Review: MOON KNIGHT #188

MOON KNIGHT No. 188
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Max Bemis
ART: Jacen Burrows
COLORS: Mat Lopes
LETTERS: VC's Cory Petit
COVER: Jacen Burrows and Mat Lopes
VARIANT COVERS: John Tyler Christopher; Daniel Warren Johnson with Mike Spicer; Bill Sienkiewicz (based on his cover for Moon Knight #25)
36pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2018)

Rated  “T+”

Moon Knight created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin

Moon Knight is a Marvel Comics superhero character.  Created by writer Doug Moench and artist Don Perlin, Moon Knight first appeared in Werewolf by Night #32 (cover dated: August 1975) and is Marvel's version of Batman (at least, some think so).  Moon Knight is Marc Spector, an American-born mercenary who died in Egypt, under the statue of Khonshu, an ancient Egyptian moon god.

Khonshu appeared to Spector and offered him a second chance at life.  Spector wrapped himself with the silver shroud that covered Khonshu’s statue, turning it into a silver cloaked costume, becoming the Moon Knight.  A superb athlete and master of martial arts and hand-to-hand combat, Spector is also a skilled acrobat, gymnast, detective, marksman, and is an aviator who uses both traditional and sophisticated weaponry.

With the Marvel “Legacy” initiative, Moon Knight gets a “Legacy” number change, so instead of a new Moon Knight #1, we get Moon Knight #188.  This issue also sees the start of a new creative team:  writer Max Bemis; artist by Jacen Burrows; colorist by Mat Lopes; and letterer by Cory Petit.

Moon Knight #188 opens in Ravencroft Asylum where Dr. Emmett is involved with Patient 86.  He is a pyromaniac(?) and killed some number of people while in the military.  Marc Spector was also a patient of Dr. Emmett's, and there may be a connection between her old and new patients.

After reading this comic book, you can enjoy the afterword written by Max Bemis and Jacen Burrows.  Both seem quite confident that they are going to deliver something exciting and unique in their run on Moon Knight, and I am willing to believe them.  I think the creative team of Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey on Moon Knight from 2014 showed that the character can be a truly unique in comic book stories that defy the usual.

Bemis and Burrows seem determined to launch their run from the spirit of possibilities Ellis and Shalvey offered.  Bemis is new to me, but I am familiar from Burrows for his time with Avatar Press.  Over a decade I ago, I thought that he had potential, and he is showing that now.  Also, Mat Lopes gorgeous coloring surprisingly makes this a good looking comic book, which in turn makes the creepiness of this story even creepier.  Yes, I already have issue #189, and I am recommending this “Legacy” Moon Knight to Moon Knight fans.

[This comic book includes a three-page “Marvel Primer” origin-overview story about Moon Knight, written by Robbie Thompson; drawn by German Peralta; colored by Rachelle Rosenberg; and lettered by VC's Cory Petit.]

7.5 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: 30 DAYS OF NIGHT #1

30 DAYS OF NIGHT No. 1 (2017)
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Steve Niles
ART: Piotr Kowalski
COLORS: Brad Simpson
LETTERS: Tom B. Long
COVER: Ben Templesmith
VARIANT COVERS:  Piotr Kowalski with Aurore Folny; Ashley Wood; Ben Templesmith
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2017)
DIAMOND CODE: OCT170412 – Wednesday, December 20, 2017

30 Days of Night was a three-issue horror comic book miniseries written by Steve Niles and drawn by Ben Templesmith.  IDW Publishing originally released the miniseries in 2002 (August to October).  30 Days of Night takes place in Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost town in the United States.

It is so far north that during the winter, the sun does not rise for 30 days.  This is the perfect scenario for a group of vampires that take advantage of the prolonged darkness to invade Barrow and openly kill the townspeople so that they can feed at will.  A small band of humans, led by a young sheriff, struggle to survive this monstrous onslaught.

The original 30 Days of Night was followed by numerous sequel and spin off comic book titles.  It also yielded a line of novels and was adapted into a 2007 theatrical film and a direct-to-DVD sequel.  Now, IDW is rebooting the 30 Days of Night comic book franchise in a new comic book series, entitled 30 Days of Night, of course.  It is written by Steve Niles; drawn by Piotr Kowalski; colored by Brad Simpson; and lettered by Tom B. Long.

30 Days of Night #1 opens in Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost community in North America.  Here, the sun does not set between May 10th and August 2nd.  It also does not rise between November 18th and January 24th each winter.  And the temperatures average below zero.  Many of the townspeople are leaving before this year's time of darkness, but those who stay behind in this isolated Alaskan township will have to survive a new evil that emerges to terrorize the town.

Nothing happens.  30 Days of Night is practically 20 pages of nothing.  What little suspense, mystery, or intrigue, this first issue does not have enough of anything scary to qualify as a horror comic.  It is not that Steve Niles' writing is bad; this 30 Days of Night #1 is simply first-issue introduction by decompression gone really bad.

Nor is Piotr Kowalski's art poor.  It is simply as generic as Niles' writing.

5 out 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 syndication rights and fees.

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Review: MYSTIK U #1

MYSTIK U No. 1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Alisa Kwitney
ART: Mike Norton
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
COVER: Julian Totino Tedesco
48pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (January 2018)

Rated “T+” for “Teen Plus”

Zatanna created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson

Zatanna Zatara is a DC Comics magic-based superhero.  The character was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, and first appeared in Hawkman #4 (cover dated:  November 1964).  Zatanna is the daughter of Giovanni “John” Zatara, and like him, Zatanna is both a stage magician and an actual magician, and she is one of the most powerful magicians on Earth.  Zatanna controls her magic by speaking the words of her incantations spelled backwards, incantations that can alter reality.

Zatanna is the star of the new four-issue miniseries, Mystik U, which DC Comics is publishing on a bimonthly schedule.  The series is written by Alisa Kwitney; drawn by Mike Norton; colored by Jordie Bellaire; and lettered by Deron Bennett.  Mystik U follows a college age Zatanna who is enrolled in a college of magic and trying to learn which of her classmates is evil.

Mystik U #1 opens in a dark future, one which is ruled by an entity called the “Malevolence.”  A powerful magician believes that Zatanna can change this dark time, by being cast back in time.  Seven years earlier, a young Zatanna is a sheltered showbiz kid who suddenly experiences a shocking awakening of her powers.

That is why a friend, Dr. Rose Psychic, enrolls Zatana in Mystik University, a mysterious university that teaches its students how to master their unique brands of magic.  Zatanna finds herself drawn to four other students  There is Sebastian Faust, son of Felix Faust and a bitter rebel.  June Moone is a split personality also known as Enchantress.  Zatanna becomes close to the competitive premed student, Pia Morales (a new character).  Finally, there is the awkward prodigy, Sargon the Sorceror, who possesses a powerful gem and is much confused.  One of them is fated to betray the others and become a powerful force of evil, Malevolence.

I was cynical about Mystik U.  What little I read about it suggested that it was another lame attempt by DC Comics to get in on the Hogwarts-school-of-magic-band wagon that should have been theirs (Timothy Hunter, cough).  However, I was drawn to the striking cover art by Julian Totino Tedesco, so I picked up the first issue.

Boy, am I glad.  This is the kind of entertaining comic book that keeps me around DC Comics and Marvel even when I am ready to give up.  It is simply a joy to read, something fresh and not the usual superhero fight comic.  Writer Alisa Kwitney has fashioned a mysterious and intriguing school in Mystik University that has a dark-ish atmosphere, one that reminds me of Archie Comics' brilliant Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, in part because of Jordie Bellaire's sterling colors.  The characters are coming along, although they seem a bit unformed in this first issue.

Mike Norton offers art that is calm and a little stylish, but Norton emphasizes storytelling.  The setting, the characters, and the mood and atmosphere are all strong, and Norton creates for Mystik University, wonderfully varied interiors and exteriors.  He makes the school someplace the readers would like to visit (but maybe not to live), and Deron Bennett's lettering pops up like welcome signs to the story.  Norton makes the school feel like a real place of magic, and yes, crazy stuff happens there.

I heartily recommend Mystik U to readers of DC Comics' magic-based world and titles.  I eagerly await the next issue and incantation.

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: THE POWERPUFF GIRLS: Power Up My Mojo

THE POWERPUFF GIRLS: POWER UP MY MOJO
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Haley Mancini and Jake Goldman
ART/COLORS: Derek Charm; Nicoletta Baldari; Phil Murphy
LETTERS: Andworld Productions
EDITORS: Sarah Gaydos; Justin Eisinger and Alonzo Simon
COVER: Chad Thomas
MISC ART: Derek Charm, Nicoletta Baldari; Ben Carow; Chad Thomas; Grace Kraft; Philip Murphy; Julia Vickerman; Ian McGinty with Meg Casey;
ISBN: 978-1631408717; hardcover 6” x9” (April 18, 2017)
76pp, Color, $12.99 U.S., $17.50 CAN

“The Powerpuff Girls” (1998 to 2005) was an animated superhero television series created by Craig McCracken for Cartoon Network.   The show centered on Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, who were three kindergarten-aged girls endowed with superpowers.  They were created by the scientist, Professor Utonium, who mixed sugar, spice, and everything nice and accidentally added “Chemical X.”  The professor would become the girls' father.  The girls and the professor lived in the fictional city of Townsville, USA.  The city's mayor frequently called on The Powerpuff Girls to help fight criminals using their super-powers against the city.

DC Comics published a number of comic books based on “The Powerpuff Girls,” including an ongoing series that ran for 70 issues from 2000 to 2006.  IDW Publishing started publishing comic books based on The Powerpuff Girls in 2013.  One of IDW's efforts was The Powerpuff Girls, a 2016 six-issue series, which was written by Haley Mancini and Jake Goldman, two staff writers on the 2016-2018 reboot of the original “Powerpuff Girls” series.

IDW collected issues #4 to #6 of that series in the 6” x9” hardcover comic book, The Powerpuff Girls: Power Up My Mojo.  [The first three issues of the 2016 series were collected in The Powerpuff Girls: Homecoming.]  Mancini and Goldman wrote issues #4 to 6.  Derek Charm illustrated and colored issue #4.  Nicoletta Baldari drew and colored issue #5, and Phil Murphy drew and colored issue #5.  Andworld Productions provided the lettering for all three issues.

The Powerpuff Girls: Power Up My Mojo features three full-length, full-color stories.  In the first (from issue #4), the mayor of Townsville asks the Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup to lead the upcoming bicycle race, “the Tour de Townsville.”  There is just one problem.  The Powerpuff Girls don't known how to ride bikes.  As luck would have it, they meet the mysterious Penny Farthing and her “Magic Time-Traveling Bicycle.”  Penny offers to teach the girls how to ride bikes, so what does that have to do with... Him?!

In the second story (from issue #5), the girls enter “the Townsville Soapbox Derby” with Bubbles driving a soapbox car, but Mojo Jojo has a diabolical plan to use the race to give him all the power.  In the third story (issue #6), the Powerpuff Girls take on their adversaries, Bianca and Barbie a.k.a. “The Fashionistas.” to recover a pair of “1000 carat diamond pumps.”  This time, however, the Fashionistas have something to stop the girls, the “sassy ray,” and woe be a town or a scientist father that runs afoul of three sassy superhero girls.

IDW sent me a review copy of The Powerpuff Girls: Power Up My Mojo about a year ago, but circumstances kept me from reading it until recently.  I really wish IDW would have sent me the previous book because...

I really like The Powerpuff Girls: Power Up My Mojo.  This is simply a fun comic book to read.  I was a fan of the original Powerpuff Girls animated TV series and of the series stars, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup.  [I have not seen the 2016-18 reboot.]  The three stories contained in this collection delight me the same way the TV series did.  I am sure that writers Haley Mancini and Jake Goldman could turn these stories into episodes of the series (if they are not already), because these three stories are pure Powerpuff – sugar, spice and all.

I am familiar with artist Derek Charm from his work on Archie Comics' Jughead and IDW's Star Wars Adventures.  Charm can draw comics in several media cartoon and animated styles, and he produces killer Powerpuff Girls.  Artists and colorists, Nicoletta Baldari and Phil Murphy, also draw illustrations that capture the sparkly, Powerpuff style.  Andworld Production's glittery lettering fits in perfectly with the sugary, effervescent art and graphical storytelling in this collection.

I could read two or three more books like The Powerpuff Girls: Power Up My Mojo.  IDW has produced at least two more Powerpuff Girls comic book miniseries since the 2016 series.  I hope IDW keeps them coming, and I need to look for the ones they already have published!

8 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 and syndication rights and fees.

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BOOM! Studios from Diamond Distributors for January 9, 2019

BOOM! STUDIOS

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DARK HORSE COMICS

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