Voice Over: Camp Rock a Prince Voice

I read Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 3

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.

I Reads You Review: SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #1

SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

WRITER: Scott Snyder
PENCILS: Jim Lee, Dustin Nguyen
INKS: Scott Williams
COLORS: Alex Sinclair, John Kalisz
LETTERS: Sal Cipriano
COVER: Jim Lee and Scott Williams with Alex Sinclair
VARIANT COVERS: Jim Lee, Bruce Timm, Dave Johnson, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Neal Adams, Jerry Ordway, Dan Jurgens, Lee Bermejo, Brett Booth
40pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (August 2013)

Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

Last year, DC Comics unleashed a new ongoing Superman comic book series to coincide with the release of Man of Steel, the 2013 relaunch of the Superman film franchise.  Superman Unchained is from burning-hot writer Scott Snyder and superstar-for-over-two-decades artist Jim Lee with his longtime inker, Scott Williams.

Superman Unchained #1 (“The Leap”) opens with a brief (kind of) prologue that takes place in Nagasaki, Japan on April 9th, 1945.  We move to the present (which seems like a near-future) and find Superman trying to stop a space station called the Lighthouse from causing an epic catastrophe when it crashes to Earth.

Superman has suspects for the Lighthouse event, which include Lex Luthor (on his way to prison) and a cyber terrorist group known as Ascension.  The Man of Steel is probably wrong on his suspects, and there is a lot that he doesn’t know.  But Superman doesn’t know what he doesn’t know.

Superman Unchained #1 is one busy comic book.  Scott Snyder, obviously in love with his dialogue, packs this first issue with so much talk and exposition.  This first issue is like a box of “Raisin Bran” (or one of its knock-offs) infested with raisins – just too much of a good thing.  The story is a slick piece of sci-fi-lite, complete with digital displays and shiny tech.  The story, however, doesn’t really get hot until the last page of “The Leap.”  Of note, there is also a two-page epilogue drawn by Dustin Nguyen.

Speaking of busy, that’s Jim Lee’s pencils.  Lee draws so much anemic line work and so many scritchy-scratch lines that we should be thankful for Scott Williams ability to rein in Lee’s excesses and eccentricities.  As usual, Alex Sinclair’s colors turn the art into comic book eye candy.  I have to admit that I’ll be back for future issues.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Manga Review: TIGER AND BUNNY Volume 4

TIGER & BUNNY, VOL. 4
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Mizuki Sakakibara
PLANNING/STORY: Sunrise
ORIGINAL SCRIPT: Masafumi Nishida
ORIGINAL CHARACTER DESIGN: Masakazu Katsura
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Labaamen and John Werry, HC Language Solutions
LETTERS: Stephen Dutro
ISBN: 978-1-4215-6235-3; paperback (February 2014); Rated “T” for “Teen”
180pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 U.K.

Produced by Sunrise, Tiger & Bunny is a science fiction and superhero anime series.  It ran for 25 episodes in 2011 and yielded a one-shot manga during its original television run in Japan.  Shortly afterwards, manga and comic book artist Mizuki Sakakibara began producing a regular manga series based on anime, also entitled Tiger & Bunny.

Tiger & Bunny takes place in a world where 45 years earlier, super-powered humans, known as NEXT, started appearing.  Some of them fight crime as superheroes in Stern Bild (a re-imagined version of New York City).  They promote their corporate sponsors while appearing on the hit television show, Hero TV (or HERO TV).  The story focuses on veteran superhero, Kotetsu T. Kaburagi (Wild Tiger), and the newest NEXT sensation, Barnaby Brooks, Jr., the “Super Rookie,” whom Tiger calls “Bunny.”

As Tiger & Bunny, Vol. 4 (Chapters 14 to 17) opens, the heroes take on the deranged NEXT killer, Lunatic.  Lunatic’s vigilante activities against murderers and other violent criminals has unsettled the public, and that makes the NEXT less popular.  In a bid to make things better, Apollon Media launches the “Believe in Heroes Campaign.”

That begins with a lecture at the Hero Academy, which trains the NEXT to be heroes.  Kotetsu and Barnaby are the lecturers, and Origami Cyclone joins them.  This return to the academy, however, brings up a tragic incident involving Origami and a fellow student.  Also, the heroes play babysitters to a special child.

It’s a bird.  It’s a plane.  It’s the Tiger & Bunny manga, probably the best superhero comic book not being published by DC Comics or Marvel Comics.  And it is just as good as many of DC and Marvel’s best titles.

As I warned you before, dear readers, you should probably take my reviews of Tiger & Bunny with that proverbial grain of salt (or any of other seasoning), because I am a big fan of this series.  Instead of mocking superheroes, Tiger & Bunny is a comedy about superheroes with convincing “superhero-fantasy action violence.”

Tiger & Bunny Volume 4 offers more of what Tiger & Bunny mangaka, Mizuki Sakakibara, does best – adapt the anime into a comic book with heart and humor.  Readers will feel the heartrending story of Origami and his friend, but they will laugh at the inept babysitters.  Tune in tomorrow – I’m ready for more now.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Happy Marriage: Consumation

I read Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 4

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 26 2014

DC COMICS

NOV130268 100 BULLETS BROTHER LONO #8 (MR) $2.99
DEC130286 ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #10 $3.99
DEC130279 ALL STAR WESTERN #28 $3.99
DEC130220 AQUAMAN #28 $2.99
DEC130229 BATMAN SUPERMAN #8 $3.99
DEC130231 BATMAN SUPERMAN #8 COMBO PACK $4.99
DEC130266 BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #28 $2.99
DEC130323 BEWARE THE BATMAN #5 $2.99
DEC130258 CATWOMAN #28 (GOTHTOPIA) $2.99
NOV130230 DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS TP VOL 03 BLACK LIGHTNING BLUE DEVIL $14.99
OCT130229 DC UNIVERSE VS MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #5 $2.99
DEC130336 DEAD BOY DETECTIVES #3 $2.99
DEC130222 FLASH #28 $2.99
DEC130208 FOREVER EVIL ARGUS #5 $2.99
DEC130217 JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #28 (EVIL) $3.99
DEC130278 LARFLEEZE #8 $2.99
DEC130325 SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU #42 $2.99
DEC130245 SUPERMAN #28 $2.99
DEC130248 SUPERMAN LOIS LANE #1 $4.99
DEC130271 TALON #16 $2.99
DEC130284 TEEN TITANS #28 $2.99
NOV130236 THRESHOLD TP VOL 01 THE HUNTED (N52) $19.99
NOV130277 UNKNOWN SOLDIER TP NEW ED (MR) $14.99
DEC130347 WAKE #6 (MR) $2.99
DEC130232 WORLDS FINEST #20 $2.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

OCT130304 BATMAN ARKHAM ORIGINS SER 2 ANARKY AF $24.95
OCT130303 BATMAN ARKHAM ORIGINS SER 2 DEADSHOT AF $24.95
OCT130305 BATMAN ARKHAM ORIGINS SER 2 DEATHSTROKE AF $24.95
OCT130302 BATMAN ARKHAM ORIGINS SER 2 FIREFLY AF $24.95
SEP138282 BATMAN ARKHAM ORIGINS SER 2 KILLER CROC DLX AF $24.95

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 26 2014

MARVEL COMICS

NOV130711 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ART OF MOVIE HC SLIPCASE $49.99
DEC130721 AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #24 $3.99
SEP130783 CAPTAIN AMERICA WINTER SOLDIER HC MOVIE CVR $34.99
DEC130727 CATACLYSM ULTIMATES LAST STAND #5 $3.99
DEC130752 DEADPOOL #24 $2.99
DEC138203 DISNEY KINGDOMS SEEKERS OF WEIRD #1 2ND PTG DEL MUNDO $3.99
DEC130616 FANTASTIC FOUR #1 ANMN $3.99
DEC130712 GEORGE ROMEROS EMPIRE OF DEAD ACT ONE #2 $3.99
DEC130694 GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #12 ANMN $3.99
JUL130649 HAWKEYE #15 $2.99
DEC130742 INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #19 $3.99
DEC130744 MARVEL UNIVERSE ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #23 SYU $2.99
DEC130720 MIGHTY AVENGERS #7 $3.99
DEC130706 MIRACLEMAN #3 $4.99
DEC130771 MMW FANTASTIC FOUR TP VOL 10 $24.99
DEC138411 NIGHT OF LIVING DEADPOOL #1 2ND PTG SHAW VAR $3.99
DEC130746 ORIGIN II #3 $3.99
DEC130717 REVOLUTIONARY WAR SUPERSOLDIERS #1 $3.99
DEC130725 SECRET AVENGERS #16 $3.99
DEC130779 SECRET AVENGERS TP VOL 02 ILIAD $17.99
DEC130755 SECRET SERVICE TP (MR) $12.99
DEC130784 SUPERIOR FOES SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 01 GETTING BAND BACK $16.99
DEC130653 SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #28 ANMN $3.99
DEC130785 SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN TEAM UP TP VERSUS $17.99
DEC130792 THOR BY WALTER SIMONSON TP VOL 04 $29.99
DEC138201 THUNDERBOLTS #20.NOW 2ND PTG TEDESCO VAR ANMN $2.99
DEC130682 THUNDERBOLTS #22 ANMN $2.99
DEC130726 UNCANNY AVENGERS #17 $3.99
DEC130776 UNCANNY AVENGERS TP VOL 01 RED SHADOW $19.99
DEC130614 WOLVERINE #2 ANMN $3.99
DEC130749 WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #42 $4.99
DEC130793 X-FORCE BY KYLE AND YOST COMPLETE COLLECTION TP VOL 01 $34.99

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for February 26 2014

IDW PUBLISHING

DEC130381 GHOSTBUSTERS #13 $3.99
DEC130391 JUDGE DREDD #16 $3.99
DEC130443 MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDS FOREVER #2 $3.99
DEC130449 POWERPUFF GIRLS #6 $3.99
DEC130446 SAMURAI JACK #5 $3.99
DEC130448 SAMURAI JACK SPECIAL DIRECTORS CUT $7.99
DEC130431 STAR TREK KHAN #5 $3.99
DEC130435 STAR TREK ONGOING #30 $3.99
DEC130417 THUNDER AGENTS #6 $3.99
DEC130419 THUNDER AGENTS ONGOING TP VOL 01 $17.99
DEC130422 TMNT NEW ANIMATED ADVENTURES #8 $3.99
DEC130427 TMNT ONGOING #31 $3.99
DEC130429 TMNT UTROM EMPIRE #2 $3.99
DEC130407 TRANSFORMERS REGENERATION ONE #99 $3.99
DEC130386 WRAITH WELCOME TO CHRISTMASLAND #4 $3.99
DEC130375 X-FILES CONSPIRACY TRANSFORMERS #1 $3.99
DEC130483 ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS NO MANS LAND PROSE SC $19.99