Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 6, 2014

DARK HORSE COMICS

JUN140021     ANGEL AND FAITH SEASON 10 #5 MAIN CVR     $3.50
APR140073     COMPLETE ELFQUEST TP VOL 01 ORIGINAL QUEST     $24.99
APR140066     FEAR AGENT TP VOL 05 I AGAINST I (2ND ED)     $16.99
DEC130145     GAME OF THRONES ARYA STARK STATUE     $225.00
APR140053     JUICE SQUEEZERS TP VOL 01 GREAT BUG ELEVATOR     $12.99
JUN140033     MICHAEL AVON OEMINGS VICTORIES #14 (MR)     $3.99
APR140088     OH MY GODDESS RTL TP VOL 46     $12.99
APR140076     RING OF NIBELUNG HC     $29.99
APR140047     SKYMAN TP VOL 01 RIGHT STUFF     $14.99
APR140086     TRIGUN MAXIMUM OMNIBUS TP VOL 04     $19.99
JUN140045     USAGI YOJIMBO SENSO #1     $3.99

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 6, 2014

IMAGE COMICS

MAY140695     ALEX + ADA #8     $2.99
JUN140543     CLONE #19 (MR)     $2.99
NOV130498     CYBER FORCE #10     $2.99
JUN140478     GENIUS #1 (MR)     $3.99
JUN140552     HACK SLASH SON OF SAMHAIN #2 (MR)     $3.50
JUN140484     HOWTOONS REIGNITION #1     $2.99
JUN140469     IMPERIAL #1     $2.99
APR140572     INVINCIBLE #113     $2.99
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JUN140554     MADAME FRANKENSTEIN #4     $2.99
JUN140562     NAILBITER #4 (MR)     $2.99
JUN140485     NIGHTWORLD #1     $3.99
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APR140607     TALES OF HONOR #4 CVR A JEONG     $2.99
APR140608     TALES OF HONOR #4 CVR B SEJIC     $2.99
JUN140582     TECH JACKET #2     $2.99

IMAGE COMICS/MCFARLANE TOYS

APR140625     WALKING DEAD TV SER 2 WALSH UD ED AF     PI

Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for August 6, 2014

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

APR141329     ACG CLASSICS COLL PACK ADV INTO UNKNOWN BOOKSHOP ED #2     $129.99
MAR141363     AI PRESENTS ODYSSEY HC VOL 01     $19.99
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MAR141019     BEARDO TP VOL 01 ART DEGREE GUARANTEE     $19.95
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JUN140953     BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA #3 MAIN CVRS     $3.99
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NOV130744     I FEEL SICK #1 NEW PTG (NOTE PRICE)     $4.95
NOV130745     I FEEL SICK #2 NEW PTG (NOTE PRICE)     $4.95
APR141287     I WAS THE CAT HC     $24.99
MAY141632     IT NEVER HAPPENED AGAIN 2 STORIES GN     $11.99
JUN141045     JENNIFER BLOOD BORN AGAIN #1 (MR)     $3.99
JUN141114     JIM BUTCHER DRESDEN FILES WAR CRY #3     $3.99
MAR141357     JOHN CARPENTERS ASYLUM #7 (MR)     $3.99
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APR141260     KODT BUNDLE OF TROUBLE TP VOL 44     $14.99
MAY141576     KOKORO CONNECT GN VOL 01 (MR)     $12.99
MAY141636     LES MISERABLES MANGA CLASSICS GN     $19.99
MAY141635     LES MISERABLES MANGA CLASSICS HC     $24.99
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APR140830     ROGUES VOL 2 #3 COLD SHIP (MR)     $3.99
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MAY141348     SHADOW MIDNIGHT MOSCOW #3     $3.99
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JUN140946     WOODS #4     $3.99
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MAGAZINES
MAR141618     AMAZING FIGURE MODELER #57     $8.00
JUN141696     COMIC SHOP NEWS #1416     PI
APR141641     DC BATMAN AUTO FIG MAG #37 BATMAN BEYOND ANIMATED SERIES     $20.00
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FEB141640     MARVEL FACT FILES SPECIAL #3 CAPTAIN AMERICA     $32.00
FEB141670     MEGAMI MAY 2014     $16.60
FEB141671     NEWTYPE MAY 2014     $16.00
MAR141615     RUE MORGUE MAGAZINE #147     $9.95
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FEB141635     STAR TREK STARSHIPS FIG COLL MAG #20 KLINGON V’ORCHA CLASS     $20.00

BOOKS
MAY141799     DC SUPER HEROES BATMAN YR TP CATWOMANS NINE LIVES     $5.95
MAY141800     DC SUPER HEROES BATMAN YR TP PRISONER O/T PENGUIN     $5.95
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MAY141802     DC SUPER HEROES SUPERMAN YR TP REAL MAN OF STEEL     $5.95
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JUN141211     FILM NOIR 101 HC POSTERS FROM 1940 - 1950     $35.00
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MAY141839     STAR WARS JEDI ACADEMY YR HC VOL 02 RETURN OF PADAWAN     $12.99
MAY141814     WALT DISNEY DRAWN FROM IMAGINATION     $14.99
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I Reads You Review: JONNY QUEST #1

JONNY QUEST #1
COMICO The Comic Company

WRITER: Doug Wildey; William Messner-Loebs
PENCILS: Doug Wildey; Steve Rude
INKS: Doug Wildey; Mike Royer
COLORS: Doug Wildey; Matt Wagner
LETTERS: Doug Wildey; Bob Pinaha
PIN-UPS: Steve Rude; Marc Hempel and Mark Wheatley; Bill Willingham and Terry Austin
32pp, Color, $1.50 U.S., $2.25 CAN (June 1986)

“Jonny Quest” was a science fiction and action-adventure animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for Screen Gems.  The series was created and designed by comic book artist, Doug Wildey.  “Jonny Quest” was broadcast on ABC in prime time for one season in 1964–1965 for a total of 26 episodes.

“Jonny Quest” focused on Jonathan “Jonny” Quest, an 11-year-old boy who accompanies Dr. Benton C. Quest, his genius scientist father, on extraordinary adventures.  Roger T. “Race” Bannon was a special agent from the governmental agency, Intelligence One.  A pilot, Race was also Jonny’s tutor, as well as his bodyguard, as the (presumably) U.S. government feared that the boy could be kidnapped.  Jonny’s best friend was Hadji Singh, a streetwise, 11-year-old orphan from Calcutta whom Dr. Benton Quest adopted as his son.  Jonny has a pet, Bandit, a small white dog.

There have been comic book adaptations of “Jonny Quest.”  In 1964, Gold Key Comics published Jonny Quest #1 (cover dated: December 1964?), which retold the first TV episode, “Mystery of the Lizard Men.”  The Grand Comics Database lists a single-issue Jonny Quest comic book published in Australia in 1976.

Beginning in 1986, Pennsylvania-based comic book publisher, Comico The Comic Company (or just Comico), began publishing a Jonny Quest comic book with all-new stories, using the original TV series as a template.  Jonny Quest ran for 31 issues, with two issues of the Jonny Quest Special, and three issues of Jonny Quest Classic.  Drawn by Doug Wildey, the “Classic” series retold three “Jonny Quest” TV episodes:  “Shadow of the Condor,” “Calcutta Adventure,” and “Werewolf of the Timberland.”  There was also Jezebel Jade, a three-issue miniseries starring Jade, a female combination soldier-of-fortune, mercenary, spy, etc. who appeared in the 1965-65 series and had (has) some kind of romantic relationship with Race.

Some months ago, on eBay, I bought a bundle of 1980s comic books that were published by independent publishers.  What I really wanted were the issues of Wally Wood’s T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents included in this auction lot, but I was surprised to find the first issue of Comico’s ongoing Jonny Quest series.

Jonny Quest #1 contains two interconnected short stories.  The first is “The Sands of Khasa Tahid,” written and drawn by “Jonny Quest” designer/creator, Doug Wildey.  Jonny, Hadji, and Race are traveling across the desert of an unnamed North African country.  Their destination is the Chandarkin Oasis, which is the location of an ancient city buried beneath its sands… or so goes Dr. Quest’s theory.  The machinations of longtime Quest adversary, Dr. Zin, is about to put this trio in an explosive situation.

The second story is “City of Lost Time,” which is written by William Messner-Loebs and drawn by Steve Rude and Mike Royer.  Dr. Quest, Race, and the boys head towards the uncovered city of Khasa Tahid, with Jezebel Jade along for the ride.  They aren’t the only ones looking to discover the lost city’s secrets, which are about to reveal themselves to two curious boys.

I read this comic book around the time it was first released.  I liked it, but not enough to keep reading the series.  I’m not sure how many issues after the first issue I read, if I read any at all.  Looking back, Jonny Quest #1 is good, but not great.  I was a huge fan of the old TV series, and Doug Wildey’s opening story captures the graphic and visual sensibilities of the show, obviously, as Wildey created the show.  The second story has some nice ideas, especially about the unseen denizens of the Khasa Tahid, but it is truncated.  It needed to be a full-issue story, at least.

This time around, however, I do plan to try to read more of the series, especially the “specials” and Jonny Quest Classics.  Jonny Quest #1 turned out to be a nice “bonus” in that eBay lot I bought.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

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Review: THE STRAIN #5

THE STRAIN #5
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

STORY: Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
SCRIPT: David Lapham
ART: Mike Huddleston
COLORS: Dan Jackson
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: E.M. Gist
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S. (June 2012)

Part 5: “Origins”

Dark Horse Comics previously made PDF copies of all 11 issues of its horror comic book series, The Strain, available to comic book reviewers on its mailing list.  This offer was part of DHC’s promotional effort for the follow-up series, The Strain: The Fall.  I took up that offer and reviewed all 11 issues of The Strain for the ComicBookBin.

I have previously posted my reviews of The Strain, issues #1 through 4, here on the “I Reads You” blog.  Over the course of the coming weeks, I will post the reviews of issues 5 to 11 on this blog in conjunction with the broadcast of “The Strain,” the television adaptation of the original novel.  The first episode aired on Sunday night, July 13, 2014 on cable channel, FX, with each new episode airing the following Sunday.

Thus far, I think the first two issues The Strain comic book were better than the first two episodes of “The Strain” TV series.  However, I found that the third episode, “Gone Smooth,” (Sunday, July 27, 2014) matched the intensity of the comic book.

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Published by Dark Horse Comics, The Strain is an 11-issue comic book adaptation of the 2009 vampire novel, also entitled The Strain, from filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (Blade II, Hellboy) and novelist Chuck Hogan (Prince of Thieves).  The adaptation is scripted by David Lapham, drawn by Mike Huddleston, colored by Dan Jackson, and lettered by Clem Robins.

The Strain’s lead character is Dr. Ephraim “Eph” Goodweather of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control).  Eph heads the Canary Project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats.   With his second-in-command, Nora Martinez, Eph has found such a threat.  It begins at J.F.K. International Airport in New York City, where a Boeing 777 went dead silent after landing, while inside, almost all the passengers and crew were dead.

The Strain #5 opens at the 17th Precinct Headquarters in a holding cell.  There, Professor Abraham Setrakian tells fellow cellmate, Gusto, a story that takes them back in time.  It begins in 1927 in Romania.  Young Abraham is a woodworker whose life is about to be turned upside down by the Nazis.

Moving forward to 1942, Abraham is imprisoned at the Treblinka Death Camp.  His skills keep him alive, but he discovers another threat – the monstrous Sardu.  That’s where the battle between good and evil really begins, and where Abraham’s bid for freedom will determine the fate of many.

Writing comic book reviews of the various issues of The Strain have been easy.  Writer David Lapham and artist Mike Huddleston are a good team.  Lapham decompresses the story, but the narrative pace moves with ever increasing urgency, heightening the sense of drama, especially the moments of violence.  Huddleston brings it to life with compositions full of details that create atmosphere, but most especially embody what each moment is supposed to be.

Lapham and Huddleston’s efforts have earned readers’ notice.  Fans of horror comic books must try The Strain.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Toriko: Four-Beasts!!

I read Toriko, Vol. 22: Four Beasts

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin, which is seeking donations.  Follow me on Twitter.

I Reads You Review: LEGENDARY STAR-LORD #1

LEGENDARY STAR-LORD #1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

WRITER: Sam Humphries
PENCILS: Paco Medina
INKS: Juan Vlasco
COLORS: David Curiel
LETTERS: VC’s Joe Caramagna
COVER: Paco Medina
VARIANT COVERS: Mahmud Asrar, Nick Bradshaw, David Marquez, Sara Pichelli, Valerio Schiti, Ryan Stegman
28pp, Color, $3.99 (September 2014)

Rated “T”

Star-Lord a/k/a Peter Quill is a Marvel Comics superhero and science fiction character.  Star-Lord was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Steve Gan and first appeared in Marvel Preview #4 (cover dated: January 1976).  Quill is the son of a human mother and an alien father, and he assumes the mantle of Star-Lord, an interplanetary policeman.

After sporadic appearances, Star-Lord was revamped (or reinvigorated) for his appearance in Annihilation (2006) and Annihilation: Conquest (2007).  He became the leader of the space-based superhero team, Guardians of the Galaxy, for the 2008 re-launch/revamp of the Guardians of the Galaxy comic book series.

Marvel Studios’ new film, Guardians of the Galaxy, is about to open in movie theatres, so it makes sense, from a sales perspective, for Marvel Comics to take characters from the Guardians of the Galaxy comic book and give them their own series.  Thus, both Rocket Raccoon and Star-Lord have new titles.  Legendary Star-Lord is written by Sam Humphries, drawn by Paco Medina and Juan Vlasco, colored by David Curiel, and lettered by Joe Caramagna.

Legendary Star-Lord #1 opens in Colorado, 20 years in the past.  We observe Peter Quill on the day of his mother, Meredith Quill’s funeral.  Cut to the present where we find Peter Quill as Star-Lord, outmanned and outgunned by the Badoon.  Star-Lord is a wanted man with a price on his head, and the Badoons get a second prize, the Mandalay Gem, which Quill has in his possession.  Escaping the Badoon might be easy, but facing his past will be a mess for Star-Lord.

I didn’t expect much from Legendary Star-Lord, but I liked it.  It has a lone gun, private eye, cowboy, freelance dude vibe that works, mainly because Peter Quill is an attractive character.  I figure that another issue or two will tell me if this series is really worth following for the (relatively) long haul.

I must say that I like Paco Medina’s art with Juan Vlasco’s Steve McNiven-like inks.  To the readers who liked the space opera/space fantasy style of the recently launched Cyclops comic book, I say give Legendary Star-Lord a try.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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