DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for October 2, 2019

DC COMICS

DEC180616    ABSOLUTE BATMAN ARKHAM ASYLUM HC 30TH ANNIV ED    $75.00
AUG190442    BATMAN #251 FACSIMILE EDITION    $3.99
JUL199124    BATMAN #78 2ND PTG YOTV    $3.99
AUG190480    BATMAN #80    $3.99
AUG190481    BATMAN #80 CARD STOCK VAR ED    $4.99
JUL190632    BATMAN & THE JUSTICE LEAGUE MANGA TP VOL 03    $12.99
MAR190629    BATMAN FAMILY RED HOOD MULTI PART STATUE    $80.00
AUG190495    BATMAN TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES III #6 (OF 6)    $3.99
AUG190496    BATMAN TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES III #6 (OF 6) VAR ED    $3.99
JUL190633    BATWOMAN HAUNTED TIDES TP    $24.99
AUG190502    DCEASED #5 (OF 6)    $3.99
AUG190504    DCEASED #5 (OF 6) CARD STOCK HORROR VAR ED    $4.99
AUG190503    DCEASED #5 (OF 6) CARD STOCK VAR ED    $4.99
AUG190501    DEATHSTROKE #48 VAR ED YOTV    $3.99
AUG190500    DEATHSTROKE #48 YOTV    $3.99
AUG190585    DOLLAR COMICS JOKER #1    $1.00
AUG190578    DOOM PATROL WEIGHT OF THE WORLDS #4 (MR)    $3.99
JUL190638    DOOMSDAY CLOCK HC PART 01    $24.99
AUG190574    DREAMING #14 (MR)    $3.99
AUG190464    FLASH GIANT #1    $4.99
AUG190522    GREEN LANTERN #12    $4.99
AUG190523    GREEN LANTERN #12 VAR ED    $4.99
AUG190527    HARLEY QUINN #66 VAR ED YOTV    $3.99
AUG190526    HARLEY QUINN #66 YOTV    $3.99
FEB190581    HARLEY QUINN BY CONNER & PALMIOTTI OMNIBUS HC VOL 03    $99.99
AUG190534    JUSTICE LEAGUE #33    $3.99
AUG190535    JUSTICE LEAGUE #33 CARD STOCK VAR ED    $4.99
AUG190450    LEGION OF SUPER HEROES MILLENNIUM #2 (OF 2)    $4.99
AUG190451    LEGION OF SUPER HEROES MILLENNIUM #2 (OF 2) VAR ED    $4.99
AUG190542    LOIS LANE #4 (OF 12)    $3.99
AUG190543    LOIS LANE #4 (OF 12) VAR ED    $3.99
JUL199126    SUPERMAN #14 2ND PTG    $3.99
JUL190656    SUPERMAN TP VOL 01 THE UNITY SAGA PHANTOM EARTH    $17.99
AUG190590    SUPERMAN UP IN THE SKY #4 (OF 6)    $4.99
JUL190637    VERY DC HALLOWEEN TP    $16.99
AUG190582    YOUNG JUSTICE #9    $3.99
AUG190583    YOUNG JUSTICE #9 CARD STOCK VAR ED    $4.99
JUL190668    YOUNG JUSTICE THE ANIMATED SER TP BOOK 01 THE EARLY MISSIONS    $24.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for October 24, 2018

DARK HORSE COMICS

APR180056    ALIENS DUST TO DUST #3 (OF 4) MAIN CVR (MR)    $3.99
APR180057    ALIENS DUST TO DUST #3 (OF 4) VAR D ANDA CVR (MR)    $3.99
JUN180361    ALIENS ESSENTIAL COMICS TP VOL 01    $24.99
AUG180373    BEASTS OF BURDEN WISE DOGS AND ELDRITCH MEN #3 (OF 4) CVR A    $3.99
AUG180374    BEASTS OF BURDEN WISE DOGS AND ELDRITCH MEN #3 (OF 4) CVR B    $3.99
JUN180365    BPRD HELL ON EARTH HC VOL 03    $34.99
FEB180031    DAVE MCKEAN SHORT FILMS HC    $24.99
JUN180383    MOB PSYCHO 100 TP VOL 01    $11.99
AUG180322    MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 #2 CVR A NAUCK    $3.99
AUG180323    MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 #2 CVR B VANCE    $3.99
AUG180325    OLIVIA TWIST #2 (MR)    $4.99
AUG180353    PREDATOR HUNTERS II #3    $3.99
JUN180310    SUPER MARIO ENCYCLOPEDIA HC (FEB188398)    $39.99
JUN180311    SUPER MARIO ENCYCLOPEDIA LTD ED HC    $79.99
AUG180345    USAGI YOJIMBO #7 (OF 7) THE HIDDEN    $3.99
AUG180324    WHISPERING DARK #1    $3.99

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for October 24, 2018

DC COMICS

AUG180496    ACTION COMICS #1004 FOIL    $3.99
AUG180497    ACTION COMICS #1004 VAR ED    $3.99
AUG180499    BATGIRL #28 FOIL    $3.99
AUG180500    BATGIRL #28 VAR ED    $3.99
AUG180505    BATMAN BEYOND #25 FOIL    $4.99
AUG180506    BATMAN BEYOND #25 VAR ED    $4.99
JUL180724    BATMAN DETECTIVE COMICS HC REBIRTH DLX COLL HC BOOK 03    $34.99
AUG180507    BATMAN KINGS OF FEAR #3 (OF 6)    $3.99
JUL180717    BATMAN TP VOL 07 THE WEDDING REBIRTH    $16.99
AUG180456    BOOKS OF MAGIC #1 (MR)    $3.99
AUG180458    BOOKS OF MAGIC #1 BLANK VAR ED (MR)    $3.99
AUG180457    BOOKS OF MAGIC #1 VAR ED (MR)    $3.99
APR180306    DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS JOKERS DAUGHTER STATUE    $125.00
MAR180339    DEATHSTROKE BY TONY DANIEL OMNIBUS HC    $75.00
AUG180519    DETECTIVE COMICS #991    $3.99
AUG180520    DETECTIVE COMICS #991 VAR ED    $3.99
AUG180524    FLASH #57    $3.99
AUG180525    FLASH #57 VAR ED    $3.99
JUL180755    FLASH STARTING LINE ESSENTIAL EDITION TP    $24.99
AUG180542    JUSTICE LEAGUE ODYSSEY #2 FOIL (RES)    $3.99
AUG180543    JUSTICE LEAGUE ODYSSEY #2 VAR ED (RES)    $3.99
AUG180484    OLD LADY HARLEY #1 (OF 5)    $3.99
AUG180486    OLD LADY HARLEY #1 (OF 5) BLANK VAR ED    $3.99
AUG180485    OLD LADY HARLEY #1 (OF 5) VAR ED    $3.99
AUG180552    RAVEN DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS #9 (OF 12)    $3.99
JUL180774    SANDMAN TP VOL 01 PRELUDES & NOCTURNES 30TH ANNIV ED    $19.99
AUG180555    SCARLET #3 (OF 5) (MR)    $3.99
JUL180782    SCARLET TP BOOK 01 (MR)    $14.99
AUG180558    SCOOBY DOO TEAM UP #43    $2.99
AUG180562    SILENCER #10 FOIL    $2.99
APR180303    TEEN TITANS KID FLASH MULTI PART STATUE    $80.00
APR180304    TEEN TITANS WONDER GIRL MULTI PART STATUE    $80.00
AUG180575    TERRIFICS #9 FOIL    $2.99
AUG180573    TITANS #28 (DROWNED EARTH)    $3.99
AUG180574    TITANS #28 VAR ED (DROWNED EARTH)    $3.99
JUN180585    UNITED STATES OF MURDER INC TP VOL 01 TRUTH (MR)    $16.99
AUG180469    WONDER WOMAN #57 (WITCHING HOUR)    $3.99
AUG180470    WONDER WOMAN #57 VAR ED (WITCHING HOUR)    $3.99

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for October 3, 2018

DC COMICS

AUG180498    ADVENTURES OF THE SUPER SONS #3 (OF 12)    $3.99
AUG180501    BATMAN #56 FOIL    $3.99
AUG180502    BATMAN #56 VAR ED    $3.99
AUG180453    BATMAN BLANK COMIC #1    $2.99
JUL180731    BATMAN KNIGHTQUEST THE CRUSADE TP VOL 02    $19.99
JUL180733    BATMAN WHITE KNIGHT TP    $19.99
AUG180508    BORDER TOWN #2 (MR)    $3.99
AUG180513    CURSE OF BRIMSTONE #7 FOIL    $2.99
MAR180387    DC DESIGNER SER RED HOOD BY KENNETH ROCAFORT STATUE    $150.00
AUG180515    DEATHSTROKE #36 (ARKHAM)    $3.99
AUG180516    DEATHSTROKE #36 VAR ED (ARKHAM)    $3.99
AUG180521    DREAMING #2 (MR)    $3.99
AUG180526    GREEN ARROW #45 FOIL (HEROES IN CRISIS)    $3.99
AUG180527    GREEN ARROW #45 VAR ED (HEROES IN CRISIS)    $3.99
AUG180528    GREEN LANTERNS #56 FOIL    $3.99
AUG180529    GREEN LANTERNS #56 VAR ED    $3.99
JUL180757    GREEN LANTERNS TP VOL 07 SUPERHUMAN TRAFFICKING    $14.99
AUG180532    HARLEY QUINN #51    $3.99
AUG180533    HARLEY QUINN #51 VAR ED    $3.99
MAR180348    HARLEY QUINN BY CONNER & PALMIOTTI OMNIBUS HC VOL 02    $99.99
JUL180027    HCF 2018 JOHN CONSTANTINE THE HELLBLAZER #1  (MR)    $PI
AUG180539    INJUSTICE 2 #35    $2.99
AUG180477    JUSTICE LEAGUE #9 (DROWNED EARTH)    $3.99
AUG180479    JUSTICE LEAGUE #9 JIM LEE PENCIL VAR ED (DROWNED EARTH)    $3.99
AUG180478    JUSTICE LEAGUE #9 VAR ED (DROWNED EARTH)    $3.99
JUL180763    JUSTICE LEAGUE THE DARKSEID WAR ESSENTIAL EDITION TP    $29.99
AUG180546    NIGHTWING #50    $4.99
AUG180547    NIGHTWING #50 VAR ED    $4.99
AUG180454    SUPERMAN BLANK COMIC #1    $2.99
JUL180795    SWAMP THING THE BRONZE AGE OMNIBUS TP VOL 01    $24.99
JUL180797    TEEN TITANS TP VOL 03 THE RETURN OF KID FLASH REBIRTH    $16.99
AUG180577    UNEXPECTED #5 FOIL    $2.99
AUG180578    UNITED STATES VS MURDER INC #2 (OF 6) (MR)    $3.99
AUG180464    WONDER WOMAN & JL DARK WITCHING HOUR #1    $4.99
AUG180466    WONDER WOMAN & JL DARK WITCHING HOUR #1 BLANK VAR ED    $4.99
AUG180465    WONDER WOMAN & JL DARK WITCHING HOUR #1 VAR ED    $4.99
AUG180455    WONDER WOMAN BLANK COMIC #1    $2.99
JUL180591    WONDER WOMAN EARTH ONE HC VOL 02    $24.99

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 8, 2018

DC COMICS

MAY180564    AQUAMAN TP BY PETER DAVID BOOK 02    $29.99
MAY180568    BATMAN BEYOND TP VOL 03 THE LONG PAYBACK REBIRTH    $16.99
MAY180573    BATMAN TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES II HC    $24.99
JUN180471    CATWOMAN #2    $3.99
JUN180472    CATWOMAN #2 VAR ED    $3.99
FEB180333    DC CORE THE JOKER PVC STATUE    $50.00
MAY180575    DEADMAN TP    $16.99
JUN180480    DETECTIVE COMICS #986    $2.99
JUN180481    DETECTIVE COMICS #986 VAR ED    $2.99
JUN180484    ETERNITY GIRL #6 (OF 6) (MR)    $3.99
JUN180485    FLASH #52    $3.99
JUN180486    FLASH #52 VAR ED    $3.99
JUN180495    HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #50    $3.99
JUN180496    HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #50 VAR ED    $3.99
JUN180501    HAWKMAN #3    $3.99
JUN180502    HAWKMAN #3 VAR ED    $3.99
JUN180503    IMMORTAL MEN #5    $2.99
MAY189836    JUSTICE LEAGUE #2 2ND PTG    $3.99
JUN180523    PLASTIC MAN #3 (OF 6)    $3.99
JUN180525    RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #25    $4.99
JUN180526    RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #25 VAR ED    $4.99
JUN180422    SANDMAN UNIVERSE #1 (MR)    $4.99
JUN180429    SANDMAN UNIVERSE #1 BLANK VAR ED (MR)    $4.99
JUN180423    SANDMAN UNIVERSE #1 KIETH VAR ED (MR)    $4.99
JUN180424    SANDMAN UNIVERSE #1 LEE VAR ED (MR)    $4.99
JUN180425    SANDMAN UNIVERSE #1 MACK VAR ED (MR)    $4.99
JUN180426    SANDMAN UNIVERSE #1 MCKEAN VAR ED (MR)    $4.99
JUN180427    SANDMAN UNIVERSE #1 RUSSELL VAR ED (MR)    $4.99
JUN180428    SANDMAN UNIVERSE #1 THOMPSON VAR ED (MR)    $4.99
JUN180528    SCOOBY APOCALYPSE #28    $3.99
JUN180529    SCOOBY APOCALYPSE #28 VAR ED    $3.99
JUN180533    SIDEWAYS #7    $2.99
JUN180456    SUICIDE SQUAD #45 SINK ATLANTIS    $3.99
JUN180457    SUICIDE SQUAD #45 VAR ED SINK ATLANTIS    $3.99
JUN180441    SUPERGIRL #21    $3.99
JUN180443    SUPERGIRL #21 BLANK VAR ED    $3.99
JUN180442    SUPERGIRL #21 VAR ED    $3.99
JUN180537    SUPERMAN #2    $3.99
JUN180538    SUPERMAN #2 HUGHES VAR ED    $3.99
JUN180539    SUPERMAN #2 MACK VAR ED    $3.99
JUN180544    TITANS #24    $3.99
JUN180545    TITANS #24 VAR ED    $3.99
JUN180549    WILDSTORM MICHAEL CRAY #10    $3.99
JUN180550    WONDER WOMAN #52    $3.99
JUN180551    WONDER WOMAN #52 VAR ED    $3.99

Review: AMERICAN GODS #1

AMERICAN GODS No. 1
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Neil Gaiman
SCRIPT: P. Craig Russell
LAYOUTS: P. Craig Russell
ART: Scott Hampton; P. Craig Russell
COLORS: Scott Hampton; P. Craig Russell
LETTERS: Rick Parker; Lovern Kindzierski
COVER: Glenn Fabry
VARIANT COVERS: David Mack; Dave McKean
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2017)

American Gods is a 2001 novel from author Neil Gaiman.  The novel won several fantasy-literary awards and is currently the subject of a television adaptation by Starz Media.  This fantasy novel blends ancient and modern mythology with Americana to tell the tale a man caught in a war between the gods of the Old World and the new American gods.

American Gods is also a comic book thanks to an adaptation by frequent Gaiman collaborator, P. Craig Russell.  Russell wrote the script adaptation of Gaiman's novel and provided the layouts for the art.  American Gods the comic book is drawn and colored by Scott Hampton and lettered by Rick Parker.  The first issue of American Gods also includes a four-page back story that is an adaptation of particular sequence (involving the succubus, Bilquis) from American Gods that is written, drawn, and colored by Russell and lettered by Lovern Kindzierski.

American Gods #1 opens in an unnamed prison where we meet the protagonist, Shadow Moon.  Shadow is in the third year of his six-year prison sentence and is nearing parole.  Being so close to getting out of prison has made Shadow anxious, and he feels that something bad is coming towards him.  Everyday he thinks of returning to Eagle Point, Indiana and his wife, Laura.  However, the world of the supernatural is what actually awaits Shadow... and a man calling himself Mr. Wednesday.

I did not read American Gods upon its original release in 2001, but five years ago, I did read the tenth anniversary edition which featured a longer text – the author's preferred edition.  I loved it; well, I don't think “love” is a strong enough word.  I consider that edition of American Gods to be life-changing in terms of my life as a writer.

I was happy to hear that Dark Horse Comics would be publishing a comic book adaptation, because I believed that, as they have always done, the people of Dark Horse take their comic book adaptations of other media seriously (Alien, Predator, and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” to name a few).  They always seem determined to produce something of high quality, and I knew they would not want to fuck up Neil Gaiman's storytelling.

So far, I like P. Craig Russell and Scott Hampton's American Gods because it feels true to Neil Gaiman's storytelling and text.  The only thing that I don't like is waiting a month for the next issue.  It's that simple:  Russell and Hampton done good.  Plus, I have to say I wondered if anyone could visualize the part of the novel in which Gaiman introduces Bilquis, and Russell, one of the great visualists in the history of comic books, pulls that off.  [By the way, David Mack's variant cover for the first issue is also quite visually striking.]

So set aside your four bucks for each issue.  We have in American Gods a comics adaptation of a novel that may end up being on the short list of great comic book adaptations of a prose novel.

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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I Reads You Juniors December 2017 - Update #61

Support Leroy on Patreon.

Leroy's Amazon Comics and Graphic Novels Page:

From Newsarama:  December 28th 2017 was Stan Lee's 95th birthday and industry pros wished him a happy birthday.

From ComicBook:  Batman co-creator, the late Bill Finger, had a street in New York City named for him - "Bill Finger Way."

From ComicBook:  Dr. Strange is apparently set to become the "God of Magic."

From BleedingCool:  The Max Landis story that was removed from The DC Holiday Special 2017 is available again on digital copies bought via comiXology.

OBIT - From BleedingCool:  British comic book creator and artist, Jim Baikie, died at the age of 77, Friday, December 29, 2017.  A mainstay of the venerable British comics magazines, "2000AD," Baikie created the alien science fiction comic strip, "Skizz" with Alan Moore.  He also created with Moore the comics, "The First American," for Moore's America's Best Comics (ABC) line.

From TheBeat:  In his column, "Tilting at Windmills #266, Brian Hibbs writes an open letter to new Marvel Comic EiC C.B. Cebulski, with some good suggestions for the publisher - that will ultimately be ignored.

From BleedingCool:  A list of rumors about upcoming creator changes at Marvel, including Nick Spencer on "The Amazing Spider-Man."

From AldotCom:  Alabama.com profiles Alabama favorite son, Jason Aaron.

From BleedingCool:  Marvel's "Weapon X" comic book could become "X-Men: Black."

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics is launching an app that will allow fans to create their own comics - which Marvel will completely own.

From ComicBook:  There is a controversial "Boruto: Naruto Next Generations" cover that has fans fuming.

OBIT - From Newsarama:  Veteran comic book inker, Victor Llamas, has died at the age of 41, Friday, December 22, 2017.  He broke into the industry via Top Cow and inked then emerging artists like David Finch and Joe Benitez.  There is a GoFundMe page here to help his family with expenses.

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COMIC BOOK THEFTS:
From ABCActionNews:   Thousands of dollars in comic books stolen from IDC Comics Toys & Collectibles in Avon Park, Florida.

From BostonHerald: $20,000 in comic books stolen The Hall of Comics store in Southborough, Massachusetts.

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From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet episode #148 in English.
From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullete episode #148 in French.

From BleedingCool:  Sony Would Have Liked the Rights to a Gay Miles Morales Spider-Man.

From BleedingCool:  Brian Michael Bendis announces that his "Punisher" comic book, "Punisher: End of Days," has been cancelled, as well as some of his other Marvel projects of which we have never heard.

From BleedingCool:  Rumor is that Brian Michael Bendis will write a Superman book in 2018.

From Mashable:  This article explains the difference between the 2003 film, "Old Boy," and the manga from which it was adapted.

From BleedingCool:  It's Alive is bringing back Trina Robbins' long out-of-print graphic novel, "The Silver Metal Lover" with a Kickstarter campaign.

From CBLDF and LatuffCartoons:  Lawyers for Turkey‘s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pressure Twitter to delete the content of 80 of Brazilian cartoonist, Carlos Latuff's posts, including 11 of Latuff's ‘toons,

From ScienceFiction:  Gail Simone has advice for aspiring comic book writers.

From FortressofSolitude:  An embarrassing (and typical) "best comic books of 2017" list.

From NYT:  The New York Times profiles a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania comic book store, Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse, that promotes diversity.

From BleedingCool:  Joe Quesada takes to Twitter to discuss Marvel Comics' recent cancellation of titles starring LGBTQ characters, characters of color, and female characters.

From BleedingCool:  Joe Glass examines the victims of the Marvel Comics cancellation bloodbath.

From BleedingCool:  Writer David L. Walker has confirmed that his "Luke Cage" series is being cancelled due to low sales.

From CBR:  The site ranks every comic book movie in 2017 from worst (Netflix's "Death Note") to best ("Logan").

From Newsarama:  The "Black Comic Book Festival" is back.  According to Newsarama:  "The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture has opened registration for its "6th Annual Black Comic Book Festival" that will be held on January 12-13, 2018 at the Schomburg Center. Registration is free and open to the public and is available at schomburgcenter.eventbrite.com."

From THR:  Joe R. Lansdale has announced a comic book prequel to his prose novella, "Bubba Ho-Tep," which inspired a 2002 cult film from director Don Coscarelli (creator of the "Phantasm" film franchise).

From WashPost:  Novelist Brad Meltzer has also written comic books, like "Justice League" and "Identity Crisis" for DC Comics.  Now, he is announcing a graphic novel about "Ghandi."

From MyAJC:  Two brothers launch a line of Black superhero comic books in hopes to catch the upcoming "Black Panther" movie wave.

From Crunchyroll:  Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of the manga, "Naruto," has a new manga due next year.  Japanese fans caught to see a sneak preview of draft pages from the upcoming and still unnamed manga.

From BleedingCool:  Japan's "Shonen Magazine" (Kodansha) is running a "Marvel manga" contest to recruit new talent.

From BleedingCool:  Trade paperback and collections from Dynamite Entertainment for March 2018.

From BleedingCool:  The DC Comics imprint, "Young Animal," curated by Gerard Way ("The Umbrella Academy") will be relaunched in March with four new titles.

From JeffLemireBlog:  Acclaimed writer, Jeff Lemire, talks about his plans for 2018.

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From BleedingCool:  In Lafayette, Louisiana, comic shop owner, Teresa Moran, is trying to buy the shopping center, where her store, Acadian Comics & Collectibles, is located.  She has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise one million dollars.  [I know Teresa Moran a.k.a. "Miss Teresa," and her shop is the descendant of the comic shop I first patronized when I entered college. - Leroy]

From GoFundMe:  Teresa Moran's GoFundMe page to buy a shopping center.

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From Kotaku:  The "Terra Formars" returns to Japan's "Young Jump" next April.

From Newsarama:  Yen Press March 2018 solicitations.

From Newsarama:  A first look at "Rise of the Black Panther #1."

From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet episode #147 in English.
From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet episode #147 in French.

From BleedingCool:  Marc Silvestri's "Cyber Force" returns (again) with Matt Hawkins and Bryan Hill writing and Silvestri "overseeing" the project.

From BleedingCool:  Marvel announces a digital first Avengers comic books, "Avengers: Back to Basics," written by Peter David.

From BleedingCool:  Editorial changes are happening at DC Comics, including for the Superman line, which Brian Michael Bendis will apparently join as a writer (Action Comics?).

From Gizmodo:  The site explains Patreon's recent fee change announcement, which has caused an uproar.  The changes will affect small press and indie comics creators who use the platform.

From IrishTime:  Controversial film director Takashi Miike talks about how important manga was to his generations of boyhood.

From KotakuAustralia:  The best selling manga of 2017 in Japan - actually December 5, 2016 to November 27, 2017.  "One Piece" is #1.

From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet episode #146 in English.
From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet episode #146 in French.

From BleedingCool:   An article about calculating history and the sale of the color cover proof for Action Comics #1 - the one that introduced Superman.

From IGN:  What the Star Wars comic books and novels can tell us about "The Last Jedi."

From BleedingCool:  Upcoming "Power Rangers" comic book will featuring killing off of some Rangers.

From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics will release "Dave McKean: Short Film as a hardcover  book and a Blu-ray.

From ComicBook:  "One Piece" creator Eiichiro Oda makes a statement about his manga's record breaking sales.

From DangerousMinds:  A look at the comic book story that inspired John Carpenter's 1988 film, "They Live."

From ComicBook:  The "Hunter x Hunter" manga returns next year (2018) in Japan's "Weekly Shonen Jump."

From LRMOnline:  Kouhei Horikoshi, the creator of the manga, "My Hero Academia," will create a poster that brings Star Wars and his manga together.  The poster will appear in a February 2018 issue of "Weekly Shonen Jump."

From Kotaku:  "Junji Ito Collection" is an upcoming anime series that will adapt the super-creepy horror comics of mangaka, Junji Ito.

From LawOfficer:  Police officer Greg Granderson creates a comic book as an outreach to kids.

From ComicBook:  Marvel announces a six issue New Mutants miniseries, "New Mutants: Dead Souls."

From SideshowToys:  Sideshow talks to pretend comic book artist J. Scott Campbell about his new line of statues/figures from Sideshow.  They call Campbell a legend, apparently not really knowing what a legend actually is.

From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet episode #145 in English.
From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet episode #145 in French.

From Twitter/BBCArchive:  This archival video is from a 1975 BBC profile of the great and influential artist, Frank Hampson, who created the classic British sci-fi comic, Dan Dare.  Hampson apparently had been experiencing hardship at the time.

From BleedingCool:  When a monthly Batman comic book artist lives on the edge of poverty.

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for May 31, 2017

DARK HORSE COMICS

MAR170017    ALIENS DEAD ORBIT #2    $3.99
MAR170082    JOE GOLEM OCCULT DETECTIVE OUTER DARK #1    $3.99
NOV160057    KINGSWAY WEST TP    $14.99
MAR170092    LOBSTER JOHNSON PIRATES GHOST #3    $3.99
JAN170138    MISTER X ARCHIVES TP    $24.99
JAN170140    STARSLAYER TP LOG OF JOLLYROGER    $24.99
MAR170097    VISITOR HOW AND WHY HE STAYED #4 (OF 5)    $3.99

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

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

OCT141656     13 COINS #5 (MR)     $3.99
DEC141380     ALICE COOPER #6     $3.99
DEC141608     ARIOL SC VOL 06 NASTY CAT     $12.99
NOV141607     ATOMIC ROBO TP VOL 09 KNIGHTS OF GOLDEN CIRCLE     $17.95
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DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for November 5, 2014

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SEP140348     NAMES #3 (MR)     $2.99
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DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for September 3, 2014

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I Reads You Review: THE SANDMAN PRESENTS: Deadboy Detectives #1

THE SANDMAN PRESENTS: DEADBOY DETECTIVES #1 (OF 4)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

STORY: Ed Brubaker
PENCILS: Bryan Talbot
INKS: Steve Leialoha
COLORS: Daniel Vozzo
LETTERS: Willie Schubert
EDITOR: Will Dennis
COVER: Dave McKean
32pp, Color, $2.50 U.S., $4.25 CAN (August 2001)

Suggested for mature readers

“The Secret of Immortality” “Part One”

The Sandman created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Keith, and Mike Dringenberg

Dead Boy Detectives created by Neil Gaiman and artists Matt Wagner and Malcolm Jones III

Edwin Paine and Charles Rowland are “The Dead Boy Detectives.”  They are two DC Comics fictional characters that first appeared in The Sandman #25 (cover dated: April, 1991) and were created by writer Neil Gaiman and artists Matt Wagner and Malcolm Jones III.

Since that debut, the Dead Boy Detectives have appeared in a number of comic books published under DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint.  In fact, the Dead Boy Detectives recently received their own eponymous, ongoing comic book series from Vertigo.  News of that new series re-ignited my desire to read the 2001 four-issue comic book miniseries, The Sandman Presents: The Deadboy Detectives.  It was written by Ed Brubaker and drawn by Bryan Talbot (pencils) and Steve Leialoha (inks), with colors by Daniel Vozzo.

Paine and Rowland are not your average boy detectives (like the Hardy Boys).  Edwin Paine was murdered at his British boarding school in 1916, and spent 75 years in Hell.  He escaped in 1991 and met Charles Rowland at his old boarding school, during the events of The Sandman story arc, Seasons of Mist.  Rowland died during this time, but refused to accompany Death (one of “The Endless”), preferring the prospect of future adventures with Paine.  The two ghosts spent a decade haunting places, preparing to become “first-rate detectives.”

The Sandman Presents: The Deadboy Detectives #1 opens with the boys settling into their new office – a tree house.  Now, the Rowland and Paine Detective Agency needs a client, and they get one.  Marcia, a young runaway, tells our intrepid duo that many of her fellow street urchin friends have been disappearing and then turning up dead.  These are not ordinary deaths, however, as the corpses appear to have been quite aged and withered.  Marcia claims that the police are not willing to put much effort into investigating crimes against runaways and the homeless.

Ultimately, Marcia decides not to hire Paine and Rowland, as she does not take them seriously.  They decide to investigate anyway, but their hunt will force them to meet people who may be dangerous even to ghosts.

If the rest of The Sandman Presents: The Deadboy Detectives is junk, then, the series would have to have taken a steep fall, because it really is good.  Ed Brubaker takes the boy detective genre (as best exemplified by the aforementioned Hardy Boys) and made it more imaginative and maybe even a little smarter.  I prefer the bookish Rowland, but Brubaker makes the alpha-male Paine not only the perfect foil for his partner, but also the tough guy that a mystery-solving duo needs.  I like how Brubaker sends his young heroes to interesting places that seem as real as they are imaginative.

Talbot and Leialoha’s art fills the spaces of the pages, which also gives the story a sense of verisimilitude.  Vozzo’s colors permeate the graphical storytelling with a sense of magic.  We have pretty pictures and good fantasy storytelling.  I’m ready for more of The Sandman Presents: The Deadboy Detectives, and I am also prepared to move onto the new series.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

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

I Reads You Review: THE SANDMAN: Overture #2

THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE #2 (OF 6)
DC COMICS/VERTIGO – @DCComics and @vertigo_comics

WRITER:  Neil Gaiman
ART: J.H. Williams, III
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Todd Klein
EDITOR: Shelly Bond
COVERS: J.H. Williams, III (Cover A); Dave McKean (Cover B)
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (May 2014)

“Suggested for Mature Readers”

Chapter Two

The second issue of The Sandman: Overture finally arrives after a few months delay.  Overture is a six-issue miniseries based on The Sandman, a comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and drawn by numerous artists, including Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, Jill Thompson, and Shawn McManus, among others.  The Sandman chronicled the adventures of a character called Dream (or Morpheus), created by Gaiman and artists, Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg.  Dream was one of “The Endless,” and he ruled over the world of dreams.

The Sandman: Overture, written by Gaiman and drawn by artist J.H. Williams III, is a prequel, of sorts.  The series will explore Morpheus’ world before he was captured, which is how readers found him way back in The Sandman #1.

As Gaiman told The New York Times in a 2012 interview, “This is the one story that we never got to tell.  In Sandman #1, Morpheus is captured somehow. Later on in the series, you learn he was returning from somewhere far, far away – but we never got to the story of what he was doing and what had happened. This is our chance to tell that story, and J.H. Williams III is drawing it.  It’s the most beautiful thing in the world.”

The Sandman: Overture #2 opens with a look-in on the current Lord of Dreams.  The story then travels back to 1915 where Morpheus joins a gathering of other aspects of Dream from throughout time and space.  Why have they gathered?  It seems one of Dream’s aspects has died – or rather, been destroyed.  Who or what did it?  Morpheus intends to get answers from the First Circle, but he must first deal with some attitude.

In the first issue of The Sandman: Overture, Neil Gaiman focused on introducing concepts over revealing plot.  With the second issue, he jumps fully into storytelling and the plot, and, of course, it is quite good storytelling.  Even the plot offers surprises.  Do I even have to say that it is good?  Well, yes, I have to because it has been a long time since Gaiman has written a long-form Sandman comic book.  “Chapter 2” is brilliant, imaginative, colorful, and expansive.  Every panel sparkles with magic.

However, much of the credit should go to artist J.H. Williams III and colorist Dave Stewart.  I like what I see on the pages of The Sandman: Overture #2 so much that I think Williams and Stewart were born to be Sandman artists.  Williams’ dazzling page design peels open structures the way Will Eisner did in his famous comic, The Spirit, turning the rooms of a house into individual comic book panels.  Stewart’s colors throb and pulse.  I felt as if the colors were pushing into my eyes, on the way to blowing my mind.  Wow, The Sandman: Overture #2 is why I like reading comic books.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

I Reads You Review: THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE #1

THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE #1 (OF 6)
DC COMICS/VERTIGO – @DCComics and @vertigo_comics

WRITER:  Neil Gaiman
ART: J.H. Williams, III
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Todd Klein
EDITORS: Karen Berger and Shelly Bond
COVERS: J.H. Williams, III (Cover A); Dave McKean (Cover B)
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (December 2013)

“Suggested for Mature Readers”

Chapter One

The Sandman was a comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and drawn by numerous artists, including Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, Jill Thompson, and Shawn McManus, among many.  The Sandman chronicled the adventures of a character called Dream (or Morpheus) that was created by Gaiman and artists, Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg.  Dream was one of “The Endless,” and he ruled over the world of dreams.

Published by DC Comics, the series ran for 75 issues (cover dates: January 1989 to March 1996).  For 29 issues (beginning with #47), The Sandman was published under the banner of Vertigo, a DC Comics’ imprint.

The Sandman returns in a new six-issue comic book miniseries, The Sandman: Overture.  Written by Neil Gaiman and drawn by artist J.H. Williams III, The Sandman: Overture will explore Morpheus’ world before he was captured, which is how readers found him way back in The Sandman #1.

“This is the one story that we never got to tell,” Neil Gaiman told The New York Times in an interview last year. “In Sandman #1, Morpheus is captured somehow. Later on in the series, you learn he was returning from somewhere far, far away – but we never got to the story of what he was doing and what had happened. This is our chance to tell that story, and J.H. Williams III is drawing it.  It’s the most beautiful thing in the world.”

The Sandman: Overture #1 takes place in different time periods and on multiple planes of existence/reality.  Chapter One introduces Ian Stuart, a young tradesman in 1915 London; he seems destined to fall prey to The Corinthian.  The Endless make an appearance, and their sibling Dream is the subject of much discussion.  Meanwhile, Dream receives a “call” that he cannot deny.

Being that The Sandman: Overture is a six-issue miniseries, I expected Neil Gaiman to do more introducing than revealing in the first issue.  He does, but they are such intriguing introductions.  If you are familiar with and like Gaiman’s work, especially The Sandman, I don’t have to sell you on this comic book, dear reader.  Still, I must say that if #1 is any indication, The Sandman: Overture is going to be really, really good.

What I can deliver a verdict on is the fantastic art by artist J.H. Williams III and colorist Dave Stewart.  It is some of the best comic book art of 2013, if not the best.  J.H. Williams III is a visionary, and although many exceptional artists have drawn Sandman comics, Williams seems born to draw The Sandman.  It is as if Gaiman has been waiting for the perfect artist to draw his Sandman stories, and Williams is that artist.

Williams brings every reality to life, and that his drawings are the perfect incarnation of what Gaiman has created with this new comic book seems like a plain and simply fact.  Dave Stewart gives the art character and makes the ethereal nature of the story solid – like a dream brought to life.

The Sandman: Overture does not come across as some nostalgia publication, struggling to make a connection with a classic, nearly two decades after the original ended.  It is as if the dream never ended.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

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

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for November 20 2013

DARK HORSE COMICS

SEP130062 1 FOR $1 STAR WARS LEGACY #1 $1.00
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JUL130092 BERSERK TP VOL 37 $14.99
SEP130052 BPRD HELL ON EARTH #113 $3.50
SEP130027 BRAIN BOY #3 $2.99
SEP130028 BUZZKILL #3 $3.99
SEP130070 CONAN THE BARBARIAN #22 $3.50
SEP130035 DARK HORSE PRESENTS #30 (MR) $7.99
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JUL130102 GAME OF THRONES WHITE WALKER BUST $124.99
SEP130055 KISS ME SATAN #3 $3.99
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JUL130082 MAGNUS ARCHIVES TP VOL 02 $19.99
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SEP130054 STRAIN THE FALL #5 $3.99
JUL130033 VIOLENT CASES HC $19.99

DC Comics Releases More Details on "The Sandman's" Return

DC Entertainment’s Vertigo Reveals Details Surrounding Neil Gaiman’s Highly Anticipated Return to THE SANDMAN

Bestselling author will revisit groundbreaking comic book series in October with new story

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This October, author Neil Gaiman returns to the realm of the Endless for an eagerly anticipated tale that will bring readers back to one of the most critically-acclaimed comic book series ever. THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE will unite Gaiman with visionary artist J.H. Williams III and reveal a previously untold story in THE SANDMAN mythos. The announcement was made today by Shelly Bond, Executive Editor of Vertigo, an imprint of DC Entertainment.

One of the most popular, groundbreaking, bestselling and award-winning comic books of the last twenty-five years, Gaiman’s THE SANDMAN stands tall as one of the few graphic novel series ever to be on the The New York Times Best Seller list and lauded by critics the world over for its transformative storytelling in the comic book industry.

On October 30th, Gaiman returns to his beloved universe for the first time in more than 10 years since ending the series. The story will explore Morpheus’ world before he was captured, which is bound to captivate the hearts and imaginations of the most loyal fans and new readers alike. Brought to life by renowned artist J.H. Williams III (BATWOMAN, PROMETHEA), THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE #1 will be an oversized issue and will showcase his talent with a spectacular interior gatefold.

“This is the one story that we never got to tell,” Gaiman told The New York Times today. “In SANDMAN #1 Morpheus is captured somehow. Later on in the series, you learn he was returning from somewhere far, far away - but we never got to the story of what he was doing and what had happened. This is our chance to tell that story, and J.H. Williams III is drawing it. It’s the most beautiful thing in the world.”

"Neil Gaiman returning to the lush, evocative world he created with Sandman is a literary event," said Diane Nelson, DC Entertainment President. "We're honored to have Neil back for a story only he and J.H. can tell. It's a testament to the lasting power of Vertigo, Sandman and Neil's amazing creativity. "

THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE will be published bi-monthly with issue #1 arriving on October 30th, 2013. Each issue of THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE will feature stunning covers by Williams and original series cover artist Dave McKean and will be published on the same day digitally.

Also bi-monthly and alternating with the main OVERTURE series, Vertigo will publish THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE Special Edition. These deluxe issues will include original scripts by Gaiman, additional concept art and sketches by Williams, Q&As with the creative team and more, starting in November.

More details about the series – including artwork - will be revealed at this year’s Comic-Con International: San Diego 2013. Gaiman, Williams and McKean are special guests of the convention, during which Vertigo will host a 25th Anniversary all-star panel featuring Gaiman, Williams and artists Dave McKean and Sam Kieth. Gaiman will also be spotlighted at his own standalone panel. Additionally, the cover of the Comic-Con International: San Diego 2013 Souvenir Book features all-new Sandman art by Dave McKean, which will also be featured on an official convention T-Shirt.


ABOUT THE SANDMAN:
With more than 7 million copies sold in nine different languages, Gaiman’s multi-volume magnum opus THE SANDMAN features literature’s Endless family—Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, Destruction, Destiny and Dream. The critically acclaimed Vertigo fantasy series transformed the landscape of comics, helping usher in an era of more compelling and sophisticated storytelling. Combining mythology and literature in an epic story, it is one of the most popular, groundbreaking, bestselling and award-winning comic books of the last twenty-five years. It has garnered nineteen Eisner and six Harvey Awards and is the only comic book to win the World Fantasy Award.

ABOUT NEIL GAIMAN:
Neil Gaiman is the New York Times best-selling author of this summer’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane, as well as the Newbery Medal-winning The Graveyard Book and Coraline, the basis for the eponymous hit movie. His other books include Anansi Boys, Neverwhere, American Gods and Stardust (winner of the American Library Association’s Alex Award as one of 2000’s top novels for young adults) and the short story collections M Is for Magic and Smoke and Mirrors. He is also the author of The Wolves in the Walls and The Day I Traded My Dad for Two Goldfish, both written for children. Among his many awards are the Eisner, the Hugo, the Nebula, the World Fantasy and the Bram Stoker. Originally from England, he now lives in the United States.

ABOUT J. H. WILLIAMS III:
Williams is the co-writer as well as the co-artist of the GLAAD Award-Nominated title BATWOMAN for DC Comics-The New 52 and the artist on PROMETHEA, DESOLATION JONES and other titles. His many accolades include two Eisner awards for his spectacular, visionary artwork as well as a pair of Harveys for his work on BATWOMAN and PROMETHEA.

ABOUT DC ENTERTAINMENT:
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world. In January 2012, DC Entertainment, in collaboration with Warner Bros. and Time Warner divisions, launched We Can Be Heroes—a giving campaign featuring the iconic Justice League super heroes—to raise awareness and funds to fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.

Leroy Douresseaux on THE GRAVEYARD BOOK

THE GRAVEYARD BOOK
HARPERCOLLINS CHILDREN

AUTHOR: Neil Gaiman
ILLUSTRATIONS: Dave McKean
ISBN: 978-0-06-053092-1; hardcover
312pp, B&W, $17.99 U.S., $19.50 CAN

The Graveyard Book is a 2008 children’s fantasy novel from author Neil Gaiman. It won the 2009 Hugo Award for Best Novel and the 2009 Newberry Medal.

The Graveyard Book chronicles the adventures of a boy, Nobody Owens (“Bod” for short) who would be completely normal, except for the fact that he lives in an old cemetery and is being reared by the ghosts of a couple that died centuries ago. There are dangers and adventures aplenty. The Indigo Man and the Sleer stir deep beneath a hill in the cemetery, and one grave is a gateway to a world of hungry ghouls. There are things for Bod to learn – how to fade and be invisible to humans. But if Bod leaves the safety of the graveyard, Jack, who brutally murdered Bod’s family when the boy was a toddler, will kill him, too.

Chronicling Nobody Owens’ youth, from the time he was a toddler to his 15th birthday, The Graveyard Book is a riff on Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, but here a boy is raised by ghosts, instead of by animals as in Kipling’s classic. Gaiman tells Nobody Owens’ story through eight short stories that act as chapters; a few years of Bod’s life elapse between stories.

As with all of his work, Gaiman displays much imagination in his storytelling, and he’s always an engaging storyteller, although here, he seems a bit stiff at times. The Graveyard Book is a fun read, and the last two chapters skirt the razor’s edge of suspense and supernatural thrills. Early sections of The Graveyard Book, however, are a bit limp. The book’s opening comes across as pretentious, elegant writing, and the early chapters sometimes seem too mannered, with Gaiman writing as if he were an athlete “playing tight” in big game.

It’s the other half of the stories that are riveting, fun, and exhibit Gaiman’s gift for taking his readers’ imaginations on flights of fancy, deep into the macabre. When he crashes the real world of his characters into those dark, magical places that seem to hang on the edges of reality, (such as the chapter “Nobody Owens’ School Days”) The Graveyard Book hits its stride, and Gaiman seems closer to famed horror writer Clive Barker than he is to some generic writer of drippy, faux-Victorian fairy tales.

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