#IReadsYou Review: LOVE AND ROCKETS VOL. IV #4

LOVE AND ROCKETS VOL. IV #4

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

CARTOONISTS: Gilbert Hernandez; Jaime Hernandez

EDITOR: Eric Reynolds

COVER: Gilbert Hernandez

BACK COVER: Jaime Hernandez

VARIANT COVER: Jaime Hernandez

36pp, B&W, $4.99 U.S. (November 2017)

Love and Rockets is the seminal alternative comic book series produced by brothers, Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez.  It has been published since 1982 by Fantagraphics Books, where it started out as a magazine-sized comic book that ran for 50 issues (1983 to 1996).  It later returned for a 20-issue run as a standard-sized comic book, (Vol II, 2001-2007), and then, it became an annual graphic novel series which ran for eight volumes, Love and Rockets: New Stories (Vol. III, 2008-2016).  [It is important to note that Gilbert and Jaime do not collaborate, and that each brother has his own characters and stories.]

In late 2016, Love and Rockets Vol. IV returned the series to its comic magazine format that fans of the original series fell in love with and probably still love and prefer.  I prefer the original format, but I understand that for various reasons the brothers and publishers felt the need to initiate format changes at different times.

Under a front cover by Gilbert, Love and Rockets Vol. IV #4 offers six stories and vignettes, two by Gilbert (Beto) and four by Jaime.  The issue opens with Gilbert's “Since I Don't Love You,” which finds Pipo Jiminez deciding if she will travel to Palomar for the funeral of Soledad Marquez.  The rest of a story is a flashback covering the horrible consequences of the love triangle involving Pipo and Soledad & Manuel (stars of the original L&R story, “Heartbreak Soup”).  Later, Killer and Chino take an overview of Killer's... eccentric movie career as she embarks on a singing career.

On the Jaime side of things, the “Locas” girls' punk reunion has come to an end, but Jaime offers a trip back to 1979 and the days of the young punk Locas and Maggie's burgeoning crush on Hopey.  Plus, while Maggie's away, Doyle will play, but his playmate, Sonny, specializes in wearing out his welcome.  Plus, Doyle learns about the “brick guy” who almost killed him by attempting to smash in his head.  There is also some classic, Jaime sci-fi, as sisters Lumina and Isla reunite as the Anima situation turns more intense.

THE LOWDOWN:  I have not read an issue of Love and Rockets Vol. IV in almost five years, and that was Love and Rockets Vol. IV #3, which was at least two years old when I read it.  I just finished reading #4, which was published in 2017.  My, has time passed, but the passing has not confused me when it comes to Love and Rockets, especially as much of this issue is set in the time period the series covered during the first decade of its original run.

Gilbert's tale, “Since I Don't Have You,” recalls the heartbreak that is one of the defining characteristics of the fictional Mexican village of Palomar (the setting of many of Gilbert's stories) and the lives of its denizens.  Jaime's 1979 flashback recalls the Maggie and Hopey with whom I fell in love and the early stories in which Jaime essentially honed his craft.  I have a crush on Doyle, so any story about him, including this one that goes back to his near-death, I welcome with open arms.

I'll say this for sure:  Love and Rockets Vol. IV #4 reminds me that I need to engage another re-read of this series, which means going back to the beginning.  I honestly can't say that issue #4 will attract new readers, but it is chicken soup for the L&R fan's soul.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Love and Rockets will want to read Love and Rockets Vol. IV.

A+

10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

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#IReadsYou Review: NOW #1

NOW #1
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

CARTOONISTS: Gabrielle Bell; Sara Corbett; Antoine Cossé; Eleanor Davis; Kaela Graham; Sammy Harkham; Conxita Hererro; Malachi Ward and Matt Sheean; J.C. Menu; Rebecca Morgan; Tommi Parrish; Tobias Schalken; Dash Shaw; Noah Van Sciver; Daria Tessler; Nick Thorburn
DESIGN: Jacob Covey
EDITOR: Eric Reynolds
COVER: Rebecca Morgan
ISBN: 978-1-68396-052-2; paperback (September 2017)
128pp, Color, $9.99 U.S.

NOW is a comics anthology series launched in 2017 by alternative comics (alt-comix) and art comics publisher, Fantagraphics Books.  Over its four-plus decades of existence, Fantagraphics has published what is probably the most diverse collection of comic book anthologies in the history of North American comic books.  That line-up includes such titles as Anything Goes, Critters, Mome, Pictopia, and Zero Zero, to name a few.

NOW #1 proves that Fantagraphics has not lost a step with age when it comes to anthologies.  I wish that everyone could read the introduction to the first issue written by NOW's editor, Eric Reynolds, even those who have not read this first issue.  It seems as if everything Reynolds hopes NOW could achieve is in evidence in NOW #1.  Reynolds wants to showcase “...as broad a range of quality comic art as possible...”

NOW #1 does that, so let's take a look at each cartoonist's contribution.

THE LOWDOWN:  The illustration that acts as NOW #1's cover art is entitled “Plan B on Easter Morning,” and it is produced by Rebecca Morgan.  It is a stylish, colorful, full-color illustration that is surreal and kooky, and it reminds me of the work of Aline Kominsky-Crumb.

“Constitutional” by Sara Corbett:
This is a beautiful piece featuring an elderly woman and her wily cat that has vivid green eyes.  This one-page comic has a striking graphical style, dazzling colors, and eye-catching patterns drawn on characters and objects.  I could see “Constitutional” being a cover for The New Yorker.

“21 Positions/The Final Frontier” by Tobias Schalken:
This is a pantomime comic featuring two characters, one female and one male, each alone and each on the opposite side of the page.  They are imitating the ways in which people hold and touch one another.  I am impressed by the figure drawing, and every time I look at this story, I feel some raw emotions emanating from the page.

“Hurt or Fuck?” by Eleanor Davis:
This is a black and white comic, drawn apparently with a lead pencil.  I like its composition, but I don't know what to make of it.  I don't want to read too much into it... or read the wrong thing...

“Scorpio” by Dash Shaw:
The incomparable Dash Shaw (Cosplayers) offers this story of childbirth on Tuesday, November 8, 2016 (a.k.a. “The Day of the Clown”).  The intimacy and familiarity between the expecting couple feels genuine, and the story is warm and humorous.  I could read an entire graphic novel built around these characters.

“Dear Naked Guy In the Apartment Across from Mine Spread Eagle & Absent-mindedly Flicking his Penis While Watching TV,” by Gabrielle Bell:
This one-page comic is exactly what it says – a young woman sees her pudgy, naked neighbor lying in his bed and playing with himself every time she is in the kitchen of her (apparently) small apartment.  I read the neighbor as being aggressively passive-aggressive, but I'm not sure about the young woman (whom I'm assuming is the cartoonist).  Is she disgusted or distressed... “Dear Naked Guy...” is one of NOW #1's best entries.

“S.O.S. Suitcases” by J.C. Menu:
This 14-page, black and white, comic is a wild and woolly, surreal adventure tale that is alternative comics and neo-underground comix.  I think this story would be a perfect fit in a certain kind of comics anthologies:  from Zap Comix to Weirdo and from Zero Zero to... well, to NOW.

“Wall of Shame” by Noah Van Sciver:
This 15-page story is my NOW #1 favorite.  In an autobiographical slash slice-of-life comics story, Noah returns to his hometown of Denver, Colorado because the Denver Art Museum is holding an exhibition of his comics and illustrations.  Returning home, however, means a return to family... and a reunion with his younger brother, Jonah, a loud, shameless, womanizing, pussy-hound.

If I have encountered Van Sciver's work before, it could not have been much.  After reading “Wall of Shame,” I definitely want to read more it, especially anything like this story.  Once upon a time, I spent much of the 1990s reading the autobiographical, mock-auto-bio, and slice-of-life comics, comic books, and graphic novels produced by a number of alternative cartoonists and comic book creators, including Joe Matt, Seth, David Greenberger, and Julie Doucet, to name a few.

“Wall of Shame,” a very entertaining story, brings me back to those days.  That aside, this is a thoroughly engaging story of family ties, with Jonah as the kind of scene-stealing character that captures the imagination.  Noah leaves me wanting more.

“Untitled” by Tommi Parrish:
This lovely story is about two people talking about the struggles of understanding oneself when coming out as gay.  Reading this is like listening in on an intimate conversation, and at seven pages, this story is over much too soon.  After I read this, I could not stop thinking about the idea of “poisonous scripts,” which comes from the world of culture and pop culture and tells us what and how we should be, act, think, feel, live, etc.

“Pretend We're Orphans” by Kaela Graham:
This story has a delightful, picture book and fairy tale quality.  It works as a self-contained tale of imagination, but it would still be quite good as a piece from a larger work.”

“Songs in the Key of Grief” by Daria Tessler:
I feel like this is about Kurt Cobain.

“Here I Am” by Conxita Hererro:
This story is apparently based on an earlier work by cartoonist Gabrielle Bell, a contributor to Now #1.  I got nothing from it.

“Widening Horizon” by Malachi Ward (story/art) and Matt Sheean (story):
This is an intriguing science fiction comics short story.  I won't call it “alternative history,” because it reads like a classic science fiction short story that imagines a different past, present, and future.  Ward's beautiful clear-line drawing style perfectly captures the atmosphere of a story about spaceflight.

“Statue” by Antoine Cossé:
A stylish blend of landscape architecture, industrial design, Art Deco, and minimalism, “Statue” is a haunting tale that also manages to gleam with possibility.  I found that Cossé engaged my imagination with a story that challenged me to unravel its mysteries.  “Statue” is an example of a story that the reader can enjoy without having to know everything the cartoonist wants to convey.  I look forward to seeing more of this creator's work.

“I, Marlon” by Sammy Harkham:
The only reason that I know that the “Marlon” in “I, Marlon” is the legendary American actor, Marlon Brando, is because I recently read Michael J. Mann's massive biography of the actor, The Contender: The Story of Marlon Brando.  Shockingly, Harkham's one-age comic (apparently produced in 2016) summarizes some key themes in Mann's 700+ page book, which was published in late 2019 (and took me several months to read).

“Untitled” by Nick Thorburn:
This is a comic strip that runs at the top of the back cover.  I like Thorburn's drawing style.

So, the final verdict on NOW #1 is that it is one of the best first issues of a comics anthology that I have ever read.  If the issues that follow NOW #1 are half as good as it is, then, NOW is a must-read series for serious comic book readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of classic alternative-comics anthologies will want to discover NOW.

9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: WWE #1

WWE No. 1
BOOM! STUDIOS – @boomstudios

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Dennis Hopeless
ART: Serg Acuna
COLORS: Doug Garbark
LETTERS: Jim Campbell
EDITORS: Jasmine Amiri and Eric Harburn
COVER: Dan Mora
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jamal Campbell; Rob Guillory; Oliver Barrett; Adam Riches; Brent Schoonover; Scott Newman; Corbyn Kern; Daniel Warren Johnson; Mike Henderson; Fabio Valle; Nakia Mann; Audrey Mok; Jerry Gaylord
24pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(January 2017)

“Breaking of The Shield”

WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) is an American integrated media company and entertainment company known primarily as a professional wrestling league.  It is also a media and entertainment brand that includes licensed products like toys and clothing... and comic books.

As far as I can tell, the first WWE licensed comic books were first published a decade ago.  First, Titan Books of the United Kingdom published their wrestling comic book, WWE Heroes, with publication dates both in 2010 and 2011.  NBM Publishing, under its “Super Genius” imprint, published a comic book, WWE Superstars, with publication dates beginning in 2013 and possibly ending in 2016.

Beginning in 2016, BOOM! Studios published several “WWE” branded comic books, including an ongoing series, WWE, that ran for 25 issues from 2017 to 2019.  The main story in each issue of WWE was produced by the creative team of writer Dennis Hopeless; artist Serg Acuna; colorist Doug Garbark; and letterer Jim Campbell, as far as I can tell, for the duration of the series.

WWE #1 (“Breaking of The Shield”) opens with Seth Rollins, a member “The Shield,” one of the most dominant factions in WWE history, winning his latest match.  Seth, the ultimate opportunist, uses his victory to split with his partners in The Shield, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose.  Seth apparently betrays his mates at the best of the legendary wrestler, “Triple H,” the self-styled “King of Kings” who is now the authority in control of WWE.

Now, Seth is eager to prove that he is ready to fight for the “WWE Championship,” but his ambition puts him on a collision course with his former brothers.  And just what are Triple H's plans for Seth Rollins... really?

I never thought I would say this, but I liked WWE #1.  I was a wrestling fan as a 'tween, but after that, I rarely watched any matches on television.  In the time since then, I have sometimes watched a few minutes of professional wrestling produced by the WWE (formerly the WWF) and a few other pro wrestling organizations.  I find myself mildly interested, but watching pro wrestling would mean cutting into time I give to other entertainment and pastimes.

WWE #1 interests me because writer Dennis Hopeless tells an intriguing tale in the worlds of professional sports and in the entertainment industry.  That is the story of an ambitious ladder-climber who will betray any and everyone for his shot at making it to the top.  Such blind ambition can get you what you want, but that sometimes comes at the cost of losing things, both exterior (friends, family, colleagues, etc.) and interior (self-respect, peace of mind, pride, etc.).  By telling such a story, Hopeless sets up the WWE's atmosphere both of intrigue and backstabbing and of hope and glory, which could make for an engaging comic book series.

Artist Serg Acuna captures the brawniness and vitality of the wrestlers and also the pro wrestlers' propensity to strike quickly at opponents and adversaries.  Acuna's compositions have energy and suggest a sense of movement, and that is well served by Doug Garbark's tone-perfect coloring.  Letterer Jim Campbell pounds out the story in lettering that smartly tends to hang at the edges of the panels.  This doubles the power of the story, which is told in muscular illustrations and in Hopeless' straightforward dialogue and exposition.

I am not saying that WWE #1 is great, but it is quite good.  The highest praise that I can give it is to say that I will seek out WWE back issues.

7.5 out of 10

[This comic book features the back-up story, “The New Day's Optimistic Odyssey” Part 2, written by Ross Thibodeaux; drawn by Rob Guillory; colored by Taylor Wells; and lettered by Jim Campbell.]

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: MAN IS VOX: Paingels (Expanded Edition)

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

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: John Ira Thomas – @johnirathomas
ARTIST: Carter Allen – @attila71
PENCILS: Carter Allen
INKS: Carter Allen; Jeremy Smith (“Dessert” story)
LETTERS: John Ira Thomas
COVER: Carter Allen
ISBN: 978-0-9895376-9-3; paperback – 7.5 x 0.8 x 9.2 inches dimensions (September 18, 2017)
292pp, B&W and Color $39.95 U.S.

Man is Vox: Paingels is a 2004 original graphic novel published by Candle Light Press (CLP) and created by writer John Ira Thomas and artist Carter Allen.  Last year, CLP released an updated edition of the graphic novel, Man is Vox: Paingels (Expanded Edition).

This is a kind of overview.  Man is Vox: Paingels follows a man who is essentially a killer on the search for a psycho who kills some women.  He abuses in terrible ways those women that he does not kill.  The Fearsome Shade, Mr. Way, the Shotgun Bride, the Husband, Samdy Lockney, The Beacon, Insides, and Dilmus:  they are all on or in the orbit “The Beacon.”

Abortions; many Beacons; clothes make the man, and Sid S, the serial killer of children.  Mr. Way and the Fearsome Shade have to put an end to the Beacon, but who are they really?  Who are Mr. Way and the Fearsome Shade to confront the Beacon for his crimes, especially against Ms. Lockney?

2015 was 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.]  Since then, CLP have been releasing new editions of a few of their early graphic novels, including Man is Vox: Barracudae, the Man is Vox OGN that precedes Paingels.

John Ira Thomas and Carter Allen tell Paingels via a Baskin-Robbins like palette of graphic styles and illustrative mediums (so to speak).  Traditional color comic book art; traditional black and white art; a child's crayon drawings; charcoal; vector art; ink; finger puppet theater; 8-bit video game graphics; cut outs; torn pages; woodblock engraving-like art; and faux family photo album, among many.

When I first read Man is Vox: Paingels, I could not think of many points of references for my subsequent review of it.  Fifteen years later, however, I think I have one.  With surrealism on high and touches of Meshes of the Afternoon, Man is Vox: Paingels (Expanded Edition) is a trippy reading experience.  Much of the narrative deals with what goes on in the human mind – the interior life and the mental experience.  So Paingels makes me think of Noah Hawley's television series, “Legion” (FX).  Paingels simply does not display the self-indulgence and narcissism, nor does it possess the lack of self-control and lack of self-awareness that can be brought on by having the kind of large budget that a major Hollywood studio can gift a “genius” showrunner.

Man is Vox: Paingels (Expanded Edition) is an adventure in original graphic novel reading.  It is not really meant to be read in one sitting, which I certainly did not do.  Some chapters, I read over a period of several weeks.  Other chapters, I read in rapid succession.  I have to be honest; Paingels is not my favorite Candle Light Press book by far.  However, the characters are simply lovely, so much so that I want to engage Paingels just to read about them.

http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/
https://www.facebook.com/candlelightpres/

7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: LOVE AND ROCKETS IV #3

LOVE AND ROCKETS VOL. IV No. 3
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS – @fantagraphics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: Gilbert Hernandez; Jaime Hernandez – @BetomessGilbert @xaimeh
ARTISTS: Gilbert Hernandez; Jaime Hernandez
EDITOR: Eric Reynolds – @earinc
COVER: Jaime Hernandez
BACK COVER: Gilbert Hernandez
VARIANT COVER: Gilbert Hernandez
36pp, B&W, $4.99 U.S. (July 2017)

Love and Rockets is the seminal alternative comic book series produced by brothers, Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez.  It has been published since 1982 by Fantagraphics Books, where it started out as a magazine-sized comic book that ran for 50 issues (1983 to 1996).  It later returned for a 20-issue run as a standard-sized comic book, (Vol II, 2001-2007), and then, it became an annual graphic novel series which ran for eight volumes, Love and Rockets: New Stories (Vol. III, 2008-2016).  [It is important to note that Gilbert and Jaime do not collaborate, and that each brother has his own characters and stories.]

In late 2016, Love and Rockets Vol. IV returned the series to its comic magazine format that fans of the original series fell in love with and probably still love and prefer.  I prefer the original format, but I understand that for various reasons the creators and publishers felt the need to initiate format changes at different times.

Under a front cover by Jaime, Love and Rockets Vol. IV #3 offers nine stories and vignettes, five by Gilbert (Beto) and four by Jaime.  On the Jaime side of things, the “Locas” girls' punk reunion has come to an end, but Maggie and Hopey still have the evening to chew the fat and also some hard questions about the past, the present, and the future.  What is “punk”?  What did it all mean?  What does it mean now?  What will it mean in the end?  Plus, a trip back to 1979 returns us to the days of young punk Locas.  And in the classic, sci-fi, Xaime section, sisters Lumina and Isla reunite as the Anima situation turns more intense.

Gilbert reveals episodes of the Doctor Who ripoff, “Professor Enigma.”  Fritz starred as “Missy,” the Prof.'s assistant, but will soon see her 10-year-old daughter take over the roll.  Also, Fritz's newly reunited twin daughters, Baby (Remedios) and Rosario, meet their grandmother, who is a classic Palomar character!

Love and Rockets Vol. IV #3 is the weakest issue of the new series, thus far.  The return to 1979 is a killer section, and I could feel it and the power of young Locas characters dominate my imagination even as I read the rest of this issue.  The segment featuring modern day Maggie and Hopey feels like it is in a holding pattern, waiting for something big to happen.

The “Professor Enigma” segments lack the classic weirdness of Gilbert's best B.E.M. and sci-fi/B-movie stories, although the back cover crackles with weird energy.  Once again, it takes a classic, old-school L&R character to electrify this issue and Gilbert's contributions.

Even if Love and Rockets Vol. IV #3 is the least of the lot early in this new Love and Rockets run, this is still mostly good stuff.  Jaime's “Anima” art is glorious and beautiful, and the storytelling is invigorating.  I certainly wanted more.  And once again, I must emphasize that Gilbert's back cover art is imaginative and cool.

7.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: LOVE AND ROCKETS Volume 4 #2

LOVE AND ROCKETS VOL. IV No. 2
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS – @fantagraphics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: Gilbert Hernandez; Jaime Hernandez – @BetomessGilbert @xaimeh
ARTISTS: Gilbert Hernandez; Jaime Hernandez
EDITOR: Eric Reynolds – @earinc
COVER: Gilbert Hernandez
BACK COVER: Jaime Hernandez
VARIANT COVER: Jaime Hernandez
36pp, B&W, $4.99 U.S. (March 2017)

Love and Rockets, the seminal alternative comic book, produced by brothers Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez, has been published since 1982 by Fantagraphics Books.  It started as a magazine-sized comic book that ran for 50 issues (1983 to 1996) and later returned for a 20-issue run as a standard-sized comic book, (Vol II, 2001-2007).  Then, it became an annual graphic novel series which ran for eight volumes, Love and Rockets: New Stories (Vol. III, 2008-2016).  [It is important to note that Gilbert and Jaime do not collaborate, and that each brother has his own characters and stories.]

In late 2016, Love and Rockets Vol. IV returned the series to its comic magazine format that fans of the original series fell in love with and probably still love and prefer.  I prefer the original format, but I understand that for various reasons the creators and publishers felt the need to initiate format changes at different times.

Under a front cover by Gilbert, Love and Rockets Vol. IV #2 offers six stories, three by Gilbert (Beto) and three by Jaime.  The issue opens with “Fritz Haters Will Just Have to Be Patient,” (Gilbert) and focuses on Rosalba “Fritz” Martinez, international cult movie and television star.  She is still working through the divorce from her wife, Pipo.  However, the bigger event is final meeting Rosario, the until-now hidden twin of Fritz's daughter, Baby.

In “More for the Haters,” Rosario frets about meeting her twin sister, Baby, until Rosario's friend, Andres, forces the meeting.  In “Nowhere, USA,” now that Fritz is reunited with her “lost” twin daughter, Rosario, it is time to introduce the girl to Aunt Petra, Fritz's sister.

On the Jaime side of things, a reunited Maggie and Hopey are still at a punk reunion, but as things wind down, Maggie realizes that not many of the old punks remember her.  In “Forest Spirits,”  Tonta Agajanian is accompanied by her half-sister, Vivian “Frogmouth” Solis to a local forest.  When Vivian discovers that the local urban legend of the “forest spirit” might be real, she reacts differently from everyone else.  In the final story, everyone is asking, “Where is Anima?”

As I wrote in my review of the first issue, I knew that I would like the return of Love and Rockets to a magazine-sized publication.  There was and is something magical about Love and Rockets presented in magazine-size.  Although, both Gilbert and Jaime focus on different and/or new characters, Love and Rockets Vol. IV recalls in me the sensations of reading the original run of the series.

Gilbert's Fritz stories are often absurd, over-the-top, and farcical, yet the drama is potent.  The characters are achingly human, at times frivolous and hopeless, and at other times, lovable and loving.  The final two pages of “Fritz Haters Will Just Have to Be Patient” exemplify that, especially when Fritz tells her husband/baby daddy, “I'm not wearing panties.”

Maggie and Hopey are trying not to feel their age, no matter how much they show it, but there is beauty in the fact that they are still living and trying to enjoy life.  The power and freshness of “Locas,” (the first true Jaime Hernandez epic) now resides in the world of Tonta Agajanian, and while Maggie and Hopey might have slowed down, Jaime has not – at least according to these Tonta stories.

Love and Rockets Vol. IV #2 shows that L&R is not back; it never left.  Perhaps, Los Bros. have found vitality in a familiar format.

9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You'


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: BLUBBER #4

BLUBBER No. 4
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS – @fantagraphics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

CARTOONIST: Gilbert Hernandez
EDITOR: Eric Reynolds
COVER: Gilbert Hernandez with Paul Baresh
24pp, B&W, $3.99 U.S. (January 2017)

Gilbert “'Beto” Hernandez is the cartoonist, comic book creator, and graphic novelist best known for being one-half of the duo known as “Los Bros.” Gilbert and his brother, Jaime Hernandez, are Eisner Award (Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards) winners, and they have produced the seminal, alternative comic book series, Love and Rockets (Fantagraphics Books), for the better part of four decades.

As a “solo act,” Gilbert (a.k.a. “Beto”) has also produced numerous original graphic novels and several comic book miniseries for publishers like Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, and Drawn & Quarterly, as well as for his original publisher Fantagraphics.  In 2015, Fantagraphics launched Beto's most recent solo offering, Blubber.

This black and white comic book series offers short stories and vignettes featuring a cast of misfits, monsters, and anthropomorphic types.  Beto also presents his usual mix of bizarre characters, strange stories, and outlandish sex and sexual acts, all hallmarks of his comix going back to the beginning of his public work.

Blubber #4 (which was released earlier this year) opens with the one-page comix about semen and barbecue, “Shit for Fuck,” starring X-25.  Then, in the “Tower of the Sindog” a mother and son each find their pleasure, but there is violence in that mummified love.  Then, you will never believe the adventures of “Red Tempest XXX.”

I gave rave reviews to Blubber issues #1 and #2, but I did not rave about Blubber #3, although I did enjoy it.  I won't rave about Blubber #4, although it is rave-worthy.  After reading this fourth issue, I am simply flustered by Gilbert's imagination because I am starting to believe that he owns some bottomless well of ideas.  From this well, he draws forth inventiveness that seems to spill over the rim of a metaphorical bucket.  Every time I think that Gilbert cannot top himself, I find another story and another – graphically graphic and visually splendid.

Blubber is a true Underground Comix; it is not just in that tradition of... It is the real thing.  Like classic Underground Comix, Blubber is a true comic book, as fun and fanciful as those old-timey comic books I read as a child... without the nose-dicks and the sucking of yard-long cocks.

Well, I have said this before:  Gilbert Hernandez is the best comic book writer in North America.  Well, he is also a pretty, damn good cartoonist, and Blubber needs to go above ground – perhaps riding high on a cock rocket like Slim Pickens' “Kong” in Dr. Strangelove.

9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: THE RUFF AND REDDY SHOW #1

THE RUFF & REDDY SHOW No. 1 (OF 6)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Howard Chaykin
ART: Mac Rey
COLORS: Mac Rey
LETTERS: Ken Bruzenak
COVER: Howard Chaykin with Wil Quintana
VARIANT COVER: Mac Rey
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2017)

Rated “T+” for “Teen Plus”

Ruff and Reddy: A Cautionary Tale in Six Parts Part One

“The Ruff and Reddy Show” (also known as “Ruff and Reddy”) was an animated television series made by Hanna-Barbera Productions (H-B Productions) for NBC.  It was also the first animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera.  “The Ruff and Reddy Show” premiered in December 1957 and ran for fifty episodes until April 1960, comprising three seasons.  “Ruff and Reddy” followed the adventures of Ruff, a smart and steadfast cat, and Reddy, a friendly and brave (but not too bright) dog.

DC Comics has been reinventing and re-imagining classic Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoons in new comic book series since early 2016, the best example being Scooby Apocalypse, which is “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?” with an apocalyptic twist.

“The Ruff and Reddy Show” is the latest classic H-B series to get a DC Comics re-imagining.  The Ruff & Reddy Show is a six-issue comic book miniseries.  It is written by Howard Chaykin; drawn and colored by Mac Rey; and lettered by Ken Bruzenak.

The Ruff & Reddy Show #1 opens in the 1950s and finds America caught between communist/Russia hysteria and the comfort of post-WWII economic prosperity (which white people who are of the Silent Generation or are Baby Boomers call “the good old days”).  On television, “The Ruff and Reddy Show” is a hit, but its stars are not necessarily in the best place.  Ruff and his comedy partner, Reddy, are “celimates,” and neither guy really likes the other.  When everything falls apart, are they ready to try something new to get back to the top of the entertainment mountain?

Considering that this is written by Howard Chaykin, it is surprisingly unimaginative.  The Ruff and Reddy Show also shares a setting that is similar to Satellite Sam (Image Comics), the series Chaykin produced with writer Matt Fraction.  I was somewhat interested in Satellite Sam, but not enough to really seek out the series past the first issue.  I am even less interested in The Ruff and Reddy Show; it just seems like DC Comics is really reaching in its (forced?) effort to re imagine the Hanna-Barbera library.  It seems as if Chaykin favors the lost potential or possibilities of the past (this series and his other work set post-WWII) while holding the actual potential and possibilities of the present in disdain?

Also, the story is lost in all the dark colors and black space created by artist Mac Rey.  Rey's art looks like the work of someone who misunderstands Maurice Noble and uses illustration software to make ugly Maurice Noble-inspired art.  I don't know if I will read the second issue, but I do know that The Ruff & Reddy Show #1 is not worth its $3.99 cover price.

3.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #1

HARLEY & IVY MEET BETTY & VERONICA No. 1 (OF 6)
DC COMICS – @DCComics @ArchieComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Paul Dini and Marc Andreyko
ART: Laura Braga
COLORS: Tony Avina and Arif Prianto
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
EDITOR: Kristy Quinn
COVER: Amanda Conner with Paul Mounts
VARIANT COVERS: Adam Hughes
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2017)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

“Costume Drama” Part One

DC Comics villain, Harley Quinn, originated as a character on the animated television series, “Batman: The Animated Series” (FOX Network, 1992).  Created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, Harley debuted in the episode “Joker’s Favor” (September 11, 1992), as a female sidekick of The Joker and his eventual accomplice.  Harley made her first comic book appearance in The Batman Adventures #12 (cover dated: September 1993), DC Comics’ comic book spin-off of the animated series.

Poison Ivy (whose real name is Pamela Lillian Isley) is a DC Comics supervillain and an adversary of Batman.  Created by Robert Kanigher and Sheldon Moldoff, Poison Ivy first appeared in Batman #181 (June 1966).  Beginning in “Batman The Animated Series,” Poison Ivy has been depicted as a close associate and girl pal of Harley Quinn's, probably beginning with the “Batman: The Animated Series” episode “Harley & Ivy” (1993).

Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge are better known as Archie's Girls Betty and Veronica in the world of Archie Comics.  Betty first appeared in Pep Comics #22 (cover dated: December 1941) and Veronica first appeared in Pep Comics #26 (cover dated: April 1942).  The duo are depicted as “best friends and worst enemies” (the original frenemies?) mainly because Veronica, the spoiled daughter of a wealthy man, has been Betty's rival for Archie Andrews affections since she debuted 75 years ago.

DC Comics' Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy and Archie Comics' Betty and Veronica come together in the new six-issue crossover comic book, Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica.  This comic book series is written by Paul Dini and Marc Andreyko; drawn by Laura Braga; colored by Tony Aviña and Arif Prianta; and lettered by Deron Bennett.

Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #1 opens with Hiram Lodge, businessman and industrialist (and Veronica's father), announcing his intention to turn the Riverdale wetlands reserve, Sweetwater Swamp, into a new development.  That development will include the free college, “Lodge University,” and the “shopping, dining, and entertainment destination, “Lodge's Sweetwater Centre.”

Meanwhile, in Gotham City, Poison Ivy isn't taking the announcement of Lodge's plans with any happiness, because she says that Sweetwater Swamp is a unique ecosystem that is home to rare species of plants.  With Harley Quinn in tow, Poison Ivy heads to Riverdale to stop Hiram Lodge.  What these villainous anti-heroines don't realize is that the trip will reveal two rivals who may be more than a match for them, Betty & Veronica.

I am a longtime Archie Comics fan, so I like Betty & Veronica, of course, with a preference for Betty Cooper.  I have mixed feelings, however, for Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy; I can take them or leave them, depending upon the work in which they appear.  And I can leave this comic book.

Yes, Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica is written by two accomplished writers; one of them is the co-creator of Harley and is an Emmy-winning television writer-producer, Paul Dini.  On the other hand, I have found much of Paul Dini's comic book output to be mediocre work, as this seems to be.  I will admit that this comic book has potential, but this first issue is average comic book product.

The art is mediocre, too; artist Laura Braga seems to be doing some kind of unfortunate copy of the style of comic book artist, Adam Hughes, the creative force behind the current Betty & Veronica comic book.  The coloring here represents the bad side of comic book coloring software; the coloring looks like smudged pastels, spoiled milkshakes, and faded candy-coated paint.

I know there is an audience for this, but for two such venerable characters (Betty & Veronica) and two such popular modern characters (Harley & Ivy), a better effort than Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #1 should have been made.

4.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: DUCKTALES #1

DUCKTALES No. 1
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Joe Caramagna
ART: Luca Usai; Gianfranco Florio
COLOR: Giuseppe Fontana; Giuseppe Fontana and Dario Calabria
LETTERS: Tom B. Long
COVER: Marco Ghiglione
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Marco Ghiglione; Jeff Smith
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2017)

“DuckTales” was an animated television series that ran from 1987 to 1990.  Produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and Tokyo Movie Shinsha, DuckTales was syndicated to American local television stations and ran for 100 episodes.  The series also yielded a theatrical spin-off movie, DuckTales The Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp.

DuckTales was inspired by and based upon the Uncle Scrooge comics book and other comic books set in the world of Donald Duck that Carl Barks, legendary comic book writer-artist, created mainly from the early 1940s and into the 1960s.  DuckTales proved to be a popular TV series, and within a year of its TV debut, comic books based on DuckTales began to appear.

From 1988 to 1991, there were two DuckTales comic books.  There was a “DuckTales” children's magazine published by Disney, and it featured DuckTales comics.  The digest-sized Disney magazine, Disney Adventures, that included DuckTales comics from 1990 to 1996.  Cable network, Disney XD, revived “DuckTales” in 2017 in a slightly rebooted animated series.  That means that DuckTales returns to comics in a new comic book series from IDW.

DuckTales #1 features two stories.  In “The Chilling Secret of the Lighthouse,” Donald Duck takes a job as a lighthouse keeper, but the lighthouse is in a small desert town.  Now, Donald's three nephews:  Huey, Dewey, and Louie have found out that the legend about a lost underground river may be true.  In “The Great Experiment of the Washing Machine,” the nephews find misadventure in a den of absent-minded professor-inventor-scientist types.

Artist Luca Usai and Gianfranco Florio turn out some nice quirky, modern comic book cartoon art for DuckTales.  Their lite version of the post-new wave, alt-comics graphics is spry and energetic.  The colors by Giuseppe Fontana and Dario Calabria are sharp and keep the art from looking like typical Disney-style comics art.

As for the stories, Joe Caramagna writes both of them.  Both are good ideas, but don't work as 11 and 12-page stories.  Caramagna understands the spirit of Carl Barks and of DuckTales, but is unable to execute the stories as tales of adventure, mystery, and imagination.  They are just not long enough, and are therefore, underdeveloped.  I see DuckTales #1 as a primer for what I hope is to come – 20+ pages stories that recall the Uncle Scrooge comics of Carl Barks.

6.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: THE DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA #2

THE DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA No. 2
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER/ARTIST: Howard Chaykin
COLORS: Jesus Aburtov
LETTERS: Ken Bruzenak
COVER: Howard Chaykin with Wil Quintana
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2017)

Rated “M / Mature”

The Divided States of Hysteria is the controversial new comic book series from renowned comic book creator, Howard Chaykin (American Flagg!, Midnight of the Soul).  Chaykin's collaborators include colorist Jesus Aburtov and Chaykin's longtime letterer, Ken Bruzenak.  Published by Image Comics, The Divided States of Hysteria is set in an America that is steadily being destabilized after the assassination of a sitting President and a worst-case terrorist attack that follows.

The Divided States of Hysteria #2 opens after seven pregnant women launched a terrorist attack using nuclear devices and a biological weapon that left much of New York City in ruins.  Ambitious, ladder-climbing, CIA field officer, Frank Villa, is being blamed for the attack because he was supposed to prevent just such a thing from happening.  New President of the United States, Michelle Taylor, fires Villa and contemplates having the Navy SEALs kill him.  Even worse, Villa's wife, two children, and mistress are all dead because of the attack.

Now, Chandler Vandergylt, CEO of private prison corporation, River Run, Inc., is giving Villa a chance to help President Taylor help the country.  And four mass killers: Henry John Noone, Christopher Michael Silver, Paul Evan Berg, and Cesare John Nacamulli, are going to help Villa help the President pull the country back together!

In his afterword to the second issue, Howard Chaykin says (basically) that if you don't like what he is doing in his new comic book, The Divided States of Hysteria, don't buy “the fucking book.”  Ah, if only it were that easy.  People are drawn to controversy, and this comic book is controversial.  Just recently, Chaykin and Image Comics had to withdraw the cover art for the as-yet-unpublished fourth issue of this series after releasing an image of it as preview material for North American comic book distributor, Diamond Distributors.

See... this is not the 1980s when fannish comic book reviewers like Don and Maggie Thompson and R.A. Jones ran interference for Chaykin when people criticized Chaykin's legendary 1980s comic book, American Flagg! for, among other things, violence, racism, and objectifying women.  [I think R.A. Jones even said he wished someone would objectify him.]  Now, we have what we did not have in the 1980s, social media.  Social media can amplify the voices of critics to the point that even the baddest, do-what-the-fuck-I-want comic book creator has to back down more than he ever thought he would.  The Divided States of Hysteria is not going to get the honeymoon American Flagg! got.

All that aside, The Divided States of Hysteria is a surprisingly, really good comic book.  It has a plausible, near-future, semi-dystopian scenario, and the second issue is a little more clear on who the players are, what's going on, and what might happen going forward.

I do think that Chaykin and (judging by this issue's letters' page) some of his readers are a bit naive about the divided state of America.  America is a place divided by race, class, ethnicity, religion, etc. in its foundation.  The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution may say a lot of things, but at the end of the day, a lot of people don't believe that people whom they don't like are equal to them, nor should they be treated that way.  There may have been times when the majority of White people in America were united.  There may indeed have been times when a few Black people joined them, but the truth is that certain people were not allowed by the majority to join in on this unity.

The continuation of the bondage of African slaves and their descendants; the displacement of native tribes and the theft of their lands; and the limit of the franchise all basically established divisions in this country from its beginning.  Billy Joel is right:  we didn't start the fire.  The divided states of hysteria is not an accident.  It was a deliberately laid foundation.  Rewriting history and pretending that there was a time when ALL of us were united as a county is not a reality; it is a part of an agenda.

I am not really interested in the points behind The Divided States of Hysteria... for now.  I choose to enjoy it as near-future science fiction comic book with potential, rather than as a declaration of how we should be.

8.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: THE KAMANDI CHALLENGE #4

THE KAMANDI CHALLENGE No. 4 (OF 12)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: James Tynion IV
ART: Carlos D'Anda
COLORS: Gabe Eltaeb
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Paul Pope with Lovern Kindzierski
VARIANT COVER: Carlos D'Anda
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2017)

Rated “T” for Teen

Kamandi created by Jack Kirby

“The Wild Wondrous West”

Created by Jack Kirby, Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth was a comic book series published by DC Comics in the 1970s.  Running from 1972 to 1978, the series starred Kamandi, a teenaged boy in a post-apocalyptic future.  In this time, humans have been reduced back to savagery in a world ruled by intelligent, highly evolved animals.

Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth #1 (cover dated: October 1972) opens some time after a huge event called “The Great Disaster,” which wiped out human civilization.  In “Earth A.D.” (After Disaster), many animals have become humanoid, bipedal, and sentient, and also possess the power of speech. These newly intelligent animal species have equipped themselves with weapons and technology salvaged from the ruins of human civilization and are constantly at war in a struggle for territory.

The world of Kamandi returns in the DC Comics miniseries, The Kamandi Challenge, bringing together 14 teams of writers and artists.  Each issue will end with an cliffhanger.  The next creative team will resolve that cliffhanger left behind by the previous creative team, before creating their own story and cliffhanger, which the next creative team after them will have to resolve... and so on.  The fourth issue of The Kamandi Challenge is written by James Tynion IV; drawn by Carlos D'Anda; colored by Gabe Eltaeb; and lettered by Clem Robins.

The Kamandi Challenge #4 (“The Wild Wonderous West”) finds Kamandi and his friend Vila in the clutches of the Jaguar Sun Cult.  The cult members are feeding the pair to the cult's god, “The Great Jaguar,” which is several stories tall.  If they escape this fire, waiting for them is the Kanga Rat Murder Society in the mad, mad, mad Outback.

“The Wild Wondrous West” follows the cliffhanger that ended issue #3's “Bug in Your Ear.”  The Kamandi Challenge #3 packed more punch than the second issue.  However, The Kamandi Challenge #4 lacks the freewheeling fun of the third issue.  After reading the second issue, I suspected that this series could end up being hit and miss, simply because each new issue presented a new creative team, itself presented with the challenge of picking up some other team's story.

I am generally a fan of comic book writer James Tynion IV, especially his work on Batman titles, but I find “The Wild Wondrous West” to be little more than rehashed ideas from the original Planet of the Apes films series.  Artist Carlos D'Anda's work here is more style than storytelling, and Gabe Eltaeb's garish coloring is static in the line of communication between the reader and the story.  I will admit that I do like the last few pages of this story, because this is where the creative team seems to start to sparkle, so I look forward to where this cliffhanger ends up.

Its is not easy for The Kamandi Challenge creative teams in this series to come close to Jack Kirby's original vision of this concept.  The Kamandi Challenge #4 exemplifies that.

[Afterword by Jimmy Palmiotti]

6.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You'


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA #7

CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA No. 7
ARCHIE COMICS – @ArchieComics @ArchieHorror

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
ART: Robert Hack
LETTERS: Jack Morelli
COVER: Robert Hack
VARIANT COVER: Moritat
40pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (August 2017)

“Witch-War” Chapter One: “The Truth About Demonology”

Rated Teen + (Violence and mature content)

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is one of two Archie Comics series that were re-imagined as horror comic books and and published under the “Archie Horror” imprint.  [The other is the zombie apocalypse series, Afterlife with Archie, a play on the title Life with Archie.]  Chilling Adventures of Sabrina takes the traditionally lighthearted Sabrina the Teen-Age Witch and re-imagines Sabrina's four-color world as a place of witchcraft, Satanism, and murder-most-foul.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa; drawn by Robert Hack; and lettered by Jack Morelli.  The story is set in the 1960s, with the current story line largely taking place in 1967.  Sabrina Victoria Spellman is a 16-year-old who lives in Greendale with her aunts, Hilda and Zelda (two witches of the Satan-serving variety); her cousin, Ambrose (a warlock); and her familiar, a cat named Salem (once a human).

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #7 (“The Truth About Demonology”) opens at midnight, the “Witching Hour.”  Harvey Kinkle, Sabrina's boyfriend, is back... or is he?  Harvey was murdered by the coven because he innocently interrupted Sabrina's initiation ceremony into the Church of Night.  Sabrina had help bringing Harvey back to life, but that “help,” Madame Satan, has other plans.  Now, Edward Spellman, Sabrina's long-missing father, is back, and he has an origin story to tell.

I recently discovered that a close friend of mine is also a big fan of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.  Anyone who reads this comic book will find it hard not to love this chilling, occult series.  It is one of the darkest, most Satanic-skewing comic book that I have ever read.  Writer Roberto Aquirre-Sacasa writes that he is a fan of and has been influenced by writers such as Edgar Allen Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, and Clive Barker and comic book writers like Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman.  Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a work worthy of being influenced by these greats.

Artist Robert Hack's work here is a creepy sight to behold.  It is also supreme horror comics storytelling, truly brilliant, atmospheric, (dare I say) chilling work.  The process of reading these stories feels sinister against my eyes.  Yes, I am recommending this series.

[This issue includes the classic Sabrina story, “Castle Hassle” by writer George Gladir, artists Bob Bolling (pencils) and Rudy Lapick (inks); colorist Barry Grossman; and letterer Bill Yoshida.]

A+
10 out of 10

http://archiehorror.com/

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: THE KAMANDI CHALLENGE #3

THE KAMANDI CHALLENGE No. 3 (OF 12)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Jimmy Palmiotti
ART: Amanda Conner
COLORS: Paul Mounts
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Ben Caldwell
VARIANT COVER: Amanda Conner with Paul Mounts
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (May 2017)

Rated “T” for Teen

Kamandi created by Jack Kirby

“Bug in Your Ear”

Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth was a comic book series created by Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics.  Running from 1972 to 1978, the series starred Kamandi, a teenaged boy in a post-apocalyptic future.  In this time, humans have been reduced back to savagery in a world ruled by intelligent, highly evolved animals.

Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth #1 (cover dated: October 1972) opens some time after a huge event called “The Great Disaster,” which wiped out human civilization.  In “Earth A.D.” (After Disaster), many animals have become humanoid, bipedal, and sentient, and also possess the power of speech. These newly intelligent animal species have equipped themselves with weapons and technology salvaged from the ruins of human civilization and are constantly at war in a struggle for territory.

The world of Kamandi returns in the DC Comics miniseries, The Kamandi Challenge, bringing together 14 teams of writers and artists.  Each issue will end with an cliffhanger.  The next creative team will resolve that cliffhanger left behind by the previous creative team, before creating their own story and cliffhanger, which the next creative team after them will have to resolve... and so on.  The third issue of The Kamandi Challenge is written by Jimmy Palmiotti; drawn by Amanda Conner; colored by Paul Mounts; and lettered by Clem Robins.

The Kamandi Challenge #3 (“Bug in Your Ear”) opens after Kamandi escaped from Tiger City, but now, he is plunging to his death.  He is rescued by two “Savage Bats” and taken to the “God Watchers.”  Kamandi may start to regret being rescued because the God Watchers think that he is a messenger from their god.

“Bug in Your Ear” follows the cliffhanger that ended issue #2's “Nuclear War.”  The Kamandi Challenge #2 was a fun read, but I thought that it lacked the punch of either of the two stories published in The Kamandi Challenge #1.  The Kamandi Challenge #3 is different; it is both fun to read and it has punch.  It has the elements of a morality tale and is surprisingly thoughtful, and it acts like a series of cliffhangers, big and small.  Some cliffhangers are based on action and threats, but some of the cliffhangers are based on choices that Kamandi will make from a moral or philosophical point of view.

I have been a fan of many of the stories that Jimmy Palmiotti has written, so I am saying good things about his work here with some favoritism.  Artist Amanda Conner and colorist Paul Mounts are a dream team.  Her drawings are always filled with nice background and environmental details that offer something new upon second and third viewings.  Mounts rich colors are simply eye candy, as they shimmer and even pop off the page.

Jack Kirby had a seemingly boundless imagination, and it will be hard for the creative teams in this series to come close to Kirby's vision.  At least, The Kamandi Challenge #3 shows some inventiveness, and it is the kind of issue that will keep me reading this series.

A-

[Afterword by Neal Adams]

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: THE DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA #1

THE DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA #1
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER/ARTIST: Howard Chaykin
COLORS: Jesus Aburtov
LETTERS: Ken Bruzenak
COVER: Howard Chaykin with Wil Quintana
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2017)

Rated “M / Mature”

The Divided States of Hysteria is a new comic book series from renowned comic book creator, Howard Chaykin (American Flagg!, Midnight of the Soul).  Chaykin's collaborators include colorist Jesus Aburtov and Chaykin's longtime letterer, Ken Bruzenak.  Published by Image Comics, The Divided States of Hysteria is set in an America that is being destabilized by catastrophic terrorists attacks.

The Divided States of Hysteria #1 opens one month after the elected President of the United States and most of the cabinet were assassinated in an aborted coup d'etat.  The narrative focuses in on Washington D.C. where we meet an ambitious, ladder-climbing, CIA field officer, Frank Villa.  Frank is trying to warn his superiors, including the new President, that a worst-case terrorist attack on D.C. is imminent, but the decision makers would like to analyze the data on Frank's claims before they make big decisions.  Meanwhile, four mass killers: Henry John Noone, Christopher Michael Silver, Paul Evan Berg, and Cesare John Nacamulli, are arrested.

In his afterword to the first issue, Howard Chaykin says (basically) that he thought his new comic book, The Divided States of Hysteria, was dark, but that, in the year since he first announced it, real-world America had turned darker.  Chaykin is obviously referencing a number of events, in particularly that celebrity/public figure/businessman Donald Trump is now President of the United States.  He blames both sides of the left/right political divide.  I tend to blame the fact that the levers of power in this country are mostly attainable through a rigged election system, but let's not talk about that now.

I cannot give The Divided States of Hysteria a grade rating at this time, but I am interested in it.  It is the philosophical, if not spiritual, heir to Chaykin's seminal mid-1980s comic book series, American Flagg!  The Divided States of Hysteria #1 suggests that this series will be an epic narrative told through multiple characters in multiple settings and involving multiple plot lines – like American Flagg!

Chaykin divides the space on each page into three or four rectangles, and those rectangles are sometimes divided by borders or by objects, and sometimes inset panels are added.  Even the word balloons and caption boxes are rectangle-shaped.  Those rectangles are crowed with information (via balloons and boxes) and illustrations and graphics.

To me, graphic and page design create not so much a sense of hysteria as a sense of things being out of control and careening down hill, without breaks.  That is why I'm intrigued at the possibilities of The Divided States of Hysteria, which could be an excellent comic book full of socio-political commentary, satire, and/or criticism, like the great American Flagg!  Or it can end up ambitious but obtuse like Chester Brown's Underwater.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.


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#IReadsYou Review: COSMIC SCOUNDRELS Trade Paperback

COSMIC SCOUNDRELS (TPB)
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Andy Suriano and Matt Chapman
SCRIPT: Matt Chapman
ART: Andy Suriano
COLORS: Andy Suriano with T Dang
LETTERS: Christa Miesner and Andy Suriano
COVER: George Caltsoudas
SERIES COVERS: Andy Suriano
MISC. ART: Andrew MacLean; Warwick Johnson Cadwell; Dan McDaid; Alexis Ziritt; Aaron Conley; Veronica Fish; Ron Salas; Tanner Johnson; Paul Maybury; Jake Wyatt with Rico Renzi; Paul Harmon; Derek Charm; Chris Schweizer; Rob Schrab; Terry and Rachel Dodson with Rico Renzi; Derek Hunter; Wilfredo Torres; Tony Fleecs; Michel Fiffe; Scott Kowalchuk; Kali Fontecchio; Jeffs Sims; Rico Renzi; Nick Dragotta; Andy Suriano
ISBN: 978-1-68405-024-6; paperback (December 2017)
144pp, Color, $19.99 U.S., $25.99 CAN (December 19, 2017)

Cosmic Scoundrels created by Andy Suriano and Matt Chapman

Cosmic Scoundrels is a five-issue miniseries published by IDW Publishing in 2017.  In December 2017, IDW collected Cosmic Scoundrels as a full-color trade paperback that reprints all five issues of the miniseries and reprints all of the miniseries' covers and variant covers.  There is also a 20-page dossier of characters, ships, planets, concepts, etc. used in the minseries and miscellany like faux-advertisements and comic strips.  Cosmic Scoundrels is written by Andy Suriano (story) and Matt Chapman (story and script).  It is drawn by Suriano; colored by Suriano and T Dang; and lettered by Christa Miesner and Suriano.

Cosmic Scoundrels was created by two veterans of American television animation, Andy Suriano and Matt Chapman.  Suriano is a character designer, storyboard artist, and concept designer who is known for his work on “Samurai Jack” (2001-2004) and “Star Wars: Clone Wars” (2003-2005), and Suriano is also an Emmy Award winner.  Chapman is an animation writer and voice actor for animated series, having worked on the Disney Channel's “Gravity Falls” (2012 to 2016) as both a writer and performer.

A sci-fi action-comedy, Cosmic Scoundrels focuses on Love Savage and Roshambo, two space-fairing scoundrels and thieves.  Love Savage, with his long blond hair, looks like a rock star and is indeed in a rock band.  Roshambo is the tough-guy, military type and sports a pair of powerful gauntlets on his wrists.  These two bachelor scalawags travel the spaceways aboard their ship, “the S.S. Fistpuncher,” and get a little mothering from the ship's artificial intelligence (A.I.), “Mrs. Billingsley.”

Trouble starts for the two when they rob the Dimetrotron Brothers of some supposedly valuable cargo.  What they find in one of the crates is a toddler with a huge electronic collar around his neck.  Alternately calling him, “Tad Jr.” and “Roshambo Jr.,” our scoundrels fight to keep the baby from the clutches of very powerful forces that insist on obtaining the child.  By the end of this adventure, many secrets will be revealed, and Love Savage and Roshambo will find themselves exposed.

You don't have to read many pages into Cosmic Scoundrels to see that it is a celebration of the spirit of animated television series.  Cosmic Scoundrels is basically the kind of Saturday morning cartoon we wish existed.  The story's vivid colors seems to emanate from a cathode ray tube, blasting electron beams from behind animation cels.

The lettering is like a cat on a hot tin roof which gives the story a wild and crazy vibe.  The narrative is kind of all over the place, but readers can use the protect-the-baby plot line as a kind of yellow brick road that will take you to the back-to-Kansas ending of the story.  Sometimes, the story is a little too wild and wooly, so focus on Cosmic Scoundrels' explosive graphics and graphical storytelling.

Cosmic Scoundrels does have a flavor that recalls films like The Fifth Element and Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, as well as the 1981 animated film, Heavy Metal.  Fans of anime and animation will feel the groove of “Cowboy Bebop,” “Futurama,” “Galaxy High,” and “Samurai Jack,” to name a few.  It is as fun to read Cosmic Scoundrels as it is to watch such animated series.  This comic book does have some story padding, and the lead characters, Love Savage and Roshambo, beg for some character development.  Hopefully, the Cosmic Scoundrels have a future that reveals more about them.

7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: LIFEFORMED: Cleo Makes Contact

LIFEFORMED: CLEO MAKES CONTACT
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Matt Mair Lowery
ART: Cassie Anderson
LETTERS: Cassie Anderson
COVER: Cassie Anderson
ISBN: 978-1-50670-177-6; paperback; 6” x 9” (September 13, 2017)
192pp, Color, $12.99 U.S., $$17.50 CAN (September 2017 – First printing)

Age range: 12; Genre Science Fiction, Action/Adventure

Lifeformed: Cleo Makes Contact is a young adult, science fiction graphic novel from writer Matt Mair Lowery and artist Cassie Anderson.  A paperback original, this graphic novel was first published by Dark Horse Comics in September 2017.  Lifeformed: Cleo Makes Contact follows an 11-year-old orphan and the shape-shifting alien she befriends as they travel the countryside in the wake of an alien invasion... and fight back.

Cleo Elward can be described as the typical 11-year-old girl on the verge of teen brat-hood.  Her single-father, Alex Elward, is loving, doting, and involved; the two of them are making the best of life.  Then, suddenly, unbelievably, the sky is filled with strange airships, heralding an alien invasion, and Alex is killed during first wave of the attack.

Just as suddenly, an alien arrives and approaches Alex Elward's body and then shifts its form so that it resembles Cleo's father.  Aided by this alien shape-shifter, who turns out to be a rebel, Cleo escapes the invasion by traveling the countryside.  It is not long, however, before she must join “alien dad” in fighting the invaders.  Can Cleo work through her grief and find the courage to fight back?

Earlier this year, Matt Mair Lowery, the author of Lifeformed: Cleo Makes Contact, made contact with me via Twitter.  He offered me a PDF copy of his graphic novel for review.  I was surprised that I had never heard of it, as I have been perusing Diamond Distributors weekly comics shipping list and posting it on my blogs and at the Comic Book Bin for almost a decade.

I am glad that Lowery reached out to me because he and artist Cassie Anderson have created in Lifeformed: Cleo Makes Contact one of the best young adult graphic novels that I have read over the last few years.  Lifeformed's themes of courage and choice resonate throughout the narrative, and the story ponders the questions of what it means to be human without being heavy-handed.

Cassie Anderson's illustrations and graphical storytelling are powerfully dramatic, but, at the same time, they are lively and colorful, going down the old gullet of the reader's imagination smoothly.  Anderson's clean drawing style is easy on the eyes, but also depicts the characters' emotions in a varied manner that gives the characters' personalities depth.  I found myself in love with these characters, and Cleo is even more lovable when she is being annoying and bratty.  That is the joy in reading Lifeformed – loving the heroes and being intrigued by the villains.

I hope young readers discover Lifeformed: Cleo Makes Contact.  It is not to late to discover this enjoyable YA comic book, Lifeformed: Cleo Makes Contact.

8 out of 10

Cassie Anderson:
cassieanderson@wwdb.org
https://twitter.com/CassieDoesArt

Matt Mair Lowery:
mattmlpdx@lifeformedcomic.com
https://twitter.com/mattmlpdx
http://www.lifeformedcomic.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: KINGPIN #1

KINGPIN No. 1 (2017)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Matthew Rosenberg
ART: Ben Torres
COLORS: Jordan Boyd
LETTERS: VC's Travis Lanham
COVER: Jeff Dekal
VARIANT COVERS: Marco Checchetto; Bill Sienkiewicz; Ben Torres; Julian Totino Tedesco; Skottie Young; John Tyler Christopher
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2017)

Rated “T+”

Kingpin created by Stan Lee and John Romita, Sr.

“Born Against”

The Kingpin/Wilson Fisk is a Marvel Comics villain.  He was created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #50 (cover date: July 1967).

The Kingpin is portrayed as one of the most (if not the most) feared and powerful crime lords in Marvel Comics and as the “kingpin” of crime in New York City.  During his run on Daredevil in the early 1980s, writer-artist Frank Miller depicted the Kingpin as a master schemer and cold-blooded murderer who stayed beyond the reach of the law.  Personally, I think Miller is the creator that defined Kingpin more than anyone else.

Kingpin is the new comic book series that chronicles the new adventures of Wilson Fisk.  It is written by Matthew Rosenberg; drawn by Ben Torres; colored by Jordan Boyd; and lettered by Travis Lanham.

Kingpin #1 (“Born Against”) introduces Sarah Dewey, a down on her luck writer, reporter, and journalist.  She has staked some of her remaining credibility on chronicling what she hopes will be the rise of a promising boxer, Orlando Perez.  She gets a break when a powerful man asks her to write his tell-all memoir – warts and all.  However, Sarah does not think she is the right person to write the story of Wilson Fisk... even if he won't take “No” for an answer.

It would be lazy of me to say that Kingpin #1 is “awful” or “terrible.”  Instead, I can simply say that it does not seem like the work of professional comic book creators, although, considering how and why comic book professionals often get assignments, I guess that isn't saying much either.  Still, this is such lazy, uninspired, unimaginative writing on the part of Matthew Rosenberg.  If he had a “Eureka!” moment before he wrote this, I am sad for him.

Now, the art is actually terrible.  Ben Torres does not have the compositional chops to draw for Marvel Comics, and yes, I know.  Marvel's standards for comic book artists have been and still are inconsistent at best.  Right now, Torres is certainly ready for semi-pro-zine work (if such a thing still exists).  I can see him drawing for small press, black and white publishers or self-published webcomics, but he ain't ready for prime time.  Oh, he has potential, but he has not reached it, yet.

Marvel's overall publishing program treats the North American comic book market like a flood plain in need of a flood.  With so many comic books to publish and likely budgetary constraints, the need for low-page-rate artists means artists like Ben Torres – amateurs who are technically not amateurs because a Diamond Distributors premiere publisher is willing to give them paying assignments.

Yeah... I'm not coming back to this, no.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint or syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: THE KAMANDI CHALLENGE #1

THE KAMANDI CHALLENGE No. 1 (OF 12)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Dan Didio; Dan Abnett
PENCILS: Keith Giffen; Dale Eaglesham
INKS: Scott Koblish; Dale Eaglesham
COLORS: Hi-Fi
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Bruce Timm
VARIANT COVER: Keith Giffen with Hi-Fi; Dale Eaglesham with Jason Wright
40pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (March 2017)

Rated “T” for Teen

Kamandi created by Jack Kirby

“The Rules” and “K -- is for 'Kill'!”

Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth was a comic book created by writer-artist Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics. The series, which ran from 1972 to 1978, starred Kamandi, a teenaged boy in a post-apocalyptic future, in which humans have been reduced back to savagery in a world ruled by intelligent, highly evolved animals.

Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth #1 (cover dated: October 1972) opens some time after a huge event called “The Great Disaster,” which wiped out human civilization.  In “Earth A.D.” (After Disaster), many animals have become humanoid, bipedal, and sentient, and also possess the power of speech. These newly intelligent animal species have equipped themselves with weapons and technology salvaged from the ruins of human civilization and are constantly at war in a struggle for territory.

The world of Kamandi returns in the new DC Comics miniseries, The Kamandi Challenge, bringing together 14 teams of writers and artists.  Each issue will end with an cliffhanger.  The next creative team will resolve that cliffhanger before creating their own, which the next creative team after them will have to resolve... and so on.

The Kamandi Challenge #1 opens with “The Rules” by the team of writer Dan DiDio and artists Keith Giffen and Scott Koblish.  In a pastoral borough, a teenage boy awakens, late for the school bus.  Rushing to school, everything seems normal until the sky cracks opens and giant talking rats attack, revealing that nothing is what he thought it was.

“K -- is for 'Kill'!” is by the second creative team of writer Dan Abnett and artist Dale Eaglesham.  The story places the boy, Kamandi, in a world full of animals that walk and talk like humans.  Specifically in “Tiger City,” our young hero is thrown into the arena of blood sport and he must survive the giant man-ape, “Tiny”

I don't follow the part of the comic book Internet that breaks news about new comic book projects, not like I used to do.  I think I need to start again because I only recently heard about The Kamandi Challenge, and after reading The Kamandi Challenge #1, I know it would have been sad to have missed this fantastic first issue.

Telling a complete story in a single comic book might seem like a lost art in these last three decades of multi-issue story arcs produced in order to be collected into trade paperbacks – sometimes called graphic novels – for the bookstore market.  However, the two creative teams in The Kamandi Challenge #1 prove that they can tell a story that seems complete – even with a cliffhanger ending – in a single issue.

DiDio-Giffen-Koblish's 12-page introduction works as a standalone story and is a nice homage to Jack Kirby's visual and graphical art style.  I also wonder if the borough, burg, town depicted in the opening chapter is an homage to the early 20th century New York City in which Jack Kirby grew up.

The Abnett-Eaglesham team ably picks up the DiDio-Giffen-Koblish cliffhanger from “The Rules” and delivers a gem in “K -- is for 'Kill'!”  Dan Abnett turns his story into a flight of fancy set in world that is part old-school, EBR-style, pulp science fiction and part Planet of the Apes.  Using powerful, muscular compositions, Dale Eaglesham delivers art and storytelling that conveys both the bizarre nature of a world ruled by humaoid animals and the threat of weapons of mass destruction in a post-apocalyptic world that does not understand these lethal relics of war from the distant past.

It's obvious, isn't it?  I really enjoyed reading The Kamandi Challenge #1.  I can't wait for the second issue and I recommend this one.  It is the fun-to-read comic book for “all-ages” that many comic book readers keep saying they want.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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