Review: DASTARDLY & MUTTLEY #1

DASTARDLY & MUTTLEY No. 1 (OF 6)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Garth Ennis
ART: Mauricet
COLORS: John Kalisz
LETTERS: Rob Steen
COVER: Mauricet
VARIANT COVER: Liam Sharp
32pp, Color, $1.99 U.S. (November 2017)

Rated “T+” for “Teen Plus”

Chapter 1: “And I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues”

“Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines” was a Saturday morning cartoon series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for CBS.  The series originally aired from September 13, 1969 to January 3, 1970.  “Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines” focused on Dick Dastardly, a pilot and a villain, and his canine sidekick, Muttley, who were part of the Vulture Squadron.  Each episode depicted an attempt by Dastardly and the squadron to catch Yankee Doodle Pigeon, a carrier pigeon who carried secret messages.

DC Comics has been reinventing and re-imagining classic Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoons in new comic book series since early 2016, which has yielded The Flintstones with an edgy twist and “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?” with an apocalyptic twist, Scooby Apocalypse.  “Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines” get the DC Comics reboot treatment with the new DC Comics miniseries, Dastardly and Muttley.  It is written by Garth Ennis; drawn by Mauricet; colored by John Kalisz; and lettered by Rob Steen.

Dastardly and Muttley #1 (“And I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues”) opens with seeming nuclear apocalypse in the country of Unliklistan via the rare element, “Unstabilium 239.”  Five days later, a United States Air Force reconnaissance flight is over Unliklistan.  Lt. Col. R. Atcherly and Capt. D. Muller expect the unexpected, but sometimes the unexpected is absolutely unimaginable.

Dastardly and Muttley #1 is merely a first issue, but as first issues go, it is surreal and instantly grabbing.  Considering Garth Ennis' imagination and inventiveness, we never know what to expect even when we think we do know what to expect.  Artist Mauricet is up to the task of balancing the realism with the wacky, cartoonish surrealism that we can certainly expect.

I don't have to say much because Ennis is always worth a second look, and the anticipation of the art and graphics Mauricet will offer makes the second issue of Dastardly and Muttley a must-have.

8 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: WONDER WOMAN/CONAN #1

WONDER WOMAN CONAN No. 1 (OF 6)
DC COMICS/Dark Horse Comics – @DCComics @DarkHorseComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Gail Simone
PENCILS: Aaron Lopresti
INKS: Matt Ryan
COLORS: Wendy Broome
LETTERS: Saida Temofonte
COVER: Darick Robertson with Tony Aviña
VARIANT COVERS: Liam Sharp with Laura Martin
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2017)

Rated “T+” for “Teen Plus”

Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston; Conan created by Robert E. Howard

“A Crown without Mercy”

Conan the Cimmerian (also Conan the Barbarian) was born in the pulp fiction of Robert E. Howard, first appearing in magazine, Weird Tales (1932).  Marvel Comics brought Conan to comic books in 1970, with the long running series, Conan the Barbarian.

Now, Conan moves into new comic book territory with the team-up book, Wonder Woman Conan.  The series is written by Gail Simone; drawn by Aaron Lopresti (pencils) and Matt Ryan (inks); colored by Wendy Broome; and lettered by Saida Temofonte.

Wonder Woman Conan #1 (“A Crown without Mercy”) opens in the time when Conan was a child at the age of “eight summers.”  He travels with his father, Conaldar, a blacksmith, to a conclave of clans.  In this gathering of strangers, Conan sees the first truly beautiful thing in his life, a girl named “Yanna.”

Years late, the adult Conan – a thief, a reaver, and a slayer – encounters three men who are about to kill another man.  He saves that man, who is named Kian, and they travel to the Aquilonian kingdom where they plan to witness a special warrior in a gladiatorial fight.  She is a woman, a “Wonder Woman” from Conan's past, and their reunion may be that they are destined to die together.

I can't remember if I have ever read a Wonder Woman comic book written by Gail Simone, but I did read some of the excellent Conan Red Sonja, a four-issue miniseries she wrote that was published in late 2014 and early 2015.  Simone is simply good at what she does, and that is writing riveting, engaging, clever, witty, and fun-to-read comic books.  I remember that people loved her Wonder Woman, and I loved her Conan, and Wonder Woman Conan is something to love.  My only complaint is that the first issue had to end.

I would be remiss if I did not mention that lovely art and strong storytelling by Aaron Lopresti.  After more than two decades, Lopresti's art is highly-polished and professional, especially when it is inked by someone good, as it is here by Matt Ryan.  Lopresti's art, especially his figure drawing, reminds me of such classic 1980s and 90s stalwarts as Bob McLeod, Jerry Ordway, and Dan Jurgens.  Lopresti's solid compositions are the perfect graphical storytelling vehicle for a story featuring two great warriors, Wonder Woman and Conan.

Wonder Woman Conan #1 is fine start to what I believe will be an excellent crossover comic book.  I think Simone and Lopresti will deliver, as usual.

9 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: DRAGON BALL: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha

DRAGON BALL: THAT TIME I GOT REINCARNATED AS YAMCHA
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: dragongarow LEE
TRANSLATION: Stefan Koza
LETTERS: Annaliese Christman
EDITOR: Marlene First
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0371-5; paperback (November 2018); Rated “T” for “Teen”
144pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Based on Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama

Dragon Ball was a long-running Japanese manga written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama.  It was originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1984 to 1995 and was comprised of 519 individual chapters.  The hero of Dragon Ball was Son Goku, and the series began with the story of his childhood.

Since its ending, there have been spin-offs and crossovers of the Dragon Ball manga.  Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha was originally published in the digital manga magazine, Shonen Jump+, beginning in 2016.  VIZ Media is releasing an English language edition as a stand-alone graphic novel.

Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha (Chapters 1 to 3) introduces an unnamed young man who is a fan of all things Dragon Ball.  He and a friend are heading for a Dragon Ball event when he is seemingly killed in an accident.  The high school student wakes up in the body of Yamcha, an ally of Dragon Ball hero, Son Goku, and Dragon Ball heroine, Bulma.

As a fan who is familiar with the Dragon Ball's continuity, the fanboy knows that Yamcha was eventually killed.  So the reincarnated Yamcha sets about making himself strong enough to survive, but will the Dragon Ball characters eventually catch on to the fact that there is something odd about Yamcha?

[This manga includes bonus content, “Extra Story” and “The Reincarnated One's Secret Plan!”]

I am only an occasional reader of the Dragon Ball manga, mainly because of copies-for-review that I get from my VIZ Media rep.  I have found some of these titles to be quite entertaining and worth the read.

Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha is one of those good reads.  There is something oddly alluring about this single-volume manga.  I read most of it in one sitting, and I can't quite say why I found it amusing, even fun to read.  The truth is that I would like to see more of this story line, and I think Dragon Ball manga fans will agree.  Readers looking for more Dragon Ball manga will want to try the Shonen Jump title, Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha.

B+
7 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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Book Review: WAR OF THE WOLF

WAR OF THE WOLF
HARPERCOLLINS – @HarperCollins

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Bernard Cornwell
ISBN: 978-0-06-256317-0; hardcover (October 2, 2018)
352pp, B&W, $28.99 U.S.

War of the Wolf is a 2018 novel from Bernard Cornwell, a bestselling British author of historical novels.  This is the eleventh book in Cornwell’s “Saxon Tales” series, his epic story of the making of England and his continuing story of Saxon warlord, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.  “The Saxon Tales” series is also known as “The Last Kingdom” series (named for the first novel in the series).  The Last Kingdom has been adapted into a television series.  In War of the Wolf, Uhtred cannot enjoy the benefits of winning back his ancestral home because he is beset on all sides, by enemies both old and new.

It is the early 920s (A.D.).  War of the Wolf finds Uhtred cold-chilling in his family's fortress, Bebbanburg, which he recently recaptured from a usurper.  He will not leave, even to attend the funeral of cherished friend and former lover, Æthelflaed, the late Queen of Mercia.  Her brother, King Edward of Wessex, not long after his sister's body was walled into the family crypt, quickly took control of Mercia.  However, a mysterious monk arrives one day claiming that Prince Æthelstan, Edward's (bastard?) son and once favored to be the new ruler of Mercia, needs Uhtred's help.  His garrison at Ceaster is under assault.

Æthelstan grew up under the protection of Uhtred, so the legendary and feared pagan lord leads 90 of his fiercest warriors to the prince's aid, but the mission is not as he was told.  Now, Uhtred is surrounded and threatened on all sides, instead of being home and enjoying victory.  Edward's bid to cease power and to unite the Saxon kingdoms into one nation known as Englaland (England) has created a “Game of Thrones” like scenario.  Uhtred and his family may have to bend to the will of Edward and his demands by swearing fealty to him.

So Lord Uhtred is fighting on what he considers to be the wrong side... again, but a new, formidable, upstart and alien enemy will challenge the pagan's lord's place, heritage, and faith.  He is the young Norse warrior, Sköll Grimmarson, who wants to be King of Northumbria, and that means he must have the lands of both Uhtred and his son-in-law, Sigtryggr.  Uhtred has bested all his enemies, but in Sköll, he finds an enemy seemingly favored by the gods.  And if that does not give Uhtred pause, Sköll's crazed wolf-warriors, the “Ūlfheonar,” will.

I have read the seventh through the eleventh entries in “The Saxon Tales” series.  I never get tired of them, and I always want more.  Bernard Cornwell's novels have earned praise from many circles.  George R.R. Martin, the author of A Song of Fire and Ice (the inspiration for HBO's “Game of Thrones”), says that Cornwell writes the best battles scenes he has ever read.  USA Today has declared Cornwell “the reigning king of historical fiction.”  They are not lying.

I have practically run out of ways to praise Cornwell.  One would think that these novels about the events leading to the creation of England would have run out of steam – eleven books in.  How do you keep a long-running series fresh?  It is new plots?  Is it new adversaries?  No and no, the plots are more or less variations of familiar themes, it seems in the books I have read.  The enemies are basically the same, every novel featuring one major and at least a few minor land-grubbers.  Has Lord Uhtred changed?  Of course not.

What keeps “The Saxon Tales” fresh?  Bernard Cornwell does.  He is simply a gifted writer and a mack daddy, master storyteller.  It is as if every word he puts down on paper is the right word to advance the story.  Cornwell's prose is vivid and evocative without being lavish.  His plots are familiar but formidable.  His settings are epic; even when Cornwell places his characters under a grove of trees for the night, it feels as if that is the place where legends are made.

If Cornwell replaced Lord Uhtred with Bob Newhart, his books like War of the Wolf would still have a strangle-hold on the reader's imagination.  In War of the Wolf, someone uses the term, “lord king,” and I like that.  So I will say that Bernard Cornwell is the “Lord King of historical fiction.”

9 out of 10

www.bernardcornwell.net

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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BOOM! Studios from Diamond Distributors for November 7, 2018

BOOM! STUDIOS

AUG188805    EMPTY MAN #1 FOC TEMPLESMITH INCV    $3.99
SEP181295    EMPTY MAN #1 MAIN    $3.99
SEP181296    EMPTY MAN #1 PREORDER HERVAS VAR    $3.99
SEP181327    GIANT DAYS #44    $3.99
JUL181410    GIANT DAYS NOT ON THE TEST EDITION HC VOL 03    $34.99
SEP181318    JIM HENSON BENEATH DARK CRYSTAL #4 (OF 12) MAIN CVR DEWEY    $3.99
SEP181319    JIM HENSON BENEATH DARK CRYSTAL #4 (OF 12) PREORDER PETERSEN    $3.99
JUL181403    JIM HENSON LABYRINTH CORONATION HC VOL 01    $24.99
AUG188003    LCSD 2018 MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS YEAR 2 BLIND BOX    $99.99
JUL181384    PEANUTS RACE FOR YOUR LIFE CHARLIE BROWN GN    $9.99
SEP181308    SPARROWHAWK #2    $3.99
SEP181342    STEVEN UNIVERSE HARMONY #4    $3.99
SEP181343    STEVEN UNIVERSE HARMONY #4 PREORDER GANUCHEAU    $3.99
JUL181387    WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER ORIGINAL GN    $19.99
SEP181304    WWE #22    $3.99
SEP181305    WWE #22 RICHES ACTION FIGURE VAR    $3.99
SEP181306    WWE #22 SCHOONOVER RAW CONNECTING VAR    $3.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for November 7, 2018

DARK HORSE COMICS

SEP180298    DEATH ORB #2    $3.99
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SEP180251    UMBRELLA ACADEMY HOTEL OBLIVION #2 CVR A BA    $3.99
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DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for November 7, 2018

DC COMICS

MAR180362    ABSOLUTE TRANSMETROPOLITAN HC VOL 03 (MR)    $125.00
SEP180447    ADVENTURES OF THE SUPER SONS #4 (OF 12)    $3.99
SEP180450    BATMAN #58    $3.99
SEP180451    BATMAN #58 VAR ED    $3.99
AUG180607    BATMAN AND ROBIN BAD BLOOD ESSENTIAL EDITION TP    $24.99
JUN180568    BATMAN GATES OF GOTHAM DELUXE ED HC    $29.99
AUG180606    BATMAN SINS OF THE FATHER TP    $16.99
SEP180458    BORDER TOWN #3 (MR)    $3.99
MAY180572    CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS COMPANION DLX HC VOL 01    $75.00
SEP180463    CURSE OF BRIMSTONE #8    $2.99
MAY180600    DC DESIGNER SERIES SUPERMAN BY JIM LEE STATUE    $150.00
SEP180465    DEATHSTROKE #37 (ARKHAM)    $3.99
SEP180466    DEATHSTROKE #37 VAR ED (ARKHAM)    $3.99
SEP180473    DREAMING #3 (MR)    $3.99
AUG180615    GOTHAM CITY GARAGE TP VOL 02    $16.99
SEP180478    GREEN ARROW #46    $3.99
SEP180479    GREEN ARROW #46 VAR ED    $3.99
SEP180430    GREEN LANTERN #1    $4.99
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SEP180480    HARLEY QUINN #53    $3.99
SEP180481    HARLEY QUINN #53 VAR ED    $3.99
JUL180762    JOHN CONSTANTINE HELLBLAZER 30TH ANNIVERSARY HC (MR)    $39.99
SEP180414    JUSTICE LEAGUE #11 (DROWNED EARTH)    $3.99
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JUL180764    JUSTICE LEAGUE REBIRTH DLX COLL HC BOOK 03    $34.99
JUL189253    LCSD 2018 BRAVE AND THE BOLD BATMAN AND WONDER WOMAN HC    $24.99
JUL189256    LCSD 2018 GREEN LANTERN #1    $4.99
AUG180633    MOTHER PANIC GOTHAM A D TP (MR)    $16.99
AUG188813    NIGHTWING #50 2ND PTG    $4.99
SEP180497    NIGHTWING #52    $3.99
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AUG180561    SIDEWAYS ANNUAL #1    $4.99
SEP180439    SUICIDE SQUAD BLACK FILES #1 (OF 6) (RES)    $4.99
SEP180526    UNEXPECTED #6    $2.99
SEP180527    UNITED STATES VS MURDER INC #3 (OF 6) (MR)    $3.99
AUG180658    VERY DC REBIRTH HOLIDAY SEQUEL TP    $16.99
APR180285    WONDER WOMAN THE GOLDEN AGE OMNIBUS HC VOL 03    $125.00