DC Comics from Lunar/UCS Distributors for December 29, 2020

DC COMICS:

Batman Annual #5 (Cover A Derrick Chew), $4.99
Batman Annual #5 (Cover B InHyuk Lee Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman Detective Comics Volume 4 Cold Vengeance TP, $29.99
Batman The Rise And Fall Of The Batmen Omnibus HC, $150.00
Dark Nights Death Metal The Last 52 War Of The Multiverses #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Dan Mora), $8.99
Dark Nights Death Metal The Last 52 War Of The Multiverses #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Gary Frank), AR
Green Lantern By Geoff Johns Volume 4 TP, $39.99
Jinny Hex Special #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Nick Derington), $4.99
Jinny Hex Special #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Nick Derington Jinny Hex Variant), AR
Justice League Endless Winter #2 (Of 2)(Cover A Mikel Janin), $4.99
Justice League Endless Winter #2 (Of 2)(Cover B Daniel Warren Johnson Card Stock Variant), AR
New Teen Titans Volume 12 TP, $19.99
Tales From The Dark Multiverse Dark Nights Metal #1 (Cover A David Marquez), $5.99
Wonder Woman Volume 3 Loveless TP, $17.99
Young Justice Volume 2 Lost In The Multiverse TP, $17.99

#IReadsYou Review: UNDER THE MOON: A Catwoman Tale

UNDER THE MOON: A CATWOMAN TALE
DC COMICS/DC Ink – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Lauren Myracle
ART: Isaac Goodhart
COLORS: Jeremy Lawson
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
ISBN:  978-1-4012-8591-3; paperback; (May 1, 2019)
224pp, Color, $16.99 U.S., $22.99 CAN

Age Range: 13 and up

Catwoman created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane

Catwoman is a DC Comics character that is part of the Batman line of comic books.  Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, Catwoman made her debut as “the Cat” in Batman #1 (cover dated: Spring 1940).  Catwoman is Selina Kyle, and over her eight decades of existence, she has been a villain, an anti-hero, and Batman's love interest in addition to having a complex love-hate relationship with him.

Until it was recently made defunct, “DC Ink” was a DC Comics imprint that offered original graphic novels for readers of the “Young Adult” or “YA” demographic.  DC Ink titles, according to DC Comics, featured coming-of-age stories that encouraged teens to ask themselves who they are and how they relate to others.  [DC Ink is now known as “DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults.”]

Published in May of this year, Under the Moon: A Catwoman's Tale is an original graphic novel (OGN) that focuses on a young Selina Kyle before she becomes Catwoman.  It is written by bestselling author Lauren Myracle (the “Winnie Years” series); drawn by Isaac Goodhart (Image Comics/Top Cow's Postal); colored by Jeremy Lawson; and lettered by Deron Bennett.

Under the Moon: A Catwoman's Tale introduces 15-year-old Selina Kyle.  In her short life, she has had to put up with the string of bad men that her mother, Gayle, picks up on the job at Carl's Tavern.  The worst of the lot is the most recent pick-up, the brawny bully, Dernell.  Soon, Selina figures out that she cannot stay under the same roof as Dernell, and she leaves home.  She also eventually quits attending Gotham High School, where she has friends like Angie and Tristan.

Selina Kyle, however, believes that, at heart, she is a loner.  Still, she connects with the mercurial trio of Ojo, the leader; Yang, the computer genius; and Briar Rose, a young girl who does not talk and really does not want to be touched.  And Selina can't quite get former classmate, Bruce Wayne, out of her mind.  But the streets are dangerous, and some kind of beast, known as the “Gotham Growler,” is terrorizing Gotham City.

Thus far, I have read the first two releases from the DC Ink imprint, the debut release, Mera: Tidebreaker, and now, Under the Moon: A Catwoman's Tale.  Both are lovely reads, and Under the Moon: A Catwoman's Tale offers is a fetching coming-of-age tale about a young woman coming to terms with who she is.  Writer Lauren Myracle presents a teenage girl who says that she prefers caring about no one and no thing, and Myracle takes her on a journey to figure out how she can live to be a loner... with a few friends, of course.

The art team of Isaac Goodhart and colorist Jeremy Lawson deliver some of the most gorgeous comic book art that I have seen this year.  Goodhart's supple line work and lush inking are eye candy, and they make Selina Kyle's story a moody, urban fairy tale filled with a sense of mystery as much as it is filled with angst.  Lawson's colors make love to Goodhart's compositions, putting the moodiness in a jazz-accentuated mode.  Honestly, Goodhart and Lawson's work here reminds me of Daniel Clowes art for his classic graphic novel, Ghost World.

Letterer Deron Bennett, one of the best letterers in American comic books, changes fonts and graphic styles with subtlety and grace.  Bennett knows exactly the tone that is needed, when things should be quite, normal, and out-loud.

In the end, everything is topnotch in this hugely enjoyable read.  Under the Moon: A Catwoman's Tale is one of the best Catwoman comics that I have ever read.

9 out of 10

Under the Moon: A Catwoman's Tale contains the following extras and back matter:

• Website, phone numbers, and contact information for organization that help with stopping domestic violence, avoiding self-harm, and stopping animal cruelty.
• A page of character designs by Isaac Goodhart
• a three-page interview section in which Lauren Myracle and Isaac Goodhart interview each other
• two author biographical pages
• a  full-color preview of the graphic novel, Teen Titans: Raven, from Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo

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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#IReadsYou Review: WOOF WOOF STORY... Volume 2

WOOF WOOF STORY..., VOL. 2
YEN PRESS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGA-KA: Koikuchi Kiki
ORIGINAL STORY: Inumajin
CHARACTER DESIGN: Kochimo
TRANSLATION: Wesley O'Donnell
LETTERS: DK
ISBN: 978-1-9753-0856-8; paperback (May 2020); Rated “T” for “Teen”
180pp, B&W, $13.00 U.S., $17.00 CAN

Woof Woof Story: I Told You to Turn Me Into a Pampered Pooch, Not Fenrir! is a Japanese light novel series created by author Inumajin and illustrated by Kochimo.  Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko (an imprint of Kadokawa Shoten) began publishing the series in late 2017.  Artist Koikuchi Kiki produces a manga adaptation of the novel series, which Kadokawa began publishing on its digital manga reading service, ComicWalker, in February 2018.  Yen Press began publishing an English-language adaptation of the manga in 2019.

[In this review, I sometimes shorten the title, Woof Woof Story: I Told You to Turn Me Into a Pampered Pooch, Not Fenrir!, to Woof Woof Story.]

Woof Woof Story begins with the story of Routa Okami, an office worker and “corporate slave” who is working himself to death.  He has a crazy wish in which he says, “I just want an easy life, even as some rich person's dog...”  One day Routa drops dead in the middle of his busy office.  A goddess heard Routa's wish and brings him back to life as a pampered pooch, a companion for a wealthy young woman named Mary... But Routa isn't just any dog, he is a enormous, white, wolf-like creature, and he has supernatural powers!

As Woof Woof Story: I Told You to Turn Me Into a Pampered Pooch, Not Fenrir!, Vol. 2 (Chapters 8 to 12) opens, Routa's pampered-pooch life is in jeopardy.  Every year, around the same time, Mary falls gravely ill, and this year, it seems life-threatening.  Doctor Hecate says a rare medicinal flower, “the wyrmnil,” can help Mary, and if they can find fully potent samples of the flower, Hecate believes that she can cure Mary of her ailment for good.

However, “the wyrmnil” is named so because it is guarded by a fearsome dragon, and it falls on Routa to obtain the flower.  To cure Mary and to maintain his lifestyle, Routa will have to do some actual work for a change!  And his partner in the quest for the wyrmnil is non-other than the swords woman, Zenobia, who is looking for an excuse to kill Routa!

[This volume includes an “Afterword” and “Translation Notes.”]

The Woof Woof Story: I Told You to Turn Me Into a Pampered Pooch, Not Fenrir!manga is new to me.  I hadn't even heard of the light novel series, but being familiar with novel is not necessary to enjoy the manga.

Woof Woof Story: I Told You to Turn Me Into a Pampered Pooch, Not Fenrir! Volume 2 is a very enjoyable read.  I was not expecting much from it.  I don't know what the rest of this series offers, but Vol. 2 is a quality volume.

Vol. 2 starts off as a playful romp with buxom, naked girls whose naughty bits are always drawn as being obscured or conveniently covered up – typical “fanservice.”  When Mary falls ill, the story moves to pure melodrama, but when Routa and Zenobia begin their journey, the narrative suddenly gets a surge of energy via conflict and adventure.

Zenobia is conflicted because she respects Routa's devotion to Mary, but she senses his powers and believes that they are an evil threat to Mary.  Routa turns out to be very resourceful and has powerful abilities, and he is both brave and lazy.  Manga creator Koikuchi Kiki balances Routa's desire for the easy life with his sense of duty and self-preservation.  I find myself drawn to him, mainly because there seems to be more to Routa than it obvious.  I can also say that about Woof Woof Story; this is a manga that is worth a second look.

7 out of 10
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

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The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and  syndication rights and fees.


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#IReadsYou DVD Review: VAMPIRE KNIGHT Volume 1

VAMPIRE KNIGHT Volume 1 (2010)

• Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens • MSRP: $19.97 US / $28.99 CAN •
DVD Release Date: July 20, 2010
Studio: VIZ Media
Format: Animated, Color, DVD, NTSC (Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1)
Number of discs: 1
Language: English and Subtitles: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only)
Running time: 96 minutes; Rating: Not Rated
ASIN: B003JSSPU2

Contents:  Vampire Knight anime – Episodes 1-4

Vampire Knight is a shojo manga written and drawn by Matsuri Hino.  It was published from January 2005 to May 2013 in the Japanese comics magazine, LaLa.  VIZ Media published an English-language adaptation of Vampire Knight as a 19-volume paperback graphic novel series from January 2007 to October 2014 under its Shojo Beat imprint.

Japanese animation studio, Studio Deen, produced an anime series “Vampire Knight,” based on the manga.  It aired in Japan for two series in 2008.  VIZ Media and Warner Bros. originally released the “Vampire Knight” anime in English via a series of DVD releases, including 2014's Vampire Knight: The Complete Series.

In 2010, Warner Bros released the first collection, Vampire Knight, Vol. 1, which presents “Vampire Knight” Season One, Episodes 1 to 4.  The episodes are as follows:  #1 “Night of Vampires,” #2 “Memories of Blood,” #3 “The Fang of Penitence,” and #4 “Trigger of Condemnation.”  Back then, VIZ Media sent me a copy of Vampire Knight, Vol. 1 for review purposes.  This is an updated version of that review I wrote over a decade ago.

Vampire Knight is set at Cross Academy, a private boarding school.  Cross Academy has two classes:  the Day Class (the human students) and the Night Class (the vampire students).  At twilight, the Day Class students return to their dorms and cross paths with the Night Class on its way to school.  The Day Class doesn’t know the school’s dark secret that the Night Class students are vampires, but the Day Class girl students are madly in love with the boys of the Night Class

The story focuses on Yuki Cross, the adopted daughter of Headmaster Kaien Cross.  She partners with Zero Kiryu, a human student who struggles with the vampire’s thirst, and the two are the Guardians of the school, patrolling the hallways and school grounds to protect the Day Class students from the vampires.  Yuki and Zero form a kind of love triangle with Kaname Kuran, a pure blood vampire who is basically the unquestioned leader of the Night Class.  The series follows various intrigues related to the conflict between human and vampire, and the story also delves into the pasts of the three leads.

The four episodes included in this first DVD release introduce the plot, setting, characters, and mythology of Vampire Knight in such an easy and friendly way.  It will not be long into the first episode that the viewer will believe that she is well on her way to knowing and then loving these characters.  The series favors the Night Class over the Day Class, which seems to exist to praise and worship the Night Class.  The vampires are beautiful, sexy, and sassy, and their air of confidence is infectious.  The Day Class cast of characters is mostly dull.

The star, of course, is Yuki Cross.  In a series like Vampire Knight, what is needed is a character that is probably more nosy than curious and also brave enough to go where others will not go.  That will make viewers want to follow her quest and investigations, and Yuki will have the viewers hanging onto her.  The two male interests, Zero Kiryu and the vampire Kaname Kuran, are also quite good.  Their aloof, cocky natures are attractive, and if it is possible for an animated character to have a screen presence, they both have that.

The quality of the animation is good.  It emphasizes style and stylishness over movement and features vivid colors, lush background details, and elegant sets.  This look is perfect for the Gothic moodiness and romantic melodrama that defines the look and feel of Vampire Knight.

Vampire Knight, Vol. 1 will reveal some secrets, expose Zero’s affliction, and give viewers a shocking look at a kind of vampire that isn’t a sexy, laid back student.  While aimed at young women, Vampire Knight is a surprisingly engaging melodrama and will please anyone interested in soap operas – with vampires.  This is a cool take on vampire fiction similar to the tales of vampire romance that readers will find in Young Adult book series such as Twilight and Vampire Kisses.

EXTRAS:  This is a no frills DVD without any extras, although viewers are offered the option of watching episodes in Japanese with English subtitles or dubbed versions with voice actors providing English dialogue.

A-
7.5 out of 10

Updated review:  Thursday, December 17, 2020: by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

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#IReadsYou Review: BLACK CLOVER Volume 20

BLACK CLOVER, VOL. 20
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Yuki Tabata
TRANSLATION: Taylor Engel, HC Language Solutions, Inc.
LETTERS: Annaliese Christman
EDITOR: Alexis Kirsch
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1017-1; paperback (March 2020); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Black Clover is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuki Tabata.  It has been serialized in the manga magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, since February 2015.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series under its “Shonen Jump” imprint since 2016.

Black Clover focuses on a boy named Asta.  He and his friend, Yuno, are found abandoned in the village of Hage of the Clover Kingdom.  Both Asta and Yuno dream of one day being the “Wizard King,” the greatest mage in the land.  Asta has one big problem; he can't use magic.  When he is 15-years-old, Asta receives the rare “five-leaf-clover grimoire” (a book of magic), which gives him the power of anti-magic.  Can Asta become the Wizard King without being able to use magic?  Is he worthy of being in the “Magic Knights” squad, “the Black Bulls?”

As Black Clover, Vol. 20 (Chapters 184 to 194; entitled “Why I Lived So Long”) opens, that battle between the Magic Knights and the reincarnated elves rages on.  The souls of vengeful elves that claim to have been killed long ago by humans have taken over the bodies of members of the Magic Knights.  Now, these elves are going to use their new bodies and enhanced powers to kill humans and then, to reclaim the Clover Kingdom as their own.

The Black Bulls find themselves trapped in the magical dream world created by Dorothy Unsworth, the captain of the Magic Knights brigade known as “The Coral Peacocks.”  Dorothy is currently possessed by an elf, and she has complete control over the space she has created.  Escape is impossible, and once the trapped Black Bulls fall asleep, they will never awaken again!

Meanwhile, Asta has fallen under the “mirror magic” of a former ally.  Can outcast Black Bulls member, Henry Legolant, save the day?

[This volume includes bonus material:  “The Blank Page Brigade;” an “Afterword;” and sketches.]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Black Clover manga is certainly one of the best shonen battle manga available to English-speaking audiences.  Because I have read ten volumes so far this year, I believe that I have read enough to say that.

Black Clover Graphic Novel Volume 20 continues the push into this shocking and edgy elves-possession story arc.  Nearly five volumes and 40+ chapters in, creator Yuki Tabata focuses on intense battle manga to settle this war.  Tabata has also been using this story arc to showcase the prowess of Black Bulls members other than Asta.  They are all actually quite talented, and Tabata surprises readers by giving these characters interesting backgrounds and personal stories.

It is Taylor Engel's English-language translation that captures the interpersonal character drama that Tabata squeezes into the battle scenes.  It is Annaliese Christman and her lettering that pumps up the volume on the volatile magical battles.  That is more than enough reason to keep reading.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of the top Weekly Shonen Jump manga will definitely want to try the “Shonen Jump” series, Black Clover.

A
9 out of 10

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


https://www.viz.com/
https://twitter.com/VIZMedia
https://www.instagram.com/vizmedia/
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialVIZMedia
https://www.snapchat.com/add/vizmedia


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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

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#IReadsYou: Review HASS #4

HASS #4
APPROBATION COMICS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER/CREATOR: B. Alex Thompson – @ApproBAT
PENCILS: Edgard Machiavello
INKS: Victor Moya
COLORS: Alivon Ortiz
LETTERS: Krugos
MISC. ART: Cesar Grego and Federico Santagati
COVERS: Cesar Grego and Federico Santagati
32pp, Color, $9.99 U.S. (2020)

Hass is a four-issue comic book miniseries from Approbation Comics.  Hass is written and created by B. Alex Thompson.  The third and fourth issues are drawn by Edgard Machiavello (pencils) and Victor Moya (inks).  Alivón Ortiz is the series' colorist, and Krugos is the series' letterer.

A racial drama and crime thriller, Hass centers on Joshua “Josh” Jones, a freshman attending a college “deep in the heart of Texas.”  First day on campus, Josh falls in love with fellow medical student, Maggie Stewart, but he has to work hard to get Maggie to give him a chance at romance.

Eventually, this relationship forces Josh to confront violence and racism, and to have an unfortunate tattoo branded on his chest.  Before long, Josh is hanging out with Maggie's racist, drug-dealing cousin, Cole Truitt, and his gang of misfits: Eugene “Shamrock” Walsh (also known as “Rocky), Edward Vargas, Randall Gavin, and Warren “Great” White (also known as “Sharky”).

Hass #4 opens with the cliffhanger where the third issue left us.  Josh finds himself in a “Mexican standoff” with a gang of Mexican-American drug dealers … at a redneck honky-tonk!  Josh may be smart enough to talk himself out of this predicament, but when changes come to Cole's gang, he finds himself on the outside.  It turns out, however, that nothing was ever what it seems.  There is a turncoat in Cole's gang, and Maggie and her ailing father's lives are in danger.  It all heads to an explosive climax at Josh's college, and there will be many violent false endings before there is a happy ending.

THE LOWDOWN:  Early in the series, the back cover copy describes Hass as “William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet” meets American History X” (the 1998 film).  Throw in your favorite undercover cop drama-thriller, dear readers, and you will be pretty close to the crazy fun that Hass offers.

B. Alex Thompson is the creator of the long-running indie, comedy-horror comic book series, Chaos Campus: Sorority Girls vs. Zombies.  As much as I love Chaos Campus, Hass is Thompson's best work to date.  He creates a scenario in Hass that allows him to explore various themes emerging from racism, as well as the violence that racism inspires or to which it directly leads.  Thompson explores the consequences of violence and its aftermath, and he also depicts the myriad ways in which racism, prejudice, and bigotry reveal themselves.

Pencil artist Edgard Machiavello was bold and unapologetic in delivering graphical storytelling for Hass #3; he took Thompson's dangerous ideas and kept them dangerous.  For Hass #4, Machiavello presents compositions that deliver on the furious pace of Thompson's finale for this series.  Inker Victor Moya brings nuance to the explosive nature of Machiavello's pencils.  As usual, Alivón Ortiz's colors accentuate the story by bring bright colors to the violence.  Krugos' lettering does what it has to do this issue, and that is to make sure that the story never slows down until the end.

Cover artist Cesar Grego once again delivers excellent cover art for the front and back covers and also drops a nice interior illustration.  This time, Grego's art captures the heat and the heart that define Hass #4.  As I have said before, I have never read another comic book that has explored American racism and prejudice in such a unique and complex way as Hass does.  Bold and different in ways that other comic books would not dare be, Hass is one of the decade's best indie comic books.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers looking for bold comic book storytelling and for the very best in comic books will want Hass.

10 out of 10

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


https://twitter.com/ApproBAT
http://alexthompsonwriter.com/
https://www.comixology.com/Approbation-Comics/comics-publisher/7396-0
www.ApprobationComics.com


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint or syndication rights and fees.

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BOOM! Studios from Diamond Distributors for December 23, 2020

BOOM! STUDIOS

JUN200791    ANGEL & SPIKE TP VOL 01    $15.99
OCT208840    DUNE HOUSE ATREIDES #2 (OF 12) 2ND PTG    $4.99
OCT200948    DUNE HOUSE ATREIDES #3 (OF 12) CVR A LEE    $4.99
OCT200949    DUNE HOUSE ATREIDES #3 (OF 12) CVR B REIS    $4.99
OCT200918    FIREFLY BLUE SUN RISING #1 CVR A MAIN    $7.99
OCT200919    FIREFLY BLUE SUN RISING #1 CVR B WARD VAR    $7.99
AUG201028    GHOSTED IN LA TP VOL 03    $14.99
AUG201018    GO GO POWER RANGERS TP VOL 08    $16.99
OCT200922    JIM HENSON LABYRINTH MASQUERADE #1 CVR A MAIN    $7.99
OCT200923    JIM HENSON LABYRINTH MASQUERADE #1 CVR B CAGLE    $7.99
AUG200985    KLAUS HC LIFE & TIMES OF SANTA CLAUS    $24.99
OCT200972    SOMETHING IS KILLING CHILDREN #13 CVR A MAIN    $3.99
OCT200969    UNKINDNESS OF RAVENS #4 (OF 4) CVR A MAIN    $3.99
OCT200970    UNKINDNESS OF RAVENS #4 (OF 4) CVR B KHALIDAH VAR    $3.99