I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).
Monday, June 20, 2011
Tenge Tenjo: Enter Todo High
I read Tenjo Tenge, Vol. 1: Full Contact Edition 2-in-1
I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).
I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).
Sunday, June 19, 2011
I Reads You Review: STATIC SHOCK SPECIAL 1
DC COMICS
WRITERS: Felicia D. Henderson; Matt Wayne
PENCILS: Denys Cowan; John Paul Leon
INKS: Rodney Ramos, Prentis Rollins, and John Stanisci; John Paul Leon
COLORIST: Lee Loughridge; Noelle Giddings
LETTERS: Dave Sharpe
PIN-UPS: Keron Grant, Jamal Igle with Guy Major, Eric Battle with John Kalisz, John Rozum, and Derec Donovan
TEXT: Michael Davis, Derek T. Dingle
COVER: J.H. Williams, III
44pp, Color, $2.99 U.S.
Released to comic book shops about two weeks ago, Static Shock Special 1 (cover dated August 2011) is more than just another comic book featuring the most popular Milestone Comics character, Static. Static Shock Special (hopefully the first of many Milestone specials) is also a memorial to Dwayne McDuffie.
McDuffie, a longtime comic book writer for DC Comics and Marvel Comics (where he was also an editor), died earlier this year in February. McDuffie’s death seems like a blow to diversity in comic books – meaning more African-American characters and creators, particularly writers. It was a heartrending loss to me, as I’d always hoped to one day work with McDuffie.
McDuffie, along with artist Denys Cowan, writers Michael Davis, and Derek T. Dingle, created Milestone Media and the Dakota Universe, a comics universe that included characters like Static, Hardware, Icon, and Blood Syndicate, among others. Milestone Media also created the Milestone comics imprint, which was published through DC Comics. Despite producing some good and, in some cases, brilliant comics, Milestone found the direct sales comics market hostile to it (for various reasons). Within four years, Milestone was no longer producing comic books. You can’t keep a great thing down, and Milestone Comics lives on with the Dakota Universe characters folded into the DC Universe proper.
Death and remembrance and legacy and legend are the prominent themes and ideas in Static Shock Special 1. The opening story is by Felicia D. Henderson (story) and Denys Cowan (pencil art). The issue begins with Virgil Ovid Hawkins AKA Static, waiting by the gates of River Green State Penitentiary. Virgil’s uncle, Teshomé Gabriel Hawkins (his father’s older brother), is being freed after spending a decade in prison for several murders that he did not commit.
As Teshomé tells his nephew, “A Black man’s never free,” so Static takes on an old prison rival who wants to kill Teshomé. His name is Blinder, a “bang baby” (someone who gained superpowers during the Big Bang event that gave Virgil his powers). It’s Static to the rescue, but even his powers can’t stop a tragic turn of events.
Also, Static and the young heroine, Rocket, join Dwayne McDuffie in a defiant memorial from writer Matt Wayne and artist John Paul Leon. It’s the best two-page comic I’ve read in a long time.
Felicia D. Henderson’s Static tale captures everything that made Static unique, fun to read, and socially relevant – from the social commentary (Teshomé’s plight and fate) to Static’s matchless superhero style. Denys Cowan remains a brilliant visual stylist and skillful comics storyteller. Here, Cowan captures the Kirbyesque energy of super-powered fights, the cool but simmering defiance of the hero, and the cold-bloodied injustice of the just-ice… I mean justice system. Henderson and Cowan left me wanting more.
You may find Michael Davis and Derek T. Dingle’s text pieces informative, and they are. They suggest, however, that the best parts of the stories of Milestone Media and Dwayne McDuffie are yet to be told.
A
[This comic book contains a bonus comic insert, a tie-in with the movie Super 8. It is written by Peter Tomasi, drawn and colored by Tommy Lee Edwards, and lettered by John Workman, with a cover by Alex Ross.]
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Dark Horse to Give Away Buffy and More at ALA in New Orleans
DARK HORSE TO GIVE AWAY A COMPLETE BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER GRAPHIC-NOVEL LIBRARY AT NEXT WEEK’S ALA CONFERENCE
JUNE 17, MILWAUKIE, OR—This past April at the Texas Library Association event in Austin, Texas, Dark Horse partnered with Graphic Novel Reporter and Brodart to give away a selection of titles to the Weslaco Public Library, facilitated by Diamond Book Distributors. In total, the library received over seven hundred hand-selected titles from fifteen different publishers.
Dark Horse is proud to again take part in a similar giveaway at the American Library Association conference in New Orleans next week. This special giveaway, open to all attending public and school librarians, will include every Buffy the Vampire Slayer graphic novel from Dark Horse’s successful line. The winning library will receive over seven hundred hand-selected graphic novels in total, as well as fixtures and furniture. The prizes, including shelving, spinner racks, and more, will be displayed in the Great Graphic Novel Library Giveaway booth, #1760. The sign-up period will be during ALA exhibit hours on Friday, June 24, through Sunday, June 26.
The entire display, worth over $20,000, will be awarded to the winning library with a drawing that will take place at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, June 27, in booth #1760. The contest is open to public, school, and academic librarians within the continental United States. ALA attendees must register in person at the Great Graphic Novel Library booth during the show. One hundred semifinalists will be notified on Sunday evening and the winner must be present to accept the prize.
All attending librarians are also encouraged to visit Dark Horse in booth #1740, part of the Diamond Book Distributors display, for an exciting look at our fall titles!
JUNE 17, MILWAUKIE, OR—This past April at the Texas Library Association event in Austin, Texas, Dark Horse partnered with Graphic Novel Reporter and Brodart to give away a selection of titles to the Weslaco Public Library, facilitated by Diamond Book Distributors. In total, the library received over seven hundred hand-selected titles from fifteen different publishers.
Dark Horse is proud to again take part in a similar giveaway at the American Library Association conference in New Orleans next week. This special giveaway, open to all attending public and school librarians, will include every Buffy the Vampire Slayer graphic novel from Dark Horse’s successful line. The winning library will receive over seven hundred hand-selected graphic novels in total, as well as fixtures and furniture. The prizes, including shelving, spinner racks, and more, will be displayed in the Great Graphic Novel Library Giveaway booth, #1760. The sign-up period will be during ALA exhibit hours on Friday, June 24, through Sunday, June 26.
The entire display, worth over $20,000, will be awarded to the winning library with a drawing that will take place at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, June 27, in booth #1760. The contest is open to public, school, and academic librarians within the continental United States. ALA attendees must register in person at the Great Graphic Novel Library booth during the show. One hundred semifinalists will be notified on Sunday evening and the winner must be present to accept the prize.
All attending librarians are also encouraged to visit Dark Horse in booth #1740, part of the Diamond Book Distributors display, for an exciting look at our fall titles!
M.J. Butler and Mark Wheatley Present "Skultar"
JUNE 16, MILWAUKIE, OR —Sometimes the finest works in art and literature are those of parody. Such is the case with Skultar, a new comic from M. J. Butler and Eisner Award–winning artist Mark Wheatley (Black Hood, Lone Justice, Mars).
In an age before recorded history, in a brutal world ruled by myth, magic, and monsters, a hero rises to fight for the oppressed. His name is Skultar. Unfortunately, he dies shortly after our story begins . . .
In his place, another rises up to be mistaken for Skultar, to claim the riches and reputation his legend brings. Similar to Skultar in strength, and nothing else, he nevertheless must stumble his way through his adventures, aided by Skultar’s right-hand man. If Skultar’s enemies ever find out he’s an impostor, nothing would stop them from imposing their dark rule over all the lands.
Born into slavery, trained as a warrior, it is his destiny to rule a kingdom by his own hand.
It’s just a stolen destiny.
Now, this forlorn hero comes to the celebrated Dark Horse anthology in its seventh issue.
Mark Wheatley takes his parody seriously. “I think the best humor grows out of a true love for the source material—and I’ve been a fan of Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, C. L. Moore, and sword-and-sorcery stories for half an epoch! That doesn’t mean I can’t see where it gets silly! And trust me, Skultar is where it gets silly!”
Look for Skultar: The Unconquered in Dark Horse Presents #7, on sale this December!
Green Lantern Film Reviewed
I saw Green Lantern and posted a review at Negromancer. The movie has its moments, and it is visually striking, but way too noisy. The visual effects are mostly good, but some of them are surprisingly bad for a big budget flick from a major studio.
The script is bad, although, by the end, Green Lantern becomes the hero he is supposed to be in a rousing finale. Mark Strong is utterly wasted as Sinestro. Most of the characters are extraneous, and once again, the very talented Angela Bassett is way under-utilized.
So far, the box office looks good, perhaps coming in at $55 to $60 million for the weekend. This may be enough to get the studio to greenlight a sequel - hopefully with at least new writers.
The script is bad, although, by the end, Green Lantern becomes the hero he is supposed to be in a rousing finale. Mark Strong is utterly wasted as Sinestro. Most of the characters are extraneous, and once again, the very talented Angela Bassett is way under-utilized.
So far, the box office looks good, perhaps coming in at $55 to $60 million for the weekend. This may be enough to get the studio to greenlight a sequel - hopefully with at least new writers.
Friday, June 17, 2011
"Falling Skies" Comic Book Sells Out
June 15, MILWAUKIE, OR—With the highly anticipated launch of the TNT television show Falling Skies, the Falling Skies prequel graphic novel has completely sold out!
Dark Horse Comics began working with TNT a little under a year ago, publishing a free webcomic prequel to the television series. In the heart of Boston, following the devastating events of an alien invasion, history professor Tom Mason and his sons meet up with the Second Mass, a militia group determined to wipe out the aliens. But with the militia’s supplies running low, Tom must locate an old friend to equip him and his team in order to ensure the survival of the human race.
Falling Skies is from DreamWorks Television and stars Noah Wyle. Watch for the TNT original series debuting on Sunday, June 19!
About Dark Horse Comics
Since 1986, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent like Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Gerard Way, and comics legend Will Eisner, Dark Horse has developed such successful characters as the Mask, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Additionally, its highly successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Emily the Strange, Tim Burton, Trigun, Serenity, and Domo. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic-book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading publishers of licensed comics material.
"Green Lantern" Star Honors Military Dads
Warner Bros. and Ryan Reynolds Join Forces to Honor Military Dads
“Green Lantern” Star Flies by Miramar to Kick Off Father’s Day Weekend with Advance Screening
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ryan Reynolds, the star of Warner Bros. Pictures’ epic action adventure “Green Lantern,” made a special appearance at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar today to herald the opening of the new film and introduce an advance screening in the on-base Bob Hope Theater. In appreciation of our troops, he also announced that the Studio will be hosting Father’s Day weekend showings at 12 additional military bases around the country, in recognition of the “Joining Forces” campaign initiated by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden (www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces).
At today’s screening at Miramar, Reynolds announced that screenings will be held on Saturday, June 18, and Sunday, June 19, for the servicemen and women and military families who are currently stationed at Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard bases from coast to coast. Screenings will take place on either Saturday or Sunday at the following locations:
Army: Ft. Belvoir, Alexandria, Virginia; Ft. Campbell, Clarksville, Tennessee; and Ft. Huachuca, Sierra Vista, Arizona.
Air Force: F.E. Warren AFB, Cheyenne, Wyoming; Little Rock AFB, Jacksonville, Arkansas; and Seymour Johnson AFB, Goldboro, North Carolina.
Navy: NAS in Fallon, Nevada; NAF in El Centro, California; and NAS JRB in Fort Worth, Texas.
Marine Corps: MCAB in Yuma, Arizona; and MCAS in New River, North Carolina.
Coast Guard: USCG in Petaluma, California.
“Green Lantern” opens nationwide in 3D and 2D tomorrow, June 17, 2011.
About the Film:
In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, an elite, powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. Warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him the ability to create anything his mind can imagine. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan.
Bringing the enduringly popular superhero to the big screen for the first time, “Green Lantern” was directed by Martin Campbell, from a screenplay by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim and Michael Goldenberg, screen story by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim, based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.
“Green Lantern” stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett and Tim Robbins. The film was produced by Donald De Line and Greg Berlanti. Herbert W. Gains and Andrew Haas served as executive producers, with Lucienne Papon and Geoff Johns co-producing.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, a De Line Pictures production, “Green Lantern.” The film is being distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
“Green Lantern” has been rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action.
http://www.greenlantern.com/
“Green Lantern” Star Flies by Miramar to Kick Off Father’s Day Weekend with Advance Screening
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ryan Reynolds, the star of Warner Bros. Pictures’ epic action adventure “Green Lantern,” made a special appearance at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar today to herald the opening of the new film and introduce an advance screening in the on-base Bob Hope Theater. In appreciation of our troops, he also announced that the Studio will be hosting Father’s Day weekend showings at 12 additional military bases around the country, in recognition of the “Joining Forces” campaign initiated by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden (www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces).
At today’s screening at Miramar, Reynolds announced that screenings will be held on Saturday, June 18, and Sunday, June 19, for the servicemen and women and military families who are currently stationed at Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard bases from coast to coast. Screenings will take place on either Saturday or Sunday at the following locations:
Army: Ft. Belvoir, Alexandria, Virginia; Ft. Campbell, Clarksville, Tennessee; and Ft. Huachuca, Sierra Vista, Arizona.
Air Force: F.E. Warren AFB, Cheyenne, Wyoming; Little Rock AFB, Jacksonville, Arkansas; and Seymour Johnson AFB, Goldboro, North Carolina.
Navy: NAS in Fallon, Nevada; NAF in El Centro, California; and NAS JRB in Fort Worth, Texas.
Marine Corps: MCAB in Yuma, Arizona; and MCAS in New River, North Carolina.
Coast Guard: USCG in Petaluma, California.
“Green Lantern” opens nationwide in 3D and 2D tomorrow, June 17, 2011.
About the Film:
In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, an elite, powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. Warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him the ability to create anything his mind can imagine. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan.
Bringing the enduringly popular superhero to the big screen for the first time, “Green Lantern” was directed by Martin Campbell, from a screenplay by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim and Michael Goldenberg, screen story by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim, based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.
“Green Lantern” stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett and Tim Robbins. The film was produced by Donald De Line and Greg Berlanti. Herbert W. Gains and Andrew Haas served as executive producers, with Lucienne Papon and Geoff Johns co-producing.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, a De Line Pictures production, “Green Lantern.” The film is being distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
“Green Lantern” has been rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action.
http://www.greenlantern.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)