I Reads You Review: WYTCHES #1

WYTCHES #1
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

WRITER: Scott Snyder
ARTIST: Jock
COLORS: Matt Hollingsworth
LETTERS: Clem Robins
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (October 2014)

Rated M / Mature

Wytches is a new comic book series from DC Comics superstar writer, Scott Snyder (Batman, American Vampire), and artist Jock (The Losers).  It presents an alternative version of witches as creatures called “wytches,” which are ancient, terrible, powerful, and hungry.

Wytches #1 opens in early September 2014.  The book introduces a teenager named Sailor Rooks, a girl beset by trauma and tragedy.  Her father is children's book author, Charles Rooks, and her mother, Lucy, is wheelchair bound.  The Rooks relocated because of a killing in which Sailor was involved, but the teen knows that her reputation or infamy has proceeded her.  That is not the only thing that has followed Sailor.

I thoroughly enjoy Scott Snyder's work on The New 52 relaunch of Batman (with artist Greg Capullo), which is surprising because I did not expect much for the series after reading their Batman #1.  Jock has created some comic books that I have liked... I guess.  I only bought Wytches #1 because I currently have an itch for number one issues published by Image Comics, which is Wytches' publisher.  Because the comic book shop I frequent sold out of Wytches #1, I had to pay $4.99 to get a copy from Mile High Comics.

Oh, yes, it was worth the extra two bucks plus postage to get this comic book.  I have decided to stop giving grades to number one issues.  Sometimes, I am conservative and give number one issues a lower grade than they deserve.  Sometimes, I am so surprised by a first issue that I really become to generous with the accolades and grading.

However, I am tempted to ignore my new policy and give Wytches #1 an A+, but I am going to stay the course like George H.W. Bush.  The concept is hugely intriguing, and Jock's art, with its bold, slashing brush work and jagged and edgy compositions, delivers some striking, bone-chilling, blood-curdling moments visuals and graphics.  I have to have the next issue, even if it is at Mile High Comics prices.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Review: Matsuri Hino Presents LAST NIGHT - Vampire Knight Illustrations

MATSURI HINO PRESENTS LAST NIGHT: VAMPIRE KNIGHT ILLUSTRATIONS
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Matsuri Hino
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7605-3; hardback (October 2014); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
44pp, B&W, $15.99 U.S., $18.99 CAN, £9.99 UK (for graphic novel and art book set)

Vampire Knight is a shojo manga series written and drawn by manga creator, Matsuri Hino.  VIZ Media recently published the final graphic novel collection of the series with the release of Vampire Knight Volume 19, on October 14, 2014.  Vol. 19 was released in a regular edition graphic novel and also a “Limited Edition” with an alternate cover.  The Limited Edition is actually a two-book collection that includes a hardcover mini art book entitled, Matsuri Hino Presents Last Night: Vampire Knight Illustrations.  [The Vampire Knight “Night Class” Manga Box Set 2, to be released November 4, 2014, will also include a copy of Last Night.]

Last Night contains over 40 full-color illustrations drawn and colored by Hino.  Most of these illustrations appeared in LaLa, the Japanese manga magazine in which Vampire Knight was originally serialized.  Many of the series' characters appear in these illustrations, but the characters which are most depicted are, of course, Vampire Knight's (un)holy trinity of and love triangle:  Yuki Cross, Zero Kiryu, and Kaname Kuran.

Is the packaging price of Vampire Knight Limited Edition 19 money well spent?  Well, my generous VIZ Media rep gave me both the single-volume regular edition and Limited Edition set.  The Limited Edition costs $6 more than the regular edition, and Last Night is worth the extra six bucks, especially if you, dear reader, are a fan of Matsuri Hino's illustrations.

Hino's moody, pouting, and contemplative vampires are gorgeous.  Other than their school uniforms, little of the characters' clothing could be “off the rack,” unless the clothes are off a rack found in an acclaimed fashion designer's personal work place.  These are fashion icon vampires.  As we leave the world of Vampire Knight, Last Night is the kind of neato item we might grab before we turn off the lights on our way out.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Reads: WAYWARD #3

WAYWARD #3
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

STORY: Jim Zub – @jimzub
ART: Steve Cummings – @stekichikun
COLORS: John Rauch and Jim Zub with Tamra Bonvillain – @John_Rauch and @TBonvillain
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon – @MarshallDillon
COVER: Steve Cummings and Ross A. Campbell
VARIANT COVER: Jorge Molina
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S.

Additional material by Zack Davisson (@ZackDavisson) and Steve Cummings

Writer Jim Zub sent an advanced review PDF copy of the third issue of Wayward to comics media people, and the ComicBookBin was one of the recipients.  I decided to also share the good news about Wayward with you, dear reader.  I really appreciate the chance to read advanced comics, but when the comic book is something as good as Wayward, I almost feel honored to receive it.

Wayward is the intriguing new fantasy comic book series from Zub and penciller Steve Cummings.  Published by Image Comics, Wayward focuses on Rori Lane, a half-Irish/half-Japanese teen girl who is trying to start a new life in Japan, only to find herself connected to the magic and ancient creatures that lurk in the shadows of Tokyo.

As Wayward #3 (“Chapter Three”) opens, Rori can sense a storm is brewing – both naturally and supernaturally.  She still isn't fitting in at school, but she's found a homeboy, of sorts, in Shirai, a teenaged boy who can “eat ghosts.”  Meanwhile, somewhere else in Tokyo, a stranger man senses a “rogue weaver.”  Also, enter Nikaido, and someone whom Rori knows has a secret.

Clearly, Wayward is attracting readers, and I think that is because Jim Zub is slowly introducing readers to a world of magic and intrigue.  Perhaps, it is a really big world, and the only way for Zub to do right by his creation is to work through the characters.  They confront the magic in bits and pieces, rather than having to face an epic, wide-ranging magical conspiracy all at once.  Zub knows that if we buy into the characters first, we will also accept the supernatural that they encounter as they encounter it.

Yes, someone says the word, “magic,” in this chapter, but artist Steve Cummings perfectly blends the magical, the supernatural, and the otherness into a solidly real world of mundane tasks and ordinary living.  Cummings is going to make us invest in this world, by recognizing its relationship to ours.  Cummings' art is kind of teaching our imaginations to feel the difference between an ordinary world in which magic just might be as legitimate a part of the world as anything else.

Yeah, it's not fluke.  Wayward is one of the best new titles of the year.  Plus,  Zack Davisson offers another hugely informative essay on the mythology of Japan in “The Magical Foxes of Japan.”

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 October 29, 2014

DC COMICS

JUL140274     100 BULLETS TP BOOK 01 (MR)     $24.99
AUG140267     BATMAN ETERNAL #30     $2.99
JUN140263     DC COMICS ZERO YEAR HC (N52)     $34.99
AUG140191     EARTH 2 WORLDS END #4     $2.99
JUN140266     GREEN LANTERN HC VOL 05 TEST OF WILLS (N52)     $24.99
JUL140243     GREEN LANTERN TP VOL 04 DARK DAYS (N52)     $16.99
AUG148354     HARLEY QUINN #5 2ND PTG     $2.99
AUG140294     HARLEY QUINN ANNUAL #1 INTERNATIONAL ED     $5.99
AUG140238     JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK ANNUAL #2     $4.99
AUG140235     JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED ANNUAL #1     $4.99
AUG140221     NEW 52 FUTURES END #26 (WEEKLY)     $2.99
JUL140282     PREACHER TP BOOK 06 (MR)     $19.99
AUG140321     SENSATION COMICS FEATURING WONDER WOMAN #3     $3.99
AUG140305     SINESTRO #6 (GODHEAD)     $2.99
AUG140309     SWAMP THING ANNUAL #3     $4.99
AUG140371     VERTIGO QUARTERLY #1 YELLOW (MR)     $7.99
AUG140239     WONDER WOMAN #35     $2.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

APR140328     BATMAN METALLIC MINI STATUE BY JIM LEE     $99.95
APR140329     DC COMICS COVER GIRLS HARLEY QUINN STATUE 2ND ED     $99.95
MAY140426     DC COMICS DESIGNER SER 2 CAPULLO RED HOOD AF     $24.95
MAY140433     GREEN ARROW MINI PATINA STATUE     $99.95

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for October 29, 2014

MARVEL COMICS

AUG140869     ALL NEW X-MEN #33     $3.99
AUG148298     AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #4 2ND PTG RAMOS VAR SIN     $3.99
AUG148299     AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #5 2ND PTG RAMOS VAR SIN     $3.99
AUG148300     AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #6 2ND PTG RAMOS VAR     $3.99
AUG140734     AXIS CARNAGE #1     $3.99
AUG140738     AXIS REVOLUTIONS #1     $3.99
JUL140716     DEADPOOL AND CABLE OMNIBUS HC     $125.00
AUG148303     DEATH OF WOLVERINE #2 2ND PTG MCNIVEN VAR     $4.99
AUG140753     DEATH OF WOLVERINE DEADPOOL AND CAPTAIN AMERICA #1     $4.99
AUG140751     DEATH OF WOLVERINE LOGAN LEGACY #3     $3.99
AUG140761     DEATHLOK #1     $3.99
AUG148297     EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE #2 2ND PTG RODRIGUEZ VAR     $3.99
AUG148304     EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE #3 2ND PTG WEAVER VAR     $3.99
AUG140830     ELEKTRA #7     $3.99
AUG140846     FANTASTIC FOUR #12     $3.99
AUG148301     FIGMENT #1 3RD PTG ANDRADE VAR     $3.99
AUG140818     GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #20     $3.99
AUG148302     HAWKEYE VS DEADPOOL #0 2ND PTG HARREN VAR     $4.99
SEP140918     HOWARD DUCK OMNIBUS HC     $99.99
AUG140831     INHUMAN #7     $3.99
AUG140904     IRON MAN EPIC COLLECTION TP GOLDEN AVENGER     $34.99
AUG148318     LEGENDARY STAR LORD #1 3RD PTG MCNIVEN VAR ANMN     $3.99
AUG140821     MARVEL 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION #1     $5.99
AUG140864     MARVEL UNIVERSE ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #31 SYU     $2.99
JUL140710     MIRACLEMAN PREM HC BOOK 02 RED KING SYNDROME     $34.99
AUG140899     MMW AVENGERS TP VOL 06     $24.99
AUG140837     NOVA #22     $3.99
AUG140894     ORIGINAL SIN HC     $75.00
AUG140925     SAVAGE WOLVERINE TP VOL 02 HANDS ON DEAD BODY     $19.99
AUG140770     THANOS A GOD UP THERE LISTENING #4     $3.99
AUG140844     THUNDERBOLTS #32     $2.99
AUG140923     UNCANNY X-MEN IRON MAN NOVA TP NO END IN SIGHT     $15.99
AUG140881     WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #11     $3.99
JUN140736     WOLVERINE AND X-MEN TP VOL 01 TOMORROW NEVER LEARNS     $17.99

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for October 29, 2014

IDW PUBLISHING

NOV130335     BASIL WOLVERTON WEIRD WORLDS ARTIST ED HC     PI
AUG140423     CARTOON NETWORK SUPER SECRET CRISIS WAR #5     $3.99
AUG140424     CARTOON NETWORK SUPER SECRET CRISIS WAR #5 SUBSCRIPTION     $3.99
JUL148025     IDW FALL 2014 KIDS COMIC SAMPLER     PI
AUG140409     LITTLE NEMO RETURN TO SLUMBERLAND #2     $3.99
AUG148045     ROT & RUIN #1 2ND PTG     $3.99
AUG140457     TRANSFORMERS MORE THAN MEETS EYE #34 DAWN O/T AUTOBOTS     $3.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for October 29, 2014

DARK HORSE COMICS

AUG140016     ALIENS FIRE AND STONE #2     $3.50
AUG140092     BALTIMORE WOLF AND THE APOSTLE #1     $3.50
JUN140029     BLACKOUT TP VOL 01 INTO DARK     $12.99
JUN140080     BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL TP VOL 30 VIGILANCE (MR)     $19.99
AUG140052     CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT #16     $2.99
JUN140074     CHRONICLES OF KING CONAN TP VOL 09 BLOOD OF SERPENT     $19.99
AUG140030     CONAN THE AVENGER #7     $3.50
AUG140025     DEEP GRAVITY #4     $3.99
JUN140078     EC ARCHIVES TALES FROM THE CRYPT HC VOL 05     $49.99
JUN140085     GAME OF THRONES DAENERYS TARGARYEN LUNCHBOX     $14.99
JUL140128     GOON OCCASION OF REVENGE #3     $3.50
JUL130098     GRIMM LUNCHBOX     $14.99
AUG140085     GROO VS CONAN #4     $3.50
MAR140102     LEGEND OF KORRA LUNCHBOX     $14.99
AUG140072     MASSIVE #28     $3.50
JUN140048     MIKE NORTONS BATTLEPUG HC VOL 03 SIT STAY DIE     $14.99
AUG140074     MIND MGMT #27     $3.99
JUN140027     PROJECT BLACK SKY SECRET FILES TP     $14.99
AUG140077     SUNDOWNERS #3     $3.50
JUN140038     VACHSS UNDERGROUND HC     $29.99