#IReadsYou Review: THE AMBASSADORS #4

THE AMBASSADORS #4 (OF 6)

IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Olivier Coipel

COLORS: Giovanna Niro

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Olivier Coipel with Giovanna Niro

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Ryan Sook; Olivier Coipel

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

Rated M / Mature

The Ambassadors created by Mark Millar at Netflix

The Ambassadors is a new comic book miniseries written and created by Mark Millar.  The series focuses on the six people out of eight billion humans who will receive super-powers.  Each person will become a member of  the international rescue squad, The Ambassadors.  Each issue of The Ambassadors will be drawn by a different superstar comic book artist.  The fourth issue is drawn by Olivier Coipel; colored by Giovanna Niro; and lettered by Clem Robins.

The Ambassadors focuses on the efforts of Doctor Choon-He Chung.  The technology of her company, Chung Solutions (the world leader in bio-engineering and artificial intelligence), built her a new body.  Now, she wants to share super-powers with the world.  From her “Base-Control” is in Antarctica, Choon-He is building “The Ambassadors.”

The Ambassadors #4 opens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  There, the police have defeated the gangs, but now these enforcers of the law have become the crime lords.  A lone voice, Father Vitor Pereira fights the corruption from his church, and for his efforts, he has been chosen “Codename Brazil,” the superhero who will be Brazil's “Ambassador.”

But he doesn't want it.  What part do Captain Eduardo Lobo, the policeman turned militia leader and crime lord, and his female killer, Zee, play in Farther Pereira's ultimate choice?  Meanwhile, Jin-Sung, Choon-He's ex-husband, continues to sell super-powers to the super rich...

THE LOWDOWN:  Thanks to a review copy provided by the Mark Millar division of Netflix, I have been able to read the first four issues The Ambassadors.  This is a treat for which I have been awaiting since the announcement of the series last year.

In The Ambassadors #4, artist Olivier Coipel captures the grittiness, persistent poverty, and brutal violence of Rio de Janeiro in an artistic tableau of stylish graphics, eye-catching graffiti, and expressive graphic design.  Under Giovanna Niro's lavish colors, Coipel's art matches the aesthetic of writer Mark Millar's darker series, such as the recent Nemesis Reloaded and Night Club.

Millar's script, however, offers a poignant tale of a rose growing in concrete, but a flower showing its thorns in a life of horrid violence.  This is a tale of a man determined to make that flower bloom beyond full, even if he has to give up the greatest material things any human could ever get on the planet Earth.

The Ambassadors #4 is a nice follow-up to the amazing third issue.  This fourth issue keeps the series undeniable and unmatched.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of big concept superhero comic books will want to read The Ambassadors.

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

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.

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#IReadsYou Review: BIG GAME #1

BIG GAME #1 (OF 5)

IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Pepe Larraz

COLORS: Giovanna Niro

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITOR: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Pepe Larraz with Giovanna Niro

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: J.G. Jones; Frank Quitely; Jae Lee with June Chung; Danny Earls

28pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (July 2023)

Rated M / Mature

Big Game is a new five-issue comic book event miniseries from writer Mark Millar and artist Pepe Larraz.  Big Game is a crossover event series that pulls together all the franchises that are part of Millar's company/imprint, “Millarworld.”  That includes Kick-Ass, Kingsman, Nemesis, and The Magic Order, to name a few.  Colorist Giovanna Niro and letterer Clem Robins complete the series' creative team.

Big Game #1 opens in 1986 when the super-villain conspiracy known as “the Fraternity,” defeated their superhero adversaries and erased them from the collective memory of humanity.  In the present day, Wesley Gibson/The Killer (Wanted) is concerned about the reemergence of superheroes.  Thus, it's time for the Fraternity to unleash its new superhero killer, Nemesis (Nemesis: Reloaded).

Meanwhile, Edison Crane (Prodigy) meets Bobbie Griffin, who unveils a past hidden even to the world's smartest man.  Also meanwhile, Doctor Choon-He Chung (The Ambassadors) and her international rescue squad, The Ambassadors, run into resistance.

THE LOWDOWN:  I have been receiving PDF review copies of Netflix/Millarworld's comic book titles for a few years now.  Big Game #1 is the latest.

Some of Millarworld's most popular comic book franchises and series have been adapted into Hollywood feature films.  They are Wanted (2008), Kick-Ass (2010), Kick-Ass 2 (2013), Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017), and The King's Man (2021).  These movies are so disparate, one would be surprised to know that their source material originates from a shared universe.

But they do.  In fact, this review does not mention all the Millarworld characters and references that appear in Big Game #1  If you are a fan of Mark Millar's creator-owned comic books, then, you will enjoy this first issue when it teases what is to come.  However, one need not be familiar with Millarworld in order to enjoy Big Game #1.  Mark is quite good a writing comic book scripts that embrace the bigness of a fictional universe.  He is also able to give the readers a taste of multiple characters within a single issue in a way that leaves the readers intrigued about characters they are encountering for the first time.

Pepe Larraz's art is similar to the work of Bryan Hitch, a specialist in event comic books, and he is good at creating an air of menace, in faces of the characters and in the overall narrative.  Giovanna Niro's colors serve this “dark universe” quite well, and Clem Robins' lettering is uniquely fashioned to serve the flavors of Millar's scripts.

I'm curious to see what is next.  I can almost guarantee that the second issue of Big Game will blow the doorway to your imagination off its hinges, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and especially of his Millarworld titles will want to read Big Game.

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 © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: NIGHT CLUB #3

NIGHT CLUB #3 (OF 6)

IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Juanan Ramírez

COLORS: Fabiana Mascolo

LETTERS: Clem Robins

COVER: Juanan Ramírez with Fabiana Mascolo

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Juanan Ramírez

28pp, Color, $1.99 U.S. (February 2023)

Rated M / Mature

Night Club created by Mark Millar at Netflix

Night Club is a six-issue miniseries written and created by Mark Millar and drawn by Juanan Ramírez.  An Image Comics publication and a Netflix production, Night Club focuses on a teen boy who is bitten by a vampire and decides to make the best of his new condition.  Colorist Fabiana Mascolo and letterer Clem Robins complete Night Club's creative team.

Night Club introduces 17-year-old Danny Garcia, who had ambitions to gain fame and fortune as a YouTube star with his friends, DJ Sam Huxley and Amy Chen.  Then, after a terrible accident, a vampire bites him, and his life goes awry.  Instead of living like a stereotypical vampire, Danny decides to live “la vida loca” of a superhero.

Night Club #3 opens with an introduction.  Meet Starguard (Danny), Thundercloud (Sam), and Yellowbird (Amy).  They are Night Club, Philadelphia's first and only superhero team.  But playing superhero isn't as easy as comic books make it seem.  Some bad guys will put up a terrific fight, and some vampires don't want the publicity...

THE LOWDOWN:  Netflix/Millarworld sends me PDF review copies of their comic books.  Thus, I was lucky enough to get a review copy of the first three issues of Night Club.

Writer Mark Millar reveals in Night Club #3 that with great power must come great realization.  It was never going to be so simple that Danny and friends could use their vampire powers to become superheroes.  In a sense, they don't know what they don't know.

Millar builds tension, now and going forward, by revealing that Danny and his friends are vulnerable, even to the chance and happenstance of humanity.  Millar, who is exceptionally adept at shocking his readers, now makes it clear to them.  Danny being bitten by a vampire isn't the big surprise; it is merely the first of many surprises, and it may be the most mundane of them.

Artist Juanan Ramírez continues to bring Millar's story to life in a graphical storytelling that has enough energy to light up every corner of this narrative.  Ramirez's art is both stylish and gritty and simultaneously representational and abstract.  Fabiana Mascolo's colors make the story look as if it came out of an old-fashioned four-color comic book, while also looking like what it is at times – bloody vampire horror.

Night Club is infectious and addictive.  I am recommending Night Club #3 as I did the first two issues.  Drink deeply of its fun; this comic book has flavors in layers and waves.  And it only costs a $1.99.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of vampire comic books will want to be bitten by Night Club.

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.

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#IReadsYou Review: NEMESIS RELOADED #3

NEMESIS RELOADED #3 (OF 5)

IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Jorge Jiménez

COLORS: Giovanna Niro

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITOR: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Jorge Jiménez with Giovanna Niro

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Ryan Sook

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

Rated M / Mature

Nemesis created by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven

Nemesis Reloaded is a five-issue comic book series from writer Mark Millar.  It is a soft reboot of Nemesis, Millar's 2010-11 four-issue comic book miniseries that he created with artist Steve McNiven.

Nemesis: Reloaded is drawn by Jorge Jiménez; colored by Giovanna Niro; and lettered by Clem Robins.  In the new series, Nemesis has plans for Los Angeles and its ruling class.  By the time he is done, the city won't be the same, nor will its top politicians.  And maybe the secrets of Nemesis will be revealed.

Nemesis Reloaded #3 opens in Los Angeles, a city under siege.  Nemesis has just snatched up another chief of police, and it is time for him to start revealing to a specific set of men why he is killing them … deliciously.  Who is Matthew Anderson?  How is he able to create a suicide bomber?  And can the National Guard save L.A. from the kind of chaos one only sees in zombie movies?

THE LOWDOWN:  In my reviews of the first two issues of Nemesis Reloaded, I talked about how they fit in the tradition of the groundbreaking and daring comic books of the 1980s, especially of the early to mid-1980s.

With Nemesis Reloaded #3, Millar and his (handsome) artist-cohort, Jorge Jiménez, have gone past daring.  Let's be honest, dear readers.  If bosses of Marvel or DC Comics of the 1980s had allowed their star creators to do what Millar-Jiménez is doing here, the corporate overlords would have fired them – maybe even cleaned house.

The more violence Nemesis unleashes on L.A., the more I love reading this comic book.  It feels like a drug.  The simple truth is that I enjoy reading Nemesis Reloaded so much that I would do anything … anything … if I could just read the rest of it now.  Seriously, this pure pop confection of crazy, sexy, cool violence is a great read.  It is the kind of invigorating, big-action, high-octane entertainment that movies usually give us.

We get all this, and Millar and Jiménez still have Matthew's origin story to tell.  I think they are going to drag us through broken glass to read it.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of comic books that make readers beg for more will desire Nemesis Reloaded.

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 © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

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#IReadsYou Review: THE MAGIC ORDER 3 #5

THE MAGIC ORDER 3 #5 (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; Giada Marchisio

28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 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 series focuses on The Magic Order, a band of sorcerers, magicians, and wizards – with a focus on the Moonstone family.  They 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.  Meanwhile, the ghosts of an old conflict stir, and someone within the Order is living foul.

The Magic Order 3 #5 opens with the Order's favorite niece, Rosetta “Rosie” Moonstone, running to Moonstone Castle for help.  Meanwhile, Rosie is also snared in the murderous trap of Sasha Sanchez (“the Babysitter”).  And in the battle to save Rosie, someone is revealed to be a traitor or, at the very least, a dangerous breaker of the Order's rules.

THE LOWDOWN:  My favorite Mark Millar Netflix creation is The Magic Order.  It always surprises me, and before I read each issue I wonder not if, but how I will be surprised.

Millar and Cavengago, especially with this fifth issue, present so many surprises that words like “shocking” and “surprising” seem impotent next to the narrative twisters that tear through The Magic Order 3 #5.  This series is not at all what it pretended … or what I understood it to be.

Well, magic is change, and this series is magic unleashed all over the place.  The Magic Order 3 #5 may be more lurid in its revelations than the original series with its mass murder and conspiracies.  As I always say, Mark Millar respects his audience, maybe even adores them, because why else would he go to the trouble of constantly blowing our freaking minds?  Once again, I super-freakin' highly recommend The Magic Order 3, dear readers.

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.

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

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#IReadsYou Review: THE AMBASSADORS #3

THE AMBASSADORS #3 (OF 6)

IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Travis Charest

COLORS: Dave Stewart

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Travis Charest

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Valerio Giangiordano; Travis Charest

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

Rated M / Mature

The Ambassadors created by Mark Millar at Netflix

The Ambassadors is a new comic book miniseries written and created by Mark Millar.  The series focuses on the six people out of eight billion humans who will receive super-powers.  Each person will become a member of the international rescue squad, The Ambassadors.  Each issue of The Ambassadors will be drawn by a different superstar comic book artist.  The third issue is drawn by Travis Charest; colored by Dave Stewart; and lettered by Clem Robins.

The Ambassadors #3 opens in Paris, France.  Yasmine Gauvin fears that her seemingly troubled teen son is headed for a bad place.  She believes that he may even lash-out in acts of violence at other children.  Can the mother-son super-team, Codename France and Paris, save a mother-son relationship and Jean-Luc's future?

THE LOWDOWN:  Thanks to a review copy provided by the Mark Millar division of Netflix, I got to read the first three issues The Ambassadors.  This is a treat for which I have been awaiting since the announcement of the series last year.

First, I'll say this. The fourth issue of The Ambassadors will have to be really fucking good to surpass the masterpiece that is The Ambassadors #3.  This issue may be the most poignant, emotional, and genuinely human work of character drama that Mark Millar has written in his four decades of comic book writing.  [I will admit to being crazy about mother-son combos; for instance, I am a fan of authors, David Watjen, and his late mother, Carolyn Watjen, who wrote mystery novels under the pen name “Caroline and Charles Todd” and simply as “Charles Todd.”]

The relationship that Millar fashions for Yasmine and Jean-Luc feels natural and at-ease, in a storytelling sense.  Doing that makes the action sequences and also the threats looming against mother and son visceral and threatening.  And that last page...

Now, to artist Travis Charest: he just blew-the-fuck-up when he started drawing comics' for Jim Lee's Wildstorm Productions about 1993.  After several years of producing stunningly intricate and ornate art, his output slowed.  The Ambassadors #3 is the first full-length comic book that Charest has drawn in 24 years, and it's a doozy.  In a way, Charest's art here is something like the photo-realism of Bryan Hitch combined with the humanism and sentiment of Will Eisner, as shown in his New York City-set stories and melodramas.

Travis Charest art and storytelling for The Ambassadors #3 is like another step forward in the visual and graphical storytelling evolution of superhero comic books.  It is a thing of extreme beauty – some of the pages are both breathtaking and orgasmic – and of power.  Also, Dave Stewart's evocative colors really heighten this story's drama, conflict, and tension.

If The Ambassadors has a European graphic album in it, it's this third issue.  Beautifully written, drawn, colored, and lettered: The Ambassadors #3 is unexpected, undeniable, and unmatched.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of big concept superhero comic books will want to read The Ambassadors.

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

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.

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

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#IReadsYou Review: NIGHT CLUB #2

NIGHT CLUB #2 (OF 6)

IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Juanan Ramírez

COLORS: Fabiana Mascolo

LETTERS: Clem Robins

COVER: Juanan Ramírez with Fabiana Mascolo

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Juanan Ramírez

28pp, Color, $1.99 U.S. (January 2023)

Rated M / Mature

Night Club created by Mark Millar at Netflix

Night Club is a new six-issue miniseries written and created by Mark Millar and drawn by Juanan Ramírez.  An Image Comics publication and a Netflix production, Night Club focuses on a teen boy who is bitten by a vampire and decides to make the best of his new condition.  Colorist Fabiana Mascolo and letterer Clem Robins complete Night Club's creative team.

Night Club introduces 17-year-old Danny Garcia, who had ambitions to gain fame and fortune as a YouTube star with his friends, DJ Sam Huxley and Amy Chen.  Then, after a terrible accident, a vampire bites him, and his life goes awry.  Instead of living like a stereotypical vampire, Danny decides to live “la vida loca” of a superhero.

As Night Club #2 opens, Danny has just revealed to Sam and Amy that he is a vampire and a vampire who wants to be a superhero.  Plus, he wants them to be a part of his new life!  If they let Danny bite them, they can join him in the superhero team he is forming.  There are wrestling masks to buy and scores to settle, but do Danny and his new jack superheroes really understand what they are and what new limitations they have?

THE LOWDOWN:  Netflix/Millarworld sends me PDF review copies of the their comic books.  Thus, I was lucky enough to get a review copy of the first two issues of Night Club.

In Night Club, writer Mark Millar has created a modern and edgier teen superhero comic book in the spirit of the original Teen Titans of writer Bob Haney and artists Bruno Premiani and Nick Cardy.  Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and then, Wonder Girl were always having such delightful adventures saving the day from bad guys and solving mysteries that involved unusual settings and strange people and beings.

In Night Club, the heroes are the strange and unusual beings, but they are still having fun.  And this fun is infections.  Millar has the uncanny touch of making me feel like I want to join Danny and friends.  Even if you are not inclined to be a vampire, dear readers, Millar makes you want to see his young character be bad – really bad – the kind of bad that is just so fun to watch.

Artist Juanan Ramírez continues to bring Millar's story to life in a graphical storytelling that has enough energy to light up a city.  Ramirez's art is both stylish and gritty and both explosive and smooth.  Fabiana Mascolo's colors make the story pop off the page.  It is as if the story is always throwing confetti in my face.  Even Clem Robins' lettering jumps like a musical score.

Night Club feels infectious and addictive, and the last page of each first two issues makes me jittery because I feel as if the publisher is cutting off the drug that causes my vampire superhero high.  I am recommending Night Club #2 as I did with the first issue.  Drink deeply of its fun.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of vampire comic books will want to be bitten by Night Club.

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.

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

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#IReadsYou Review: PRODIGY: The Icarus Society #5

PRODIGY: THE ICARUS SOCIETY #5 (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

36pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (November 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 – Shangri-La.

Prodigy: The Icarus Society #5 opens in the airspace of Balochistan (a region that covers Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan).  There, in a fleet of helicopters, a mercenary force heads for Shangri-La.  With their help, Felix Koffka intends to steal the legendary city of its treasures and stand astride it much as he does The Icarus Society.  And he plans to rid himself of Edison Crane, and Felix believes that he is winning because he is smarter than Crane.

But both Crane and Shangri-La are full of deadly surprises.  And this time Koffka may have really flown too close to the sun.

THE LOWDOWN:  I have described the two comic book series that make up the Prodigy franchise as spinners of conspiracies, legends, myths, and lore that could rival cable network, The History Channel's “Ancient Aliens” television series.  Now, the fifth issue of The Icarus Society brings this astounding series to an end.

I can't get over the fact that Mark Millar is a wealthy executive for one of the world's most influential and most powerful media companies (Netflix), yet he still writes comic books.  And he writes such great comic books, such as this final issue of The Icarus Society.  It is obvious that Millar is still engaged with his readers because he is always challenging our notions and expectations.  He is still turning out these incredible comic books that always do the opposite of what is expected and offer genuine shocks and surprises.

Seriously, this is the good stuff.  Artist Matteo Buffagni saves all his explosives and blows up this story right in our faces with widescreen art and cinematic storytelling.  He gives Millar's story so much energy and makes this final showdown feel lethal.  Buffagni makes sure we understand that many characters will pay the highest and deadliest of prices.  David Curiel's colors make the art pop off the page, dazzling our imaginations.  Clem Robins uses his letters to deliver a pound-your-ass soundtrack, with its strains carrying on past the last page.

What a blast Millar, Buffagni, and company have delivered in Prodigy: The Icarus Society #5, with its diabolical villain, queen of a lost world, and exquisite retribution.  And I don't want to forget the tease at the end.  Girl, the next Prodigy series will rock all the casbahs.

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: THE MAGIC ORDER 3 #4

THE MAGIC ORDER 3 #4 (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; Greg Tocchini
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (October 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, as the ghosts of an old conflict stir.

The Magic Order 3 #4 opens in Moonstone Castle, the place where a story 500 years in the making is about to be … made.  Meanwhile, Sasha Sanchez (“the Babysitter”) and Rosetta “Rosie” Moonstone begin their adventures in learning magic via a comic book.  Sasha may be one of the most experienced wizards in The Magic Order, but are his misgivings about Rosie correct?  And will he act on them based on nothing more than his hunch?

Plus, who is “the Wizard King of Kolthur?” And why is that a thing?

THE LOWDOWN:  My favorite Mark Millar Netflix creation is The Magic Order.  It always surprises me, but I wonder if that can always be true.  Well...

I could tell you how fabulous The Magic Order 3 #4 is, which it indeed is.  I'd rather tell you about the comic within the comic book.  It is the surprise of surprises in this series... thus far.

In order to depict the adventures of Sasha and Rosie, Mark and Gigi create their own homage to the horror comics of the late cartoonist and comic book writer-artist, Alex Toth (1982-2006).  Toth produced notable genre short stories for Warren Publications (especially in the magazine, Creepy) and DC Comics, from the mid-1960 throughout the 1970s.  Gigi is pitch-perfect with art that could pass for Toth's work, which isn't easy.  Only Toth's most skilled admirers and acolytes can mimic his style, fewer still his unique brand of storytelling.

Millar and Cavenago have done it again.  We don't deserve such consistent excellence, but they give it to us – real, real good – with every issue.  I'm waiting for The Magic Order 3 to fall off that pedestal, but apparently that spell is not in any book.  I super-freakin' highly recommend The Magic Order 3, dear readers.

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.

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

#IReadsYou Review: NEMESIS RELOADED #2

NEMESIS RELOADED #2 (OF 5)

IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Jorge Jiménez

COLORS: Giovanna Niro

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITOR: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Jorge Jiménez with Giovanna Niro

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Matteo Scalera with Giovanna Niro

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

Rated M / Mature

Nemesis created by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven

Nemesis Reloaded is a new five issue comic book series from writer Mark Millar.  It is a soft reboot of Nemesis, a 2010-11 four-issue comic book miniseries from Millar and artist Steve McNiven.

Nemesis: Reloaded is drawn by Jorge Jiménez; colored by Giovanna Niro; and lettered by Clem Robins.  In the new series, Nemesis has plans for Los Angeles and its ruling class.  By the time he is done, the city won't be the same, nor will its top politicians.

Nemesis Reloaded #2 opens in Los Angeles, a city under siege.  Nemesis has put a $10,000 bounty on every beat cop's head.  Nemesis himself is also picking off select members of the city police force.  But who is he?  How did he come to be?  And why has this state of affairs in L.A. come to be?

THE LOWDOWN:  In my review of Nemesis Reloaded #1, I said that it reminded me of the best of the team of Frank Miller and Klaus Janson on Marvel Comics' Daredevil.  The 1980s were a time of gleefully crazy, off-the-wall, and rebellious comic books:  titles such as American Flagg!, Love and Rockets, Neat Stuff, Swamp Thing, to name a few.  Frank Miller headlined several of them, including Daredevil, Ronin, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.

For a quarter-century, Mark Millar has not been afraid to do crazy and transforming – from the rock 'n' roll The Authority and to the Avengers revolution known as The Ultimates.  He got crazier with the launch of his creator-owned line, Millarworld – from the groundbreaking Kick-Ass to the cross-generational Jupiter's Legacy.

The enjoyment of Nemesis Reloaded #2 is that reading it is like reading something that is not supposed to be – a pop confection of craziness.  Some may believe that comic books should be conservative in what it presents, but in the 1980s, many creators decided that it was okay for at least some of the comic books to go crazy.  The spirit of that craziness is alive in well in Mark Millar and his comic books, especially Nemesis Reloaded.

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

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 © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

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#IReadsYou Review: THE AMBASSADORS #2

THE AMBASSADORS #2 (OF 6)

IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Karl Kerschl

COLORS: Michele Assaraskorn

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Karl Kerschl

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Frank Quitely; Karl Kerschl

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

Rated M / Mature

The Ambassadors created by Mark Millar at Netflix

The Ambassadors is a new comic book miniseries written and created by Mark Millar.  The series focuses on the six people out of eight billion humans who will received super-powers.  Each will be a member of  the international rescue squad, The Ambassadors.  Each issue of The Ambassadors will be drawn by a different superstar comic book artist.  The second issue is drawn by Karl Kerschl; colored by Michele Assaraskorn and lettered by Clem Robins.

The Ambassadors #2 opens in Delhi, India.  Meet Binnu Bhatia.  He's in love with Gita Ganesh, as he keeps telling his best bud, Jai.  However, Binnu doesn't believe he has much of a chance with Gita; after all, Binnu is just a dude who works at a cell phone store.

Then tragedy strikes, and some time later, Binnu is “Codename India,” the Ambassador for India.  Suddenly, he has access to powers that billions of other people want really bad.  So, of course, it's a bit complicated with family, friends, and also Doctor Choon-He Chung, the amazing woman who is handing out super-powers.  Plus, some will pay anything for those powers...

THE LOWDOWN:  Thanks to a review copy provided by the Mark Millar division of Netflix, I got to read the first two issues The Ambassadors.  This is a treat for which I have been awaiting since the announcement of the series last year.

I think the best thing that writer Mark Millar does with The Ambassadors #2 is depict that even in a scenario of absolute power and seemingly supernatural power, control is an illusion.  What happens to Binnu Bhatia is both a dream and nightmare, to one extent or another.  He can't stop what's coming; he must simply survive it or try to.  This is how Mark is creating dramatic tension and conflict here, and this is what he is going to use to blow this up in our faces.

The artist for The Ambassadors #2 is Karl Kerschl, and his quirky style deftly conveys both the ambivalence and the menacing undertones in this chapter.  I could have read another 28 pages of Kerschl's lovely storytelling.

So, yes, The Ambassadors is fantastic.  It may well be one of the most consequential superhero team comic books well over a decade.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of big concept superhero comic books will want to read The Ambassadors.

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

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.

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

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#IReadsYou Review: NIGHT CLUB #1

NIGHT CLUB #1 (OF 6)
IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Juanan Ramírez
COLORS: Fabiana Mascolo
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Juanan Ramírez with Giovanna Niro
EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Greg Capullo with Giovanna Niro; Matteo Scalera with Giovanna Niro
28pp, Color, $1.99 U.S. (December 2022)

Rated M / Mature

Night Club created by Mark Millar at Netflix

Night Club is a new six-issue miniseries written and created by Mark Millar and drawn by Juanan Ramírez.  An Image Comics publication and a Netflix production, Night Club focuses on a teen boy who is bitten by a vampire and decides to make the best of his new condition.  Colorist Fabiana Mascolo and letterer Clem Robins complete Night Club's creative team.

Night Club #1 introduces 17-year-old Danny Garcia.  He has roped his pals, DJ Sam Huxley and Amy Chen, into his scheme to gain fame and fortune as a YouTube star.  Things go awry and a vampire bites him.  So what should Danny do?  Should he live like a stereotypical vampire?  Or should he live crazy, sexy, cool like he has always wanted?

THE LOWDOWN:  Netflix/Millarworld sends me PDF review copies of the their comic books.  Thus, I was lucky enough to get a review copy of Night Club #1.

For the past three years, Image Comics has been publishing its best vampire comic book series, Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander's Killadelphia.  Now, it appears that Image's may be offering its best vampire comic book miniseries, which I assume will be Night Club.  Mark Millar does what he always does, present a first issue that offers the perfect balance of character introduction, world building, and teasing of what is to come.  I find that I want to be in this world, and I really, really want to know more about it.

Juanan Ramírez's art brings Millar's story to life as a graphical narrative that zips across the pages and crackles with possibilities.  I also like how Ramírez's art always seems to be in the face of the characters, a move which made me want to invest in them.  The colors by Fabiana Mascolo are great, especially the scenes that take place at night and in the dark.  The coloring is another element that makes Night Club #1 stand out from other vampire comic books.  As usual, there is nothing like letterer Clem Robin's score – so to speak.

I'm recommending Night Club #1 because I know that the next issue is when the doors of the series really get blown open.  So you need to come into the club now.  It's a five-star type of place.

Also, to whomever designed that logo:  killer design, boo.  It recalls the spirit of Warren Publications and Hammer Productions.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of vampire comic books will want read Night Club.

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.

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

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DC Comics from Lunar Distributors for August 29, 2023

DC COMICS:

Absolute Superman For All Seasons HC, $100.00

Action Comics Presents Doomsday Special #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Bjorn Barends), $5.99

Action Comics Presents Doomsday Special #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Lucio Parrillo Card Stock Variant), $6.99

Action Comics Presents Doomsday Special #1 (One Shot)(Cover C Puppeteer Lee Card Stock Variant), $6.99

Action Comics Presents Doomsday Special #1 (One Shot)(Cover D Clayton Crain Card Stock Variant), AR

Action Comics Presents Doomsday Special #1 (One Shot)(Cover E Jon Bogdanove Card Stock Variant), AR

Action Comics Presents Doomsday Special #1 (One Shot)(Cover F Dan Jurgens Card Stock Variant), AR

Batgirl Volume 8 The Joker War TP (Rebirth), $16.99

Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Battle Lines #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Jorge Jimenez), $5.99

Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Battle Lines #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Joe Quesada Card Stock Variant), $6.99

Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Battle Lines #1 (One Shot)(Cover C Kael Ngu Card Stock Variant), $6.99

Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Battle Lines #1 (One Shot)(Cover D Blank Card Stock Variant), $6.99

Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Battle Lines #1 (One Shot)(Cover E Jonboy Meyers Foil Variant), $7.99

Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Battle Lines #1 (One Shot)(Cover F Otto Schmidt Card Stock Variant), AR

Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Battle Lines #1 (One Shot)(Cover G Kael Ngu Card Stock Variant), AR

Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Battle Lines #1 (One Shot)(Cover H Joe Quesada Card Stock Variant), AR

Batman Knightwatch TP, $16.99

Catwoman Uncovered #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Jamie McKelvie), $5.99

Catwoman Uncovered #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Frank Cho), $5.99

Catwoman Uncovered #1 (One Shot)(Cover C Olivier Coipel), $5.99

Catwoman Uncovered #1 (One Shot)(Cover D Stanley Artgerm Lau Foil Variant), $7.99

Catwoman Uncovered #1 (One Shot)(Cover E Babs Tarr), AR

Catwoman Uncovered #1 (One Shot)(Cover F Jeff Dekal), AR

G’norts Illustrated Swimsuit Edition #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Vasco Georgiev), $5.99

G’norts Illustrated Swimsuit Edition #1 (One Shot)(Cover B J Scott Campbell Card Stock Variant), $6.99

G’norts Illustrated Swimsuit Edition #1 (One Shot)(Cover C Adam Hughes Card Stock Variant), $6.99

G’norts Illustrated Swimsuit Edition #1 (One Shot)(Cover D Pablo Villalobos Card Stock Variant), AR

Harley Quinn The Animated Series The Eat Bang Kill Tour TP, $19.99

Knight Terrors Night’s End #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Howard Porter), $5.99

Knight Terrors Night’s End #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Simone Di Meo Card Stock Variant), $6.99

Knight Terrors Night’s End #1 (One Shot)(Cover C Mico Suayan Card Stock Variant), $6.99

Knight Terrors Night’s End #1 (One Shot)(Cover D Howard Porter Darkest Hour Neon Ink Card Stock Variant), $7.99

Knight Terrors Night’s End #1 (One Shot)(Cover E Dan Mora Card Stock Variant), AR

Knight Terrors Night’s End #1 (One Shot)(Cover F Kendrick Kunkka Lim Card Stock Variant), AR

Knight Terrors Night’s End #1 (One Shot)(Cover G Mico Suayan Card Stock Variant), AR

Knight Terrors Night’s End #1 (One Shot)(Cover H Howard Porter), AR

Phantom Stranger Omnibus HC, $150.00

Sandman Universe Nightmare Country The Glass House #4 (Of 6)(Cover A Reiko Murakami), $3.99

Sandman Universe Nightmare Country The Glass House #4 (Of 6)(Cover B Matteo Scalera Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Sandman Universe Nightmare Country The Glass House #4 (Of 6)(Cover C Cathy Kwan Card Stock Variant), AR

Superboy The Man Of Tomorrow #5 (Of 6)(Cover A Jahnoy Lindsay), $3.99

Superboy The Man Of Tomorrow #5 (Of 6)(Cover B Adrian Gutierrez Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Superboy The Man Of Tomorrow #5 (Of 6)(Cover C Carlo Barberi Blue Beetle Movie Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Superboy The Man Of Tomorrow #5 (Of 6)(Cover D Scott Kolins Card Stock Variant), AR

Superman Red Son TP (2023 Edition), $19.99

Wonder Woman 1987 #1 (Facsimile Edition)(Cover A George Perez), $3.99

Wonder Woman 1987 #1 (Facsimile Edition)(Cover B Blank Variant), $4.99

Wonder Woman 1987 #1 (Facsimile Edition)(Cover C George Perez Foil Variant), $5.99

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

#IReadsYou Review: THE MAGIC ORDER 3 #3

THE MAGIC ORDER 3 #3 (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; Ben Oliver
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 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 #3 opens as Leonard Moonstone (Papa Moonstone) and Salome (Mama Moonstone) prepare for a trip.  Leonard stepped aside to make room for his daughter Cordelia as leader of the Order.  That allowed him to find his estranged wife and tell her what happened to their late son Gabriel (as seen in the first series). But Salome has been gone for a very long time, and she has a remarkable secret of her own when he finds her.  Can Leonard help her?

Meanwhile, in Baltimore, Regan Moonstone and Sacha “the Babysitter” are training their niece, Rosetta “Rosie” Moonstone,” in the arts of ghost-busting (so to speak).  Their targets are a group of gang bangers, the Mendoza brothers, come back from the dead as really malevolent ghosts.  But it seems that Rosie make be taking to her lessons too well.

THE LOWDOWN:  My favorite Mark Millar Netflix creation is The Magic Order.  It always surprises me – always.

The Magic Order 3 #3 offers a change of pace.  After he gives a look at the Moonstone parents, Millar moves us to the education of Rosie Moonstone (or miseducation).  Millar seems to always have delightful new characters to introduce, and after introducing them, he comes back with an amazing subplot involving a few of them.  Sacha and Rosie may be about to blow our minds.  Damn, Mark, I don't want to wait for the next issue.

The Magic Order 3's Italian maestro, artist Gigi Cavenago, makes this third issue soar.  Once the adventures of Rosie begins, the art seems to zip across the page as if driven by a wind that wants to be faster than our imaginations.  Cavenago also draws the creepiest creatures, and he presents the Mendoza ghost-monsters if they were eerie icons from some forgotten dark religion come to life.  Cavenago's graphical storytelling keeps The Magic Order fresh and vibrant, so that this third series isn't a repeat of the previous iterations of The Magic Order.

So Mark Millar has kept his word.  He wanted to blow our minds, and he and Cavenago are doing just that.  If I smoked cigarettes, I would need one now.

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

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 © 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 AMBASSADORS #1

THE AMBASSADORS #1 (OF 6)

IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Frank Quitely

COLORS: Frank Quitely with Vincent Deighan

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Frank Quitely

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Gigi Cavenago; Pepe Larraz with Giovanna Niro

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

Rated M / Mature

The Ambassadors created by Mark Millar at Netflix

The Ambassadors is a new comic book miniseries written and created by Mark Millar.  The series focuses on the six people out of eight billion humans who will received super-powers.  Each issue of The Ambassadors will be drawn by a different superstar comic book artist.  The first issue is drawn and colored by Frank Quitely and lettered by Clem Robins.

The Ambassadors #1 opens in Mexico, 1986.  Here, we meet Jamie, a strange fellow with strange powers.  But the real action is in Korea.

There, Doctor Choon-He Chung is imprisoned in Cheongju Women's Correctional Institution.  However, that has not stopped her or her company, “Chung Solutions” (the world's leading authority on bio-engineering and artificial intelligence), from developing a data bank of super-powers.

Now, she is launching her latest venture.  Imagine you could gift super-powers to six people.  In a world of eight billion, whom do you choose?  “Codename Korea” will choose, and ordinary people from around the world will explain why it should be them – why they should be an “Ambassador,” representing their respective countries as superheroes.

THE LOWDOWN:  Thanks to a review copy provided by the Mark Millar division of Netflix, I got to read The Ambassadors #1 early.  It is a treat for which I have been awaiting since the announcement of the series last year.

When writer Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely dropped New X-Men #114 (cover dated: July 2001) on readers, it was like no X-Men comic book anyone had ever seen.  Quitely captured the oddness Morrison's concepts and also conveyed its disruptive nature, relative to prior X-Men comic books.  Quitely also did something that few modern comic book artists do, and that is convey the sense of wonder, of mystery, of discovery, and of super-science fiction the way superhero comic books of the early 1960s did.

Quitely brings wonder, mystery, discovery, and super-sci-fi to The Ambassadors #1.  This entire first issue in a puzzle box of competing interests and subplots, and Quitely lures the readers in with some of his best art.  And now, he also colors his own illustrations, making every panel look like a painting executed in sensuous brushstrokes.

Mark Millar wrote The Ultimates, the definitive Marvel Comics superhero team book of the 21st century.  In The Ambassadors #1, Millar offers something equally ambitious.  Honestly, neither my summary of this first issue nor the one Image Comics provides can convey the wide range of characters, backgrounds, settings, plots, intrigues, etc. The Ambassadors #1 presents.

The promotional material suggests that The Ambassadors is the most ambitious comic book of all time.  If so, I would like to see it become an ongoing series in a way similar to that of core Marvel and DC Comics titles, if for no other reason than that this first issue suggests this series has a deep pre-history.

So, yes, The Ambassadors #1 is fantastic.  And yes, The Ambassadors has potential out the ying-yang.  If The Ultimates, written by Millar and drawn by the great Bryan Hitch, could become the blueprint for a massive cinematic franchise, The Ambassadors #1 certainly has the potential to launch another.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of big concept superhero comic books will want to read The Ambassadors.

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

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.

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

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#IReadsYou Review: PRODIGY: The Icarus Society #4

PRODIGY: THE ICARUS SOCIETY #4 (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. (October 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 #4 opens in the Himalayas, present day.  Edison accompanies (as a prisoner) Felix Koffka as they hunt for “Shangri-La.”  Accompanying them are Koffka's sneaky wife, Prisha Patil, and his injured employee, Ruby Prentice.

Shangri-La may be a  place from the storybooks, but it has exerted a pull on the world's most evil people for thousands of years.  Now, this paradise will give up its secrets, one of which is that Edison Crane's arrival has been expected.

THE LOWDOWN:  Prodigy, in its two series, has emerged as a spinner of conspiracies, legends, myths, and lore, and has enough of it to rival cable network, The History Channel's “Ancient Aliens” television series.  This fourth issue of The Icarus Society is also the penultimate issue of the series.

Mark Millar always delivers the unexpected.  How does he do it?  Is he a genius like Edison Crane?  Or does it involve the occult?  Seriously, Prodigy: The Icarus Society #4 is full of surprises, and Millar teases an explosive ending.  Prodigy is an adventure into the unknown and the mythical, so Millar seems to anticipate our expectations with the goal of foiling them.  If we are going into the unknown, then, we don't know anything.  We rely on this most brilliant storyteller who always wants to thrill us, the way his favorite comic books did to young Mark.

Artist Matteo Buffagni wants to drag the reader in with his storytelling and wants to transport us into the unknown.  While he refuses to give away secrets, Buffagni entices us with an absorbing mystery.  David Curiel's colors, which usually convey the shadows and dark moods of Buffagni's compositions, are a celebration of light as a legendary location shows itself off in this issue.  Even Clem Robins dials down the lettering for this quiet-before-the-storm entry.

There is no filler in the comic books of Millar and his creative teams.  Prodigy: The Icarus Society could not fly without a superb fourth issue, and superb is what we get.

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).