Wednesday, July 16, 2014

I Reads You Review: CYCLOPS #1

CYCLOPS (2014) #1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

WRITER: Greg Rucka
ARTIST: Russell Dauterman
COLORS: Chris Sotomayor
LETTERS: VC’s Joe Caramagna
COVER: Alexander Lozano
VARIANT COVERS: Greg Land; Skottie Young
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2014)

Rated T+

Marvel Comics’ “All-New Marvel Now!” initiative is offering a seemingly endless onslaught on new series.  This includes the launch of some X-Men solo comic book series featuring some of the most popular and iconic X-Men.  One of the X-Men getting his own comic book series is Cyclops, one of the original X-Men.  In fact, the star of the new comic book is a 16-year-old Cyclops… Let me explain.

All-New X-Men, written by Brian Michael Bendis, was one of the titles that came out of the original Marvel NOW publishing initiative back in autumn of 2012.  In this new X-Men comic book series, the modern, blue, furry Beast went back in time and met the original teen X-Men:  Cyclops (Scott Summers), Marvel Girl (Jean Grey), the Beast (Hank McCoy), Angel (Warren Worthington III), and Iceman (Bobby Drake), at a time when they’d only been the X-Men for a short time.  Grown-up Beast convinced teen Beast and his teammates to return with him to the present to see what had become of their dreams in a world that is our present and their future.  It wasn’t pretty.

Springing out of “The Trial of Jean Grey” event, Cyclops #1 finds 16-year old Scott Summers/Cyclops in outer space.  He is with the band of space pirates known as the “Starjammers.”  They are led by Scott’s once thought-to-be-dead father, Christopher Summers, now known as Corsair.  And the reunited father and son are about to embark on an epic father-son journey across the space ways.

The Starjammers were created by Dave Cockrum and first appeared in X-Men #107 (cover dated: October 1977).  The Starjammers were straight out of that venerable science fiction subgenre, space opera.  Comic books are no stranger to space opera, as many comic book companies in the 1940s and 50s used space flight to take human characters to strange worlds where they met even stranger beings.  Two of the best examples of space opera in comics may be Planet Comics, a science fiction comic book series published by Fiction House from 1940 to 1953, and also Weird Fantasy, which was published by EC Comics from 1950 to 1953.

This new Cyclops comic book is not hokey like some old science fiction comic books, but it might owe something to Star Wars, a film that has space opera elements and is considered by some to be space opera.  With that in mind, I think Cyclops could be a good thing.

What I am loving about Cyclops #1 right now is the art by Russell Dauterman (pencils and inks) and Chris Sotomayor (colors).  It is perfect for this juvenile space opera, and it looks so unique and different, as if Cyclops #1 was a slice of a European comics graphic album.  I want to see where writer Greg Rucka takes this, so I hope Cyclops runs for at least 12 issues.

A-

Reviwed by Leroy Douresseaux


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


Tuesday, July 15, 2014

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for July 16, 2014

DC COMICS

APR140254     BATMAN A CELEBRATION OF 75 YEARS HC     $39.99
MAY140227     BATMAN ETERNAL #15     $2.99
MAY140251     BATWOMAN #33     $2.99
APR140259     BIRDS OF PREY TP VOL 04 THE CRUELEST CUT (N52)     $16.99
MAR140252     DAMIAN SON OF BATMAN DELUXE ED HC (N52)     $24.99
APR140295     DJANGO UNCHAINED TP (MR)     $16.99
MAY140401     FABLES #142 (MR)     $2.99
MAY140263     GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #33     $2.99
MAY140248     HARLEY QUINN INVADES COMIC CON INTL SAN DIEGO #1     $4.99
MAY140350     INFINITE CRISIS FIGHT FOR THE MULTIVERSE #1     $3.99
APR140255     JOKER A CELEBRATION OF 75 YEARS HC     $39.99
MAY140183     NEW 52 FUTURES END #11 (WEEKLY)     $2.99
MAY140256     RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #33     $2.99
MAY140160     ROBIN RISES OMEGA #1     $4.99
MAY140359     SCRIBBLENAUTS UNMASKED CRISIS OF IMAGINATION #7     $2.99
MAY140224     SUPERGIRL #33     $2.99
APR140273     SUPERGIRL TP VOL 04 OUT OF THE PAST (N52)     $14.99
MAR140263     TALES OF THE BATMAN JH WILLIAMS III HC     $49.99
MAY140164     TEEN TITANS #1     $2.99
APR140262     TEEN TITANS TP VOL 04 LIGHT AND DARK (N52)     $14.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

JAN140403     DC COMICS SUPER VILLAINS ARMORED LEX LUTHOR DLX AF     $49.95
DEC130369     SUPERMAN BLACK POOL CUE     $199.95
DEC130370     SUPERMAN ICONIC POOL CUE     $199.95

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for July 16, 2014

MARVEL COMICS

MAY140815     100TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL #1 X-MEN     $3.99
MAY140910     ALL NEW X-FACTOR #11     $3.99
MAY140828     AVENGERS WORLD #9     $3.99
APR148506     BLACK WIDOW #4 2ND PTG NOTO VAR     $3.99
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APR140771     BLACK WIDOW TP VOL 01 FINELY WOVEN THREAD     $17.99
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IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for July 16, 2014

IDW PUBLISHING

MAY140523     24 #4     $3.99
MAY140536     BORDERLANDS FALL OF FYRESTONE #1     $3.99
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MAY140556     DOBERMAN #1     $3.99
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MAY140511     STAR TREK SPECIAL FLESH & STONE #1     $3.99
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MAY140551     THE LAST FALL #1     $3.99
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Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for July 16, 2014

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MAY140025     BPRD HELL ON EARTH #121     $3.50
MAY140064     BRAIN BOY MEN FROM GESTALT #3     $2.99
MAR140080     BTVS SPIKE INTO LIGHT HC     $14.99
MAY140097     EYE OF NEWT #2     $3.99
MAY140062     GHOST #6     $2.99
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MAR140100     PICTURES THAT TICK LTD ED HC VOL 02     $100.00
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MAY140086     STAR WARS DARTH MAUL SON OF DATHOMIR #3     $3.50
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MAY140078     WITCHER #5     $3.99
MAY140029     WITCHFINDER MYSTERIES OF UNLAND #2     $3.50

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for July 16, 2014

IMAGE COMICS

MAY140618     ALEX + ADA TP VOL 01     $12.99
MAY140582     APHRODITE IX CYBER FORCE #1 CVR A SEJIC     $5.99
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MAY140606     CAP'N DINOSAUR ONE SHOT     $3.99
MAY140622     CHEW OMNIVORE ED HC VOL 04 (MR)     $34.99
MAY140574     DARK ENGINE #1 (MR)     $3.50
MAY140626     DEADLY CLASS TP VOL 01 REAGAN YOUTH (MR)     $9.99
MAY140712     MANIFEST DESTINY #8     $2.99
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Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for July 16, 2014

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

FEB141405     ACG COLL WORKS FORBIDDEN WORLDS SLIPCASE ED VOL 06     $64.99
MAY141187     ADVENTURE TIME #30     $3.99
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MAY141564     ATOMIC ROBO KNIGHTS OF GOLDEN CIRCLE #3     $3.50
MAY141498     AUTEUR #5 (MR)     $3.99
MAY141135     BLACK MARKET #1     $3.99
APR140949     BRYAN LEE O MALLEY SECONDS GN     $25.00
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MAGAZINES
MAR141337     2000 AD PACK MAY 2014     PI
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BOOKS
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