Review: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES/USAGI YOJIMBO

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES/USAGI YOJIMBO (ONE-SHOT)
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

CARTOONIST: Stan Sakai
COLORS: Tom Luth
LETTERS: Stan Sakai
EDITORS: Bobby Curnow, Philip R. Simon, and Megan Walker
COVER: Stan Sakai with Tom Luth
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Stan Sakai; Stan Sakai with Tom Luth; Sergio Aragones with Tom Luth; David Petersen; Kevin Eastman with Stan Sakai and Tomi Varga; Kevin Eastman
48pp, Color, $7.99 U.S. (July 2017)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird; Usagi Yojimbo created by Stan Sakai

“Namazu of The Big Fish Story”

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (also known as TMNT and Ninja Turtles or sometimes as “the Turtles”) are a media empire that began with four fictional characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird.  The comic book, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (cover dated: May 1984), introduced four teenage anthropomorphic turtles (meaning they walk and talk like humans).

Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael were adopted by an anthropomorphic rat, Master Splinter, who was their sensei and who trained them in the art of ninjutsu.  The Turtles live in the sewers of New York City and battle every bad guy, from petty criminals and overlord-mastermind types to alien invaders and mutated creatures.

Usagi Yojimbo, which means “rabbit bodyguard,” is an anthropomorphic rabbit ronin who is sometimes hired as a bodyguard.  His adventures take place in Edo-era Japan (specifically the 17th century).  Created by Stan Sakai, Usagi first appeared in the small press comic book, Albedo Anthropomorphics #2.  He is the star of a long-running comic book series, Usagi Yojimbo, which is currently published by Dark Horse Comics, but was previously published by Fantagraphics Books (1987) and Mirage Publishing (1993).

TMNT and Usagi Yojimbo team up (not for the first time) in the new full-color comic book, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo.  This recently published one-shot is written, drawn and lettered by Stan Sakai and is colored by Tom Luth.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo (“Namazu of The Big Fish Story”) opens with Usagi dispatching a group of bandits that have been infesting a section of a road used by pilgrims.  A group of people on a pilgrimage thank Usagi for getting rid of the bandits, but they also inform Usagi that “the Old One” is expecting a visit from him.

The old one is Kakera-sensei, who wants Usagi to be his bodyguard as he travels to Tashima Shrine to deliver a special object.  One bodyguard will not be enough, so Kakera summons Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael – the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!  However, these turtles are not quite like the ones Usagi remembers, and their opponent, the evil Jei, is the obstacle in their big fish adventure called Namazu.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo is one of the best comic books I have read this year.  I have even put it on my my short list of best comic books of 2017.  Why?  First, it is really a good comic book.  The fact is that Stan Sakai is a master cartoonist and superior comic book creator.  I don't read Usagi Yojimbo that often (which is a shame on my part), but every time I have read it I have marveled at Sakai's imagination and inventive storytelling and, of course, his beautiful artwork.

I think Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo's format plays a big part as to why I like it so much.  This comic book is a one-shot.  It is like a magical item that shows up once, delivers some magical storytelling, and then is magically spirited away.  It is also a comic book that is appropriate and accessible to anyone who can read comic books, regardless of age.  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo is an example of a perfect (or near-perfect) comic book.  It features venerable, beloved comic book characters, and it is the creation of two master comic book creators, Stan Sakai and Tom Luth.

9.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: NIGHTWING The New Order #1

NIGHTWING: THE NEW ORDER No. 1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Kyle Higgins
ARTIST: Trevor McCarthy
COLORS: Dean White
LETTERS: Clayton Cowles
COVER: Trevor McCarthy
VARIANT COVER: Paul Pope with with Lovern Kindzierski
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (October 2017)

Rated “T+” for “Teen Plus”

Batman created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger; Nightwing created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez

Chapter One

DC Comics character, Dick Grayson, first appeared as Batman's kid sidekick, Robin, in Detective Comics #38 (cover dated: April 1940).  Decades later, writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Perez transformed Grayson from Robin into the adult character, Nightwing, first appearing in Tales of the Teen Titans #44 (cover dated: July 1984).

Nightwing has been appearing in his own comic books since a 1995 one-shot and miniseries and an ongoing series that began in 1996.  A new Nightwing six-issue comic book miniseries, entitled by Nightwing: The New Order, looks at the future of the character.  It is written by Kyle Higgins; drawn by Trevor McCarthy; colored by Dean White; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Nightwing: The New Order #1 opens in Gotham City in the year 2040.  Dick Grayson is the leader of a government task force called “the Crusaders,” which hunts people with superpowers.  Since the year 2028, superpowers have been eliminated and outlawed.  However, Grayson is about to face the Crusaders' wrath, the same way he has directed it at so many others.

The allure of Nightwing: The New Order for me is that it features Nightwing, my favorite Robin.  It is kind of thrilling to see that he has evolved into the kind of authoritarian monster that it is plausible to believe Batman would become.  Irony is not dead, and the direction of the series is telegraphed early in the series.  I think Nightwing: The New Order could end up being dark and tragic, or writer Kyle Higgins could surprise us.  I hope he surprises us.

The art by Trevor McCarthy shows flourishes here and there, some nice page design, stylish figure drawing, and solid composition, although that is somewhat crowded.  That makes the storytelling a bit tight, and this story seems to need to explode, which it may do later.

Still, I think that Nightwing: The New Order is a Batman-related title to watch.  It has potential, and does not seem like cynical sales exploitation.

7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Book Review: SECOND TIME SWEETER

SECOND TIME SWEETER (A Blessings Novel)
HARPERCOLLINS/William Morrow – @HarperCollins; @WmMorrowBks

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Beverly Jenkins – @authorMsBev
ISBN: 978-0-06-284617-4; hardcover (August 28, 2018)
302pp, B&W, $19.99 U.S., $24.99 CAN

Second Time Sweeter is a new novel from bestselling author, Beverly Jenkins.  This is the ninth novel in Jenkins' “Blessings” series (following 2017's Chasing Down a Dream).  Set in the fictional small town of Henry Adams, Second Time Sweeter focuses on a too-proud man seeking forgiveness and redemption and a single-father hoping that he can get a second chance with an old high school flame.

In Henry Adams, Kansas, there is never a dull day, especially when someone is trying to resolve events that occurred when we last visited our friends in Henry Adams.  Malachi “Mal” July betrayed the town by stealing $70,000 (and promptly losing it in an investment scheme) and also the woman he loves, Bernadine Brown, the owner of Henry Adams.  Now, Bernadine has dumped Mal and refuses to talk to him, and Mal's son, Trent, is both furious and hurt as a result of his father's actions.  Even Trent's sons (and Mal's grandsons), Amari and Devon, are disappointed and exasperated with their grandfather.  Mal knows that he needs to make restitution, but he has prideful notions that everyone should simply forgive him and move on from his... indiscretions.  However, the revenge of another woman he spurned will force Mal to reconsider his uppity attitude.

Meanwhile, single-father, Gary Clark, is looking forward to his thirtieth high school reunion.  Although he deeply loves his two daughters, Leah and Tiffany, Gary feels that his life is in a rut.  He hopes a reunion with Elanor “Nori” Price, the high school girlfriend he was forced to give up, will prove that there is still a spark between the two of them.  However, the woman he did end up marrying, his ex-wife, Colleen Ewing, is demanding a reunion of her own.  Is the second time sweeter?  Witness all this and more, plus the arrival of a mob hit-woman...

I had heard of author Beverly Jenkins, but had never read her work until I read her 2016 novel, Stepping to a New Day (the seventh “Blessings” novel).  I immediately fell in love with the characters and with the town of Henry Adams.  Adams is the kind of small town that Norman Rockwell or Walt Disney could have loved.  Unlike a Disney small town idyll, however, Henry Adams has a diverse population.  Henry Adams' predominately African-American population is descended from slaves, freemen, Native American, and assorted rascals

Second Time Sweeter is the third Blessings novel that I have read.  It is also the darkest of the trio, as several characters are confronted by the consequences of their actions and/or by their troubled pasts.  Jenkins also references some violent and troubling incidents from Henry Adams' past that I really do not remember her doing (or doing as much) in Stepping to a New Day or in Chasing Down a Dream (Blessings #8).

But damn, in Second Time Sweeter, every word of the good times, the bad times, and the ugly times is a joy to read.  Jenkins' prose is efficient, but also elegant and is straightforward, but also evocative and emotive.  In articles and courses that try to teach and guide budding authors on writing, creating engaging characters is emphasized.  Jenkins offers the most lovable protagonists and the most engrossing antagonists.  Jenkins captivates her readers with good guys and gals and bad folks alike, as always, especially in Second Time Sweeter.

Beverly Jenkins is a fantastic teller of tales of the heart.  I recommend her novels without hesitation, and Second Time Sweeter is a sweet read times three.  If Ms. Jenkins stopped writing “Blessings” novels, I might have to act like that crazy-ass woman in Stephen King's Misery.

9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint syndication rights and fees.

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Review: INCOGNEGRO: Renaissance #1

INCOGNEGRO: RENAISSANCE No. 1 (OF 5)
DARK HORSE COMICS/Berger Books – @DarkHorseComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Mat Johnson
ART: Warren Pleece
LETTERS: Clem Robin
EDITOR: Karen Berger – @karenpberger
28pp, B&W, $3.99 U.S. (February 2018)

Mature Readers

Part 1: “Soaked”

Incognegro is an original graphic novel created by writer Mat Johnson and artist Warren Pleece.  First published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint in 2008, Incognegro is set in the 1930’s and focuses on Zane Pinchback, of the neighborhood of Harlem in New York City.  Zane is a reporter for the “New Holland Herald,” a newspaper which serves the Black community of Harlem and beyond.  Although Zane is a Negro, his skin complexion is so light that he looks like a White man.  When Zane pretends to be a White man, he is doing what is called “passing” or “going incognegro.”

Zane occasionally leaves the relative safety of Harlem and heads to the Deep South where he infiltrates the local White populace – “going incognegro.”  Pretending to be a White man, Zane can freely take pictures of the lynchings of black men and also learn the names of the respectable folks attending these ghastly events.  In the main story of Incognegro, Zane is forced to travel back to Tupelo, Mississippi where his estranged brother, Alonzo “Pinchy” Pinchback, is scheduled to hang for the murder of a white woman.  Zane has to find the real killer while someone who knows of Zane's ruse of passing as a White man arrives in Tupelo, determined to find Zane and out him to the White populace.

Zane Pinchback returns in a new five-issue miniseries, Incognegro: Renaissance, a prequel of sorts to the Incognegro graphic novel.  This new comic book is written and drawn by the original Incognegro team of Johnson and Pleece and lettered by Clem Robins.  This miniseries is published by Dark Horse Comics' imprint, Berger Books, which is headed by DC Comics/Vertigo's legendary former editor, Karen Berger.

Incognegro: Renaissance #1 opens about two decades before the events depicted in the original Incognegro in New York City of the early 1920s.  Zane Pinchback, a young reporter for the New Holland Herald, is accompanying his friend, Carl (who is also a lightly-complected Negro) to a swanky book release party in midtown New York that is being held at a White man's apartment.

Former literary sensation, Arna Van Horn, is celebrating the release of his first book in about 15 years.  Set in Harlem, the book is entitled “Nigger Town.”  During the party, a dark-skinned Black man named Xavier Harris causes a commotion that leads to a shocking turn of events.  The party may also provide an opportunity for a struggling young reporter to make a name for himself.

I am probably one of the few comic book reviewers (if not the only one) outside the mainstream, big media press that listed Incognegro as one of the top five comic books of the first decade of the twenty-first century.  Incognegro did turn out to be quite well regarded with critics and reviewers who don't trade in the comic book fan-driven press.  According to author Mat Johnson, the original Incognegro was quite popular in high school and college classes, but for some reason, DC Comics allowed the graphic novel to go out of print.  Incognegro is back in print under Berger Books, so hopefully, it has found a long-term home.

Concerning Incognegro: Renaissance:  it opens with a strong first issue.  Mat Johnson's writing is as witty and as engaging as ever, and his eye as a social critic and a commentator may be stronger than ever.  In his hands, the pen is not mightier than the sword; it is a sharp and beautifully lethal sword.

I was not crazy about Warren Pleece as the artist of the first Incognegro.  Although, his storytelling was good, I found his compositions to be awkward.  Now, I have warmed to him.  His pen is also a switchblade, honey.  Here, Pleece's storytelling is mostly subtle and graceful, but there are times when he conveys the hypocrisy of a 1920's high White society that treats Negros like pets so bluntly.  One might mistake this British comics artist as a propagandist for Black radicals.

Readers who want really exceptional comic books will want Incognegro: Renaissance.

9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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BOOM! Studios from Diamond Distributors for October 10, 2018

BOOM! STUDIOS

JUL189232    ADVENTURE TIME SEASON 11 #1 FOC WERNECK INCV    $3.99
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DC COMICS

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