Review: JAMES BOND Volume 1 #1

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

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

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

Rated T+

“Vargr”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

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Review: Will Eisner's THE SPIRIT #1

WILL EISNER'S THE SPIRIT VOL. 1 #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT – @dynamitecomics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Matt Wagner
ART: Dan Schkade
COLORS: Brennan Wagner
LETTERS: A Larger World Studios
COVER: Eric Powell
VARIANT COVERS: Matt Wagner with Brennan Wagner; Alex Ross; John Cassaday; Francesco Francavilla; Dan Schkade; Matt Wagner; Dennis Calero; Jenny Frison; Stephen Mooney
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2015)

Rated T+

The Spirit (a.k.a. Denny Colt) is the masked crime-fighting hero created by legendary cartoonist, the late Will Eisner.  The Spirit first appeared on June 2, 1940 as the main feature of what would come to be known as “The Spirit Section.”  This was a 16-page, tabloid-sized, newsprint comic book insert first distributed in the Sunday edition of Register and Tribune Syndicate newspapers.  “The Spirit Section” ended in 1952.  With only a few exceptions, Eisner did not produce new stories featuring The Spirit as a regular feature after 1952.

In the last two decades, Kitchen Sink, DC Comics, and IDW published comic book series featuring new Spirit stories created by other writers and artists.  Sometime in the last year, Dynamite Entertainment obtained the rights to produce new Spirit comic books.  July 2015 saw the debut of Will Eisner's The Spirit, written by Matt Wagner, drawn by Dan Schkade, colored by Brennan Wagner, and lettered by A Large World Studios, with covers by Eric Powell.

Will Eisner's The Spirit #1 opens some time in the 1940s, two years after the last sighting of The Spirit.  Central City Police Commissioner Eustace Dolan wonders about the fate of his loyal, crime-fighting friend, but he must focus on the city's politics, which are not necessarily playing in his favor.  Commissioner Dolan's daughter, Ellen Dolan, is busy with her role as a city councilman, and though she was romantically involved with The Spirit, she has moved on with her life.  She even has a new boyfriend, attorney Archibald “Archie” Shale.

The Spirit's former sidekick, Ebony White, is now part of “Strunk and White: Private Investigators.”  Ebony has grown bored of chasing people, and has decided that it is time to chase The Spirit.

There have been some good recent Spirit stories produced by creators other than Will Eisner; Alan Moore and Darwyn Cooke come to mind.  Even back in The Spirit's original run, the comic was produced by people other than Eisner.  I imagine that readers who are not familiar with Will Eisner won't know the difference between his Spirit and that of other creators, so I will partly review Will Eisner's The Spirit #1 in that context.

It is a decent comic book.  It has potential, but I wouldn't pay a cover price of $3.99 for it on a regular basis.  Series artist Dan Schkade draws so that his compositions try to capture the graphic style of a comic book from the 1940s.  However, his drawing, in terms of comic book art and storytelling, is raw, and the quality of his work says semi-pro webcomic.

Now, as a longtime fan of The Spirit, who has liked both Eisner and non-Eisner Spirit comics, I have to say that Will Eisner's The Spirit #1 simply does not live up to the best of either Eisner or non-Eisner Spirit.  The reality is that anyone who takes on The Spirit works in the shadow of Eisner, one of the greatest and most influential comic book artists and creators of all time.

So truthfully, Dynamite Entertainment needs to do better than Dan Schkade as the series artist.  Flashy cover artists cannot hide that this book does not even come close to living up to its pedigree.  [I must admit to loving Alex Ross' gorgeous “Subscription Cover” variant cover.]  I want this to be better, and I think writer Matt Wagner and artist Dan Schkade can do better.  They must.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

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The Great Michael Golden at Anaheim WonderCon

Wonders at WonderCon-- Golden "Special Guest"; Calero Added to line-up!

Anaheim, CA-- WonderCon, one of the country's best comics and pop culture conventions, moves to Anaheim, CA and the beautiful Anaheim Convention Center for 2012 with Special Guest-- Michael Golden in attendance for the first time. Also from Eva Ink Artist Group, we are please to announce that artist Dennis Calero and writer Renee Witterstaetter will also be attending this West Coast mainstay event.

Taking place the weekend of March 16-18 (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), WonderCon is coming off its best year ever, with over 49,000 attendees in its 25th annual event.

This year proves to be equally exciting. Here's a little about one of this year's invited guests, Michael Golden:

MICHAEL GOLDEN
Dr. Strange, The 'Nam, Micronauts, Bucky O'Hare

Artist/writer/creator Michael Golden, co-creator of the X-Men's Rogue character, Spartan X, and Bucky O'Hare, is known for his groundbreaking work on The 'Nam, Micronauts, G.I. Joe, Dr. Strange, and numerous other characters and titles. He is counted as one of the best cover designers and storytellers in the business. Currently, Golden's work can be seen as the regular cover artist for Spawn, while future work includes a few secret projects for IDW and DC and the Spartan X trade paperback.

Michael will be located at table AA 060, along with writer, Renee Witterstaetter

DENNIS CALERO
X-Men Noir, Legion of Superheroes, Cowboys and Aliens

Dennis Calero is the award winning and internationally recognized artist of X-Men: Noir and Legion of Superheroes. His work includes 28 Days Later: The Aftermath, Cowboys and Aliens, Dark Tower, Fallen Angel, Hawkgirl, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes, Magic The Gathering, Countdown to Final Crisis, Wolverine: First Class and JSA Classified. During his tenure on X-Factor the title was nominated for the Harvey Award for Best New Series (2006). Calero also co-founded Atomic Paintbrush, one of the first computer-coloring companies working in the comic-book field.

Dennis will be located at table AA 020

WonderCon will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center this year, which is within easy walking distance of Disneyland's free Downtown Disney district, featuring shopping and fine dining.

WonderCon itself offers attendees, professionals, and exhibitors the complete convention experience. In addition to the Exhibit Hall featuring comics and items from the many worlds of the popular arts, fans can expect exclusive programming from the top comics publishers in the country, movie and television panels, anime, autographs, games, the Masquerade, and portfolio review, providing one of the best conventions out there. With the change of venue to Anaheim in 2012, WonderCon is more than ever a "must-attend" event on the convention calendar, especially with the addition of the beautiful Anaheim Convention Center and surrounding area as a bonus to both long-time and new attendees. Make it a long late-winter weekend in Anaheim and visit WonderCon, then take in Disneyland right next door after the convention!

But for that first bit of "wonder," stop and visit Golden and Calero at the show!

For information on getting on the sketch list for this show contact Eva Ink Artist Group at: evaink@aol.com, or go to: http://www.evainkartistgroup.com/

For more information on WonderCon go to: http://www.comic-con.org/wc/

To follow all Eva Ink news, follow our blog at: http://witterstaetterwrites.blogspot.com/2012/03/wonders-at-wondercon-golden-special.html

Leroy Douresseaux on ABATTOIR #3

ABATTOIR #3 (OF 6)

RADICAL PUBLISHING

CREATOR: Darren Lynn Bousman

CONCEPT: Michael Peterson
WRITERS: Rob Levin and Troy Peteri
ARTISTS: Bing Cansino, Rodell Noora, and Dennis Calero
COLORS: Andrei Pervukhin
LETTERS: Troy Peteri
COVER: Tae Young Choi
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S.

Writer/director Darren Lynn Bousman directed Saw II, Saw III, and Saw IV, among other movies. He enters the world of comic books with Abattoir, a horror comic book miniseries from Radical Publishing.

Abattoir is set in the late 1980s and takes place in a Middle America of hidden darkness and brutal murder. The story follows real estate agent Richard Ashwalt, who was struggling to sell the Mitchell house, where a brutal massacre took place. Then, a very strange old man, Jebediah Crone, shows up, wanting to buy the house even before Richard finishes cleaning it. Richard resisted the old man’s attempts, but Crone got the house anyway.

In Abattoir #3, Richard comes to see Crone as the source of all his problems, including being the lead suspect in a murder investigation. He continues his own investigation of Crone, which leads him to Newt Washington, an elderly reclusive man who once dealt with Crone. Meanwhile, the police continue to track Richard.

Although Crone only appears in flashbacks this issue, his presence hangs over the ghoulish proceedings. Gothic and macabre, Abattoir is also something of a mystery tale – a whodunit that travels along the border of the fantastique. The best thing about this is that it always leaves you wanting more.

A-