Kamisama Kiss: Where is Kuromaro?

I read Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 15

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I Reads You Review: NIGHTCRAWLER #1

NIGHTCRAWLER (2014) #1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

WRITER: Chris Claremont
ARTIST: Todd Nauck
COLORS: Rachelle Rosenberg
LETTERS: VC’s Cory Petit
COVER: Chris Samnee with Matthew Wilson
VARIANT COVERS: Chris Samnee with Matthew Wilson; Humberto Ramos with Edgar Delgado
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2014)

Rated T+

Nightcrawler (also known as Kurt Wagner) is a Marvel Comics superhero character and is best known as a member of the X-Men.  Nightcrawler was created by writer Len Wein and the late artist Dave Cockrum, and the character debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (cover dated: May 1975).

Nightcrawler is a mutant and his most obvious power is the ability to teleport across short or long distances.  He also possesses superhuman agility and adhesive three-fingered hands and two-toed feet.  He has indigo or blue-colored fur (which allows him to blend into shadows), yellow eyes, pointed ears, and a prehensile tail.

Nightcrawler has appeared in numerous X-Men and related publications, including the 1980s and 90’s series, Excalibur.  He has been the star of two miniseries and a short-lived ongoing series.  Nightcrawler was killed off in X-Force (Vol. 3) #26 (cover dated:  April 2010), which was part of the X-Men: Second Coming crossover publishing event.

Nightcrawler recently returned to the Marvel Comics land of the living.  Now, there is a new Nightcrawler ongoing comic book series from the creative team of writer Chris Claremont, artist Todd Nauck, colorist Rachelle Rosenberg and letterer Cory Petit.

Nightcrawler #1 opens at the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning.  In the Danger Room, where the X-Men hone their skills, Nightcrawler engages Wolverine in a fierce one-on-one battle session.  Storm, Beast, and Dr. Cecelia Reyes watch.  Nightcrawler is also having a difficult time with his new surroundings, especially a school full of strange, new mutant students.  Nightcrawler travels to Manhattan to visit his longtime girlfriend, the witch Amanda Sefton.  But a normal romantic evening is not to be – not for an X-Man.

Chris Claremont is not credited as a creator of Nightcrawler.  He has written the character longer than anyone else, and he was the first to write the character extensively.  So Claremont is practically Nightcrawler’s father and co-creator, but you could not tell that judging by Nightcrawler #1 alone.

It is not a bad read.  This is just mostly nothing.  It is as if Claremont’s creative engine has not only run out of fuel, but has also simply worn down from overuse.  Even if it could be re-energized, I wonder if Claremont’s imagination could ever deliver the X-Men stories he once did.  Lord, how I hope that I am wrong.

I cannot explain exactly, but I think that Nightcrawler #1 would be different if Marvel were not publishing so many X-Men comic book series.  I think Claremont would have more leeway in what he could do with this character and this series without having to work around all the other X-books.  I hope for better because I really looked forward to this new Nightcrawler comic book series.  I love the character, and I love Claremont writing the X-Men.

Even Todd Nauck’s art is uninspired.  It is like a step down from what he has done before now.  My review grade is generous.

C+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Review: SERAPH OF THE END: VAMPIRE REIGN Volume 1

SERAPH OF THE END: VAMPIRE REIGN, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

STORY: Takaya Kagami
ART: Yamato Yamamoto
STORYBOARDS: Daisuke Furuya
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERS: Sabrina Heep
EDITOR: Hope Donovan
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7150-8; paperback (June 2014), Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S. $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign is the latest VIZ Media release under its “Shonen Jump Advanced” imprint.  The series focuses on a teen orphan who borrows demonic power so that he can battle the vampires that rule over the Earth.  The series is illustrated by Yamato Yamamoto with story by Takaya Kagami and storyboards by Daisuke Furuya.

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign is set on an Earth ruled by vampires.  The vampire reign began in 2012 after the trumpets of the apocalypse proclaimed the fall of humanity.  A mysterious virus kills almost all adult humans, sparing those younger than 13 years of age.  Vampires arise from the shadows to rule the earth and to enslave the children as livestock for food.  In 2016, the orphan Yuichiro “Yu” Hyakuya steps forward, determined to kill all vampires.

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 3) opens in 2016.  It finds Yuichiro unhappy with his circumstances as an orphan, but his foster “brother,” Mikaela “Mika” Hyakuya, won’t let Yu be alone.  Together, Mika believes, the orphans will survive their world.

Four years later, Yu is a student at Shibuya High School #2, but he doesn’t want to be a student.  He wants to be a member of humanity’s most elite Vampire Extermination Unit, the Moon Demon Company.  But he will have to prove that he is willing to work in a team, which is the last thing he wants.

I am a big fan of vampire manga (although I generally have not really cared for American comic books featuring vampires).  The Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign manga is a thoroughly enjoyable read, although I did not think much of it when I received a review copy of the first volume from VIZ Media.

From what I can tell, it seems as if the vast majority of the series’ internal mythology is still unrevealed by the end of Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign Volume 1.  Apparently, “Seraph of the End” is an actual thing or entity that may not be revealed for several chapters (or volumes).

That aside, Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign is like the television series, “The Walking Dead,” a post-apocalyptic character drama and soap opera set in a horror-fantasy scenario.  Both are filled with genre trappings or, to use new terminology, full of stuff from the horror-fantasy wheelhouse.  However, Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign works best when seen through the characters’ hopes, dreams, desires, motivations, and conflicts.  So far, all of that seems genuine and honest – in a fantasy context, of course.  Judging by this first volume, I would call Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign a success.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

I Reads You Review: MILES MORALES: Ultimate Spider-Man #1

MILES MORALES: ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis
ART: David Marquez
COLORS: Justin Ponsor
LETTERS: VC’s Cory Petit
COVER: David Marquez and Justin Ponsor
VARIANT COVERS: Fiona Staples; Brandon Peterson
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2014)

Rated T+

In 2011, Marvel Comics and writer Brian Michael Bendis introduced a Black, Brooklyn teen as the new Spider-Man.  Specifically, Miles Morales, of African-American and Latino extraction, was the new Ultimate Spider-Man, the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler and web-slinger of Marvel’s Ultimate line of comics (or universe).

Miles received his own comic books series, Ultimate Spider-Man (or Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man).  Now, as part of the “Ultimate Marvel NOW” publishing initiative, Miles gets a new series, Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man, courtesy of writer Brian Michael Bendis, artist David Marquez, colorist Justin Ponsor, and letterer Cory Petit.

Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man #1 opens in a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. “Containment Facility,” from which Norman Osborn is being removed for transferal to a federal prison.  In Brooklyn, two armored thieves commit a bold robbery.  Meanwhile, Miles Morales contemplates revealing his secret to girlfriend Katie Bishop, but the surprise in store for Katie is nothing compared to the surprise in store for Miles.

I have stated in previous reviews of Ultimate Spider-Man comic books that I thought that Brian Michael Bendis merged the best of classic Steve Ditko-Stan Lee Spider-Man and early Milestone Media Static comic books in his stories of Miles Morales as Spider-Man.  Miles’ stories are as much misadventure as they are adventure, because Bendis makes the foibles and trials and tribulations of teen boyhood every bit as engaging as the never-ending battle of a superhero.  Most of the time, I can’t wait for the story to switch from Spider-Man back to Miles Morales’ civilian life.  Well, that is because Miles is a quite interesting young fellow.

In the first Miles Morales series, Bendis was blessed with a fantastic storytelling collaborator, artist Sara Pichelli.  Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man finds Bendis blessed again with another talented collaborator.  David Marquez is rapidly coming into his own in terms of storytelling.  I like Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man #1; it’s the kind of first issue that has me ready for more.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for June 4 2014

DC COMICS

APR140197 ACTION COMICS #32 (DOOMED) $3.99
APR140175 AQUAMAN AND THE OTHERS #3 $2.99
FEB140245 BATMAN & ROBIN HC VOL 04 REQUIEM FOR DAMIAN (N52) $24.99
MAR140250 BATMAN & ROBIN TP VOL 03 DEATH OF THE FAMILY (N52) $14.99
APR140242 BATMAN 66 MEETS GREEN HORNET #1 $2.99
FEB140259 BATMAN ARKHAM ASYLUM LIVING HELL DLX ED HC $22.99
APR140205 BATMAN ETERNAL #9 $2.99
APR140229 BATWING #32 $2.99
MAR140269 BEFORE WATCHMEN MINUTEMEN SILK SPECTRE TP $19.99
APR140183 EARTH 2 #24 $2.99
MAR148364 FOREVER EVIL #6 2ND PTG $3.99
APR140178 GREEN ARROW #32 $2.99
APR140232 GREEN LANTERN #32 (UPRISING) $2.99
APR140234 GREEN LANTERN #32 COMBO PACK (UPRISING) $3.99
MAR148366 HARLEY QUINN #1 4TH PTG $2.99
MAR148365 HARLEY QUINN #3 2ND PTG $2.99
MAR140283 HELLBLAZER TP VOL 08 RAKE AT THE GATES OF HELL (MR) $19.99
APR140298 HINTERKIND #8 (MR) $2.99
APR140179 JUSTICE LEAGUE 3000 #7 $2.99
APR140286 LOONEY TUNES #219 $2.99
APR140162 NEW 52 FUTURES END #5 (WEEKLY) $2.99
MAR140267 STORMWATCH TP VOL 02 $19.99
MAR140260 STORMWATCH TP VOL 04 RESET (N52) $19.99
APR140241 SWAMP THING #32 $2.99
MAR140257 SWAMP THING TP VOL 04 SEEDER (N52) $14.99
APR140283 TINY TITANS RETURN TO THE TREEHOUSE #1 $2.99
APR140181 TRINITY OF SIN THE PHANTOM STRANGER #20 $2.99
APR140250 VAMPIRE DIARIES #6 $3.99
MAR140295 WAKE #9 (MR) $2.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

DEC130358 DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS BLACK CANARY STATUE $124.95

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for June 4 2014

MARVEL COMICS

APR140726 ALL NEW X-FACTOR #9 $3.99
APR140722 AMAZING X-MEN #8 $3.99
APR140721 AMAZING X-MEN ANNUAL #1 $4.99
APR140661 AVENGERS WORLD #7 ANMN $3.99
APR140692 BLACK WIDOW #7 $3.99
APR140689 CAPTAIN AMERICA #21 $3.99
APR140723 CYCLOPS #2 $3.99
MAR140759 INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK PREM HC VOL 04 HUMANITY BOMB $24.99
JAN140785 INHUMANITY HC $49.99
APR140713 IRON FIST LIVING WEAPON #3 $3.99
APR140684 IRON MAN #27 ANMN $3.99
APR140690 LOKI AGENT OF ASGARD #5 $2.99
APR140737 MAGNETO #5 $3.99
APR140673 MILES MORALES ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #2 $3.99
APR140653 MIRACLEMAN #7 $4.99
APR140707 MOON KNIGHT #4 $3.99
APR140699 NEW WARRIORS #5 $3.99
MAR140780 NOVA CLASSIC TP VOL 03 $34.99
APR140626 ORIGINAL SIN #3 $3.99
MAR140748 PAINKILLER JANE 22 BRIDES #1 (MR) $4.99
APR140697 PUNISHER #6 $3.99
JAN140783 PUNISHER MAX BY AARON OMNIBUS HC (MR) $99.99
FEB140780 SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN #12 $3.99
MAR140769 UNCANNY AVENGERS TP VOL 02 APOCALYPSE TWINS $19.99
JAN140784 WOLVERINE AND X-MEN BY JASON AARON OMNIBUS HC $99.99

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for June 4 2014

IDW PUBLISHING

APR140410 GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #203 $3.99
APR140412 GI JOE ORIGINS OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 $24.99
MAR140433 JUDGE DREDD MEGA CITY TWO #5 $3.99
APR140436 MAXX MAXXIMIZED #8 $3.99
MAR140383 SAMURAI JACK TP VOL 01 $19.99
MAR140335 TMNT ONGOING #34 $3.99
APR140371 TMNT ONGOING TP VOL 08 NORTHAMPTON $17.99
MAR140408 X-FILES ART GALLERY #1 $3.99