Tokyo Ghoul: Vs. The Gourmet

I read Tokyo Ghoul, Vol. 5

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

Review: ALL-NEW WOLVERINE #1

ALL-NEW WOLVERINE #1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Tom Taylor
ART: David Lopez and David Navarrot
COLORS: Nathan Fairbairn
LETTERS: VC's Cory Petit
COVER: Bengal
VARIANT COVERS: David Lopez; Art Adams with Peter Steigerwald; David Marquez with Marte Gracia; Keron Grant (Hip Hop variant cover)
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (January 2016)

Parental Advisory

Laura Kinney is a Marvel Comics character.  She is best known as X-23, a female clone of classic X-Men character, Wolverine.  X-23 was originally created by writer Craig Kyle for the Saturday morning animated television series, “X-Men: Evolution” (Season 2, Episode 11).  X-23 made her first appearance in Marvel Comics in the comic book, NYX #3 (cover dated: February 2004).

Like Wolverine, X-23 has a healing factor, superhuman strength, senses, speed, agility, and reflexes. She also has retractable, adamantium-coated bone claws in her hands (two per hand rather than the three per hand that Wolverine has) and also in her feet.

After Marvel's Secret Wars event miniseries, X-23 succeeded Logan/Wolverine as the star of the current ongoing Wolverine comic book series.  That new series is entitled All-New Wolverine and is written by Tom Taylor, drawn by David Lopez and David Navarrot, colored by Nathan Fairbairn, and lettered by Cory Petit.

All-New Wolverine #1 finds Laura and her boyfriend, the X-Men's Angel (the young, time-displaced Warren Worthington, III), in Paris trying to stop an assassination.  Their showdown with the assassins takes them to the Eiffel Tower.  Laura's opponents are formidable, but the identity of one of them shocks Laura, but does not necessarily surprise her.

The first issue of All-New Wolverine is fairly straight-forward:  stop the assassination.  Everything else is just set-up for future issues.   Still, All-New Wolverine #1 is an enjoyable read, an old-fashioned action-adventure, superhero fight comic.  Tom Taylor does not dazzle readers with character drama the way he did in the short-lived, but excellent Superior Iron Man.

The art by David Lopez and David Navarrot is fast-paced and kinetic; the graphical storytelling really sells the action, but also captures the intimacy of a flashback featuring Logan and Laura.  I did not plan on reading this series beyond the first issue, but I think that I will keep reading it for a bit.

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.

Kamisama Kiss: The Shriden Maiden

I read Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 20

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

Review: STRANGE FRUIT #2

STRANGE FRUIT No. 2 (OF 4)
BOOM! Studios – @boomstudios

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: J.G. Jones and Mark Waid
ARTIST: J.G. Jones
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
COVER: J.G. Jones
24pp, Colors, $3.99 U.S. (October 2015)

Suggested for mature readers

Strange Fruit is a four-issue comic book miniseries from comics creators, Mark Waid (Daredevil; Kingdom Come) and J.G. Jones (Wanted; Y: The Last Man).  According to publicity released by publisher BOOM! Studios, Strange Fruit is “a deeply personal passion project” and is a “provocative examination of the heroic myth confronting the themes of racism, cultural legacy, and human nature through a literary lens, drawing from Southern folklore and tradition.”

Strange Fruit is set in and around Chatterlee, Mississippi.  It is April 1927, during what would become known as the “Great Mississippi Flood of 1927.”  The Mississippi River is rising, threatening to break open the levees and destroy Chatterlee, after already washing away other “God-fearing” towns.  The race to shore up the levees is also threatening to break open the racial and social divisions of Chatterlee and the surrounding area.  Into this roiling situation, a mysterious Black man falls from the sky.

As Strange Fruit #2 opens, the mysterious (and tall and muscular) Black man enters Chatterlee, where he immediately scares all the White women and angers most of the White men.  Eventually, he finds residence in the town jail, where he is reunited with the agitatin' young Black man, Sonny, who has named the strapping mystery man, “Johnson.”  Meanwhile, another Black outsider believes that Johnson can save the town from the “mighty Mississippi.”

J.G. Jones is producing some of the most beautiful comic book art that I have ever seen, and until I see otherwise, I am calling his work on Strange Fruit the best of this year.  His cartooning of the human face is breathtaking, and his ability to give each and every character a different and unique face is something that is rare in comic books.  Jones' dexterity in portraying a variety of expressions, moods, emotions, etc. for each character further demonstrates that he is a master comic book artist and also a masterful graphical storyteller.

Overall, the series remains in a teasing mode about everything:  the mystery Black man, the missing boy, and especially some of the characters.  I wish this story settled on who the leads are, so that the narrative would seem a little less unsettled like the roiling river that threatens Chatterlee.  I'll toss those complaints aside for now because I cannot get enough of Jones and Waid's emerging masterpiece.

A

www.boom-studios.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.

One Piece: Smile

I read One Piece, Vol. 77

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

Review: HUCK #1

HUCK No. 1
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review originally appeared on Patreon.]

WRITER: Mark Millar – @mrmarkmillar
ARTIST: Rafael Albuquerque
COLORS: Dave McCaig
LETTERS: Nate Piekos of Blambot
COVER: Rafael Albuquerque
VARIANT COVER: Rafael Albuquerque
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S. (November 2015)

Rated T / Teen

Huck is a new comic book series created by writer Mark Millar (Kick-Ass, Chrononauts) and artist Rafael Albuquerque (American Vampire).  The series focuses on a young man who essentially performs acts of super-heroism anonymously in a small town.

Huck #1 opens in rural Maine.  In a quiet seaside town, there are picket fences, farms, old-fashioned gas stations, and everyone knows everyone.  Life is a good, and it is made better by Huck, a young man of mysterious origins.  He humbly works at a gas station, but he has special gifts and physical abilities.  Each day, he uses his gifts, such as super-strength, to do a good deed.  His neighbors return his favors by keeping Huck's abilities a secret, but newcomers to the town see money in telling secrets.

When one considers writer Mark Millar's previous work on comic books like The Authority and his creation of such comics as Wanted and Kick-Ass, it not unreasonable to be shocked that Millar could write a first issue like Huck #1.  By turns sweet and sentimental, Huck #1 is like a retelling of the early years of Clark Kent, but by way of Mayberry instead of Metropolis.  Millar tries to create the spirit of genuine Americana, and maybe he can pull it off in a way two boys from Cleveland could not.

I have mixed feelings about artist Rafael Albuquerque's work in Huck #1.  Albuquerque is both a distinctive stylist and storyteller, but you could not tell that from the flat work he delivers in this debut issue.  Here and there, some moments stand out visually or graphically.  I hope that Albuquerque can do something special here, and perhaps, he will later in the series.  I get the feeling, however, that there are several comic book artists who could have done Huck #1 as good as or better than Albuquerque.

B+

http://www.millarworld.tv/

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 February 24, 2016

DC COMICS

DEC150221     AQUAMAN #49     $3.99
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Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 24, 2016

MARVEL COMICS

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IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for February 24, 2016

IDW PUBLISHING

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Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 24, 2016

DARK HORSE COMICS
DEC150132     CONAN THE AVENGER #23     $3.50
OCT150070     DEATH HEAD #6     $3.99
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DEC150055     PLANTS VS ZOMBIES MINICOMIC PACK BOX     PI
OCT150039     ZONE CONTINUUM TP     $15.99

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 24, 2016

IMAGE COMICS

DEC150569     BLACK MAGICK #5 CVR A SCOTT (MR)     $3.99
DEC150570     BLACK MAGICK #5 CVR B HANS (MR)     $3.99
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DEC150629     WOLF #6 (MR)     $3.50

Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for February 24, 2016

PREVIEWS PUBLICATIONS
JAN160120     PREVIEWS #330 MAR 2016 CUSTOMER ORDER FORM     PI
JAN160117     PREVIEWS #330 MARCH 2016     $3.99

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

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NOV150966     MEN OF MYSTERY #99     $29.95
NOV151137     MEZOLITH ORIGINAL GN HC VOL 01     $24.99
DEC151153     MUNCHKIN #14     $3.99
NOV151600     MUSHOKU TENSEI JOBLESS REINCARNATION GN VOL 02     $12.99
DEC151523     NEIL GAIMANS MR HERO GN VOL 01     $14.99
DEC151524     NEIL GAIMANS MR HERO HC VOL 01     $24.99
DEC151719     NINJA SLAYER GN VOL 03 LAST GIRL STANDING (MR)     $12.95
JAN161176     OHGRR SOUP GN     $14.99
DEC151240     PATHFINDER HOLLOW MOUNTAIN #4 CVR A SALIBA     $4.99
DEC151241     PATHFINDER HOLLOW MOUNTAIN #4 CVR B GOMEZ     $4.99
DEC151242     PATHFINDER HOLLOW MOUNTAIN #4 CVR C EXC SUBSCRIPTION     $4.99
DEC151243     PATHFINDER HOLLOW MOUNTAIN #4 CVR D ULTRA LTD ED     $19.99
DEC151161     PEANUTS VOL 2 #31     $3.99
SEP151651     PERSONA 4 GN VOL 02     $13.99
DEC151434     PERSONA Q SHADOW OF LABYRINTH SIDE P3 GN VOL 01     $10.99
DEC151505     PLUS ULTRA #2     $3.99
JUL151556     PRE CODE CLASSICS WEB OF EVIL HC VOL 03     $59.99
JAN161171     QUEEN OF VAMPIRES #2 (MR)     $3.99
DEC150909     RACHEL RISING #40     $3.99
DEC151258     RED SONJA VOL 3 #2 RARE SAUVAGE VIRGIN ED     $50.00
OCT151394     REMOTE #3 (MR)     $2.50
DEC151488     RICK & MORTY #11     $3.99
OCT151395     RISE #3     $2.50
NOV151316     RRH #4     $3.99
DEC151436     SAY I LOVE YOU GN VOL 12     $10.99
NOV151317     SERVING SUPES #2     $4.99
JAN161552     SEVEN DEADLY SINS GN VOL 12     $10.99
OCT151396     SLAB #3 (MR)     $2.50
NOV151576     SMURFS GN VOL 20 DOCTOR SMURF     $5.99
OCT151678     SNOWPIERCER HC VOL 03 TERMINUS (MR)     $29.99
OCT151397     SOUL #3 (MR)     $2.50
OCT151398     SPRING #3 (MR)     $2.50
DEC151395     STAN LEE CHAKRA THE INVINCIBLE #8     $2.99
OCT151081     STRAITJACKET #4 (MR)     $3.99
DEC150959     STRAYER #2     $3.99
NOV151148     SUICIDE RISK TP VOL 06     $14.99
NOV151134     TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #96 DLX ED (MR)     $19.99
NOV151135     TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #96 PHOTOCLAD CVR (MR)     $19.99
JAN161575     TICK KARMA TORNADO COMP WORKS TP NEW PTG     $27.95
NOV151602     TOMODACHI X MONSTER GN VOL 01     $12.99
DEC151437     TSUBASA OMNIBUS GN VOL 07     $19.99
DEC150935     VAMPBLADE #2 CVR A YOUNG (MR)     $3.99
DEC150936     VAMPBLADE #2 CVR B GOO (MR)     $4.99
DEC150937     VAMPBLADE #2 CVR C MCKAY (MR)     $4.99
DEC150938     VAMPBLADE #2 CVR D BOOTY (MR)     $4.99
DEC150939     VAMPBLADE #2 CVR E HOMAGE (MR)     $4.99
DEC150940     VAMPBLADE #2 CVR F CHEESECAKE RISQUE (MR)     $4.99
DEC151120     VENUS #3     $3.99
DEC151119     WILDS END ENEMY WITHIN #6     $3.99
DEC151251     WILL EISNER SPIRIT #8 CVR A POWELL     $3.99
NOV151318     WITCHFINDER GENERAL #2     $3.99
SEP151352     ZAP COMIX #16     $14.99
OCT151399     Z-MEN #3     $2.50

MAGAZINES
NOV151586     2000 AD PACK JAN 2016     $22.00
OCT151185     BLEEDING COOL MAGAZINE #20 (MR)     $5.99
DEC151851     COMIC SHOP NEWS #1497     PI
DEC151852     COMICS REVUE PRESENTS FEB 2016     $19.95
NOV151554     DOCTOR WHO ADVENTURES MAGAZINE #10     $7.99
OCT151592     DOCTOR WHO ADVENTURES MAGAZINE #9     $7.99
SEP151911     MEGAMI DEC 2015     $18.00
SEP151912     NEWTYPE DEC 2015     $18.00
DEC151522     NICKELODEON MAGAZINE #9     $4.99
DEC151854     ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN MAGAZINE #8     $4.99
NOV151925     X-FILES MAGAZINE SPECIAL SHOW COMPANION VOL 01     $19.99

BOOKS
OCT151918     BEST OF STAR WARS INSIDER SC VOL 01     $19.99
JAN161932     DOC SAVAGE NEW ADV SC VOL 11 SECRET OF SATANS SPINE     $24.95
DEC151808     DOCTOR WHO COLORING BOOK     $14.99
DEC151643     ESSENTIAL EVANGELION CHRONICLE SC SIDE B     $39.99
NOV151523     GREEN LAMA CRIMSON CIRCLE PROSE NOVEL     $14.99
DEC150978     HEAVENLY NOSTRILS CHRONICLE GN VOL 03 UNICORN VS GOBLINS     $9.99
DEC150967     JONNY NEGRON SELECTED WORKS 2012-2013 (MR)     $12.00
JAN161894     KINKY LINGERIE GIRLS HC (MR)     $37.95
DEC151800     LOIS LANE FALLOUT YA SC NOVEL     $9.95
DEC151647     SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI IV OFFICIAL ARTWORKS SC     $39.99
NOV158434     STREET FIGHTER V COLLECTORS ED GUIDE     $39.99
DEC151804     WONDER WOMAN AMAZON WARRIOR YR SC     $5.99
JAN161895     YOUNG EXOTIC BEAUTIES HC (MR)     $34.95

QQ Sweeper: Memories of Fuyu

I read QQ Sweeper, Vol. 2

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

Review: EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN #1

EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Jeff Lemire
PENCILS: Humberto Ramos
INKS: Victor Olazaba
COLORS: Edgar Delgado
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: Humberto Ramos with Edgard Delgado
VARIANT COVERS: J. Scott Campbell with Nei Ruffino; Pascal Campion; Todd Nauck with Andy Troy; Sanford Greene (Hip Hop Variant); Amanda Lynne Shafter photographed by Judy Stephens (cosplay variant)
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (January 2016)

Rated T+

X-Men created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Uncanny X-Men has been the flagship X-Men comic book for most of the past five decades, but it recently came to an end (for now?) with the publication of Uncanny X-Men #600.  The status changes as a result of the All-New, All-Different Marvel re-branding of Marvel Comics.  Now, the flagship X-Men title is Extraordinary X-Men.

This new series is written by Jeff Lemire; drawn by Humberto Ramos (pencils) and Victor Olazaba (inks); colored by Edgar Delgado; and lettered by Joe Caramagna.  The series finds the X-Men fighting to escape the threat of the Terrigen Mists which gives Inhumans their powers, but harms mutants.

Extraordinary X-Men #1 opens with Storm struggling with the weight of the task she finds before her.  She must fight to save mutantkind, which may be facing extinction because of the mass release of the Terrigen Mists.  Now, with her lieutenants, Iceman and Magik, at her side, Storm must gather a new team of X-Men to help the mutants now living in a place called “X-Haven.”  Not everyone, however, wants to join Storm's mission, even if they believe in it.

Upon first seeing a teaser about Extraordinary X-Men, I was dismissive of it.  Now, I cannot wait to read the second issue.  Marvel has found a way to make the X-Men interesting – by marking them destruction.  Their numbers are shrinking, and they may not be able to reproduce, which means extinction.  Having a streamlined X-team will give writer Jeff Lemire a chance to build the characters into this new paradigm of peril.  Lemire will also be able to tell fresh stories using classic or familiar personalities, but from a different point of setting or perspective.  Lemire's take on Storm reminds me of the boss-lady of Chris Claremont's run on Uncanny X-Men, and for me, that is a good thing.

In the meantime, Humberto Ramos' run as penciller on the 2014 relaunch of The Amazing Spider-Man reinvigorated my interest in Ramos (and Spider-Man, for that matter).  For a few years in the 1990s, Ramos was one of my favorite comic book artists.  Hey, in a way, these are the same old X-Men, but Ramos, both in terms of drawing style and graphical storytelling, makes everything seem fresh and new.  I think the possibilities are endless for Extraordinary X-Men, even if corporate demands mean the X-Men comic books won't stray too far from the familiar.

Still, I am excited, so I will recommend Extraordinary X-Men #1.

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.

Master Keaton: The New Adventures of David Bobbid

I read Master Keaton, Vol. 5

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

Review: UNCANNY X-MEN #600

UNCANNY X-MEN No. 600
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Brian Micheal Bendis
PENCILS:  Sara Pichelli, Mahmud Asrar, Stuart Immonen, Kris Anka, Chris Bachalo, David Marquez, Frazer Irving
INKS: Wade von Grawbadger, Tim Townsend, Mark Irwin
COLORS: Marte Gracia, Jason Keith, Chis Bachalo, Frazer Irving
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: Chris Bachalo
VARIANT COVERS: Art Adams with Jason Keith; Kris Anka; John Tyler Christopher; Olivier Coipel with Marte Gracia; Adam Hughes; Rick Leonardi and Dan Green with Jason Keith; Ed McGuinness and Dexter Vines with Val Staples; Paul Smith with Paul Mounts; Leinel Yu with Jason Keith
60pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (January 2016)

Rated T+

X-Men created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

With the arrival of the “All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe,” X-Men comic books are entering a new era.  Apparently if all the incarnations of Uncanny X-Men are added together, the result is that 600 issues of comic books entitled Uncanny X-Men have been published.  It is that 600th issue that marks the end of something, if not an era, then, the end of Brian Michael Bendis' tenure as an X-Men writer.

Uncanny X-Men #600 opens at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.  Storm has called all the X-Men currently residing at the school to a meeting.  It's an intervention for Dr. Henry McCoy, or you can call it “The Trial of Beast, and Hank sure ain't feeling the love.  Also, young Iceman has a serious talk with adult Iceman.  Plus, a summons from Washington...

I found the Iceman/Iceman conversation to be heartfelt, and the Jean Grey-Beast meeting felt like something big.  The rest of “The Trial of Beast” does not amount to very much.  After months of delay, all readers get is this tepid tale – simple as that.  Considering the high-quality work that Bendis did on Uncanny X-Men and All-New X-Men, Uncanny X-Men #600 is quite disappointing.

B-

“Winter Carnival” (bonus story)

Writer: Mary Jo Duffy
Pencils: George Perez
Inks: Alfredo Alcala
Letters: Janice Chiang

As a bonus, Uncanny X-Men No. 600 closes with a reprint of the black and white story, “Winter Carnival.”  This 18-page story originally appeared in Bizarre Adventures #27.  This was the X-Men-themed issue of Marvel Comics' black and white comics magazine series that was published from the mid-1970s (under a different title) to the early 1980s.

The story finds Robert L. “Bobby” Drake a.k.a. Iceman as a visiting college student at Dartmouth College (an Ivy League school in Hanover, New Hampshire).  The campus is covered in snow, which is appropriate as this is the time of year for the celebration known as “Winter Carnival.”  Bobby discovers that Iceman is needed when crime decides not to take the weekend off and join in the wintry fun.

I wish Mary Jo Duffy (also known as simply Jo Duffy) were still writing her character-centrist stories for either Marvel or DC Comics.  I don't think that she has written for either publisher in over a decade.  In this story, she allows Iceman to shine as a superhero, but she opens the interior Bobby Drake, depicting him as thoughtful and possessing of a personality and of a sparkling wit.

Many readers may not recognize the art in “Winter Carnival” as that of George Perez (I didn't.), as it has very little resemblance to the graphic style that would define Perez's career on works like New Teen Titans, Crisis on Infinite Earths, and Wonder Woman, to name a few.  However, readers will get a chance to see the talents of inker Alfredo Alcala, whose ink wash over Perez's pencils does not look as good on glossy paper as it would on some good old-fashioned newsprint comic books.

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.

Case Closed: Blood Type

I read Case Closed, Vol. 57

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

Review: THE STORY OF MY TITS

THE STORY OF MY TITS
TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS – @topshelfcomix

CARTOONIST: Jennifer Hayden
EDITORS: Chris Staros and Leigh Walton
ISBN: 978-1-60309-054-4; softcover with French flaps (September 2015)
352pp, B&W, $29.95 U.S.

Mature readers (16+)

The Story of My Tits is a 2015 black and white, original graphic novel from Jennifer Hayden, an author, children's book illustrator, and comix creator.  Published by Top Shelf Productions, The Story of My Tits chronicles Hayden's life from her years as a girl with a flat chest to her battle with breast cancer in her forties.

Born in the early 1960s, Jennifer is an ordinary girl, but over time, she comes to discover that unlike other ordinary girls, her breasts are taking their own sweet time to develop.  Eventually, Jennifer's tits do appear as she discovers boys, sex, and break-ups with boys.

However, the innocence of youth quickly gives way to the chaos of adulthood.  There is college, a long-term relationship with Jim, the young man who later becomes her husband.  There is her mother's brush with breast cancer that eventually leads to a mastectomy, and while her mother suffers a health crisis, her father has a mistress.  Jennifer experiences the ups-and-downs of two families after she marries Jim, but the biggest downer is her own diagnosis of breast cancer.  It comes during the summer of 2004 when she is 43.  It is then that Jennifer has to chart her own difficult course of surgery, recovery, and renewal.

Any description of The Story of My Tits cannot come close to truly describing this monster of a comic book.  I understand why it would be sold as a graphic novel about cancer, because breast cancer is a dark shadow that looms over this story.  It is hard to find people who have not had a brush with cancer in their lives.

My paternal grandfather died of it.  In 2014, a friend who was long misdiagnosed died of pancreatic cancer.  I took my mother to a doctor's appointment a few years ago, not knowing that a biopsy was planned.  When I was told that the doctor was concerned about the possibility of breast cancer, I finally understood what people mean when they say that they feel as if the walls are closing in on them.  It was as if I were in a large room that instantly shrunk to closet-size around me.

The Story of My Tits is a story about life, love, and loss.  It is an epic biography about family and friends, about having jobs and having a career, about saying goodbye to cherished loved ones almost at the same time welcoming new life into the world.  Because Jennifer tells us so much about her life, we buy into her story.  And when we buy into the story, we buy the cancer, too.  Jennifer's confusion about her health and her fear of death become a real thing with which we the readers must grapple.

The Story of My Tits is triumphant and heartbreaking.  It is glorious in its joy and candid in its sadness.  Most of all, it is a fantastic read.  I did not know that tits could be so alluring and attractive, and it would have nothing to do with sex.  Seriously, Jennifer Hayden has offered a story for our times that is timeless in its breath and scope.

A+

www.jenniferhayden.com
goddesscomix.blogspot.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 17, 2016

DC COMICS
OCT150274     AMERICAN VAMPIRE HC VOL 08 (MR)     $22.99
DEC150357     ASTRO CITY #32     $3.99
NOV150273     BAT MITE TP     $14.99
NOV150268     BATGIRL TP VOL 02 FAMILY BUSINESS     $16.99
DEC150276     BATMAN AND ROBIN ETERNAL #20     $2.99
OCT150248     BATMAN NOIR THE BLACK MIRROR HC     $34.99
DEC158458     BATMAN TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1 2ND PTG     $3.99
DEC158459     BATMAN TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #2 2ND PTG     $3.99
NOV150275     CATWOMAN TP VOL 07 INHERITANCE     $14.99
DEC150359     CLEAN ROOM #5 (MR)     $3.99
DEC150229     DOCTOR FATE #9     $2.99
NOV150304     DOOM PATROL TP BOOK 01 (MR)     $29.99
NOV150282     DOOMED TP     $14.99
DEC150285     HARLEY QUINN #25     $3.99
DEC150304     INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US YEAR FIVE #4     $2.99
DEC150365     LUCIFER #3 (MR)     $3.99
DEC150236     MARTIAN MANHUNTER #9     $2.99
NOV150265     MIDNIGHTER TP VOL 01 OUT     $14.99
DEC150242     POISON IVY CYCLE OF LIFE AND DEATH #2     $2.99
DEC150366     RED THORN #4 (MR)     $3.99
DEC150289     ROBIN SON OF BATMAN #9     $3.99
DEC150252     SECRET SIX #11     $2.99
DEC150296     SINESTRO #20     $2.99
DEC150258     SUPERMAN AMERICAN ALIEN #4     $3.99
DEC150309     TEEN TITANS GO #14     $2.99
DEC150250     TITANS HUNT #5     $3.99
DEC150255     WONDER WOMAN #49     $3.99

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 17, 2016

MARVEL COMICS

DEC158239     AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1.2 BIANCHI 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC150811     AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #8     $3.99
DEC150728     AVENGERS STANDOFF WELCOME PLEASANT HILL #1 ASO     $4.99
NOV150947     AVENGERS TIME RUNS OUT TP VOL 04     $19.99
NOV150924     CAPTAIN AMERICA HC WHITE     $29.99
DEC150812     CARNAGE #5     $3.99
NOV150938     CIVIL WAR WARZONES TP     $16.99
DEC158240     CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS #4 IBANEZ 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC158104     DARTH VADER #13 BROOKS 2ND PTG VAR VDWN     $3.99
DEC158105     DARTH VADER #14 BROOKS 2ND PTG VAR VDWN     $3.99
DEC158106     DARTH VADER #15 BROOKS 2ND PTG VAR VDWN     $3.99
DEC158241     DEADPOOL #5 MOORE 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC150859     DEADPOOL AND CABLE SPLIT SECOND #3     $4.99
DEC158242     DOCTOR STRANGE #4 NOWLAN 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
NOV150943     E IS FOR EXTINCTION WARZONES TP     $15.99
DEC158243     EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN #5 RAMOS 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC150858     EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN #7     $3.99
DEC150862     MARVEL UNIVERSE AVENGERS ASSEMBLE SEASON TWO #16     $2.99
DEC150864     MAX RIDE #4 ULTIMATE FLIGHT     $3.99
DEC150774     MIGHTY THOR #4     $3.99
DEC150732     POWER MAN AND IRON FIST #1     $3.99
NOV150952     PUNISHER VS MARVEL UNIVERSE TP     $34.99
DEC150795     SILVER SURFER #2     $3.99
DEC158244     SPIDER-GWEN #4 RODRIGUEZ 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC150816     SPIDER-WOMAN #4     $3.99
DEC158245     SQUADRON SUPREME #3 ALEX ROSS 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC150761     SQUADRON SUPREME #4     $3.99
DEC158107     STAR WARS #14 BROOKS 2ND PTG VAR VDWN     $3.99
DEC150866     STAR WARS #16     $3.99
DEC150838     STARBRAND AND NIGHTMASK #3     $3.99
DEC150788     STAR-LORD #4     $3.99
DEC158108     TOTALLY AWESOME HULK #2 FRANK CHO 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC158246     ULTIMATES #3 ROCAFORT 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC150797     UNCANNY INHUMANS #5     $3.99
AUG150897     UNCANNY X-MEN OMNIBUS HC VOL 03 OPENA CVR     $125.00
DEC150815     WEB WARRIORS #4     $3.99
NOV150955     X-MEN GAMBIT TP COMPLETE COLLECTION VOL 01     $34.99
NOV150942     X-TINCTION AGENDA WARZONES TP     $15.99

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for February 17, 2016

IDW PUBLISHING

DEC150442     GODZILLA IN HELL TP     $19.99
SEP150470     SDCC ART GALLERY KEVIN EASTMAN COLL TP     $24.99
DEC150428     TMNT COLOR CLASSICS SERIES 3 #14     $3.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 17, 2016

DARK HORSE COMICS

OCT150041     BARB WIRE TP VOL 01 STEEL HARBOR BLUES     $14.99
DEC150101     BTVS SEASON 10 #24 MAIN CVR     $3.99
OCT150079     CREEPY ARCHIVES HC VOL 23     $49.99
DEC150104     DARK HORSE PRESENTS 2014 #19     $4.99
DEC150051     DRAGON AGE MAGEKILLER #3     $3.99
OCT150081     FATE ZERO TP VOL 01 (MR)     $11.99
SEP150104     GAME OF THRONES FIGURE GREY WORM     $24.99
OCT150082     KUROSAGI CORPSE DELIVERY SERVICE OMNIBUS ED TP BOOK 03     $19.99
DEC150054     PLANTS VS ZOMBIES ONGOING #9 PETAL TO THE METAL     $2.99
DEC150082     STEAM MAN #5     $3.99
DEC150047     TOMB RAIDER 2016 #1     $3.99
DEC150124     USAGI YOJIMBO #152     $3.99
OCT150083     VAMPIRE HUNTER D NOVEL SC VOL 23 IRIYA BERSERKER (MR)     $11.99

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 17, 2016

IMAGE COMICS

DEC150562     ASTRONAUTS IN TROUBLE #9     $2.99
DEC150566     BIRTHRIGHT #14 CVR A BRESSAN & LUCAS     $2.99
DEC150567     BIRTHRIGHT #14 CVR B DRAGOTTA     $2.99
DEC150546     BITCH PLANET #7 (MR)     $3.99
DEC150573     CITIZEN JACK #4 CVR A PATTERSON & TODD (MR)     $3.99
DEC150574     CITIZEN JACK #4 CVR B LEMIRE (MR)     $3.99
DEC150644     FADE OUT TP VOL 03 (MR)     $12.99
DEC150583     FROM UNDER MOUNTAINS #5     $2.99
DEC150587     HUCK #4 CVR A ALBUQUERQUE     $3.50
DEC150588     HUCK #4 CVR B ALBUQUERQUE     $3.50
DEC150589     I HATE FAIRYLAND #5 CVR A YOUNG (MR)     $3.50
NOV150668     INVINCIBLE TP VOL 22     $16.99
JUL150613     SEX CRIMINALS #14 (MR)     $3.50
DEC150539     SNOWFALL #1 (MR)     $3.99
DEC150553     STARVE #6 (MR)     $3.99
NOV150652     STRAY BULLETS SUNSHINE & ROSES #12 (MR)     $3.99
DEC150624     SYMMETRY #3 CVR A IENCO     $3.99
DEC150625     SYMMETRY #3 CVR B IENCO     $3.99
NOV150656     TITHE #8 CVR A EKEDAL     $5.99
NOV150657     TITHE #8 CVR B SEVY     $5.99

Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for February 17, 2016

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

DEC158755     MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS #0 (2ND PTG)     $3.99
OCT151575     12 REASONS WHY I LOVE HER 10TH ANNV ED HC     $19.99
DEC151154     ADVENTURE TIME ICE KING #2     $3.99
DEC151255     ALICE COOPER VS CHAOS #6 RARE CHIN VIRGIN ED     $50.00
NOV151163     AMAZING WORLD OF GUMBALL TP VOL 02     $14.99
DEC150958     AMERICAN MONSTER #2 (MR)     $3.99
NOV151594     ANGEL BEATS HEAVENS DOOR GN VOL 01     $12.99
DEC151007     ARCHIE #6 VERONICA FISH REG CVR A     $3.99
DEC151025     ART OF BIG DOG INK VOL 01     $24.99
OCT151574     AUTEUR TP VOL 02 SISTER BAMBI (MR)     $19.99
DEC151012     BETTY & VERONICA COMICS DOUBLE DIGEST #241     $4.99
DEC151123     BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA #21     $3.99
DEC151099     BILL & TED GO TO HELL #1 MAIN CVR     $3.99
DEC151115     BILL & TED MOST TRIUMPHANT RETURN TP VOL 01 (MR)     $19.99
NOV151051     BLACK HOOD #9 REG CVR A FRANCAVILLA (MR)     $3.99
NOV151641     BLACKLIST #7 REG LORIMER     $3.99
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Kimi Ni Todoke: Ayane's Dilmemma

I read Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 23

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

Review: THE GODDAMNED #1

THE GODDAMNED No. 1
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Jason Aaron
ART: r.m. Guéra
COLORS: Giulia Brusco
COVER: r.m. Guéra
VARIANT COVER: Jock
36pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2015)

Rated M / Mature

Before the Flood: Part One “The Mark of Cain”

The Goddamned is a new comic book series from writer Jason Aaron and artist r.m. Guéra.  It is set 1600 years after God expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.

The Goddamned #1 (Before the Flood: Part One “The Mark of Cain”) opens somewhere on the edge of an unnamed desert.  A man who is supposed to be dead awakens in pond in which excrement, urine, and dead animals have replaced water.  Naked and driven by vengeance, the man intends on paying a visit to the “Bone Boys,” the men that cut his throat and took his belongs.  The Bones Boys are about to discover that this mystery man cannot be killed.

Jason Aaron and r.m. Guéra were the creative team behind the critically-acclaimed, crime and Western comic book series, Scalped (published by DC Comics/Vertigo), which I have never read.  After reading this first issue of The Goddamned, I'd like to give Scalped a try.

Honestly, I am not sure where this comic book, The Goddamned, is going.  With many comic books, I have a pretty good idea about the direction of the series, in terms of tone, if not also in terms of the narrative.  Since I am curious (for the time being), I will seek out at least the next two issues (if they don't sell out) of The Goddamned, although it mystifies me.

Now, although I am clueless (for the most part), I will still recommend that readers try The Goddamned, especially if they have read other work by Jason Aaron.  This is such a unique reading experience, with a bold and brazen interpretation of pre-Flood, Biblical times, that it is hard to look away from it.  I actually reread portions a few time after my first read.

Another reason to try this comic books is r.m. Guéra because he does some interesting things, illustratively and graphically, that make this comic book worth examining.  So god-damn-it, someone better save me a copy of issue #2

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Terra Formars: Joseph C. Newton - Superstar

I read Terra Formars, Vol. 10

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

Review: E IS FOR EXTINCTION #4

E IS FOR EXTINCTION No. 4
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: Chris Burnham and Dennis Culver
ARTIST: Ramon Villalobos
COLORS: Ian Herring
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Ian Bertram with Dave Stewart
VARIANT COVER: James Harren
28pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (November 2015)

“Supernova”

Rated T+

The four-issue comic book miniseries, E is for Extinction, is one of the “Secret Wars Battleworld” comic books that are connected to Marvel Comics' eight-issue event miniseries, Secret Wars, from writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Esad Ribic.  It is written by Chris Burnham and Dennis Culver; drawn by Ramon Villalobos; colored by Ian Herring; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.  E is for Extinction is a re-purposing of the 2001 New X-Men story arc, “E is for Extinction,” from Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.

In the world of E is for Extinction, Charles Xavier has killed himself.  Magneto carries on his legacy at “The Atom Institute,” a school for exceptional students – both mutant and human alike.  However, Magneto has been hiding an object of incredible power, a Phoenix Egg.  He has also been using the object's power to weaken the original X-Men:  Cyclops, Emma Frost, and Wolverine.  After a massive fight at The Atom Institute between various mutant factions, the Phoenix Egg hatches and reveals... Cassandra Nova... returned to fight her arch-nemesis – Charles Xavier.

I was so in love with E is for Extinction #1 that I was sure that the rest of the series could not live up to the hype of my review of the first issue or my own expectations.  Actually, it did both.  It is one of the most imaginative X-Men stories of the last two decades, and it also does its source material, the original “E is for Extinction,” proud.  I like Ramon Villalobos' crusty take on Frank Quitely's drawing style of the original story.  In fact, Chris Burnham and Dennis Culver take Morrison's X-Men in more far-out places than one would expect from writers who are not Morrison.

Another surprising thing, E is for Extinction is funny (as was the 2001 story).  Its sparkling sense of humor permeates even the most gruesome battles in this story.  It is as if E is for Extinction #4 revels in the idea that the antagonists in this series cannot see that their actions, well-intentioned or not, are making their goals unreachable.  It's a shame that there will not be more of this (I assume), but a trade collection will make this exceptional comic book series available for even more readers to discover it.  And E is for Extinction deserves to be discovered, my X-Men readers.

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: DEADMAN WONDERLAND Volume 13

DEADMAN WONDERLAND, VOL. 13
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

STORY: Jinsei Kataoka
ART: Kazuma Kondou
TRANSLATION: Joe Yamazaki
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Stan!
LETTERS: James Gaubatz
ISBN: 978-1-4215-6419-7; paperback (February 2016); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
212pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Deadman Wonderland is a science fiction manga written by Jinsei Kataoka and drawn by Kazuma Kondou.  It began publication in the Japanese manga magazine, Shonen Ace, in 2008.  TOKYOPOP began publishing an English-language edition of the series, releasing five volumes before shutting its North American publishing division in 2011.  Then, VIZ Media picked up the Deadman Wonderland license and publishing the series in English.

Deadman Wonderland focuses on 14-year-old Ganta Igarashi.  He is framed for the brutal murders of his classmates; then, he is sentenced to death.  Ganta is imprisoned in Deadman Wonderland (DW), a privately run, carnival-like penitentiary built on the ruins of Tokyo.  This bizarre and fatal theme park is a place where the prison bosses force the inmates to perform in notorious gladiatorial fights to the death.  This is the near-future, ten years after the Great Tokyo Earthquake put 70% of Japan underwater.

As Deadman Wonderland, Vol. 13 (Chapters 53 to 57) opens, the notorious prison begins to collapse and sink beneath the waves.  Meanwhile, Ganta faces off against Shiro, as she begins to reveal her past.  It is intimately connected to Ganta's and is the reason that Shiro wants Ganta to kill her.

Now, learn the origin of the Great Tokyo Earthquake.  Why did Ganta's mother conceive him?  Who bought Shiro?  What is the source of Ganta's powers and why does he have them?  Can either Ganta or Shiro have a happy ending?  Can both their wishes come true in the end?

The English-language publication of the Deadman Wonderland manga has finally been completed.  VIZ Media published the entire series in a graphic novel format over the course of 13 volumes on a bimonthly basis.

Deadman Wonderland Volume 13 offers a satisfactory ending, in a battle manga fashion.  Still, this dark series does not push aside its cautionary tale side, as to the end, it warns about the dangers of ruthlessly ambitious scientists and savagely opportunistic politicians.  Like many sci-fi shonen manga, Deadman Wonderland offers a finale that is merely the end of one part of the story.  The theme park and prison Deadman Wonderland has legacy, and the part that creators, Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou, revealed to us was a darn good read.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Review: JAMES BOND Volume 1 #1

JAMES BOND, VOL. 1 No. 1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT – @dynamitecomics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Warren Ellis
ART: Jason Masters
COLORS: Guy Major
LETTERS: Simon Bowland
COVER: Dom Reardon
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Francesco Francavilla; Steven Mooney; Dan Panosian; Gabriel Hardman with Jordan Boyd; Glenn Fabry; Jock; Gabriel Hardman; Joe Jusko; Aaron Campbell; Timothy Lim; Dennis Calero; Robert Hack; Ben Oliver; Jason Masters
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

Rated T+

“Vargr”

“James Bond” is a fictional British Secret Service agent created by Ian Fleming, a British writer and novelist.  Fleming introduced James Bond in the 1953 novel, Casino Royale, and featured the character in 12 novels and two short-story collections.  Of course, most people know Bond because of the long-running James Bond-007 film series, which began with the 1962 film, Dr. No.

After Fleming's death, a number of authors continued to produce James Bond novels, including the recently released Trigger Warning from author Anthony Horowitz.  Over the past 50+ years, Bond has made sporadic appearances in comic books.  The latest James Bond comic book appears courtesy of Dynamite Entertainment.

James Bond, Volume 1 is written by Warren Ellis, drawn by Jason Masters, colored by Guy Major, and lettered by Simon Bowland.  The first story arc is entitled is entitled “Vargr.”  According to Ellis, this James Bond comic book series will feature a James Bond that skews closer to the character that appeared in Ian Fleming's writing than in the film series.

James Bond, Volume 1, #1 opens in Helsinki, Finland.  There, James Bond-007 is settling a matter concerning 008.  Back in London at MI6 headquarters, M (Bond's immediate superior) informs Bond that he must take on a larger workload.  That will take him to Berlin and into danger.

When actor Daniel Craig was cast as James Bond around a decade ago, it was announced that the James Bond film series would return to the idea that 007 was a blunt instrument used by the British Secret Service.  That was evident in most of Craig's first outing as Bond, 2006's Casino Royale, although the film ultimately returned to the action movie theatrics that have defined the series for most of its existence.

In 22 pages, writer Warren Ellis makes it clear that the James Bond of “Vargr” is not only a blunt instrument, but also is a man who can be both suave and ordinary-like, as necessary.  This Bond is also classic and cool, like Sean Connery operating with a jazzy soundtrack in the background.  There is, however, also a touch of the edginess found in Richard Stark's Parker.

Jason Masters' art and graphical storytelling deglazes any cinematic sheen from both the subject and the story.  With Guy Major's colors, Masters' art does not seek to make this a matter-of-fact Bond, but rather it emphasizes the story and genre as much as it does the famous character.

I highly recommend this to fans of James Bond and to those who have been waiting for a James Bond comic book.  I must also note that not only is Moneypenny a Black character (as she is in the current films), but so is M.  I'll be waiting in Berlin...

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

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