Showing posts with label 2024. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2024. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

#IReadsYou Review: THE MAGIC ORDER 5 #1

THE MAGIC ORDER 5 #1 (OF 6)
DARK HORSE COMICS/Netflix

COLORS: Giovanna Niro
LETTERS: Clem Robins
EDITOR: Daniel Chabon
EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin
COVER: Matteo Buffagni with Giovanna Niro
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Matteo Buffagni; Jae Lee with June Chung
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (September 2024)

Rating: 18+

The Magic Order created by Mark Millar at Netflix

“The Death of Cordelia Moonstone

The Magic Order 5 is a six-issue miniseries from writer Mark Millar and artist Matteo Buffagni.  This is the fifth installment of The Magic Order series, which began with the 2018-19 miniseries written by Millar and drawn by Olivier Coipel.  The Magic Order is a band of sorcerers, magicians, and wizards – with a focus on the Moonstone family – that live ordinary lives by day, but protect humanity from darkness and monsters of impossible sizes by night.  Colorist Giovanna Niro and letterer Clem Robins complete the series creative team.

The Magic Order 5 #1 opens in the aftermath of the end of Madame Albany and the “wizard wars.”  Cordelia Moonstone is preparing for the end, but a new case has dropped itself in front of her.  A woman named Carly Summers has had two of her children kidnapped eight years apart by a man who never opens his eyes.  He also beats Carly with a baseball bat before snatching away each child.

Cordelia's investigation, however, with her apprentices, Gator Lloyd and Ashley McPherson, goes bad.  The time to pay the ultimate prices for her sins is now.

THE LOWDOWN:  This is the second time that I have been on any kind of list that provides PDF copies of titles published by Dark Horse Comics.  The latest received is The Magic Order 5 #1.

The Magic Order #1, The Magic Order 2 #1, The Magic Order 3 #1, and The Magic Order 4 #1 all started off with a bang.  Why open with a whimper when you can medieval on your reader's ass and he or she will gladly come back for more.  Mark Millar is probably the only “mainstream” comic book writer who consistently delivers outstanding pop comics.  He has taken many of the genres and sub-genres in which Marvel and DC Comics' ply their trade and lifted them to the heights of high-concept, inventive entertainment.

One of them is magical fantasy, and Mark has made The Magic Order explosive and outrageous in a way that Marvel has not with its various Doctor Strange comic book series.  If you want to read a comic book that is as close to the intensity and insanity of Marvel Studios' 2022 film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, then you don't want a Doctor Strange comic book.  You want The Magic Order 5 #1.

The art team of Matteo Buffagni and colorist Giovanna Niro deliver stellar work in this debut issue.  It is as if they are doing fine art Eurocomics for a Louvre publication.  Buffagni's art makes the world of the natural and supernatural a seamless whole where no one's power makes him or her safe.  Niro's color blends the horrific with the surreal to prepare us for many surprises to come.  Finally, Clem Robins's lettering is the machine gun cherry on top of this narrative.

The Magic Order 5 is supposed to conclude this franchise.  Dear readers, let us gather here today and for the next five issues for what I suspect will be the grandest of send-offs.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of The Magic Order will want to read The Magic Order 5.

A+

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

The trade paperback for THE MAGIC ORDER VOL. 5 is available at Amazon.

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/
https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar
https://twitter.com/netflix
https://twitter.com/themagicorder
http://www.millarworld.tv/
https://www.darkhorse.com/


The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).


Thursday, September 11, 2025

#IReadsYou Review: NEMESIS: ROGUES' GALLERY #4

NEMESIS: ROGUES' GALLERY #4 (OF 5)
DARK HORSE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Valerio Giangiordano
COLORS: Lee Loughridge
LETTERS: Clem Robins
EDITOR: Daniel Chabon
EDITORIAL PRODUCTION: Sarah Unwin
COVER: Valerio Giangiordano with Lee Loughridge
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (November 2024)

Age range: 14+

Nemesis created by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven

Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery is a five-issue comic book miniseries from writer Mark Millar.  It is a sequel to the miniseries, Nemesis Reloaded (2023) and Big Game (2023).  Published by Dark Horse comics, the new series finds the super-killer, Nemesis, on a mission of revenge.  Rogues' Gallery is drawn by Valerio Giangiordano; colored by Lee Loughridge; and lettered by Clem Robins.

Nemesis: Rogues Gallery finds Nemesis on a mission to once again be the world's greatest super-villain. Now, out for revenge against everyone who wronged him, Nemesis must rebuild his empire and his fortune... this time with a sidekick, Pedro Hernandez, following him every step of the way.

Nemesis: Rogues Gallery #4 opens in the compound of billionaire Adrian Zigo.  Nemesis and Pedro are there in their fake billionaire identities under the guise of attending Zigo's charity auction.  The duo is really present in order to launch their plot to steal a hundred million-dollar diamond.

But there is always a surprise, and it comes in the form of an attack led by Andy, the nurse who was once kind to Nemesis before the villain blinded him.  Andy and his men are surprisingly well armed, but the biggest surprise is the identity of the person who joins the attack against Nemesis and Pedro.

THE LOWDOWN:  This is the second time that I have been on any kind of list that provides PDF copies of titles published by Dark Horse Comics.  The latest comic book to mark my return is Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery #4.

Mark Millar continues to deliver in this, the ultimate modern super-villain comic book franchise.  For the fourth issue, Millar unleashes action violence on a level to match that of a Hollywood action movie.  However, Millar is never without surprises, and he offers two shockers, one related to the real-world that took my breath away.

Artist Valerio Giangiordano continues to deliver stellar storytelling with a gritty, crime-noir take on violent superhero/fantasy action.  Why do what everyone else is doing when you can do you, as Giangiordano is doing.  There is a deranged, edgy comedy vibe here that takes Nemesis to a new level.  Colorist Lee Loughridge, who knows how to deal with “the dark,” perfectly accentuates Valerio's storytelling with colors that suggest murder, mayhem, explosions, and more murder.  Letterer Clem Robins captures the deranged narcissism of the title character by making us believe this comic book has a soundtrack.

Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery promised to be a good time, and it has delivered all the way to the penultimate issue.  It may also end up being the best evil Batman comic book in ages.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar's comic books and of Valerio Giangiordano's art will desire Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery.

A

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

The NEMESIS: ROGUES GALLERY trade paperback is available at Amazon.

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/
https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar
https://twitter.com/netflix
http://www.millarworld.tv/

https://www.darkhorse.com/
https://x.com/darkhorsecomics/
https://www.facebook.com/darkhorsecomics/
https://www.instagram.com/DarkHorseComics/


The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).


Tuesday, September 9, 2025

#IReadsYou Review: CONAN THE BARBARIAN #9

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #9 (2023)
TITAN COMICS/Heroic Signatures

STORY: Jim Zub
COLORS: Dean White
LETTERS: Richard Starkings of Comicraft
EDITOR: Chris Butera
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: E.M. Gist; Mike Deodato; Ickpot, Roberto de la Torre; Chris Moreno; Francesca Baerald
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2024)

Suggested for mature readers

The Age Unconquered” Part I: “Suffer Not the King of Wonders”

Conan the Cimmerian was born in the pulp fiction of Robert E. Howard (REH), first appearing in the magazine, Weird Tales (1932).  In 1970, Marvel Comics brought Conan to the world of comic books via the title, Conan the Barbarian. With only a few pauses, Conan comic books have been published for the better part of five decades.

Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures are the new producers of Conan comic books, and they launched a new Conan the Barbarian series in 2023.  The current story arc is written by Jim Zub; drawn by Roberto de la Torre; colored by Dean White; and lettered by Richard Starkings.  Entitled “The Age Unconquered,” this arc finds Conan's body and/or soul transported 80,000 years into the past

Conan the Barbarian #9 (“Suffer Not the King of Wonders”) opens in the wake of the incidents related to Conan's involvement in the theft of the artifact known as “Tarim's Touch.”  Conan recognized the artifact as a shard of the cursed “Black Stone,” which he'd once broken with the help of a Pict blade.  The theft led to the death of Conan's cohorts, the “Gloryhounds”...

… and left Conan apparently transported eighty thousand years into the past, to the time of Kull of Atlantis, also known as “Kull the Conqueror.”  Conan also meets the legendary figure, Brule the Spear-slayer, a Pict.  After proving his mettle, Conan is allowed to travel with Brule and his men to Valusia, “the City of Wonders.”  There, Conan will meet King Kull, but it will be like nothing he expects.

THE LOWDOWN:  Titan Comics has been providing me with PDF copies of their publications for review for several years now.  Conan the Barbarian #9 is one of them.

Writer Jim Zub has moved the Conan the Barbarian comic book series in a new direction.  Conan has been transported from “the Hyborean Age,” the age in which Conan's creator, Robert E. Howard, set his adventures, to “the Thurian Age,” the time in which Howard sets the adventures of Conan's precursor, Kull of Atlantis.

It is a big change, but it allows Zub to make Conan a stranger in a strange land, and that itself presents new opportunities for conflict and tension.  This ninth issue delivers on that potential with a showdown between Conan and Kull.

What really makes this story work is Roberto de la Torre's haunted storytelling.  Mixing elements and graphical styles of Frank Frazetta, Al Williamson, and John Buscema, de la Torre guides this first chapter from the mists of lost time to the brutal death match between the two beasts of Howard's oeuvre.  It is nice to see de la Torre recall the Conan comic books of yesteryear in telling this fantastic story, and it is nice that Dean White's colors amplify the mystery rather than brighten it.  Richard Starking's stark lettering is the pounding audio track to this fine opening chapter.

“The Age Unconquered” may end up conquering us, dear readers, as it carries us to a new direction for Conan the Barbarian.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Conan comic books will want to try Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures' Conan the Barbarian.

[This comic book includes the essay, “Shining Cities and Stone Age Kingdoms: Robert E. Howard's Thurian Age” the ninth installment of Conan/Howard essays by Jeffrey Shanks.]

A

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

The CONAN THE BARBARIAN: THE AGE UNCONQUERED VOL. 3 trade paperback is available at Amazon.

https://titan-comics.com/
https://twitter.com/ComicsTitan
https://www.instagram.com/titancomics/
https://www.facebook.com/ComicsTitan


The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).


Thursday, August 28, 2025

#IReadsYou Review: PRODIGY: Slaves of Mars #4

PRODIGY: SLAVES OF MARS #4 (OF 5)
DARK HORSE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Stefano Landini
COLORS: Michele Assarasakorn
LETTERS: Clem Robins
EDITOR: Daniel Chabon
EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin
COVER: Stefano Landini with Michele Assarasakorn
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Stefano Landini
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (November 2024)

Rated M / Mature

Prodigy created by Mark Millar at Netflix

Prodigy: Slaves of Mars is a five-issue comic book miniseries produced by writer Mark Millar.  It is the third entry in the Prodigy series, following the original 2018-19 six-issue miniseries, Prodigy, and the 2022 miniseries, Prodigy: The Icarus Society.  This new series' creative team is comprised of artist Stefano Landini; colorist Michele Assarasakorn; and letterer Clem Robins.  Prodigy focuses on the adventures of the world's smartest man, Edison Crane.

In Prodigy: Slaves of Mars, Edison returns to New York City from an adventure in the Himalayas to find his company, Crane Solutions, in disarray.  He also learns that his father, the former Senator Whitney Crane, is dead on Mars after discovering some shocking secret.  Now, a wanted man, Edison only has one person left to whom he can turn.  That would be his older, smarter brother, Elijah Crane.

Prodigy: Slaves of Mars #4 opens with a flashback to the day 15-year-old Elijah left the Crane family because he just couldn't take his father's antics any longer.  Move to the modern day, and Elijah ascertains that their father discovered a series of “star gates” on Earth.  So Edison and Elijah head to the most consequential star gate, the one in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka.  Now, it is time to get down to the mystery of their father, Whitney, and his involvement with a mission to Mars.  They're about to get more answers than they expected.

THE LOWDOWN:  This is the second time that I have been on any kind of list that provides PDF copies of titles published by Dark Horse Comics.  The latest title to mark my return is Prodigy: Slaves of Mars #4.

Of course, Prodigy: Slaves of Mars #4 is a blast to read, just as the first three issues were.  This being the penultimate issue (second-to-last), writer Mark Millar fills it with surprises.  He also continues to tease us with more of his obsessions with “Ancient Aliens” and secret space programs.  You already know about Millar's love of secrets and conspiracies if you have read Prodigy: The Icarus Society #1 or read Prodigy: The Evil Earth, the trade collection of the first miniseries.

The art team of illustrator Stefano Landini and colorist Michele Assarasakorn unveil the surprises in a steady stream of straightforward storytelling.  Throwing caution to the wind, they present graphical storytelling that races from page to page in a loose drawing style and muted coloring style that captures the weird aesthetic of this franchise.  As always, Clem Robins provides the perfect soundtrack to this chapter with his classic lettering.

We have been set up for a great ending, dear readers.  Catch up if you need to.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of his comic book, Prodigy, will want to read Prodigy: Slaves of Mars.

A

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

The trade paperback collection of PRODIGY: SLAVES OF MARS is available at Amazon.

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/
http://www.millarworld.tv/
https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar
https://www.netflix.com/
https://twitter.com/netflix

https://www.darkhorse.com/
https://x.com/darkhorsecomics/
https://www.facebook.com/darkhorsecomics/
https://www.instagram.com/DarkHorseComics/


The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).


Wednesday, August 20, 2025

#IReadsYou Review: CABRA CINI: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman #0 Deluxe

CABRA CINI: VOODOO JUNKIE HITWOMAN #0 DELUXE
ACTUALITY PRESS

STORY: Sam Johnson
ART: Bruno Letizia; Carlos Granda
COLORS: Chunlin Zhao
LETTERS: Bruno Letizia; Paul McLaren
COVER: Carlos Granda with Chunlin Zhao
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Flint Douglas with Chunlin Zhao
38pp, Color, £12 (print), £8 (digital)

Suggest for mature readers

Cabra Cini created by Sam Johnson

“Voodoo Trespass,” “Into the Infinite”

Cabra Cini is a comics character created by writer Sam Johnson.  He is best known as the writer and creator of the sexy superhero, Geek-Girl, who has starred in a comedy-fantasy miniseries and ongoing series.  Cabra Cini is a former sex worker who used “voodoo magik” to free herself of her abusive pimp/boyfriend.  Now, she is a hit woman addicted to voodoo, Cabra Cini: Hitwoman.

Johnson recently launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign in order to publish Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman #0 Deluxe.  This standalone comic book collects the two Cabra Cini stories, “Voodoo Trespass” and “Into the Infinite,” which were originally published in the the comic books, Geek-Girl #5-9 (cover dated: October 2019 to February 2022).

Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman #0 Deluxe opens with the story “Voodoo Trespass.”  Between Heaven and Hell, there is Limbo.  However, Limbo isn't all white space; there is an upper-level, tucked-away dimension inside it called “the Infinite.”  Cabra Cini uses the Infinite to get from where she is to where she is going – on the way to kill someone.  Cabra has just accepted a new assignment, but this time, the Rook, the ruler of the Infinite, means business. He doesn't want Cabra using his realm in order to get to her kills, and he will throw everything at her to stop her, including a terrible figure from her terrible past.

Next up is “Into the Infinite.”  Drug-dealer Jacob Trencher wants Cabra Cini to kill his ex-business partner, Ethan Drew.  Trencher, himself, is pretty versed in the dark arts and darker dimensions.  And what is the connection between Cabra's latest assignment and Maine's most famous superhero, Geek-Girl?  This time, Cabra Cini doesn't know what she needs to know.

THE LOWDOWN:  Sam Johnson provided me with a PDF review copy of Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman #0 Deluxe.  The Kickstarter campaign for this comic book has already started.

Cabra Cini is both weird and dark, and I think weird fiction should be dark even when it plays in the light.  Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman #0 Deluxe darkly weird and weirdly dark, and Johnson, as usual, has a good time writing Cabra Cini stories, as evident in these two tart treats.  Readers with broad tastes will recognize ideas that are similar to elements from Marvel's Elektra (the Frank Miller version as seen in Daredevil) and from DC Comics' John Constantine: Hellblazer and Preacher.  I don't want to spoil Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman #0 Deluxe, but the stories contained here do three things.  They offer an origin story; connect to Geek-Girl; and act as a bridge to the 2022 Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman four-issue miniseries.

The artists of the two stories here, Bruno Letizia and Carlos Granda, respectively, are different in graphical styles, but are similar in that they are both quality storytellers.  Their storytelling, dear readers, will make you want to get more Cabra Cini comic books, and both stories give a quick overview and introduction to the world of the voodoo junkie hitwoman.  That's what is also great about this – the title, and, sooner or later, Cabra Cini will be a big thing in comic books.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of writer Sam Johnson's comic books and of Cabra Cini will want to both fund and read Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman #0 Deluxe.

A

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


Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman #0 Deluxe Kickstarter page.

Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman #0 Deluxe Kickstarter video.


https://twitter.com/daSamJohnson
https://twitter.com/Markosia
https://twitter.com/Markosia_News
https://markosia.com/


The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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


Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).

Thursday, August 7, 2025

#IReadsYou Review: NIGHT CLUB II #2

NIGHT CLUB II #2 (OF 6)
DARK HORSE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Juanan Ramírez
COLORS: Fabiana Mascolo
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Juanan Ramírez with Fabiana Mascolo
EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Juanan Ramirez
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (September 2024)

Rating: 18+

Night Club created by Mark Millar at Netflix

Night Club II is a new six-issue miniseries written and created by Mark Millar and drawn by Juanan Ramírez.  A Dark Horse Comics publication and a Netflix production, Night Club II is a sequel to the 2023 miniseries, Night Club.  Both series focus on a teen boy who is bitten by a vampire and decides to make the best of his new condition.  Colorist Fabiana Mascolo and letterer Clem Robins complete Night Club II's creative team.

Night Club II focuses on 17-year-old Danny Garcia.  After being turned into a vampire, he passed his new found powers unto his friends, DJ Sam Huxley and Amy Chen.  Now, they're the superheroes:  Starguard (Danny), Thundercloud (Sam), Yellowbird (Amy).  But jealousy has broken up this vampire-superhero trio...

Night Club II #2 opens as Sam turns down an offer for new employment.  Now, he is burying his bitterness about the relationship between Danny and Amy between the legs of his new “girlfriend,” Kendra McQuade.

Not long ago, Sam was the sweet, chubby best friend at school.  Then, he became a vampire- powered jock who hammered win after win on the basketball court.  The girls love him, but has all that crazy stupid love simply made Sam stupid enough to create trouble for himself?

THE LOWDOWN:  This is the second time that I have been on any kind of list that provides PDF copies of titles published by Dark Horse Comics.  The latest received is Night Club II #2.

After reading the first issue of Night Club II, I suddenly remembered how much I really liked the first series and how much I really missed it.  However, the first issue of the second series was just a reminder of of the first series' craziness and warm-up for the new craziness that writer Mark Millar would bring to Night Club II #2.  I still say that this franchise is a vampire-superhero hybrid that takes DC Comics' Teen Titans and gives them a supernatural teen dysfunction makeover.

Artist Juanan Ramírez has built this narrative on capturing the reckless nature of young people with too much power, regardless of whether this power is natural or supernatural and criminal or evil.  Colorist Fabiana Mascolo brings the funk to Ramirez widescreen antics in a way that makes this story pop on the page.  Clem Robins' lettering, as always, is a perfect accompaniment.

Night Club II does not disappoint, dear readers.  It's taking us where we never expected to go.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of vampire comic books will want to be bitten by Night Club II.

A
★★★★ out of 4 stars

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

The NIGHT CLUB VOLUME 2 trade paperback is available at Amazon.

https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar
https://twitter.com/netflix
https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/
http://www.millarworld.tv/

https://www.darkhorse.com/
https://x.com/darkhorsecomics/
https://www.facebook.com/darkhorsecomics/
https://www.instagram.com/DarkHorseComics/


The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).


Tuesday, August 5, 2025

#IReadsYou Review: ABSOLUTE BATMAN #1

ABSOLUTE BATMAN #1
DC COMICS

STORY: Scott Snyder
ART: Nick Dragotta
COLORS: Frank Martin
LETTERS: Clayton Cowles
EDITOR: Katie Kubert
COVER: Nick Dragotta with Frank Martin
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Wes Craig; Jim Lee and Scott Williams with Alex Sinclair; Mitch Gerads; Ian Bertram; Jim Lee and Scott Williams
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (December 2024)

Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

“The Zoo” Part One of Five

Batman is a DC Comics superhero that was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and that debuted in the Detective Comics #27 (apparently first published on March 30, 1939).  Batman is the alias of Bruce Wayne, a wealthy American playboy, philanthropist, and industrialist who resides in Gotham City. Batman's origin story begins when he is a child and his parents are murdered in front of him, leading young Bruce to swear vengeance on the city's criminal element.

The story of Bruce Wayne and of how he became Batman has been its own “Goldberg variations.”  [2012's Batman: Earth One Volume One is an example.]  Now, comes a new line of DC Comics, “Absolute Comics,” which is similar to Marvel's “Ultimate Comics” line, in that Absolute Comics presents alternate versions and the changed narratives of familiar DC Comics characters and their back stories.  Welcome to “Earth-Alpha” and the “Absolute Universe.”

The first entry in the Absolute Comics line is the recently launched comic book series, Absolute Batman.  It is written by Scott Snyder; drawn by Nick Dragotta; colored by Frank Martin; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.  In the new series, Batman/Bruce Wayne isn't a billionaire with seemingly unlimited resources, but he is still a vigilante by night and now, a thug in the streets.

Absolute Batman #1 opens with a glimpse into the past.  There, we see the incident that spurred young Bruce Wayne onto the mission of 24-year-old Bruce Wayne.  Wayne is a talented, multi-skilled, much-employed, blue-collar civil engineer who fights crime at night as a mysterious vigilante.

In the present day, Alfred Pennyworth is some kind of operative, a secret agent working for a mysterious agency.  His tasks including spying, monitoring, and killing for his bosses.  He is currently in Gotham City investigating the “Party Animals,” apparently a criminal organization with worldwide reach.  These “Party Animals” are in Gotham, killing and terrorizing in the most brutal fashion, and Pennyworth has an eye on them and on a new player in town.

However, this new player in town is like no other Gotham “player,” and he's going to show the Party Animals that he can be every bit as ruthless and as violent as they can be... and more.  Who is “the Batman?”  Without the mansion...without the money...without the butler...what's left is the Absolute Dark Knight!

THE LOWDOWN:  I do not receive review PDFs from DC Comics.  I bought a copy of the fifth printing of Absolute Batman #1 from “Stronghold Collectibles” at their booth at the recent Louisiana Comic Con 2025 (March 8-9) in Lafayette, Louisiana.  So I'm free to say what I want, although, as I remember it, DC does not require people who receive access to their review PDFs to give positive reviews.

Honestly, I enjoyed reading Absolute Batman #1, not as much as I enjoyed series writer Scott Snyder's 2011 Batman #1 (or Tony S. Daniel's 2011 Detective Comics #1).  But I enjoyed it nonetheless.  My reading of this first issue suggests that Absolute Batman #1 seems like a kind of prequel or perhaps actual reboot of sorts of Frank Miller's seminal graphic novel, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (DKR).  I could see the Batman/Bruce Wayne of Absolute Batman becoming the 50-year-old Batman/Bruce Wayne of DKR more than I can see the various iterations of Batman in Detective Comics or in the Batman ongoing comic book becoming DKR's vigilante.

Absolute Batman artist, Nick Dragotta, seems to be doing a riff on the art and compositions of Snyder's 2011 Batman collaborator, artist Greg Capullo.  I'm impressed with Dragotta's take on Batman's costume, but his graphical style is still The New 52 era Capullo.  That said, Dragotta's colorist, Frank Martin, an accomplished comic book colorist, seems to be going vintage in his coloring for this first issue, which I think recalls Richmond Lewis' coloring of David Mazuchelli art on the famous story arc, Batman: Year One (1987).

I can say that letterer Clayton Cowles is just being his good old self, and that is very good enough.  His shifting fonts give Absolute Batman #1 style and flair, and the lettering actually encouraged me to really invest my imagination in the story.

I enjoyed this first issue enough that I may seek out more individual issues of Absolute Batman.  Or I might just wait for the trade paperback collection.  I can say that I'm interested in reading a Batman comic book on a regular basis more than I have been for at least half a decade.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Batman comic books will want to read Absolute Batman.

A
★★★★ out of 4 stars

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

ABSOLUTE BATMAN VOL. 1: THE ZOO is available at Amazon.

https://www.dccomics.com/
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https://www.facebook.com/dccomics
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The text is copyright © 2025 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).


Tuesday, July 22, 2025

#IReadsYou Review: NEMESIS: ROGUES' GALLERY #3

NEMESIS: ROGUES' GALLERY #3 (OF 5)
DARK HORSE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Valerio Giangiordano
COLORS: Lee Loughridge
LETTERS: Clem Robins
EDITOR: Daniel Chabon
EDITORIAL PRODUCTION: Sarah Unwin
COVER: Valerio Giangiordano with Lee Loughridge
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (October 2024)

Age range: 14+

Nemesis created by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven

Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery is a five-issue comic book miniseries from writer Mark Millar.  It is a sequel to the miniseries, Nemesis Reloaded (2023) and Big Game (2023).  Published by Dark Horse comics, the new series finds the super-killer, Nemesis, on a mission of revenge.  Rogues' Gallery is drawn by Valerio Giangiordano; colored by Lee Loughridge; and lettered by Clem Robins.

Nemesis: Rogues Gallery finds Nemesis on a mission to once again be the world's greatest super-villain. Now, out for revenge against everyone who wronged him, Nemesis must rebuild his empire and his fortune... this time with a sidekick, Pedro Hernandez, following him every step of the way.

Nemesis: Rogues Gallery #3 opens after Nemesis and Pedro enjoy a night of debauchery.  They steal weapons and tech in preparation for a big score at a charity auction being held by billionaire, Adrian Zigo.  However, Nemesis does not realize that the family of some of his victims have also come to possess super-tech technology.

THE LOWDOWN:  This is the second time that I have been on any kind of list that provides PDF copies of titles published by Dark Horse Comics.  I mark my return with Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery #3.

Mark Millar continues to deliver the ultimate modern super-villain comic book.  In this third issue, Millar offers lots of really dark, really black comedy.  He also throws a wrinkle into Nemesis pimp game with a new complication.

Artist Valerio Giangiordano has taken Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery down a different path, both visually and graphically in terms of story, from that of the franchise's earlier artists.  Valerio captures all the darkness, vileness, and evil in Nemesis and places him at the heart of some nasty, hard-hitting storytelling.  With this issue, he gives the narrative its deranged, edgy comedy vibe, proving this character is not one note.  Colorist Lee Loughridge, who knows how to deal with “the dark,” perfectly accentuates Valerio's storytelling with colors that suggest murder, both muted and glaring.  Letterer Clem Robins captures the deranged narcissism of the lead in this new series.

Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery promises to be a good time, which is has delivered, thus far.  It may also end up being the best evil Batman comic book in ages.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar's comic books and of Valerio Giangiordano's art will desire Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery.

A
★★★★ out of 4 stars

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

The NEMESIS: ROGUES' GALLERY trade paperback collection is available at Amazon.


https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/
https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar
https://twitter.com/netflix
http://www.millarworld.tv/

https://www.darkhorse.com/
https://x.com/darkhorsecomics/
https://www.facebook.com/darkhorsecomics/
https://www.instagram.com/DarkHorseComics/


The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).


Tuesday, July 15, 2025

#IReadsYou Review: PRODIGY: Slaves of Mars #3

PRODIGY: SLAVES OF MARS #3 (OF 5)
DARK HORSE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Stefano Landini
COLORS: Michele Assarasakorn
LETTERS: Clem Robins
EDITOR: Daniel Chabon
EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin
COVER: Stefano Landini with Michele Assarasakorn
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Stefano Landini
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (October 2024)

Rated M / Mature

Prodigy created by Mark Millar at Netflix

Prodigy: Slaves of Mars is a five-issue comic book miniseries produced by writer Mark Millar.  It is the third entry in the Prodigy series, following the original 2018-19 six-issue miniseries, Prodigy, and the 2022 miniseries, Prodigy: The Icarus Society.  This new series' creative team is comprised of artist Stefano Landini; colorist Michele Assarasakorn; and letterer Clem Robins.  Prodigy focuses on the adventures of the world's smartest man, Edison Crane.

In Prodigy: Slaves of Mars, Edison returns to New York City from an adventure in the Himalayas to find his company, Crane Solutions, in disarray.  He also learns that his father, the former Senator Whitney Crane, is dead on Mars after discovering some shocking secret.  Now, a wanted man, Edison only has one person left to whom he can turn.  That would be his older, smarter brother, Elijah Crane.

Prodigy: Slaves of Mars #3 opens with the Crane brothers still on the run.  Froth Schroeder, the man who tore down Edison's life and likely killed their father, continues to hunt them.  He's also closer to them than they realize.

Edison and Elijah have to team up in order to find out who murdered their father, and that investigation might take them to a secret colony on the surface of Mars.  First, however, there is going to be a never-to-be-forgotten fight at the White House Press Association Dinner

THE LOWDOWN:  This is the second time that I have been on any kind of list that provides PDF copies of titles published by Dark Horse Comics.  The latest title to mark my return is Prodigy: Slaves of Mars #3.

Of course, Prodigy: Slaves of Mars #3 is a blast to read, just as the first two issues were.  Writer Mark Millar teases us with more of his obsessions with “Ancient Aliens” and secret space programs.  You already know about Millar's love of secrets and conspiracies if you have read Prodigy: The Icarus Society #1 or read Prodigy: The Evil Earth, the trade collection of the first miniseries.

The art team of illustrator Stefano Landini and colorist Michele Assarasakorn continues to throw caution to the wind.  They present graphical storytelling that races from page to page in a loose drawing style and muted coloring style that captures the weird aesthetic of this franchise.  As always, Clem Robins provides the perfect soundtrack to this chapter with his classic lettering.

Prodigy is back.  The Slaves of Mars are calling us.  Don't be a fool, dear readers; get this.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of his comic book, Prodigy, will want to read Prodigy: Slaves of Mars.

A
★★★★ out of 4 stars

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

The trade paperback collection of PRODIGY: SLAVES OF MARS is available at Amazon.

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/
http://www.millarworld.tv/
https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar
https://www.netflix.com/
https://twitter.com/netflix

https://www.darkhorse.com/
https://x.com/darkhorsecomics/
https://www.facebook.com/darkhorsecomics/
https://www.instagram.com/DarkHorseComics/


The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).


Tuesday, July 8, 2025

#IReadsYou Review: CONAN THE BARBARIAN #8

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #8 (2023)
TITAN COMICS/Heroic Signatures

STORY: Jim Zub
ART: Doug Braithwaite
COLORS: Diego Rodriguez
LETTERS: Richard Starkings of Comicraft
EDITOR: Chris Butera
COVER: Ashleigh Izienicki
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Patch Zircher; Greg Broadmore
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2024)

Suggested for mature readers

“Thrice Marked for Death!” Part IV: “Sacrifice”

Conan the Cimmerian was born in the pulp fiction of Robert E. Howard (REH), first appearing in the magazine, Weird Tales (1932).  In 1970, Marvel Comics brought Conan to the world of comic books via the title, Conan the Barbarian. With only a few pauses, Conan comic books have been published for the better part of five decades.

Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures are the new producers of Conan comic books, and they launched a new Conan the Barbarian series in 2023.  The current story arc is written by Jim Zub; drawn by Doug Braithwaite; colored by Diego Rodriguez; and lettered by Richard Starkings.  Entitled “Thrice Marked for Death!,” the arc finds Conan taking up with a thieves guild known as “The Gloryhounds,” and the target of their latest act of larceny is a fine-cut, dark stone that only Conan realizes is dangerous.

Conan the Barbarian #8 (“Sacrifice”) opens with Conan alone, wandering the streets, and possessed.  Only recently, he ran with the thieves guild known as the “Gloryhounds.”  They wanted to steal an artifact known as “Tarim's Touch,” but only Conan recognized it as a shard of the cursed “Black Stone,” which he'd once broken with a Pict Blade.  Now, all the Gloryhounds are dead, their violent deaths caused by the spirits within Tarim's Touch.

Now, it's Conan's turn.  All the spirits of the shard are inside him, and they want him to find the blade he once used against the stone.  Because he'd sold it, Conan must now go on a rampage through darkened Shadizar in order to find it.  When he finds it, will that bring him peace and freedom or more trouble and damnation?

THE LOWDOWN:  Titan Comics has been providing me with PDF copies of their publications for review for several years now.  Conan the Barbarian #8 is one of them.

Writer Jim Zub spends the narrative of his script for issue #8 working himself and the story into a corner.  “Thrice Marked for Death!” must come to an end, but it doesn't seem that Zub will come up with an end that makes sense in the context of the situations in which he has placed Conan.  But, of course, Zub does it.  He saves the day and sends Conan on a new adventure, with the kind of tremendous surprise I would never expect.

Artist Doug Braithwaite continues to summon the ghosts of Conan's greatest comic book artist, John Buscema, with strong storytelling.  Issue #8 is a sound and fury signifying a storm of trouble for Conan, with powerful, brutal and violent action that boggles the mind even of a longtime Conan reader like myself.  The art shines brilliantly under Diego Rodriguez's remarkable colors.  All the while, Richard Starking's lettering maintains a soundtrack of doom.

People looking for good comic books should be reading Titan Comics' Conan the Barbarian.  This is the real Conan deal, and dear readers, I think you will enjoy this as much as I keep enjoying it.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Conan comic books will want to try Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures' Conan the Barbarian.

[This comic book includes the essay, “Robert E. Howard and His Ages Undreamed Of,” by Jeffrey Shanks.  Although labeled as “Part Six,” it is also the eighth installment.]

A
★★★★ out of 4 stars

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


The CONAN THE BARBARIAN: THRICE MARKED FOR DEATH! trade paperback is available at Amazon.


https://titan-comics.com/
https://twitter.com/ComicsTitan
https://www.instagram.com/titancomics/
https://www.facebook.com/ComicsTitan


The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).


Tuesday, June 24, 2025

#IReadsYou Review: NIGHT CLUB II #1

NIGHT CLUB II #1 (OF 6)

LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Juanan Ramírez with Fabiana Mascolo
EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Jae Lee with June Chung
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (August 2024)

Rated M / Mature

Night Club created by Mark Millar at Netflix

Night Club II is a new six-issue miniseries written and created by Mark Millar and drawn by Juanan Ramírez.  A Dark Horse Comics publication and a Netflix production, Night Club II is a sequel to the 2023 miniseries, Night Club.  Both series focus on a teen boy who is bitten by a vampire and decides to make the best of his new condition.  Colorist Fabiana Mascolo and letterer Clem Robins complete Night Club II's creative team.

Night Club introduces 17-year-old Danny Garcia, who had ambitions to gain fame and fortune as a YouTube star.  After being turned into a vampire, he passed his new found powers unto his friends, DJ Sam Huxley and Amy Chen.  Now, they're the superheroes:  Starguard (Danny), Thundercloud (Sam), Yellowbird (Amy).  But jealousy has broken up this vampire-superhero trio...

Night Club II #1 opens with Danny and Amy, now a couple, still playing superheroes and filming it for their lucrative YouTube page.  They are actively attacking the drug empire of Rufus Tee, much to the chagrin of the police.  Meanwhile, former “band mate,” Sam is using his vampire powers to ball hard, and now, he's gotten an attractive offer from a man who should be his enemy.

THE LOWDOWN:  This is the second time that I have been on any kind of list that provides PDF copies of titles published by Dark Horse Comics.  The latest received is Night Club II #1.

Reading this first issue of Night Club II, I suddenly remembered how much I really liked the first series and how much I really missed it.  I'd love for Night Club to be an ongoing series, but I know that Millarworld doesn't really work that way.  Night Club will have a beginning, middle, and end, but I feel like, as far as a vampire-superhero hybrid goes, it could be like DC Comics' Teen Titans.

Instead of offering big surprises in this return, writer Mark Millar and artist Juanan Ramírez build on the narrative that began in Night Club #1 and came to a head in Night Club #6.  Millar provides the character drama, and Ramirez spreads it out in big panels and in widescreen storytelling.  I think this means that there will be a lot of force applied by various interested parties to other interested parties in this second installment, and I think we'll like it, dear readers.

If you have ever seen the 1987 vampire film, The Lost Boys, you might have wondered what it would be like if the vampire boys got to play to their own interests.  Maybe, Night Club II is that story.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of vampire comic books will want to be bitten by Night Club II.

A
★★★★ out of 4 stars

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


https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar
https://twitter.com/netflix
https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/
http://www.millarworld.tv/

https://www.darkhorse.com/
https://x.com/darkhorsecomics/
https://www.facebook.com/darkhorsecomics/
https://www.instagram.com/DarkHorseComics/


The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

This series is collected in the trade paperback, NIGHT CLUB VOLUME 2, which is available at Amazon.

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).


Wednesday, June 11, 2025

#IReadsYou Review: NEMESIS: ROGUES' GALLERY #2


LETTERS: Clem Robins
EDITORS: Sarah Unwin; Daniel Chabon
COVER: Valerio Giangiordano with Lee Loughridge
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (August 2024)

Age range: 14+

Nemesis created by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven

Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery is a five-issue comic book miniseries from writer Mark Millar.  It is a sequel to the miniseries, Nemesis Reloaded (2023) and Big Game (2023).  Published by Dark Horse comics, the new series finds the super-killer, Nemesis, on a mission of revenge.  Rogues' Gallery is drawn by Valerio Giangiordano; colored by Lee Loughridge; and lettered by Clem Robins.

Nemesis: Rogues Gallery finds Nemesis, once the world's greatest super-villain, with a plan to be just that, again. Now, bent on a mission of revenge against everyone who wronged him, Nemesis must rebuild his empire and his fortune.

Nemesis: Rogues Gallery #2 opens in the Tribunal de Justica in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  Six counts of murder; 27 counts of aggravated assault; 3 counts of burglary, and four counts of antisocial behavior:  that is Pedro Hernandez.  He has been in and out of detention centers since he was six years old, and he shows no signs of rehabilitation or remorse.  This is the day of reckoning for Pedro.

Or this is the day he can become Nemesis' new partner-in-crime, “Rookie.”

Meanwhile, Andy, the security guard betrayed by Nemesis, is a new man... and a new weapon of vengeance.

THE LOWDOWN:  This is the second time that I have been on any kind of list that provides PDF copies of titles published by Dark Horse Comics.  I mark my return with Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery #2.

Mark Millar continues to deliver the ultimate modern super-villain comic book.  The Nemesis line of comics offers something like Batman as a deranged killer.  However, I must point out that when it comes to Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery, the artist drives the narrative with the most power.

The artists of the earlier series, Steve McNiven (Nemesis) and Jorge Jiménez (Nemesis: Reloaded), offered art and graphic storytelling that emphasized the crazy, the sexy, and the cool of showy super-villain.  Nemesis was a bad ass and a murderer, and the storytelling of the earlier series captured the exhilaration of Frank Miller and Klaus Janson's Daredevil and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.  In the first series, Nemesis was like the Batman of DKR, and in Nemesis: Reloaded, Nemesis was like Daredevil's killer dude, Bullseye.

Valerio Giangiordano of Rome, Italy takes Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery down a different path, both visually and graphically.  No longer is Nemesis a sexy killer.  Valerio captures all the darkness, vileness, and evil in Nemesis and places him at the heart of some nasty, hard-hitting storytelling.  In a way, Valerio turns Rogues' Gallery into something like one of those gritty 1970s crime movies.  Tonally, all three Nemesis series are different, but in this third series, Valerio takes charge and takes Nemesis down a more sinister and edgier path than any comic books that feature Nemesis have previously done.

Colorist Lee Loughridge, who knows how to deal with “the dark,” perfectly accentuates Valerio's storytelling with colors that suggest murder, both muted and glaring.  Letterer Clem Robins captures the darker wasteland of this new series.

Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery promises to be a good time.  It may also end up being the best evil Batman comic book in ages.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar's comic books and of Valerio Giangiordano's art will desire Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery.

A

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

The NEMESIS: ROGUES' GALLERY trade paperback is available at Amazon.

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/
https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar
https://twitter.com/netflix
http://www.millarworld.tv/

https://www.darkhorse.com/
https://x.com/darkhorsecomics/
https://www.facebook.com/darkhorsecomics/
https://www.instagram.com/DarkHorseComics/


The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).


Wednesday, June 4, 2025

#IReadsYou Review: PRODIGY: Slaves of Mars #2


LETTERS: Clem Robins
EDITOR: Daniel Chabon
EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin
COVER: Stefano Landini with Michele Assarasakorn
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Stefano Landini
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (September 2024)

Rated M / Mature

Prodigy created by Mark Millar at Netflix

Prodigy: Slaves of Mars is a new five-issue comic book miniseries produced by writer Mark Millar.  It is the third entry in the Prodigy series, following the original 2018-19 six-issue miniseries, Prodigy, and the 2022 miniseries, Prodigy: The Icarus Society.  This new series' creative team is comprised of artist Stefano Landini; colorist Michele Assarasakorn; and letterer Clem Robins.  Prodigy focuses on the adventures of the world's smartest man, Edison Crane.

In Prodigy: Slaves of Mars, Edison returns to New York City from an adventure in the Himalayas to find his company, Crane Solutions, in disarray.  He also learns that his father, the former Senator Whitney Crane, is dead on Mars after discovering some shocking secret.  Now, a wanted man, Edison only has one person left to whom he can turn.  That would be his older, smarter brother, Elijah Crane.

Prodigy: Slaves of Mars #2 opens in Baltimore, Maryland.  The Crane brothers are reunited just in time to discover that each feels differently about the death of their recently deceased father.  Now, they are about to go on the run as Froth Schroeder, the man who tore down Edison's life and likely killed their father, sets his sights on both brothers.

Meanwhile, what does this have to do with the ancient secrets of Mars and Martian rulers on Earth?  And where does the Kepler-11 star system fit into all this?

THE LOWDOWN:  This is the second time that I have been on any kind of list that provides PDF copies of titles published by Dark Horse Comics.  I mark my return with Prodigy: Slaves of Mars #2.

Of course, Prodigy: Slaves of Mars #2 is a blast to read, just as issue #1 was.  Millar's mixture of ancient aliens, secret societies, large conspiracies, and deep history runs throughout the Prodigy comic books.  You would already know that, dear readers, if you had read Prodigy: The Icarus Society #1 or read Prodigy: The Evil Earth, the trade collection of the first miniseries.

The art team of illustrator Stefano Landini and colorist Michele Assarasakorn throws caution to the wind and presents graphical storytelling that races from page to page in a loose drawing style and muted coloring style.  Landini's art recalls the ancient mysteries vibe of the film, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), and he uses it quite effectively to keep me reading.  Landini makes me excited about following Edison and Elijah on a great adventure.  As always, also, Clem Robins provides the perfect soundtrack to this chapter with his classic lettering.

Prodigy is back.  The Slaves of Mars are calling us.  Don't be a fool, dear readers; get this.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of his comic book, Prodigy, will want to read Prodigy: Slaves of Mars.

A+

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

The PRODIGY: SLAVES OF MARS trade paperback collection is available via Amazon.

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/
http://www.millarworld.tv/
https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar
https://www.netflix.com/
https://twitter.com/netflix

https://www.darkhorse.com/
https://x.com/darkhorsecomics/
https://www.facebook.com/darkhorsecomics/
https://www.instagram.com/DarkHorseComics/


The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).