Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for April 14, 2021

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

FEB210962    A FIRE STORY UPDATED & EXPANDED GN    $18.99
FEB211330    A HOUSE DIVIDED GN VOL 03 WINTER OF WALKING STONE    $9.99
FEB211225    ADV OF DUSTY DABBERT GN VOL 01 SECRET ANIMAL KINGDOM    $18.99
FEB211055    ARCHIE 80TH ANNIVERSARY JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #2    $7.99
JAN211847    ARIFURETA COMMONPLACE TO STRONGEST ZERO GN VOL 04    $12.99
JAN211510    ATLANTIS WASN`T BUILT FOR TOURISTS TP    $14.99
JAN211631    AUTUMNAL #6 CVR A SHEHAN    $3.99
JAN211632    AUTUMNAL #6 CVR B GOODEN    $3.99
FEB211401    BALONEY & FRIENDS GN    $7.99
FEB211293    BEFORE THEY WERE ARTISTS FAMOUS ILLUSTRATORS AS KIDS GN    $17.99
JAN211088    BIG IDEAS THAT CHANGED WORLD SHOT IN THE ARM GN    $13.99
FEB211504    BLOWTORCH #1 (OF 5)    $3.99
DEC201941    BLUE GIANT OMNIBUS VOL 02 (VOL 3-4)    $19.99
FEB211729    CALL OF THE NIGHT GN VOL 01    $9.99
FEB211731    CASE CLOSED VOL 78    $9.99
APR201551    CAT SHIT VOL 02 #3    $3.99
FEB211134    CHARIOT #2    $3.99
FEB211489    CHILDREN OF THE GRAVE #4    $3.99
DEC201454    COMPLETE CREPAX HC BOX SET VOL 05-06 AMERICAN & LIAISONS (MR    $150.00
FEB211166    CORSAIR GN    $19.99
NOV201263    DF AMAZING SPIDERMAN #55 SILVER SYMBIOTE GLEASON SGN    $29.99
OCT201332    DF BATMAN #100 SGN RMRK HAESER JOKER SKETCH    $80.00
NOV201248    DF KING IN BLACK #1 MOMOKO VAR CATES SGN    $49.99
NOV201295    DF SPAWN #311 CHADWICK BOSEMAN TRIBUTE VAR CGC GRADED    $89.99
DEC201412    DF STAR WARS HIGH REPUBLIC #1 CGC GRADED    $77.00
JAN211468    DINOSAUR EXPLORERS GN VOL 08 LORD OF THE SKIES    $12.99
JAN211469    DINOSAUR EXPLORERS HC VOL 08 LORD OF THE SKIES    $16.99
FEB211536    DOCTOR WHO MISSY #1 CVR A BUISAN    $3.99
FEB211537    DOCTOR WHO MISSY #1 CVR B PHOTO    $3.99
FEB211538    DOCTOR WHO MISSY #1 CVR C CARANFA    $3.99
FEB211539    DOCTOR WHO MISSY #1 CVR D INGRANATA    $3.99
FEB211508    DUPLICANT #1 (OF 3)    $3.99
FEB211048    EARTH BEFORE US YR TP VOL 03 MAMMAL TAKEOVER    $9.99
FEB211510    FREAKSHOW KNIGHT #1 (OF 5) ONE SHOT    $3.99
JAN211281    GARTH ENNIS TANKIES GN (MR)    $24.95
DEC200904    GEORGE RR MARTIN A CLASH OF KINGS #12 10 COPY RUBI VIRGIN IN    $3.99
DEC200905    GEORGE RR MARTIN A CLASH OF KINGS #12 20 COPY RUBI B&W INCV    $3.99
JAN211414    GODZILLA DOMINION GN    $16.99
NOV201225    HEAVEN NO HELL HC (MR)    $21.95
FEB211405    HONOR AND CURSE #10    $3.99
DEC201206    HORROR COMICS BLACK AND WHITE #3 (OF 3)    $3.99
FEB211143    HOTLINE MIAMI WILDLIFE #8 (OF 8) (MR)    $3.99
JAN211797    IN ANOTHER WORLD WITH MY SMARTPHONE GN VOL 01    $13.00
FEB218316    JONNA AND THE UNPOSSIBLE MONSTERS #1 CVR G 2ND PTG    $3.99
JAN211415    KINGDOM KONG GN    $16.99
FEB211733    KOMI CANT COMMUNICATE GN VOL 12    $9.99
JAN211558    LIU CIXIN GN VOL 01 SEA OF DREAMS    $17.99
FEB211493    LOCUST #1    $3.99
FEB210993    LONELY RECEIVER TP    $16.99
JAN211860    MAGIKA SWORDSMAN & SUMMONER GN VOL 14 (MR)    $12.99
FEB211633    MAN GOAT & BUNNY MAN #1 (OF 3) CVR A SALAZAR    $5.99
FEB211634    MAN GOAT & BUNNY MAN #1 (OF 3) CVR B JOSH BURNS    $5.99
FEB211167    MAN IN THE PAINTERS ROOM GN    $29.99
FEB210989    MANIAC OF NEW YORK #3    $3.99
FEB210935    MARIA LLOVETS EROS PSYCHE #2 CVR A  ADAM GORHAM (MR)    $3.99
FEB210936    MARIA LLOVETS EROS PSYCHE #2 CVR B MARIA LLOVET (MR)    $3.99
FEB210937    MARIA LLOVETS EROS PSYCHE #2 CVR C BALDISIMO (MR)    $3.99
FEB210938    MARIA LLOVETS EROS PSYCHE #2 CVR D SABINE RICH (MR)    $3.99
FEB211559    MINIONS SPORTS #2 (RES)    $3.99
FEB211532    MINKY WOODCOCK GIRL ELECTRIFIED TESLA #1 CVR A MCGINNIS (MR)    $3.99
FEB211533    MINKY WOODCOCK GIRL ELECTRIFIED TESLA #1 CVR B STRIPS (MR)    $3.99
FEB211534    MINKY WOODCOCK GIRL ELECTRIFIED TESLA #1 CVR C PHOTO (MR)    $3.99
FEB211535    MINKY WOODCOCK GIRL ELECTRIFIED TESLA #1 CVR D BUHLER (MR)    $3.99
JAN219196    MINKY WOODCOCK GIRL ELECTRIFIED TESLA #1 CVR E VIRGIN FOC (M    $3.99
JAN211261    MISSISSIPPI ZOMBIE GN VOL 02    $16.99
FEB211354    MPLS SOUND TP    $19.99
FEB211494    MURDER HOBO CHAOTIC NEUTRAL #1 (MR)    $3.99
JAN211363    NIGHT HUNTERS #3 (OF 4)    $4.99
FEB211362    NIGHT MARCHERS & OTHER OCEANIAN TALES GN    $15.00
FEB211145    PARANORMAL HITMEN #3 (OF 4) (MR)    $3.99
JAN211868    PENGUINDRUM GN VOL 04    $12.99
FEB211738    PERSONA 5 GN VOL 06    $9.99
FEB210979    PHANTOM ON SCAN #1 CVR A TORRES    $4.99
DEC201753    PICTURE OF EVERYTHING ELSE #3 CVR A MOHAN    $3.99
DEC201754    PICTURE OF EVERYTHING ELSE #3 CVR B GORHAM    $3.99
DEC201209    PLANET COMICS #3 CVR A    $3.99
DEC201210    PLANET COMICS #3 CVR B ARROZA    $9.99
FEB211742    POKEMON ADV BLACK & WHITE 2 GN VOL 03    $9.99
FEB211740    POKEMON ADV COLLECTORS ED TP VOL 07    $17.99
DEC201728    PRISON EARTH GN (MR)    $11.99
FEB211135    REDEMPTION #3 (MR)    $3.99
DEC201215    RIVERDALE TIES THAT BIND OGN    $14.99
NOV201660    ROBYN HOOD VIGILANTE TP    $19.99
FEB211402    SANITY & TALLULAH GN VOL 03 SHORTCUTS    $12.99
FEB211596    SAVAGE (2020) #3 CVR A TO    $3.99
FEB211597    SAVAGE (2020) #3 CVR B QUINONES    $3.99
FEB210990    SCOUTS HONOR #4    $3.99
FEB218238    SERIAL #2 2ND PTG    $3.99
FEB210966    SERIAL #3    $3.99
FEB211496    SH*TSHOW #3 (MR)    $3.99
FEB211497    SHEPHERD TP VOL 01    $19.99
FEB211735    SLEEPY PRINCESS IN DEMON CASTLE GN VOL 14    $9.99
FEB211355    SPACE BASTARDS #4 (MR)    $4.99
FEB211331    SPY WHO RAISED ME GN    $14.99
JAN211870    SUPER SENTAI HIMITSU SENTAI GORENGER CLASSIC COLLECTION    $24.99
DEC201113    SUPERBABES STARRING FEMFORCE #6    $5.95
JAN211871    SUPERWOMEN IN LOVE GN VOL 01    $12.99
JAN211873    TAMAMO CHANS A FOX GN VOL 02    $12.99
FEB211409    THEY FELL FROM THE SKY #3    $3.99
FEB210986    UNDONE BY BLOOD OTHER SIDE OF EDEN #2    $4.99
SEP200992    WAYWARD LEGENDS #3 CVR A YANG    $2.99
SEP200993    WAYWARD LEGENDS #3 CVR B GENZOMAN METALLIC INK CVR    $9.99
JAN211507    WHITE LILY #2 (MR)    $3.95
FEB211208    WHY SHE WROTE GRAPHIC HISTORY OF CLASSIC WOMEN WRITERS    $19.95
FEB211687    WITCHCRAFT WORKS GN VOL 15    $12.95
NOV201669    WORLDS END HAREM GN VOL 10 (MR)    $13.99
FEB211692    WORLDS GREATEST FIRST LOVE GN VOL 14 (MR)    $12.99

MAGAZINES

FEB211219    COMIC SHOP NEWS [90CT BUNDLE] #1756    $PI
FEB211413    COMICS REVUE PRESENTS APRIL 2021    $19.95
FEB211404    LOCUS #723    $8.99
FEB211625    VAMPIRESS CARMILLA MAGAZINE #3 (MR)    $5.95

BOOKS

JAN211027    ALEX ROSS MARVEL COMICS POSTER BOOK SC    $24.99
FEB211724    ASK IWATA WORDS WISDOM NINTENDOS LEGENDARY CEO HC PROSE    $22.99
JAN211028    FLASH FORWARD ILLUS GT POSSIBLE & NOT SO TOMORROWS GN    $24.99
FEB211572    HOW TO DRAW DC SC    $19.99
JAN211832    MANGA WATERCOLOR STEP BY STEP MANGA ART TECHNIQUES SC    $19.99
FEB211236    MARVEL CAN THE HULK LIFT A HOUSE HC    $16.99
FEB211235    MARVEL CAN THE HULK LIFT A HOUSE SC    $6.99
JAN211877    MUSHOKU TENSEI JOBLESS REINCARNATION LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 10 (    $13.99
DEC201707    STAR WARS INSIDER FICTION COLLECTION HC VOL 01    $24.99
FEB211418    SUMMER ADVENTURE FOR GROOT HC    $12.99
FEB211485    WHY WE LOVE THE MATRIX HC    $18.00

DC Comics from Lunar Distributors for April 13, 2021

DC COMICS:

Amazing World Of Superman Tabloid Edition HC, $19.99
American Vampire 1976 #7 (Of 10) (Cover A Rafael Albuquerque), $3.99
American Vampire 1976 #7 (Of 10) (Cover B Jorge Fornes), AR
Batman A Death In The Family The Deluxe Edition HC, $49.99
Batman And Scooby-Doo Mysteries #1 (Of 12) (Cover A Dario Brizuela), $2.99
Batman Black And White #3 (Of 6) (Joshua Middleton 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $5.99
Batman The Detective #1 (Of 6) (Cover A Andy Kubert), $3.99
Batman The Detective #1 (Of 6) (Cover B Andy Kubert Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman The Detective #1 (Of 6) (Cover C Blank Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman The Detective #1 (Of 6) (Cover D Riccardo Federici Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman Urban Legends #2 (Cover A Hicham Habchi), $7.99
Batman Urban Legends #2 (Cover B Francesco Mattina), AR
Batman Urban Legends #2 (Cover C Derrick Chew), AR
Challenge Of The Super Sons #1 (Of 7) (Cover A Jorge Jimenez), $3.99
Challenge Of The Super Sons #1 (Of 7) (Cover B Simone Di Meo Variant), AR
Harley Quinn Volume 5 Hollywood Or Die TP, $16.99
Infinite Frontier #0 (One Shot) (Bryan Hitch 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $5.99
Joker #2 (Cover A Guillem March), $5.99
Joker #2 (Cover B Lee Bermejo), AR
Joker #2 (Cover C Brian Stelfreeze), AR
Joker #2 (Cover D Riccardo Federici), AR
Legion Of Super-Heroes Volume 2 Trial Of The Legion TP, $16.99
MAD Magazine #19, $5.99
New Gods Volume 1 Bloodlines TP, $34.99
Rorschach #7 (Of 12) (Cover A Jorge Fornes), $4.99
Rorschach #7 (Of 12) (Cover B Julian Totino Tedesco), AR
Superman #30 (Cover A John Timms), $4.99
Superman #30 (Cover B In-Hyuk Lee Card Stock Variant), AR
Sweet Tooth The Return #6 (Of 6)(Cover A Jeff Lemire), $3.99
Who’s Who Omnibus Volume 1 HC, $150.00
Wonder Woman #771 (Cover A Travis Moore), $4.99
Wonder Woman #771 (Cover B Joshua Middleton Card Stock Variant), AR

#IReadsYou Review: IM: Great Priest Imhotep Volume 3

IM: GREAT PRIEST IMHOTEP VOL. 3
YEN PRESS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGA-KA: Makoto Morishita
TRANSLATION: Amanda Haley
LETTERS: Rochelle Gancio
ISBN: 978-1-9753-1144-5; paperback (May 2020); Rated “T” for “Teen”
176pp, B&W, $15.00 U.S., $19.50 CAN

Im: Great Priest Imhotep is a fantasy manga written and illustrated by Makoto Morishita.  The series was serialized in the manga magazine, Shounen GagGan, from January 2015 and August 2018.  Yen Press is publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a series of graphic novels.

Im: Great Priest Imhotep focuses on the “Great Priest” Imohotep a.k.a. “Im.”  Newly resurrected, Im traverses time and space, from the sands of Ancient Egypt to the streets of modern Japan.  Im is on the hunt for the magai, devious beings who impersonate the gods and have an appetite for destruction.  Hinome Hawakata, a lonely girl, crosses paths with Im, and her life changes – for the better and maybe, for the worse.

As Im: Great Priest Imhotep, Vol. 3 (Chapters 8 to 13) opens, the Ennead priesthood has given Im a new objective.  His masters want him to return to Egypt and to use “Damnatio Memoriae” to wipe the record of Prince Djoser clean from the world.  Djoser is the “Pharaoh of the magai,” and now, he has suddenly shown up – in the flesh!  The plan is changed; now, Im must kill Djoser.  But the problem is that Im and Djoser were once the closest of friends.

[This volume includes bonus comics.]

The Im: Great Priest Imhotep manga is new to me.  Still, for some reason, it reminds me of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise.

Im: Great Priest Imhotep Graphic Novel Volume 3 has some interesting moments.  I thought, however, that creator Makoto Morishita spent too much time on battle manga.  There is some potential for more character drama and exploration, and that may have been investigated in the series' first two volumes, which I did not read.  I must admit that Djoser is an intriguing character, so I'd like to see another volume of the series.  And that's all I have to say.

5 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 Review: SCOOBY-DOO, Where Are You? #108

SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? (2010) No. 108
DC COMICS – @DCComics

STORY: Sholly Fisch, Alex Simmons
PENCILS: Walter Carzon; Leo Batic
INKS: Horacio Ottolini
COLORS: Silvana Brys; Paul Becton and Sno Cone
LETTERS: Saida Temofonte; Rob Leigh
EDITORS: Courtney Jordan; Joan Hilty (reprint)
COVER: Walter Carzon and Horacio Ottolini with Silvana Brys
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (April 2021)

Ages 8+

“The Devil (Dog) You Say?”

Welcome, dear readers, to my continuing journey through the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? comic book series, which began publication in 2010.  I renewed my subscription (for a second time), and this is the tenth issue of my third subscription run that I have received.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #108 opens with “The Devil (Dog) You Say?,” which is written by Sholly Fisch and drawn by Walter Carzon and Horacio Ottolini.  Mystery Inc.:  Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma have been called to a “house on the moors.”  The caller is one William Gottrich III, and his home is under siege by the monstrous “Devil Dog.”

Gottrich has already called on three other individuals for help.  There is Tom Katt of Animal Control, whom the dog has trapped in the house since the previous day.  Next, is Professor Rosetta Stone, the county historian, who believes the Devil Dog is really the legendary “Hound of the Moors,” that brings doom to anyone that sets foot on the moors.  Finally, there is Madame Persona Nongrata, a noted psychic who believes that the dog is a messenger from the “demonic underworld” sent to drag its victims back to its “fiery realm.”

So what can Mystery Inc. do?  Well, it seems that this is a case that only Scooby and Shaggy can solve!

The second story, “Prisoner of the Ghost in the Iron Mask,” is, as usual, a reprint story and is written by Alex Simmons and drawn by Leo Batic and Horatio Ottolini.  [This story was originally published as the back-up story in Scooby-Doo #79 (cover date: February 2004).]   Mystery Inc. is in the country of “Morovania,” smuggled there by Princess Adora.  The princess needs to the gang to solve the mystery of the “Ghost in the Iron Mask,” which has been chasing off any man who might marry Adora.  The ghost has been haunting Adora's family, on and off, for generations, but hopefully it won't take Scooby and company that long to solve this ghostly mystery.

Ever since I first saw the 1939 film, The Hound of the Baskervilles (starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes), I have been fascinated by the film's story, which was based on the 1902 Sherlock Holmes novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles (written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle).  I often find myself enjoying other adaptations of the novel, including humorous adaptations or spins on the story, like “The Devil (Dog) You Say?”  Of course, I enjoyed the story and the art by the team of Walter Carzon and Horacio Ottolini.  Actually, I pretty much like any Scooby-Doo story they draw.  I also like that writer Sholly Fisch gave all four guest/supporting characters enough personality and background to make them interesting or, at least, good comic relief.

“Prisoner of the Ghost in the Iron Mask,” this issue's reprint story, is notable mainly because of the slightly offbeat way pencil artist Leo Batic draws the Mystery Inc. characters.  Batic's interpretation of Shaggy, with an expressive rubbery face and wiry, bendable body, stands out.

So, I recommend Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #108 to fans of Scooby-Doo stories set in haunted mansions and castles.  And until next time, Scooby-Dooby-Doo!

B
6 out of 10

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


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Movie Review: "Wonder Woman 1984" is Pretty, Empty and Goofy

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

Running time:  151 minutes (2 hours, 31 minutes)
MPAA – PG - 13 for sequences of action and violence
DIRECTOR:  Patty Jenkins
WRITERS:  Patty Jenkins, Geoff Johns, and Dave Callahan; from a story by Patty Jenkins and Geoff Johns (based on characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and created by William Moulton Marston)
PRODUCERS:  Charles Roven, Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Patty Jenkins, Gal Gadot, and Stephen Jones
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Matthew Jensen (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Richard Pearson
COMPOSER:  Hans Zimmer

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/HISTORICAL

Starring:  Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, Lucian Perez, Kristoffer Polaha, Natasha Rothwell, Ravi Patel, Oliver Cotton, Lilly Aspell, and Lynda Carter

Wonder Woman 1984 is a 2020 superhero fantasy film from director Patty Jenkins.  The film stars the DC Comics superhero, Wonder Woman, who first appeared in All Star Comics #8 (1941) and was created by writer William Moulton Marston (with artist Harry George Peter).  It is a direct sequel to 2017's Wonder Woman and is also the ninth film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film series.  In Wonder Woman 1984, our titular hero must battle a colleague and a businessman whose desire to have everything they ever wanted and much more could destroy the world.

Wonder Woman 1984 opens on the island of Themyscira, the home of the Amazons.  There, young Diana (Lilly Aspell) is trying to be the most accomplished Amazon.  In an athletic event against older Amazons, young Diana must also learn an important lesson about getting what she wants.

The story moves to 1984.  Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) works cultural anthropology and archaeology at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.  Secretly, Diana is also the superhero known as “Wonder Woman.”  At work, Diana meets and eventually befriends a new museum employee, Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), a shy woman whose professions are geology, gemology, and lithology, in addition to being a cryptozoologist.  Barbara is barely seen by her co-workers, and she comes to envy Diana, whose radiance draws people to her.

One day, the FBI asks the museum to identify some stolen antiquities, and among them is a mysterious item, a “citrine” that turns out to be called the “Dreamstone.”  Also interested in this item is a failing businessman, Maxwell “Max” Lord (Pedro Pascal), who believes that the stone has “wish-granting” powers that can both save his failing oil company, “the Black Gold Cooperative,” and make him the powerful man he has always wanted to be.  No one really understands how dangerous the Dreamstone can be, even Diana, who gets her deceased lover, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), back into her life.

I like that Wonder Woman 1984 deals with such themes as immediate gratification, getting things the easy way without working for it, cheating to get what you want, and the desire to have something before you are ready to have it.  However, it is the execution of these themes that is problematic.  For a film that beats viewers over the head with the idea that it is bad to get whatever you wish for, Wonder Woman 1984 is filled with magical thinking.  This film's story is illogical, nonsensical, silly, and full of pretty pictures while being largely empty and devoid of substance.

Having Steve Trevor's spirit possess the body of an actual living man and control it is a horrible idea.  Supposedly, co-writer/director Patty Jenkins says that the Trevor subplot is a reference to the body-switching trope found in films like Freaky Friday: The Movie (1976) and Big (1988).  If true, this explanation is lame.  Having Wonder Woman basically hold a man hostage so that she can use his body to play kissy-face with her dead lover's spirit does not seem like something Wonder Woman would actually do.  I won't go into the non-consensual element of this relationship...

However, that is just one element of the entire nonsense that is having Steve Trevor in this film.  In one sequence, it just happens to be the Fourth of July, which leads to Wonder Woman and Trevor stealing a conveniently located jet and flying through the clouds that are lit up by the holiday fireworks below.  Wonder Woman asks Trevor what makes flying as a pilot so special to him, and the dude says that it is because of the wind and the air...

I'm not even sure why this movie is called Wonder Woman 1984, as very little about that year really permeates this film.  1984 seems like nothing more than an arbitrary date, while calling this film “Wonder Woman: The Year of Schmaltz and Syrupy Sentiment” would seem more accurate.

Nothing epitomizes Wonder Woman 1984's nonsensical, trite, contrived nature than the “lead” villain, Max Lord.  Heaven knows that Pedro Pascal gives it his all in order to fill the vast emptiness that is Max, but even his acting skills can't save this bomb of a character.  Patty Jenkins and Geoff Johns' hackneyed script gives Max a child, Alistair (Lucian Perez), a pensive-faced waif who just loves his daddy no matter how much daddy ignores and minimizes him.  The presence of the child only emphasizes how lame Max Lord is.

The better villain is Kristen Wiig's Cheetah (who is not called that in the film), but the script relegates Barbara Minerva/Cheetah to side-piece status.  Minerva and Cheetah had the potential to be an excellent counter to Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, but no, the man-villain must be the center of attention.  Also, I'm pretty sure that Cheetah appears merely for licensing purposes – perhaps, as a hard-to-find, low-run, female action figure.

Just as she was the last time, Gal Gadot is gorgeous in this film, but whereas the Wonder Woman she played in the original film was so strong, independent, and fierce, the Wonder Woman of the sequel is a clueless broad who pines after the ghost of a long dead man.  Everything the heroine of this sequel does is either strange or thoughtless, and she puts herself and others in danger cause she's just gotta have her (dead) man!  Wonder Woman 1984 turns Gadot's Wonder Woman from historical in the first film to hysterical in the sequel.

The only reason that I am not giving Wonder Woman 1984 a grade of “D” or even of “F” is because I was so happy to see Lynda Carter, TV's Wonder Woman of the 1970s, in a mid end credits scene.  Yeah, that's a spoiler that I didn't warn you about, but hey, I am warning you about the rest of Wonder Woman 1984.  Now, dear readers, you can watch it while expecting much less of it than I did.

C

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


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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 Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody Volume 9

DEATH MARCH TO THE PARALLEL WORLD RHAPSODY, VOL. 9
YEN PRESS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Ayamegumu
ORIGINAL STORY: Hiro Ainana
CHARACTER DESIGN: Shri
TRANSLATION: Jenny McKeon
LETTERS: Rochelle Gancio
ISBN: 978-1-9753-1112-4; paperback (May 2020); Rated “T” for “Teen”
194pp, B&W with some color pages, $13.00 U.S., $17.00 CAN

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody is a Japanese light novel series written by Hiro Ainana and illustrated by Shri.  A manga adaptation by Ayamegumu was serialized first, in Age Premium, and then, in Monthly Dragon Age.  Yen Press is publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series, and is also publishing an English-language edition of the light novels.

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody focuses on Ichiro Suzuki, a 29-year old gaming programmer.  Worn out from a “death march-crunch time” (when coders live on caffeine and pull twenty-hour days), Ichiro takes a nap, and later he awakens in a parallel world that resembles some of the fantasy RPG worlds he had worked on.  What looks like the menu screen of the game he was working on before he fell asleep also appears before his inner eye.  Now a 15-year old, Ichiro takes the name, Satou Pendragon.  With no way to return to his world, Ichiro/Satou becomes a high-leveled adventurer, armed with a myriad of different physical, cognitive, and magical abilities and weapons, so he sets out to uncover the secrets of this new world.

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 9 (Chapters 51 to 57) continues “The Muno Barony” story arc.  Satou has just met Lady Karina Muno, the daughter of Baron Muno, and now, she joins his small family, making them a party of nine.

Needing to deliver a letter from the Witch of the Forest of Illusions, Satou and his party travel to the village of the forest giants.  Satou soon learns some of the villagers, including three children, are still recovering from the poison of the hydra's toxic breath after a series of attacks.  As Satou gets to work on brewing an antidote, Karina ponders how she can enlist the giants' assistance in ridding her hometown, Muno City, of the demonic presence that plagues it.  But the forests giants seem to hold an old grudge against the “Muno” name.

[This volume includes a special Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody prose short story, “The Hungry Prima Donna,” written by Hiro Ainana and illustrated by Ayamegumu.  This volume also includes a special bonus comic, “Karina and Raka.”]

The Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody manga is new to me.  I am also unfamiliar with the light novel series written by Hiro Ainana and illustrated by Shri.

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody Graphic Novel Volume 9 is easy to read, even for a newcomer like me.  It is also a pleasant read; I would even use the word “neat.”  Mangaka Ayamegumu has fashioned a comic full of endearing and sweet characters who move about a world that is more charming than it is dangerous.

The pacing and rhythm of the story is good, and Jenny McKeon's English-language adaptation makes for a breezy read.  I don't know what the light novel series is like, but the manga Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody seems harmless enough to be appropriate for at least 10 to 12-year-old readers.  And they will probably laugh the “big breast” jokes.

7 out of 10

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


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#IReadsYou Movie Review: JUSTICE LEAGUE- The Joss Whedon Cut is a Dull Blade

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Justice League (2017)
Running time: 120 minutes (2 hours)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action
DIRECTORS:  Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon
WRITERS:  Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon; from a story by Chris Terrio and Zack Snyder (based on characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics)
PRODUCERS:  Charles Roven, Jon Berg, Geoff Johns, and Deborah Snyder
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Fabian Wagner (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Martin Walsh, David Brenner, and Richard Pearson
COMPOSER:  Danny Elfman

SUPERHERO/FANTASY

Starring:  Ray Fisher, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Henry Cavill, Ezra Miller, Amy Adams, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, J.K. Simmons, Amber Heard, Joe Morton, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Anthony Wise, and Ciarán Hinds (voice)

Justice League is a 2017 superhero film officially directed by Zack Snyder, but completed by director Joss Whedon.  The film is based on the DC Comics superhero team, the Justice League of America, that first appeared as a group in the comic book, The Brave and the Bold #28 (cover dated: March 1960).  Justice League is the fourth film in the DCEU (DC Extended Universe) film series.  Justice League the film sees a group of allies slowly come together to face a threat to Earth.

Justice League introduces a being named “Steppenwolf” (voice of Ciarán Hinds).  Thousands of years ago, Steppenwolf and his legions of “Parademons” tried to take over the Earth using the combined energies of three “Mother Boxes,” but he was defeated.  In the present, it is two years after the death of Superman (as seen in the film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice), and his death has apparently triggered the reactivation of the Mother Boxes.

Now, Steppenwolf has returned to Earth, and although he is unaware of Steppenwolf, Batman/Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) knows that something is wrong because he has been battling the scattered Parademons that have been appearing in Gotham City and elsewhere.  Batman also knows that what is happening is too big for him to fight alone, so he has begun the difficult task of finding and recruiting other “metahumans” (superheroes) into a team that can take on the biggest threats to Earth.

Wonder Woman/Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) is familiar with Steppenwolf and is ready to unite.  The new young hero, Flash/Barry Allen (Ezra Miller), is more than happy to be part of a team.  However, the mysterious undersea metahuman, The Aquaman/Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), brushes off Batman.  Woman Woman approaches the techno-organic metahuman, Cyborg/Victor Stone (Ray Fisher), whose powers and abilities are constantly evolving, but he also brushes off the idea of joining Batman and Wonder Woman's cause.

Even if Batman, Wonder Woman, and Flash can convince Aquaman and Cyborg to join, their powers may not be enough to stop Steppenwolf and the Parademons.  They need Superman/Clark Kent (Henry Cavill), but he is dead.  So can this “Justice League” change that?

Zack Snyder's first two films in the DCEU film series, Man of Steel (2013) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), are interesting films.  Man of Steel contains moments of true beauty and is an imaginative and poignant retake on the story of Superman.  Batman v Superman is filled with great moments and has several brilliantly-staged action set pieces.  However, both films are at time foolishly bombastic and bombastically foolish.

Zack Snyder began production on what was to be his third DCEU film, Justice League, in early 2016, but left the film in May 2017 in order to deal with the aftermath of the death of his daughter.  Warner Bros. Pictures brought in Joss Whedon to finish the film.  Whedon is beloved in fandom because he is the creator of the long-running “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” television series.  He also wrote and directed two films for Marvel Studios, Marvel's The Avengers (2012) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), each of which grossed over a billion dollars in worldwide box office.

Whedon apparently changed the story that Zack Snyder's version of Justice League would have told – to some extent.  I have read that as much as seventy-five percent of the Justice League film that reached movie theaters in late 2017 is the result of Whedon's reshoots of the film.

The result is a film that does not move or sound like either Man of Steel or Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, nor does it have the genuine sense of superhero team dynamics, conflict, and melodrama that Whedon's Avengers films have.  Whedon's Justice League is neither bombastic nor foolish.  It is a collection of crescendos that fade away.  Justice League seems like a collection of loosely connected subplots and action scenes taken from another movie and stuck together to make a new blasé movie.

In Justice League, the dialogue is mostly awful.  All the emotions (grief, exhalation, anger, etc.) seem forced or outright phony.  The actors struggle with the mediocre character writing; sometimes, it gets so bad that it seems as if they are struggling to act.  Steppenwolf is a scary villain that is played as comically histrionic.  Also, the film treats the obviously dangerous Paramdemons as nothing more than props to be destroyed by the powers of the members of the Justice League.

There are a few good moments in Justice League.  The revival of Superman and the subsequent battle between the League and the Man of Steel is genuinely intense.  Every time I watch it, my attention is glued to the screen.

Justice League is not a bad movie; it doesn't have the gumption to be good or bad.  It is a movie that is without a heart, and it comes across as nothing more than an assembly line product put out to benefit a movie studio financially.  It certainly was not put out to truly entertain the audiences that wanted to be entertained by it.  Zack Snyder's version of Justice League will make its debut as Zack Snyder's Justice League on the HBO Max streaming service soon (as of this writing).  Perhaps, it would have been better that Justice League been delayed than it be released in 2017 as a mostly flavorless misfire.

C

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

The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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