#IReadsYou Review: AMERICAN JESUS: Revelation #3

AMERICAN JESUS: REVELATION #3 (OF 3)

IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Peter Gross with Tomm Coker

COLORS: Jeanne McGee with Daniel Freedman

LETTERS: Cory Petit

COVER: Jodie Muir

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2023)

Rated M / Mature

American Jesus created by Mark Millar and Peter Gross

American Jesus is a comic book series created by writer Mark Millar and Peter Gross that is being published as three comic book miniseries.  American Jesus began life as Chosen, a three-issue miniseries that was published by Dark Horse Comics in 2004, and continued in American Jesus: The New Messiah, a three-issue series published by Image Comics in 2019-20.

The series concludes in American Jesus: Revelation, a three-issue series written by Millar; drawn by Gross with Tomm Coker; colored by Jeanne McGee and Daniel Freedman; and lettered by Corey Petit.  The series offers the epic conclusion to the greatest story ever told.

American Jesus: Revelation #3 opens in 1969 at the birth of Jodie Christianson, the Anti-Christ.  Now, he is the President of the United States and is slated to kick of the End of Days.  However, moments after his birth, who really wants the little bastard?

Meanwhile, Catalina, who is the Savior and the Christ-reborn, is an an honest-to-god black woman.  She awaits Jodie in the city of Megiddo.  Will a 2000-year-old prophecy be finally fulfilled?  … Will it be fulfilled the way it is supposed to be fulfilled?

THE LOWDOWN:  Netflix/Millarworld sent me PDF review copies of American Jesus, Vols. 1 and 2.  I had not read them until recently, and I needed to do so in preparation for American Jesus: Revelation.  But nothing could prepare me … really … nothing.

Of course, American Jesus: Revelation #3 does not end the way anyone would think.  This is a Mark Millar comic book, and he won't ever cheat his readers by giving them what they expect.  Remember that incident with Giant-Man/Ant-Man, the Wasp, and a horde of ants in The Ultimates?  [The Ultimates is the “inspiration,” both visually and thematically, for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  It is available from Marvel Comics for your reading pleasure in multiple print and digital formats.]

So, in American Jesus: Revelation #3, what has really creeped me out, scared my shitless, and disturbed me is the return of the dead.  I won't give you the hows for fear of spoiling the entire … thing, but after reading those few pages, I felt like I needed a drink, a crack pipe, and a shower.

The lovely Peter Gross brings Millar's … lurid storytelling to life with the skill of a veteran comic book artist blessed with great comic book storytelling chops.  Colorist Jeanne McGee obviously sported a wicked grin while coloring this.  Artist Tomm Coker and colorist Daniel Freedman have contributed to this series and are also guilty in the eyes of God.

I am in awe of Millar's imagination, and I love that he finds the perfect artists to bring his visions to life, as Peter Gross is here.  Seriously, American Jesus: Revelation is delightfully wicked and truly unique.  Once again, Millarworld is like no other world, and we may have to accept it as our paradise.  There is no way we are getting into Heaven after reading and enjoying American Jesus: Revelation #3.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar's comic books and of the American Jesus series must read American Jesus: Revelation.

A+

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

https://twitter.com/ImageComics

https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar

https://twitter.com/netflix

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

http://www.millarworld.tv/

www.imagecomics.com

The text is copyright © 2023 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 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).

#IReadsYou Review: THE MAGIC ORDER 3 #2

THE MAGIC ORDER 3 #2 (OF 6)
IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Gigi Cavenago
COLORS: Valentina Napolitano
LETTERS: Clem Robins
EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin
COVER: Gigi Cavenago
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Gigi Cavenago; Matteo Scalera with Giovanna Niro
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2022)

Rated M / Mature

The Magic Order created by Mark Millar at Netflix

The Magic Order was a six-issue comic book miniseries written by Mark Millar and drawn by Olivier Coipel.  Published in 2018-19, The Magic Order focuses on the sorcerers, magicians, and wizards – in particularly the Moonstone family – who live ordinary lives by day, but protect humanity from darkness and monsters of impossible sizes by night.  A second six-issue miniseries, The Magic Order 2 (2021-22), was recently published.

The Magic Order 3 introduces the Asian chapter of the The Magic Order.  A six-issue miniseries, this third installment is written by Millar; drawn by Gigi Cavenago; colored by Valentina Napolitano; and lettered by Clem Robins.  The series finds Cordelia Moonstone focusing her attention on the Asian chapter's Sammy Liu and his impossible wealth.

The Magic Order 3 #2 opens in 1982 on that one night of the year when the Magic Order and those from whom they protect us call a truce.  They meet in abandoned factories and suburban homes across the world for some hard partying.  Not everything is debauched, as is the case with Leonard Moonstone and a woman named Salome (Mama Moonstone).

Well, now, it's time for some reunions.  It seems that time is neutral, but sometimes … time runs out on old deals, old oaths, old treaties, and the spells on old men.

THE LOWDOWN:  I used to think that The Magic Order was my favorite Mark Millar written, creator-owned comic book.  Now, I know it is.  I think I'm still stuck on The Authority when it comes to my all-time favorite Millar comic book.

I found a review in which the writer basically called Mark Millar's writing, especially on characters, shallow.  Follow Mark on Twitter, and you will discover that he is nostalgic, as comic book fans are want to be.  On the other hand, Mark's comic book writing is often free of nostalgia and sentiment, which is basically the potting soil for a substantial portion of American comics.

Mark and John Romita, Jr.'s Kick-Ass may be the most revolutionary comic book of the twenty-first century because it liberates the superhero comic book of sentiment and nostalgia.  In Kick-Ass, the characters are inscrutable and their motivations and wants are ever shifting.  It isn't that they are either rational or emotional; it is that what they want changes.  What they want and what they can do comes up against reality, and all hell breaks loose.

In The Magic Order 3, Mark's characters are inscrutable, mystifying, and incomprehensible.  For all the power they possess, they are ensnared by the rules of the Magic Order, but rules are bound to the time in which they were conceived.  The characters' power has not made them super-human; it has simply made their humanity more dangerous for them and for everyone around them.  Mark's character's aren't shallow.  The personalities that he has them present may only be a front or fraud, and, as readers, we assume we know what they want.  Comic book readers want decades of consistence from fictional characters.  Mark suggests that want and desire make the fictional characters (like humans) consistently inconsistent, which in turns fills his comics with great moments of the wonderfully unexpected.  There is always a surprise, and because of Mark's great characters, the surprise makes sense.

The other guy who is making The Magic Order 3 so great is Italian artist, Gigi Cavenago.  Cavenago conveys the sense of chaos and magic in Mark's scripts, and, most importantly, the sense of impending doom.  The Magic Order 3 #2 is unremittingly dark.  Cavenago rips off the sheen of sparkly magic with storytelling that revels in the gloom.  These characters all seem like bad or dangerous people, and whatever we expected from the series, Mark and Gigi aren't going to give it to us.

They respect us enough to give us the best, and The Magic Order 3 #2 is one of the best single-issue dark fantasy comic books since the days of Alan Moore and company's Swamp Thing and Neil Gaiman and company's The Sandman.  This is the comic book Marvel wishes Doctor Strange could be.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of The Magic Order will want to read The Magic Order 3.

A+

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


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


The text is copyright © 2022 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 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).

#IReadsYou Review: NEMESIS RELOADED #1

NEMESIS RELOADED #1 (OF 5)

IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Jorge Jiménez

COLORS: Giovanna Niro

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITOR: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Jorge Jiménez with Giovanni Niro

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Steve McNiven with Giovanni Niro; Frank Quitely; Fiona Staples

28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2023)

Rated M / Mature

Nemesis created by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven

Nemesis was a four-issue comic book miniseries from the team of writer Mark Millar and artist Steve McNiven.  It was published under Marvel Comics' “Icon” imprint in 2010-2011.  Millar and McNiven had previously produced two hugely popular Marvel event projects – the miniseries, Civil War, and the graphic novel, Wolverine: Old Man Logan.

Millar has decided to (softly) reboot Nemesis in a new five-issue miniseries entitled Nemesis: Reloaded.  It is written by Millar; drawn by Jorge Jiménez; colored by Giovanni Niro; and lettered by Clem Robins.

Nemesis Reloaded #1 opens in Fish Creek, Wisconsin.  Elderly couple, Margot and Jake, have discovered that their services have been … requested.

Who is Nemesis, and why does this eccentric billionaire who dresses up in a mask and cape want to terrorize people instead of helping them?  He has plans for Los Angeles, and by the time he is done, the city won't be the same.

THE LOWDOWN:  I have told this story before in reviews of a few other comic books.  When I first read Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1, I was left stunned for an hour or so …  Then, I read it again.  I thought about it the rest of the day and into the night until I fell asleep.  As soon as I woke up the next morning, I started reading it again.  I don't remember how many times I read it again while waiting for the second book in this legendary series to arrive.

When I read the original Nemesis #1 in 2010, I experienced a somewhat similar ecstasy, although I was much older then.  Still, I wanted to be Nemesis, causing chaos … and killing for a purpose and enjoying it.  Nemesis #1 remains one of the best first issues of a comic book that I have ever read.

I believe that Nemesis Reloaded #1 has surpassed Nemesis #1 in my countdown of magnificent first issues.  Reloaded even made me shit my pants – metaphorically speaking, of course.  It is the most evil comic book in the world because Mark Millar has made what should be repulsive so alluring.  I want to serve Nemesis, killing at his will.  Even Quentin Tarantino has never made murder and mayhem so sexy as Millar has done in Nemesis Reloaded, and murder and mayhem is a Tarantino specialty.

I have enjoyed quite a few comic books drawn by Jorge Jiménez, but none of them are like Nemesis Reloaded.  It is as if he has been freed of channeling childlike wonder so that he can draw the kind of comic books that made white people form decency committees in the 1950s.  It is as if Jiménez has rediscovered the vital essences of Klaus Janson's run on Daredevil, when Frank Miller was the designer and Janson drew and colored the book.

In fact, I would say that Millar and Jiménez have summoned peak Miller-Janson Daredevil (which would be Daredevil #181).  This time, Millar-Jiménez have made Bullseye the winner and the star of the remaining issues of their run.

Giovanni Niro colors Nemesis Reloaded … as if she lusted after the story, painting beautiful blue hues and maniacal red spurts all over the art.  Clem Robins letters this story as if he wants to commit murder, but has to settle for this vicarious experience.

If you say you want to read great comic books, but you won't read Nemesis Reloaded #1, dear readers, then, just stop lying to yourself.  You've lost that loving feeling that you once got from comic books, and it's gone...

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar comic books that make the reader come … back for more … will desire Nemesis Reloaded.

[This issue includes an introduction by Mark Millar.]

A+

10 out of 10

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

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

https://twitter.com/ImageComics

https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar

https://twitter.com/netflix

https://twitter.com/themagicorder

http://www.millarworld.tv/

www.imagecomics.com

The text is copyright © 2023 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 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).

I Reads You Juniors: May 2023 - Update #48

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon.

NEWS:

DC STUDIOS - From CBR:  Barbara Muschietti, producer of "The Flash," promises lots of surprises in the film's post-credit scenes (plural).

CHARITY - From BleedingCool:  Writer Len Kaminski, who co-creator of Marvel Comics' "War Machine" armor, needs financial help for a number of reasons.  One of them is to get him legal help so he can escape from some kind of evil nursing home.

From GoFundMe:  This is the link to the "Go Fund Me" page for Len Kaminski.

EISNER AWARDS - From Gizmodo:  The nominations for the 2023 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards - or simply, the Eisner Awards - have been announced. The winners will be announced on the evening of July 5th at San Diego Comic-Con 2023.  Image Comics leads the nominations with 20. The nominations were chose by an all-white jury.

From ICv2:  After charges of racism, comics creator Thomas Woodruff removes is Eisner Awards 2023-nominated original graphic novel, "Francis Rothbart! The Tale of a Fastidious Feral" (Fantagraphics Books), from consideration for the awards.

DC COMICS - From DCBlog:  Writer Greg Pak talks about the character "Cameron Kim" and his new miniseries, "City Boy."

DC TV - From DCBlog:  Actor Tom Cavanagh talks about reprising his role as "Reverse Flash" in the finale of The CW's long-running TV series, "The Flash."

IMAGE - From ImageComics:  Image Comics is pleased to announce a worldwide exclusive distribution deal with Lunar Distribution, effective with September on-sale titles (which will open for order on the Lunar site for retailers on Wednesday, June 14), for Direct Market/comic shop distribution.

DC COMICS - From BleedingCool:  Longtime editorial figure, Mike Carlin, has retired from DC Comics after 37 years. He arrived at DC in 1986 after several years at Marvel Comics.

DC COMICS - From DCBlog:  Writer Ram V talks about his new "Dawn of DC" series, "The Vigil," star four new South Asian characters.

DC TV - From CBR:  The CW's TV series, "Gotham Knights," which is in its first season, is apparently the cheapest DC Comics-inspired series the network has ever produced.

DARK HORSE - From GamesRadar:  Dark Horse Comics will re-release the "Trigun" manga and its sequel, "Trigun Maximum," in new deluxe hardcover volumes .

SONY MARVEL U - From Deadline:  Oscar-nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor will reportedly star opposite Tom Hardy in Sony Pictures' "Venom 3."

MARVEL - From CBR:  Marvel is killing Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan in the upcoming "The Amazing Spider-Man #26."

MILLARWORLD - From CBR:  Netflix executive and comic book writer, Mark Millar's upcoming crossover event series, "Big Game," is actually a secret sequel to his first Millarworld series, "Wanted" (2003-04, Top Cow/Image).

HELLBOY - From ComicBook:  "Hellboy" comic book creator, Mike Mignola, says that principal photography on the film, "Hellboy: The Crooked Man," has finished.

DC TV - From DCBlog:  Actor Tyler DiChiara talks about his journey on the The CW series, "Gotham Knights," as the character, "Cullen Row."

DC COMICS - From DCBlog:  Writer Alyssa Wong talks about "Spirit World #1."

DC STUDIOS - From THR:  The site looks into the "quest" to cast the biggest roles in DC Studios' headline film project, "Superman: Legacy."

From CBR:  A hot rumor suggests that actor Nicholas Hoult, who played Beast in Fox's "X-Men" films, beginning with 2011's "X-Men: First Class," is being eyes to play either Clark Kent or Lex Luthor in "Superman Legacy."

COMICS - From BleedingCool:  Writer-artist Mike Mignola is working on a new comic book project that is outside his "Hellboy" universe.

EN MEMORIAM - From TheDailyCartoonist:  Canadian author, illustrator, and humorist, Bruce McCall, has died at the age of 87, Friday, May 5, 2023.  He was best known for his contributions to "The New Yorker," especially his cover paintings, including the most recent issue.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine remembers cover artist Bruce McCall, along with those who knew him.

DC ANIMATION - From DCBlog:  The team behind the new animated superhero film, "Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One," take readers behind the scenes.

DC COMICS - From DCBlog:  Writer Sarah Kuhn talks about her Lois Lane YA graphic novel, "Girl Taking Over's," which is drawn by Arielle Jovellanos.

DC COMICS - From Deadline: Publisher and Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of DC Comics, Jim Lee, has been promoted to President of DC Comics.

MARVEL STUDIOS - From CBR:  Writer Brian Michael Bendis talks about his involvement in Marvel Studios' first film, "Iron Man" (2008), which was writing material for Samuel L. Jackson's cameo as "Nick Fury."

DC COMICS - From DCBlog:  "DC Pride 2023" is an all-new 104-page anthology starring DC's fan-favorite stable of LGBTQIA+ characters—this time, with a focus on never-before-seen team-ups.  DC’s 2023 Pride collection of books and comics will be available at local comic book shops, bookstores, and libraries. "DC Pride 2023" will publish on May 30th.

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

APRIL 2023 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:

From BleedingCool:  Ablaze for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  AfterShock Comics for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Ahoy Comics for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Antarctic Press for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Archie Comics for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  BOOM! Studios for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Frank Miller Presents for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Mad Cave Studios for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Marvel's "Captain America: Cold War event solicitations for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Marvel's "Sins of Sinister" solicitations and checklist for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Oni Press for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Opus Comics for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Rebellion Publishing for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Scout Comics for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Source Point Press for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Titan Comics for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  TOKYOPOP for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Udon Entertainment LLC for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  VIZ Media for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Whatnot Publishing for April 2023

From BleedingCool:  Yen Press for April 2023

MAY 2023 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:

From BleedingCool:  Ablaze Publishing for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  Aardvark-Vanaheim for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  AWA Studios for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  BOOM! Studios for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  CEX Publishing for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  Dead Good Comics for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  Fairsquare Comics for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  Fantagraphics Books for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  Frank Miller Presents for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  IDW for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  Keenspot Entertainment for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  Mad Cave Studios for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  Opus Comics for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  Titan Comics for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  TOKYOPOP for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  Rebellion/2000 AD for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  Scout Comics for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  Sumerian Comics for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  Udon Entertainment Inc. for May 2023

From BleedingCool:  Valiant Entertainment for May 2023

JUNE 2023 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:

From BleedingCool:  Ablaze Publishing for June 2023

From BleedingCool:  Ahoy Comics for June 2023

From BleedingCool:  AWA Studios for June 2023

From BleedingCool:  CEX Comics for June 2023

From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for June 2023

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for June 2023

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics "Captain America" for June 2023

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics "Star Wars" for June 2023

From BleedingCool:  Oni Press for June 2023

From BleedingCool:  Source Point Press for June 2023

From BleedingCool:  Sumerian Comics for June 2023

From BleedingCool:  Uncivilized Books for June 2023

JULY 2023 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:

From BleedingCool:  Ablaze Publishing for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Ahoy Comics for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  AWA Studios for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Blood Moon Comics for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  BOOM! Studios for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Frank Miller Presents for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Keenspot Entertainment for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Mad Cave Studios for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics "Extreme Venomverse" for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics "Summer of Symbiotes" for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics "X-Men" for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Oni Press for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Opus Comics for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Rebellion Comics for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Scout Comics for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Sumerian Comics for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Titan Comics for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Udon Comics for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Vault Comics for July 2023

From BleedingCool:  Whatnot Comics for July 2023

AUGUST 2023 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for August 2023

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics X-Men's "Fall of X" for August 2023

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics "Fall of X" checklist and solicitations for August 2023

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics "Summer of Symbiotes" for August 2023

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

#IReadsYou Review: PRODIGY: The Icarus Society #3

PRODIGY: THE ICARUS SOCIETY #3 (OF 5)
IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Matteo Buffagni
COLORS: David Curiel
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Matteo Buffagni with David Curiel
DESIGN: Melina Mikulic
EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Matteo Buffagni
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2022)

Rated M / Mature

Prodigy: The Icarus Society is a five-issue comic book miniseries produced by writer Mark Millar and artist Matteo Buffagni.  It is a sequel to the 2018-19 six-issue miniseries, Prodigy.  The Prodigy comic books focus on the adventures of the world's smartest man, Edison Crane, who believes that he is the go-to guy when there is a global crisis to solve.  Letterer Clem Robins and colorists Laura Martin and David Curiel complete the sequel's creative team.

Prodigy: The Icarus Society pits Edison against “The Icarus Society,” a secret society of geniuses who are all richer than Edison.  And now, he is caught inside the club's internal rivalries and blackmailed into hunting for the treasures of one of the most legendary locations of all time.

Prodigy: The Icarus Society #3 opens in the Himalayas, 1722, detailing two parties searching for the mythical kingdom of “Shangri-La.”  One of them is led by the pirate, Red Ana de Tourzel.  Three centuries later, Edison Crane is caught between the machinations of Icarus Society rivals.  One is the homicidal Professor Tong, and the other is Felix Koffka, the richest man in the world and the owner of the cars in which John F. Kennedy and James Dean respectively died.

When one outwits the other (or so it seems), Edison is working for man who works at a level no one else can understand.  For Edison, that means a journey into legend.

THE LOWDOWN:  Mark Millar has produced some incredible comic books since he became a Netflix executive.  The Magic Order is one of the twenty-first century's greatest comic books about magic.  Meanwhile, Prodigy has emerged as a spinner of conspiracies, legends, myths, and lore to rival cable network, The History Channel's “Ancient Aliens” television series.

Over the past quarter-century, Millar has been writing some of the most interesting and unique superhero comics:  The Authority, The Ultimates, Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Wanted, Kick-Ass, and Nemesis, to name a few.  I think Prodigy should be added to that list.  While its star does not wear a costume, Edison Crane has the elements of such clever superhero characters as Tony Stark, Bruce Wayne, Karnak (The Inhumans), and Ozymandias (Watchmen), to name a few.  The difference is that Millar sends Edison on better adventures than those other characters have had in years, and Edison is better dressed.

Artist Matteo Buffagni has a drawing style that merges the clean line style, photo-realism, and textured inking.  The result is storytelling that captures the intimacy and violence of the conflicts between characters and the endless possibilities of the adventures before them.  David Curiel's colors convey the shadows and dark moods of Buffagni's compositions, while letterer Clem Robins makes the dialogue pop off the page with menace and mystery.

Mark Millar has stated that he wants to write comic books that readers really enjoy reading, and, in addition to his writing skills, he has a talent for gathering superb creative talent.  Prodigy: The Icarus Society #3 is the result of superb talent working hard for our enjoyment.

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

A+

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


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


The text is copyright © 2022 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 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).

#IReadsYou Review: AMERICAN JESUS: Revelation #2

AMERICAN JESUS: REVELATION #2 (OF 3)

IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Peter Gross

COLORS: Jeanne McGee

LETTERS: Cory Petit

COVER: Jodie Muir

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Tomm Coker

28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (October 2022)

Rated M / Mature

American Jesus created by Mark Millar and Peter Gross

American Jesus is a comic book series created by writer Mark Millar and Peter Gross that is being published as three comic book miniseries.  American Jesus began life as Chosen, a three-issue miniseries that was published by Dark Horse Comics in 2004, and continued in American Jesus: The New Messiah, a three-issue series published by Image Comics in 2019-20.

The series concludes in American Jesus: Revelation, a three-issue series written by Millar; drawn by Gross; colored by Jeanne McGee; and lettered by Corey Petit.  The series offers the epic conclusion to the greatest story ever told.

American Jesus: Revelation #2 opens at the White House.  The world is gradually falling in line with the way Jodie Christianson want them.  But he is also the Chosen, the Anti-Christ, and now President of the United States.  But is this what he really wants?  Maybe, it's time to return to the old hometown, Peoria, Illinois, where he can have a meeting with an old friend.

Meanwhile, Catalina, who is the Savior and Christ-reborn, arrives at Vatican City, Rome.  This is her home, but no one seems to recognize her or her authority.  Is it because the Savior is now a Black woman?  Well, she gonna fix that and so much more.

THE LOWDOWN:  Netflix/Millarworld sent me PDF review copies of American Jesus, Vols. 1 and 2.  I had not read them until recently, and I needed to do so in preparation for American Jesus: Revelation.  But, as I said in my review of the first issue, nothing could prepare me.  Now, it's time for a review of the second issue and...

...Wow.  I don't know what to say, what I could say.  Of course, I'm enjoying this, as is usually the case with Mark Millar's creator-owned titles.  But I have never enjoyed any Millar title quite the (damnation) way I have American Jesus: Resurrection.

Peter Gross' wonderful storytelling entertains and scares me.  Gross is so good at conveying the … blasphemy of this that I may have to pay a stiff penance for loving it so.  And let's be honest; I do love the idea of Jesus Christ returning as a sista, girl.

With a sign of the cross, I recommend this hugely entertaining American Jesus: Revelation #2.  With a benediction and a clove of garlic, I bid us prepare for the finale to end all finales, come January 2023 … if the world doesn't end before then!

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar's comic books and of the American Jesus series will want to read American Jesus: Revelation.

A+

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

https://twitter.com/ImageComics

https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar

https://twitter.com/netflix

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

http://www.millarworld.tv/

www.imagecomics.com

The text is copyright © 2022 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 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).

#IReadsYou Review: THE MAGIC ORDER 3 #1

THE MAGIC ORDER 3 #1 (OF 6)
IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Gigi Cavenago
COLORS: Valentina Napolitano
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Gigi Cavenago
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Greg Tocchini; Liam Sharp
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2022)

Rated M / Mature

The Magic Order created by Mark Millar at Netflix

The Magic Order was a six-issue comic book miniseries written by Mark Millar and drawn by Olivier Coipel.  Published in 2018-19, The Magic Order focuses on the sorcerers, magicians, and wizards who live ordinary lives by day, but protect humanity from darkness and monsters of impossible sizes by night.  A second six-issue miniseries, The Magic Order 2 (2021-22), was recently published.

The Magic Order 3 introduces the Asian chapter of the The Magic Order.  A six-issue miniseries, this third installment is written by Millar; drawn by Gigi Cavenago; colored by Valentina Napolitano; and lettered by Clem Robins.

The Magic Order 3 #1 opens above the Hong Kong Business District.  It is where we meet Sammy Liu, a businessman; everything always works out for him.  In the U.S., specifically Florida, Sacha “the Babysitter” deals with a “baby.”  Meanwhile, in Milwaukee, Cordelia Moonstone is scaring the rubes as she prepares for a meeting of The Magic Order.

Meanwhile, what is papa Leonard Moonstone up to?  And what about … mama Moonstone?

THE LOWDOWN:  I used to think that The Magic Order was my favorite Mark Millar written, creator-owned comic book.  Now, I know it is.  I think I'm still stuck on The Authority when it comes to my all-time favorite Millar comic book.

When it debuted nearly four years ago, The Magic Order gave us a thrilling introduction to a new world and new universe of magic, magical beings, and magical conspiracies.  The Magic Order is sometimes like a blend of Harry Potter with a Martin Scorsese mob film.  It certainly is as intriguing as the best moments of Harry Potter.

For The Magic Order 3, Millar gives us big set pieces, but hooks the readers with intimate moments and scenes that eventually punch them right in the face.  Millar has invented magical fantasy devoid of sentiment, nostalgia, and coziness.  It is magical real not magical realism, and Millar has now cemented himself as the twenty-first century's best writer of mainstream comic books (meaning titles outside of alternative and art comics).  They can hand all the “Best Writer” Eisners Awards they want to other writers, but they all pale before the High King of comic book high entertainment, Mark Miller.

Millar also has a fine eye for comic book artist talent.  The latest arrival to The Magic Order is Italian artist, Gigi Cavenago.  His solid compositions and lavish illustrative style (which is similar to Mike Mignola's) is a great find for The Magic Order.  Gigi is a perfect fit for the world of The Magic Order.  He slides right in; it is as if he were the artist who drew the world to existence.

So soon after the great The Magic Order 2, The Magic Order 3 is almost too much for me to take.  But, Mark and Gigi, I'll take it like a man... I promise.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of The Magic Order will want to read The Magic Order 3.

A+

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


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


The text is copyright © 2022 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 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).

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for April 26, 2023

MARVEL COMICS

FEB230658 ADAM WARLOCK STRANGE TALES #178 FACSIMILE EDITION $3.99

FEB230668 ALIEN #1 $4.99

FEB230671 ALIEN #1 MALEEV VAR $4.99

FEB230670 ALIEN #1 SHALVEY VAR $4.99

JAN231018 ALL-OUT AVENGERS TP TEACHABLE MOMENTS $17.99

FEB230696 AVENGERS BEYOND #2 (OF 5) $3.99

FEB230697 AVENGERS BEYOND #2 (OF 5) YU VAR $3.99

FEB230767 BETSY BRADDOCK CAPTAIN BRITAIN #3 $3.99

FEB230768 BETSY BRADDOCK CAPTAIN BRITAIN #3 AKA VAR $3.99

FEB230807 CAPTAIN AMERICA SYMBOL OF TRUTH #12 $3.99

FEB230808 CAPTAIN AMERICA SYMBOL OF TRUTH #12 ALBUQUERQUE VAR $3.99

FEB230809 CAPTAIN AMERICA SYMBOL OF TRUTH #12 VILLA STORMBREAKERS VAR $3.99

FEB230814 CLOBBERIN TIME #2 (OF 5) $3.99

FEB230815 CLOBBERIN TIME #2 (OF 5) ROMERO VAR $3.99

JAN231033 COSMIC GHOST RIDER BY DONNY CATES TP $49.99

FEB230867 DAREDEVIL #10 $3.99

FEB230868 DAREDEVIL #10 EASTMAN VAR $3.99

FEB230829 DEADPOOL #6 $3.99

FEB230831 DEADPOOL #6 ALEX ROSS TIMELESS MOLE MAN VIRGIN VAR $3.99

FEB230830 DEADPOOL #6 HARREN VAR $3.99

OCT221010 DEADPOOL AND CABLE OMNIBUS HC BROOKS DM VAR NEW PTG $125.00

OCT221009 DEADPOOL AND CABLE OMNIBUS HC LIEFELD CVR NEW PTG $125.00

FEB230707 DOCTOR STRANGE #2 $3.99

FEB230709 DOCTOR STRANGE #2 MALEEV VAR $3.99

FEB230710 DOCTOR STRANGE #2 WERNECK STORMBREAKERS VAR $3.99

AUG220962 FANTASTIC FOUR BY MILLAR HITCH OMNIBUS HC HITCH CVR $100.00

AUG220963 FANTASTIC FOUR BY MILLAR HITCH OMNIBUS HC SILVESTRI DM VAR $100.00

FEB230665 GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY BANE OF BLASTAAR #1 $3.99

FEB230666 GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY BANE OF BLASTAAR #1 ANATOMY VAR $3.99

FEB230667 GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY BANE OF BLASTAAR #1 MANHANINI VAR $3.99

FEB230842 HULK #14 $3.99

FEB230845 HULK #14 ALEX ROSS TIMELESS ABOMINATION VIRGIN VAR $3.99

FEB230843 HULK #14 KLEIN VAR $3.99

FEB230844 HULK #14 YOUNG VAR $3.99

FEB230833 INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #5 $3.99

FEB230834 INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #5 LAYTON CONNECTING VAR $3.99

FEB230835 INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #5 NOTO VAR $3.99

FEB230836 INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #5 VICENTINI STORMBREAKERS VAR $3.99

FEB230737 MARY JANE AND BLACK CAT #5 (OF 5) $3.99

FEB230738 MARY JANE AND BLACK CAT #5 (OF 5) DURSO VAR $3.99

JAN231017 MIDNIGHT SUNS TP $15.99

FEB230793 MIRACLEMAN MARVEL TALES #1 $9.99

FEB230795 MIRACLEMAN MARVEL TALES #1 ALEX ROSS VAR $9.99

FEB230847 MONICA RAMBEAU PHOTON #5 (OF 5) $3.99

FEB230848 MONICA RAMBEAU PHOTON #5 (OF 5) DODSON VAR $3.99

FEB230656 ROCKET RACCOON MARVEL TALES #1 $7.99

FEB238195 SCARLET WITCH #3 2ND PTG SARA PICHELLI VAR $3.99

FEB230676 SINS OF SINISTER DOMINION #1 $5.99

FEB230677 SINS OF SINISTER DOMINION #1 BAZALDUA STORMBREAKERS VAR $5.99

FEB230680 SINS OF SINISTER DOMINION #1 ROSS TIMELESS APOCALYPSE VIR $5.99

FEB230679 SINS OF SINISTER DOMINION #1 STEPHEN SEGOVIA VAR $5.99

FEB230872 STAR WARS DARTH VADER BLACK WHITE AND RED #1 $4.99

FEB230875 STAR WARS DARTH VADER BLACK WHITE AND RED #1 CHEUNG VAR $4.99

FEB230873 STAR WARS DARTH VADER BLACK WHITE AND RED #1 DELLOTTO VAR $4.99

JAN230959 STRANGE ACADEMY FINALS #6 $3.99

JAN230961 STRANGE ACADEMY FINALS #6 RAMOS VAR $3.99

JAN230960 STRANGE ACADEMY FINALS #6 WEAVER TRADING CARD VAR $3.99

JAN231012 STRANGE TP VOL 02 DOCTOR STRANGE OF DEATH $15.99

FEB230851 THOR #33 $3.99

FEB230854 THOR #33 ALEX ROSS TIMELESS LOKI VIRGIN VAR $3.99

FEB230853 THOR #33 CASELLI MARVEL ICON VAR $3.99

FEB230852 THOR #33 JEFFREY BROWN VAR $3.99

JAN231030 THOR EPIC COLLECTION TP EVEN AN IMMORTAL CAN DIE $49.99

FEB230717 VENOM LETHAL PROTECTOR II #2 (OF 5) $3.99

FEB230719 VENOM LETHAL PROTECTOR II #2 (OF 5) RUAN VAR $3.99

FEB230820 WASP #4 (OF 4) $3.99

FEB238268 X-23 DEADLY REGENESIS #1 (OF 5) 2ND PTG ANDRASOFSZKY VAR $4.99

JAN231024 X-TERMINATORS TP $17.99

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

#IReadsYou Review: PRODIGY: The Icarus Society #2

PRODIGY: THE ICARUS SOCIETY #2 (OF 5)
IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Matteo Buffagni
COLORS: Laura Martin
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Matteo Buffagni with David Curiel
DESIGN: Melina Mikulic
EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Matteo Buffagni with David Curiel
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2022)

Rated M / Mature

Prodigy: The Icarus Society is a new five-issue comic book miniseries produced by writer Mark Millar and artist Matteo Buffagni.  It is a sequel to the 2018-19 six-issue miniseries, Prodigy.  The Prodigy comic books focus on the adventures of the world's smartest man, Edison Crane, who believes that he is the go-to guy when there is a global crisis to solve.  Letterer Clem Robins and colorist Laura Martin complete the sequel's creative team.

Prodigy: The Icarus Society pits Edison against “The Icarus Society,” a secret society of geniuses who are all richer than Edison.  And now, he is caught inside the club's internal rivalries and blackmailed into hunting for the treasures of one of the most legendary locations of all time.

Prodigy: The Icarus Society #2 opens in the prison, the Maine Correctional Facility.  Professor Tong of the Icarus Society has forced Edison to free him from his imprisonment there.  Tong has had an explosive device placed inside Edison's stomach and now, he will force our hero to play a game of cat-and-mouse with one his Icarus rivals, Felix Koffka.  Must Edison, like the members of this secret society, fly too close to the sun.

THE LOWDOWN:  Of Mark Millar's recent Netflix comic book series, I am a huge fan of The Magic Order, but I am always thinking about Prodigy.  After reading the first series, Prodigy, I was intrigued and thrilled, and after re-reading it in trade paperback form, as Prodigy: The Evil Earth, I admired it all the more.  Edison Crane is another great Mark Millar creation.

Millar has been producing some of the best comic books in North America for the better part of three decades.  Even after becoming an executive with one of the most powerful media companies in the world (Netflix, of course), he continues to produce great comic books.  Let's be honest, most comic book creators rest on their laurels when they hit the jackpot, and if and when they do produce new comic books, they are sometimes disappointing works.  This is not the case with Millar, who delivers a monster of a second issue for this new series.

Millar used Prodigy: The Icarus Society #1 to introduce readers to Edison Crane's state of mind (more or less) and to his new challenge.  With issue #2, Millar quickly reveals that this sequel will be as intense, if not more so, than the original.  The mythologies, the conspiracies and the occult flourishes are even more delectable, and the villains … well, they are great f*****g villains.

The art team of illustrator Matteo Buffagni and colorist Laura Martin also threaten to fly too close to the sun.  Matteo's art recalls the “widescreen” storytelling of DC Comics' late, great The Authority (one of the treasures of Millar's bibliography).  Matteo makes The Icarus Society #2 feel like a Marvel Studios movie, full of big ideas and big expectations.  Laura Martin's colors establish a series of rich and varied moods and atmospheres that draw the reader inside this perilous new world that Edison Crane faces.

More excellent lettering from the perpetually excellent Clem Robins tops it all off, and there you have it.  Prodigy: The Icarus Society #2 washes over my imagination with a giant wave of intrigue and now, we can all be assured that this series will be fantastic.

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

A+

10 out of 10

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


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


The text is copyright © 2022 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 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).

#IReadsYou Review: AMERICAN JESUS: Revelation #1

AMERICAN JESUS: REVELATION  #1 (OF 3)
IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Peter Gross with Tomm Coker
COLORS: Jeanne McGee with Daniel Freedman
LETTERS: Cory Petit
COVER: Jodie Muir
EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Tomm Coker
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (October 2022)

Rated M / Mature

American Jesus created by Mark Millar and Peter Gross

American Jesus is a comic book series created by writer Mark Millar and Peter Gross that is being published as three comic book miniseries.  American Jesus began life as Chosen, a three-issue miniseries that was published by Dark Horse Comics in 2004, and continued in American Jesus: The New Messiah, a three-issue series published by Image Comics in 2019-20.

The series concludes in American Jesus: Revelation, a three-issue series written by Millar; drawn by Gross with Tomm Coker; colored by Jeanne McGee with Daniel Freedman; and lettered by Corey Petit.  The series offers the epic conclusion to the greatest story ever told.

American Jesus: Revelation #1 opens before time, with a depiction of the greatest and most infamous coup attempt ever known to the Western world and like-minded parts of it.  In modern times, Jodie Christianson, the Chosen, is now President of the United States.  He is a doting father, telling his two spawn … err … children bedtime tales, a bit of family time before he initiates that terrible attack that soured the hope and promise of the twenty-first century.

Now, the world is falling apart around President Jodie, and he could give a f**k.  Europe is in flames in a war with Russia.  Plagues and lock downs cover the globe.  The financial system is on the brink of collapse.  Jodie's solution is a one world government under the rule of the Antichrist (which is he) and with the digital enslavement of all mankind.

Can even the true savior – the returned Christ – stop Jodie now?  What are her true intentions, anyway?

THE LOWDOWN:  Netflix/Millarworld sent me PDF review copies of American Jesus, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.  I had not read them until recently, and I needed to do so in preparation for American Jesus: Revelation.  But nothing could prepare me.

Mark Millar is like an incorrigible kid, running through the museum of American exceptionalism and breaking all the bric-à-brac that passes for high art and culture.  A blue-eyed, middle American, small town boy as the Anti-Christ – done.  An Afro-Latina woman as the Savior – done.  Thick bodied, dark-skinned humans as Adam and Eve – he did it.  And Millar gleefully slays the pseudo-sacred cow of 9/11.  Yes, the Scotsman went nine-eleven on 9/11.  And he blends centuries of conspiracy theories – from books, oral history, and the digital age – into a delicious comic book pop confection that I want to devour until I have diabetes.

Yes, Peter Gross, Tomm Coker, Jeanne McGee, Daniel Freedman, and Corey Petit all do stellar work.  But for this first issue, I must testify to the comic book gospel of (Saint) Mark Millar.  All joking aside, Mark and Peter and company must really respect their audience to give us such a fantastic first issue.

Dear readers, you know that not all “superstar” comic book creators go out like Mark and Peter have these past two decades.  But I won't name them; instead, I'll focus on the most excellent American Jesus: Revelation #1.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar's comic books and of the American Jesus series will want to read American Jesus: Revelation.

A+

10 out of 10

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


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


The text is copyright © 2022 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 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).

#IReadsYou Review: THE MAGIC ORDER 2 #6

THE MAGIC ORDER 2 #6 (OF 6)
IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Stuart Immonen
COLORS: David Curiel
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Stuart Immonen
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Stuart Immonen; Greg Tocchini
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (April 2022)

Rated M / Mature

The Magic Order created by Mark Millar at Netflix

The Magic Order 2 is a six-issue comic book miniseries written by Mark Millar and drawn by Stuart Immonen.  It is a sequel to The Magic Order, a 2018-19 miniseries written by Mark Millar and drawn by Olivier Coipel.  The Magic Order is a group of sorcerers, magicians, and wizards that protects humanity from darkness and from monsters of impossible sizes.  Colorists David Curiel and Sunny Gho and letterer Clem Robins complete the creative team of the current series.

The Magic Order 2 finds The Magic Order and its new leader, Cordelia Moonstone (an “escapologist”), caught in a turf war.  Their adversaries are Victor Korne and his group of Eastern European warlocks whose ancestors the Order once banished.

The Magic Order 2 #6 opens and it seems as if Victor Korne has won.  He has used the ancient Egyptian talisman, the Stone of Thoth, to summon the creature, Othoul-Endu, from the “Outer Dark.”  With the creature's power, Korne can think anything and it will happen.

A wayward son and a child will ride to the Order's rescue.  But for the Order, nothing will be the same … even if they survive.

THE LOWDOWN:  As I wrote in my reviews of the fourth and fifth issues:  with each issue, The Magic Order 2 surpasses it predecessor.  That is quite the accomplishment, as the first miniseries, The Magic Order, was and is awesome, but the imagination of Mark Millar is like a magic wand.  Now, The Magic Order 2 #6 closes this great series.

I feel comfortable saying that The Magic Order series is the best English-language, magical fantasy comic book franchise of the moment.  Walt Disney Pictures and Marvel Studios may indeed deliver a gem in its upcoming film, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, but Marvel Comics' Doctor Strange comic book...  Well, don't believe the hype.  Steve Ditko's Doctor Strange showed the potential in comic books about magic, and with The Magic Order 2, Millar pays off on that potential.

Artist Stuart Immonen and colorist David Curiel create a symphony of lightning and supernovas.  I could feel the energy of Immonen and Curiel's work in my eyes.  This story is alive, so alive that it feels like a curtain closing on an act rather than feeling like a finale of an arc.

Comic book readers who hate good comic books are not reading The Magic Order 2.  So I ask again.  Are you reading it, dear readers?

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of The Magic Order will want to read The Magic Order 2.

A+

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


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


The text is copyright © 2022 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 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).

#IReadsYou Review: PRODIGY: The Icarus Society #1

PRODIGY: THE ICARUS SOCIETY #1 (OF 5)
IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Matteo Buffagni
COLORS: Laura Martin
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Matteo Buffagni with David Curiel
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Bill Sienkiewicz
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2022)

Rated M / Mature

Prodigy: The Icarus Society is a new five-issue comic book miniseries produced by writer Mark Millar and artist Matteo Buffagni.  It is a sequel to the 2018-19 six-issue miniseries, Prodigy.  The Prodigy comic books focus on the adventures of the world's smartest man, who believes that he is the go-to guy when there is a global crisis to solve.

Prodigy: The Icarus Society #1 opens in Maine where a credit controller has just spontaneously exploded.  In fact, this is an entire afternoon of spontaneously exploding people in Maine  When the mayor and the governor don't know what to do, they call the Pentagon, and the Pentagon calls Edison Crane, the world's smartest man.

The person behind these explosions is the just the beginning of “The Icarus Society.”

THE LOWDOWN:  Of Mark Millar's recent Netflix comic book series, I am a huge fan of The Magic Order, but I am always thinking about Prodigy.  After reading the first series, Prodigy, I was intrigued and thrilled, and after re-reading it in trade paperback form, as Prodigy: The Evil Earth, I admired it all the more.

Millar uses Prodigy: The Icarus Society #1 to introduce readers to Edison Crane's state of mind (more or less).  Our hero is in need of a challenge.  Millar builds the issue slyly; the new threat is all around Crane, preparing to reveal itself.  At the same time, rascally Millar teases us with this idea:  doesn't it seem as if Crane is deliberately setting himself up to be challenged and abused?...

The art by Matteo Buffagni for The Icarus Society is quiet compared to Rafael Albuquerque's fast and furious storytelling in the earlier series, The Evil Earth.  Buffagni creates a story that conveys the current malaise (of Crane) and simmers with the coming menace (from the “rival” geniuses).  Colorist Laura Martin is a master of creating the varied moods of action and violence, and here, she delivers on shadowy and secretive and sudden violence.  Clem Robins does much the same, carrying the reader through the wavy flow of time and pace in this story.

I can tell from this first issue that Millar and Buffagni are going to throw everything and many kitchen sinks at us.  Prodigy: The Icarus Society reminds us that a month with at least one Mark Millar comic book is a good month, indeed.

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

A

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


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


The text is copyright © 2022 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 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).