Albert Avilla Reviews: Avengers #2

Avengers #2
Marvel Comics

Reviewed by Albert Avilla

Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Jerome Opena
Cover: Dustin Weaver & Justin Ponsor
Variant Covers: Esad Ribic; John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson, and Dean White

“We Were Avengers” (Spoilers)
I lamented Bendis leaving the Avengers, but do not worry. Marvel’s greatest heroes have been put in capable hands. Hickman has won me over with a simple roll call story. You know: a story that comes around every so often when the Avengers lineup is changing.

First, we have the core group, the movie Avengers. If you don’t know who they are, then, I suggest that you go watch the DVD; I think it’s out. Next, we have the super popular Wolverine and Spider-man; two characters who have that never-stop-until-you-die fighting spirit. The two characters that I’m glad they have a spot on the team are Captain Marvel and Spider-Woman, no relation to Spider-Man. The Falcon is on the team; as Cap’s partner, this should be his home. It would be cool if Tony would give him an upgrade. What ever happened to Redwing?

The best hand-to hand-fighter in the Marvel Universe is on the team, The Master of Kung Fu, Shang Chi. Bringing youth to the team are Sunspot and Cannonball, the team supreme within the team. Manifold will make anywhere possible; I want to go on vacation with the dude. I want to see the pyramids when they where being built. Smasher puts the Avengers on a level with the Imperial Guard; I can’t wait for an Avengers-in-space story. Captain Universe brings awesome power to the team. The final player in the game is Superman, Oh, sorry! I mean Hyperion. Come on, we know that Hyperion is Marvel’s Superman. Think about it, Superman in the Avengers; get ready for some big time throwing down.

I enjoyed the humor. It is a good idea to keep the past lives of Smasher, Captain Marvel, and Hyperion under wraps for now; I’m expecting some good future stories. The Avengers have definitely gotten bigger. The villainous forces of Marveldom better step up their plotting and scheming.

The rest of the story gives the origin of Ex Nihilo and Abyss. They begin their transformation of Earth, and Cap marshals the new team for their attack on Ex Nihilo. It’s going to be on.

The art is unique in the good way; Opena’s style is beautiful. The coloring is detailed without giving the art that puzzle piece look. The character’s expressions are appropriate and related to the character’s emotions.

I rate Avengers #2 Buy Your Own Copy. #2 (of 5) on the Al-O-Meter Ranking.

SuBLime Celebrates First Birthday with New Titles

GLOBAL YAOI MANGA PUBLISHER SuBLime CELEBRATES 1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Global English-Language Yaoi Publisher Celebrates Milestone With New Acquisitions Announcements And A Special Manga Discount From Retailer Right Stuf

San Francisco, CA, January 31, 2013 – SuBLime, the global yaoi manga (graphic novel) publishing initiative between VIZ Media and Japan’s Animate, Ltd., is proud to mark its 1-year anniversary and emergence as North America’s premier yaoi/boys’ love imprint.

SuBLime is celebrating this important milestone with the announcement of six new title acquisitions. TABLEAU NUMÉRO 20, by celebrated creator est em, and MAN OF TANGO, by Tetuzoh Okadaya, will both be available Fall 2013 in print and digital editions. Digital-only titles available Summer 2013 include PERFECT TRAINING by Yuiji Aniya, SWEET MONSTER by Tsubaki Mikage, PRETTY MEN FIGHTING DIRTY by Sakira, and LOST LETTERS by Sakae Kusama.

A couple of special discounts and promotional offers will also be available to fans for a limited time. Leading manga and anime retailer Right Stuf is offering 40% off on all SuBLime print manga orders of 2 volumes or more starting today through February 13th. A special Valentine’s Day freebie will also be available directly from the SuBLime website starting February 14th at: www.SuBLimeManga.com.

“VIZ Media’s SuBLime imprint achieved an important milestone with our first year anniversary, and over the past 12 months we’ve developed a substantial collection of celebrated yaoi titles from a cadre of the genre’s top creators,” says Jennifer LeBlanc, Editor, SuBLime. “From AWKWARD SILENCE to YEBISU CELEBRITIES, SuBLime offers an expanding catalog of manga titles to impress even the most discriminating reader. 2013 will be an even more exciting year for SuBLime as we continue to nurture the expansion of the yaoi/boys’ love genre globally and prepare a potent roster of new title debuts.”

Since launching in January 2012, SuBLime has released 20 different titles available as print and/or digital releases. SuBLime digital editions are available with an MSRP of $5.99 (U.S.), and print editions are offered with an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN. Digital versions are available worldwide from SuBLimeManga.com and are viewable as a download-to-own PDF on any enabled eReader device or computer, or may be directly accessed via the online manga viewer found on the web site.

New 2013 SuBLime Print+Digital Titles

Man of Tango, by Tetuzoh Okadaya
Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers • Available September 2013

Tableau NUMÉRO 20, by est em
Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers • Available October 2013

New 2013 SuBLime Digital Titles

PERFECT TRAINING, by Yuiji Aniya
Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers • Available June 2013

SWEET MONSTER, by Tsubaki Mikage
Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers • Available June 2013

PRETTY MEN FIGHTING DIRTY, by Sakira
Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers • Available July 2013

LOST LETTERS, by Sakae Kusama
Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers • Available August 2013

In addition to the new acquisitions, fans can look forward to the debut of 11 additional new titles this year, including:

• BLUE MORNING Vol. 1, by Shoko Hidaka

• BOYS, BE AMBITIOUS!, by Saburo Nagai

• EGOISTIC BLUE, by Mio Tennohji

• EMBRACING LOVE Vol. 1: 2-in-1 Edition, by Youka Nitta

• FALSE MEMORIES Vol. 1, by Isaku Natsume • Creator of DEVIL’S HONEY, also published by SuBLime

• Hide And seek, by Yaya Sakuragi • Sequel to BOND OF DREAMS, BOND OF LOVE, also available from SuBLime

• THE MATCH SELLER, by Sakae Kusama

• THE RAVISHING OF THE CROWN PRINCE, by Wang Yi & Feng Nong

• SLEEPING MOON Vol. 1, by Miyamoto Kano

• SPIRITUAL POLICE Vol. 1, by Youka Nitta

• SWORD AND MIST, by Hayate Kuku

For up-to-date news and release information, please visit the SuBLime website at SuBLimeManga.com, or follow SuBLime on Twitter at @SuBLimeManga, Facebook at facebook.com/SuBLimeManga, or Tumblr at sublimemanga.tumblr.com.


About SuBLime
SuBLime is a global yaoi/boys’ love manga publisher, and is a partnership between VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, and Japan’s Animate, Ltd. (Animate). This bold, global publishing initiative will present English-speaking fans everywhere with a broad selection of high quality titles. SuBLime will offer titles digitally worldwide available at www.SuBLimeManga.com, with many available in download-to-own format, and selections in print also available in English-language editions worldwide.

Valiant Comics for February 2013

VALIANT Solicitations for FEBRUARY 2013
(subject to change, of course)

HARBINGER #0
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art & Cover by MICO SUAYAN
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by CLAYTON HENRY & CLAYTON CRAIN
Wraparound Gatefold Variant by LEWIS LAROSA

Rise to power!

Toyo Harada, CEO of Harada Global Conglomerates and the most potent known psionic in the world, has a vision for the perfect future. A vision he will realize with or without the consent of the rest of humanity. In order to achieve it, he’s built a private army of super-powered hyper-telekinetics within the Harbinger Foundation. But who was Harada before he became the world’s most powerful man? And what are the origins of his vast ambitions? Don’t miss those answers and more in this special standalone issue that will define the future of the Valiant Universe.

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE FEBRUARY 6th
--

X-O MANOWAR #10
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art & Cover by TREVOR HAIRSINE
Variant Cover by CARY NORD

Planet Death looms! A new X-O Manowar rises! And nothing can stop what's coming.

With the Vine invasion fleet waiting in orbit, Aric of Dacia is forced into the one battle he never wanted, against the strongest, most horrifying opponent he’s ever faced. This adversary doesn’t want the X-O Manowar armor. It doesn’t want Earth. It only wants Aric — dead. The winner will hold the fate of everyone – human and Vine – in the palm of his hand. Because before this fight is over, the armor will reveal that it wields far more destructive potential than anyone could have possibly imagined. Robert Venditti and Trevor Hairsine conclude the two-part prelude that sets the stage for the epic war everything has been building up to. X-O Manowar is going home!

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE FEBRUARY 20th
--

BLOODSHOT #8
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art by MANUEL GARCIA
Cover by ARTURO LOZZI
Variant Cover by TREVOR HAIRSINE & CLAYTON CRAIN

CHAINSAW EAT BLOODSHOT!

Bloodshot may be the best, but he wasn't the first. Bloodshot is taking his revenge on Project Rising Spirit—the secret quasi-government experimental division that created him — one body at a time. But nothing could have prepared him for what's waiting for him inside the Nursery. Deep underground, get ready to go to war with the band of misfit killers that Bloodshot used to call brothers-in-arms. Cleaner. Recon. Point. Gunner. Team: CHAINSAW is reporting for duty, sir!

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE FEBRAURY 13th
--

ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #7
Written by FRED VAN LENTE
Art & Cover by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
Variant Cover by CLAYTON HENRY

Who shoots The Shootist?!

What would an Eternal Warrior be without an immortal enemy? For centuries, The Shootist – the Sect's most feared assassin – has been a pivotal player in world events. Now he has Archer & Armstrong in his sights! With Gilad and the new Geomancer's help, can they stop the man who only fires shots heard 'round the world?

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE FEBRUARY 13th
--

HARBINGER #9
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by MATTHEW CLARK
Cover by MICO SUAYAN
Variant Cover by KHARI EVANS

Nothing can bring her down.

She's the light in the dark. The soul of a rising resistance movement. Here now, for the first time, is the story of Zephyr (aka Faith Herbert… but shhh don't tell anyone)! As danger closes in on all sides, Faith must begin the trials and tribulations of being the Valiant Universe's first real-life superhero. Learn the secret potential of her powers and the truth about her time at the Harbinger Foundation, then follow her into battle to save the other Renegades. Look, up in the air! It's a bird, it's a plane... it's freakin' Zephyr!

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE FEBRUARY 20th
--

SHADOWMAN #4
Written by JUSTIN JORDAN & PATRICK ZIRCHER
Art & Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Variant Cover by DAVE JOHNSON

All hell breaks loose.

Shadowman and the monstrous Mr. Twist battle to the death! Everything is at stake for Jack, Dox, and Alyssa – and for the world as they know it – because if Twist succeeds, then Master Darque will walk the earth once more.

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE FEBRUARY 6th
--

BLOODSHOT VOL. 1: SETTING THE WORLD ON FIRE TPB
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art by MANUEL GARCIA & ARTURO LOZZI
Cover by ARTURO LOZZI

Every mission is a suicide mission.

Your name is Angelo Mortalli. Your brother is trapped behind enemy lines and on the verge of — no. That’s not right. Your name is Raymond Garrison. You’ve retired from the dangers of the field, but a desperate plea from your oldest friend plunges you into a vicious firefight that — no. That’s not right, either. You are Bloodshot. You are the shade of gray that freedom requires. The perfect confluence of military necessity and cutting-edge technology. A walking WikiLeaks. A reservoir of dirty secrets that could set the world on fire. And you’ve just been captured.

Collecting BLOODSHOT #1-4 (2012) by best-selling writer Duane Swierczynski and acclaimed artists Manuel Garcia & Arturo Lozzi, find out why this is the series that has IGN proclaiming “Valiant is quickly becoming the publisher to beat.”

$14.99/Rated T+/128 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-9796409-6-4
ON SALE FEBRUARY 6th
--

VALIANT MASTERS: NINJAK VOL. 1 – BLACK WATER HC
Written by MARK MORETTI
Art by JOE QUESADA & MARK MORETTI
Cover by JOE QUESADA

Collected for the very first time – Ninjak’s solo debut in the original Valiant Universe by Mark Moretti (Bloodshot) & comics icon Joe Quesada (Daredevil, Amazing Spider-Man)!

Colin King – sophisticated British playboy by day, elite super-spy by night! Codenamed Ninjak, King is gifted with a brilliant mind and lethal training in the world’s most dangerous fighting techniques. Both will be put to the ultimate test as he is drawn into globe-spanning mission to apprehend Dr. Silk, mastermind of the WEBNET terror network, before the mysterious weapon known as “Black Water” goes online. From the British Isles to the land of the Rising Sun, Ninjak will leave an indelible imprint on the Valiant Universe – or die trying. Collecting NINJAK (1994) #1-6, #0, and #00 and featuring special, rarely seen sketches and process art from the Valiant vault!

$24.99/Rated T+/184pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-9796409-7-1
ON SALE FEBRUARY 27th

I Reads Feb. 2013 and Black History Month

It's February and Black History Month 2013. Welcome to I Reads You, a ComicBookBin blog (www.comicbookbin.com). We blog about the things we read: mostly comic books, comics, and related books. Sometimes, we’ll write about or link to other topics: typically books, politics, and entertainment.

All images and text appearing on this blog are copyright © and/or trademark their respective owners.

Albert Avilla Reviews: Thunderbolts #1

Thunderbolts #1
Marvel Comics

Reviewed by Albert Avilla

Writer: Daniel Way
Artist: Steve Dillon
Cover: Julian Totino Tedesco

“Enlisted” (Spoilers)

Red Hulk is putting together the new team of Thunderbolts; that’s right General Thunderbolt Ross is putting together a team called the Thunderbolts. What great mind came up with that idea?

The story begins with the General setting The Punisher up for the mob. While General Ross is pitching his project to the Punisher, we travel with the General on his recruiting trip. He talks to the prospective members at moments when they just happen to be splattering the blood of bad people. The other recruits are just as adept at splattering blood as the Punisher. We have Venom with weapons! The mime-killer, Deadpool, will add a little humor. To add the feminine touch to the blood splattering, Electra will be stabbing her way through the criminal world.

With this team, the biggest concern will be that they don’t drown themselves in the blood that they spill. Spill is too weak of a word to use, because there will be blood erupting out of their victims. Another concern is will Deadpool be able to find a straight man to play off of? Think about it: Deadpool with Punisher, Venom, Electra, and old stick-up-his-butt Ross.

Daniel Way does manage to tell a good story through all of the blood. Old Thunderbolt is both introspective and illuminating in his conversation with the Punisher. The most fascinating thing that he said was that the military studied the Punisher’s tactics and emulated them. The question is will the Punisher be able to adapt to a team situation.

When you talk about a signature style, Steve Dillon stands out. He does not try to imitate the popular style of the day. Dillon does his thing. His tough gritty style fits the team. Guru EFX’s coloring actually compliments Dillon’s efforts.

I rate Thunderbolts #1 Buy Your Own Copy. #2 (of 5) on the Al-O-Meter.

Review: The Illicit Happiness of Other People

THE ILLICIT HAPPINESS OF OTHER PEOPLE: A NOVEL
W.W. NORTON & COMPANY, INC. – @norton_fiction

AUTHOR: Manu Joseph
COVER: Jarrod Taylor
ISBN: 978-0-393-33862-1; paperback (January 2013)
350pp, B&W, $15.95 U.S.

For his first novel, Serious Men (2010), Manu Joseph won The Hindu Literary Prize 2010 and the PEN Open Book Award. Joseph, a New Delhi-based newspaper columnist and editor, has written a second novel, The Illicit Happiness of Other People: A Novel, which was recently published. This fictional work follows the efforts of a father to unravel the mystery behind his teenaged son’s suicide.

The Illicit Happiness of Other People is set in the late 1980s in Madras. Madras is the former name of Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, India. The meat-eating, Catholic, Chackos’ family lives in a Madras housing community, where everyone is a gossip. And the Chackos are the talk of the town. Three years before the story begins, 17-year-old Unni Chacko committed suicide by jumping to his death.

Unni’s father, Ousep Chacko, was a once-promising writer. Now, he is a washed-out journalist who drinks too much at night. When he returns from a night of drinking, he makes a horrid scene for the whole block to hear; then, he stages his own nightly suicide attempt. Mother Mariamma had been an intellect and budding athlete; now she fantasizes about her husband’s death and loudly talks to herself about old wounds and hurts. Twelve-year-old brother, Thoma, is caught between his parent’s stormy lives. He wears his brother’s old clothes, and he fantasizes about a 16-year-old neighbor, Mythili Balasubramanium, a beautiful teen girl who was close to Unni, but ignores Thoma.

Unni had been a young cartoonist and creator of hand-made comic books. One day, the post office delivers a comic book drawn by Unni that had been lost in the mail since his death. Shocked out of his drunken stupor, Ousep picks up the investigation into his son’s suicide that he’d dropped not long after Unni’s death. Three years later, however, Unni’s old friends are no longer interested in talking about their friend’s death. Ousep won’t take “No!” for an answer, and he even discovers more people who were friends with or acquaintances of his son. Now, a father must face the troubling truths, vague answers, and haunting memories if he is to discover why his son killed himself. The big questions: Can he really find an answer, and will he be satisfied with it?

The Illicit Happiness of Other People is two things. Half of it is an observational novel, with Joseph’s rich prose composing a gigantic canvas, mostly about the Madras community. On the edges of this prose painting are depictions, here and there, of places outside Madras. Joseph studies class and society, and surveys how people socialize inside and outside the family. In this first half of The Illicit Happiness of Other People, Joseph weaves brilliant one-liners seamlessly into this colorful portrait of relationships and divides. Sometimes, this is a sharp satire, but it won’t poke away the viewer.

The other half (or so) of the novel is something akin to detective fiction or a mystery novel. Once Ousep meets Balki, an acquaintance of Unni’s, the tone of the novel changes. There are rumors and small amounts of local lore and legend around Balki, but this meeting really pushes forwards Ousep’s investigation, which often seems to languish during the first half of the book. The meeting of Ousep and Balki is The Illicit Happiness of Other People’s Chinatown moment, and it saves the narrative from drowning in sameness.

The novel that was philosophical, in a satirical way, becomes philosophical, introspective, and investigative. The author digs deeper into issues of family strife, troubled personal histories, and mental illness. The novel has some pointed things to say about the way teenagers tackle the perplexing nature of existence, or at least, that is the way I see it.

I read somewhere (maybe in the novel’s press packet) that Manu Joseph is a novelist who wants to be a cartoonist. After Ousep meets Balki, this novel’s prose started activating a torrent of visuals in my mind and imagination. In my mind, Joseph’s descriptions of Unni’s comics became comics I could read and scrutinize.

For half this novel, the words were clever, but the narrative went nowhere. To me, that is what keeps this from being a really great novel, but The Illicit Happiness of Other People: A Novel is still a very good novel.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for January 30 2013

DC COMICS

NOV120239 ALL STAR WESTERN #16 $3.99

NOV120166 AQUAMAN #16 $2.99

NOV120251 ARROW #3 $3.99

NOV120199 BATMAN AND ROBIN ANNUAL #1 $4.99

NOV120255 BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED #12 $3.99

NOV120194 BATMAN INCORPORATED #7 $2.99

NOV120197 BATMAN INCORPORATED #7 COMBO PACK $3.99

NOV120200 BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #16 $2.99

OCT120261 BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT GOLDEN DAWN TP $14.99

DEC120158 BEFORE WATCHMEN DOLLAR BILL #1 (MR) $3.99

DEC120161 BEFORE WATCHMEN DOLLAR BILL #1 COMBO PACK (MR) $4.99

NOV120153 BEFORE WATCHMEN OZYMANDIAS #5 (MR) $3.99

NOV120155 BEFORE WATCHMEN OZYMANDIAS #5 COMBO PACK (MR) $4.99

NOV120159 FLASH #16 $2.99

NOV120172 FURY OF FIRESTORM THE NUCLEAR MEN #16 $2.99

OCT120299 GLOBAL FREQUENCY TP (MR) $19.99

NOV120220 GREEN LANTERN CORPS ANNUAL #1 (RISE) $4.99

NOV120292 HE MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #6 $2.99

NOV120234 I VAMPIRE #16 $2.99

NOV120289 INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US #1 $3.99

NOV120258 JOE KUBERT PRESENTS #4 $4.99

NOV120230 JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #16 $2.99

SEP120233 JUSTICE LEAGUE HC VOL 02 THE VILLAINS JOURNEY $24.99

OCT120252 JUSTICE LEAGUE TP VOL 01 ORIGIN (N52) $16.99

NOV120293 LOT 13 #4 (MR) $2.99

NOV120294 MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE ORIGIN OF HE MAN #1 $2.99

NOV120216 RED LANTERNS #16 (RISE) $2.99

NOV120173 SAVAGE HAWKMAN #16 $2.99

NOV120182 SUPERMAN #16 $2.99

NOV120286 SUPERMAN FAMILY ADVENTURES #9 $2.99

NOV120187 TALON #4 $2.99

NOV120245 TEEN TITANS #16 (DOTF) $2.99

NOV120304 UNWRITTEN #45 (MR) $2.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

NOV120312 DC COMICS SUPER HEROES BOOSTER GOLD BUST $69.95