Review: SUPERMAN: Year One #2

SUPERMAN YEAR ONE No. 2
DC COMICS/DC Black Label – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Frank Miller
PENCILS: John Romita, Jr.
INKS: Danny Miki
COLORS: Alex Sinclair
LETTERS: John Workman
EDITOR: Mark Doyle
COVER: John Romita, Jr. and Danny Miki with Alex Sinclair
VARIANT COVER: Frank Miller with Alex Sinclair
64pp, Color, $7.99 U.S. (October 2019)

Mature Readers

Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

Book Two

Superman: Year One is a three-issue comic book miniseries written by Frank Miller and drawn by John Romita, Jr.  It is being published in an over-sized softcover format and is part of DC Comics' prestige “DC Black Label” imprint.  Superman: Year One is a retelling of the early life of Clark Kent and of his first year as the superhero, Superman.  The rest of the creative team includes inker Danny Miki, colorist Alex Sinclair, and letterer John Workman.

Superman: Year One #2 opens at the Naval Station at Great Lakes, Illinois.  Young Clark Kent has left the bucolic grain fields of Smallville, Kansas to join the Navy.  Clark is just another untrained recruit... except that is not quite true.  Kent was born on another planet, the now-destroyed Krypton.  He was carried to Earth in a rocket ship and landed in Earth, specifically Smallville, Kansas where Martha and Jonathan Kent found him and adopted him as their own son.

The rays of the yellow sun around which Earth orbits has made Clark strong and powerful beyond human imagination.  Even holding back, Clark quickly sets himself apart from the other recruits.  But an officer has noticed Clark's peculiar abilities, and so has a denizen of lost Atlantis.  Will Clark's powers land him in trouble in two worlds?

At some point, DC Comics publicly stated that Superman: Year One would now be Superman's official origin story.  I think Frank Miller also said that Superman: Year One is set in the universe of his seminal comic book miniseries, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.

If Superman: Year One is really the new official story of Superman's early years, it is certainly a strange one.  This comic book series is weird enough to be an attractive read, but I still find myself asking, “So what?!”  What is the point of all this?  What are Frank Miller's intentions?  John Bryne's 1986 miniseries, The Man of Steel, was a reboot of Superman, the character and his history.  It was both a marked departure from and a radical streamlining of all things Superman.  When The Man of Steel ended after six issues, a new, modern Superman emerged.  Superman: Year One seems like an event comics package, and Superman: Year One #2, with all its interesting oddities, does nothing to make the series seem more than a comic book produced by big-name creators.

However, the art, coloring, and lettering are oh-so awesome.  Yes, artist John Romita, Jr.'s storytelling is still clear, offbeat, and, at times, quite dramatic.  Yes, Danny Miki's inking brings a lush brushwork feel to the art.  Yes, Alex Sinclair's colors are radiant, so much so that he seems like the star creator hear.  And yes, John Workman's lettering is monumental as always.  Together, these graphic and illustrative elements crackle with power off the page and to the reader.  The story in this issue may not be great, but the art and graphics are fantastic.  The Atlantis double-page spread and the scenes with the “Kraken” are totally-awesome-dude illustrations in a comic book of awesome art.

I am still hopeful that this series can be a major, definitive Superman comic book series.  After all, Batman: Damned #3 redeemed the first two issues of that series.  I will certainly recommend Superman: Year One #2 because you, dear reader, will want to see the impressive art in it.

7 out of 10

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


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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I Reads You Juniors November 2019 - Update #75

Support Leroy on Patreon.

Leroy's Amazon Comics and Graphic Novels Page:

From CBR:  The site recommends 10 manga titles for fans of Disney+/Lucasfilm's "The Mandalorian.

From ICv2:  DC Comics finds itself in the middle of a social media storm because of its social media promotion of the upcoming, "The Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child."

DC TV - From THR:  "Supergirl" star, Melissa Benoist, reveals that she is a survivor of domestic violence.

MEMORIAM - From Newsarama:  Pioneering LGBTQ comic book creator and writer-artist, Howard Cruse, has died at the age of 75, Tuesday, November 26, 2019.  His best known work is probably the original graphic novel, "Stuck Rubber Baby," which DC Comics published in 1995.  Cruse first gained attention with his "Barefootz," series, and he was the founding editor of the gay and lesbian comics anthology magazine, "Gay Comix."

DC CINEMA - From YahooLifestyle:  Actress Zoe Kravitz reveals her new pixie haircut, which seems purr-fect for her role as "Catwoman" in the upcoming "The Batman" (July 2021).

DC CINEMA - From Variety:  This article says that Warner Bros. is plotting the future of DC Comics films and that they have been talking to J.J. Abrams and Michael B. Jordan about "Superman."

DC CINEMA - From CheatSheet:  "Joker" director Todd Phillips adds his tepid two-cents to Martin Scorsese's comments about "Marvel movies."

From Crunchyroll:  The "Demon Slayer" manga is outselling the "Bleach" and "My Hero Academia" manga in volume sales in Japan.

From BleedingCool:  Comic book writer, Leah Moore, talks about how American comics broke her father, legendary comic book writer, Alan Moore.

From Newsarama:  Marvel Comics has struck a partnership with Japanese media company Tsuburaya Productions to create new "Ultraman" comic books for American markets.

DC CINEMA - From Variety:  Actor John Turturro will play "Carmine Falcone," a crime boss, in Matt Reeves' "The Batman," which begins filming in January 2020.

MEMORIAM - From TheDailyCartoonist:  The noted and influential cartoonist and author, Gahan Wilson, has died at the age of 89, Wednesday, November 21, 2019.  His cartoons are noted for their horror-fantasy elements and situation.  He may be best known for his cartoons that appeared in "Playboy" magazines.

DC CINEMA - From ComicBook: Dwayne Johnson confirms that the "Justice Society of America" will appear in his "Black Adam" film which is due December 2021.

DC TV - From Newsarama:  Warner Bros. reveals the costume that actor Brenton Thwaites will wear in his transformance to "Nightwing" from "Robin" in the streaming series, "Titans."

From Newsarama:   Heritage Auctions has just sold the highest graded known copy of "Marvel Comics #1," the first comic book published by Timely Comics, the precursor of Marvel Comics.  The sale price was 1.26 million dollars.

From BleedingCool:  Clover Press now holds the license to produce comic books featuring the Will Eisner's character, "The Spirit."  Its first release will be February 2020.

From NewYorkPost:  Legendary comic book writer-artist Frank Miller is apparently going to take legal action against his longtime colorist and ex-wife, Lynn Varley, over allegedly stolen artwork.

DC CINEMA -  From Newsarama:  Actor Henry Cavil, who has played Superman in three films (The Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League) says he is not done with the character.

MEMORIAM - From Newsarama:  Comic book artist Tom Lyle has died at the age of 66, Tuesday, November 19, 2019.  He may be best known for drawing the first miniseries starring Batman's partner, Robin, in 1992 and its two sequels.  Lyle also drew "Starman" comic books for DC and "Spider-Man" comic books for Marvel Comics.

ALAN MOORE - From TheWrap:  An interview Alan Moore gave two years ago to a Brazilian outlet has resurfaced.   Moore skewers superhero films as a "worrying," and saying that D.W. Griffith's legendary and racist silent film, "The Clansman" (now called "The Birth of a Nation") is the first American superhero film.

MARVEL TV - From Newsarama:  Hulu's "Runaways," based on the Marvel Comics titles, will end after its upcoming third season.

DC CINEMA - From CBR:  "Wonder Woman" star, Gal Gadot, becomes the latest to ask for Warner Bros. to release director Zack Snyder's version of the 2017 film, "Justice League."  Joss Whedon finished the film after Snyder exited for personal reasons, and the released version of the film reflects Whedon's reshoots and editing... apparently.

DC CINEMA - From Variety:  "Joker" becomes the first R-rated movie to gross more than one billion dollars in worldwide box office.

From Previews:  Marvel Comics planning New Year's launch parties for new titles.

From ANN:  Through the rest of this year and through 2020, VIZ Media announces that it will add 9 digital manga to the digital edition of Shonen Jump.

From TheSkanner:  TidalWave Comics to detail the history of NBA superstar player, LeBron James, in the comic book, "Fame: LeBron James."

COMICS TV - From Deadline:  Legendary Television has signed a deal with Frank Miller to adapt his comic book, "Sin City," into a TV series.  It was adapted into two films by director Robert Rodriguez, who will executive produce the series with Miller.

COMICS CINEMA - From Deadline:  Spike Lee will direct and co-write a film adaptation of Ron Wimberly's graphic novel, "Prince of Cats."

DC CINEMA - From Newsarama:  Actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson tweets out concept art for his film "Black Adam" (based on the Shazam character), and says that the film is due December 22, 2021 from New Line Pictures.

MEMORIAM -  From BleedingCool:  The comic book historian and journalist, Tom Spurgeon, has reportedly died at the age of 51.  Since 2004, he had operated the site, "The Comics Reporter" (http://www.comicsreporter.com/), which won three Eisner Awards for "Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism."  With Jordan Raphael, Spurgeon wrote the book, "Stan Lee and the Rise and Fall of the American Comic Book.

DC CINEMA - From IndependentUK:  It seems that Joaquin Phoenix is entirely against the idea of a sequel to the worldwide, smash hit film, "Joker."

COMICS-STREAMING - From Newsarama:  "Avengers" super-directors, Joe and Anthony Russo, are producing a documentary based on "Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-year Battle Between Marvel and DC," a non-ficiton book by Reed Tucker.  The documentary would be produced for the streaming service, Quibi. Former DC President Diane Nelson is Head of Operations & Content for Quibi.

From Newsarama:  Beloved cartoon canine, Snoopy, of the beloved comics strip, "Peanuts," will see his original graphic novel, "Snoopy: A Beagle of Mars," debut on Dec. 18th.  Newsarama has a 5-page preview.

From BleedingCool:  Writer Brian Azzarello and artist Lee Bemerjo have produced popular and critically acclaimed projects for DC Comics.  But their next project may be not be at DC, in the wake of their controversy surrounding their "Batman: Damned" miniseries.

From ANN:  Yasuo Ohtagaki, the creator of the excellent "Mobile Suit Gundam" Thunderbolt" manga, has announced that his new manga, "Diana and Artemis," will debut in the December 17th issue of the Japanese magazine, "Manga Action."

DC TV - From Newsarama:  DC Universe's "Titans" will get a third season beginning Fall 2020.

DC CINEMA - From Collider:  "Fresh Julliard grad" Jayme Lawson has been cast in an unspecified role in "The Batman."

DC TV - From DCBlog:  Actor Cress Williams, "Agent Odell" of The CW's "Black Lightning," talks to DC about his character.

DC TV - From Deadline:  Kevin Smith will host, "Crisis Aftermath," an after-episode show focusing on The CW's "Crisis on Infinite Earths" TV series crossover event.

DC TV - From ComicBook:  Netflix has ordered a second season of its TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman," although the first season has not gone into production.

ARCHIE COMICS TV - From Deadline:  The CW's "Katy Keene" television series, based on the long-running Archie Comics' title, will debut Feb. 6th, 2020 as a mid-season replacement show.

From ComicsBeat:   Here is so love for "Love & Rockets'" "Locas."

COMICS-FILM - From Deadline:  "Shazam" director David F. Sandberg will direct an adaptation of "The Unsound," a graphic novel from BOOM! Studios for Netflix.

From Newsarama:  Comic book artist John Paul Leon talks about fighting cancer and finishing the miniseries, "Batman: Creature of the Night."

From ChimeraObscura:  Here is a podcast interview of the incredible Canadian comic book artist and comics creator, Ho Che Anderson.

DC CINEMA - From TheWrap:  Andy Serkis will reportedly play "Alfred Pennyworth" in Matt Reeves' "The Batman."

DC CINEMA - From Deadline:  Actor Colin Farrell is in talks to play "The Penguin" in Matt Reeves' "That Batman" film project.  Already casts in villian roles is Paul Dano as "The Riddler" and Zoe Kravtiz as "Catwoman."

From Juxtapoz:  The art and culture site talks to legendary artist Robert Williams about his new museum retrospective of his work and a companion catalog to the retrospective from Fantagraphics Books.

From Newsarama:  A new "Ant-Man" comic book series will launch Feb. 2020.  It will star Scott Lang as Ant-Man and his daughter Cassie as the hero, "Stinger."

From Simplemost:  Was Elvis Presley influenced by classic Fawcett Comics hero, Captain Marvel, Jr.

MANGA TV/TRAILER - From MashableIndia:  Here is some kind of trailer for Cartoon Network's upcoming anime adaptation of Junji Ito's Uzumaki manga.

From PalmBeachPost:  Professional tennis' greatest female player of all time, Serena Williams, will be part of the web comics project, "Real-Life Superwomen Project."

From BleedingCool:  In the first issue of the upcoming "Hellblazer" relaunch, entitled "John Constantine: Hellblazer," there will be a depiction of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson naked.

From Decanter:  The cult, wine-theme manga, "The Drops of God," was just released in English by Kodansha and comiXology.

DC CINEMA - From YahooEntertainment:  Actor Robert Pattinson said that he is reading as many comics as possible for "assimilation" ahead of his starring role in Matt Reeves "The Batman."

From Newsarama:  DC Comics provides a preview of the first issue of its new "John Constantine: Hellblazer" title.

SONY MARVEL U - From IGN:  The Oscar-winning, 2018 film, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," officially will have a sequel.  "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2" will arrive in 2022.

COMICS FILM - From ThePlaylist:  Todd McFarlane says there is more Hollywood interest in his R-rated "Spawn" reboot (based on his long-running comic book) in the wake of the tremendous success of the Todd Phillips' R-rated "Joker" film.

DC TV:  From Deadline:  The CW is developing a "Superman & Lois" TV series from Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch of The CW's "Supergirl."


NOVEMBER 2019 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From BleedingCool:  Ablaze for November 2019
From BleedingCool:  Action Lab for Novmeber 2019
From BleedingCool:  Aftershock Comics for November 2019
From Newsarama:  Ahoy Comics for November 2019
From Newsarama:  Archie Comics for November 2019
From Newsarama:  BOOM Studios for November 2019
From Newsarama:  DC Comics for November 2019
From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for November 2019
From Newsarama:  Fantagraphics Books for November 2019
From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for November 2019
From Newsarama:  Lion Forge for November 2019
From Newsarama:  Mad Cave Studios for November 2019
From Newsarama:  Marvel Comics for November 2019
From BleedingCool:  Oni Press for November 2019
From Newsarama:  Scout Comics for November 2019
From BleedingCool:  Source Point Press for November 2019
From BleedingCool:  Titan Comics for November 2019
From Newsarama:  Valiant Entertainment for November 2019
From Newsarama:  Vault Comics for November 2019
From Newsarama:  VIZ Media for November 2019

NOVEMBER 2019 "ADVANCED" COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From Newsarama:  DC Comics advanced solicitations for November 2019 (for acetate covers)
From Newsarama:  "Dawn of X" for November 2019
From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for 2019 with some guessing on the site's part


DECEMBER 2019 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From Newsarama:  Antarctic Press for December 2019
From Newsarama:  Archie Comics for December 2019
From Newsarama:  Dark Horse Comics for December 2019
From Newsarama:  DC Comics for December 2019
From Newsarama:  Image Comics for December 2019
From Newsarama:  Marvel Comics for December 2019
From BleedingCool:  Oni Press for December 2019
From Newsarama:  Red 5 for Comics for December 2019
From Newsarama:  Scout Comics for December 2019
From BleedingCool:  Storm King Productions for December 2019
From Newsarama:  Valiant Entertainment for December 2019
From BleedingCool:  VIZ Media for December 2019

JANUARY 2020 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From Newsarama:  January 2020 comics solicitations from 26 publishers
From Newsarama:  Ahoy Comics for January 2020
From BleedingCool:  Amigo Comics for January 2020
From Newsarama:  Antarctic Press for January 2020
From Newsarama:  Archie Comics for January 2020
From BleedingCool:  Black Box for January 2020
From Newsarama:  Black Mask Studios for January 2020
From BleedingCool:  BOOM! Studios for January 2020
From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for January 2020
From Newsarama:  DC Comics for January 2020
From Newsarama:  Dynamite Entertainment for January 2020
From Newsarama:  Fantagraphics Books for January 2020
From Newsarama:  HarperCollins for January 2020
From Newsarama:  Humanoids for January 2020
From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for January 2020
From Newsarama:  Image Comics for January 2020
From Newsarama:  Mad Cave Studios for January 2020
From Newsarama:  Marvel Comics for January 2020
From Newsarama:  Oni Press for January 2020
From Newsarama:  Red 5 Comics for January 2020
From Newsarama:  Scout Comics for January 2020
From Newsarama:  Seven Seas Entertainment for January 2020
From BleedingCool:  Source Point Press for January 2020
From Newsarama:  Titans Comics for January 2020
From Newsarama:  Valiant Entertainment for January 2020
From Newsarama:  Vault Comics for January 2020
From Newsarama:  Vertical Comics solicitations for January 2020
From Newsarama:  Yen Press for January 2020

FEBRUARY 2020 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From Newsarama:  AfterShock Comics for February 2020
From Newsarama:  Ahoy Comics for February 2020
From Newsarama:  Antarctic Press for February 2020
From Newsarama:  Archie Comics for February 2020
From Newsarama:  Black Mask Studios for February 2020
From Newsarama:  BOOM! Studios for February 2020
From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for February 2020
From Newsarama:  DC Comics for February 2020
From Newsarama:  Dynamite Entertainment for February 2020
From Newsarama:  Image Comics for February 2020
From Newsarama:  Lion Forge for February 2020
From Newsarama:  Marvel Comics for February 2020
From Newsarama:  Oni Press for February 2020
From Newsarama:  Scout Comics for February 2020
From Newsarama:  Valiant Entertainment for February 2020
From Newsarama:  Vault Comics for February 2020
From Newsarama:  VIZ Media for February 2020

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Book Review: PIECES OF HER

PIECES OF HER
HARPERCOLLINS/William Morrow – @HarperCollins; @WmMorrowBks

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Karin Slaughter – @SlaughterKarin
ISBN: 978-0-06-288309-4; paperback; 5.31 in x 8.00 in (May 21, 2019)
494pp, B&W, $16.99 U.S., $21.00 CAN

Pieces of Her is a 2018 novel by author Karin Slaughter.  It was published in hardcover by William Morrow (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers) in August 2018, and the first trade paperback edition was released May 2019.  It is the paperback edition, a review copy of which I received from the publisher, that is the subject of this review, dear readers.  A thriller, Pieces of Her focuses on a young woman forced to grapple with this question:  What if the person you thought you knew best turns out to be someone you never knew at all?

Pieces of Her introduces Andrea “Andy” Eloise, a 31-year-old woman who is adrift in life.  She left New York City and her dreams of being an artist to return to her hometown of Belle Isle, Georgia.  There, she took care for her mother, Laura Oliver, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer.  A few years later, Andy is still in Belle Isle, now a 911 operator.

On Andy's 31st birthday, Andy and Laura are having lunch at a local diner, “Rise-n-Dine,” located in the Mall of Belle Isle.  During the birthday meal, something unthinkable happens that will forever change Andy's life.  A young man starts shooting people in the diner.  Almost as shocking is the fact that Laura Oliver tries to talk the young man down and stop him from shooting more people, before she violently disposes of him as threat.  WTF, indeed?

Andy thought she knew her mother.  Laura Oliver is the woman who has spent her whole life in a beach-side town.  She is the woman who always wanted to do nothing more than live a quiet life as a pillar of the community... isn't she?  However, video of the mall incident has exposed Laura to her enemies from her past... because before Laura Oliver was Laura Oliver, she was someone else entirely.  Andy even wonders about her stepfather, Gordon Oliver.  What does he know?  Now, on the run, Andy follows a trail of crumbs from her mother's past, and she has to uncover the truth about Laura Oliver's past if her and her mother want to have a future.

I recently read my first Karin Slaughter book, the most excellent police procedural/crime thriller, The Last Widow, which was published just this past August (2019).  Like that book, Pieces of Her is a multi-genre thriller, so it is hard to pin it down to being one kind of novel.

The Library of Congress catalog for Pieces of Her (included on the copyright and indicia page at the front of the book) describes this book using the following categories of fiction: mothers and daughters, violence, identity (psychology), family secrets, mystery and detective, police procedural, women sleuths, and suspense.  Pieces of Her is all of that and more.  It is like a box of chocolates from the mystery genre candy-maker.  There is something for every reader who ever read a story about a character trying to unravel a mystery – whether that character was civilian, amateur, or professional mystery solver and “untangler” of secrets.

Like I was with The Last Widow, I am determined to spoil as little as possible of Pieces of Her.  After she has her character, Laura Oliver, kill the mall shooter, author Karin Slaughter reveals a past for Laura that is so shocking and unexpected that the readers might rightly think that Slaughter is dealing with a character entirely separate from Laura.  Initially, I thought so; then, I was so shocked at what Slaughter slapped in my face that I hoped the past Laura was not the same as the Laura at the beginning of the novel.  If that were not enough, Slaughter sends Andy on a breathtaking, pulse-pounding, and sometimes blood-chilling misadventure in uncovering secrets.

While this novel does have a few dry spots, to describe Pieces of Her as a good read is liking describing a cancer diagnosis as bad news.  Yes, both are true, but they are also enormous understatements.  If you want to read a thriller that beats your imagination into submission, then, read Pieces of Her.

9 out of 10

https://www.karinslaughter.com/

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


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: ECTYRON: Rise of Nemehiss

ECTYRON: RISE OF NEMEHISS
CANDLE LIGHT PRESS/Warning Comics – @candlelightpres @attila71

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Carter Allen
SCRIPT: John Ira Thomas
ART: Carter Allen – @attila71
LETTERS: John Ira Thomas
COVER: Carter Allen
BACK COVER: Will Grant
28pp, Color, $5.00 U.S. (2018)

Ectyron: Rise of Nemehiss is a 2018 comic book published by Candle Light Press (CLP).  It is written by CLP stalwarts Carter Allen (plot) and John Ira Thomas (script/letters) and drawn by Allen.  This comic book focuses on Ectyron, a giant-sized chicken that battles monsters known as “kaiju.”  This term is used to describe a genre of Japanese films that feature giant monsters, and the term is also used to describe the giant monsters themselves.  [Godzilla is an example of a kaiju.]

Ectyron: Rise of Nemehiss opens in South Chippewa Basin, Lake Michigan.  The USCGS Narcissus, a shallow water submarine, has been chasing a sonar shadow that suddenly changes from shadow to monster.  Meanwhile at “Sustenatione Stabilitas Base” in the Great Basin Desert, kaiju fighter Jake is working on the latest kaiju-fighting vehicle.  “Tonnerre Blue,” a “suborbital hopper” that can transport and fight in the battle against the kaiju.

Jake and his colleague, Iowa, will need this new kaiju-fighting tech when the giant-goose kaiju, known as Nemehiss, terrorizes a small Minnesota town.  The kaiju fighters will also need all the help they can get... from Ectyron!

Ectyron: Rise of Nemehiss, like the previous Ectyron Against Lagaxtu, is the kind of monster comic that writer, artist, cartoonist, designer, and graphic novelist, Carter Allen does so well.  His Gozilla-sized creations, which includes monsters, beasts, machines, contraptions, and heroes, are pure comic book fun.

The Ectyron series offers big monster fun told with big illustrations and graphics.  John Ira Thomas' dry humor adds a nice touch, and his dialogue, as polished as the kind you would find in a screenplay for a big Hollywood event movie, helps the readers take the action seriously.  Ectyron: Rise of Nemehiss is both monster comic book and sci-tech action adventure.

The truth is that readers get a little more than they expect from Ectyron: Rise of Nemehiss.  In fact, they get enough to want more.  Plus, the back cover features another delightful Will Grant full-color illustration.  [Since the publication of Ectyron: Rise of Nemehiss, CLP has published a third Ectyron comic book.]

8.5 out of 10

http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/
www.warningcomics.com

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


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: THE MAGIC ORDER #6

THE MAGIC ORDER No. 6 (OF 6)
IMAGE COMICS/Netflix – @ImageComics @TheMagicOrder @netflix

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Mark Millar – @mrmarkmillar
ARTIST: Olivier Coipel
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Peter Doherty
EDITOR: Rachel Fulton
COVER: Oliver Coipel with Dave Stewart
VARIANT COVER: Karl Kerschl
36pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2019)

Rated M / Mature

The Magic Order is a six-issue comic book miniseries created by writer Mark Millar (Kick-Ass, Chrononauts) and artist Olivier Coipel (Thor).  It is also the first new and original comic book series created by Millar since he sold his organization, Millarworld, to Netflix in August of 2017.  Colorist Dave Stewart and letterer Peter Doherty complete the creative team.  The Magic Order recently ended (although there will be another miniseries in near future).

The Magic Order focuses on the sorcerers, magicians, and wizards that protect humanity from darkness and from monsters of impossible sizes.  The Order's leader, Leonard Moonstone, and his children:  Regan, Cordelia, and Gabriel must deal with a mob-like war and conspiracy that is killing off members of The Magic Order.  Their adversary is Madame Albany and her cohorts who are stealing magical objects, with Albany focusing on the object she wants the most, the magical book, “the Orichalcum.”

The Magic Order #6 opens with the full conspiracy revealed.  The wayward Cordelia stands alone on the side of The Magic Order, and the identity of Albany's assassin, “The Venetian,” is a shocker.  As an ally of Albany prepares to snatch the Orichalcum, Cordelia has to fight or die, and she has to show that she is not exactly the wayward girl many think she is.

I think The Magic Order is my favorite Mark Millar written, creator-owned comic book.  It is a thrilling introduction to a new world and new universe of magic, magical beings, and magical conspiracies.  The Magic Order is really like a blend of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them with a Martin Scorsese mob film – leaning more towards Fantastic Beasts, but with a strong sense of Casino.  Millar has also shown that these characters are multi-layered and have much to show us beyond what we see in this first series.  Peter Doherty's lettering brings a sharp edge to Millar's dialogue, which in turn makes the scenes featuring characters engaged in violence explode.  So as this series ends, Millar gives us a little more, perhaps to set us up for a return to this Order.

After reading the first issue, I was not all that crazy about artist Olivier Coipel, but I was so wrong.  So much about The Magic Order works because of Coipel's graphical storytelling.  Coipel's art sells the idea that The Magic Order is a massive world of magic and history and that it is a world hidden in the shadows, just out of view of the eyes of humans.  Dave Stewart's muted colors add a layer to Coipel's art, creating a sense of mystery and mysticism.

I am as excited by Millar's premise now as I was when I read the first issue of this comic book last summer (2018).  Millar, Coipel, Stewart, and Doherty have created a special comic book, and The Magic Order #6 is the superb ending that a superb miniseries deserves.

9 out of 10

http://www.millarworld.tv/
www.imagecomics.com

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


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: BATMAN: Creature of the Night #1

BATMAN: CREATURE OF THE NIGHT No. 1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Kurt Busiek
ART/COLORS: John Paul Leon
LETTERS: Todd Klein
COVER: John Paul Leon
48pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (January 2018)

Rated “T+” for “Teen Plus”

Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

Book One: “I Shall Become...”

Batman: Creature of the Night is a four-issue, prestige comic book miniseries published by DC Comics.  It is written by Kurt Busiek and drawn and colored by John Paul Leon.  Todd Klein, one of the all-time greats, does the lettering for this series.  Creature of the Night takes place in a real world-like setting in which Batman is a fictional character.

Batman: Creature of the Night #1 (“I Shall Become...”) introduces an eight-year boy named Bruce Wainwright, who is a huge fan of Batman.  Of course, he loves reading Batman comic books, and he surrounds himself with products bearing Batman's image.  Frankly, the little fellow is obsessed with Batman.  In fact, when Bruce tells people his name, he pronounces it “Wain...wright,” putting an obvious pause between “Wain” and “wright.”

Bruce has an great-uncle, Alton Frederick Jepson (the only living relative on either side of Bruce's family).  The boy has taken the “Al” in the first name and “Fred” in the second and turned his uncle into Uncle Alfred, like Batman's butler, Alfred Pennyworth.  Bruce even thinks of his hometown of Boston as Gotham City.

It is all fun and games, until that Halloween night when Bruce's parents, Carole and Henry Wainwright, are brutally murdered.  As Bruce's grief and rage grow in the aftermath of his parents' murders, something strange takes flight in Boston.

Batman: Creature of the Night is apparently the spiritual companion to the 2004 miniseries, Superman: Secret Identity, also written by Kurt Busiek (and drawn by Stuart Immonen).  Batman: Creature of the Night puts a spin on the world and fictional mythology of Batman.  This series seems to ask, what if Batman could exist in the real world?

This first issue, however, focuses not only on young Bruce Wainwright's grief and rage over his parents' murders, but also on his bitterness about his fate, especially because he feels abandoned by those who should care, to one extent or another, about him and what he needs.  In a way, this first issue deals with a child who experiences a break from reality, something that seems possible because of his total obsession not only with Batman, but also with being like Batman.  All of it is in the context of the great loss which he has suffered.

Kurt Busiek delivers powerful character development.  Busiek does not focus only on Bruce's Batman obsession; he also depicts a child in crisis, struggling with where his life is going, even as those who could help him to truly move forward only lie to themselves that they are doing what is best for young Bruce.  The result is potent and engaging character drama, simply because the reader can find young Bruce Wainwright fascinating or a fascinating character study.

Artist John Paul Leon conveys all of this in art and graphics that capture not so much a gritty reality as it does a tortured soul.  Leon creates effective storytelling that depicts Bruce's crisis and perhaps, his fanaticism and the fantastical elements, all of which are equally powerful and interesting.

Todd Klein, as always, is not merely a letterer; he is a graphical artist as much as the illustrator.  His lettering captures Busiek's shifting points of view from character to character – not just in external dialogue, but also in the internal monologue.  He does this using an array of visually striking fonts.  Klein plays a big part in keeping the readers in suspense regarding the mystery of Batman: Creature of the Night's phantom player.  Is it a break with reality or the arrival of something fantastic, but real?

Batman: Creature of the Night #1 is the real deal.  It is not just another Bat-book, and it certainly makes me want to get the second issue.

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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