Review: GEEK-GIRL, VOL. 2 #5

GEEK-GIRL, VOL. 2 No. 5
MARKOSIA ENTERPRISES, LTD. – @Markosia @daSamJohnson

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Sam Johnson with Mark Darden
ART: Carlos Granda
COLORS: Chunlin Zhao
LETTERS: Paul McLaren
COVER ARTISTS: Sun Khamunaki; Carlos Granda with Chunlin Zhao; Lady Larkin
28pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (October 23, 2019) – print and digital edition

Rated T+ / 12+ only

Geek-Girl created by Sam Johnson

“School's Out”

Geek-Girl is a comic book character created by Sam Johnson (The Almighties).  Geek-Girl debuted in a 2016 miniseries and returned in a second miniseries, Geek-Girl Vol. 2, which became an ongoing series.  Geek-Girl Vol. 2 is written by Sam Johnson; drawn by Carlos Granda; colored by Chunlin Zhao; and lettered by Paul McLaren.

Geek-Girl focuses on Ruby Kaye, a sexy and popular college coed who inadvertently becomes a superhero.  Ruby dons a pair of super-tech eye glasses that gives her super-powers.  Ruby's BFF, Summer James, then talks her into trying to be a superhero, even providing her with a moniker.  Now, Ruby is Maine's newest superhero, “Geek-Girl.”

Geek-Girl Vol. 2 #5 (“School's Out”) opens in Acorn Ridge, Maine in the aftermath of the attack by the hyper-destructive super-villainess, Lightning Storm.  Now, former super-tech weapons dealer, Johnny Carlyle, who has apparently turned philanthropist, is making Ruby a surprising offer.  Before a public gathering at the reopening of a police station destroyed by Lightning Storm,  Carlyle announces the formation of the Kaye Foundation, which he has named after Ruby.  The re-opening of the Acorn Ridge Main Street Police Station is only the Kaye Foundation's first move.

Its next move is to form a brand new superhero team, this one headed by Geek-Girl!  Shocked as she is, Ruby has to get down to business and start gathering team members like “The Minger,” “The Whupper,” “Guano Guy,” and “Mr. Marvelous Man.”  Meanwhile, there is a lot going on for everyone – personally, professionally, and supernaturally...

Creator-writer Sam Johnson sent me a PDF review copy of Geek-Girl, Vol. 2 #5, as he has sent me PDF review copies of his other comic books over the past few years.  He thought that this latest issue of Geek-Girl would be of interest to readers because (1) it is a longer than usual issue and (2) it can be a “jumping-on point” for new readers.

Actually, just about any issue of Geek-Girl is a good jumping on point because Johnson provides a detailed summary of the previous issue and of the series in general inside the front cover of each issue of Geek-Girl.  Hell, I will credit Johnson as at least a good comic book scribe simply on the basis of his skills at summarizing his narrative.  [Marvel Comics titles include a summary of the previous issue and the story arc in general; DC Comics (stupidly) does not, likely just because Marvel does.]

I saw a lot of potential in the first Geek-Girl miniseries, and, although I only read the first issue of the second miniseries, I did see the potential being reached.  Now, I want to go back and read issues #2 to 4, but, I don't really need to do so.  The summary works; issue #5 is indeed a good jumping on point, and it is a good read.

I like Sam Johnson's quirky stories, and what I like most about the Geek-Girl series overall is its sense of humor and positive attitude.  Ruby and her friend, Summer James (who took on the Geek-Girl role for a bit), are “always game.”  Geek-Girl is never grim and gritty even when the villainous situation is actually kinda grim and gritty.  Issue #5 teases interesting characters and plants some seeds of darkness, not to mention that Johnny Carlyle seems kinda shady.

Artist Carlos Granda's clear-line drawing style is still a little shaky on the line, but his compositions reveal his ability to draw just about any kind of edifice, object, item, vehicle, etc. found in the real world.  Granda's graphical storytelling is also as vibrant and as vivacious as this series' lead character.

Chunlin Zhao's rich colors make Granda's illustrations look pretty and pop off the page.  Paul McLaren's clean lettering is the graphical element that grounds the narrative in a balance of humor and a sense of mystery.

Readers looking for female superheroes will find a winner in this Geek-Girl comic book.  Both the character and the comic book are ready for readers looking from something fresh.  You know, those are the readers who don't go to the overgrown, vacant lot of traditional superhero comics... where you can smell decaying small animals... for their superhero fun.

8 out of 10

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

www.geekgirlcomics.com

You can buy Geek Girl Vol. 2 #5 at comiXology.


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: POWERS OF X #1

POWERS OF X No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Jonathan Hickman
PENCILS: R.B. Silva
INKS: R.B. Silva and Adriana Di Benedetto
COLORS: Marte Gracia
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
EDITOR: Jordan D. White
EiC: Akria Yoshida a.k.a. “C.B. Cebuski”
COVER: R.B. Silva with Marte Gracia
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Mark Brooks; Joshua Cassara with Rachelle Rosenberg; John Tyler Christopher; Stephanie Hans; Jack Kirby with Edgar Delgado; Mike Huddleston; George Perez with Jason Keith; Dustin Weaver; Skottie Young
56pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (September 2019)

Rated T+

The X-Men created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

“The Last Dream of Professor X”

The X-Men are a Marvel Comics superhero team.  Created by editor Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the X-Men debuted in the comic book The X-Men #1 (cover dated: September 1963).  The focus of that comic book was Professor Charles Xavier a/k/a “Professor X” and his small circle of students.  Each student had a unique power or ability granted to them because each student was a mutant, and each had a code name.  The students were Scott Summers (Cyclops), Jean Grey (Marvel Girl), Warren Worthington III (Angel), Henry “Hank” McCoy (Beast), and Bobby Drake (Iceman).

From time to time the X-Men concept is changed in some way via a relaunch or revamp.  The most famous revamp was and still is the “new X-Men,” which debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (cover dated: May 1975).  Once consistently among the bestselling comic books in the United States (and often the bestselling comic book), the X-Men have fallen on hard times.  The editorial powers that be at Marvel Comics have spent much of the last two decades revamping, relaunching, and remaking the X-Men.

The latest remodeling comes via a pair of six-issue miniseries written by Jonathan Hickman.  The first is House of X, and the second and the subject of this review is Powers of X; they are being published biweekly on an alternating schedule.  Powers of X is written by written Jonathan Hickman; drawn by R.B. Silva (pencils) and Silva and Adriana Di Benedetto (inks); colored by Marte Gracia; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Powers of X #1 (“The Last Dream of Professor X”) takes place in four time periods.  The title, “Powers of X,” means “Powers of Ten” – 1; 10 x 1 is 10; 10 x 10 is 100; 10 x 100 is 1000.

X0 is The X-Men, Year One, “The Dream.” X1 is The X-Men, Year Ten, “The World.”  X2 is The X-Men, Year One Hundred, “The War.”  X3 is The X-Men, Year One Thousand, “Ascension.”

In X0, Charles Xavier meets Moira MacTaggert, who has a history to share with Xavier.  In X1, on the mutant sanctuary homeland of Krakoa, Professor X obtains the data Mystique and Sabertooth stole (as seen in House of X #1).  In X2, Rasputin and Cardinal find their teammate, Cylobel, in trouble, so Rasputin launches a one-woman rescue operation to keep her friend from falling into the clutches of Nimrod.  In X3, humanity, mutant-kind, who is left?

That Powers of X #1 takes place in four time periods is not confusing.  That each time period can only tease the story to come is irritating.  I found writer Jonathan Hickman's work in House of X #1 quite intriguing, and I find his offerings in Powers of X #1 intriguing, but a less satisfying read than House of X #1.

The work of colorist Marte Gracia and letterer Clayton Cowles turns out to be just as stellar in Powers of X #1 as it was in the first issue of House of X.  The art of R.B. Silva and Adriano Di Benedetto, with its clear storytelling, is pretty, especially the illustrations for the last two chapters.  When combined with Gracia colors, Silva and Di Benedetto's Powers of X art is flat-out gorgeous.

So I assume the second issue will justify Hickman's approach to Powers of X #1.  I know, however, that good ideas for stories can lose their luster because of poor execution in the storytelling.  We'll see.

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 syndication rights and fees.


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Review: SHARKEY THE BOUNTY HUNTER #1

SHARKEY THE BOUNTY HUNTER No. 1 (OF 6)
IMAGE COMICS/Netflix – @ImageComics @netflix

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Mark Millar – @mrmarkmillar
ARTIST: Simone Bianchi
COLORS: Simone Bianchi
LETTERS: Peter Doherty
EDITOR: Rachel Fulton
COVER: Simone Bianchi
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Frank Quitely; Matteo Scalera with Moreno Dinisio; Ozgur Ildirim; Karl Kerschl
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2019)

Rated M / Mature

Sharkey The Bounty Hunter is a new comic book miniseries from writer Mark Millar and artist-colorist Simone Bianchi.  Peter Doherty completes the series' creative team.  Sharkey The Bounty Hunter focuses on a blue-collar bounty hunter who tracks wanted criminals across the galaxy in his converted, rocket-powered, ice-cream truck .  This is third comic book series produced by Mark Millar since he sold his company, Millarworld, to Netflix.

Sharkey The Bounty Hunter #1 opens on the planet “Tefi-8,” where galactic bounty hunter, Sharkey, is bagging his latest quarry, “Multiple Jax.”  It is, however, hard out there for a bounty hunter pimp, as the bounty on Jax does not yield enough cash for the debt-ridden Sharkey.  Now, the amount on a new bounty, Edra Deering, the most dangerous woman in the galaxy, might alleviate Sharkey of his money woes... if he can capture her.  Sharkey, however, isn't the only hunter chasing this hot bounty, and Sharkey is also, suddenly saddled with a child.

While reading Sharkey The Bounty Hunter #1, I kept thinking about the 1990-91 Lobo miniseries by Keith Giffen, Alan Grant, and Simon Bisley with Lovern Kindzierski and Todd Klein (for DC Comics).  Everything about this first issue summons the spirit of that first wild and woolly Lobo miniseries.  To me, Sharkey is a leaner, down-on-his-luck version of Lobo, and because of his fidelity to integrity, he is less violent and more approachable than Lobo, whose popularity first exploded about 30 years ago.

Artist Simone Bianchi's graphical storytelling is at once familiar and then, foreign.  I have seen similar in Heavy Metal and in a number of full-color science fiction comic books series published by Marvel/Epic Comics and DC Comics, back when each publisher was pretending to care about creator-owned comic books.  Then, when I look at Bianchi's work here again... and again, it looks as if Bianchi seems to be striving to find something new.  Here and there, in this first issue, he does.

Sharkey The Bounty Hunter #1 does not blow me away like last year's The Magic Order #1 did.  Still, there is much about this first issue that is alluring, calling me back to the spaceways for a second issue of Sharkey the Bounty Hunter.  I won't resist.

7.5 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.


-------------------------------

Review: HOUSE OF X #1

HOUSE OF X No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Jonathan Hickman
ART: Pepe Larraz
COLORS: Marte Gracia
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
EDITOR: Jordan D. White
EiC: Akria Yoshida a.k.a. “C.B. Cebuski”
COVER: Pepe Larraz with Marte Gracia
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Mark Brooks; Marco Checchetto; John Tyler Christopher; Dave Cockrum with Jesus Aburtov; Mike Huddleston; Joe Madureira with Peter Steigerwald; Phil Noto; Sara Pichelli with Dean White; Humberto Ramos with Edgar Delgado; Skottie Young
56pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (September 2019)

Rated T+

The X-Men created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

“The House That Xavier Built”

The X-Men are a Marvel Comics superhero team created by editor Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby.  The X-Men debuted in the comic book, The X-Men #1 (cover dated: September 1963), and the focus of that comic book was Professor Charles Xavier a/k/a “Professor X” and his small circle of students.  Each student had a unique power or ability granted to them because each student was a mutant, and each had a code name.  The students were Scott Summers (Cyclops), Jean Grey (Marvel Girl), Warren Worthington III (Angel), Henry “Hank” McCoy (Beast), and Bobby Drake (Iceman).

From time to time, the X-Men concept is changed in some way via a relaunch or revamp.  The most famous was the debut of the “new X-Men” in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (cover dated: May 1975).  Once consistently among the bestselling comic books in the United States (and often the bestselling comic book), the X-Men have fallen on hard times, especially over the last decade.  Part of the problem is that the editorial powers that be at Marvel Comics have spent much of the last two decades revamping, relaunching, remaking the X-Men, and especially involving the X-Men line of comic books in ultimately pointless title crossover events.

However, fans and readers have hope for this new X-Men thing.  The latest remodeling comes via a pair of six-issue miniseries, House of X and Powers of X, published biweekly on an alternating schedule.  The first to debut is House of X.  It is written by written Jonathan Hickman; drawn by Pepe Larraz; colored by Marte Gracia; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

House of X #1 (“The House That Xavier Built”) opens on a world that has changed.  In the last half year, Professor Charles Xavier (a.k.a. “Professor X”) has been rolling out his master plan for mutant-kind.  Xavier wants to bring mutants out of the shadow of mankind and into the light once more.  On the island of Krakoa is a home for mutants only, a place where they can be safe.

As a gift to the ever-suspicious humanity, Xavier is offering miracle pharmaceuticals.  However, seeing Armageddon in this new world order, a secret organization of humans has activated the “Orchis protocols.”  Plus, the activities of Sabertooth and Mystique earn the attention of the Fantastic Four, and this issue story also stars Magneto, Cyclops, and Jean Grey to name a few.

“Did you honestly think we were going to sit around and take it forever?” is what Cyclops asks the Invisible Woman during a standoff between the X-Man and the Fantastic Four.  Fight the power, indeed, but this first chapter of House of X is as much about evolution as it is about self-defense.  In Jonathan Hickman's radical revamp of Marvel's X-Men franchise, the mutants of the Marvel Universe have more than a sanctuary; they have a home.  Apparently, they are going to spend their time in their new home being great and striving for greater – socially and scientifically, and that is making humans, especially certain human interests, suspicious and preparing for war.

I don't know where Hickman is taking Marvel's X-Men line, but, in House of X #1, he has created the kind of first issue that makes readers so curious that they just have to come back for more.  At the local comic shop I visit, all issues of House of X and Powers of X have been sellouts.

In this first issue, the art by Pepe Larraz is pretty, but the graphical storytelling does not come across as being as striking and as radical as Hickman's script is.  However, Marte Gracia's coloring is a glorious display, and Clayton Cowles' lettering keeps the shifting ground of House of X #1's story and book design coherent.

Will House of X #1 be a seminal moment in the history of X-Men comic books?  We will see, but it is a must-read for anyone who has ever been a fan of X-Men comic books.

8.5 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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BOOM! Studios from Diamond Distributors for December 11, 2019

BOOM! STUDIOS

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