The New 52 Review: SUICIDE SQUAD #1

"Suicide solution?"

SUICIDE SQUAD #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Adam Glass
ARTISTS: Federico Dallocchio, Ransom Getty, and Scott Hanna
COLORS: Val Staples
LETTERS: Jared K. Fletcher
COVER: Ryan Benjamin
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S.

The DC Comics Universe has had two teams that have used the name, “Suicide Squad.” The first debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 (cover date August/September 1959) and was created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru.

The second Suicide Squad appeared in Legends #3 (cover date January 1987), the midpoint of the 1986 six-issue crossover miniseries. Created by John Ostrander, this was an anti-hero team of incarcerated super-villains that undertook high-risk, black ops missions in exchange for commuted prison sentences. With the re-launch of DC Comics’ superhero line, “The New 52,” there is a new Suicide Squad comic book series.

Suicide Squad #1 (“Kicked in the Teeth”) opens with Deadshot being tortured. How did we get here? Deadshot was imprisoned in Belle Reve Penitentiary, a prison for metahumans and super-villains. He and six other inmates: Black Spider, El Diablo, Harley Quinn, King Shark, Voltaic, and Savant were offered the chance to see daylight by joining Task Force X. There first mission was to extract a rogue agent. Now, they awaken to find themselves prisoners in a dank basement, and their captors want information and are willing to kill to get it.

Although I’ve known of Suicide Squad, I have never made the effort to read it, although I was at times curious. I’m glad that I tried this new Suicide Squad title. It’s something different in superheroes, and not just because the heroes are really convicts. Writer Adam Glass takes his anti-hero protagonists and isn’t afraid to grind them up, lay bare their crimes and shames, and always have them on the ropes. If Glass keeps up this pace, he will have, in Suicide Squad, a comic book that people will have no excuse not to read – other than that they can’t afford to purchase it or don’t want to steal it.

By the way, Ryan Benjamin’s gorgeous cover looks dangerous and the interior art strikes the perfect tone for this nitty gritty team book.

A-

September 14th
BATMAN AND ROBIN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/batman-and-robin-1.html
BATWOMAN #1 2.99
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/batwoman-1.html
DEMON KNIGHTS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/demon-knights-1.html
FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF SHADE #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/frankenstein-agent-of-shade-1.html
GREEN LANTERN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/green-lantern-1.html
GRIFTER #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/grifter-1.html
LEGION LOST #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/legion-lost-1.html
MISTER TERRIFIC #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/mister-terrific-1.html
RED LANTERNS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/red-lanterns-1.html
RESURRECTION MAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/resurrection-man-1.html
SUPERBOY #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/superboy-1.html

The New 52 Review: GRIFTER #1

GRIFTER #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Nathan Edmondson
PENCILS: CAFU
INKS: Jason Gorder
COLORS: Andrew Dalhouse
LETTERS: Wes Abbott
COVER: CAFU and Bit
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S.

Grifter was one of the superhero characters that debuted in WildC.A.T.s #1 (cover date August 1992), Image Comics founding partner Jim Lee’s first work published by the then newly-launched company. Created by Lee and Brandon Choi, Grifter is Cole Cash, an incredibly adept fighter who is an expert in hand-to-hand combat and with most weapons, especially guns. Grifter also has mental powers, which he rarely uses.

With the re-launch of DC Comics’ superhero line, “The New 52,” Grifter is the star of a new solo comic book series. As Grifter #1 (“17 Minutes”) opens, Cole Cash has arrived at Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans for what should be an easy getaway from his most recent con. Then, why does he end up falling from the plane? Meanwhile, Cole’s brother, Max, gets a special assignment that will lead to an explosive family reunion.

First, I have to say that Grifter series artist, CAFU, has a drawing style that reminds me of the art of Paul Gulacy, which I consider a very good thing. CAFU has a good sense of both style and design in the way he poses figures and composes the content of a panel. His art both moves the story and also conveys a set of emotions and ideas within the panel.

Writer Nathan Edmondson has certainly presented a fast-moving story that grips you both with what it reveals and with the questions it raises. Still, I think CAFU brings a unique visual style and graphic narrative method that will make Grifter more than just another new series.

A-

September 14th
BATMAN AND ROBIN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/batman-and-robin-1.html
BATWOMAN #1 2.99
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/batwoman-1.html
DEMON KNIGHTS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/demon-knights-1.html
FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF SHADE #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/frankenstein-agent-of-shade-1.html
GREEN LANTERN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/green-lantern-1.html
LEGION LOST #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/legion-lost-1.html
MISTER TERRIFIC #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/mister-terrific-1.html
RED LANTERNS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/red-lanterns-1.html
RESURRECTION MAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/resurrection-man-1.html
SUPERBOY #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/superboy-1.html

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

The New 52 Review: VOODOO #1

"...the Voodoo she do...:

VOODOO #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Ron Marz
ART: Sami Basri
COLORS: Jessica Kholinne
LETTERS: Jared K. Fletcher
COVER: Sami Basri and Sunny Gho
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S.

Voodoo is a female superhero character created by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi. She first appeared in WildC.A.T.s #1 (cover date August 1992), which was published by Image Comics. Voodoo is an alien Daemonite; she lives as Priscilla Kitaen. An exotic dancer, she uses telepathy and shapeshifting to gain information on human and metahumans.

With the re-launch of DC Comics’ superhero line, “The New 52,” Voodoo headlines her own self-titled comic book series. As Voodoo #1 (“Keeping Secrets”) opens, Voodoo is shaking her ass and working hard on a stripper pole at the Voodoo Lounge in New Orleans. Not only are horny men watching her, but also two special agents. One of them, Tyler Evans, decides to make a move on Voodoo, but she makes a bigger move on him.

The always reliable comic book scribe, Ron Marz, delivers on Voodoo #1. If I remember correctly, this is not the first time the character has had a solo series or miniseries, but Marz takes just 22 pages to maker her more interesting than she ever was as a Wildstorm pinup girl. Plus, Marz builds this story on a slow simmer until he finishes with a darn good explosive ending.

Marz’s clever script is turned into dazzling comic book art and graphic storytelling by Sami Basri (pencils/inks) and Jessica Kholinne (colors). Basri’s smooth line work shapes and forms tight compositions that offer superb figure drawing and simple but evocative backgrounds. Kholinne’s coloring gives depth and texture to the art, anchoring Basri’s slick line to the story and giving everything weight and substance.

I want another dance from Voodoo.

A-

September 28th
AQUAMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/aquaman-1.html
BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/batman-dark-knight-1.html
BLACKHAWKS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/blackhawks-1.html
FLASH #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/flash-1.html
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/justice-league-dark-1.html

Leroy Douresseaux on THE ART OF VAMPIRE KNIGHT: MATSURI HINO ILLUSTRATIONS

THE ART OF VAMPIRE KNIGHT: MATSURI HINO ILLUSTRATIONS
VIZ MEDIA

CARTOONIST: Matsuri Hino
TRANSLATION & ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4005-4; hardcover; Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
94pp, Color, $24.99 U.S., $28.99 CAN, £16.99 UK

Matsuri Hino is a Japanese manga artist or mangaka. She made her debut in 1995 with a one-shot manga. Her first series, Captive Hearts, which began publication in 1999, was about a young man bound to a teenaged girl via a family curse. Hino is now most famous as the creator of Vampire Knight.

Vampire Knight is a popular shojo manga that first appeared in January 2005 in LaLa magazine, a Japanese manga publication. Vampire Knight became a media franchise with the publication of light novels, video games, and two 13-episode anime series, among other things.

VIZ Media is Vampire Knight’s English-language publisher, releasing the series in a graphic novel format, beginning in 2006. The company recently published the 13th English volume of Vampire Knight (October 4th). VIZ Media published an English-language edition of the Vampire Knight Official Fanbook, a guide to the manga that is filled with illustrations, trivia, and general information.

VIZ Media also recently published The Art of Vampire Knight: Matsuri Hino Illustrations. Originally published in Japan in 2010, this hardcover, full-color book is exactly what the title declares on the cover: the art of Vampire Knight as presented through illustrations by Hino depicting characters from the Vampire Knight manga.

Vampire Knight is set at the private boarding school, Cross Academy, where there are two classes – the Day Class and the Night Class. The Day Class students are humans. When they return to their dorms at twilight, the Day Class doesn’t know that the Night Class students that are on their way to school are actually vampires. Vampire Knight’s main character is Yuki Cross, the adopted daughter of Headmaster Kainen Cross. Yuki’s earliest memory is of being attacked by a vampire.

There are two co-leads. One is Zero Kiryu, a human suffering the curse of the vampire. Yuki and Zero are Guardians at Cross Academy; they patrol the hallways and school grounds to protect the students of the Day Class from the vampires. The other co-lead is Kaname Kuran, a pureblood vampire who is the leader of the Night Class. Yuki is attracted to Kaname, and the two actually have a connection revealed later in the series.

Quite a bit of the movie Underworld (2003) takes place at the mansion of a vampire coven. Most of the vampires in the film are sleek and sexy; hair is cool platinum blonde or dark and sexy dangerous. They lounge around their posh estate, with its Gothic flourishes, in icy luxury.

The Art of Vampire Knight is a catalog of similar images. There are vampires in tuxedos, Goth-Loli girls, Victorian fashions, Pre-Raphaelite touches, etc. Actually, much of what Matsuri Hino presents is a blending of many styles, but an artist must take her influences and create something that is uniquely her own, even with its familiar elements. Hino has certainly done that.

The two-page spread on pp 40-41 is oddly familiar, with its wings-as-drapery, but Hino fans know this can only be Hino. Illustration meets fashion design, and the art of Vampire Knight is born. Vampire Knight fans, get this book. Clutch it to your bosoms. You might even want to… get down with it… so to speak.

A

The New 52 Review: FLASH #1

"Fast and Furious"

FLASH #1
DC COMICS

WRITERS: Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato
ARTIST: Francis Manapul
COLORS: Brian Buccellato
LETTERS: Sal Cipriano
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S.

The Flash is a comic book superhero created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert. Flash’s power is super-speed, which includes the ability to run, move extremely fast, and use superhuman reflexes. The original Flash (or Golden Age Flash, as the character is known) first appeared in Flash Comics #1 (cover date January 1940). He was Jay Garrick, a college student who gained his speed through the inhalation of hard water vapors.

The best known Flash, “the Silver Age Flash,” first appeared in Showcase #4 (cover date October 1956). He is police scientist Barry Allen, who gained super-speed when bathed by chemicals after a shelf of them was struck by lightning. Allen took the name of The Flash after reading a comic book featuring the Golden Age Flash, whom he’d later meet.

As Flash #1 opens, it seems as if everyone is at the Central City Technology Symposium. Barry Allen is in attendance with his colleague and close friend, Patty Spivot. When armed men crash the symposium, Barry springs into action as Flash only to discover the involvement of an old friend – an old friend with a perplexing problem.

This new Flash title stands as one of my favorite of The New 52. Once upon a time, I was a huge fan of The Flash, but I never thought that I could love it as I once did. Co-writer/artist Francis Manapul and co-writer/colorist Brian Buccellato have turned in a gem of a comic book that is at once familiar as a Flash comic book, but also reads as something new. To me, it perfectly captures what The New 52 is supposed to be about, something accessible to new readers that is true to the character and its past.

As good as they are as a writing team, Manapul and Buccellato make an even better art team. Manapul has a pretty visual style built on solid compositions and the ability to draw just about anything. He has a clean, simple style that harks back to the Silver Age, but is thoroughly modern. Buccellato creates colors that seem right out of a Walt Disney animated feature (pre-CAPS); some pages of this comic book look like watercolors. Buccellato gives the art texture and even life.

I have to have more of this Flash.

A+

September 28th
AQUAMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/aquaman-1.html
BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/batman-dark-knight-1.html
BLACKHAWKS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/blackhawks-1.html
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/justice-league-dark-1.html

Leroy Douresseaux on HABIBI (OGN)

"A thousand and one..."

HABIBI
PANTHEON BOOKS

CARTOONIST: Craig Thompson
ISBN: 978-0-375-42414-4; hardcover
672pp, B&W, $35.00 U.S., $40.00 CAN

Craig Thompson is the Michigan-born, Wisconsin-bred graphic novelist who began his comics career as a graphic artist for Dark Horse Comics. However, it was his 1999 semi-autobiographical graphic novel, Good-bye, Chunky Rice, that brought him to readers’ attentions. Four years later, his 600-page, autobiographical graphic novel, Blankets, made him a sensation.

Eight years later, he returns with another 600-plus-page monster of a graphic novel, Habibi. At almost 700 pages in length, Habibi (apparently Arabic for “my beloved”) is a massive tome containing a blockbuster of a comic. It is a sprawling epic that spans time while being surprisingly contemporary in places. It addresses the modern world, but is timeless and is steeped in past times.

At alternate places in the narrative, Habibi is set deep in Arabic deserts, right in the middle of slums and mind-boggling squalor, inside lavish palaces and harems, and finally in modern industrial centers. Habibi is the story of two refugee child slaves that are bound to each other by chance, circumstance, and need, but mostly by love. There is the older one, Dodola, an Arabic girl sold as a child bride and later sold into slavery. The younger is Zam, a black child that Dodola rescues and takes as her own.

Dodola and Zam become like mother and child, but they are eventually ripped apart, when Dodola is kidnapped. She is taken to Wanatolia, where she enters the great estate of the Sultan. He is a fat, lustful man who is always looking for something new in pleasure and gratification. Past the Gates of Felicity, Dodola is carried into the Sultan’s harem, where she becomes his greatest turn-on and most aggravating lover.

Meanwhile, Zam goes on his own journey, one that involves magical desert snakes and drought. His journey takes him from the most depressing slums to a house of sly and conniving eunuchs. Dodola and Zam’s lives will always unfold together, even when they are apart, but will they ever be reunited for good?

Habibi is magical storytelling. Symbolic and metaphoric, Habibi is also a parable and a fairy tale. Craig Thompson does so much in this graphic novel, both literally and figuratively. Habibi tries to bridge the first and third worlds, and in that attempt, it addresses racism in such a bold and blunt way that this graphic novel could find a place on the African and Black interests bookshelves. Thompson also unveils the common heritage of Christianity and Islam share, which is Judaism, in a matter-of-fact way that readers will be either offended or shocked, or perhaps delightfully surprised. Thompson transforms passages from the Koran into exquisite and enchanting graphical storytelling, composed of words, pictures, and graphics that come together like a striking piece of music.

Habibi is certainly a remarkable feat, but it is so big that sometimes I found myself getting lost. It seems to be about everything, but is really a long and winding love story of which the reader must keep track over 600+ pages. Habibi shifts in time so much and offers so many dream sequences and side stories that it is easy to see where one might get lost in all that black ink.

Also, some of the story seems to shift from the Middle East to the American Midwest, which is odd. Still, I could see Habibi being the best comic book of the year simply because it is so ambitious. I look at this whirling dervish of a tale and see it as a book that attempts to capture or to depict the complexity of humanity itself. Habibi is magical in its narrative and beautiful in its breath. Craig Thompson has given those who love the comics medium a treasure.

A

Slam Dunk: The Feeling of Falling

I read Slam Dunk, Vol. 18

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin.