Showing posts with label Jimmy Palmiotti. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jimmy Palmiotti. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

I Reads You Juniors: January 2024 - Update #62

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon.

NEWS:

DC COMICS - From BleedingCoolKatie Kubert is the new editor of DC Comics' monthly "Batman" comic book series.  Kubert is the granddaughter of the late comic book icon and legend, Joe Kubert, and the niece of the acclaimed artists, Adam Kubert and Andy Kubert.

DC STUDIOS - From THR:  "House of the Dragon" actress, Milly Alcock, will play "Supergirl/Kara Zor-El" in the planned DC Studios' film, "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow."  Alcock will appear in one or two DC projects before "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow."

COMICS TO FILM - From THR:  "2000 AD's long-running comics serial, "Rogue Trooper," is being adapted as a 3D animated film.  The voice cast will include Aneurin Barnard, Hayley Atwell, and Jack Lowden.  “Rogue Trooper” will be written and directed by Duncan Jones, whose credits include “Source Code” and “Warcraft.”  The film has wrapped principal photography at Rebellion Film Studios in the U.K. and is set to be finished next year.

DC GAMES - From YouTube:  There is a now a deluxe trailer for the upcoming video game, "Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League."  The game is due Feb. 2nd, 2024 for the PSF, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

DC ANIMATED - From DCBlog:  DC Comics' legendary event maxi-series, "Crisis on Infinite Earths," is being adapted as three-part animated film series.  The producers talk about "Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part One."

DYNAMITE - From Dynamite:  Comics scribe David Avallone has a message for readers about his upcoming miniseries, "Elvira Meets H.P. Lovecraft."  First issue arrives Feb. 21st, 2024.

SONY SPIDER U - From ComicBook:  "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" has received a "Best Animated Feature" Oscar nomination at the 2024 / 96th Academy Awards.  The winners will be announced Sunday, March 10th, 2024.  The previous film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, won the "Best Animated Feature" Oscar.

CHARITY - From BleedingCool:  An update on the medical conditions and GoFundMe campaigns for comic books writers, Peter David and Brett Lewis.

EISNERS - From Popverse:  When submissions for the "2024 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards" officially opened earlier this month (Jan. 2024), there was a surprise. The slot for "Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism" was not included among this year's categories for awards. It has apparently been folded into another category.

ORIGINAL ART - From OrlandoWeekly:  The site has an article on the first ever "Original Art Expo," that is being held in Orlando, Florida Fri-to Sun, Jan. 26th-28th.  The event will occur at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel at Universal Orlando.  A number of big name artists will appear, including Amanda Conner, David Finch, Michael Golden, and Matt Wagner, to name a few.

DC GAMES - From YouTube:   There is a teaser trailer for the upcoming video game, "Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League."  The game is due Feb. 2nd, 2024 for the PSF, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

IMAGE TO FILM - From YahooEntertainmentJason Mamoa, Emmy-winner Aaron Paul ("Breaking Bad), and more react to actor Channing Tatum's announcement that he is bringing Sam Keith's cult comic book, "The Maxx," to the big screen.  Previously, "The Maxx" was a 13-episode animated television series for MTV in 1995.

BOOK BANS - From Boston:  New legislative bills in the Massachusetts' House and Senate would protect school librarians selections and reduce book selections in the state.

PUBLISHING - From Deadline:  "Sports Illustrated," the 70-year-old venerable sports news and features magazine, is probably dead.

CHARITY - From THR:  Via "Humble Bundle," writer Jimmy Palmiotti is offering hundreds of pages of his comics at a steeply discounted price.  The funds will go to the World Wildlife Fund.  One of the comics offered, "Back to Brooklyn," was being developed as a feature film by the late Oscar-nominated director, John Singleton, before he passed.

DYNAMITE - From YouTube:  Dynamite Entertainment has released a trailer for the comic book, "Vampirella #666," which is due in comic book shops Feb. 7th, 2024.

IMAGE - From YouTube:  Eisner Award-winning comics creator, Rob Guillory (Chew, Farmhand), now has a YouTube show.

ELFQUEST - From TeamElfquest:  "Elfquest" co-creator, Richard Pini, clarifies information on the planned "Elfquest" television animated drama from Wolfrider Productions and Modern Magic.

IDW - From BleedingCoolJason Aaron is apparently going to write IDW's new "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" comic book, which is set to debut this coming summer.

ARCHIE - From PWArchie Comics Publisher and CEO, Jon Goldwater, talks about the future of the company in comic books, graphic novels, films, and television.

From BleedingCool:  According to the publisher of Archie Comics, Jon Goldwater, there will be a comic book in which the publisher's lead character, Archie Andrews, becomes a superhero.  To be published in 2024, the series will be serious superhero, not tongue-in-cheek like previous Archie superhero stories.

IMAGE - From BleedingCoolImage Comics co-founder, Jim Valentino, has been hospitalized with pneumonia.  Valentino is also a comics creator, ("normalman," Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy," and "Shadowhawk"), and as a publisher is know helping a number of creators at pivotal moments in their career, including Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Oeming, Nick Spencer, Robert Kirkman, and Jimmie Robinson, to name a few.

ELFQUEST - From Deadline: 20th Television Animation (a division of 20th Century Studios) has given a script commitment to "Elfquest," a one-hour animated drama series based on the epic fantasy adventure comic series created by Wendy and Richard Pini, which debuted in 1978.  The series will be from Rodney Rothman and Adam Rosenberg’s Modern Magic. Susan Hurwitz Arneson will pen the series adaptation and serve as showrunner and executive producer.

MANGA - From BleedingCoolTOKYOPOP is collecting the comic book series, "Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness - The Beginning" in a paperback graphic novel, debuting March 12th.

DC CINEMA - From Variety:  Writer-director David Ayer is so desperate for people to see HIS cut of the 2016 film, Suicide Squad, that he would settle for showing a one "funeral screening" of the film he says was "taken away" from him.

IMAGE COMICS TO TV - From Deadline:  Writer Ed Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips' long-running crime comic book series, "Criminal," is headed to Prime Video, which has made a series order for it.  Amazon MGM Studios will produce "Criminal" with Brubaker and crime fiction author Jordan Harper acting as co-showrunners.

IDW - From THR:  IDW has announced that it has renewed its license with Paramount to continue producing comic books based on the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," which Paramount has owned since 2009.

COMICS TO TV - From Deadline:  "American Born Chinese," the streaming series adapated from Gene Luen Lang's graphic novel of the same title, has been cancelled by Disney+ after one season.

AI - From BleedingCool:  AI art-generator, MidJourney, has apparently appropriated the work of numberous artists known for their work in comic books. The list includes such luminaries as Brian Bolland, Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, Frank Miller, Alex Toth, and Wally Wood, to name a few.

MARVEL - From BleedingCool:  Greg Capullo's first project for Marvel Comics in over a decade is a new "Wolverine #1."

From BleedingCoolGreg Capullo teases his first work from Marvel Comics in over a decade.

From ComicBookMarvel Comics' "Timeless #1" teases the return of the "Guardians of the Galaxy."

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

DECEMBER 2023 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From BleedingCool:  Ablaze for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Ahoy Comics for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Antarctic Press for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Archie Comics for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  AWA Studios for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Bleeding Moon Comics LLC for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  BOOM! Studios for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  CEX for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Dstlry for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Hexagon Comics for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Image Comics "G.I. Joe" comics for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Keenspot Entertainment for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Kodansha Comics for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Mad Cave Studios for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Marvel's "Spider-Man" and "Gang War" titles for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Marvel's "Star Wars" titles for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Massive for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Oni Press for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Opus Comics for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Rebellion / 2000 AD for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Scout Comics for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Titan Comics for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  TOKYOPOP for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Udon Entertainment Inc. for December 2023
From BleedingCool:  Valiant Comics for December 2023

JANUARY 2024 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From BleedingCool:  Ablaze for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Ahoy Comics for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Antarctic Press for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Archie Comics for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Band of Bards for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Blood Moon Comics LLC for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  BOOM Studios! for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Image Comics Energon Universe for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Keenspot Entertainment for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Kodansha Comics for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Mad Cave Studios for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Massive/Whatnot for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Oni Press for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Rebellion 2000 AD for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Scout Comics for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Valiant Comics for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  VIZ Media for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Yen Press for January 2024
From BleedingCool:  Zenescope Entertainment for January 2024

FEBRUARY 2024 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From BleedingCool:  Archie Comics for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  AWA Studios for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  Blood Moon Comics for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  BOOM! Studios for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  Fantagraphics Books for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  1First Comics for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  Mad Cave Studios for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics "X-Men" titles for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  Massive for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  Oni Press for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  Rebellion/2000AD for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  Scout Comics for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  10 Ton Press for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  Titan Comics for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  Valiant Comics for February 2024
From BleedingCool:  Vault Comics for February 2024

MARCH 2024 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From BleedingCool:  Ablaze for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Ahoy Comics for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Antarctic Press for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Archie Comics for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  AWA Studios for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Blood Moon Comics for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  BOOM! Studios for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  CEX Publishing for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  DC "Batman" comics for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Dead Sky Publishing LLC for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Dstlry for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Image Comics "Energon Universe" titles for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Image Comics "Spawn" titles for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  IPI Comics for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Keenspot Entertainment for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Kodansha Comics for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Mad Cave Studios for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Marvel "X-Men" from Marvel Comics for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Marvel "Fall of the House of X" and "Rise of the Powers of X" from Marvel Comics for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Massive/WhatNot for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Oni Press for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Rebellion/2000AD for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Scout Comics for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Titan Comics for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Vault Comics for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  VIZ Media for March 2024
From BleedingCool:  Yen Press for March 2024

APRIL 2024 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From BleedingCool:  Ablaze for April 2024
From BleedingCool:  Archie Comics for April 2024
From BleedingCool:  AWA Studios for April 2024
From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for April 2024
From BleedingCool:  DC Comics' "Batman" titles for April 2024
From BleedingCool:  DC Comics' Superman's "House of Braniac" titles for April 2024
From BleedingCool:  Dstlry for April 2024
From BleedingCool:  Fantagraphics Books for April 2024
From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for April 2024
From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for April 2024
From BleedingCool:  Image Comics' Todd McFarlane titles for April 2024
From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for April 2024
From BleedingCool:  X-Men & Avengers crossover from Marvel for April 2024
From BleedingCool:  "The Fall of The House of X" and "The Rise of The Powers of X" from Marvel Comics for April 2024.
From BleedingCool:  Oni Press for April 2024
From BleedingCool:  Valiant Comics for April 2024
From BleedingCool:  Vault Comics for April 2024

MAY 2024 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From BleedingCool:  Free Comic Book Day 2024 for May 4, 2024


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


Thursday, September 7, 2023

#IReadsYou Review: INVINCIBLE RED SONJA #4

[Note on the cover art: As far as I could find out, the numbering is wrong and this is cover of "The Invincible Red Sonja #4.]

THE INVINCIBLE RED SONJA #4
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti
ARTIST: Moritat
COLORS: Matt Carter
LETTERS: Dave Sharpe
EDITOR: Matt Idleson
COVER: Amanda Conner with Paul Mounts
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joseph Michael Linsner; Amanda Conner with Paul Mounts; Celina;
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2021)

Rated Teen+

Red Sonja is female high fantasy and sword and sorcery hero.  She first appeared in Conan the Barbarian #23 (cover dated February 1973) and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith.  Red Sonja was loosely based on “Red Sonya of Rogatino,” a female character that appeared in the 1934 short story, “The Shadow of the Vulture,” written by Conan the Cimmerian's creator, Robert E. Howard.

In 2005, Dynamite Entertainment began publishing comic books featuring differing versions of the character.  One of those is The Invincible Red Sonja.  It is written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti; drawn by Moritat; colored by Matt Carter; and lettered by Dave Sharpe.  In this recently launched series, Red Sonja finds herself on a spectacular journey filled with pirates, mermaids, princesses, and political intrigue as the fate of two kingdoms hangs in the balance.

As The Invincible Red Sonja #4 opens, the She-Devil with a Sword watches as Bahira Yakootah, the Lord of Thieves, summons demons from molten lava in his mission to kill the King of Erkhara.  In her bid to stop him, however, Red Sonja, commits a fatal act that determine her fate.  Now, death descends on Erkhara, Erkhara destabilizes, and Sonja may find herself even worse off.

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is The Invincible Red Sonja #4, which is the first issue of the series that I have read, but this is not my first experience with the character.  I have actually read various Red Sonja titles over my time as a comic book fan, including a few recently published by Dynamite.

Under a gorgeous cover drawn by Amanda Conner and colored by Paul Mounts, Conner and Palmiotti deliver a surprisingly rousing story.  Although it is but one part of a story arc, this fourth chapter is quite entertaining by itself.  This is one of the best Red Sonja comic books that I have ever read, and I am certainly enjoying this more than I do Conner and Palmiotti's Harley Quinn comic books.

Moritat's illustrations remind me of the art of the late Vaughn Bode.  Moritat's graphical storytelling is over the top in a way a Red Sonja or Conan the Barbarian comic book should be, and the characters' emotions also leap off the page.  Matt Carter's colors give the story some edge and also seem to quicken the pace of the story, along with Dave Sharpe's letters.

Honestly, I did not expect much from The Invincible Red Sonja #4, but now, I gotta have more.  It's like my sword and sorcery crack.  I'd do anything … for another issue.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Red Sonja comic books will want to read The Invincible Red Sonja.

A
★★★★ out of 4 stars

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).


Tuesday, June 15, 2021

#IReadsYou Review: STATIC #1

STATIC #1
DC COMICS/Milestone Comics

STORY: Dwayne McDuffie and Robert L. Washington, III
PENCILS: John Paul Leon
INKS: Steve Mitchell
COLORS: Noelle C. Giddings
LETTERS: Steve Haynie
EDITOR: Dwayne McDuffie
COVER: Denys Cowan and Jimmy Palmiotti with Noelle C. Giddings
32pp, Color, $2.95 US, $3.95 CAN, 1.20 UK£ (June 1993)

“Trial by Fire” Chapter One: “Burning Sensation”

Introduced in the spring of 1993, Static was one of the early comic book series created by Milestone Media and published through DC Comics.  Milestone Media was a comic book imprint and media company established with the intention presenting more minority characters in American Comics.  Although the Milestone Media stopped producing comics in 1997, Static was reworked as the WB animated series, “Static Shock,” which ran for four seasons from 2000 to 2004.

Static #1 (“Burning Sensation”) opens in the Sadler neighborhood of the city of Dakota, specifically in a teen hangout called Akkad’s ArcadeFrieda Goren, a high school girl, arrives at the hangout to meet a friend when she suddenly encounters representatives of someone else who wants to meet her.  Known as the “5 Alarm Crew,” these ruffians are practically kidnapping Frieda to take her to their leader, someone named “Hotstreak,” whether she wants an audience with him or not.

By the second page (a splash page), our hero, Static, makes his first appearance, and six and half pages of witty banter and an electric light show later, it’s clear that this new superhero, the first African-American solo teen superhero, is a winner even if his own book doesn’t last over the long haul (which sadly it didn’t).  Static’s powers clearly have something to do with electricity, and his personality is equally stimulating  After he dispatches the 5 Alarm Crew, Static offers to take Frieda home, an indication that she is not just a damsel in distress plot device which allows writers Dwayne McDuffie and Robert L. Washington to introduce their hero.

After reluctantly leaving Frieda, who was standoffish with him although he saved her, Static finds a secluded alley where he returns to his civilian persona, a black teenager named Virgil Ovid Hawkins.  Virgil’s thoughts are still on Frieda, further indication of her importance.  Virgil returns home (apparently a brownstone similar to the family home on “The Cosby Show”) so McDuffie and Washington can reveal Static’s private life and family.  We meet Virgil’s mother and his sister, Sharon, with whom he, of course, spars, as li’l sis has some issue with Virgil hangin’ with white girl.  Virgil races upstairs just in time to answer the phone call from Frieda, who tells him about her adventures at Akkad’s.  The scene closes as the conversation evolves into the usual teen concerns.

The next morning, a breakfast conversation with his mother reveals that Virgil does indeed have a father, who works odd hours at a hospital.  (The African-American father was virtually extinct in pop culture at the time this comic was published, and remains on the endangered species list as of this writing.)

When the story moves to the hallways of the school Virgil attends, Ernest Hemingway High School, McDuffie and Washington introduce Virgil’s pals.  One of them, Richard Stone, would later be revealed as gay, but even now there seems to be some latent tension regarding Richard’s perceived sexual orientation.

Besides Frieda, Virgil’s most interesting friend is Larry, who has something of a thuggish vibe.  Later, while in class, the 5 Alarm Crew returns, and this time they manage to snatch Frieda.  This comes totally out of left field: Larry apparently offers to draw a concealed firearm to put a stop to the 5 Alarm boys, but Virgil has already slipped away to don his super suit.

Meanwhile, in a playground at a local elementary school, Static meets the 5 Alarm Crew’s master, Hotstreak, and here, McDuffie and Washington offer the biggest surprise and delight, which they’ve been saving for the very end of the first issue.  Hotstreak kicks Static’s butt all over the yard, and Static apparently has some kind of psychological block that prohibits him from going whole hog on Hotstreak, who is nevertheless a capable super badass.  And Frieda removes Static’s mask, revealing Virgil to her…

Overall, Static #1 is an impressive first issue.  To begin with, the art team of John Paul Leon on pencils and Steve Mitchell on inks creates a lovely style that has a jazzy vibe.  Although the coloring is modest, the art feels young, hip, and most important urban.  Visually, Leon and Mitchell construct an urban landscape by designing backgrounds and sets out of simple shapes and forms and get the same effect as artists that create urban environments by using heavy inking or intricate detail in drawing the sets.  Best of all, Leon and Mitchell capture the cast’s diversity; this is true melting pot and not something that looks like a Norman Rockwell painting of a Rotary Club meeting.

I have nothing but praise for McDuffie and Washington.  Static is a witty teen superhero, a sassy, brash kid bouncing off walls.  Read it, and recognize the fun of those early Spider-Man comic books.  But Static has an edge.  It’s in the rhythm of the authentic urban language – referencing hip hop without trying to replicate it (unlike the horrid “hip” dialogue in the original Gen13 comics).  Underlying it all is the feeling of life on the streets of Dakota being, at the very least, a little dangerous.  Reading this, I thought that some of these characters have to be ready to kill or be killed – anytime and anywhere.

It’s on.

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

https://twitter.com/DakotaUniverse
http://milestone.media/
https://www.instagram.com/milestone.media/
https://www.dccomics.com/
https://twitter.com/DCComics
https://www.facebook.com/dccomics
https://www.youtube.com/user/DCEntertainmentTV
https://www.pinterest.com/dccomics/
https://www.periscope.tv/DCComics/1ZkKzezXwZdxv


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).


Saturday, February 27, 2021

#28DaysofBlack Review: HARDWARE: The Man in the Machine - no text

HARDWARE: THE MAN IN THE MACHINE
MILESTONE MEDIA/DC COMICS

WRITER: Dwayne McDuffie
PENCILS: Denys Cowan; J.J. Birch (issue #8)
INKS: Jimmy Palmiotti; Mike Manley; Joe Brozowski; Joe James; Jason Minor
COLORS: Noelle Giddings
LETTERS: Janice Chiang; Steve Haynie; Steve Dutro
COVER: Denys Cowan and Jimmy Palmiotti
EDITOR: Bob Joy
ISBN: 978-1-4012-2598-8; paperback (March 30, 2021)
192pp, Color, $19.99 U.S., $24.99 CAN

Hardware created by Dwayne McDuffie; Derek Dingle; Denys Cowan, and Michael Davis

Milestone Comics was the publishing division of Milestone Media and was published and distributed by DC Comics.  Milestone was founded in 1993 by a coalition of African-American artists and writers, consisting of Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, and Derek T. Dingle.  Milestone Media's founders believed that minorities were severely underrepresented in American comic books and wished to address this.  In 1993, Milestone Media launched its first four titles Icon, Blood Syndicate, Static, and Hardware, the subject of this review.  DC Comics ceased publication of Milestone titles in 1997.

Hardware was created by the late Dwayne McDuffie; Derek Dingle; Denys Cowan, and Michael Davis.  The first seven issues of Hardware were written by McDuffie and drawn by Cowan (pencil art) and a rotating group of inkers:  Jimmy Palmiotti; Mike Manley; Joe Brozowski; and Joe James; colored by Noelle Giddings; and lettered by Janice Chiang, Steve Haynie, and Steve Dutro.  The eighth issue featured the art team of J.J. Birch (pencils) and Jason Minor (inks).

In 2010, DC Comics published the trade paperback Hardware: The Man in the Machine, which collected Hardware #1 to #8 (April 1993 to October 1993).  Like all Milestone titles, Hardware was set in the Milestone Universe, called the “Dakotaverse.”

Hardware #1 (“Angry Black Man”) introduces Curtis “Curt” Metcalf, a genius inventor.  He uses a special suit of armor (the “Hardware shell”) and a variety of high-tech gadgets to fight his employer, respected businessman, Edwin Alva.

Metcalf was a working class child prodigy and inventor who was discovered at age 12 by Alva.  With the blessing of Metcalf's parents, Alva enrolled Metcalf in “A Better Chance,” which was “a program intended to get minority students into elite prep schools.”  Metcalf proved to be much smarter than all the other prep school students and graduated at age 14.  With Alva paying his college tuition, Metcalf earned the first of his seven college degrees at age 15.  In exchange, after graduation, Metcalf began working in Alva Industries' “Inspiration Factory,” where the employees created high-tech gadgets by the hundreds.  However, it was Metcalf's inventions that made Alva many millions of dollars.  After a few years, Metcalf approached Alva about getting a share of the profits from his inventions.  Alva not only declines, but he also tells Metcalf that he is a mere employee, a “cog in the machine,” Alva's machine.

Metcalf begins secretly using Alva resources to create the hardware, software, and technology that becomes Hardware.  Metcalf also discovers that Alva is secretly a powerful crime boss.  Metcalf as Hardware begins his war against Alva, destroying Alva's criminal machine one piece at a time.  However, Hardware also rings up a high body county, so will he lose his soul in his personal war against his boss?

THE LOWDOWN:  When the discussion of black superheroes pops up, it often turns to the question of whether actual African-Americans as writers would tell better stories about Black superheroes than writers who are white.  Of course, some always say skin color doesn’t really matter, but they’re always white, speaking from the perspective of advantage and of white privilege.

A white man can certainly write really good comic books featuring African-American characters.  In the 1970’s, Marv Wolfman and Chris Claremont wrote excellent darkly comic and bloody horrific stories featuring Marvel Comics’ vampire hunter, Blade.  But there’s just something about a writer who has lived as a black man in America writing stories about a fictional character that is not just a black superhero, but also a black person living in America.

But sometimes, being a black writer spinning a narrative about a black character does matter.  Witness the short-lived, mid-1990’s comic book series, Hardware.  Hardware was the first comic book published by Milestone Media.  Milestone was an imprint of DC Comics that sought to publish superhero comic books featuring a more diverse cast in terms of skin color and ethnicity, in particularly African-Americans.  In the case of Dwayne McDuffie, who died in 2011, Hardware’s scribe and co-creator, the title had a storyteller who certainly understood what it was to be a talented African-American who repeatedly bangs his head against the glass ceiling of white privilege, of white supremacy, and of white racism.

What McDuffie gave Hardware was the sense of being more than just a fictional character with a skin color default setting (as many, if not most, white comic book characters are).  McDuffie made the character, in a sense, an idealized version of a black man struggling to prove that he can be and is exceptional in spite of what others may expect of him based on his skin color.

It is not impossible for a white man to write a title like Hardware.  Still, there is something that rings true and feels genuine about the African-American experience in McDuffie’s work on Hardware.  From the opening scene in which a young Curt Metcalf studies the parakeet that will not stop banging its head against the glass window for freedom to the scene of an adult Metcalf learning to check his rage and see the bigger picture of his revenge, McDuffie was likely writing what he knew, but regardless, it reads like the truth.  That is what made McDuffie not just a really good black writer of comic books, but an exceptional comic book writer when compared to just about any other comic book scribe.

Hardware is not perfect.  The character blends Marvel's Iron Man with DC Comics' Batman, but the storytelling and graphic design seem to owe a lot to the big guns and high-tech gadget superheroes that defined most of the early Image Comics superhero titles of the 1990s.  The issues that make up Hardware: The Man in the Machine focus on Curt Metcalf's violent, ruthless, and gory war of revenge.  Hardware is indeed an “angry black man,” and that makes the series mostly stuck in violent mode early on.  Hardware is not Dwayne McDuffie's best work, but it is unique.  Also, there is the chance to enjoy the inventive designs and imaginative compositions of another under-appreciated black comic book creator, the great artist, Denys Cowan.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Milestone Comics will want to read Hardware: The Man in the Machine.

B+
7 out of 10

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


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.


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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).


Friday, March 29, 2019

Review: STAR WARS: Tag & Blink Were Here #1

STAR WARS: TAG & BINK WERE HERE #1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[The review was originally posted on Patreon.]

EDITORS: Dave Land; Mark D. Beazley (collection)
COVER: Lucas Marangon with Michelle Madsen
MISC: Lucas Marangon with Michelle Madsen; Lucas Marangon; Lucas Marangon with Dan Jackson; John McCrea and Jimmy Palmiotti with Dan Jackson
ISBN: 978-1-302-91490-5; magazine (Wednesday, May 2, 2018)
104pp, Color, $7.99 U.S., $10.99 CAN (Diamond order code – MAR180947)

Rated “T”

Tag and Bink are Star Wars characters that debuted in Star Wars humor comic books first published by Dark Horse Comics (which had the license to publish Star Wars comic books from 1991 to 2014).  Tag and Bink were created by writer Kevin Rubio and artist Lucas Marangon and starred in two two-issue Star Wars spoof comic book miniseries.

The first was Star Wars: Tag & Bink Are Dead #1-2 (cover dated: October to November 2001), and the second was Star Wars: Tag & Bink II #1-2 (cover dated: March to April 2006).  An earlier version of the story that appeared in Star Wars: Tag & Bink II #1 was published in Star Wars Tales #12 (cover dated: June 2002).  Dark Horse initially collected Star Wars: Tag & Bink Are Dead #1-2 and Star Wars: Tag & Bink II #1-2 in a trade paperback entitled Star Wars: Tag & Bink Were Here (cover dated: November 2006).

Marvel Comics has regained the license to produce Star Wars comic books that it originally held from the mid-1970s to about 1990.  In May 2018, Marvel published its own version of Star Wars: Tag & Bink Were Here, apparently released to coincide with the May 2018 release of the Star Wars film, Solo: A Star Wars Story.  Tag & Bink were supposed to appear in Solo, but their scene was reportedly cut from the film.

Entitled Star Wars: Tag & Bink Were Here #1 and published in the comic book format, this standalone comic book reprints the story pages and cover art of Star Wars: Tag & Bink Are Dead #1-2, Star Wars: Tag & Bink II #1-2.  It also reprints the Tag & Bink story in Star Wars Tales #12 (cover dated: June 2002) and also the cover art for Dark Horse's Star Wars: Tag & Bink Were Here.

Tag & Bink are Tag Greenly, a male human from the planet Corellia, and Bink Otauna, a male human from Alderaan.  In the comics, writer Kevin Rubio presents the duo as playing a role or at least being present in pivotal moments depicted in the following Star Wars films:  Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002), and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.

The title of Tag & Bink's first appearance, Tag and Bink Are Dead, is a direct reference to Tom Stoppard 1966 play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.  Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are minor characters in William Shakespeare's Hamlet, and in Stoppard's play, the duo's actions take place in the background or “in the wings” of the main events of Hamlet.  In that manner, Kevin Rubio makes Tag & Bink the stars who view and comment upon the main events of the Star Wars story and sometimes play a pivotal role in main events.

For instance, as background players, Tag & Bink are rebel soldiers aboard Princess Leia's starship (the "Tantive IV") that is captured by Darth Vader's Imperial Star Destroyer at the beginning of the original Star Wars film.  As players in a main event, Tag, in disguise as a storm trooper, is the trooper that shoots C-3PO during the “Cloud City” sequence of The Empire Strikes Back.

Writer Kevin Rubio plays Tag & Bink as being the most important Star Wars characters fans never knew existed.  He is revealing their true roles in the epic Star Wars saga, but the hapless duo's fateful adventures and misadventures will make you wonder whose side they are on.  Honestly, with these characters, Rubio offers some of the best Star Wars humor ever published in comic book form.  Rubio cleverly weaves Tag & Bink into Star Wars moments – both major and minor, and he creates some inventive side stories and back stories.  The scenes with Lando Calrissian are, quite frankly, quite nice.

Artist Lucas Marangon seems like the perfect collaborator for Rubio.  Marangon is an excellent Star Wars cartoonist and comic book artist.  He draws the characters, creatures, beings, costumes, sets, backgrounds, backdrops, ships, tech, environments, etc. with stunning accuracy, and does so while creating a humorous and comedic tone.  Marangon's illustrations and storytelling are perfect for the Star Wars spoof that is Tag & Bink.

I recommend Marvel Comics' Star Wars: Tag & Bink Were Here #1 to fans of Star Wars humor and, of course, to collectors of Star Wars comic books.  I am confident both groups will enjoy reading these truly funny Star Wars comic books.

8 out of 10

Below are the creator credits for the story material reprinted in Marvel's Star Wars: Tag & Bink Were Here #1:

Star Wars: Tag & Bink Are Dead #1 - “Episode IV.1: Tag and Bink Are Dead” (originally published by Dark Horse Comics; cover dated: October 2001)
STORY: Kevin Rubio
PENCILS: Lucas Marangon
INKS: Howard M. Shum
COLORS: Michelle Madsen
LETTERS: Steve Dutro

Star Wars: Tag & Bink Are Dead #2 - “Episode IV.1: Tag and Bink Live” (originally published by Dark Horse Comics; cover dated: November 2001)
STORY: Kevin Rubio
PENCILS: Lucas Marangon
INKS: Howard M. Shum
COLORS: Michelle Madsen
LETTERS: Steve Dutro

Star Wars: Tag & Bink II #1 - “Episode VI.1: The Return of Tag and Bink – Special Edition” (originally published by Dark Horse Comics; cover dated: March 2006)
STORY: Kevin Rubio
ART: Lucas Marangon
COLORS: Dan Jackson
LETTERS: Michael David Thomas

Star Wars: Tag & Bink II #2 - “Tag & Bink: Episode I – Revenge of the Clone Menace” (originally published by Dark Horse Comics; cover dated: April 2006)
STORY: Kevin Rubio
ART: Lucas Marangon
COLORS: Dan Jackson
LETTERS: Michael David Thomas

Star Wars Tales #12 – “The Revenge of Tag & Bink” (originally published by Dark Horse Comics; cover dated: June 2002)
STORY: Kevin Rubio
PENCILS: Rick Zombo
INKS: Randy Emberlin
COLORS: Dan Brown
LETTERS: Steve Dutro

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


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

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

Sunday, December 30, 2018

Review: THE JETSONS #1

THE JETSONS No. 1 (OF 6)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Jimmy Palmiotti
ART: Pier Brito
COLORS: Alex Sinclair
LETTERS: Dave Sharpe
COVER: Amanda Conner with Paul Mounts
VARIANT COVER: Dave Johnson
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2018)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

“Meet the Jetsons”

“The Jetsons” was an animated situation comedy produced by Hanna-Barbera.  It originally aired during prime time from September 1962, to March 1963 for 24 episodes on ABC.  “The Jetsons” titular family was Hanna-Barbera's Space Age counterpart to “The Flintstones,” a TV series in which the family lives in a Stone Age-like world.  The Jetsons live in the futurist Orbit City, where the buildings hover far above the surface of Earth.

The family was George Jetson (the main character), a loving family man; Jane Jetson, George's wife, mother of their two children, and a homemaker; Judy Angela Jetson, their 16-year-old daughter and a high school student; Elroy Jetson, their highly-intelligent six and a half year old son.  The lead cast also included Rosie, the Jetsons' household robot, whom the family loves and will not replace although she is an outdated model.  Astro is the Jetsons' family dog and is Elroy's best buddy and one of George's best pals.

DC Comics has been reinventing and re-imagining classic Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoons in new comic book series since early 2016, the best example being Scooby Apocalypse, which is “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?” with a sci-fi, monster apocalyptic twist.  “The Jetsons” are re-imagined in the new six-issue miniseries, The Jetsons.  It is written by Jimmy Palmiotti; drawn by Pier Brito; colored by Alex Sinclair; and lettered by Dave Sharpe.

The Jetsons #1 opens in a post-apocalyptic world.  The family is still comprised of George Jetson; his boy, Elroy; daughter, Judy; and Jane, his wife.  And their home is still located in a city that floats above the surface, but in this alternate Jetsons scenario, the surface of the Earth is entirely water.  Jane is no longer a homemaker, she is a scientist and she has bad news about the fate of the planet for her fellow scientists at the International Space Station.  This scenario also presents Elroy as older, and he and his friend, Lake Cogswell, are about to start something big.

Although this version of “The Jetsons,” is set in a darker, apocalyptic world, writer Jimmy Palmiotti and artist Pier Brito present a bright and colorful future that is closer to the future scenarios presented in DC Comics titles in the 1960s and 1970s.  Alex Sinclair's colors accentuate this hopeful future of helpful technology that makes that aftermath of “extinction level events” and apocalypse quite livable.

The Jetsons is similar in tone to the settings of the happy 1950s to early 1960s family sitcoms that are now a staple of digital sub-channels like MeTV and AntennaTV.  Apparently, the nuclear family can survive decades (and centuries) of social change, societal upheaval, and the end-of-the-world.  In the end, the nuclear family rocks the casbah and the apocalypse.  And, if the first issue is any indication, those pesky brown people and darkies still barely register (although there are hints of things ominous beneath the waves and in the past).

Still, The Jetsons is an enjoyable read.  I have learned not to expect much from DC's Hanna-Barbera reboots/re-imaginations, and that makes it easier to separate the good, the bad, and the ugly and to also appreciate the really good.  So far, The Jetsons are good enough to earn a second look.

6 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.

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



Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Review: THE KAMANDI CHALLENGE #4

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

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

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

Rated “T” for Teen

Kamandi created by Jack Kirby

“The Wild Wondrous West”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Afterword by Jimmy Palmiotti]

6.5 out of 10

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


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


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


Thursday, July 19, 2018

Review: THE KAMANDI CHALLENGE #3

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

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

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

Rated “T” for Teen

Kamandi created by Jack Kirby

“Bug in Your Ear”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A-

[Afterword by Neal Adams]

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


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

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


Thursday, August 31, 2017

I Reads You Juniors August 2017 - Update #68

Support Leroy on Patreon.

From BatmanNews:  Joelle Jones joins the creative team on the Batman comic book.

From BleedingCool:  Today's issue of "Black Panther and the Crew" (issue #6) is the final issue of the series.  However, writer Ta-Nehisi Coates says he will continue the Crew's adventures in the main "Black Panther" title.

From ICv2:  Hasbro is suing DC Entertainment over the "Bumblebee" name.  There is a "Bumblebee" Transformer and there is superhero and one-time Teen Titan named Bumblebee.

From MikeLynchCartoons:  A look at comic books featuring the late comedian, actor, and filmmaker, Jerry Lewis.

From BleedingCool:  Dave Sim to kill Cerebus again... if you care...

From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet episode #132 in English.
From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet episode #132 in French.

From ScreenRant:  The 15 most controversial comic book covers of all time - according to Screen Rant.

From CBR:  John Romita, Jr. offers details of "Superman: Year One," his miniseries with writer Frank Miller.

From CBR:  DC Comics is reviving a classic 1950s Superman PSA poster to discuss diversity and non-discussion.

--------------------------------------
BLURB REVIEW:

Cable #1 (Marvel Comics – July 2017) by James Robinson and Carlos Pacheco with Rafael Fonteriz and Jesus Aburtov

Cable has been one Marvel Comics' most popular X-Men/mutant characters since his debut in New Mutants #87 back in late 1989/early 1990.  The character has been the star or co-star of a number of ongoing comic book series and miniseries.  I find him to be one of the least interesting of Marvel's merry mutants.  When I have purchased a Cable comic book, it was because of the art.

I think I was attracted to his new Cable #1 because of the cover, which is drawn by Dale Keown.  After nearly a quarter century, I still find Keown's unique drawing style to be eye candy.  However, I knew from the opening page that this comic book was going to be awful, and it is.  Whatever happened to James Robinson?  He was once one of the shining lights of comic book scribes, so much so that Hollywood came a-callin' for his writing skills.  Now, he cranks out listless scripts for Marvel secondary titles that are more like dumpster comics than publications from a major company.

Cable is part of Marvel's “ResurrXion” initiative to revive its X-Men line.  Half the “ResurrXion” titles suck, and Cable sucks ass.

Posted:  Saturday, August 26, 2017
--------------------------------------------------

From BleedingCool:  Two more comic book stores are closing.

From ICv2:  "The Wheels on the Bus..." an interesting piece about the future of Marvel Comics.

From CBR:  15 Ways Marvel Comics' "Star Wars" comic books have changed the Star Wars universe.

From BleedingCool:  Rob Liefeld shows off a Wolverine drawing he did as a teenager - in style similar to John Byrne's.

From BleedingCool:  Fantagraphics Books' Eric Reynolds has picked up the worldwide rights to "Dull Margaret," a graphic novel written by Academy Award-winning actor, Jim Broadbent.

From BleedingCool:  Retailers are boycotting Marvel Comics' "Legacy" lenticular cover scheme.

From CBR:  Marvel Comics solicitations for November 2017.

From CBR:  "Doomsday Clock #1" art teases arrival of Watchmen character, Rorschach.

From BleedingCool:  Chuck Dixon may now be the most published comic book writer of all time.

From BleedingCool:  AfterShock Comics' November 2017 solicitations.

From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet episode #131 in English.
From ComicBookBin:   New Johnny Bullet episode #131 in French.

From MultiversityComics:  Declan Shalvey talks about his upcoming Image Comics title, "Savage Town."

From BleedingCool:  November 2017 solicitations for Archie Comics.

From BleedingCool:  Nick Spencer leads the creative team for Marvel's "Not Brand Ecch."  The comic book is among a group of Marvel Legacy one-shots.

From CBR:  A preview of "Batman: Murder Machine."

From BleedingCool:  The original comic book art collection of singer/songerwriter Graham Nash brought in a lot of money.  This group of original art from Underground Comix earned over $1 million, especially Nash's collection of R. Crumb pages.

From ComicsReporter:  The 2017 Ignatz Awards nominees have been announced.

From BleedingCool:  Howard Chaykin had to change another cover for "The Divided States of Hysteria," this time #3.  And so you won't have to keep looking, on the girl's right butt cheek, Chaykin had used Prince's infamous "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince" symbol, which he removed for the final cover.

From BleedingCool:  Wizard Magazine will return at a print publication, for the first time since 2011.

From BleedingCool:  Neil Gaiman, Gerard Way, and Gail Simone are among the the comic book creators contributing to "Mine," a comic book benefiting Planned Parenthood.

From TheWashingtonPost:  DC Comics' "Dark Nights: Metal" has a Vertigo surprise - Neil Gaiman's The Sandman.

From ComicBookBin:  Deejay Dayton looks at the 1960s "New Look" Batman in "DC Comics History."

From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet Episode #130 in English.
From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet Episode #130 in French.

From BleedingCool: Gail Simone begins #ComicsHateNazis hash tag.

From Newsarama:  Mike Mignola is working on the end of the B.P.R.D., the paranormal defense agency in the Hellboy comic book franchise.

From ComicBookBin:  A review of "Generations: Phoenix and Jean Grey #1"

From TheBeat:  Can Christopher Priest and Phil Noto redeem Marvel's "The Inhumans."

From ImageComics:  Image Comics solicitations for October 2017.

From FlickeringMyth:  BOOM! Studios is bringing "Planet of the Apes" and "Kong" together in a comic book.

From BleedingCool:  Marvel to offer second printings of "Generations," "Weapons of Mutant Destruction," and "Darth Vader."

From BleedingCool:  The war over Stan Lee's "last" comic convention appearance.

From ComicBookBin: Deejay Dayton looks at the DC Comics History of "New Look" Superman of the mid-1960s.

From TheVillageVoice:  Marvel's "Secret Empire" with its fascist Captain America is the launch point for a discussion of the prevalence of dystopian storytelling.

From Patreon:  A review of the first issue of IDW 's new reboot of Robert E. Howard's "Kull," entitled "Kull Eternal."

From Negromancer:  VIZ Media announces its digital manga updates for August 2017.

From BleedingCool:  3 pages from "Spider-Gwen #25" a "Legacy" issue.

From ComicBookBin:  Deejay Dayton looks at mid-1960s "New Look" in the latest "DC Comics History."

From CBR:  Archie Comics is reviving its superhero title, "The Mighty Crusaders," and turns "Betty & Veronica" into bikers.

From BleedingCool:  Tom King says new "Mister Miracle" is the most ambitious thing that he has ever written.

From BleedingCool:  DC Comics will launch a new Harley Quinn comic book, "Harley Loves Joker," sometime at the end of the year.  Paul Dini and Jimmy Palmiotti will be involved and the series will be in the vein of "Batman: The Animated Series."

From CBR:  Why has Netflix gone all in on comic books?

From CBR:  "Batman" writer Tom King explains the importance of Kite Man.

From BleedingCool:  Jim Lee is sure that 15% to 45% of DC Comics' readers are women...

From CinemaBlend:  Karl Urban in talks to appear in a possible "Judge Dredd" TV series.

From BleedingCool:  Mark Millar announces that Netflix has bought his publishing entity, Millarworld.

--------------------------------
BLURB REVIEW:

Iceman #1 (Marvel Comics – August 2017) by Sina Grace and Alessandro Vitti with Rachelle Rosenberg

Iceman (Robert Louis Drake, also known as “Bobby Drake”) is one of the original X-Men, created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby in 1963 for the comic book, X-Men.  Iceman has been the star of two four-issue miniseries (one published in 1984-85 and another in 2001-02).  He finally gets his own ongoing series with the simply titled Iceman, written by Sina Grace and drawn by Alessandro Vitti.

Judging by the first issue, this series will focus quite a bit on Bobby Drake's angst-filled family and romantic life.  I'm not interested.  I find Alessandro Vitti's art to be unattractive, another reason I will likely avoid future issues of this comic book.  This new comic book arrives as part of “ResurrXion,” Marvel's initiative to reinvigorate its X-Men line of comic books.  The problem, so far, is that half of these new titles are mediocre, and Iceman is one of them.

Posted:  Sunday, August 6, 2017
---------------------------------

From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet Episode #129 in English.
From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet Episode #129 in French.

From ComicBookBin: Deejay Dayton looks at the Silver Age history of DC Comics villain, Eclipso.

From BleedingCool:  Beau Smith, the creator of "Wynonna Earp," will appear on the August 4, 2017 episode.

From TCJ:  Alex Dueben interviews Eurocomics legend, José Muñoz.

From CBR:  Meet the children of the Justice League in "Justice League #26."

From ComicBookBin:  Deejay Dayton offers his latest "DC Comics History" on Doom Patrol.

From BleedingCool:  Sean McKeever shares his pitch for a Wonder Girl series in 2006.

From BleedingCool:  Beginning in 2018, New York Comic Con will host the "Harvey Awards," which are currently hosted by Baltimore Comic-Con.

From CBR:  Dwayne McDuffie's widow sues over the planned revival of Milestone Media.

From BleedingCool:  J. Michael Starczynski - comic book writer, screenwriter, TV writer, novelist, producer - gives advice about writing for the big screen, TV, and comics.

From ComicBookBin:  In a new episode of "DC Comics History," Deejay Dayton looks "Strange Sports Stories," from the long-running comic book series, "The Brave and the Bold."

From ICv2:  TOKYOPOP is also in "The Nightmare Before Christmas" business.  It will publish the first ever comic book project to expand on the story of the original film, "The Nightmare Before Christmas: Zero's Journey," in Spring 2018.

From BleedingCool:  Joe Books will release a comic book version of the Disney's YouTube cartoon, "The Nightmare Before Christmas: As Told by Emoji."