Friday, September 6, 2013

Happy 4th Anniversary, I Reads You

I Reads You launched on a Monday afternoon back in 2009.

Maybe you could celebrate by buying a comic book in the I Reads You Shop.

Or make a donation:




Thursday, September 5, 2013

THE ROCKETEER/THE SPIRIT: Pulp Friction #1

THE ROCKETEER/THE SPIRIT: PULP FRICTION #1
IDW PUBLISHING with DC Entertainment – @IDWPublishing and @DCComics

WRITER:  Mark Waid
ARTIST: Paul Smith
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: Tom B. Long
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVER: Paul Smith with Jordie Bellaire
SUBSCRIPTION VARIANT COVER: Darwyn Cooke and J Bone
CONVENTION EXCLUSIVE COVER: Darwyn Cooke
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2013)

The Rocketeer is a comic book character created by artist and illustrator, Dave Stevens (who died in March of 2008).  Cliff Secord is a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jet pack.  Donning the jet pack and a helmet, Secord becomes “The Rocketeer,” and begins a series of adventures set mainly in Los Angeles and beginning in the year 1938.

The Spirit is a comic book character created by cartoonist Will Eisner (who died in January 2005).  The Spirit first appeared on June 2, 1940 in what readers called “The Spirit Section,” a 16-page, Sunday newspaper supplement or insert that was carried in various newspapers from the 1940s and into the early 1950s.  Once known as Detective Denny Colt (believed by some to be dead), The Spirit is a masked vigilante who fights crime in Central City.

Now, the two characters come together in a new comic book miniseries entitled, The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction.  Written by Mark Waid and drawn by Paul Smith, Pulp Friction unites the two characters to solve the murder of a Central City politician whose corpse is found in Los Angeles.

The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction #1 opens in Central City in February 1941.  It is cold and snowy outside, but inside City Hall, it is quite heated.  The story moves to the following morning, three thousand miles west.  Betty, Cliff Secord’s lady, is doing a modeling shoot on a beach when she makes a grisly discovery.

When they learn that a denizen of Central City has been found dead L.A., The Spirit, Commissioner Dolan, and Ellen (the Commissioner’s daughter) head to Cali.  And The Rocketeer is ready to greet them.

Uniting The Rocketeer and The Spirit seems like such a no-brainer that I’m surprised that it’s just happening now.  The Spirit is a character from the “Golden Age” of American comic books, and The Rocketeer, who first appeared in the 1980s, harkens back to the “Golden Age” of both comic books and Hollywood.

The creative team of writer Mark Waid and artist Paul Smith is an excellent choice to chronicle the team-up of two beloved “old-timey” characters.  When Waid is at his best, his comic books are pure fun, and as a fan of and expert on Golden Age comic books, Waid can write stories that capture the spirit of the 1930s and 40s, but tell them in a modern idiom.  Best known in the 1980s for his elegant and animation-influenced drawing style, Paul Smith engaged comic book readers with his storytelling that hit on all points:  character, plot, and setting.  That serves him well in this series, which will mix adventure and action with mystery and suspense.  I must note, however, that Smith’s work in Pulp Friction is closer to Dave Stevens’ in nature than to Will Eisner’s – not that there’s anything wrong with that.

The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction looks to be one of the good things we will get this year.  It’s that wild ride comic book fans want.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.


Tuesday, September 3, 2013

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for September 4 2013

DC COMICS

JUL130176 ACTION COMICS #23.1 CYBORG SUPERMAN $3.99
JUN138285 ACTION COMICS #23.1 CYBORG SUPERMAN STANDARD ED $2.99
JUL130218 AME COMI GIRLS #7 $3.99
JUN130293 AMERICAN VAMPIRE TP VOL 04 (MR) $16.99
JUN130267 ANIMAL MAN TP VOL 03 ROTWORLD THE RED KINGDOM (N52) $16.99
JUL130185 BATMAN #23.1 JOKER $3.99
JUN138287 BATMAN #23.1 JOKER STANDARD ED $2.99
JUL130189 BATMAN AND ROBIN #23.1 TWO FACE $3.99
JUN138288 BATMAN AND ROBIN #23.1 TWO FACE STANDARD ED $2.99
JUL130208 BATMAN BLACK & WHITE #1 $4.99
JUN130259 BATMAN LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT TP VOL 01 $14.99
JUL130193 BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #23.1 VENTRILOQUIST $3.99
JUN138289 BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #23.1 VENTRILOQUIST STANDARD ED $2.99
JUN130242 DC VS MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #1 CVR A (DC) $2.99
JUN130243 DC VS MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #1 CVR B (MOTU) $2.99
JUL130197 DETECTIVE COMICS #23.1 POISON IVY $3.99
JUN138290 DETECTIVE COMICS #23.1 POISON IVY STANDARD ED $2.99
JUN130295 DJANGO UNCHAINED #7 (MR) $4.99
JUL130168 EARTH 2 #15.1 DESAAD $3.99
JUN138282 EARTH 2 #15.1 DESAAD STANDARD ED $2.99
JUL130258 FAIREST #19 (MR) $2.99
JUL130170 FLASH #23.1 GRODD $3.99
JUN138283 FLASH #23.1 GRODD STANDARD ED $2.99
JUL130149 FOREVER EVIL #1 $3.99
JUL130155 FOREVER EVIL #1 COMBO PACK $4.99
JUL130173 GREEN ARROW #23.1 COUNT VERTIGO $3.99
JUN138284 GREEN ARROW #23.1 COUNT VERTIGO STANDARD ED $2.99
JUL130201 GREEN LANTERN #23.1 RELIC $3.99
JUN138291 GREEN LANTERN #23.1 RELIC STANDARD ED $2.99
MAY130221 GREEN LANTERN HC RISE O/T THIRD ARMY (N52) $29.99
JUN138297 INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US #6 2ND PTG $3.99
JUL130156 JUSTICE LEAGUE #23.1 DARKSEID $3.99
JUN138279 JUSTICE LEAGUE #23.1 DARKSEID STANDARD ED $2.99
JUL130164 JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #23.1 CREEPER $3.99
JUN138281 JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #23.1 CREEPER STANDARD ED $2.99
JUL130160 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7.1 DEADSHOT $3.99
JUN138280 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7.1 DEADSHOT STANDARD ED $2.99
JUL130222 LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #12 $3.99
JUN130270 NECESSARY EVIL THE VILLAINS OF THE DC UNIVERSE TP $16.99
JUL130254 SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU #37 $2.99
JUL130180 SUPERMAN #23.1 BIZARRO $3.99
JUN138286 SUPERMAN #23.1 BIZARRO STANDARD ED $2.99
JUL130273 TRILLIUM #2 (MR) $2.99
JUN138293 TRINITY OF SIN PANDORA #2 2ND PTG $2.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

APR130281 DC COMICS COVER GIRLS BATGIRL STATUE $99.95


Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for September 4 2013

MARVEL COMICS

JUN130675 AGE OF ULTRON HC $75.00
JUL130663 ALL NEW X-MEN #16 $3.99
JUL130606 AVENGERS AI #3 $2.99
JUL130642 DAREDEVIL DARK NIGHTS #4 $2.99
JUL130685 DEADPOOL KILLS DEADPOOL #3 $2.99
JUL130691 DEXTER #3 (RES) $3.99
JUL130654 EMERALD CITY OF OZ #3 $3.99
JUN130688 ENDERS GAME GRAPHIC NOVEL TP $24.99
JUL130565 INFINITY #2 $3.99
JUN130692 INFINITY GAUNTLET AFTERMATH TP $34.99
JUL130631 IRON MAN #15 $3.99
JUN130680 NOVA PREM HC ORIGIN NOW $24.99
MAY130728 ONCE UPON A TIME SHADOW OF THE QUEEN PREMIERE HC $19.99
JUL130616 SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN NOW #3 $2.99
JUL130618 SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #17 $3.99
SEP120676 TAKIO #4 $3.95
JUL130623 VENOM #40 $2.99
JUL130680 X-FACTOR #262 $2.99
JUL130658 X-MEN BATTLE OF ATOM #1 $3.99
JUL130689 X-MEN LEGACY #16 $2.99


IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for September 4 2013

Digital Comics: Digital new releases available from your local comic book shop are marked below. [DIG] = Digital version available. [DIG/P+] = Print-Plus digital/print combo pack available. For more information, go to www.digitalcomicsreader.com.

IDW PUBLISHING

JUL130322 DANGER GIRL THE CHASE #1 [DIG/P+] $3.99
JUL130374 GI JOE COBRA FILES #6 [DIG/P+] $3.99
JUL130376 GI JOE COBRA FILES TP VOL 01 $17.99
JUN130351 HAUNTED HORROR #6 [DIG/P+] $3.99
JUL130316 JUDGE DREDD (IDW) TP VOL 02 [DIG] $17.99
JAN130465 SKIPPY HC VOL 02 COMPLETE DAILIES 1928-1930 $49.99
JUN138089 X-FILES SEASON 10 #1 3RD PTG $3.99
JUN138090 X-FILES SEASON 10 #2 3RD PTG $3.99


Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for September 4 2013

DARK HORSE COMICS

MAY130069 ADVENTURES INTO THE UNKNOWN ARCHIVES HC VOL 03 $49.99
JUL130039 BALTIMORE INFERNAL TRAIN #1 $3.50
MAY130073 BLOOD BLOCKADE BATTLEFRONT TP VOL 04 $12.99
JUL130063 CATALYST COMIX #3 (MR) $2.99
DEC120103 GARY BASEMAN CYCLOPS CAT PIN $14.99
JAN130154 GARY BASEMAN EYE PIN $14.99
DEC120104 GARY BASEMAN SKULL & CROSSBONES PIN $14.99
FEB130073 GARY BASEMAN VERITAS HAND SIGN PIN $14.99
MAY130070 KORAK SON OF TARZAN ARCHIVES HC VOL 02 $49.99
JUL130066 MICHAEL AVON OEMINGS VICTORIES #5 TRANSHUMAN (MR) $3.99
MAY130071 NG EVANGELION SHINJI DETECTIVE DIARY TP VOL 01 $9.99
JUL130008 STAR WARS #1 LUCAS DRAFT $3.99