#IReadsYou Review: INVINCIBLE RED SONJA #4

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

THE INVINCIBLE RED SONJA #4
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

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

Rated Teen+

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

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


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#IReadsYou Review: THE ULTIMATES #1

THE ULTIMATES #1

MARVEL

STORY: Mark Millar
PENCILS: Bryan Hitch
INKS: Andrew Currie
COLORS: Paul Mounts with Bongotone
LETTERS: Chris Eliopoulos
EDITOR: Ralph Macchio
EiC: Joe Quesada
COVER: Bryan Hitch
32pp, Color, $2.25 U.S., $3.50 CAN (March 2002)

 

The Ultimates created by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch; Avengers created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee

“Super Human”

The Ultimates was a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics as part of its “Ultimate Marvel” imprint.  The series ran for thirteen issues, cover date: March 2002 to April 2004.  Created by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch, The Ultimates were both a modernization and re-imagining of Marvel's Avengers comic-book franchise.  Organized by the United States government, the “Ultimates” were an elite military task-force of super-humans and special agents.

The regular creative team of The Ultimates was comprised of writer Mark Millar; artists Bryan Hitch (pencils) and Andrew Currie (inks); colorists Paul Mounts and Bongotone; and letterer Chris Eliopoulos. The Ultimates' mission was to combat the growing threats – human and non-human – to the United States and also to the Earth in general.

The Ultimates #1 (“Super Human”) opens over the North Atlantic, 1945, where the 101st Airborne division streaks towards Iceland.  There, inside a seemingly impregnable fortress, the Nazis are building their “super weapon,” which could end the war in days.  Aboard one of the troop transports is America's own super weapon, the “super-soldier” known as “Captain America.”  With him is an entire division of American soldiers … and his friend, Bucky Barnes, a war photographer.  What neither Rogers nor Barnes realizes is that this mission is so dangerous that it might be his last.

THE LOWDOWN:  It has been two decades since I first read The Ultimates #1, and reading it again for the first time since then, I find it to be about eighty percent different from how I remember it.

Except for the last three pages, The Ultimates #1 is entirely about Captain America's final World War II mission.  So, I must admit that I find this first issue to be one of the best Captain American comic books that I have read in years – although it was published twenty years ago.

Millar's storytelling is slick, but brings the grit one would expect of a “real war story” type comic book.  It is dark and sad, mostly because Millar makes it clear that a lot of American servicemen are going to die on this mission.  Bryan Hitch's photo-realistic pencil art gets a smooth finishing from Andrew Currie's lush inks.  The colors are beautiful, but are a tad too dark for my tastes.  Luckily, Chris Eliopoulos' quirky lettering work stands out and helps to establish and reinforce Millar's moody tale.

Over the course of this series' thirteen issues, it is clear that Mark Millar made Steve Rogers/Captain America the centerpiece.  The Ultimates #1 isn't a prologue; it is the foundation of the series, and that is a good thing.  Millar's Captain America is the most human, the most heroic, and the most idealistic of the Ultimates.  He is the standard that his teammates cannot achieve, if for no other reason than that they are too broken to match Steve Rogers.  Captain America brings color to this dark re-interpretation of the Avengers.  He is the one holdover from the early Marvel Comics' sense of wonder and fantasy in this series that is dark and edgy, though not cynical.

The Ultimates #1 was the kind of first issue that encourages readers to come back for more, which they indeed did for this series.  I originally did come back for a few more issues, but, back then, I never finished The Ultimates.  I didn't even bother with its follow up, The Ultimates 2.  I rectified that this year and read the entire first series over a few days.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of the team of Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch will want to read The Ultimates.

A
9 out of 10

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


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#IReadsYou Review: THE BADGER #1

BADGER No. 1
DEVIL'S DUE/1FIRST COMICS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Mike Baron
ART: Jim Fern
LETTERS: Willie Schubert
COLORS: Paul Mounts
COVER: Val Mayerik with Andres Esperanza
VARIANT COVERS: Paul Pope; Bill Reinhold
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2016)

Badger created by Mike Baron and Jeff Butler

Rated “M” for mature readers

Badger is a comic book superhero character created by writer Mike Baron and artist Jeff Butler.  Badger first appeared in the comic book, Badger #1 (cover date: July 1983), published by Capital Comics.  After Capital Comics closed, Baron moved Badger to First Comics, where the character appeared in a titular series until 1991.

Badger was mostly set in Madison, Wisconsin.  The lead character was Norbert Sykes, a Vietnam War veteran who suffered from multiple personalities.  Sykes' most dominant personality was “Badger,” a martial arts expert who had mastered untold numbers of “esoteric and arcane” martial arts.  Badger was also a self-styled crime fighter and costumed vigilante.

After First Comics, other Badger comic book titles were published by Dark Horse Comics, Image Comics, and IDW Publishing.  First Comics was recently revived as “1First Comics” and has united with Devil's Due Productions to form a joint publishing unit.  The new 1First Comics has also revived Badger.  The new Badger comic book series is written by Mike Baron; drawn by Jim Fern; colored by Paul Mounts; and lettered by Willie Schubert.

Badger #1 opens as Norbert Sykes enlists in the United States Army.  Eventually, Sykes is placed in the Army's “Explosive Ordinance Disposal” (a “bomb squad”), and is assigned a puppy that he names “Otis” as his partner.  Sykes and Otis eventually become an outstanding insurgent/terrorist-fighting duo, but the traumas and tragedies forces a different side of Norbert Sykes to the surface.

Over the years, I often wondered what happened to Mike Baron, who enjoyed some success as a writer at DC Comics and at Marvel Comics in the late 1980s and into the early 1990s.  After the late 1990s, he seemed to disappear from comic books, except on occasion when Nexus, a comic book series he created with artist Steve Rude, returned.  I think Baron wrote English script adaptations for manga published by Del Rey Manga.

I also occasionally thought about Badger, a comic book character I had enjoyed for a number of years.  Reading this new Badger #1 reminded that what I truly missed was Mike Baron writing Badger.  Baron has merely changed Norbert Sykes from a Vietnam vet to a veteran of the Global War on Terror (or whatever it is called).

Baron offers a Badger #1 that is an easy-to-digest origin issue.  In this gone-on-too-long age of “decompressed” comic book storytelling, Badger #1 is stunningly efficient, giving readers most of what they need to understand Norbert Sykes and to go forward with the series.  A reader could stop here and feel that he read a good single-issue story.  I don't know how long the new 1First Comics will last, but if this new Badger can be as inventive and as offbeat as the long-running 1980s series, we are in for a treat.

A-

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


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Review: HEROES IN CRISIS #1

HEROES IN CRISIS No. 1 (OF 9)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Tom King
ART: Clay Mann
COLORS: Tomeu Morey
LETTERS: Clayton Cowles
EDITOR: Jamie S. Rich
COVER: Clay Mann with Tomeu Morey
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: J.G. Jones with Paul Mounts; Francesco Mattina; Mark Brooks; Ryan Sook
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2018)

Rated “T+” for “Teen Plus”

Part 1: “I'm Just Warming Up”

Heroes in Crisis is a recently launched nine-issue event miniseries from DC Comics.  It is written by Tom King and drawn by Clay Mann, and finds the heroes of the DC Universe facing a crisis in the one place that they can find healing.  Colorist Tomeu Morey and letterer Clayton Cowles complete the Heroes in Crisis creative team.

Heroes in Crisis #1 (“I'm Just Warming Up”) opens at a small diner in rural Gordon, Nebraska.  Here, Booster Gold and Harley Quinn will engage in a bloody fight.  Meanwhile, the Trinity:  Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are racing to Sanctuary, an ultra-secret hospital for superheroes who have been traumatized by crime-fighting and cosmic combat.  Patients are winding up dead, and Gold and Quinn could be the reason.

Classic DC Comics prestige miniseries like Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen had killer first issues that had most readers coming back for more, some of them even chomping at the bits for the second issue.  Heroes in Crisis #1 is not a killer first issue, but readers will come back for more because that is the thing to do.

Sometimes, it seems as if comic book readers must read event comic books simply because they will be something different, if not better, than the status quo of the monthly and regularly published comic book series.  After all this is an event miniseries, and that is what many comic book readers do – come back for the second issue of the event.  If Heroes in Crisis does not live up to the hype fewer readers will come back for each succeeding issue, but many will see the series through to the end.

I can say that the art team of illustrator Clay Mann and colorist Tomeu Morey are delivering some absolutely beautiful art.  It's like eye candy!  This may also be Clay Mann's best work to date; at least, I think so.

I will read the second issue, but if you choose to ignore Heroes in Crisis...  Well, it won't be like missing out on Batman: The Dark Knight Returns or Watchmen.

5.5 out of 10

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


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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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Review: THE JETSONS #1

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

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

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

Rated “T” for “Teen”

“Meet the Jetsons”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6 out of 10

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


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

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Review: Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #1

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

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

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

Rated “T” for “Teen”

“Costume Drama” Part One

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4.5 out of 10

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


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

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Review: IMMORTAL HULK #1

IMMORTAL HULK #1 (Legacy #718)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Al Ewing
PENCILS: Joe Bennett
INKS: Ruy José
COLORS: Paul Mounts
LETTERS: VC's Cory Petit
EDITOR: Tom Brevoort
COVER: Alex Ross
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida
VARIANT COVERS: Clayton Crain; Kaare Andrews; Sal Buscema; Alfredo Alcala with Eber Evangelista; Dale Keown with Jason Keith
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (August 2018)

Rated T+

Hulk created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee

“Or is He Both”

The Hulk is a Marvel Comics superhero and monster character.  Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, the Hulk first debuted in The Incredible Hulk #1 (cover dated: May 1962).  Hulk comic books have mostly covered two characters.  The first is Dr. Robert Bruce Banner (mostly referred to as “Bruce Banner”), a physically weak, socially withdrawn, and emotionally reserved, but brilliant physicist, who is exposed to gamma rays via the explosion of an experimental bomb.  This gamma ray exposure physically transforms Banner into the Hulk, a green-skinned (originally grey-skinned), hulking and muscular humanoid that possesses incredible super-strength.

Marvel Comics recently relaunched (again) its Hulk comic book franchise, and the result is the new series, Immortal Hulk.  It is written by Al Ewing; drawn by Joe Bennett (pencils) and Ruy José (inks); colored by Paul Mounts; and lettered by Cory Petit.

Immortal Hulk #1 (“Or is He Both”) opens somewhere in rural America (the desert southwest?).  Bruce Banner is caught up in a convenience story shooting and ends up dead along with two other people.  The man is dead, but is the monster?  Thomas Edward Hill is about to find out!

I had the pleasure of reading some early Hulk comics via a reprint collection.  I was struck by how much those first four years of Hulk comic books and appearances blended elements of science fiction, sci-fi B-movies, horror fiction, and monster stories.

Writer Al Ewing and artist Joe Bennett have come together to revive the darker elements of the Hulk IP and of the world of The Incredible Hulk.  Immortal Hulk #1 is a fantastic first issue, and it reminds me more of a horror comic book from an independent publisher (say Zenescope Entertainment) than it does a Marvel Comics title.  Bennett's compositions blend with Ruy Jose's intricate and bejeweled inking and  Paul Mounts perfectly-tuned colors to create a moody, brooding horror comic book that seethes and rages to release the power of the monster contained within its covers.

And when the story explodes, the pages can barely contain its star, the Hulk, even the double-page spreads.  I hope Al Ewing has not merely teased us with a debut issue that will ultimately not reflect the overall tone of Immortal Hulk.  I don't mind the Avengers appearing in this series, but I hope it stays dark fantasy/horror, the way Alan Moore's Swamp Thing did even when the Justice League of America appeared in The Saga of the Swamp Thing #24 (cover dated: May 1984).

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: THE KAMANDI CHALLENGE #3

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

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

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

Rated “T” for Teen

Kamandi created by Jack Kirby

“Bug in Your Ear”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A-

[Afterword by Neal Adams]

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


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

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Review: CAGE! #4

CAGE! No. 4
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Genndy Tartakovsky
PENCILS: Genndy Tartakovsky
INKS: Stephen DeStefano
COLORS: Scott Wills
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Genndy Tartakovsky and Stephen DeStefano with Scott Wills
VARIANT COVER: Art Adams with Paul Mounts
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2017)

Rated T+

Luck Cage created by Archie Goodwin and John Romita, Sr.

Luke Cage is a Marvel Comics superhero.  Also known as, “Power Man,” Cage was created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., and first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (cover dated: June 1972).  Cage was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, but he eventually gained superpowers in the form of durability, unbreakable skin, and superhuman strength.

As Power Man, Cage has been most associated with another superhero, his partner, Iron Fist (Daniel “Danny” Rand).  However, Cage has also been a solo act (as has Iron Fist).  As part Marvel Comics' latest publishing event/initiative, NOW!, we have the new four-issue comic book miniseries, Cage!  It is written by Genndy Tartakovsky; drawn by Tartakovsky (pencils) and Stephen DeStefano (inks); colored by Scott Wills; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Tartakovsky is the creator of the Cartoon Network animated classics, “Dexter's Laboratory” (also “Dexter's Lab”) and “Samurai Jack,” and the animated film franchise, Hotel Transylvania (Sony Pictures Animation).  Tartakovsky, who has occasionally produced comic books, returns to the medium with his distinctive take on Luke Cage-Power Man, giving this new comic book a 1970s pop culture and blaxploitation vibe.

Cage! opens in New York City, 1977.  Cage heads to Chinatown for a rendezvous with his lady, Misty Knight.  When she doesn't show, Cage starts looking for answers and discovers that heroes from all over NYC are disappearing.  After he is kidnapped, Cage meets the villain behind the kidnappings, Professor Soos.  Soos has concocted some crazy Island of Dr. Moreau plan to have the kidnapped heroes fight the abominable animal hybrids he has created.

Cage! #4 opens on a mysterious island of an unknown locale.  Deep beneath its beautiful and thick jungle is the lair of Prof. Soos.  Cage, forced to fight, is successful against Soos' man-animal monsters.  The other kidnapped heroes, like Dazzler and Brother Voodoo, are not.  Cage's victories, however, do not earn him freedom or even a cash prize!  His success only means that he now has to fight the ultimate opponent, one who is a shockingly skilled martial artist.

If Marvel Comics' continuity is important to you, dear reader, don't take Cage! seriously in terms of Marvel continuity.  It is a special, event miniseries, but Genny Tartakovsky has created a comic book that is a love letter to and good-natured spoof of Marvel Comics titles published during the mid to late 1970s.  You can tell by which superheroes make appearances and which costumes they wear.

I love Cage!, and I wish that it were an ongoing series.  I know, however, that what makes it special is that it is a short-term event.  Cage! recalls classic Luke Cage-Power Man and also the spirit of one the recurring characters on “Dexter's Laboratory,” “Action Hank.”  Hank is the stereotypical blaxploitation character as a heroic crime fighter and a television action hero.  Hank has characteristics that borrow from popular 1970s and 80s action heroes like Shaft and Rambo and iconic actors like Chuck Norris and Mr. T.  Genndy's Luke Cage reminds me of Action Hank, and that is a good thing.

In the end, Cage! is the kind of comic book that I would have loved to have read as a child.  It gives me that feeling of joy and wonder that keeps me reading through the comic books that can't quite give me that feeling of joy and wonder.

A

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


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

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Review: REBORN #1

REBORN No. 1
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Mark Millar – @mrmarkmillar
PENCILS: Greg Capullo
INKS: Jonathan Glapion
COLORS: FCO Plascencia
LETTERS: Nate Piekos of Blambot
COVER: Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion with FCO Plascencia
VARIANT COVERS: Greg Capullo; Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion with FCO Plascencia; Jock; Frank Cho with Laura Martin; John Cassady with Paul Mounts; Todd McFarlane with FCO Plascencia
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S. (November 2015)

Rated M / Mature

Reborn is a new comic book miniseries from Mark Millar and Greg Capullo.  An action-fantasy, Reborn is set in a world where people go to fight for survival... after they die!   Reborn is written by Millar; drawn by Capullo (pencils) and Jonathan Glapion (inks); colored by FCO Plascencia; and lettered by Nate Piekos.

Reborn #1 opens in Minneapolis, 2002, the scene of a tragedy.  In 2016, we meet Bonnie Black, a 78-year-old woman intimately connected to that tragedy.  She believes that she is very close to the end of her life, and that death will come like a light being switched off.  But there is another life waiting for her, and that life may not be lived in Heaven or Hell.

For me, Mark Millar's creator-owned miniseries are hit (Kick-Ass, Empress) or miss (Huck).  So far, I think Reborn is leaning towards hit.  Its central conceit – that people go somewhere after death where their past (the good, the bad, and the ugly) await them – is creepy, but intriguing.  I am sure that Millar has even crazier stuff to reveal beyond Reborn #1, so I am ready for more.

Artist Greg Capullo is good in his first substantial post-New 52 Batman work.  So he can draw something other than Batman!  He mixes real-world-styled compositions with video game faux-reality with ease, but his storytelling in the fantasy world is a bit muddled.  That can be fixed in future issues, which I intend to read... and maybe tell you about.

www.millarworld.tv

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

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Review: GENERATIONS: Iron Man & Ironheart #1

GENERATIONS: IRON MAN & IRONHEART No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis
PENCILS: Marco Rudy, Szymon Kudranski, and Nico Leon
INKS: Syzmon Kudranski, Will Sliney, Scott Koblish, and Nico Leon
COLORS: Marco Rudy, Dean White, and Paul Mounts
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Skan
VARIANT COVERS: Marco Rudy; Olivier Coipel with Laura Martin; Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers with Paul Mounts and Joe Frontirre
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (November 2017)

Rated T+

Iron Man created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck, and Jack Kirby

“The Iron”

Generations is an event miniseries from Marvel Comics.  It is a planned 10-issue anthology, published weekly.  Each issue is written and drawn by a different creative team, and each issue will feature a different team-up of a classic Marvel superhero with his or her modern-day counterpart.  The series is meant to unite the legacy of classic Marvel Comics characters with the next generation of heroes as both move into the future of Marvel Comics storytelling.

The sixth issue is Generations: Iron Man & Ironheart, which brings together two versions of a classic Marvel Comics character, Iron Man.  The first is the classic Iron Man, also known as Tony Stark, who first appeared in Tales of Suspense #39 (cover date: March 1963).  The second is Ironheart, who is Riri Williams, a teen prodigy and genius engineer.  This issue of Generations is written by Brian Michael Bendis; drawn by Marco Rudy, Szymon Kudranski, and Nico Leon (pencils) and Syzmon Kudranski, Will Sliney, Scott Koblish, and Nico Leon; colored by Marco Rudy, Dean White, and Paul Mounts; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Generations: Iron Man & Ironheart #1 (“The Iron”) opens with Ironheart experiencing free fall in a darkened sky.  Riri soon discovers that much of the tech and many of the features of her Ironheart suit do not function well or do not fuction at all.  Riri realizes that she is somewhere else, but she cannot believe that she is in the future.  She does not want to believe it when she meets some strange Avengers.  She still does not want to believe it when she meets this world's Sorcerer Supreme – Tony Stark!  He is going to show her a far-flung future of possibilities for her.

It took me six issues of Generations, so it is Generations: Iron Man & Ironheart #1 that convinces me that Generations has a running theme that revolves around mentors and mentorship, teachers and teachable moments, father-figures and mother-figures, and even predecessors.  Some entries in Generation do it better than others, but every issue has at least one moment in which one character stands as an example for another.

Generations: Iron Man & Ironheart #1 is, thus far, the best of series, which is what I said about the Hawkeye Generations last week.  So I am surprised by how much Generations: Iron Man & Ironheart #1 affected me.  It is philosophical; almost spiritual in an odd way.  This is written by Brian Michael Bendis, so there is a lot of conversation between future Tony Stark-Sorcerer Supreme (who popped up in two recent issues of Bendis and Alex Maleev's Infamous Iron Man) and Riri Williams.

Many comic book people (with agendas) have blamed Marvel Comics' recent sales slump on “diversity” characters, with Riri Williams probably being the most notorious.  Generations: Iron Man & Ironheart #1 can be read as Bendis' manifesto, one that says... no declares... that Riri ain't going nowhere.  She isn't disappearing because she is the future.

Generations: Iron Man & Ironheart #1 has a large art team of seven artists and colorists, but they are what makes Bendis' story work.  The design of these pages have a funky flower child/love generation appearance that reminds me of Neal Adams' classic X-Men run, J.H. Williams, III's art for Alan Moore's Promethea, and Jon J. Muth's art for the old Marvel/Epic Comics' Moonshadow.  These different artists and art teams come together to create a 30-page story in which disparate visual styles actually become a seamless visual poem that flows like a perfectly written pop song.

Make mine Marvel.  This is what Generations: Iron Man & Ironheart #1 convinces me I should do.  We can have new versions of classic Marvel characters.  We can have both – the originals and the new ones.  Here, Tony Stark encourages Riri Williams to reach for the stars, so we can have both characters in Iron Man armor.  Yes, we can.

A
9 out of 10

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


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

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Review: GENERATIONS: The Unworthy Thor & The Mighty Thor #1

GENERATIONS: THE UNWORTHY THOR & THE MIGHTY THOR No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Jason Aaron
ARTIST: Mahmud Asrar
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: VC's Joe Sabino
COVER: Mahmud Asrar with Jordie Bellaire
VARIANT COVERS: Olivier Coipel with Jason Keith; Das Pastoras; Alex Ross; Jack Kirby with Paul Mounts; Dale Keown with Jason Keith
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (October 2017)

Rated T+

Thor created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby

“The Thunder”

Generations is Marvel Comics' current event miniseries.  It is a planned 10-issue anthology, published weekly.  Each issue is written and drawn by a different creative team, and each issue will feature a different team-up of a classic Marvel superhero with his or her modern-day counterpart.  The series is meant to unite the legacy of classic Marvel Comics characters with the next generation of heroes as both move into the future of Marvel Comics storytelling.

The fourth issue is Generations: The Unworthy Thor & The Mighty Thor, which brings together two versions of a classic Marvel Comics character, Thor.  The first is the classic Odinson, Thor, first introduced in Journey into Mystery #83 (cover date:  August 1962), and is now known as “The Unworthy Thor.”  The second is the new Thor, Jane Foster.  Once she was the love interest of Dr. Donald Blake (who was once Thor... so to speak).  Now, Foster is known as “The Mighty Thor.”  This issue of Generations is written by Jason Aaron; drawn by Mahmud Asrar; colored by Jordie Bellaire; and lettered by Joe Sabino.

Generations: The Unworthy Thor & The Mighty Thor #1 (“The Thunder”) opens “many years ago” in the “Weapons Hall” of Asgard, the home of the Norse god, Odin, and his subjects, the Asgardians.  Odin's son is trying to lift the enchanted hammer, “Mjolnir.”  Thor is rebuked by his father for his efforts, and is commanded to take on his princely duties.  The son of Odin, however, cannot resist the call/prayers of his followers on Midgard (Earth).  Before long he is leading them into battle against a familiar supervillain and is also facing a rival for Mjolnir.

The purpose of Generations: Banner Hulk & Totally Awesome Hulk #1 was for Bruce Banner to tell the Totally Awesome Hulk/Amadeus Cho that he would not be able to escape all the tragic aspects of the curse of the Hulk.  Generations: Phoenix & Jean Grey found two women reluctant and/or incapable of telling each other everything they knew about the curse of The Phoenix

Generations: Wolverine & All-New Wolverine #1 is mainly just a slice-and-dice Wolverine adventure featuring the classic Wolverine and the All-New Wolverine – a well-executed Wolverine slice-and-dice story.  Like the Wolverine tale, Generations: The Unworthy Thor & The Mighty Thor #1 is merely a Thor fight comic book featuring two Thors.  It is pointless.  If writer Jason Aaron wanted to emphasize that two beings want possession of Mjolnir and want to be THE Thor, well, he is already doing that in the current Thor comic book.

With Generations, Marvel Comics runs the risk of publishing several issues of an event comic book that read like nothing more than, at behest, mediocre, “Annuals,” published for the sake of being published, or, at worst, filler material.  Once upon a time, there were a lot of comic book writers who could pull off an exemplary stand-alone tale in 30 pages.  Alan Moore springs to mind, but many of the top comics scribes of the 1960s and 1970s could have delivered something better than what Aaron delivers in Generations: The Unworthy Thor & The Mighty Thor #1.

Now, I must say that the art here is beautiful.  It is the best work by Mahmud Asrar that I have ever seen.  He is a rapidly growing talent, and here, he gives the hackwork story TLC that it does not deserve.  Jordie Bellaire does a stellar coloring job on Asrar's compositions.  Leave it to Jordie; she'll color the shittiness right of a mediocre comic book, and she just about does that here.  Asrar and Bellaire are the reasons I am not giving Generations: The Unworthy Thor & The Mighty Thor #1 a really low grade.

B
6 out of 10

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


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

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Review: GENERATIONS: Banner Hulk & Totally Awesome Hulk #1

GENERATIONS: BANNER HULK & TOTALLY AWESOME HULK No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Greg Pak
ARTIST: Matteo Buffagni
COLORS: Dono Sanchez-Almara
LETTERS: VC's Cory Petit
COVER: Jorge Molina
VARIANT COVERS: Matteo Buffagni; John Cassaday with Paul Mounts; Greg Horn; Dale Keown with Jason Keith; Francesco Mattina; Alex Ross; Joe Vriens; Mike McKone with Andy Troy
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (October 2017)

Rated T+

Hulk created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee

“The Strongest”

Generations is a ten-issue anthology, weekly comic book series published by Marvel Comics.  Each issue is written and drawn by a different creative team, and each issue will feature a different team-up of a classic Marvel superhero with his or her modern-day counterpart.  The series is meant to unite the legacy of classic Marvel Comics characters with the next generation of heroes as both move into the future of Marvel Comics storytelling.

The first issue is Generations: Banner Hulk & Totally Awesome Hulk which brings together the classic Hulk who is Bruce Banner and the new Totally Awesome Hulk, who is the genius Amadeus Cho.  This comic book is written by Greg Pak; drawn by Matteo Buffagni; colored by Dono Sanchez-Almara; and lettered by Cory Petit.

Generations: Banner Hulk & Totally Awesome Hulk #1 (“The Strongest”) opens as Amadeus Cho, the Hulk, lands in Death Valley.  He was just in Washington D.C., so why is he here?  It must be to meet that other Hulk, not but several yards from him and fighting a pitched battle against a heavily-armed military unit.  These soldiers are throwing everything at this Hulk, who turns out to be Banner Hulk, but isn't Bruce Banner dead?!

Halfway through Generations: Banner Hulk & Totally Awesome Hulk #1, I thought, “What's the point of this?”  Most of this comic book is one huge battle that occasionally shifts settings or adds a new player.  At some point in the story, the point Greg Pak is trying to make becomes clear.  There may be a new Hulk, but he can't escape the legacy of the original Hulk.

Bruce Banner has a message for Amadeus Cho, something along the lines of “Young blood, you don't know me, and you know the Hulk even less.”  Maybe, Marvel Comics is sticking by its new Totally Awesome Hulk.  [Cue the diversity complaints!]  Still, the classic Hulk's conflicts, motivations, dilemmas, trials and tribulations remain.  Amadeus Cho Hulk has 99 problems and the Hulk is all of them, or, at least, time will tell.

So Generations: Banner Hulk & Totally Awesome Hulk #1 is not a pointless event comic book, cynically meant to separate gullible fans from their money.  The fan can be a reader this time.  This is not a great comic book by any means, but it bridges the past and the future in a way that genuinely speaks to what is unique about our favorite incredible, rampaging, rage monster, the Hulk.

B+
7.5 out of 10

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


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

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Review: DEFENDERS #1

DEFENDERS No. 1 (2017)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted in Patreon.]

STORY: Brian Michael Bendis
ART: David Marquez
COLORS: Justin Ponsor
LETTERS: VC's Corey Petit
MISC. ART: Michael Gaydos with Matt Hollingworth; Mike Mayhew; Olivier Coipel and Mark Morales with Jose Villarrubia; Jason Latour; Dave Cockrum and Rich Buckler with Paul Mounts; Lenil Francis Yu
COVER: David Marquez with Justin Ponsor
VARIANT COVERS: Jack Kirby, John Verpoorten and Paul Mounts with Joe Frontirre; Ron Lim with Rachelle Rosenberg; David Mack; Alex Maleev; Neal Adams with Paul Mounts; Skottie Young
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (August 2017)

Rated T+

The Defenders is a Marvel Comics superhero team.  The original version of the team first appeared in the comic book, Marvel Feature #1 (cover dated:  December 1971).  The team's original lineup included the characters Doctor Strange, Hulk, and Namor.  Since that time, there have been several versions of the team with differing and fluctuating memberships, and differing mission statements from team to team.

Now, Marvel Comics is introducing a new version in the new comic book series, Defenders.  It is written by Brian Michael Bendis; drawn by David Marquez; colored by Justin Ponsor; and lettered by Corey Petit.  The members of the Defenders are Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist – the lineup that will be featured in the Marvel/Netflix series, “Defenders.”

Defenders #1 opens with the return of a villain that was supposed to be dead, Diamondback.  He is determined to prove to everyone that the streets of New York City are his.  When he launches an attack on a Defender, he gets to prove just how formidable he is, but is it enough?

I remember reading The Defenders comic book series in the 1980s, and it was terrible.  I kept reading it because I thought that it had the kind of characters that could yield a really good comic book, but it never did, in my estimation.  I abandoned it, and never read a Defenders comic book again – not even Secret Defenders... until now.

I believe in Brian Michael Bendis, so that is why I picked up this new Defenders comic book.  Plus, Bendis is working with artist David Marquez, with whom Bendis produced a nice run on Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man and on Invincible Iron Man.  So how is the latest Bendis-Marquez joint?

I like it, but not for the reasons you might normally guess, dear reader.  I like this depiction of Diamondback.  I am intrigued by everything about him – his character, his motivations, his machinations.  I can't say that I particularly care about these individual Defenders, at least not yet, but I'm sure that Bendis will work on that.  If there is one thing he does very well, it is produce page after page of dialogue, philosophizing, blather, rumination, etc. that make for great character probing.

Marquez's satiny compositions and Justin Ponsor's rich colors hit the eyes with milk shake smoothness.  The mood of the story constantly shifts, however, and the character drama seems to meander.  Where Marquez and Ponsor really shine is on Diamondback.  The art makes you believe he is every bit as bad-ass as Luke Cage.

I am willing to follow this series for a bit because of my affinity for Bendis with Marquez, but I won't lie.  This is not standout material, overall, and I expected more from this team for a first issue.  But I want to see where Diamondback takes crusade.

B+
7.5 out of 10

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


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

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Review: INTERNATIONAL IRON MAN #1

INTERNATIONAL IRON MAN No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis
ART: Alex Maleev
COLORS: Paul Mounts
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Mike Deodato with Frank Martin
VARIANT COVERS: Gabriele Dell'Otto; Marco D'Alfonso; Skottie Young; John Tyler Christopher
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (May 2016)

Rated “T+”

I did not know that a few years ago it was revealed that Tony Stark was adopted as a baby by Howard and Maria Stark (in Iron Man #17 – 2013 series).  Tony's quest to uncover his legacy is at the heart of the new Iron Man comic book series, International Iron Man.  It is written by Brian Michael Bendis; drawn by Alex Maleev; colored by Paul Mounts; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Who is Tony Stark, really?  International Iron Man #1 begins the quest to discover the answer to that question.  The story opens with Iron Man in Sofia Bulgaria at the “Monument to the Soviet Army.”  He has just got his butt kicked.  His mind drifts back 20 years earlier when Tony was a student at the University of Cambridge.  That is where he met Cassandra Gillespie, a mysterious young woman from an even more mysterious family that is marked for death.

I have never been a big fan of Iron Man, not the way I heart for Spider-Man (Parker and Morales), Batman (and Robin), and certain X-Men.  One Iron Man book is enough for me, and that one is currently Invincible Iron Man, which is also written by Brian Michael Bendis.  I guess this is my way of saying that I did not feel particularly moved by this first issue of International Iron Man.

Bendis and Alex Maleev are remembered for their run on Daredevil last decade, so fans of that comic book may rejoice at the chance to see if this team can do for Iron Man what it did for that book.  I wouldn't know what they did, as I have never read a single issue of the Bendis-Maleev Daredevil.

So I'm coming from a place of ignorance in some ways.  Apparently, Doctor Doom will play a part in this series, and while traveling the globe, Iron Man will discover things about the Marvel Universe that he did not know existed.  I'm kinda intrigued.  I may keep reading International Iron Man, but I won't go out of my way.  So how is that for a review?

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


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

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Review: THE HELLBLAZER #2

THE HELLBLAZER #2
DC COMICS – @DCComics

WRITER: Simon Oliver
ARTIST: Moritat
COLORS: Andre Szymanowicz
LETTERS: Sal Cipriano
COVER: Moritat
VARIANT COVER: John Cassaday with Paul Mounts
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (November 2016)

Rated “T+” for “Teen Plus”

John Constantine created by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, and John Totleben and Jamie Delano & John Ridgway

“The Poison Truth” Part 2

DC Comic's new publishing event/initiative (entitled “Rebirth”) offers the fourth John Constantine comic book series, The Hellblazer.  It is written by Simon Oliver; drawn by Moritat; colored by Andre Szymanowicz; and lettered by Sal Cipriano.

The Hellblazer #2 (“The Poison Truth” Part 2) opens with two old friends discussing the good, bad, and awful in the box of deplorable that is John Constantine.  Speaking of the devil, Constantine is being kicked out of his “temporary” shelter, but he has other things on his mind.  He is back in London, and his welcome-me-home gift to the city was bringing it to the edge of destruction.  So why hasn't anyone from the London Underworld contacted him any in manner?  He hopes to get answers from an old (old) friend, Clarice Sackville, but she is speaking the language of English romantic poets.

First, I have to admit that I was and still am a big fan of Constantine: The Hellblazer simply because the 13-issue series brought John back to form, but had him hell-raising and -blazing in the good old U.S. of A.  So, it is not as if The Hellblazer is the return to some lost form, but returning John to his original stomping grounds makes The Hellblazer quite formidable.

I did read the one-shot The Hellblazer: Rebirth, and I pretended to like it a lot more than I really did.  I did not read The Hellblazer #1, but even reading only issue #2, it is clear to me that this could be a damn good read.  I say that because The Hellblazer #2 is a damn fine read.  Writer John Oliver's script recalls the best years of John, and artist Moritat's eclectic line work and  Andre Szymanowicz's watercolor-like hues infuse the story with supernatural atmospherics.

I think The Hellblazer will cast some old black magic on comic book readers.

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


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

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Review: INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN (2015) No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis
ART: David Marquez
COLORS: Justin Ponsor
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: David Marquez with Justin Ponsor
VARIANT COVERS: Adi Granov, Ryan Stegman with Richard Isanove; Sara Pichelli with Jason Keith; Mahmud Asrar with Sonia Oback; Valerio Schiti with Jason Keith; Nick Bradshaw with Paul Mounts; Bruce Timm; Skottie Young; Brian Stelfreeze; John Tyler Christopher; Yasmine Putri; Dale Oliver photographed by Judy Stephens
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2015)

Rated “T+”

I was very happy with the most recent “new” Iron Man comic book series, Superior Iron Man, that was launched in 2014 as part of Marvel Comics' “Avengers NOW!” initiative.  As part of the “All-New All-Different Marvel,” there is a new Iron Man comic book, and it is entitled Invincible Iron Man.  This new series is written by Brian Michael Bendis; drawn by David Marquez; colored by Justin Ponsor; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Bendis and Marquez were the creative team of the second Miles Morales Spider-Man comic book, and Invincible Iron Man was the title of an Iron Man (2008) comic book written by Matt Fraction and drawn by Salvador Larroca.  I loved me some Miles, but I did not read a single issue of the Fraction-Larroca Iron Man, although I still plan to do so.

Invincible Iron Man #1 opens with an former A.I.M. operative trying to make a deal with Madame Masque.  Meanwhile, Tony Stark is enjoying some shop time and finally finishes him newest armor, his best armor.  He will need this new suit as enemies old, new, and transformed step forward.

This breezy first issue of Invincible Iron Man makes it difficult to be particularly critical or adoring of it.  But I do like it, and will read future issues.  I enjoy the Bendis-Marquez team, and if this first issue is any indication, I will enjoy this duo again.  Still, I don't know if this Iron Man comic book will be a particularly memorable one, which is something I can say about Superior Iron Man.  Knowing Bendis, I should have an idea soon.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Review: Star Wars LANDO #5

LANDO No. 5
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Charles Soule
ART: Alex Maleev
COLORS: Paul Mounts
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: Alex Maleev
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2015)

Rated T

“Part V”

Lando Calrissian, the first Star Wars character portrayed onscreen by a Black man (Oscar-nominated actor, Billy Dee Williams), got his first solo comic book series in the year 2015... yeah.  After a cumulative three decades of Star Wars comic books, no Lando, no Black man.  The title, launched early this past summer, was Lando, written by Charles Soule, drawn by Alex Maleev, colored by Paul Mounts, and lettered by Joe Caramagna.  You can't have everything, as they say; no African-American comics creators participated in Lando's creation.  Sigh.

Lando begins with gambler, hustler, ladies' man, businessman, etc., Lando Calrissian, trying to pay off a huge past debt.  Lando and his longtime cohort, Lobot, led a team of alien clone warriors, Aleksin and Pavol, and antiquity specialist, Sava Korin Pers, in the heist of “The Imperialis,” an Imperial Luxury yacht.  What they did not know is that the yacht is the personal property of Emperor Palpatine, and it contains a treasure horde of Jedi and Sith artifacts.  Meanwhile, the Emperor sends bounty hunter, Chanath Cha, to deal with the situation.  She has past with Lando and Lobot...

As Lando #5 (“Part V”) opens, Lando is trying to make a deal with Chanath, while she prepares to blow up the Imperialis.  He is desperate to help the grievously injured Lobot and also still salvage something from this heist.  Deals will be made, but the people who turn out to be loyal and those who turn out to be backstabbers will surprise Lando.

After reading Lando #1, I was pleased with the art by Alex Maleev.  I found that, in terms of design and graphic style, the comic book looked like The Empire Strikes Back.  For me, Alex Maleev's art on Lando recalled the work of legendary comic book artist, Al Williamson, who drew Marvel Comics' six-issue adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back (published in issues #39 to 44 of Marvel's original Star Wars comic book series).  Even colorist Paul Mounts seemed to have The Empire Strikes Back's color palette in mind as he colored Maleev's original art for Lando #1.  Nothing has changed.  To the end, Lando is still a great looking comic book.

As for Charles Soule's story and script for the first issue, I thought there was potential for an excellent Star Wars comic book.  Indeed, it has worked out that way.  In fact, the heist has many exciting twists and turns that had me eagerly awaiting each issue.  I always read Lando first on new comics day.

I think Soule also presented an exceptional character study of Lando, creating the complex and fascinating guy we've always known to be there behind what we were given in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi (1983).  Relatively speaking, there wasn't much depicted onscreen about his personality (beyond his guile and beguiling ways), nor was there much about his hopes, dreams, and inner demons.  Soule gave that to us with Lando.  I hope we get more.  No fan of Star Wars comic books should miss Lando.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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