Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for March 25, 2015

IMAGE COMICS

JAN150669     AUTUMNLANDS TOOTH & CLAW #5 (MR)     $2.99
DEC148708     AUTUMNLANDS TOOTH & CLAW #5 CVR B SHALVEY (MR)     $2.99
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DEC140775     WYTCHES #5 (MR)     $2.99

Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for March 25, 2015

PREVIEWS PUBLICATIONS
FEB150004     PREVIEWS #319 APR 2015 CUSTOMER ORDER FORM     PI
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JAN151029     SOULFIRE SOURCEBOOK #1 DIRECT MARKET CVR     $4.99
JAN151139     SUICIDE RISK #23     $3.99
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JAN151573     TALES OF THE TELGUUTH TRIBUTE TO STEVE MOORE TP     $29.99
JAN151232     TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #91 (MR)     $2.95
JAN151658     THE VALIANT #4 CVR A RIVERA (NEXT)     $3.99
JAN151506     TOWER CHRONICLES DREADSTALKER #8     $3.99
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JAN151093     WE CAN NEVER GO HOME #1 (MR)     $3.99
JAN151004     WORLD OF ARCHIE COMICS DOUBLE DIGEST #48     $4.99
NOV141656     WORLD WAR X HC VOL 01 HELIUS (MR)     $15.99

MAGAZINES
DEC141637     2000 AD PACK FEB 2015     $21.40
JAN151883     CINEFEX #141     $12.50
JAN151870     COMIC SHOP NEWS #1449     PI
JAN151875     HORRORHOUND #52     $6.99
SEP141925     MARVEL FACT FILES SPECIAL #5 DEADPOOL     $32.95
JAN151863     NON SPORT UPDATE VOL 26 #2     $5.99
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NOV141863     STAR TREK STARSHIPS FIG MAG #38 DELTA FLYER     $20.00
NOV141864     STAR TREK STARSHIPS FIG MAG #39 ROMULAN DRONE     $20.00

BOOKS
JAN151754     ACCEL WORLD NOVEL VOL 03 TWILIGHT MARAUDER     $13.00
FEB151797     FEVER PITCH SC VOL 01 HOT GIRLS OF ELIAS CHATZOUDIS (MR)     $14.95
FEB151798     FEVER PITCH SC VOL 02 MORE HOT GIRLS FROM ELIAS CHATZOUDIS (MR)     $14.95
JAN151755     KINGDOM HEARTS THE NOVEL SC     $16.00
JAN151822     MARVEL AGE OF AVENGERS STRETCHBOOK HC     $10.99
DEC141858     SKETCHBOOK AMORETTI (MR)     $30.00
DEC141859     SKETCHBOOK MIG (MR)     $30.00
JAN151756     SWORD ART ONLINE NOVEL PROGRESSIVE VOL 01     $14.00
JAN152626     WARHAMMER 40K NIGHTBRINGER SC     $14.00
OCT141854     WHISPERER DOUBLE NOVEL VOL 07 MURDER BROTHERHOOD & AFRAID TO     $14.95
JAN151841     WWE ULTIMATE SUPERSTAR GUIDE HC     $16.99

Spell of Desire: Incubus Block

I read Spell of Desire, Vol. 3

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

Review: Hickman's Writing is Great in AVENGERS #39

AVENGERS #39
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

WRITER: Jonathan Hickman
ART: Mike Deodato
COLORS: Frank Martin
LETTERS: VC's Cory Petit
COVER: Alan Davis and Mark Farmer with Brad Anderson
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

“You Can't Win: Part 1”

This is how you kick off a new story arc.  Jonathan Hickman tells the story in a message from Reed Richards to Val Ventura.  Back in the day, we would have called this a letter, but I don't know, now.  Is this an email, a post on Facebook, a tweet, or Instagram?  This social media stuff is just moving so fast that I can't keep up.

Knowing Reed, he probably found a way to insert it into one of Val's genes and it will manifest itself after Val goes through puberty.  Reed is teaching Val how to make plans.  He is using the Illuminati's conflict with Captain America and S.H.I.E.L.D. to illustrate the lesson.  Hickman's use of the chess piece to let us know that these plans are strategies for winning a war, not landscaping.

Everything about this story is grandiose, or if you prefer, it goes hard.  Cap falls into Reed's trap when he knows it is a trap.  War Machine is stretching himself to limits that may kill him.  Captain Marvel is talking stuff about the Hulk.  The action is spectacular.  I am talking about “are you read to rumble?!” action.  Hickman entertains us on multiple levels.  This is one of those times that reading a comic book added something to my life.

Visceral as well as cerebral:  the scene with Captain Marvel and the Hulk shows us why you need to be able to do what you say you can do.  I won't tell the end of the story, but I will say that Reed teaches Cap and Val the lesson well.

Hickman is a master at telling team stories.  Reed was the focus of this story, but all of the characters have their individual moments.  I'll say this again:  the ending is awesome.  Hickman tells a great epic while giving us great insight into the character of Reed Richards.  If this is the set-up, then, the rest of this arc will be something at which to Marvel.  Yeah, I said that corny bull.  Hickman has given us stories worthy of comic's ultimate team.

The art is pleasing to the eyes.  The facial expressions of the characters helps to depict what is happening in the story.  I said that the story was grandiose, and the art follows in the same vein.  The art is big without giving you the feeling that it 's just taking up space.  The only criticism that I have is that the colors are too dark.  I like my Avengers bright.

I give Avengers #39 a rating of “Recommend it to a Friend,” #1 (of 5) – the top rating on the Al-O-Meter.  If you're a comic book fan you need to be reading this book.

Reviewed by Albert Avilla


The text is copyright © 2015 Albert Avilla. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

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I Reads You Review: REQUIEM OF THE ROSE KING Volume 1

REQUIEM OF THE ROSE KING, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Aya Kanno
TRANSLATION: Jocelyne Allen
LETTERS: Sabrina Heep
ISBN: 978-1-4215-6778-5; paperback (March 2015); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Requiem of the Rose King is a dark fantasy manga and is also the most recent work from mangaka Aya Kanno, the creator of such manga as Otomen and Soul Rescue.  Published in the Japanese shojo manga magazine, Princess, Requiem of the Rose King is loosely based on the work of William Shakespeare, particularly Henry IV (1591) and Richard III (1592).  VIZ Media has just started publishing the series in English.

Requiem of the Rose King, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 4) opens in medieval England.  Henry is king; he belongs to the House of Lancaster, represented by a red rose.  Richard of the House of York (represented by a white rose) covets the throne, so he leads his forces into battle.  Thus, begins the “War of the Roses.”

Into Richard of York's house is born a third son, a sickly child that he names Richard after himself.  Richard feels a special connection with young Richard, but his wife, Cecily, who is also young Richard's mother, hates the child.  She proclaims to anyone who will listen that young Richard is a demon child who will lead to the death of her husband.  As the battle between Lancaster and York rages, Richard dreams of his family ascending to the throne, a throne that will one day be his.

The Requiem of the Rose King manga reminds me, believe it or not, of Rei Toma's manga, Dawn of the Arcana, in terms of story and of graphic narrative.  The difference is that in Requiem of the Rose King, Aya Kanno focuses on a lead character around whom swirls omens, portents, and dark motivations.

I find myself repulsed by young Richard, but not in the way a great villain makes being repulsed such a good thing.  Actually, I like Richard when he is contrasted with King Henry, who exudes light and the urge to be a genuine Christian.  Their time together is lyrical and poetic, and I wish the series were built around their relationship.  Requiem of the Rose King has much potential.  I want to see where this goes.  Fans of Aya Kanno will want to try Requiem of the Rose King.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

I Reads You Review: S.H.I.E.L.D. #1

S.H.I.E.L.D #1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

WRITER: Mark Waid
PENCILS: Carlos Pacheco
INKS: Mariano Taibo with Jason Pax
COLORS: Dono Almara
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: Julian Totino Tedesco
VARIANT COVERS: Mahmud Asrar with Dono Almara; John Tyler Christopher; Mike Deodato with Edgar Delgado; David Marquez with Laura Martin; Steve McNiven with Marte Gracia; Sara Pichelli with Dono Almara; Valerio Schiti with Laura Martin; Ryan Stegman with Rom Fajardo; Skottie Young
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (January 2015)

Rated “T+”

S.H.I.E.L.D created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

“Perfect Bullets”

S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, law-enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency that appears in Marvel Comics titles.  The agency often deals with paranormal and super-human threats.  This agency was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Strange Tales #135 (cover dated: August 1965).  The acronym, S.H.I.E.L.D., originally stood for “Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division,” but  changed in 1991 to “Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate.”

S.H.I.E.L.D. plays a prominent role in the films and television series (live-action and animated) that are part of the “Marvel Cinematic Universe.”  Currently, the S.H.I.E.L.D. acronym stands for “Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.”

S.H.I.E.L.D. is the star of an ABC television series, “Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”  On the last week of the 2014, Marvel Comics launched a new S.H.I.E.L.D. comic book series.  Mark Waid will write the series with the art provided by a rotating roster of popular comic book artists, beginning with the first issue's penciller, Carlos Pacheco.

S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 (“Perfect Bullets”) introduces Phil Coulson, the star of the ABC series.  This is his first day on the job as S.H.I.E.L.D. Special Ops Supreme Commander, and waiting for him is a full-on invasion of Earth.  It seems that the hordes of the “Norse World” (Thor's stomping grounds) have arrived on Earth to unleash some destruction.

Captain America, Iron Man, The Hulk, Black Knight, Blue Marvel, Hercules, Hyperion, Nova, Sunfire, Valkyrie, and The Vision have their hands full.  So it's up to Coulson to head to Sharzhad, a country beset by terrorists, and one of those terrorists may be the reason for the invasion.  Now, Coulson will need to align the “perfect bullets” to save the day.

I picked up a copy of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 because I knew a friend of mine would like to read it.  After reading it, he didn't seem impressed.  I'm not, either.

S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 isn't a bad read.  It's just nothing special or even worthy of much notice.  I have said this in other reviews I've written:  when Mark Waid is good, he's really good, but when he is not, he is mediocre.  I won't call him mediocre on S.H.I.E.L.D. #1, but he is in the sub-par zone.

S.H.I.E.L.D. is up to the third issue, as of the last time I looked.  I might try another issue, especially as characters from the ABC series will appear in the comic book.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

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Gangsta: Striker

I read Gangsta., Vol. 5

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