Review: HOUSE OF WHISPERS #2

HOUSE OF WHISPERS No. 2
DC COMICS – @DCComics @vertigo_comics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Nalo Hopkinson
ART: Dominike “DOMO” Stanton
COLORS: John Rauch
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
EDITOR: Molly Mahan
CURATOR: Neil Gaiman
COVER: Sean Andrew Murray
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2018)

“Suggested for Mature Readers”

The Sandman created by Neil Gaiman and Sam Kieth

“The Power Divided”

House of Whispers is a new comic book series that is part of The Sandman Universe, published under DC Comics' Vertigo imprint.  The Sandman Universe is a line of comic books inspired by the dark fantasy comic books that Neil Gaiman wrote for DC, in particular The Sandman (1989-1996) and The Books of Magic (1990-1991).

House of Whispers is written by Nalo Hopkinson; drawn by Dominike “DOMO” Stanton; colored by John Rauch; and lettered by Deron Bennett.  The series focuses on a tragic goddess of love (among other things) who grants the wishes and counsels the souls of those who visit her in their dreams.

House of Whispers #2 (“The Power Divided”) finds the House of Dahomey (a houseboat) trapped in The Dreaming.  Its owner, the goddess Erzulie Fréda, is in a state, as being in The Dreaming has cut her off from her worshipers and thus, her power.  Now, she is about to send her houseboat careening towards the rift or crack through which her house passed into this place she shouldn't be.  She will need the help of her rascally nephew, Shakpana, a troublemaker not sure what trouble he caused.  Meanwhile, LaToya awakens from her coma, and then, tries to convince her partner, Maggie, that despite her awakening, she is dead....

Writer Nalo Hopkinson continues the assault on our senses that she began in House of Whispers #1 with a dazzling array of colorful sequences, sparkling story elements, and fabulous characters.  Reading this comic book is still like experiencing an African or African-American folk music festival full of fierce beats and infectious rhythms.  This issue, however, Hopkinson keeps bumping the turntable with a series of adversarial events for her characters that also keeps the story from being predictable.

Artist Dominike “DOMO” Stanton explodes it all into life with imaginative page designs and kinetic graphics.  Often it is the way DOMO places his characters and elements that really conveys the characters' distress over the chaos of their environments.  It becomes a beautiful wall of graphics that are living out loud once John Rauch adds his pulsating colors to the art.

Letterer Deron Bennett does a Steph Curry-like shimmy as he place the word balloons in just the right places, accompanying his collaborators with his own special moves.  All of it is under another fine-ass Sean Andrew Murray cover.  House of Whispers #2 does not play it safe.  It pushes forward as Nalo Hopkinson captains her houseboat into uncharted comic book waters.

9 out of 10

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


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


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Review: HOUSE OF WHISPERS #1

HOUSE OF WHISPERS No. 1
DC COMICS – @DCComics @vertigo_comics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Nalo Hopkinson
ART: Dominike “Domo” Stanton
COLORS: John Rauch
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
EDITOR: Molly Mahan
CURATOR: Neil Gaiman
COVER: Sean Andrew Murray
VARIANT COVER: Bill Sienkiewicz
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2018)

“Suggested for Mature Readers”

The Sandman created by Neil Gaiman and Sam Kieth

“Broken Telephone”

The Sandman Universe is a new line of comic books inspired by the dark fantasy comic books that Neil Gaiman wrote for DC Comics, in particular The Sandman (1989-1996) and The Books of Magic (1990-1991).  Neil Gaiman acts as a curator of the line, which currently includes four titles, The Dreaming, Books of Magic, Lucifer, and the subject of this review, House of Whispers.

House of Whispers is written by Nalo Hopkinson; drawn by Dominike “Domo” Stanton; colored by John Rauch; and lettered by Deron Bennett.  The series focuses on a tragic goddess who grants the wishes and counsels the souls of those who visit her in their dreams.

House of Whispers #1 (“Broken Telephone”) opens just outside a houseboat known as the House of Dahomey.  Uncle Monday of the Brotherhood of Teeth has come to visit the owner the houseboat, the goddess Erzulie Fréda.  This is also where souls of Voodoo followers go when they sleep.  They travel to Erzulie's houseboat where they can beseech the flirtatious and tragic Erzulie to grant them their hearts’ desires or where they can ask her to counsel them on their futures and fortunes.

From her perch in the bayou, Erzulie sees four human girls open a mysterious and magical journal.  This little book is filled with whispers and rumors that, if they spread, could cause a pandemic unlike any the Earth has seen.  Erzulie must discover the whereabouts of and then stop the conniver behind this plot, Erzulie's nephew, Shakpana.

We have Neil Gaiman to thank for bringing writer Nalo Hopkinson into The Sandman Universe fold.  Left to its own devices, DC Comics would not have chosen Hopkinson.  In twenty-five years of publishing hundreds of comic books and graphic novels, only a handful have been written by African-Americans, black writers, or writers of African descent.

What Hopkinson offers in this first issue is a dazzling array of colorful sequences, sparkling story elements, and fabulous characters.  Reading this comic book is like experiencing an African or African-American folk music festival full of fierce beats and infectious rhythms.

Artist Dominike “Domo” Stanton offers imaginative compositions that yield a style of graphical storytelling that is bursting with magic.  My eyes greedily took in every corner of the Domo's panels and observed every line for secrets.  John Rauch's colors enrich Domo's illustrations and even accentuate the eccentric to make this comic book truly a unique visual treat.

Deron Bennett's clever lettering pretends to be a rhythm section, but when I pay attention, I see Bennett's fonts giving Hopkinson and Domo's story that extra whatever it needs or even taking the lead in conveying the story.  Also, Sean Andrew Murray's gorgeous cover art makes this comic book hard to ignore on a store shelf.

I won't lie and say House of Whispers #1 is perfect.  Sometimes, it is so busy being different that the story gets lost in its House of Dahomey house party shenanigans.  Still, this may be the best of The Sandman Universe's debut quartet.

8 out of 10

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


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

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Review: NEW CHALLENGERS #1

NEW CHALLENGERS No. 1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Scott Snyder and Aaron Gillespie
PENCILS: Andy Kubert
INKS: Klaus Janson
COLORS: Brad Anderson
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
EDITOR: Rebecca Taylor
COVER: Andy Kubert with Brad Anderson
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (July 2018)

Rated “T” for Teen

Challengers of the Unknown created by Jack Kirby

Part 1

DC Comics has launched a new superhero comic book initiative, “The New Age of DC Heroes,” coming out of its Dark Nights: Metal event miniseries.  This line of comic books will consist of eight new comic book series:  The Curse of Brimstone, Damage, The Immortal Men, Sideways, The Silencer, The Terrifics, The Unexpected, and the subject of this review, New Challengers.

New Challengers is the seventh release (with only The Unexpected still due).  The series is written by Scott Snyder and Aaron Gillespie; drawn by Andy Kubert (pencils) and Klaus Janson (inks); colored by Brad Anderson; and lettered by Deron Bennett.  New Challengers is a reboot of the Jack Kirby creation, Challengers of the Unknown.  This feature focused on group of adventurers that first appeared in Showcase #6 (cover dated: February 1957) and appeared off-and-on in various forms and in comic books over the next six decades.

New Challengers #1 takes place during the events depicted in Dark Nights: Metal.  Trina Alvarez, Robert Brink, Moses Barber, and a man who insists on being called “Krunch” are dead.  Their first post-mortem stop is Challengers Mountain, and now it is time for them to meet the mysterious “Professor,” or as he calls himself, “The Prof.”  He is giving these “misfit strangers” a second chance at life, but only if they obey the orders of the Prof and execute deadly missions in the most unexplored corners of the multiverse.  And before the first mission even begins, one them dies!

I can say that I am intrigued by New Challengers.  I am a fan of artist Andy Kubert and have been for almost three decades, so I tend to want to read any comic book that he draws.  However, although Kubert's pencil art is inked by the great Klaus Janson, this is far from being close to Kubert's best work  The page design is impressive, but the storytelling does not aspire to be anything more than professionally polished.  Brad Anderson covers Kubert-Janson's compositions in his shimmering, evocative colors.  Deron Bennett wrangles the Challengers Mountain worth of dialogue in this first issue with sterling lettering and graphic design.  So that does make things, from a graphical storytelling point of view, a little better.

Writers Scott Snyder and Aaron Gillespie tease as much as they leave things about this story vague.  I thought too much about this first issue was coy.  Would it have killed DC Comics to make all first issues of “New Age” titles double-sized?  New Challengers #1 definitely needs to be at least regular-size and a half.  Twenty pages is a joke; 30 pages would have made this a better first issue.  Honestly, as it is, New Challengers #1 is only a little above average, but I will try the second issue.

6 out of 10

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


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

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Review: THE CURSE OF BRIMSTONE #1

THE CURSE OF BRIMSTONE No. 1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Philip Tan & Justin Jordan
SCRIPT: Justin Jordan
ART: Philip Tan
COLORS: Rain Beredo
LETTERS: Wes Abbott
COVER: Philip Tan with Rain Beredo
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (June 2018)

Rated “T” for Teen

The Curse of Brimstone created by Justin Jordan and Philip Tan

“Inferno” Part 1

DC Comics has launched a new superhero comics initiative, “The New Age of DC Heroes,” coming out of its Dark Nights: Metal event miniseries.  This line of comic books will consist of eight new comic book series:  Damage, The Immortal Men, New Challengers, Sideways, The Silencer, The Terrifics, The Unexpected, and the subject of this review, The Curse of Brimstone.

The Curse of Brimstone is created by writer Justin Jordan and artist Philip Tan.  The series is colored by Rain Beredo; and lettered by Wes Abbott.  The series focuses on a young man who would do anything to save his small town, even make a deal with the devil.

The Curse of Brimstone #1 opens in the small, forgotten rural town of York Hills.  Once it was a coal mining town.  Then, it was a factory town.  Now, it is neither.  Schools and businesses have closed, and many of its citizens have moved away.  Joe Chamberlain is trapped here in this no-nothing town, and he has no prospects of getting out.  He is too poor to move, and he cannot afford school.  However, Joe is determined that his sister, Annie, who is smart, not get trapped in York Hills.

Enter the mysterious Mr. Salesman.  He has an offer to make Joe Chamberlain, one that is supposed to save York Hills and give Joe a really good job... and the curse of Brimstone.

The Curse of Brimstone #1 is mostly set-up with some teasing, but what Justin Jordan and Philip Tan are offering with this first issue is quite intriguing.  I really know what is going on here.  I honestly cannot wait for the second issue, which I cannot say about all the “New Age of Heroes” titles.

Graphically, The Curse of Brimstone #1 looks like a Vertigo comic book and has more than a passing resemblance to the art of Steve Bissette, John Totleben, and Tatjana Wood for the 1980s iteration of Swamp Thing written by Alan Moore.  The last four pages of The Curse of Brimstone #1 are visually and graphically explosive and fiery, and they cast a spell on me.  I feel cursed to return for at least a few more issues.

7.5 out of 10

[This comic book contains a preview of New Challengers #1 by Scott Snyder, Aaron Gillespie, Andy Kubert, Klaus Janson, Brad Anderson, and Deron Bennett.]

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


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

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Review: SWAMP THING Winter Special

SWAMP THING: WINTER SPECIAL #1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Tom King; Len Wein
ART: Jason Fabok; Kelley Jones
COLORS: Brad Anderson; Michelle Madsen
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
COVER: Jason Fabok
MISC. ART: José Luis García-López; José Luis García-López and Joe Prado; José Luis García-López and Joe Prado with Mark Chiarello
80pp, Color, $7.99 U.S. (March 2018)

Rated “T” for Teen

Swamp Thing created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson

Editor's Note by Rebecca Taylor

Swamp Thing is a horror comic book character from DC Comics.  While there have been different versions of the character, Swamp Thing is a plant elemental and a sentient, walking mass of plant matter.  Created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, Swamp Thing first appeared in House of Secrets #92 (cover dated July 1971).

In 2017, both Wein and Wrightson died.  In 2016, DC Comics published a six-issue Swamp Thing comic book miniseries written by Wein and collected in a trade paperback, Swamp Thing: The Dead Don't Sleep.  Before he died, Wein was working on a new Swamp Thing series with artist Kelley Jones, who drew The Dead Don't Sleep.  This new series would have also been a continuation of the miniseries, and the first issue would have been published as Swamp Thing #7.

Wein produced a detailed plot for the first issue/chapter (“Spring Awakening!”), but died before he could produce a “lettering script” for the first issue of this new Swamp Thing series.  The art for the new comic, drawn by Kelley Jones and colored by Michelle Madsen, is printed in a recently published square-bound, one-shot, comic book, Swamp Thing: Winter Special.  In a two-page editor's note, Rebecca Taylor explains the situation around this still-born project.  Swamp Thing: Winter Special also includes Wein's plot for Swamp Thing #7, which runs six pages (for a 20 page story).

“Spring Awakening” depicts long-time villain, Solomon Grundy, kidnapping an infant girl, and, later, Batman visiting Swamp Thing.  I don't know what to make of the story other than I would have loved to have read a finished version.  I am a longtime fan of Kelley Jones, and I love the way Michelle Madsen colors Jones' comic book art.  I am not a big fan of Swamp Thing unless the stories are produced by particular creators, and, of course, Wein was one of them, so...

The Wein tribute is the opening story of Swamp Thing: Winter Special.  Entitled “The Talk of the Saints,” it is written by Tom King; drawn by Jason Fabok; colored by Brad Anderson; and lettered by Deron Bennett.

“The Talk of the Saints” finds Swamp Thing shepherding a lost boy through a blinding snow storm.  As the two navigate a strange, frozen tundra, they face countless threats, especially an unseen bloodthirsty snow monster that is constantly stalking them.  Stripped of his powers and disconnected from “the Green,” Swamp Thing must uncover the true identity of the snow monster that hunts them.

Tom King's story does offers some genuinely scary and creepy moments, but, at the same time, it comes across as awkward poetry and metaphor.  The art by illustrator Jason Fabok and colorist Brad Anderson is gorgeous and, outside of Kelley Jones and Michelle Madsen's work, is some of the most beautiful Swamp Thing comic book art that I have see in years, especially the last five pages of this story.

Letterer Deron Bennett presents lettering that really heightens the chills and thrills.  For me, Bennett unites what is good about Tom King's story and the prettiness of the art into a striking graphical package.

Swamp Thing: Winter Special is not great, but it is an essential publication for Swamp Thing fans, if only for the Len Wein tributes and story material. But a Swamp Thing comic book full of pretty art is a good reason to have this one-shot comic book.

7.5 out of 10

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


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

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

Review: MYSTIK U #1

MYSTIK U No. 1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Alisa Kwitney
ART: Mike Norton
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
COVER: Julian Totino Tedesco
48pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (January 2018)

Rated “T+” for “Teen Plus”

Zatanna created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson

Zatanna Zatara is a DC Comics magic-based superhero.  The character was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, and first appeared in Hawkman #4 (cover dated:  November 1964).  Zatanna is the daughter of Giovanni “John” Zatara, and like him, Zatanna is both a stage magician and an actual magician, and she is one of the most powerful magicians on Earth.  Zatanna controls her magic by speaking the words of her incantations spelled backwards, incantations that can alter reality.

Zatanna is the star of the new four-issue miniseries, Mystik U, which DC Comics is publishing on a bimonthly schedule.  The series is written by Alisa Kwitney; drawn by Mike Norton; colored by Jordie Bellaire; and lettered by Deron Bennett.  Mystik U follows a college age Zatanna who is enrolled in a college of magic and trying to learn which of her classmates is evil.

Mystik U #1 opens in a dark future, one which is ruled by an entity called the “Malevolence.”  A powerful magician believes that Zatanna can change this dark time, by being cast back in time.  Seven years earlier, a young Zatanna is a sheltered showbiz kid who suddenly experiences a shocking awakening of her powers.

That is why a friend, Dr. Rose Psychic, enrolls Zatana in Mystik University, a mysterious university that teaches its students how to master their unique brands of magic.  Zatanna finds herself drawn to four other students  There is Sebastian Faust, son of Felix Faust and a bitter rebel.  June Moone is a split personality also known as Enchantress.  Zatanna becomes close to the competitive premed student, Pia Morales (a new character).  Finally, there is the awkward prodigy, Sargon the Sorceror, who possesses a powerful gem and is much confused.  One of them is fated to betray the others and become a powerful force of evil, Malevolence.

I was cynical about Mystik U.  What little I read about it suggested that it was another lame attempt by DC Comics to get in on the Hogwarts-school-of-magic-band wagon that should have been theirs (Timothy Hunter, cough).  However, I was drawn to the striking cover art by Julian Totino Tedesco, so I picked up the first issue.

Boy, am I glad.  This is the kind of entertaining comic book that keeps me around DC Comics and Marvel even when I am ready to give up.  It is simply a joy to read, something fresh and not the usual superhero fight comic.  Writer Alisa Kwitney has fashioned a mysterious and intriguing school in Mystik University that has a dark-ish atmosphere, one that reminds me of Archie Comics' brilliant Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, in part because of Jordie Bellaire's sterling colors.  The characters are coming along, although they seem a bit unformed in this first issue.

Mike Norton offers art that is calm and a little stylish, but Norton emphasizes storytelling.  The setting, the characters, and the mood and atmosphere are all strong, and Norton creates for Mystik University, wonderfully varied interiors and exteriors.  He makes the school someplace the readers would like to visit (but maybe not to live), and Deron Bennett's lettering pops up like welcome signs to the story.  Norton makes the school feel like a real place of magic, and yes, crazy stuff happens there.

I heartily recommend Mystik U to readers of DC Comics' magic-based world and titles.  I eagerly await the next issue and incantation.

9 out of 10

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


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

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Review: Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #1

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

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

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

Rated “T” for “Teen”

“Costume Drama” Part One

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4.5 out of 10

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


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

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Review: LEGEND OF THE MANTAMAJI: Book One

LEGEND OF THE MANTAMAJI: BOOK ONE
“AND... ACTION” ENTERTAINMENT

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Eric Dean Seaton
ART: Brandon Palas
COLORS: Andrew Dalhouse
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
ISBN: 978-1-930315-34-1; paperback (October 4, 2014)
216pp, Color, $14.99 U.S., $16.99 CAN

The Legend of the Mantamaji is a three-volume graphic novel series created by Eric Dean Seaton.  Seaton has directed numerous episodes of television series for Disney Channel (including “That's So Raven” and “Jessie”) and Nickelodeon (including “The Thundermans” and “True Jackson, VP”).

The three volumes of The Legend of the Mantamaji were published in October 2014 (Book One), December 2014 (Book Two), and February 2015 (Book Three).  The Legend of the Mantamaji focuses on a young man who learns that he is the last of a race of mystical knights, called the Mantamaji, that once protected the world.  The Legend of the Mantamaji is written by Seaton; drawn by Brandon Palas; colored by Andrew Dalhouse; and lettered by Deron Bennett.  I purchased a copy of the first book a few years ago, and having recently found it, I decided to read and review it.

The Legend of the Mantamaji Book One introduces Elijah Alexander.  He is New York City's hottest and cockiest assistant district attorney (A.D.A.).  He has big plans to leave the district attorney's office for the world of big business.  What he does not know is that he is “The Last Mantamanji?”

The Mantamaji were mystical knights who once protected humanity, but they were made practically extinct by an ageless enemy.  Now, that ancient evil has returned, and Elijah's destiny bluntly confronts him.  His mother, Mariah, hides an astonishing secret.  Her friend, Noah, wants to train Elijah.  His girlfriend, Detective Sydney Spencer, is involved in an investigation that may be tied to Elijah destiny.  And even if Elijah accepts his destiny, will it be as a hero or as someone out for himself?

Writer Eric Dean Seaton and artist Brandon Palas may not be seasoned veterans at creating comic books.  Seaton works in cable network television.  Palas shows a lack of polish in figure drawing and composition.  Still, their storytelling is clean and clear.  Thematically, Seaton and Palas focus on the struggle between selflessness and selfishness, and the fate of mankind rests on which side Elijah Alexander chooses and how long it takes him to choose.  Besides, colorist Andrew Dalhouse and letterer Deron Bennett add that veteran's touch that gives The Legend of the Mantamaji Book One some polish and professional sheen.  This is not an off-the-wall comic book; it is a snazzy graphic novel package worthy of being of the shelves with big comic book corporations' publications.

I consider The Legend of the Mantamaji Book One to be an easy graphic novel to recommend because it is so fun to read.  Its internal mythology is edgy, with complications that seem to cause real hardships for the heroes.  The obstacles in front of the heroes are interesting, and the villain is shameless in his self-aggrandizing and in his singular vision that his violence will lead to a better world.

I also think that it is a good idea to publish The Legend of the Mantamaji as a series of graphic novels, which allows the narrative to stretch out and feel its way around the plot lines, characters, settings, and back story.  If this had been published as a miniseries, I think the story would have struggled to make sense.  It has been about three-and-half years since The Legend of the Mantamaji Book One debuted, but time has nothing to do with the fact that this is a good comic book.  It is not a great work, but the writer and the illustrator are striving to keep getting better as the story gets more exciting.

7 out of 10

LegendoftheMantamaji.com
AndActionEntertainment.com
twitter.com/ericdeanseaton
instagram.com/ericdeanseaton
facebook.com/legendofthemantamaji
ericdeanseaton.tumblr.com

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


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

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Review: STRANGE FRUIT #4

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

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: J.G. Jones and Mark Waid
ARTIST: J.G. Jones
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
COVER: J.G. Jones
24pp, Colors, $3.99 U.S. (November 2016)

Suggested for mature readers

Published by BOOM! Studios, Strange Fruit was a four-issue comic book miniseries released in 2015 and 2016.  It was the creation of two acclaimed comic book creators.  The first is J.G. Jones, the co-creator of Wanted (with Mark Millar) and the cover artist for the Vertigo comic book series, Y: The Last Man.  The second is Mark Waid, a long-time comic book writer and editor.  Waid is known for the creation of the DC Comics miniseries, Kingdom Come (with artist Alex Ross) and for writing two acclaimed runs on Marvel Comics' Daredevil.

In a publicity release, BOOM! Studios described Strange Fruit as “a deeply personal passion project.”  The release also said that the comic book was a “provocative examination of the heroic myth confronting the themes of racism, cultural legacy, and human nature through a literary lens, drawing from Southern folklore and tradition.”

Strange Fruit is set in and around Chatterlee, Mississippi in April 1927.  At this time, the “Great Mississippi Flood of 1927” would occur.   As the story begins, the Mississippi River is rising, threatening to break open the levees and destroy Chatterlee, as it has already done to other “God-fearing” towns.  The race to shore up the levees is also threatening to break open the racial and social divisions of Chatterlee and the surrounding area.  Into this roiling situation, a mysterious Black man falls from the sky.

As Strange Fruit #4 opens, some of the local White people have come to see the mysterious Black man as useful, although the local Black community has already greeted his arrival as a sign of divine intervention.  Nicknamed “Johnson,” by Sonny, the young “agitator,” the stranger begins to really show his super powers, and attempts to use a strange device to save the town and the people from the flood.  However, there are still some racist White people who want to kill Johnson and other Black people even as the rising water threatens their very own lives.

In my review of Strange Fruit #3, I mentioned one of my all-time favorite novels, Stephen King's masterpiece, 'Salem's Lot (1975).  One of the elements of the plot that I thoroughly enjoyed was how the people of Jerusalem's Lot (or 'Salem's Lot, for short) blithely carried on their petty conflicts while darkness slowly enveloped their town.  That is Strange Fruit #3 and #4 in a nutshell.  Even the behemoth threat that is the flooding Mississippi River cannot completely draw people away from their mistrust and racial strife.

This is truth in J.G. Jones and Mark Waid's storytelling.  They convey the brutal strength and ugly power of hate with honesty; even with salvation or death by drowning practically shoved in their faces, some of the White people still have to hate and oppress Black folks.  I have said this before and it bears repeating:  Strange Fruit is not a screed against racism; rather it is an amazingly human tale that is genuine in its portrayal of the nature of man.

J. G. Jones produced some of the most beautiful comic book art for Strange Fruit that I have ever seen.  His depiction of the human face and its myriad expressiveness is a sight to behold.  The grace of the human in clothing and costume shines through even when the characters are being less than graceful.

Strange Fruit was one of 2015's best comic books and is one of the best of 2016.  It never received any Eisner Award (for excellence in comic books) nominations.  Wow!

A+

www.boom-studios.com
#comicsforward

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


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

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Review: MOTHER PANIC #2

MOTHER PANIC No. 2
DC COMICS/Young Animal – @DCComics

STORY: Jody Houser
ART: Tommy Lee Edwards
COLORS: Tommy Lee Edwards
LETTERS: John Workman
COVER: Tommy Lee Edwards
VARIANT COVER: Paul Rentler
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2017)

Mature Readers

Mother Panic created by Gerard Way, Jody Houser, and Tommy Lee Edwards

“A Work in Progress” Part 2

Young Animal is a recently-launched DC Comics imprint.  It is curated by rock musician (My Chemical Romance) and comics creator, Gerard Way (The Umbrella Academy).  The first three Young Animal titles that were released were remakes and re-imaginings of two Silver Age DC comics series (Doom Patrol, Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye) and one cult property (Shade the Changing Man has become Shade the Changing Girl).

Mother Panic is a brand new comic book creation about a brand new vigilante who calls Gotham City (Batman's hometown) her stomping grounds.  The series stars wealthy prodigal daughter, Violet Paige, who returns to Gotham to clean up the city's filthy, disturbed underbelly while pretending to be a “celebutante.”  Mother Panic is written by Jody Houser; illustrated by Tommy Lee Edwards; and lettered by John Workman.

Mother Panic #2 opens as Violet prepares to take down Mr. Hemsley and to trace a sex trafficking ring to its source.  First, she will have to find Hemsley, and what better place than the 2017 Gotham Victims Fund Gala.  However, Violet's mission is tied to her own troubled past, which may affect her ability to... ahem... execute her plan.  Plus, a Gotham hero makes a cameo.

From reading different web articles, I gather that the point of Mother Panic is to present stories from Batman's hometown that are too disturbing to be told in Batman comic books that are marketed to readers of all-ages.  Mother Panic is basically a quasi Batman-related title for adult readers.  I was only mildly interested after reading the first issue, but I feel different after reading Mother Panic #2.

In my review of the first issue, I said that Mother Panic might turn out to be a really good title, but I found that the first issue teased the reader and only offered standard superhero fare (violence).  However, I am starting to find Violet Paige to be an intriguing and likable character.  There is something cool about her costume and “flying” motorcycle, but there is something even cooler, Violet's emerging personality.  I am reviewing Mother Panic #2 via a PDF that DC Comics makes available to reviewers.  I feel confident in recommending Mother Panic because I will read the next PDF and may eventually start buying the comic book.

[This issue includes a bonus story “Gotham Radio Scene One: The Morning After” by Jim Krueger, Phil Hester, Ande Parks, Trish Mulvihill, and Deron Bennett.]

B+

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


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

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Review: STRANGE FRUIT #3

STRANGE FRUIT No. 3 (OF 4)
BOOM! Studios – @boomstudios

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: J.G. Jones and Mark Waid
ARTIST: J.G. Jones
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
COVER: J.G. Jones
24pp, Colors, $3.99 U.S. (April 2016)

Suggested for mature readers

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

Strange Fruit is set in and around Chatterlee, Mississippi in April 1927.  This is the time that would become known as the “Great Mississippi Flood of 1927.”  As the story begins, the Mississippi River is rising, threatening to break open the levees and destroy Chatterlee, as it has already done to other “God-fearing” towns.  The race to shore up the levees is also threatening to break open the racial and social divisions of Chatterlee and the surrounding area.  Into this roiling situation, a mysterious Black man falls from the sky.

As Strange Fruit #3 opens, the local Black community is beginning to see the arrival of the mysterious (and tall and muscular) Black man as a sign of divine intervention.  However, Sonny, the young “agitator” who gave the stranger the nickname, “Johnson,” has decided that he has had enough of White people:  kind, benign, and otherwise.  He decides that it is time to leave Chatterlee, but on the way out of town, he makes a shocking discovery.  Meanwhile, the impending disaster of the swelling Mississippi has not dampened the local Klan's desire to kill Black people and to destroy “Johnson.”

One of my all-time favorite novels is Stephen King's masterpiece, 'Salem's Lot (1975).  One of the elements of the plot that I thoroughly enjoyed is how the people of Jerusalem's Lot (or 'Salem's Lot, for short) blithely carry on their petty conflicts while darkness slowly envelopes their town.  That is Strange Fruit #3 in a nutshell.  Even the behemoth threat that is the flooding Mississippi River cannot completely draw people away from their mistrust and racial strife.

On the part of J.G. Jones and Mark Waid, this is truth in storytelling.  They convey the brutal strength and ugly power of hate with honesty.  Strange Fruit is not a screed against racism; rather it is an amazingly human tale that is genuine in its portrayal of the nature of man.

If that is not enough for you, Jones is still producing some of the most beautiful comic book art that I have ever seen, and until I see otherwise, I am calling his work on Strange Fruit the best of last year and also of this year.  His depiction of the human face and its myriad expressiveness is a sight to behold.  The grace of the human in clothing and costume shines through even when the characters are being less than graceful.  Wow.

It has been almost half a year since issue #2 came out, and Strange Fruit is worth the wait.  It is only a shame that here is one issue left.

A+

www.boom-studios.com
#comicsforward

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

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Review: HE-MAN THUNDERCATS #1

HE-MAN THUNDERCATS No. 1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

STORY: Rob David and Lloyd Goldfine
ART: Freddie E. Williams II
COLORS: Jeremy Colwell
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
COVERS: Freddie E. Williams II
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2016)

Rated “T” for Teen

“Swords and Omens”

Masters of the Universe (MOTU) is a media franchise that began as an action figures line created by toy giant, Mattel.  MOTU is also often known as “He-Man” after the franchise's lead character and hero, He-Man/Prince Adam.  MOTU is set on the planet Eternia, a world that mixes medieval sword and sorcery with science fiction technology.  The premise of the story revolves around the conflict between He-Man and the evil Skeletor.

ThunderCats began as an animated television series created by Tobin “Ted” Wolf.  The show was an American production, but the animation for the show was done in Japan.  The series focuses on a group of cat-like humanoid aliens, the “Thunder Cats,” who, led by their young king, Lion-o, protects the world known as “Third Earth,” from the evil and powerful Mumm-ra.

These two decades-old media franchises come together in the new DC Comics miniseries, He-Man ThunderCats.  This comic book is written by Rob David and Lloyd Goldfine; drawn by Freddie E. Williams II; colored by Jeremy Colwell; and lettered by Deron Bennett.

As He-Man ThunderCats #1 (“Swords and Omens”) opens, Mumm-ra's punk ass has just lost to Lion-o... again.  Even a being who holds sway over death, however, must serve someone, and Mumm-ra's “benefactors,” the Ancient Spirits of Evil, want results.  What they want is on the magical planet of Eternia.  The method by which they send Mumm-ra to obtain it will force two groups of heroes together in order to save two worlds.

He-Man ThunderCats #1 does not necessarily start with a bang.  I was also put off by how much comedy plays on the Eternia end of the story because I had forgotten how much humor was a part of the “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” animated series.  The first two-thirds of this comic book has a jarring tone, but writer Rob David and Lloyd Goldfine bring everything crashing together by the end.  Suddenly, it is serious; lives are on the line; and everything is at stake.

I was a fan of artist Freddie E. Williams II's work on the recent crossover comic book miniseries, Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  In the first issue of He-Man ThunderCats, I am impressed by his ability to juggle big action scenes with the large number of characters he must depict.  I don't know if Williams can match his Batman/TMNT work, but I am curious to see where this goes.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

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Review: STRANGE FRUIT #2

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

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

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

Suggested for mature readers

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

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

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

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

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

A

www.boom-studios.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

#IReadsYou Review: SUNNY Volume 3

 

SUNNY, VOL. 3
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Taiyo Matsumoto
TRANSLATION: Michael Arias
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5969-8; hardcover (April 2014); Rated “T” for “Teen”
215pp, B&W, $22.99 US, $26.99 CAN

Sunny is a Japanese slice of life manga series written and illustrated by Taiyo Matsumoto.  It was serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine, Monthly Ikki, from December 2010 to September 2014 and in Monthly Big Comic Spirits from January to July 2015.  VIZ Media published an English-language edition of the manga as a full-color, hardcover, graphic novel series under its VIZ Signature imprint from May 2013 to November 2016.  Sunny is set at the orphanage, Star Kids Home, where there is a car called “Sunny,” a place where the children find solace.

Sunny, Vol. 3 (Chapters 13 to 18) opens with a visit from Nishita, a former resident of Star Kids Home.  Now, an adult, he wants to apologize for a terrible incident he started years ago that brought harm to Granpa, who heads the orphanage.

Next, Megumu decides to attend a party with a group of friends from school who live with their parents.  Her Star Kids “siblings” are not crazy about that, and Megumu feels conflicted.  Also, a TV station news crew visits Star Kids Home, and two brothers recall a visit to see their sick mother.

THE LOWDOWN:  The Sunny manga reads like an honest account of children adapting to life away from their parents and in an orphanage.  I often find myself racing through shonen manga in order to keep up with the action.  I also find myself fighting the urge to jump ahead when I read Sunny.  It is a character drama that is vivid and alive, and creator Taiyo Matsumoto makes me chase his narrative, as if it were shonen.

Sunny is heartbreaking and poignant, but it is even more upbeat and positive.  Matsumoto depicts the children of Star Kids as being imaginative and open to new possibilities.  Some may want their lives before Star Kids to come back, but that does not mean they won’t make the best of their new lives.  It’s a lesson we could all learn.

I READS YOU REVIEW:  Fans of the manga of Taiyo Matsumoto will want Sunny.

A-
7.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You and Revised:  Thursday, September 17, 2020


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

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