SEP150824     SHIELD #12     $3.99
SEP150746     SILK #1     $3.99
JUN150692     SILVER SURFER #15 SWA     $3.99
SEP150744     UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #2     $3.99
SEP150686     VENOM SPACE KNIGHT #1     $3.99

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for November 25, 2015

IDW PUBLISHING

SEP150426     DANGER GIRL RENEGADE #3     $3.99
SEP150428     FISTFUL OF BLOOD #2     $4.99
SEP150403     GHOSTBUSTERS ANNUAL 2015     $7.99
SEP150382     GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #220     $3.99
AUG150458     GIL KANE UNDERSEA AGENT HC     $17.99
SEP150363     MY LITTLE PONY ART IS MAGIC TP     $19.99
AUG150455     POPEYE CLASSICS HC VOL 07     $29.99
SEP150457     POPEYE CLASSICS ONGOING #40     $3.99
SEP150384     STAR TREK ONGOING #51     $3.99
SEP150493     TET #3     $3.99
SEP150471     THUNDER AGENTS CLASSICS TP VOL 06     $29.99
SEP150437     TMNT ONGOING #52     $3.99
SEP150367     TRANSFORMERS MORE THAN MEETS EYE #47     $3.99
SEP150370     TRANSFORMERS SINS OF WRECKERS #1     $3.99
SEP150450     UNCLE SCROOGE #8     $3.99
SEP150447     WALT DISNEY COMICS & STORIES #725     $3.99
SEP150487     WEIRD LOVE #10     $3.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for November 25, 2015

DARK HORSE COMICS

SEP150079     ADAM.3 #4     $3.99
SEP150031     COLDER TOSS THE BONES #3     $3.99
SEP150096     CONAN THE AVENGER #20     $3.50
SEP150027     ELFQUEST FINAL QUEST #12     $3.50
SEP150087     EMPOWERED SPECIAL #7 PEW PEW PEW B&W     $3.99
SEP150074     FIGHT CLUB 2 #7 MACK MAIN CVR     $3.99
JUL150067     FRANKENSTEIN UNDERGROUND TP     $19.99
SEP150064     GROO FRIENDS AND FOES #11     $3.99
SEP150019     HALO ESCALATION #24     $3.99
SEP150036     HELLBOY BPRD 1953 WITCH TREE RAWHEAD BLOODY BONES     $3.50
SEP150057     ITTY BITTY HELLBOY SEARCH FOR THE WERE-JAGUAR #1     $2.99
JUL150093     KABUKI LIBRARY HC VOL 02     $39.99
JUL150114     OH MY GODDESS OMNIBUS TP VOL 02     $19.99
SEP150025     PLANTS VS ZOMBIES GARDEN WARFARE #2     $2.99
SEP150081     TOMORROWS #5     $3.99
JUL150113     USAGI YOJIMBO SAGA LTD ED HC VOL 05     $79.99
JUL150112     USAGI YOJIMBO SAGA TP VOL 05     $24.99

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for November 25, 2015

IMAGE COMICS

SEP150586     BLACK MAGICK #2 CVR A SCOTT (MR)     $3.99
SEP150587     BLACK MAGICK #2 CVR B JONES (MR)     $3.99
SEP150557     BLACK SCIENCE MENS LG T/S     $24.99
SEP150556     BLACK SCIENCE MENS MED T/S     $24.99
SEP150555     BLACK SCIENCE MENS SM T/S     $24.99
SEP150558     BLACK SCIENCE MENS XL T/S     $24.99
SEP150559     BLACK SCIENCE MENS XXL T/S     $24.99
SEP150562     BLACK SCIENCE WOMENS LG T/S     $24.99
SEP150561     BLACK SCIENCE WOMENS MED T/S     $24.99
SEP150560     BLACK SCIENCE WOMENS SM T/S     $24.99
SEP150563     BLACK SCIENCE WOMENS XL T/S     $24.99
SEP150564     BLACK SCIENCE WOMENS XXL T/S     $24.99
SEP150565     CHEW #52 (MR)     $3.50
SEP150566     DEAD AT 17 THE COMPLETE COLLECTION TP     $49.99
SEP150526     FADE OUT #11 (MR)     $3.50
SEP150567     FUSE #16 (MR)     $3.99
SEP150534     INJECTION LG T/S     $19.99
SEP150533     INJECTION MED T/S     $19.99
SEP150532     INJECTION SM T/S     $19.99
SEP150535     INJECTION XL T/S     $19.99
SEP150536     INJECTION XXL T/S     $19.99
SEP150537     INJECTION XXXL T/S     $19.99
AUG150559     INVISIBLE REPUBLIC #7 (MR)     $2.99
MAY150496     J SCOTT CAMPBELL TIME CAPSULE HC (MR)     $49.99
MAY150497     J SCOTT CAMPBELL TIME CAPSULE LTD S/N HC (MR)     $75.00
SEP150506     JUPITERS CIRCLE VOL 2 #1 CVR A SIENKIEWICZ (MR)     $3.50
SEP150507     JUPITERS CIRCLE VOL 2 #1 CVR B QUITELY (MR)     $3.50
JUN150547     KAPTARA #5     $3.50
SEP150593     OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA #13 (MR)     $2.99
AUG150562     POSTAL #8 CVR A SEJIC     $3.99
AUG150563     POSTAL #8 CVR B GOODHART     $3.99
SEP150595     RINGSIDE #1 (MR)     $3.99
SEP150596     RUMBLE #9 (MR)     $3.50
SEP150597     SAGA #31 (MR)     $2.99
SEP150599     SONS OF THE DEVIL TP VOL 01 CVR A INFANTE (MR)     $9.99
AUG150544     SPAWN #258     $2.99
SEP150578     SPAWN RESURRECTION TP VOL 01     $9.99
SEP150515     SPREAD TP VOL 02 CHILDRENS CRUSADE (MR)     $14.99
SEP150580     SWITCH #2 CVR A STJEPAN SEJIC     $3.99
SEP150581     SWITCH #2 CVR B LINDA SEJIC     $3.99
AUG150499     WITCHBLADE #185 CVR A TURNER     $5.99
AUG150500     WITCHBLADE #185 CVR B CHA     $5.99

IMAGE COMICS/MCFARLANE TOYS

OCT150727     GAME OF THRONES CONST SET BANNER PK     $8.99
OCT150728     GAME OF THRONES CONST SET IRON THRONE     PI
OCT150726     GAME OF THRONES CONSTRUCTION SET     PI
SEP152280     TMP NBA GOLDEN STATE CHAMPIONSHIP AF 3-PK     PI
MAY158232     TMP NBA KOBE BRYANT LTD ED AF COLL BOX     PI

Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for November 25, 2015

PREVIEWS PUBLICATIONS
OCT150004     PREVIEWS #327 DEC 2015 CUSTOMER ORDER FORM     PI
OCT150001     PREVIEWS #327 DECEMBER 2015     $3.99

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

SEP151271     ALICE COOPER VS CHAOS #3 RARE CHIN VIRGIN ED     $50.00
SEP151123     AMAZING WORLD GUMBALL ORIGINAL GN VOL 01 FAIRY TALE TROUBLE     $14.99
AUG151625     AQUARION EVOL GN VOL 04     $11.95
OCT151562     AQUARION EVOL GN VOL 05     $11.95
SEP150979     ARCHIE #4 ANNIE WU REG CVR A     $3.99
SEP150991     ARCHIE FUNHOUSE JUMBO COMICS DOUBLE DIGEST #17     $6.99
SEP151586     ASSASSINS CREED GN VOL 06 LEILA     $9.99
JUN158560     ASTERIX AND THE MISSING SCROLL HC     $17.99
JUN158561     ASTERIX ON THE WARPATH POP UP BOOK HC     $35.00
SEP151096     BART SIMPSON COMICS #99     $2.99
SEP150971     BLACK HOOD #7 REG CVR A FRANCAVILLA (MR)     $3.99
SEP151512     BLOOD FEUD #2     $3.99
SEP151464     CAGE OF EDEN GN VOL 19     $10.99
JUL151191     CAPTAIN CANUCK 2015 ONGOING #5     $3.99
AUG151286     CAPTAIN CANUCK UNHOLY WAR TP     $15.95
JUN151450     CROGAN ADVENTURES COLOR GN VOL 02 LAST OF THE LEGION     $17.99
OCT151161     CROSSED BADLANDS #90 (MR)     $3.99
OCT151164     CROSSED BADLANDS #90 ART DECO CVR (MR)     $9.99
OCT151165     CROSSED BADLANDS #90 C-DAY WORLDWIDE CVR (MR)     $3.99
OCT151162     CROSSED BADLANDS #90 TORTURE CVR (MR)     $3.99
OCT151163     CROSSED BADLANDS #90 WRAP CVR (MR)     $3.99
AUG150931     CRYPT OF HORROR #27     $29.95
SEP150903     CYRUS PERKINS AND THE HAUNTED TAXI CAB #2     $3.99
SEP151114     DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES TP VOL 01     $19.99
SEP151302     DF GRUMPY CAT #2 DF EXC HAESER     $10.00
OCT151414     DF INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1 DF EXC MAYHEW PLUS 1     PI
OCT151433     DF SIGNED SERIES DUAL HOLIDAY PK     PI
MAR151315     DF ULTIMATE END #1 BAGLEY SGN     $29.99
SEP158672     DISNEY PIXAR GOOD DINOSAUR FUN BOOK TP     $9.99
SEP151688     DIVINITY DLX HC     $24.99
JUN151306     ETERNAUT HC     $39.99
SEP150931     FUBAR MOTHER RUSSIA TP (MR)     $11.99
JUL151798     GFT OZ REIGN OF WITCH QUEEN #6 A CVR LASHLEY (MR)     $3.99
JUL151799     GFT OZ REIGN OF WITCH QUEEN #6 B CVR LILLY (MR)     $3.99
JUL151800     GFT OZ REIGN OF WITCH QUEEN #6 C CVR RICH (MR)     $3.99
JUL151801     GFT OZ REIGN OF WITCH QUEEN #6 D CVR MILLER (MR)     $3.99
SEP151803     GFT REALM WAR TP VOL 02     $15.99
OCT151542     GLANCE BACKWARD HC (MR)     $19.99
SEP151269     GRUMPY CAT #2 RARE UY VIRGIN ED     $50.00
APR151630     HOPELESS SAVAGES BREAK GN     $17.99
SEP150933     IF ANTHOLOGY 2015 GN     $14.99
SEP151469     INUYASHIKI GN VOL 02 (MR)     $12.99
OCT151697     JAMES BOND OMNIBUS TP VOL 02     $19.95
OCT151699     JAMES BOND OMNIBUS TP VOL 04     $19.95
OCT151700     JAMES BOND OMNIBUS TP VOL 05     $19.95
OCT151701     JAMES BOND OMNIBUS TP VOL 06     $19.95
SEP151236     JOHN CARTER WARLORD #13 CVR A CASAS (MR)     $3.99
SEP151237     JOHN CARTER WARLORD #13 CVR B MALSUNI (MR)     $3.99
SEP151238     JOHN CARTER WARLORD #13 CVR C LUPACCHINO (MR)     $3.99
SEP151239     JOHN CARTER WARLORD #13 CVR D EXC SUBSCRIPTION CVR (MR)     $3.99
SEP151556     JUDGE DREDD TRIFECTA HC GN (MR)     $24.99
SEP150985     JUGHEAD #2 REG CVR A HENDERSON     $3.99
SEP151243     JUSTICE INC AVENGER #6 CVR A FRANCAVILLA     $3.99
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JAN151213     LADY DEATH APOCALYPSE #2 CGC NUMBERED ED CVR (MR)     $99.99
AUG158595     LCSD 2015 SPACE RIDERS HC VOL 01 (MR)     $24.99
SEP151245     LEGENDERRY RED SONJA TP     $17.99
AUG151387     MAGICIANS WIFE GN (MR)     $14.95
SEP151452     MUIRWOOD LOST ABBEY #4     $2.99
SEP151155     MUNCHKIN #11     $3.99
SEP151471     MY LITTLE MONSTER GN VOL 11     $10.99
SEP151691     MY NEIGHBOR SEKI GN VOL 05     $10.95
SEP151472     NORAGAMI STRAY GOD GN VOL 08     $10.99
SEP151163     OVER THE GARDEN WALL #4     $3.99
SEP151110     PEANUTS SNOOPY SPECIAL #1     $4.99
AUG151287     PITIFUL HUMAN LIZARD #2     $2.99
SEP151151     POWER UP #5     $3.99
OCT151148     PROVIDENCE #6 (MR)     $4.99
OCT151149     PROVIDENCE #6 DREAMSCAPE WRAP CVR (MR)     $4.99
OCT151150     PROVIDENCE #6 PANTHEON CVR (MR)     $4.99
OCT151151     PROVIDENCE #6 PORTRAIT CVR (MR)     $4.99
OCT151152     PROVIDENCE #6 WOMEN OF HPL CVR (MR)     $4.99
JUN151245     PS BLACKCROSS #6 CVR A LOTAY     $3.99
JUN151246     PS BLACKCROSS #6 CVR B SHALVEY     $3.99
JUN151247     PS BLACKCROSS #6 CVR C EXC SUBSCRIPTION CVR     $3.99
SEP150929     PUPPET MASTER #9 LUMSDEN CVR (MR)     $4.99
SEP150927     PUPPET MASTER #9 MAIN CVR (MR)     $3.99
SEP151277     RED SONJA CONAN #4 RARE BENES VIRGIN ED     $50.00
SEP151521     RICK & MORTY #8     $3.99
AUG150995     ROGUES #3 ODD PARENTHOOD (MR)     $3.99
OCT151381     RRH #3     $3.99
SEP150936     SECONDS HELPING DRAWING MEMOIR ONE SHOT     $6.00
SEP151407     SELF STORAGE #2     $3.99
SEP151473     SEVEN DEADLY SINS GN VOL 11     $10.99
SEP151422     SHADOW TIGER #3     $2.99
SEP151474     SILENT VOICE GN VOL 04     $10.99
AUG151639     SIXTH GUN DUST TO DEATH TP     $19.99
AUG151477     SOLDIERS HEART TP WWII VETERAN DAUGHTERS MEMOIR     $39.99
SEP151430     STAN LEE CHAKRA THE INVINCIBLE #5     $2.99
AUG150996     STRAITJACKET #2 (MR)     $3.99
SEP151519     STRINGERS #4     $3.99
SEP151183     TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #95 (MR)     $2.95
SEP151687     THE VALIANT DLX HC     $24.99
SEP151475     TSUBASA OMNIBUS GN VOL 06     $19.99
SEP151125     UNCLE GRANDPA TP VOL 01     $14.99
SEP151686     UNITY TP VOL 06 THE WAR MONGER     $14.99
SEP151582     UNTAMED SINNERS PLAYER HC     $29.99
SEP151476     UQ HOLDER GN VOL 06     $10.99
SEP151351     WALT DISNEY UNCLE SCROOGE HC BOX SET POOR MAN & 7 GOLD     $49.99
SEP151170     WEBWITCH #1 COSTUME CHANGE 6 CVR SET (MR)     $36.99
SEP151137     WILDS END ENEMY WITHIN #3     $3.99
SEP151262     WILL EISNER SPIRIT #5 CVR A POWELL     $3.99
AUG151076     WORLD OF ARCHIE COMICS DOUBLE DIGEST #54     $4.99
SEP151670     X-O MANOWAR #42 CVR A SANDOVAL     $3.99
SEP151671     X-O MANOWAR #42 CVR B LIEBER     $3.99
SEP151478     YAMADA KUN & SEVEN WITCHES GN VOL 05     $10.99
SEP151284     ZEN HARD BOUNTY #2     $3.99
SEP150920     ZOMBIE TRAMP ONGOING #17 MAIN CVR (MR)     $3.99

MAGAZINES
SEP151901     COMIC SHOP NEWS #1484     PI
SEP151902     COMIC SHOP NEWS CHRISTMAS 2015 SPECIAL     PI
APR152056     G FAN #110     $6.95
JUL151930     HOBBY JAPAN OCT 2015     $18.00
JUL151894     MARVEL CHESS FIG COLL MAG #47 EMMA FROST WHITE QUEEN     $17.00
JUN151786     MEGAMI SEP 2015     $18.00
JUN151787     NEWTYPE SEP 2015     $18.00
SEP151541     NICKELODEON MAGAZINE #6     $4.99
SEP151895     NON SPORT UPDATE VOL 26 #6     $5.99
OCT151960     SCREEM #31 NEWSSTAND ED     $8.95
OCT151961     SCREEM #31 PX ED     $8.95
AUG152027     STAR TREK STARSHIPS FIG MAG #56 SABER CLASS     $20.00
OCT151679     STAR WARS JEDI MASTER #1     $4.99
OCT151680     STAR WARS REBELS #1 NEWSSTAND ED     $4.99
OCT151681     STAR WARS REBELS #1 PX ED     $4.99

BOOKS
AUG151941     ART OF ALFREDO ALCALA SECRET TEACHINGS OF COMIC BOOK MASTER     $14.95
JUL151216     ART OF JOSE GONZALEZ HC     $39.99
OCT151920     ART OF TOMB RAIDER OFF ART BOOK HC     $39.95
OCT151889     DEATH DISABILITY & SUPERHERO SC     $30.00
AUG151991     DOC SAVAGE DOUBLE NOVEL VOL 85 PHAROAHS GHOST     $14.95
OCT151881     FANTASTICAL ART OF MATT GASER HC     $34.95
AUG151898     GOLDEN AGE MASTERWORKS FROM GOLDEN AGE ILLUSTRAT HC VOL 03     $44.95
OCT151113     HORNS OF ELFLAND TP     $14.95
SEP151845     LUKE SKYWALKER CANT READ & OTHER GEEKY TRUTHS SC     $16.00
SEP151411     OVERSTREET GUIDE SC VOL 05 GUIDE TO COSPLAY CVR A     $15.00
SEP151413     OVERSTREET GUIDE SC VOL 05 GUIDE TO COSPLAY CVR B     $15.00
OCT151887     PICKERS POCKET GUIDE STAR WARS SC     $14.99
AUG151626     RISING OF THE SHIELD HERO LIGHT NOVEL VOL 02     $12.95
JUN151749     STAR WARS ORIGINAL TOPPS TRADING CARD SERIES HC VOL 01     $24.95
SEP151840     WARREN THE 13TH & ALL SEEING EYE YA NOVEL     $16.95
SEP150893     WILL EISNER CHAMPION OF THE GRAPHIC NOVEL HC     $40.00

Assassination Classroom: Swim Time

I reads Assassination Classroom, Vol. 6

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter or Tumblr and at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Review: PLUTONA #1

PLUTONA No. 1
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Emi Lenox and Jeff Lemire
SCRIPT: Jeff Lemire
ARTIST: Emi Lenox
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: Steve Wands
28pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (September 2015)

Rated M / Mature

Plutona is a new superhero comic book series from Jeff Lemire (Descender) and newcomer Emi Lenox.  The series focuses on five suburban kids who make a shocking discovery in the nearby woods, the body of the world's greatest superhero.

Plutona #1 opens in a suburb of Metro City, a pastoral-like setting where the central characters live.  First, there is Teddy; he engages in an activity called “capespotting,” which involves watching the skies over Metro City and cataloging any superhero sightings.  Ray is his neighbor, who teases Teddy relentlessly, calling his “Teddy Tugger.”

Diane (called “Chubbs” by Ray) is a portly teen girl who likes to accessorize her clothes in order to make her fashion statements.  Mie is a teen girl whose fashion sense is grunge or some kind of post-grunge, and she hates being stuck taking care of her younger brother, Mike.  One afternoon, these five youngster make a startling discovery.

Image Comics describes Plutona as “heartfelt.”  Jeff Lemire and Emi Lenox share the “story” credit for this series, and the combination of Lemire's script and Lenox's art seem inseparable, which intensifies the emotional resonance.  Plutona does seem heartfelt, but I would prefer to describe it as engaging.  There was not a moment during my reading of this first issue when I did not want to read it.  Actually, I wanted much more Plutona.

In fact, the series does give more.  Plutona #1 ends with a four-page story written and drawn by Lemire that focuses on Plutona.  By day, she is a waitress at “Double Dipper Diner,” and by night, this single mom of a young daughter heeds the call to protect Metro City.  Wow, Plutona would make an interesting superhero comic book outside of this comic book.

I have to say that I felt more engaged and much more connected to Plutona #1 than I did to Descender #1, Jeff Lemire's Image Comic series (co-created by Dustin Nguyen) that was launched earlier this year.  I could not get myself to be interested in Descender past the first issue, but I can hardly wait for the second issue of Plutona.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Review: JOJO'S SBIZARRE ADVENTURE: Part 2, Volume 1

JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: PART 2 – BATTLE TENDENCY, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Hirohiko Araki
TRANSLATION: Evan Galloway
LETTERS: Mark McMurray
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7882-8; hardcover (November 2015); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
370pp, B&W with some color, $19.99 U.S., $22.99 CAN, £12.99 U.K.

VIZ Media's English-language publication of the legendary Shonen Jump manga series, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, continues.  VIZ Media is publishing the manga as a series of deluxe edition, hardcover, graphic novels with color pages and new cover art.  Created by Hirohiko Araki, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a multi-generational tale that centers on the heroic Joestar family and their never-ending battle against evil.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure begins with the “Phantom Blood” arc.  Now, the series moves on to the “ Battle Tendency” story arc.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 2 – Battle Tendency, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 18) introduces Joseph “JoJo” Joestar, the grandson of the original hero, Jonathan “JoJo” Joestar.  It is 1938, and JoJo arrives in New York City to meet his paternal grandmother, Erina Joestar (Jonathan's widow).  Shortly after his arrival, JoJo rescues Smokey, a young Black man being abused by two policemen.

That is just the first of many fights in which JoJo will find himself.  Somewhere in Central America, JoJo's “uncle,” Robert E.O. Speedwagon, has found Nazis and something called the “Pillar Man.”  Called Santviento, this Pillar Man's revival could mean extinction's arrival for mankind.

The JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga was first published in 1986 in Weekly Shonen Jump.  This manga has quite a reputation, because even I had heard of it, and I have only been a regular reader of manga this past decade.

After reading the “Phantom Blood” arc, I did not know what to expect of the series as it moved forward.  Would I even care, I asked myself.  JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 2 – Battle Tendency, Volume 1 answers that with a resounding “Yes!”  I like Joseph Joestar.  Like his grandfather, Joseph Joestar is a hero, but whereas Jonathan was brave and resolute, Joseph is daring and rowdy.  He is certainly willing to be a hero, but he also likes experiencing the physical sensations of adventure and battle.  So the series is in good hands, and I look forward to more.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

review: DANGER GIRL: Renegade #1

DANGER GIRL: RENEGADE No. 1
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

[This review was originally published on Patreon.]

WRITER:  Andy Hartnell
ARTIST: Stephen Molnar
COLORS: John Rauch
LETTERS: Neil Uyetake
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVER: J. Scott Campbell with Laura Martin
VARIANT COVERS: J. Scott Campbell; Jamie Tyndall with Stacy Raven; Juan N. Cabal with Jordi Escuin; Casey Heying with Admira Wijaya; Casey Heying
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2015)

Created by J. Scott Campbell, Danger Girl was one of the three inaugural comic book series that launched Cliffhanger, an imprint of the former Image Comics “house,” Wildstorm Studios.  Danger Girl #1 (cover dated: March 1998) introduced a group of female secret agents whose adventures were a mixture of Indiana Jones and James Bond.  In fact, Danger Girl’s young female stars were like Bond Girls, except that the girls were the ones getting to be James Bond in action.  Danger Girl focused on one girl in particular, Abbey Chase.

Scott Dunbier, the Wildstorm editor of the original series, has guided Danger Girl back to life in recent years via a series of miniseries published by IDW Publishing.  The latest mini is Danger Girl: Renegade, which is written by Andy Hartnell, drawn by Stephen Molnar, colored by John Rauch, and lettered by Neil Uyetake, with cover art by J. Scott Campbell.

Danger Girl: Renegade #1 opens with a prologue, set in Cairo, Egypt, 12 years before the main story.  Thirteen-year-old Abbey Chase is set upon by three men, but she proves more than capable of escaping them and leaving them in danger.  However, Abbey is a target because of her father, and men won't stop trying to kidnap her in order to use her as leverage against him.

Danger Girl: Renegade is apparently a miniseries that will reveal how Abbey Chase became who she is on the way to becoming a member of the super-secret spy organization known as “Danger.”  Danger Girl, since its beginning, has been lighthearted, superfluous entertainment, but it has been surprisingly good at being, lighthearted, superfluous entertainment.  Danger Girl remains Indiana Jones meets James Bond, more Roger Moore, even if the creators might have Sean Connery in mind.  As a comic book, Danger Girl is a narrative in which the graphical storytelling is dressed in pin-up illustration and good girl art.

Renegade does not change that the formula, and, once again, the result is a fun comic book.  I don't know what else Andy Hartnell has written in his time as a comic book writer, but I know that Harley Quinn and a few other “ladies of DC Comics” could use his deft comic touch.  Also, Renegade series artist Stephen Molnar makes sure readers don't miss J. Scott Campbell... too much.

So, dear readers, does this review make you think that I like Danger Girl: Renegade and that I will read more?  Well, I hope many of you will give Danger Girl: Renegade a try so that we can get more Danger Girl.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Claymore: Silver-Eyed Warriors

I read Claymore, Vol. 27

I posted a review at ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Review: THUNDER Agents, 50th Anniversary Special

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS, 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

[This review was first published by Patreon.]

WRITERS:  Larry Ivie; Len Brown; Dan Adkins
PENCILS: Wally Wood; Steve Ditko; Dan Adkins; Garry Leach
INKS: Wally Wood; Dan Adkins; Tony Coleman; Garry Leach
COLORS: Jason Millet
LETTERS: Victor Gorelick
MISC. ART: George Perez with Ronda Pattison; George Tuska with Ronda Pattison; Jerry Ordway with Ronda Pattison; Dave Cockrum with Ronda Pattison; Dave Cockrum; Steve Ditko and Greg Theakston with Ronda Pattison; George Perez and Dave Cockrum with Ronda Pattison; Dave Cockrum and Murphy Anderson with Ronda Pattison; Steve Ditko and Will Blyberg; Bob Layton; Phil Hester and Eric Gapstur with David Baron; Dave Sim with David Baron
EDITORS: Greg Goldstein and Michael Benedetto
COVER: Dan Adkins with Jason Millet (based on Wally Wood and Dan Adkins' cover for T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #3)
SUBSCRIPTION COVER: Andrew Pepoy with Jason Millet (based on Wally Wood's cover for Incredible Science Fiction #33)
64pp, Color, $7.99 U.S. (July 2015)

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents created by Wally Wood and Len Brown

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents was a team of superheroes that appeared in comic books originally published by Tower Comics from 1965 to 1969.  The original T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents were an arm of the United Nations.  The name, T.H.U.N.D.E.R., is an acronym for “The Higher United Nations Defense Enforcement Reserves.”

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents the comic book series ran for 20 issues.  Tower Comics gave the two of the most popular T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Dynamo and NoMan, each his own short lived comic book series.  After the demise of Tower Comics, the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents characters did not appear in new comic book stories until the early 1980s, which was the beginning of a series of sporadic efforts to create T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents comics over the next three decades.  Beginning in 2010, DC Comics published a short-lived ongoing T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents series and a miniseries.  In 2013, IDW Publishing published another short lived T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents comic book series.

In spite of decades of short-lived iterations, the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents still have fans and admirers, and I am one of them.  In fact, 2015 is the 50th anniversary of their first appearance in T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1 (Tower Comics; cover dated: November 1965).  So I was excited to discover that IDW had published a one-shot comic book, entitled T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, 50th Anniversary Special.

Despite their checkered comic book publishing history, the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents comics have featured the work of a number of talented writers and artists.  T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, 50th Anniversary Special celebrates the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, some of their classic stories, and a selection of work from acclaimed and popular T.H.U.N.D.E.R. creators.

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, 50th Anniversary Special reprints four Tower Comics-era stories.  “First Encounters,” from T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1 (November 1965), introduces the devices that give super-powered T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents their powers.  Dynamo shines in two stories:  “D-Day for Dynamo!” from T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #2 (cover dated: January 1966) and “Master of Evolution” from T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #4 (cover dated: April 1966).

One of the best known T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents stories is also reprinted here.  That is “A Matter of Life and Death,” from T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #7 (cover dated: August 1966).  Some comic book historians and fans believe that this story features the first meaningful and long-lasting depiction of the death of a major character, in this case, Menthor, in a comic book.  T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, 50th Anniversary Special also reprints the art Garry Leach drew for a story that deals with the aftermath of Menthor's death on Dynamo.  I am assuming that this story, written by the late George Caragonne, was originally produced for Deluxe Comics' short-lived T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents revival, a comic book series entitled Wally Wood's T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents.

I don't want to describe the four Tower Comics stories as “quaint and charming,” which is how I sometimes describe comics from the Silver Age and earlier.  I think that these stories are actually quite good, and they reveal that Dynamo is a dynamic character, one whose potential has never and will likely never be reached, unless someone dedicated to comic books saves the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents.

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, 50th Anniversary Special also offers just under 20 pages of illustrations, pin-ups, cover art, and preliminary art by classic comic book artists, like George Perez and two now deceased artists, Dave Cockrum and George Tuska, among others.  This comic book is like a short love letter to fans of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents.  It does seem a bit inadequate, but fans can get more T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents in T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Companion (from TwoMorrows Publishing).  In the meantime, we can enjoy the comic book-sized T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, 50th Anniversary Special for what it is.  It is a special comic book commemorating a group of comic book characters whose 50 years of existence is probably the shortest half-century in American comic book history.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for November 18, 2015

DC COMICS

SEP150239     ACTION COMICS #46     $3.99
SEP150322     ASTRO CITY #29     $3.99
JUL150336     ASTRO CITY LOVERS QUARREL HC     $24.99
JUL150307     BATMAN & ROBIN HC VOL 07 ROBIN RISES     $24.99
AUG150262     BATMAN & ROBIN TP VOL 06 THE HUNT FOR ROBIN     $16.99
SEP150260     BATMAN 66 #29     $2.99
SEP150195     BATMAN AND ROBIN ETERNAL #7     $2.99
SEP150259     BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT GENESIS #4     $2.99
SEP150190     BATMAN EUROPA #1     $4.99
JUL150308     BATMAN THE GOLDEN AGE OMNIBUS HC VOL 01     $75.00
SEP150248     BIZARRO #6     $2.99
JUL150306     CATWOMAN A CELEBRATION OF 75 YEARS HC     $39.99
SEP150321     CLEAN ROOM #2 (MR)     $3.99
MAR158511     DC COMICS BOOK AND DVD BLU RAY SLIPCASE SET     PI
SEP150213     DOCTOR FATE #6     $2.99
SEP150249     DOOMED #6     $2.99
SEP150214     EARTH 2 SOCIETY #6     $2.99
SEP150278     GREEN LANTERN THE LOST ARMY #6     $2.99
SEP150269     HARLEY QUINN #22     $3.99
SEP150221     MARTIAN MANHUNTER #6     $2.99
SEP150223     NEW SUICIDE SQUAD #14     $2.99
SEP150317     RED THORN #1 (MR)     $3.99
SEP150229     SECRET SIX #8     $2.99
AUG150278     SUPERMAN EARTH ONE TP VOL 03     $14.99
JUL150319     SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN HC VOL 03 CASUALTIES OF WAR     $22.99
AUG150280     SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN TP VOL 02 WAR AND PEACE     $16.99
AUG150296     SWAMP THING DARKER GENESIS TP (MR)     $19.99
SEP150236     TELOS #2     $2.99
SEP150235     TITANS HUNT #2     $3.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

JUN150344     BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT COMMISSIONER GORDON AF     $24.95
MAY150284     BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT RED HOOD STATUE     $124.95
JUN150342     BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT ROBIN AF     $24.95
MAY150286     DC ICONS BATMAN LAST RIGHTS AF     $24.95
MAY150287     DC ICONS DEADMAN BRIGHTEST DAY AF     $24.95
MAY150289     DC ICONS GREEN ARROW LONGOBOW HUNTERS AF     $24.95
MAY150288     DC ICONS MISTER MIRACLE EARTH 2 AF     $24.95

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for November 18, 2015

MARVEL COMICS

AUG150875     A-FORCE TP WARZONES VOL 00     $16.99
AUG150904     ALL NEW X-MEN TP VOL 06 ULTIMATE ADVENTURE     $19.99
SEP150792     ASTONISHING ANT-MAN #2     $3.99
SEP150754     BLACK KNIGHT #1     $3.99
SEP150790     CAPTAIN AMERICA SAM WILSON #3     $3.99
AUG150879     CAPTAIN MARVEL AND CAROL CORPS TP     $15.99
SEP150847     DARK TOWER DRAWING OF THREE LADY OF SHADOWS #3 (MR)     $3.99
SEP150707     DEADPOOL #2     $3.99
AUG150757     EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN #2     $3.99
AUG150906     GUARDIANS OF GALAXY TP VOL 04 ORIGINAL SIN     $19.99
AUG150877     GUARDIANS OF KNOWHERE TP     $15.99
SEP150839     KANAN #8     $3.99
AUG150884     KORVAC SAGA TP WARZONES     $19.99
SEP150843     MARVEL UNIVERSE AVENGERS ASSEMBLE SEASON TWO #13     $2.99
AUG150881     MARVEL ZOMBIES TP BATTLEWORLD     $15.99
SEP150779     MIGHTY THOR #1     $4.99
SEP150749     MS MARVEL #1     $4.99
AUG150888     MS MARVEL TP VOL 04 LAST DAYS     $17.99
SEP150788     NEW AVENGERS #3     $3.99
AUG150880     SECRET WARS 2099 TP     $16.99
SEP150794     SECRET WARS TOO #1     $4.99
AUG150913     SILVER SURFER EPIC COLLECTION TP FREEDOM     $34.99
SEP150672     SPIDER-WOMAN #1     $3.99
SEP150835     STAR WARS #12     $3.99
AUG150915     STAR WARS TP JOURNEY TO SW FORCE AWAKENS SHATTER EMPIRE     $16.99
SEP150827     STAR WARS VADER DOWN #1 VDWN     $4.99
SEP150682     STAR-LORD #1     $3.99
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IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for November 18, 2015

IDW PUBLISHING

SEP150492     ANDRE THE GIANT GN CLOSER TO HEAVEN     $12.99
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SEP150364     TRANSFORMERS #47     $3.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for November 18, 2015

DARK HORSE COMICS

SEP150035     BPRD HELL ON EARTH #137     $3.50
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APR150081     GAME OF THRONES FIGURE BRIENNE OF TARTH     $24.99
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Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for November 18, 2015

IMAGE COMICS

SEP150552     BEAUTY #4 CVR A HAUN (MR)     $3.50
SEP150553     BEAUTY #4 CVR B ROSSMO (MR)     $3.50
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AUG150570     WITCHBLADE 20TH ANNIVERSARY HC     $39.99

IMAGE COMICS/MCFARLANE TOYS

AUG150641     WALKING DEAD TV SERIES 8 AF     $15.99
AUG150644     WALKING DEAD TV SERIES 8 BOB STOOKEY AF     PI
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AUG150645     WALKING DEAD TV SERIES 8 RICK AF     PI

Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for November 18, 2015

PREVIEWS PUBLICATIONS
OCT152830     GAME TRADE MAGAZINE #190     $3.99

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

JUL151479     101 ARTISTS TO LISTEN TO BEFORE YOU DIE HC     $22.99
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MAGAZINES
SEP151900     COMIC SHOP NEWS #1483     PI
JUN151766     DC BATMAN AUTO FIG MAG #70 BATMAN RETURNS MOVIE SUB     $21.00
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SEP151916     STAR TREK MAGAZINE 2016 SPECIAL     $14.99
SEP151917     STAR WARS INSIDER 2016 SPECIAL     $14.99

BOOKS
OCT151010     AGATHA H & VOICE OF THE CASTLE GIRL GENIUS NOVEL HC     $24.99
SEP151820     COLLECTING CHILDRENS BOOKS ART MEMORIES VALUES HC     $26.99
SEP151341     DINOMANIA HC LOST ART WINSOR MCCAY KING KONG NEW YORK     $95.00
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OCT151901     DOCTOR WHO COMP HIST HC VOL 04 1ST DOCTOR STORIES 1 & 2     $18.99
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AUG158434     GREEN LAMA CRIMSON KING PROSE NOVEL     $14.99
JUL151819     MICHAEL ALLRED CONVERSATIONS HC     $40.00
OCT151886     SAVAGE ART OF BOB LARKIN SC VOL 01     $19.95
SEP151854     THUNDERBIRDS AGENTS TECHNICAL MANUAL 50TH ANNIV ED HC     $21.95
SEP151849     ULT GUIDE COLLECTIBLE LEGO SETS IDENTIFICATION & PRICE GUIDE     $26.99
AUG152008     WALKING DEAD POP UP BOOK HC     $65.00
SEP152606     WARHAMMER 40K DEATHFIRE TP     $16.00
SEP151855     WORLD OF VIKINGS HC     $35.00

Twin Star Exorcists: Into Magano

I read Twin Star Exorcists, Vol. 2: Onmyoji

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Review: STAR WARS #8

STAR WARS (2015) No. 8
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[A version of this review first appeared on Patreon. And visit the "Star Wars Central" review page.]

STORY: Jason Aaron
PENCILS: Stuart Immonen
INKS:  Wade von Grawbadger
COLORS: Justin Ponsor
LETTERS: VC's Chris Eliopoulos
COVER: Stuart Immonen and Wade von Grawbadger with Justin Ponsor
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (October 2015)

Rated T

Book II, Part I: “Showdown on the Smugglers' Moon”

I have already reviewed two issues of Marvel Comics' revival of its Star Wars comic book series, which began earlier this year and now includes two other ongoing series and two miniseries (thus far).  I reviewed Star Wars issues #1 and #7.  I did not expect to review another issue of Star Wars for at least half a year.

However, Star Wars #8 (“Showdown on the Smugglers' Moon”) introduces the new art team of penciler Stuart Immonen and inker Wade von Grawbadger.  As a team, they are known for their work on writer Brian Bendis' All-New X-Men and on All-New Captain America, in which Sam Wilson/The Falcon becomes the new Captain America.

When last we left our heroes (Star Wars #6), Princess Leia and Han Solo were traveling together, searching the galaxy for a suitable site for a new base for the Rebel Alliance.  They ran afoul of Imperial patrol ships and ended up landing on a remote planet in an uncharted region of the Outer Rim.  There, they have an even more shocking encounter when they meet a woman named Sana Solo, who claims to be Han's wife.  Sana is thinking about killing Han and selling out Leia, but the Imperials have plans of their own to pursue their quarry rebels.

Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker has just left his home world of Tatooine, where he discovered the secret journal left for him by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi a.k.a. “Old Ben Kenobi.”  However, Luke believes that he needs more information than what he has thus far found in the journal, if he is going to become a true Jedi.  So he decides to travel to the former home of the Jedi, but first he makes a stop on Nar Shaddaa, “The Smuggler's Moon.”

I must be honest and admit that I was shocked by the art that Stuart Immonen and Wade von Grawbadger delivered for their debut issue.  Combined with Justin Ponsor's gorgeous coloring, this team has delivered stellar work that blends the best of Adam Hughes, Bryan Hitch, and Kevin Nowlan.  Both in terms of graphical storytelling and style, Stuart and Wade create a kind of Star Wars comic book art that is classic Star Wars.  In addition, their Star Wars also recalls the vivid colors and snappy adventure storytelling of Marvel's 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy film.

Once again, the creators of a Marvel Star Wars comic book title have me chomping at the bit to read the next issue.  In the case of Star Wars, I am not ashamed to be a fanboy.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Review: YUKARISM Volume 4

YUKARISM, VOL. 4
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Chika Shiomi
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: John Werry
LETTERS: Rina Mapa
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7971-9; paperback (November 2015); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

It seems as if VIZ Media published the first volume yesterday.  However, the English-language, graphic novel publication of Yukarism, the nostalgia-tinted historical romance, has come to an end.  Created by Chika Shiomi, this manga follows an accomplished teenaged author who can slip into time and  assume his past life as a courtesan.

As a 17-year-old high school student, Yukari Kobayakawa is already an accomplished author.  Yukari's historical novels are set in Japan's Edo Period of the early 1800s, of which he writes about with amazingly accurate detail.  Shockingly, Yukari has the ability to slip into a past life in the Edo period, where he is a beautiful, renowned courtesan (Oiran) named Yumurasaki.

As Yukarism, Vol. 4 (Chapters 14 to 17) opens, Yukari is confronted by his ailing health.  He seems to be afflicted by Yumurasaki's fatal illness from the past, and the reason may be because Yukari is spending more and more time in the past.

Yukari is apparently also taking his compatriots into the past.  In the past, fellow student, Mahoro Tachibana, was Shizuka Takamura, a witch-doctor who was in love with Yumurasaki.  In the Edo past, his temporary housekeeper, Katsuhiko Satomi, was Kazuma, Yumurasaki's bodyguard.  Caught in the mystic energies of the past, Mahoro believes that Kazuma killed Yumurasaki, so now, she must kill Satomi to save a life.  Are the three fated to repeat their tragic connection?

[This volume includes bonus manga.]

Like Chika Shiomi's prior series, the Yukarism manga is a short-run manga.  Yukarism Volume 4 is the final volume of this series.  The story is a fireworks-like display of mystic energies and time-shifting that rivals Steve Ditko's Doctor Strange comics.

The short bio at the back of this volume states that one of Shiomi's favorite artists is Gustav Klimt, and I can see the Klimt-ish in her art.  This final volume is filled with pages of lovely art, including many pages with big close-ups of romantic moments.  There is a happy ending, but it is as melancholy as it is sparkly and fizzy.  I like that Shiomi insists on complicating the little things and the big things.  Even here, the typical must be at least a little atypical.

Fans of Chika Shiomi will have four easy volumes in which to love the Shojo Beat title, Yukarism.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.