Terra Formars: Emergency Plan Delta

I read Terra Formars, Vol. 3

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

I Reads You Review: ANGELA: Asgard's Assassin #1

ANGELA: ASGARD'S ASSASIN #1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

WRITERS: Kieron Gillen; Marguerite Bennett and Kieron Gillen
PENCILS: Phil Jimenez; Stephanie Hans
INKS: Tom Palmer; Stephanie Hans
COLORS: Romulo Fajardo; Stephanie Hans
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Stephanie Hans
VARIANT COVERS: Phil Jimenez and Dan Green with Frank D'armata; Joe Quesada; Skottie Young
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2015)

Rated “T+”

Angela created by Todd McFarlane and Neil Gaiman

Angela: Asgard's Assassin is a new comic book series launched as part of Marvel Comics' “Avengers NOW!” initiative.  The series features a character that was not originally a Marvel Comics character.

Angela is a comic book character created by writer Neil Gaiman and artist Todd McFarlane.  She first appeared in Spawn #9 (cover dated: March 1993) as a supporting character and adversary.  Published by Image Comics, Spawn was McFarlane's creator-owned series, and Angela was later the subject of a protracted legal battle between McFarlane and Gaiman.

Gaiman eventually won the rights to the character and transferred those rights to Marvel Comics.  Angela's Marvel debut was in the event miniseries, Age of Ultron (#10; cover dated: June 2013).  Angela's origin and purpose were changed from what they were in Spawn.  In the Marvel Universe, Angela was revealed to be Aldrif, the daughter of Odin (King of Asgard) and his wife, Frigga, which makes her the sister of Thor and Loki.  Once believed to have been murdered, Angela is now “the deadliest warrior in all the Ten Realms.”

Angela: Asgard's Assassin #1 finds Angela walking through the desert of Limbo, facing down hordes, and carrying... a baby?!  Plus, her partner, Sera, tells a tale of Angela's past.

Hmmm... Wow...  Over two decades later, Angela belongs to another publisher, yet the new publisher releases an Angela comic book that seems as if it were produced by the old publisher 20 years ago.  By that, I mean pretty art, underwhelming story.

Phil Jimenez and the great inker, Tom Palmer, deliver stellar art, creating a tale that looks like a bizarre melding of J.R.R. Tolkien and Robert E. Howard.  The gor-to-the-geous colors by Romulo Fajardo make the main story of Angela: Asgard's Assassin seem like a piece straight out of classic Heavy Metal.  However, the story does nothing for me, and I am not even interested in trying to talk about it.

The side story by writer Marguerite Bennett and artist Stephanie Hans is better.  It is a familiar story type, and with its pretty art, it also recalls Marvel's old Epic Magazine.  That said, I can't see myself reading future issues of Angela: Asgard's Assassin.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Phantom Thief Jeanne: Minor Angel, Major Saint

I read Phantom Thief Jeanne, Vol. 4

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

I Reads You Review: SUPERGIRL #36

SUPERGIRL #36
DC COMICS – @DCComics

WRITERS: K. Perkins and Mike Johnson
PENCILS: Emanuela Lupacchino
INKS: Ray McCarthy
COLORS: Hi-Fi
LETTERS: Dezi Sienty
COVER: Emanuela Lupacchino with Dan Brown
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (January 2015)

Supergirl based on the characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

“Crucible” Part 1

DC Comics character, Supergirl, is essentially the female counterpart of Superman.  The most familiar version of the character is Superman’s cousin, Kara Zor-El, who was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino.  She first appeared in Action Comics #252 (cover date May 1959), although there were two earlier versions of the character that appeared in 1949 and in 1958.

I have not read a Supergirl comic book since I read The New 52's Supergirl #1 (“Last Daughter of Krypton”) just over three years ago.  I recently visited an area comic book shop where the owner likes to hand out free comic books to her customers.  That's how I ended up with my first Supergirl comic book in years, besides the Supergirl trade paperback I bought my niece several months ago.

Supergirl #36 (“Crucible” Part 1) opens in the aftermath of Kara's shenanigans with the Red Lanterns (of which I am not familiar).  She is living in New York City and working at Elixir Cafe.  Kara just wants to live on Earth among the regular folks.  Her cuz, Clark Kent a/k/a Superman, makes a surprise appearance, with the intent of giving some big brother-type advice to Kara.  However, he also was involved in some shenanigans (regarding the Doom virus), so maybe he can use some advice, too.  The real lessons for Kara/Supergirl, however, will come from the Crucible Academy, courtesy of three super-powered aggressors.

I probably would have kicked Supergirl #36 to the curb by placing it in a pile of unread comic books, due for removal at a later date.  But I took one quick look inside and was immediately impressed by the eye-candy art from the team of penciller Emanuela Lupacchino, inker Ray McCarthy, and colorist Hi-Fi.  Lupacchino is a skilled hand at compositions, and her figure drawing is strong.  McCarthy's inks give the art an Adam Hughes quality, creating a light-hearted approach to the story that captures Kara as a young woman in flux.  Hi-Fi's candy-painted hues bring the alien environments in the second half of the story to life.

Wow!  Surprised!  Supergirl #36 has tempted me to read more.  Maybe I shouldn't ignore Supergirl.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Review: MILLENNIUM SNOW Volume 4

MILLENNIUM SNOW, VOL. 4
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Bisco Hatori
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: John Werry
LETTERS: Annaliese Christman
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7246-8; paperback (December 2014); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Millennium Snow, the acclaimed shojo manga by Bisco Hatori, concludes with the publication of the series' fourth graphic novel.  Mixing comedy, romantic drama, and a little of the paranormal, the finale resolves the still-born romance between a human and a vampire.

Millennium Snow focuses on 17-year-old Chiyuki Matsuoka.  She was born with heart problems, and her doctors say she will not live to see the next snow.  Toya Kano is an 18-year-old vampire who hates blood.  He also refuses to make the traditional, symbiotic partnership with a human, whose life-giving blood would keep them both alive for a thousand years.  Chiyuki has already told Toya that she likes him, but he hasn't yet agreed to make her his partner.

As Millennium Snow, Vol. 4 (Chapters 14 to 16 to Last Chapter) opens, Chiyuki, Toya, and their friends enter their last year of high school.  Now, Toya faces the prospect of supporting himself for the rest of his long life.  Satsuki Ariyoshi, the werewolf boy, may have a job for Toya at his family's shop, Ariyoshi Goods.

Meanwhile, an important figure from Toya's past returns, as we learn more about Toya's family.  Then, a stranger arrives, and his story may be giving Toya second thoughts about Chiyuki.

The Millennium Snow manga was one of the first VIZ Media titles that I reviewed, and that was a little over seven years ago (!).  This series is the creation of mangaka Bisco Hatori, who also created the hit comedy manga, Ouran High School Host Club.

Apparently, Bisco Hatori put Millennium Snow on hiatus after finishing the episodes that were collected in the second volume of the graphic novel collection.  At some point, she resumed work on the series.  VIZ reprinted Volumes 1 and 2 in a 2-in-1 mini-omnibus edition around the time it also published new material as Millennium Snow Vol. 3.

Millennium Snow Volume 4 is the final volume of the series.  Having read Vol.4, after only reading the first volume seven years ago, I thought that I might be confused by the final volume, especially considering that I had not read the second and third volumes.  I was not.  Millennium Snow is basically simple.  Vampire guy does not want to bite human girl who loves him, although that will give both of them a long, long life.  The romantic dilemmas and tension are built around him playing hard to get and her chasing him.

It works because Hatori depicts conflicts and struggles and feelings and emotions in a way that are universal to shojo manga.  I enjoyed reading it because, even as a fantasy, Millennium Snow is heartfelt and feels genuine.  I might even try to read the entire series at some later date.

B+

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: SUPERIOR IRON MAN #1

SUPERIOR IRON MAN (2015) #1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

WRITER: Tom Taylor
ART: Yildiray Cinar
COLORS: Guru-eFX
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Mike Choi
VARIANT COVERS: Yildiray Cinar; Tom Fowler with Brad Anderson; Mike Perkins with Andy Troy; Sara Pichelli; Alex Ross, Ty Templeton; Skottie Young
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2015)

Rated “T+”

“Be Superior” Chapter 1: Nightmare Scenario

Superior Iron Man is a new Iron Man comic book series, launched as part of Marvel Comics' “Avengers NOW!” initiative.  The series follows the events depicted in the miniseries, Avengers & X-Men: Axis.  One of the changes to come out of that story is that Tony Stark a/k/a Iron Man now has a changed personality.  A more sinister Tony Stark has special plans for the world.

As Superior Iron Man #1 (“Nightmare Scenario”) opens, She-Hulk is fighting a new villain that calls himself “Teen Abomination.”  The Lady Green Behemoth gets a helping hand from Iron Man, but all isn't as it appears.  Meanwhile, Stark has launched a new app called “Extremis 3.0.”  This is a techno-virus designed to make people the very best they can be – physically, at least.  This is the dawn of a new day in San Francisco...

I didn't expect much from Superior Iron Man #1, but I also hoped that it would be good and that I would enjoy it.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I often read the first issue of a new comic book series and decide not to even try the second issue (the recent Deathlok, for example), but I have already purchased the second issue of Superior Iron Man.

Tom Taylor's script is clever and filled with mystery and also with a sense of dread that really awful things are coming.  I like Yildiray Cinar's matter-of-fact storytelling and his conservative Bryan Hitch-like style.  The art emphasizes the darkness beneath the pretty surface, a darkness that is going to get really ugly, really soon.  There is potential here for Taylor and Cinar to be one of the great Iron Man creative teams, and I hope that comes to pass.  I recently decided not to give first issues a letter grade, but I am going to break that new policy for Superior Iron Man.

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 December 10, 2014

DC COMICS

OCT140385     ASTRO CITY #18     $3.99
OCT140298     BATGIRL #37     $2.99
OCT140289     BATMAN ETERNAL #36     $2.99
SEP140320     BATMAN LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT TP VOL 03     $16.99
OCT140393     COFFIN HILL #14 (MR)     $2.99
OCT140238     CONSTANTINE #20     $2.99
SEP140318     DIVINE RIGHT THE ADVENTURES OF MAX FARADAY TP     $24.99
OCT140240     EARTH 2 WORLDS END #10     $2.99
SEP140338     ENIGMA TP NEW ED (MR)     $17.99
OCT140392     FBP FEDERAL BUREAU OF PHYSICS #16 (MR)     $2.99
OCT140332     GREEN LANTERN CORPS #37 (GODHEAD)     $2.99
OCT140322     HARLEY QUINN HOLIDAY SPECIAL #1     $4.99
OCT140227     JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED #7     $3.99
OCT140230     JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED #7 COMBO PACK     $4.99
OCT140249     KLARION #3     $2.99
OCT140256     NEW 52 FUTURES END #32 (WEEKLY)     $2.99
OCT140260     NEW SUICIDE SQUAD #5     $2.99
SEP140309     NIGHTWING TP VOL 05 SETTING SON (N52)     $16.99
SEP140310     RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS TP VOL 05 THE BIG PICTURE (N52)     $14.99
SEP140347     ROYALS MASTERS OF WAR TP (MR)     $14.99
OCT140377     SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU #52     $2.99
AUG140342     SUPERMAN FOR ALL SEASONS DELUXE ED HC     $29.99
AUG140334     SUPERMAN UNCHAINED DELUXE ED HC     $29.99
OCT140283     WORLDS FINEST #29     $2.99
SEP140314     WORLDS FINEST TP VOL 04 FIRST CONTACT (N52)     $16.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

JUN140314     BATMAN ANIMATED NBA MR FREEZE AF     $24.95
JUN140315     BATMAN ANIMATED NBA TWO FACE AF     $24.95
MAY140428     DC COMICS DESIGNER SER 2 CAPULLO DLX BATMAN THRASHER AF     $39.95
MAY140421     DC COMICS ICONS AQUAMAN 1/6 SCALE STATUE     $99.95
MAY140422     DC COMICS ICONS FLASH 1/6 SCALE STATUE     $99.95
MAY140431     DC NATION DEADMAN & CROW PLUSH FIG 2 PACK     $19.95
APR140310     SUPERMAN VS DARKSEID STATUE 2ND ED     $299.95
JUL140301     SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN HOLIDAY KISS MINI STATUE     $99.95