Review: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: Wakanda Forever #1

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: WAKANDA FOREVER No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Nnedi Okorafor
ART: Alberto Alburquerque
COLORS: Erick Arciniega
LETTERS: VC's Joe Sabino
EDITOR: Wil Moss
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: Terry & Rachel Dodson
VARIANT COVER: Yasmine Putri
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (August 2018)

Rated “T”

Dora Milaje created by Christopher Priest and Mark Texeira; Spider-Man created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee

Chapter One: “A Strange Little Birdie”

Wakanda Forever is a series of one-shot comic books that feature the “Dora Milaje” of the Black Panther comic book line in team-ups with various Marvel Comics superheroes.  Dora Milaje is the all-female warrior elite of Wakanda.  Their original mission was to protect Wakanda's king, the Black Panther, and the royal family.  They recently ended that arrangement and protect Wakanda as a whole.

The Dora Milaje first appeared in Black Panther #1, the first issue of a new Black Panther series that was released under the then new Marvel Comics imprint, “Marvel Knights.”  Black Panther was created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee.

The first Wakanda Forever comic books is Amazing Spider-Man: Wakanda Forever.  It is written by Nnedi Okorafor; drawn by Alberto Alburquerque; colored by Erick Arciniega; and lettered by Joe Sabino.  This comic book units Spider-Man and the Dora Milaje on a mission to discover if dangerous Wakandan tech has been cloned.

Amazing Spider-Man: Wakanda Forever #1 opens in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of the New York City borough of Brooklyn.  Malice, a former Dora Milaje named Nakia, is using a “Mimic-27,” a Dora Milaje weapon, on civilians.  The Amazing Spider-Man arrives on the scene to save the victims of Malice's attack, but finds himself under siege.

Okoye, Aneka, and Ayo of the Dora Milaje arrive to put a stop to Malice, but Spider-Man and these fierce warriors some discover something even more troubling.  Allies of Malice may have cloned Mimic-27, and the heroes have no choice but make sure if that did or did not happen.

The Dora Milaje have exploded onto the general consciousness of American pop culture, thanks to their appearance in Disney/Marvel's record-setting, blockbuster film, Black Panther (2018).  They were the stars of the short-lived series, Black Panther: World of Wakanda (2017).  They are so engaging and endearing in all their bold and fierce glory.  Plus, seeing Black women depicted as fierce, fearless warriors is a revelation to many comic book readers, and because such characters are a rarity, they have managed to fill a need in comics storytelling that many of us apparently have.

The Nigerian-American writer, Nnedi Okorafor, has won many awards for her writing in the genres of fantasy and science fiction, including a Hugo Award.  Sadly, Amazing Spider-Man: Wakanda Forever #1 is merely a buy-the-book Marvel comic book of the Spider-Man variety.  The appearance of the Dora Milaje is the only thing that is fresh and different in this comic book, and truthfully, Okorafor could have replaced the Dora Milaje and the villain with any number of Marvel Comics female characters, and the story would have basically been the same.  Disappointing, but true.

The illustrations by Alberto Alburquerque and colors by Erick Arciniega are pretty, but the storytelling is nothing spectacular, especially considering the explosive potential of the Dora Milaje.  Even Joe Sabino's lettering lacks spark

I was looking forward to this Wakanda Forever series, but something told me not to go overboard with my expectations.  Amazing Spider-Man: Wakanda Forever #1 is not bad, but considering who the writer is and who the stars are...

6 out of 10

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


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


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Review: HOUSE OF WHISPERS #1

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

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

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

“Suggested for Mature Readers”

The Sandman created by Neil Gaiman and Sam Kieth

“Broken Telephone”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8 out of 10

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


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

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Review: FARMHAND #2

FARMHAND No. 2
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rob Guillory – @Rob_guillory
ART: Rob Guillory
COLORS: Taylor Wells
LETTERS: Kody Chamberlain
MISC. ART: Burt Durand (“Farmhand Calendar” design)
32pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(August 2018)

Rated “M/ Mature”

Farmhand created by Rob Guillory

Chapter 2: “The Haunted Man”

Farmhand is a new comic book series from comic book creator, Rob Guillory.  Farmhand is written and illustrated by Guillory; colored by Taylor Wells; and lettered by Kody Chamberlain (who also designed the Farmhand logo).  Farmhand focuses on Ezekiel “Zeke” Jenkins, a husband, father, and graphic designer/illustrator.  He returns to the family farm, which now focuses not on “beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes,” but on the growth of human body parts.

Farmhand #2 finds Zeke struggling with troubling dreams which delve into his past troubles, and he is having a difficult time finding work in the old hometown of Freetown.  Meanwhile, at “Jenkins Family Farmaceutical Institute” (formerly known as “Jenkins Family Farm”), Jedidiah “Jed” Elias Jenkins (Pops) is introducing another patient to the wonders of farm-grown body parts.  Behind the scientific advancements and the hometown charm are dark reunions, unexpected acts of kindness, and the menace of plants that should not be menacing.

Farmhand has a darkly humorous sensibility, like some kind of sparkly black comedy.  Zeke Jenkins is our hapless hero, who does not realize that his misgivings barely scratch the surface of the dangerous topsoil that is his new life.  I wish I could yell out to him, “It's worse than you think!”  Guillory mines the most humor from his hero being over his head even when he thinks that he is ahead of the game.

On the other side, Farmhand's secrets are a menace society, a threat that belies Taylor Well's dazzling colors.  We sing about a circle of life and preach recycling, but do we realize that change, even recycling, is destructive... or at least transforming.  That is “The Twilight Zone” element of Farmhand; one's innocence, naivete, or ignorance does not protect one from the unexpected twist of fate or the macabre reality of nature revealed in the final minutes of a Twilight Zone denouement.

In a way, Rob Gullory's Farmhand is the true sequel and true heir to director Philip Kaufman and writer W.D. Richter's creepy, 1978, version of the classic Cold War-era film, Invasion of the Body Snatchers.  The similarity is not so much about plants; rather, it is in the frightening reality of how the catalyst (the plants) changes one person into something completely new and different.  Snatch a copy of Farmhand; read it in bed, but beware of falling asleep near that glass on your bedside.  There is a mint leaf floating in your tea.

9 out of 10

http://RobGuillory.com

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


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

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Review: HELLBOURNE #1

HELLBOURNE No. 1
APPROBATION COMICS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: B. Alex Thompson – @ApproBAT
ART: Rowel Roque and Jethro Morales
COLORS: Ronson Edulan
LETTERS: Krugos
EDITORS: John P. Ward and Denise Thompson
COVER: Jethro Morales with Alivón Ortíx
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. / $1.99 U.S. comiXology; (2017; digital release date – June 14, 2017)

Rated: “M” for Mature / 17+ Only – comiXology rating

Hellbourne is an action and horror comic book series.  It is created by B. Alex Thompson and is published by his company, Approbation Comics.  The series focuses on the violence and chaos that ensue when demonic creatures emerge from a large hole in the middle of an urban highway.  The first issue is written by B. Alex Thompson; drawn by Rowel Roque and Jethro Morales; colored by Ronson Edulan; and lettered by Krugos.

Hellbourne #1 opens in an unnamed city, where, on a major highway, there is an enormous hole.  No one knows what caused this hole, but city workers investigating the hole become snacks for the creatures that emerge.  It seems that Earth is about to turned into Abaddon, the Tenth Circle of Hell.

Now, an angel and a demon, both leading their respective charges, find that being on Earth gives each of them that familiar feeling.  Even the U.S. Army has difficulty fighting this demonic invasion.  And how do Justin Foster and his younger sister, Amber, fit into all this?

First, I have to say that I really like the art team of Rowel Roque and Jethro Morales.  This duo's Hellbourne work is quite polished, and they could certainly draw for one of Diamond Distributors' premiere publishers.  Their storytelling here is good, and Ronson Edulan's pretty coloring creates shifting moods and changes in atmosphere that heighten the drama of the story.

I am intrigued by the premise B. Alex Thompson offers in Hellbourne.  However, as always, his vibrant character writing makes this worth reading.  Thompson has been writing bold, non-super-powered female characters for two decades, but because Thompson is not a fan-favorite comic book writer, he does not get credit for that.  Still, the proof is in his delicious flavors of Approbation pudding.

Well, Hellbourne is a good place to discover Thompson's engaging characters.  And there looks to be some excellent hell-born hellraisin' fun to be had with this series.

8.5 out of 10

Buy Hellbourne #1 at comiXology.

www.ApprobationComics.com
www.AlexThompsonWriter.com

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


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

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Review: SURFACING: Depth Perceptions #4

SURFACING: DEPTH PERCEPTIONS No. 4 (OF 4)
APPROBATION COMICS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: B. Alex Thompson – @ApproBAT
ART: Nenad Cviticanin
COLORS: Santtos
LETTERS: Krugos
EDITORS: John Ward and Denise Thompson
COVER: Cesar Grego and Alivon Ortiz
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. / $1.99 digital-comic (2018; digital release date – October 31, 2018)

Rated: “M” for Mature / 17+ Only (comiXology)

Surfacing: Depth Perceptions is a four-issue comic book miniseries published by Approbation Comics.  It tells the story of Marcus Wright, a young man who visits an oceanic research facility directed by his childhood friend, Anton Parker, who has a business deal to offer Marcus.  The facility has captured a mermaid-like creature, and Marcus finds himself caught in the mystery of this creature and of its captivity.  Surfacing: Depth Perceptions is written by B. Alex Thompson; drawn by Nenad Cviticanin; colored by Santtos; and lettered by Krugos.

As Surfacing: Depth Perceptions #4 opens, Marcus tells Anton that he is going scuba diving in order to visit “The Gardens.”  These are underwater pods that contain hydroponic gardens.  Anton is against this, as he is increasingly paranoid about “Becca,” the name Marcus has given the mermaid.  Marcus is playing a dangerous game, as Anton and Becca each see a different side of him.  As his friend and the mermaid make their final plays, Marcus himself has to survive his own dangerous game.

The first three issues of Surfacing: Depth Perceptions are some of the prettiest comic books Approbation Comics has published to date, and four does not turn out to be the ugly duckling of the bunch.  Artists Cesar Grego and Alivon Ortiz have produced some pretty cover art for this series, using gorgeous illustrations and shimmering colors.  Their cover for Surfacing: Depth Perceptions takes a dark turn, as beauty gives way to a striking image that encapsulates the violent resolution to this series.

The interior art by Nenad Cviticanin has been consistently good with solid storytelling that keeps the shifting moods of this narrative blending.  Colorist Santtos delivers stellar work the second half of this issue, creating an atmosphere that moves from apocalypse to paradise.  The lettering by Krugos conveys this double-size issue's sudden resolution and its expectations for a hopeful future.

Writer B. Alex Thompson presents an ending that readers of this series would expect, with a twist or two and some back story.  One of the best writers of naturalistic dialogue in American comic books, Thompson lets the characters play out this drama in their own words.  Yes, we do get a killer ending, and it was quite exciting, but this finale is also thoughtful.

Surfacing: Depth Perceptions #4 gives us an excellent ending to an excellent comic book series.  So, dear readers, head over to comiXology to read the entire thing.

9 out of 10

Buy Surfacing: Depth Perceptions #4 at comiXology.
www.ApprobationComics.com
www.AlexThompsonWriter.com

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


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

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Review: BLACK LIGHTNING/HONG KONG PHOOEY Special #1

BLACK LIGHTNING/HONG KONG PHOOEY SPECIAL No. 1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Bryan Hill
PENCILS: Denys Cowan
INKS: Bill Sienkiewicz
COLORS: Jeromy Cox
LETTERS: Janice Chiang
EDITOR: Jim Chadwick
COVER: Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz with Jeromy Cox
VARIANT COVER: Chris Cross with Gabe Eltaeb
48pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (July 2018)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

Black Lightning created by Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden

“Revenge of the God Fist”

Black Lightning is a DC Comics superhero.  Created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Trevor Von Eeden, the character first appeared in the comic book, Black Lightning #1 (cover dated:  April 1977).  Black Lightning is the civilian, Jefferson Pierce, an African-American school teacher who originally obtains electrical or lightning-based power via technology.  [His origin has since been changed.]  Black Lightning was DC Comics third African-American character, and the first one to star in his own comic book series.

“Hong Kong Phooey” was a half-hour, Saturday morning animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. It was broadcast on ABC from September 7, 1974, to December 21, 1974.  The main character was Hong Kong Phooey, an anthropomorphic dog character who fought crime as a martial-arts hero.  He had a secret identity, a clumsy and mild-mannered janitor named Penrod “Henry” Pooch also known as “Penry.”  Hong Kong Phooey and Penry had a pet/sidekick, a striped cat named “Spot,” who was sly and talented.

DC Comics has been re-imagining Hanna-Barbera characters in ongoing comic book series, miniseries, and one-shots and specials since early 2016.  Black Lightning and a re-imagined Hong Kong Phooey are united in the one-shot comic book, Black Lightning/Hong Kong Phooey Special.  It is written by Bryan Hill; drawn by Denys Cowan (pencils) and Bill Sienkiewicz (inks); colored by Jeromy Cox; and lettered by Janice Chiang.

Black Lightning/Hong Kong Phooey Special #1 (“Revenge of the God Fist”) opens in Metropolis in the year 1976.  Here, we find Black Lightning getting beaten up by the supervillain team-up of Professor Presto, Bronze Tiger, and Cheshire.  [Professor Preston a.k.a. “The Malevolent Magician” was a villain that appeared in the original “Hong Kong Phooey” TV series.]

Later, Black Lightning's civilian alter-ego, Jefferson Pierce, is summoned by an old acquaintance, Penry.  When he returned from Vietnam, Penry, the kung fu master who is an anthropomorphic dog, opened his own inner city detective agency.  Penry tells Jefferson a tale of the darkest kind of “wushu magic.”  Generations ago, a monk bound a demon and forced it to teach him the most powerful wushu technique, “the Way of the God Fist” (or “God Fist” for short).  Although he realized how dangerous the God Fist was, the monk did not want it to die with him.  So he made a scroll with the secrets of the God Fist written on it, and he divided that scroll into three sections.  Penry inherited one third of the scroll.

Presto wants to revive the scroll and already has two sections of it, and now, he makes his move against Penry.  Bronze Tiger and Cheshire even attack Rosemary, a friend of Penry's who teaches kung fu.  [Rosemary was a character and friend of Penry in the original animated series.]  Now, Penry leads Black Lightning and Rosemary in a bid to stop Presto from gaining the God Fist and using it to destroy the world.

I have enjoyed some of DC Comics re-imaginings of classic characters from Hanna-Barber animated TV series from the period of the late 1950s to the 1970s.  I really like this re-imagining of “Hong Kong Phooey” via Black Lightning/Hong Kong Phooey Special #1.  I credit some of the success of this comic book to writer Bryan Edward Hill.  I enjoyed his standalone Miles Morales' Spider-Man Annual #1 (2016).  [In fact, I was shocked how much I liked it.]

It is not so much that Black Lightning/Hong Kong Phooey Special #1 features a great story as it is that the story is inventively conceived and executed.  I would go so far as to say that this comic book presents the groundwork for what could be a cool Black Lightning comic book miniseries or series, written by Bryan Edward Hill, of course.

I am also a big fan of both pencil artist Denys Cowan and inker Bill Seinkiewicz.  Separately, Cowan and Seinkiewicz are great artists; together, they make a cool art team.  I like the gritty style they have concocted for this story, which is the perfect visual mood for this 1970s-era kung fu tale.  Colorist Jeromy Cox brings some needed brightness to this story, and veteran letterer, Janice Chiang, perfectly paces this story with her smallish lettering and balloons that somehow make an impact without being obtrusive and showy.

BACKUP STORY:  The Funky Phantom in “Spectre of the Gun”

STORY: Jeff Parker
ART: Scott Kolins
COLORS: Tony Avina
LETTERS: Janice Chiang
EDITOR: Jim Chadwick

The Funky Phantom was a Saturday morning cartoon that was televised on ABC from September 1971 to September 1972.  Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, this “Scooby-Doo” knock-off featured three teenagers and their dog who solved mystery with a ghost and his cat.  The ghost was an American patriot named Jonathan Wellington "Mudsy" Muddlemore who died inside a grandfather clock where he was trapped during the American Revolutionary War.

Black Lightning/Hong Kong Phooey Special #1 contains a backup story, “Spectre of the Gun,” a re-imagining of “The Funky Phantom.”  Written by Jeff Parker and drawn by Scott Kolins, this story only uses Jonathan Muddlemore.  The story opens at some kind of gun rights slash Second Amendment rally.  The grandfather clock containing Muddlemore's skeleton is on stage, and Jason Blood (also known as “The Demon”), summons Mudsy's spirit from the skeleton.  So how will this former American rebel, soldier, and patriot react to this new world of modern gun rights?  Hilarity ensues.

There is nothing special about Kolins art or Tony Avina's coloring of it.  Even Janice Chiang's lettering does not stand out.  None of it is bad work; it just is not particularly special.

However, Jeff Parker's story is an excellent bit of satire, and I must commend Parker for the intensity in which he skewers gun rights extremists.  His disdain for people who insist that the United States Constitution grants them the right to posses military-style weapons is also admirable and brave.  Among comic book fandom is a strain of reactionary and right-wing extremism, sexism, and racism that has been vocal enough to scare some comic book creators and to even get a few creators dismissed from assignments (Chuck Wendig, to name one).

I am a fan of Jeff Parker and have immensely enjoyed quite a bit of his work.  “Spectre of the Gun” is the cherry on top of Black Lightning/Hong Kong Phooey Special #1's chocolate, kung fu ice cream sundae.  I wish DC Comics could serve up another sundae of this type.

9 out of 10

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


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

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Review: STAR WARS: LANDO - Double or Nothing #1

STAR WARS: LANDO – DOUBLE OR NOTHING No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Paolo Villanelli
COLORS: Andres Mossa
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: W. Scott Forbes
VARIANT COVER: Joe Quinones
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2018)

Rated T

“Part I”

Lando Calrissian was the first Star Wars character portrayed onscreen by a Black man (Oscar-nominated actor, Billy Dee Williams).  Although Lando is one of the oldest Star Wars characters (in terms of first appearance), he did not get his first solo comic book series until 2015 (from Marvel Comics after Dark Horse Comics having the license for two decades).

Lando is a supporting character in the most recent Disney/Lucasfilm Star Wars movie, Solo: A Star Wars Story, where he is portrayed by actor Donald Glover.  The film features a young Lando, early in his criminal career, and that Lando is the star of a second Lando Calrissian comic book miniseries.  Star Wars: Lando – Double or Nothing is written by Rodney Barnes; drawn by Paolo Villanelli; colored by Andres Mossa; and lettered by Joe Caramagna.

Star Wars: Lando – Double or Nothing #1 finds Lando Calrissian, the “greatest smuggler in the galaxy,” contemplating ways in which he can transform his ship, “the Millennium Falcon,” into a place of luxury and vice, much to the chagrin of his droid, L3-37.  Meanwhile, a young woman named Kristiss needs a smuggler as part of her and her father's plan to free their home world, Petrusia, from the Galactic Empire's enslavement.  She knows just the smuggler, Lando, but will he do it?  And if he does it, will it be for the cause or for the cost paid?

Solo: A Star Wars Story is about a young Han Solo, but young Lando Calrissian steals the show.  Donald Glover is magnificent in making young Lando a magnetic personality.  Writer Rodney Barnes captures the essence of Glover's Calrissian in his script, and every page is simply fun to read.  Barnes has made Lando a character readers will want to shadow, and Barnes' take on the acerbic L3, who has a female voice, is also quite engaging.

Illustrator Paolo Villanelli picks up the Glover vibe and transforms that into a graphical storytelling that recreates the humorous side of the Solo film.  Andres Mossa, one of the best colorists working in American comics today, blends his incandescent colors into Villanelli's illustrations to spectacular effect.  Joe Caramagna's strong sense of graphic design plays this dialogue-heavy script just right with some of his usual high-quality lettering that enhances the rhythm of this story.

I cannot wait to read the second issue of Star Wars: Lando – Double or Nothing.  Is it too early to ask that this creative team plan a second young Lando comic book for us?

8.5 out of 10

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


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

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Review: MILES MORALES: Spider-Man #1

MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN No. 1 (2019)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Saladin Ahmed
ART: Javier Garrón
COLORS: David Curiel
LETTERS: VC’s Cory Petit
COVER: Brian Stelfreeze
EDITOR: Nick Lowe
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida
VARIANT COVERS: Marko Djurdjevic (Fantastic Four Villains Variant); Lee Garbett; Adi Granov
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2019)

Rated T

Spider-Man created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee; Miles Morales created by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli

Miles Morales is a Marvel Comics character who is one of the characters known as Spider-Man.  Miles Morales first appeared in the comic book Ultimate Fallout #4 (cover dated: August 2011) and existed in a universe different from the universe where the original Spider-Man lived.  Now, the Afro-Latino teenager, whose full name is Miles Gonzalo Morales, lives and works in the main Marvel Comics universe (the MCU) as Spider-Man.

Miles has a new ongoing comic book series, Miles Morales: Spider-Man (a continuation of the comic book title, Spider-Man).  This is a new direction for Miles Morales with a new creative team.  Miles Morales: Spider-Man is written by Saladin Ahmed; drawn by Javier Garrón; colored by David Curiel; and lettered by Cory Petit.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #1 opens in the wake of the events depicted in the miniseries, Spider-Geddon.  Miles has recently begun a new school term, and is taking a class in which the instructor demands that Miles and his fellow classmates keep a journal.

Miles is struggling to balance school and his personal life with his activities as Spider-Man.  He is trying to maintain a relationship with Barbara, who is his girlfriend, although both seem to be reluctant to say that outright.  For all his struggles, however, Miles sees that there are those who are struggling more than he is, especially in an anti-immigrant political climate, and it is worse than Miles thinks.

Practically every Miles Morales comic book I ever read was written by Brian Michael Bendis, Miles' co-creator.  I am wary of reading Miles comic books not written by Bendis, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story Bryan Edward Hill wrote about Miles for the Spider-Man Annual #1 (2018).

After reading Miles Morales: Spider-Man #1, I am confident in new Miles writer, Saladin Ahmed.  I did not read Ahmed's Black Bolt series, which received quite a bit of acclaim and claimed a win at the 2018 Will Eisner Awards.  I like that Saladin's story and script are true to the personality Bendis fashioned for Miles, and I also like that Saladin is developing Miles personality and character as he continues to grow-up, going from young teen to older teen.  I am also happy that Ahmed is writing a story that tackles real world issues literally and metaphorically.

Artist Javier Garrón is the right choice to create the art and storytelling.  His compositions are strong, and his page and panel design recall the work of Spider-Man co-creator, the late Steve Ditko.  Ditko balanced the world of Peter Parker-Spider-Man by drawing an ordinary seeming everyday life for Parker.  When Parker became Spider-Man, Ditko added imaginative elements and inventive compositions that made the scenes feature Spider-Man seem to pop off the page.

Garrón's art is in a similar vein, and David Curiel's coloring of the art electrifies everything.  When a classic Spider-Man villain (who has a surprising reason for appearing) shows up, this story crackles and sparks with energy.  In fact, the splash page featuring Miles and that surprise villain is an example of how much power Garrón and Curiel's combined art has.

So I am ready for more Miles Morales: Spider-Man.  For now, at least, the post-Brian Michael Bendis Miles Morales has a bright future.

8 out of 10

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


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

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Review: BLACK PANTHER #1

BLACK PANTHER No. 1 (2018) (Legacy #173)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Ta-Nehisi Coates
ART: Daniel Acuna
COLORS: Daniel Acuna
LETTERS: VC's Joe Sabino
EDITOR: Wil Moss
COVER: Daniel Acuna (based on the work of Brian Stelfreeze)
VARIANT COVERS: Artgerm; Tom Beland with Jordie Bellaire; Jamal Campbell; Olivier Coipel; Jack Kirby; Michael Kelleher with Paul Mounts; Pepe Larraz with Marte Gracia; In-Hyuk Lee; Yasmine Putri
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (July 2018)

Black Panther created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Rated “T”

“The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda” Book 1: “Many Thousands Gone”

Black Panther is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.  The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #52 (cover dated: July 1966).  Black Panther was T'Challa, the king and protector of the (fictional) African nation of Wakanda.  Black Panther was also the first Black superhero in mainstream American comic books.

Ta-Nehisi Coates is an African-American writer, journalist, and commentator.  Coastes is also a national correspondent for The Atlantic, where he writes about cultural, political, and social issues, particularly as they regard to Black people in America.  Coates' second book, Between the World and Me (released in July 2015), won the 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction.  In 2015, he was the recipient of a “Genius Grant” from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Black Panther and Ta-Nehisi Coates (with artist and designer Brian Stelfreeze) came together two years ago in a relaunch of the Black Panther comic book series.  Now, Coates is taking Black Panther in a new direction again, “The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda,” and a fresh series start.  Coates writes this new Black Panther with Daniel Acuna as series artist and colorist and Joe Sabino as the letterer.

Black Panther #1 (Legacy #173) opens by recounting the story of how a detachment of Wakandans founded a “small, desolate colony on the outer edges of the cosmos,” two thousands years ago.  Eventually this colony became its own empire, an oppressive empire.  Now, a miner a.k.a. “Nameless,” a slave on the mining planet, “Gorée,” rises to lead a rebellion.  And a legend is reborn.

In previous reviews of Ta-Nehisi Coates Black Panther, I have favorably compared what Coates is doing with the character to what British comic book writer, Alan Moore, did on his legendary tenure on DC Comics' Swamp Thing.  I wrote that Moore created a personality for the title character and built a world of supporting characters, bit players, and an intriguing fictional mythology that allowed him to explore Swamp Thing's character and motivations.  I said that the result of Moore's efforts was once-in-a-generation comic book storytelling.

Coates has taken what Black Panther writers and artists did before him and is doing what Alan Moore did with Swamp Thing – create a fictional comic book world that is wealthy with possibilities and does not really need the main universe.  Coates' Black Panther is also once in a generation comic book storytelling.  Now, Coates is taking Black Panther to somewhere the character has never gone – as far as I know.  In the far reaches of outer space, Coates will prove whether or not he belongs in the upper echelons of comic book creators.  With Black Panther #1 2018, Coates offers intriguing possibilities via interesting characters and provocative concepts.

Daniel Acuna seems to be the perfect collaborator for this new Black Panther.  His art is at once classic comic book space opera in terms of compositions and colors.  However, he makes his space faring tale look different with striking character and costume design.  Acuna is also pushing himself up the latter of recognition as a comic book storyteller.

In an unobtrusive manner, letter Joe Sabino picks his spots to convey the drama and evoke emotions in this story.  In many ways, Sabino is the gatekeeper who lets us into this far-flung world of story.  He is part of creative team that seems destined to take Black Panther to infinity and beyond.

9 out of 10

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


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

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#IReadsYou Review: LAGUARDIA #1

LAGUARDIA No. 1 (OF 4)
DARK HORSE COMICS/Berger Books – @DarkHorseComics #bergerbooks

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Nnedi Okorafor
ART: Tana Ford
COLORS: James Devlin
LETTERS: Sal Cipriano
EDITOR: Karen Berger – @karenpberger
28pp, B&W, $3.99 U.S. (February 2018)

Mature Readers

Chapter 1: “Homecoming”

LaGuardia is a new science fiction comic book series from writer Nnedi Okorafor and artist Tana Ford.  The series is set in an alternate world in which multiple alien species have come to Earth and have integrated into society – to the chagrin of some.  Colorist James Devlin and letterer Sal Cipriano complete the creative team for this four-issue miniseries.

LaGuardia #1 (“Homecoming”) introduces Future Nwafor Chukwuebuka, a pregnant Nigerian-American doctor returns to New York City under mysterious conditions.  She smuggles an illegal alien plant through LaGuardia International and Interstellar Airport customs and security.  Now, at her grandmother's tenement, the New Hope Apartments in the South Bronx, she has secrets to reveal.  Back in Lagos, Nigeria, Professor Citizen Nwabara, a friend of Future's, is dealing with multiple alien issues.

LaGuardia #1 is so flavorful, so different.  It is like an alien thing.  I love the imagination of Nnedi Okorafor's story, and her afterword, “Coming and Going,” is so personal, yet so defines this age of fear.  I don't know how she kept from punching the TSA officer who was pawing over her scalp; perhaps, it was her expansive worldview as a world traveler and as a child of immigrants that gives her the patience of adaptation.  In fact, LaGuardia's Afrofuturism is about adaptation, and that connects the United States and Nigeria as if they were supposed to be connected all along.

This first issue, however, I want to give special attention to illustrator Tana Ford.  It is Ford who takes Okorafor's fresh and innovative concept and turns into a graphical story that truly seems like something alien.  Ford's art here reminds me of Eric Vincent's art on the late, lamented science fiction comic book, Alien Fire.  The difference is that Vincent's comic book art was published in black and white (by Kitchen Sink Press and Dark Horse Comics), and he did not have the benefit of the kind of otherworldly coloring that James Devlin gives LaGuardia.  Ford and Devlin are a collabo that should keep going on and on.

LaGuardia #1 shows that Karen Berger is not making Berger Books into some kind of Vertigo 2.0.  Instead, Berger Books is exploring new worlds of storytelling, like the world of LaGuardia.

8.5 out of 10

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


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

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Book Review: THE CONFESSIONS OF FRANNIE LANGTON

THE CONFESSIONS OF FANNIE LANGTON
HARPER (HarperCollins Publishers) – @HarperCollins @HarperBooks

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Sara Collins
ISBN: 978-0-06-285189-5; hardcover (May 21, 2019)
384pp, B&W, $26.99 U.S.

The Confessions of Frannie Langton is the debut novel of author Sara Collins.  This 2019 historical novel and murder mystery, which is set largely in the 1820s and in Georgian London, focuses on a servant and former slave accused of murdering her employer and his wife.

The Confessions of Frannie Langton opens on April 5, 1826 in London, at “The Old Bailey” (the common name for the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales).  Frances “Frannie” Langton, a mulatto Black woman, is accused of double murder.  London is abuzz with this scandalous case in which renowned scientist, George Benham, and his eccentric French wife, Marguerite “Meg” Benham (the former Marguerite Delacroix), were murdered in their home, Levenhall.  Huge crowds pack the courtroom to hear the tawdry details of two White people brutally, repeated, and savagely stabbed by this mysterious Negress to whom the late couple gave a home and a job after she was turned out by her previous master.

But there is always more... more... more to such stories.  For that, we travel back in time to the period of 1812 to 1825.  Frannie Langton was once a slave on a plantation in Jamaica, called “Paradise.”  Her owner, John Langton, had scientific ambitions, and he was determined to prove his theories about race, particularly about Black people and about Black Africans.

Frannie may claim that she cannot recall what happened that fateful evening of the Benhams' deaths – even if remembering could save her life.  However, she does have a tale to tell, and it begins with her childhood on that Jamaican sugar plantation.  It continues to her apprenticeship under John Langton, cruel master turned debauched scientist, stretching all bounds of ethics.  Then, the story moves into the Benhams’ London home, where Frannie finds a wannabe scientist who may be as bad as Langton and where she also finds a passionate and forbidden relationship.  The newspapers say Frannie is a seductress, a witch, a master manipulator, and a whore, when she may simply be a Black woman trying to make her own way in a racist world.

When HarperCollins offered a galley review copy of The Confessions of Frannie Langton, I jumped at asking for a copy, especially after reading the cover copy.  However, The Confessions of Frannie Langton turned out to be one of the most difficult reads that I have encountered in well over a decade.

The depiction of slavery and of forced servitude in The Confessions of Frannie Langton is so vivid and horrifying.  It's like combining the screenplays for 12 Years of Slave and Birth of a Nation (2016 version, of course) squeezed into one heartbreaking novel.  What Sara Collins offers in The Confessions of Frannie Langton is certainly a brilliant, searing depiction of race, class, and oppression.  This novel, however, offers even more; it is a historical thriller and literary indictment with ambitions to be as entertaining as any other literary thriller.

Collins offers wisdom and insight into the way both the oppressors and the oppressed are forced to live their lives.  Such perceptiveness is revealed in lines like “... 'cause you got white hopes. I got Negro expectations.” (as said to Frannie by Sal, her friend and fellow sex worker) or “The very woman who'd spit in your porridge in the morning could be fornicating with your husband at night.”  As if she were a venerable, elderly Black woman storyteller, Collins has uncanny insights into the perilous and fraught lives of Black woman who are property or who are technically not property, but are really property for all intents and purposes.

Perhaps, we love people because we view them through a lens of being people who make us feel a certain way.  Frannie becomes attached to or falls in love with people who view her as being property that makes them feel a certain way.  In order to convey that stark and sometimes subtle difference, a writer needs to be a superior storyteller and also needs to have a command of prose.  With her first novel, Sara Collins' mighty storytelling and command of prose take her to the summit of literary heights.  I would be surprised if The Confessions of Frannie Langton did not become a staple of college literature courses within five years.

The Confessions of Frannie Langton is an incredible novel with a kind of terrible power.  This is the power needed to convey the horrors experienced by Africans enslaved in the Western Hemisphere and also by those forced to inherit the status of their enslaved parents, grandparents and ancestors.

10 out of 10

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


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

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Review: Approbation's THE BEAST

THE BEAST - OGN
APPROBATION COMICS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: B. Alex Thompson – @ApproBAT
ART: Marcelo Salaza and Ricardo Mendez
COLORS: Schimerys Baal
LETTERS: Elisa Coletti
EDITORS: John P. Ward and Denise Thompson
COVER: Marcelo Salaza
48pp, Color, $9.99 U.S. / $2.99 U.S. comiXology; (2016; digital release date – August 31, 2016)

Rated: “M” for Mature / 17+ Only – comiXology rating

The Beast is a one-shot horror comic book from Approbation Comics.  It is written by B. Alex Thompson; drawn by Marcelo Salaza and Ricardo Mendez; colored by Schimerys Baal; and lettered by Elisa Coletti.  The story focuses on a group of college friends (or “frenemies”), a mangled hunter, and an unidentifiable creature.

The Beast introduces college students:  Parker, Julia, Henry, Ben, Sue, Clark, Anna, and Kelly.  They take an RV into the woods to swim, to fun, and to fuck each other silly.  However, old rivalries and simmering grudges rear their ugly heads.  In fact, Ben is sure that Kelly is going to give him some shaky pudding, but he discovers something about her that brings out the beast in him.  Meanwhile, a hunter with a mangled arm and an unknown creature are awaiting them in the woods.

I have to say that The Beast is not one of Approbation Comics' better efforts, although it is an entertaining read.  As usual, however, B. Alex Thompson, the modern master of meat-grinder horror comics, turns in a gleefully violent tale of terror dismemberment

Artists Marcelo Salaza and Ricardo Mendez still seem to be in the awkward composition phase, but they work hard on the storytelling.  Colorist Schimerys Baal splashes enough red around to have us swimming in blood to read this comic book.  Letterer Elisa Coletti continues to keep lettering in Approbation Comics strong.

The Beast reminds me of Thompson's crazy-ass and crazy-as-hell original graphic novel, Southern Hospitality (which predates The Beast by a few years).  Both comics are about ordinary people who are really insane slash monstrous killers or are ordinary people who must learn to hack and slash other ordinary people to death.  As I said earlier, The Beast is not great, but this comic book is meat for the beast... you know is inside you.

6 out of 10

Buy The Beast at comiXology.

www.ApprobationComics.com
www.AlexThompsonWriter.com

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


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

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Review: CHAOS CAMPUS #25

CHAOS CAMPUS: SORORITY GIRLS VS ZOMBIES No. 25
APPROBATION COMICS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: B. Alex Thompson – @ApproBAT
ART: Jose Henrique
COLORS: Anita Zaramella
LETTERS: Elisa M. Coletti
POST-SCRIPTING/POLISH: John P. Ward
EDITORS: B. Alex Thompson and John P. Ward
COVER: Jose Henrique
24pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (2015; digital release date – September 14, 2016)

Rated: Teen 13+ / 15+ Only – comiXology rating

Chaos Campus: Sorority Girls vs. Zombies created by B. Alex Thompson

“The Road to Salvation,” Part 1 of 4”

Chaos Campus: Sorority Girls vs. Zombies is a long-running horror-comedy and zombie apocalypse comic book series.  The creation of writer/comics impresario, B. Alex Thompson, Chaos  Campus is published by his company, Approbation Comics.  The series is set during a zombie invasion and follows the adventures of three members of the sorority, Epsilon Alpha Zeta Upsilon (EAZY):  ass-kickin’ Jamie Lynn Schaeffer, brainy and magic-wielding Paige Helena Patton, and sexy Brittany Ann Miller.

The previous story line, “The Pink,” ended with tragedy.  The new story line is the four-part “The Road to Salvation,” and it finds our heroines caught in a civil war, of sorts.  This story is written by B. Alex Thompson; drawn by Jose Henrique; colored by Anita Zaramella; and lettered by Elisa M. Coletti.

Chaos Campus: Sorority Girls vs. Zombies #25 opens to find Paige and Brittany imprisoned.  Luckily, the people doing the imprisoning surprisingly include Paige's brother, Tyler, and her mother, Morgan.  There is a happy reunion with Jamie, who is suspicious of their new circumstances.  But Jamie's troubles are just beginning.  Plus, meet the “Neo-Zombies.”

“The Road to Salvation” story line looks to be the next most-excellent Chaos Campus adventure arc.  This isn't the first time that an “evolved” zombie has appeared in the series, but this time, dear readers, we have the addition of some kooky family dynamics, via the Pattons, thrown into the mix.

Once, again we get a chance to enjoy creator-writer B. Alex Thompson's superb dialogue writing, especially in the case of Jamie's urban slash hip hop slang.  This “shiz” is not “wack,” and I am always impressed by how much “jive” Thompson can string together.

Jose Henrique's animation-inspired art offers excellent storytelling.  Anita Zaramella's anime-inspired coloring brings some extra zip to the story, a mixture of action, comedy, and action-comedy-horror.  Elisa M. Coletti's lettering and word balloons seem to dance away from intruding on the art, but adds some more zing to this spry episode.

I'll say something else that I have said before.  I don't know why Chaos Campus is not a multi-media franchise, already on our television and handheld device screens.

8 out of 10

Buy Chaos Campus #25 at comiXology.

www.ApprobationComics.com
www.AlexThompsonWriter.com

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


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

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Review: BLACK: Widows and Orphans #1

BLACK: WIDOWS & ORPHANS No. 1
BLACKMASK STUDIO – @blackmaskstudio @BLACKsuprppowrs

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY/PLOT: Kwanza Osajyefo and Tim Smith 3 – @kwanzer
SCRIPT/DIALOGUE:  Kwanza Osajyefo
PENCILS/INKS: Tim Smith 3 – @TS3
COLORS/SHADES: Derwin Roberson
LETTERS/SFX: Dave Sharpe
EDITOR: Sarah Litt
COVER: Tim Smith 3
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (Diamond-FEB181179 – April 25, 2018)

Rated M/Mature

Black [AF] created by Kwanza Osajyefo and Tim Smith 3

Black – also known as Black [AF] – is a six-issue comic book miniseries created by Kwanza Osajyefo and Tim Smith 3.  It was first introduced to the public as a Kickstarter crowdfunding project seeking to raise $29,999, but ultimately raised almost $100,000.  Black is set in a world where only Black people have super-powers (called “Quarks”), and this world is suddenly and shockingly forced on Kareem Jenkins, who discovers that he is “empowered.”

Now, a second miniseries recently arrived and is entitled Black: Widows and Orphans.  It written by Kwanza Osajyefo and Tim Smith 3; drawn by Smith 3; colored by Derwin Roberson; and lettered by Dave Sharpe.

Black: Widows and Orphans #1 opens as the first empowered U.S. senator is nearly assassinated by a ninja!  However, the empowered of the “Project” are there to stop it, but a revelation of what the assassin is delivers a shocker.  He is connected to the past of one of the Project's empowered, Anansi, who, as a child, was trained as a Ninja.

Anansi is on a mission to return to her former clan, “the Amime” and to learn what has become of what was once her family.  However, the Project's leader, Juncture, insists that Anansi take with her someone who can watch her back.  Now, Hoodrat finds herself following her mentor, Anansi, into the world of the ninja.

The original Black miniseries was published in black and white with toning, but Black: Widows and Orphans is in glorious full-color. Colorist Derwin Roberson delivers such vivid hues that I thought I was having a trippy experience while reading this first issue.  Roberson's color art here really goes a long way in not only making this miniseries distinct form the original, but also in selling the setting of this series as a world beyond the normal – beyond even the world of the Quarks and empowered.

I was so used to the original miniseries' artist, Jamal Igle, that I was initially somewhat put off by Tim Smith 3's quirky, anime-style art.  It was not long before I was seriously loving Smith's compositions and the kinetic feel of his graphical storytelling.  I also like that Smith 3 makes Black: Widows and Orphans distinct from the first series as a graphics package.

As usual, I enjoy the scriptwriting of Kwanza Osajyefo, who always makes his work something different from standard superhero comic book fare.  It is as if he is stubbornly eccentric and offbeat, but that is why I think that will help Black [AF] survive as a strong, superhero comic book of color.  Kwanza's words will make this story the kind of Black sci-fi that can weather the slings and arrows of outrageous comic book shop owners who don't want “blacks, homos, and freaking females” on the pecker-wood of their KKK store shelves.  And Dave Sharpe's sharp lettering assures that we can read every chocolate thunder word.

9 out of 10

[This comic book includes a preview of the comic book, The Wilds, by Vita Ayala and Emily Pearson from Black Mask Studio.]

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


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

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Review: ZEITGEIST #1

ZEITGEIST No. 1
APPROBATION COMICS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: B. Alex Thompson – @ApproBAT
ART: John River
COLORS: John River
LETTERS: B. Alex Thompson
EDITORS: B. Alex Thompson and John P. Ward
COVER: John River
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S.

Rated: Teen 13+

Zeitgeist is a comic book series published by Approbation Comics.  It is written and lettered by Approbation boss, B. Alex Thompson, and drawn and colored by John River.  The series, which is told in an episodic style that mimics a Sunday newspaper comic strip, follows the misadventures of on-the-go twenty-somethings.

Zeitgeist #1 presents Strips 001 to 036.  This first issue opens in a large comic book store.  Employee Isabelle Fanning spies a customer handling a graphic novel in an appropriate and damaging manner.  After confronting the young man, she discovers that his name is Max Yeung, and he is a screenwriter.  After some witty repartee, it is decided that Isabelle will read a screenplay Max recently sold and give him feedback.  Truthfully, Isabelle is very attracted to Max, but a chance encounter with Isabelle's friend, Leah Winters, leads to hilarity.

The interior pages of Zeitgeist #1 are printed in the landscape format, so readers will have to read it as if they were flipping through a calendar.  When I first received a review copy of this comic book from Approbation, I was not sure if I was annoyed or not.  I prefer to read comic books the same way I normally do – left to right in the “portrait” layout.

Still, there was something about Zeitgeist that kept bugging me and attracting my attention, so I finally surrendered and read it.  Zeitgeist is good – really good.  It has a situation comedy (sitcom) quality and is somewhat similar to many of the popular television sitcoms of the last three decades that focus on groups of friends, including “Friends,” “How I Met Your Mother,” and Living Single,” to name a few.  B. Alex Thompson has created some especially likable characters; you will not have to read too far into the first issue to feel like you want to hang out with these characters.

Zeitgeist really seems to capture a defining spirit of modern times... or attempting to do so.

The art by John River is clean and expressive.  It is like a combination of the graphic styles found in alt-comix and college newspaper comic strips.  River uses minimal backgrounds, but they are still highly suggestive.  I found my imagination filling in the rest of the environments.  I think many readers will find themselves filling out the story by putting themselves in this comic book.

8 out of 10

www.ApprobationComics.com
www.AlexThompsonWriter.com

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


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

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

Review: ZEITGEIST #2

ZEITGEIST No. 2
APPROBATION COMICS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: B. Alex Thompson – @ApproBAT
ART: John River
COLORS: John River
LETTERS: B. Alex Thompson
EDITORS: B. Alex Thompson and John P. Ward
COVER: John River
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (2015 / February 17, 2016 – comiXology release date)

Rated: Teen 13+ /12+ comiXology rating

Zeitgeist is a comic book series published by Approbation Comics.  It is written and lettered by Approbation boss, B. Alex Thompson, and drawn and colored by John River.  The series is told in an episodic style that mimics a Sunday newspaper comic strip.  Zeitgeist follows the misadventures of on-the-go twenty-somethings:  Max Yeung, Isabelle Fanning, Leah Winters, and Cassie Washington.

Zeitgeist #2 presents Strips 037 to 072.  This second issue opens in the morning with Isabelle discovering a naked Max in Leah's apartment.  WTF?!  He booty was supposed to belong to Isabelle!  The day gets even worse when Isabelle discovers that the comic book store is closing, which means that she will be out of a job in probably less than two months.  To lighten the mood, Leah suggests dinner with her parents, which leads to revelations about the extent of her and Isabelle's relationship.  Plus, Max is determined to tag along.

The interior pages of Zeitgeist #2 are printed in the landscape format, so readers will have to read it as if they are flipping through a calendar, just as they did for the first issue.  When I first received a review copy of the first two issues of Zeitgeist from Approbation, I was not sure if I was annoyed or not.  I prefer to read comic books the same way I normally do – left to right in the “portrait” layout.

Well, after reading the second issue, I actually like this landscape slash Sunday newspaper comics page format.  I am surprised to find myself not only enjoying Zeitgeist, but also anticipating more of it.  It's like a version of all our favorite sitcoms about groups of friends, from “Seinfeld” and “Living Single” to copycats like “Friends” and “Will & Grace.”

The art by John River is clean and expressive, which serves the narrative's focus on dialogue and character interaction.  River's art has a knack for focusing on facial expression which makes the characters' emotions clear and gives heft to the character drama and comedy.  I think Zeitgeist is deserving of a larger readership, and I hope people head to comiXology to purchase an issue.

8 out of 10

Zeitgeist #2's ComiXology page.

www.ApprobationComics.com
www.AlexThompsonWriter.com

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


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

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Review: SURFACING: Depth Perceptions #3

SURFACING: DEPTH PERCEPTIONS No. 3 (OF 4)
APPROBATION COMICS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: B. Alex Thompson – @ApproBAT
ART: Nenad Cviticanin
COLORS: Santtos
LETTERS: Krugos
EDITOR: John Ward and Denise Thompson
COVER: Cesar Grego and Alivon Ortiz
24pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (2017; digital release date – January 10, 2018)

Rated: “M” for Mature / 17+ Only (comiXology)

Published by Approbation Comics, Surfacing: Depth Perceptions is a four-issue comic book miniseries.  It tells the story of Marcus Wright, a young man who visits an oceanic research facility directed by his childhood friend, Anton Parker, who has a business deal to offer Marcus.  The facility has captured a mermaid-like creature, and Marcus finds himself caught in the mystery of this creature and of its captivity.  Surfacing: Depth Perceptions is written by B. Alex Thompson; drawn by Nenad Cviticanin; colored by Santtos; and lettered by Krugos.

Surfacing: Depth Perceptions #3 opens with Marcus returning to the research room to engage in another extensive conversation with the mermaid, whom he has named “Becca.”  Anton has warned Marcus that “it,” as he calls Becca, has the ability to “mess” with his mind and to manipulate people.

Believing that he is on to Becca's game, Marcus is prepared to interrogate her, but she won't give anything for free.  She reveals information about herself and some about her people, but does Marcus believe her sometimes shocking tale?  Does he even have a reason to believe Anton?

The first two issues of Surfacing: Depth Perceptions are some of the prettiest comic books Approbation Comics has published to date.  The cover art for this series features gorgeous illustrations and shimmering colors by Cesar Grego and Alivon Ortiz; the covers are like eye candy.  The interior art by Nenad Cviticanin continues to get better with each chapter, as does the coloring by Santtos.  Nenad's graphical storytelling also continues to get stronger, thanks to B. Alex Thompson's excellent scripts.  Let's even give a shout-out to Krugos' lettering.

As I have said before, B. Alex Thompson is one of the best writers of naturalistic dialogue in American comic books.  I look forward to reading the conversations between the characters in every issue of Surfacing: Depth Perceptions, but this third issue has some hot talk that suggests a (literally) killer ending.

Thompson usually delivers high-quality genre storytelling, and he certainly delivers in again in Surfacing: Depth Perceptions #3.  This is an excellent comic book, and, dear readers, head over to comiXology to read it.  I hope the final issue does not disappoint, as I have high hopes.

9 out of 10

Buy Surfacing: Depth Perceptions #3 at comiXology.

www.ApprobationComics.com
www.AlexThompsonWriter.com

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


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

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Review: CHAOS CAMPUS #24

CHAOS CAMPUS: SORORITY GIRLS VS ZOMBIES No. 24
APPROBATION COMICS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: B. Alex Thompson – @ApproBAT
ART: Pramit Santra
COLORS: Russell Vincent Yu
LETTERS: Elisa M. Coletti
POST-SCRIPTING/POLISH: John P. Ward
EDITORS: B. Alex Thompson and John P. Ward
COVER: Kevin Wallace
24pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (2015; digital release date – September 7, 2016)

Rated: Teen 13+ / 15+ Only – comiXology rating

Chaos Campus: Sorority Girls vs. Zombies created by B. Alex Thompson

“The Pink, Part 2 of 2”

Chaos Campus: Sorority Girls vs. Zombies is a long-running horror-comedy and zombie apocalypse comic book series.  It is creation of B. Alex Thompson and is published by his company, Approbation Comics.  The series is set during a zombie invasion and follows the adventures of three members of the sorority, Epsilon Alpha Zeta Upsilon (EAZY):  ass-kickin’ Jamie Lynn Schaeffer, brainy and magic-wielding Paige Helena Patton, and sexy Brittany Ann Miller.

The current story line is “The Pink,” which finds the Chaos Campus trio and other zombie riot survivors in a house fighting an invisible enemy that arrived in a meteor.  This story is written by B. Alex Thompson; drawn by Pramit Santra; colored by Russell Vincent Yu; and lettered by Elisa M. Coletti.

Chaos Campus: Sorority Girls vs. Zombies #24 opens as Doctors Kim and Hollinger attempt to create a serum for the alien parasite that infects Pete.  Their next patients will be Jamie, Paige, and Brittany, and as the parasite increases aggression and gives the infected amazing abilities, curing the girls will not be easy.  Now, the infected Chaos trio can and want to deliver fatal beat-downs.

The “Pink” story line has been a nice change of pace, and since creator-writer B. Alex Thompson is often spoofing or parodying pop culture, the reader can play a game of naming the works of film and entertainment Thompson is referencing.

I see elements of the science fiction horror film, Species (1995), and the 1987 film, The Curse (which is also known as The Farm).  I am also remind of the film version of Stephen King's 1976 short story, “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill,” which appeared as a segment of the 1982 film, Creepshow.

Thompson continues to expand the emotional range of the characters, so this gives Chaos Campus a sense of character beyond the comedy and parody.  Pramit Santra's graphical storytelling here is good, and her jagged style fits the aggressive mood of the story and the infected characters tendency to tear their victims apart.  Russell Vincent Yu's coloring serves this sense of aggression and flesh rending quite well.  Plus, the ending bodes well for the next story arc.

7.5 out of 10

Buy Chaos Campus #24 at comiXology.

www.ApprobationComics.com
www.AlexThompsonWriter.com

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


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

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Review: KILLMONGER #1

KILLMONGER No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Bryan Hill
ART: Juan Ferreyra
COLORS: Juan Ferreyra
LETTERS: VC's Joe Sabino
EDITOR: Wil Moss
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida
COVER: Juan Ferreyra
VARIANT COVERS: Jason Pearson; Larry Stroman and Mark Morales with Jason Keith
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (February 2019)

Black Panther created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby; Killmonger created by Don McGregor and Rich Buckler

Parental Advisory

“By Any Means” Part One of Five

Erik Killmonger is a Marvel Comics supervillian and an enemy of Marvel's Black Panther.  Born N'Jadaka, the son of N'Jobu, Killmonger was created by writer Don McGregor and artist Rich Buckler and first appeared in Jungle Action (Vol. 2) #6 (cover dated:  September 1973).  Killmonger, with an altered origin story, appeared in Marvel Studios film, Black Panther (2018), and was portrayed by actor Michael B. Jordan.

Killmonger is the star of his first comic book series, a five-issue miniseries also entitled Killmonger.  It is written by Bryan Hill; drawn and colored by Juan Ferreyra; and lettered by Joe Sabino.  The series will explore how and why Killmonger dedicated his life to revenge.

Killmonger #1 begins with an overview of the epic battle between Erik Killmonger and Black Panther/T'Challa (presumably the one depicted in the Black Panther film).  The series then moves to the past, on the day that N'Jadaka leaves the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) and spurns all the many incredible job offers he has received.  Instead, N'Jadaka heads to New York City to kill Ulysses Klaue a.k.a. “Klaw.”  However, his plans go awry, and he meets the NYC crime boss who may change the course of his life... if Killmonger lets that happen!

I am somewhat intrigued by this Killmonger miniseries.  I like Bryan Hill's story, and Juan Ferreyra's illustrations have a painterly quality that plays up Hill's story with its atmosphere of tragedy and tragic destiny.  However, I must say that I feel as if Killmonger is the Black Panther-related title that I don't have to have.

Killmonger is nice, but I am not passionate about it the way I was about Black Panther spin-off titles like Black Panther: World of Wakanda and Black Panther and the Crew.  I can and will recommend Killmonger to Black Panther completists, even if I don't immediately claw my way back to it.

6 out of 10

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


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

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