Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for April 28, 2021

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

FEB211517    20 FISTS #1 (OF 3)    $3.99
FEB211059    ARCHIE JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #319    $7.99
FEB211624    ASCENCIA #4    $3.99
MAR211873    ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM GN VOL 05 PT 1    $14.99
FEB211663    ATTACK ON TITAN GN VOL 33 (MR)    $10.99
DEC201594    BACKTRACK TP VOL 02 (MR)    $19.99
FEB211684    BAKEMONOGATARI GN VOL 08    $12.95
NOV201315    BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH MONSTERS HC (MR)    $39.99
FEB211300    BEATNIK BUENOS AIRES GN    $19.99
FEB211032    BEDTIME STORIES IMPRESSIONABLE CHILDREN ANNUAL #1 CVR A    $4.99
FEB211033    BEDTIME STORIES IMPRESSIONABLE CHILDREN ANNUAL #1 CVR B    $4.99
JAN211655    BELLE KING OF SERPENTS ONE SHOT CVR A IGOR VITORINO    $5.99
JAN211656    BELLE KING OF SERPENTS ONE SHOT CVR B TOLIBAO    $5.99
JAN211657    BELLE KING OF SERPENTS ONE SHOT CVR C NAKAYAMA    $5.99
MAR211496    BLACK SAND BEACH GN VOL 02 DO YOU REMEMBER SUMMER BEFORE    $12.99
FEB211744    BOTTOM TIER BUREAUCRAT FOR 1500 YEARS GN VOL 01    $13.00
FEB211521    BUG BITES TP    $9.99
FEB211691    CANDY COLOR PARADOX GN VOL 05 (MR)    $12.99
FEB211531    CARPENTER TALES SCIFI HELL #1 (OF 8) (MR)    $3.99
FEB210958    CEREBUS THE DUCK ONE SHOT    $4.00
JAN211692    CHASING AFTER AOI KOSHIBA GN VOL 01 (MR)    $12.99
FEB211522    COLD DEAD HANDS TP (MR)    $9.99
FEB211340    COLD DEAD WAR #2 (OF 4) (MR)    $3.99
FEB211518    CULT OF DRACULA #2 (OF 6) CVR A NEMETH    $3.99
FEB211519    CULT OF DRACULA #2 (OF 6) CVR B MAER    $3.99
FEB211685    DAILY LIVES OF HIGH SCHOOL BOYS GN VOL 05    $12.95
FEB211523    DAMNED CURSED CHILDREN #4 (OF 5) (MR)    $3.99
FEB211524    DEAD END KIDS SUBURBAN JOB #4 (OF 4) CVR A MADD    $3.99
JAN211672    DESTINY LOVERS GN VOL 06 (MR)    $13.99
FEB211158    DESTINY NY #2 (MR)    $3.99
FEB211288    DF DC COMICS APRIL SHOWERS 2021 TRIFECTA    $33.33
FEB211142    DIORAMA 7 TP VOL 01    $14.99
MAR211329    DRAGON PATH GN VOL 01    $12.99
MAR211330    DRAGON PATH HC GN    $24.99
FEB211807    DUNGEON OF BLACK COMPANY GN VOL 06 (MR)    $12.99
FEB211138    E RATIC #5    $3.99
FEB211528    EIGHTH IMMORTAL #4 (OF 4) (MR)    $3.99
FEB211527    ERA OF GREAT WONDERS #5 (OF 6)    $3.99
FEB211491    FRANK AT HOME ON THE FARM #4    $3.99
FEB211492    GALACTIC RODENTS OF MAYHEM #1    $3.99
FEB211639    GRIMM UNIVERSE PRESENTS QTRLY STEAMPUNK CVR A IGOR VITORINO    $8.99
FEB211640    GRIMM UNIVERSE PRESENTS QTRLY STEAMPUNK CVR B NETHO DIAZ    $8.99
FEB211641    GRIMM UNIVERSE PRESENTS QTRLY STEAMPUNK CVR C DIPASCALE    $8.99
FEB211008    HAPPY HOUR #6 (MR)    $3.99
JAN211078    HATCHET VENGEANCE #3 BLOODY HORROR LTD ED CVR (RES) (MR)    $9.99
JAN211076    HATCHET VENGEANCE #3 CVR A BUZ & HAESER (RES) (MR)    $3.99
JAN211077    HATCHET VENGEANCE #3 SLAUGHTER CALZADA CVR (RES) (MR)    $4.99
FEB211215    HELLWITCH HELLBOURNE #1 BLACK & WHITE ED (MR)    $15.00
DEC201974    HI SCORE GIRL GN VOL 06    $12.99
FEB211394    HOKUSAI GRAPHIC BIOGRAPHY    $19.99
FEB210991    I BREATHED A BODY #4    $3.99
FEB211747    IM THE CATLORDS MANSERVANT GN VOL 01    $13.00
MAR211153    JEANNE & MODIGLIANI PARIS IN THE DARK GN    $24.00
FEB211757    KING OF EDEN GN VOL 03    $24.00
FEB211686    KINOS JOURNEY BEAUTIFUL WORLD GN VOL 08    $12.95
FEB211217    LADY DEATH SWIMSUIT ONE SHOT PREMIERE ED    $25.00
FEB211452    LOUD HOUSE 3IN1 GN VOL 04    $14.99
FEB211301    LOVE & ROCKETS MAGAZINE #10 (MR)    $4.99
FEB211813    MANLY APPETITES MINEGISHI LOVES OTSU GN VOL 02 (MR)    $13.99
NOV200982    MIRANDA IN MAELSTROM #5    $3.99
FEB210951    MIRKA ANDOLFOS UNSACRED VOL 2 #6 CVR A ANDOLFO HARLEY (MR)    $3.99
FEB210952    MIRKA ANDOLFOS UNSACRED VOL 2 #6 CVR B ANDOLFO BRA FACE (MR)    $3.99
FEB210953    MIRKA ANDOLFOS UNSACRED VOL 2 #6 CVR C TIM SEELEY (MR)    $3.99
FEB210954    MIRKA ANDOLFOS UNSACRED VOL 2 #6 CVR D BIGARELLA (MR)    $3.99
FEB211341    MODERN FRANKENSTEIN #1 CVR A VIECELI & BOWLAND (MR)    $3.99
FEB211386    NINJAS & ROBOTS #6 CVR A ERIK KLAUS    $4.99
FEB211387    NINJAS & ROBOTS #6 CVR B IRVING BARTOLOME    $4.99
FEB218263    NOTTINGHAM #1 (OF 5) 2ND PTG    $3.99
FEB210987    NUCLEAR FAMILY #3    $3.99
JAN211673    PARALLEL PARADISE GN VOL 05    $13.99
FEB211207    PENNY GN    $19.95
FEB211623    PLOT TP VOL 02    $17.99
MAR211495    RENOIR GN (RES)    $25.95
FEB211392    RICKETY STITCH & GELATINOUS GOO GN VOL 03 BATTLE OF BARDS (C    $16.99
FEB211012    ROBONIC STOOGES RETURN #1 CVR A SHANOWER    $3.99
FEB211013    ROBONIC STOOGES RETURN #1 CVR B PACHECO    $4.99
FEB211014    ROBONIC STOOGES RETURN #1 CVR C B&B LTD ED    $9.99
MAR211397    SCI-FI & FANTASY OIL PAINTING MASTERCLASS SC    $36.95
FEB210988    SHADOW DOCTOR #3    $3.99
FEB211616    SHADOW SERVICE #7 CVR A HOWELL    $3.99
FEB211617    SHADOW SERVICE #7 CVR B ISAACS    $3.99
FEB211590    SHADOWMAN (2020) #1 CVR A DAVIS-HUNT (RES)    $3.99
FEB211591    SHADOWMAN (2020) #1 CVR B REIS (RES)    $3.99
FEB211592    SHADOWMAN (2020) #1 CVR C HORROR HOMAGE JOHNSON (RES)    $3.99
FEB211593    SHADOWMAN (2020) #1 CVR D BLANK (RES)    $3.99
FEB211820    SKELETON KNIGHT IN ANOTHER WORLD GN VOL 06    $12.99
FEB211498    SNATCHED #1    $3.99
JAN211778    SPLATOON SQUID KIDS COMEDY SHOW GN VOL 03    $9.99
MAR211335    SQUIDDING AROUND GN VOL 02 CLASS CLOWN FISH    $7.99
MAR211336    SQUIDDING AROUND HC GN VOL 02 CLASS CLOWN FISH    $22.99
FEB211499    STAKE #2 CVR A FANTINI    $3.99
FEB211500    STAKE #2 CVR B AARON BARTLING    $3.99
FEB211408    STARGAZER TP    $17.99
FEB211026    STARRING SONYA DEVEREAUX DEATH TEAM 5 #1 CVR A FRAIM    $3.99
FEB211027    STARRING SONYA DEVEREAUX DEATH TEAM 5 #1 CVR B PARODY    $3.99
FEB211040    STEAM WARS HC W SOUNDTRACK CD    $39.99
FEB211822    SUPER HXEROS GN VOL 02 (MR)    $13.99
FEB211200    TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #127 (MR)    $3.99
DEC201587    THE UNDERFOOT TP VOL 02    $14.99
DEC201592    THE VAIN TP VOL 01 (MR)    $19.99
MAR211445    TROTS AND BONNIE HC GN (RES) (MR)    $39.95
APR201434    VAMPBLADE #50 (OF 50) CVR A MACCAGNI (MR)    $5.99
APR201435    VAMPBLADE #50 (OF 50) CVR B MACCAGNI RISQUE (MR)    $5.99
APR201436    VAMPBLADE #50 (OF 50) CVR C WINSTON YOUNG (MR)    $5.99
APR201437    VAMPBLADE #50 (OF 50) CVR D WINSTON YOUNG RISQUE (MR)    $5.99
APR201438    VAMPBLADE #50 (OF 50) CVR E HUANG (MR)    $5.99
APR201439    VAMPBLADE #50 (OF 50) CVR F HUANG RISQUE (MR)    $5.99
APR201440    VAMPBLADE #50 (OF 50) CVR G WINSTON YOUNG VIRGIN VARIANT (MR    $19.99
APR201441    VAMPBLADE #50 (OF 50) CVR H WINSTON YOUNG VIRGIN RISQUE VARI    $19.99
FEB211410    VILLAINOUS TP    $14.99
FEB211526    WARCORNS COMBAT UNICORNS FOR HIRE #4 (OF 4) (MR)    $3.99
MAR211767    WEATHERING WITH YOU GN VOL 03    $12.95
FEB218603    WITCHBLOOD #1 CVR G 2ND PTG    $3.99
FEB211619    WITCHBLOOD #2 CVR A STERLE    $3.99
JAN218099    WITCHBLOOD #2 CVR B STERLE    $3.99
JAN218102    WITCHBLOOD #2 CVR C YOSHITANI    $3.99
JAN211671    YOKAI GIRLS GN VOL 13    $13.99
FEB211745    YOUR TURN TO DIE GN VOL 01    $13.00
DEC201119    ZOMBIE TRAMP ONGOING #79 CVR A MACCAGNI (MR)    $4.99
DEC201120    ZOMBIE TRAMP ONGOING #79 CVR B MACCAGNI RISQUE (MR)    $4.99
DEC201121    ZOMBIE TRAMP ONGOING #79 CVR C YOUNG (MR)    $4.99
DEC201122    ZOMBIE TRAMP ONGOING #79 CVR D YOUNG RISQUE (MR)    $4.99
DEC201123    ZOMBIE TRAMP ONGOING #79 CVR E MCCOMB (MR)    $4.99
DEC201124    ZOMBIE TRAMP ONGOING #79 CVR F MCCOMB RISQUE (MR)    $4.99
DEC201168    ZORRO IN LAND THAT TIME FORGOT #4 CVR A WOLFER    $3.99
DEC201169    ZORRO IN LAND THAT TIME FORGOT #4 CVR B LTD ED  PULP    $9.99

MAGAZINES

FEB211221    COMIC SHOP NEWS [90CT BUNDLE] #1758    $PI
DEC201723    HOBBY JAPAN MARCH 2021    $20.00
JAN211451    NON SPORT UPDATE VOL 32 #2    $5.99
JAN219195    STAR WARS INSIDER #202 FOC CVR    $9.99
FEB211548    STAR WARS INSIDER #202 NEWSSTAND ED    $9.99
FEB211549    STAR WARS INSIDER #202 PX ED    $9.99

BOOKS

FEB210961    ART OF STAR WARS GALAXYS EDGE HC    $50.00
JAN219174    DEATH STRANDING NOVELIZATION SC VOL 01    $16.00
OCT201857    FEMME FATALE ART OF SHUZO OSHIMI SC    $29.95
FEB211770    HIGH SCHOOL DXD LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 03    $15.00
MAR211877    I SHALL SURVIVE USING POTIONS LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 05    $14.99
MAR211878    INFINITE DENDROGRAM LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 12    $14.99
JAN211829    IRREGULAR AT MAGIC HIGH SCHOOL LIGHT NOVEL VOL 16 (RES)    $14.00
FEB211829    MONSTER GIRL DOCTOR LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 00 (MR)    $14.99
MAR211879    MY NEXT LIFE AS VILLAINESS ROUTES LEAD DOOM SC NOVEL VOL 07    $14.99
JAN211365    OVERSTREET GUIDE HC GRADING COMICS 6TH ED    $34.95
JAN211364    OVERSTREET GUIDE SC GRADING COMICS 6TH ED    $24.95
FEB211831    PENGUINDRUM LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 03    $13.99
FEB211833    SAINTS MAGIC POWER IS OMNIPOTENT LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 03    $13.99
MAR211398    SEX & HORROR SC VOL 4 (MR)    $36.95
FEB211347    STAR TREK SHIPYARDS BORG & DELTA QUADRANT HC VOL 01 AKRITIRI    $34.95
FEB211238    STAR WARS CLONE WARS CHARACTER ENCYCLOPEDIA SC    $14.99
MAR211376    STAR WARS GALACTIC BAKING OFF COOKBOOK HC    $19.99
FEB211573    STAR WARS SCRATCH ARTIST CLASSIC MOVIE POSTERS    $19.99
FEB211228    STAR WARS THRAWN ASCENDANCY HC BOOK 02 GREATER GOOD    $28.99
FEB211227    STAR WARS THRAWN ASCENDANCY SC BOOK 01 CHAOS RISING    $16.00
FEB211780    WORLDS FINEST ASSASSIN REINCARNATED WORLD NOVEL SC VOL 02 (C    $15.00
FEB211782    YOU CALL THAT SERVICE LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 03    $15.00

DC Comics from Lunar Distributors for April 27, 2021

DC COMICS:

Action Comics #1030 (Cover A Mikel Janin), $4.99
Action Comics #1030 (Cover B Julian Totino Tedesco Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman Black And White #5 (Of 6)(Cover A Lee Weeks), $5.99
Batman Black And White #5 (Of 6)(Cover B Jenny Frison), AR
Batman Black And White #5 (Of 6)(Cover C Gary Frank The Riddler Variant), AR
Batman Superman #17 (Cover A Ivan Reis & Danny Miki), $3.99
Batman Superman #17 (Cover B Rodolfo Migliar Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman Superman Volume 2 World’s Deadliest HC, $29.99
DCeased Dead Planet HC, $29.99
Detective Comics #1034 (Bryan Hitch 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $4.99
Detective Comics #1035 (Cover A Dan Mora), $4.99
Detective Comics #1035 (Cover B Lee Bermejo Card Stock Variant), AR
Harley Quinn #2 (Cover A Riley Rossmo), $3.99
Harley Quinn #2 (Cover B Derrick Chew Card Stock Variant), AR
JLA The Tower Of Babel The Deluxe Edition HC, $34.99
John Constantine Hellblazer Rise And Fall HC, $29.99
Nightwing #78 (Bruno Redondo 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99
Robin #1 (Cover A Gleb Melnikov), $3.99
Robin #1 (Cover B Gleb Melnikov Wraparound Variant), AR
Robin #1 (Cover C Andy Kubert Team Card Stock Variant), AR
Robin #1 (Cover D Riccardo Federici Card Stock Variant), AR
RWBY Justice League #1 (Of 7)(Cover A Mirka Andolfo), $3.99
RWBY Justice League #1 (Of 7)(Cover B Simone Di Meo Card Stock Variant), AR
Suicide Squad Bad Blood HC, $29.99
Teen Titans Academy #2 (Cover A Rafa Sandoval), $3.99
Teen Titans Academy #2 (Cover B Philip Tan Card Stock Variant), AR
V For Vendetta Book And Mask Set (New Edition), $24.99

#IReadsYou Movie Review: "THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN" is a Battle Royale

The Death of Superman (2018)

Running time:  81 minutes (1 hour, 21 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of violence and action including some bloody images.
DIRECTORS:  Sam Liu and Jake Castorena
WRITER:  Peter Tomasi (based on characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics)
PRODUCERS:  Sam Liu and Amy McKenna
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Sam Register and James Tucker
EDITOR:  Christopher D. Lozinski
COMPOSER:  Frederik Wiedmann  
ANIMATION STUDIO:  Studio MIR

ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION/FANTASY

Starring:  (voices) Jerry O'Connell, Rebecca Romijn, Rainn Wilson, Rosario Dawson, Nathan Fillion, Christopher Gorham, Matt Lanter, Shemar Moore, Nyambi Nyambi, Jason O'Mara, Jonathan Adams, Rocky Carroll, Trevor Devall, Paul Eiding, Jennifer Hale, Charles Halford, Erica, Luttrell, Max Mittelman, and Toks Olagundoye

The Death of Superman is a 2018 straight-to-video animated superhero film from Warner Bros. Animation and directors Sam Lui and Jake Castorena.  It is the thirty-second film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series.  The movie takes its story from “Doomsday!” (also known as “The Death of Superman”), a story arc that ran in various DC Comics titles in late 1992.  In The Death of Superman movie, Superman battling a seemingly insurmountable foe.

The Death of Superman finds Superman (Jerry O'Connell) at the height of his popularity as a superhero in Metropolis and around the world.  However, Superman has some brewing domestic issues in his civilian life as Clark Kent (Jerry O'Connell).  Clark is dating Lois Lane (Rebecca Romijn), a fellow reporter at The Daily Planet.  Clark's parents, Ma and Pa Kent (Jennifer Hale and Paul Eiding), are visiting, and they will finally meet Lois, but that only forces Clark to face the fact that he has not told Lois that he is Superman.

Elsewhere, without warning, a meteor has crashed on Earth causing trouble above in Earth orbit and below in the ocean depths.  Emerging from the meteor is a gray-skinned, white-haired monster with incredible strength, stamina, and invulnerability.  Also, its skeleton protrudes through its skin in the form of multiple razor-sharp spurs.

The creature, whom Lois dubs “Doomsday,” quickly dispatches the Justice League.  Doomsday beats Wonder Woman (Rosario Dawson), Batman (Jason O'Mara), Aquaman (Matt Lanter), Cyborg (Shemar Moore), Flash (Christopher Gorham), Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Hawkman, and Martian Manhunter (Nyambi Nyambi) nearly to death.  Now, only Superman stands before the creature, but to defeat him, Superman may lose his own life.

The Death of Superman is not the first time that the “Doomsday”/“The Death of Superman” story line has been adapted into a direct-to-DVD animated film.  The first was 2007's Superman: Doomsday, which I did not care for all that much.  Concerning this newer film, I don't like the graphic design of the characters, who all appear to have anemic faces.  In fact, their heads are all face – odd, angular faces.  I find them a little jarring to look at, but the animation moves smoothly.

I thought the first half of 2018's The Death of Superman was dull, but the second half is a blast to watch.  Doomsday's fights with the other members of the Justice League are filled with bone-crushing blows and near-death intensity.  The Superman vs. Doomsday battle is so powerful that calling it “epic” does not completely describe the insane violence displayed in this literally to-the-death fight.

The character drama between Clark and Lois is also well-developed, and the depiction of the edginess in their relationship keeps the first half of the movie from being a total loss.  This film also includes a strong version of Lex Luthor (Rainn Wilson), one that could have taken over this film.  Ultimately, I am giving The Death of Superman a high recommendation because of the Superman-Doomsday battle.  This fight is like an animated equivalent of a battle one might find in a Disney/Marvel Studios' Avengers films.

B+

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 reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

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#IReadsYou Movie Review: SUPERMAN: Doomsday

Superman: Doomsday (2007)

Running time:  74 minutes (1 hour, 14 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13
DIRECTOR:  Bruce Timm, Lauren Montgomery, and Brandon Vietti
WRITERS:  Duane Capizzi; from a story by Bruce Timm and Duane Capizzi
PRODUCER:  Bruce Timm
EDITOR:  Joe Gall
COMPOSER: Robert Kral

ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION/DRAMA

Starring:  (voices) Adam Baldwin, Anne Heche, James Marsters, John Di Maggio, Tom Kenny, Swoosie Kurtz, Cree Summer, Ray Wise, and Adam Wylie

Superman: Doomsday is a 2007 direct-to-video animated superhero film.  It is based on “The Death of Superman,” a 1992 story line that ran through DC Comics’ various Superman comic books and that culminated in the death of Superman in Superman #75 (1987 series; cover dated: January 1993).  Superman: Doomsday was the first release in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies from Warner Premiere (a now closed label of Warner Home Video) and Warner Bros. Animation.

In Superman: Doomsday, Lex Luthor (James Marsters), through his company, LexCorp, unleashes a powerful alien monster known as “Doomsday,” from his burial place deep in the Earth.  Doomsday then goes on a murderous and destructive rampage.  It’s up to Superman (Adam Baldwin) to defend the Earth, but at the apparent cost of his life.

Later, after his burial, Superman appears to have risen from the dead.  Lois Lane (Anne Heche), his secret lover, is suspicious.  With the reluctant assistance of fellow Daily Planet reporter, Jimmy Olsen (Adam Wylie), Lois seeks the truth and discovers that Lex Luthor is behind this risen Superman, who certainly doesn’t seem like his old self.

Bruce Timm was known as one of the minds behind the popular animated TV program, “Batman: The Animated Series” (1992-95).  He wears many hats in the production of this straight to video film, Superman: Doomsday, although the look of the animation in this film is different from Timm’s earlier work.  In fact, the character design is streamlined with crisp line work, and the art direction emphasizes rich, dark colors.  Technically, the animation is quite good (although the movement of the characters is often a bit awkward and stiff), which is essential in a film with so many extended, elaborate fight sequences and scenes of destruction and explosions that rival big-budget Hollywood sci-fi and action movies.

The problem is the story and voice acting.  Not only is the narrative’s mood very dark, but the film is often violent, shockingly so, as Doomsday often kills humans – sometimes ever so slightly off screen.  That’s not really a problem, except for very young viewers.  The problem is the leaden pacing and flat mood in what should otherwise be an exciting and riveting movie.  Superman’s death and resurrection just doesn’t have the emotional impact they should have.

Superman: Doomsday is a picture show of pretty and quality animation.  It just doesn’t live up to its potential as an epic story.

C+

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 reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

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: ONE PIECE Volume 38

ONE PIECE, VOL. 38
VIZ MEDIA

CARTOONIST: Eiichiro Oda
TRANSLATION: Taylor Engel, HC Language Solutions Inc.
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Megan Bates
LETTERS: HudsonYards
ISBN: 978-1-4215-3454-1; paperback (March 2010); Rated “T” for Teen
208pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 1997.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series, beginning in September 2003, under its “Shonen Jump” imprint.

As a child, Monkey D. Luffy dreamed of becoming King of the Pirates.  The enchanted “Devil Fruit” gave him the ability to stretch like rubber, but it also took away his ability to swim.  Undeterred, Luffy set out to sea and gradually enlisted a motley crew known as the “Straw Hats.”  Zolo the master swordsman; Nami the treasure-hunting thief; Usopp, the lying sharpshooter; Sanji the high-kicking chef; Chopper, the walkin’ talkin’ reindeer doctor; and secretive archeologist, Nico Robin join Luffy and sail the oceans on the Merry Go.  Their goal is the legendary treasure known as “One Piece.”

The Straw Hats arrived in The City of Water on the island of Water Seven in hopes of getting Galley-La, the famed shipwrights of Water Seven, to fix the Merry Go, which was much in need of repairs.  They got only bad news.  The shipwrights told them that the Merry Go was beyond repair, which eventually led to Usopp leaving the crew.  Then, the Straw Hats were accused of trying to assassinate the city’s Mayor Iceberg, who is also the leader of Galley-La.  The real assassins are members of the Navy’s covert agency, CP9, and Nico Robin is apparently one of them.

As One Piece, Vol. 38 (Chapter 358 to 367; entitled “Rocketman!!”) begins, the Straw Hats are scattered about the island.  CP9 agents are also close to retrieving the blueprints to Pluton, a destructive ancient weapon, and they need Nico Robin to decipher them.  They leave Water Seven on the miraculous Sea Train.  Luffy and his new found allies are soon right behind them in the Rocketman.  Meanwhile, the dreaded tidal wave, Aqua Laguna, bears down on them.

THE LOWDOWN:  Reading like a manga version of a Roland Emmerich movie, One Piece also races through the streets and back alleys of The City of Water like a spy thriller.  Readers of shonen manga (comics for teen boys) want action, and One Piece always delivers.

The meticulously drawn art, which seems to capture every line on everyone and everything and every background detail brings this to vivid life.  No American comic book for young readers is drawn with this attention to detail and such craftsmanship, nor is any one written with such complicated and intricately plotted action scenes. One Piece is in a league of its own.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Readers of good comics will want the “Shonen Jump” title, One Piece.

A
8 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 © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint or syndication rights and fees.

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

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 Movie Review: BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT Powered by Strong Characters

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight – video (2018)

Running time:  78 minutes (1 hour, 18 minutes)
MPAA – R for some violence
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR:  Sam Liu
WRITERS:  Jim Krieg (based on characters from the graphic novel, Gotham by Gaslight, by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Sam Register and Bruce Timm and Benjamin Melniker & Michael Uslan
EDITOR:  Christopher D. Lozinski
COMPOSER:  Frederik Wiedmann  
ANIMATION STUDIO:  The AnswerStudio

ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION/FANTASY

Starring:  (voices) Bruce Greenwood, Jennifer Carpenter, Scott Patterson, John DiMaggio, Grey Griffin, Anthony Head, Bob Joles, Yuri Lowenthal, William Salyers, and Tara Strong

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight is a 2018 straight-to-video animated superhero film from Warner Bros. Animation and director Sam Lui.  It is the thirtieth film in the “DC Universe Animated Original Movies” series.  It is also a loose adaptation of the 1989 Batman graphic novel, Gotham by Gaslight, written by Brian Augustyn and drawn by Mike Mignola and P. Craig Russell.  Batman: Gotham by Gaslight is set in an alternate world in which Batman begins his war on crime in Victorian Age Gotham City just as Jack the Ripper begins killing women in the city.

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight opens in Victorian-era Gotham City.  A serial killer called “Jack the Ripper” is killing Gotham's poor and destitute women, especially in the area of the city known as “Skinner's End.”  Bruce Wayne (Bruce Greenwood) is also operating in the city as the bat-garbed vigilante, “the Batman.”  One night, Batman saves an unwary couple from being robbed by a trio of orphans who are in service of an abusive criminal handler.  At the same time, Pamela Isley, a prostitute and exotic dancer who performs under the name “Ivy the Plant Lady,” encounters Jack the Ripper, who savagely kills her.

Many citizens of Gotham believe that the Batman and Jack are the same man.  Stage actress, Selina Kyle (Jennifer Carpenter), is a protector of the women of “Skinner's End.”  She berates Gotham Police Commissioner James Gordon (Scott Patterson) and Chief of Police Harvey “Bulldog” Bullock (John DiMaggio) for their failure to stop the Ripper murders.  Later, when the Ripper targets Selina, Batman rescues her, but Batman discovers that Jack the Ripper is a formidable opponent who possesses the fighting skill to defeat him.  Initially, Selina rebukes Batman, but soon the two begin working together, even as the city prepares to blame Bruce Wayne for all the Ripper murders.

Writer Jim Krieg, probably one of Warner Bros. Animation's best writers (if not the best, as far as I'm concerned), has fashioned, in Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, a Batman “cinematic universe” that could be as interesting as any other world of Batman films.  Taking the source material (the Gotham by Gaslight comic), Krieg has created a world that has possibilities rather than just being a one-off, alternate-universe spin on Batman.  Batman: Gotham by Gaslight feels like it has a tangible back story behind it and an unknown, but full future ahead of it.

Krieg fills Batman: Gotham by Gaslight with highly-developed versions of familiar Batman characters.  Here, Bruce Wayne and Batman are one and the same; there is no light and dark, separate personalities so much as there is a man who understands the right time and right place to put on the correct public face – or mask, as it may be.

All the supporting characters are strong.  In fact, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight's Selina Kyle could carry her own film.  She is fierce and independent; she is beautiful and personable, even when she is being forceful in her mission to protect poor women.  Hugo Strange (William Salyers) is what some critics might call “deliciously devious,” while Alfred Pennyworth is devious in a benevolent and sly way.  And I can't help but love the “cock robins,” Dickie, Jason, and Timmy.

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight is pretty in its graphic design and art direction, and the animation moves smoothly.  Director Sam Liu oversees a film that not only plays a mystery, but offers an actually mystery that requires Batman and Selina Kyle to do some investigating.  The film's last act – a rousing section of prison escapes, brutal fights, and a burning park – is perfect escapism and also entertainment with a touch of art.  I thought that I might like Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, and I did.  I simply got far more joy out of it than I imagined I would.

A

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 reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: ONE PIECE Volume 37

ONE PIECE, VOL. 37
VIZ MEDIA

CARTOONIST: Eiichiro Oda
TRANSLATION: Taylor Engel, HC Language Solutions Inc.
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Jake Forbes
LETTERS: Hudson Yards
ISBN: 978-1-4215-3453-4; paperback (March 2010); Rated “T” for Teen
232pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 1997.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series, beginning in September 2003, under its “Shonen Jump” imprint.

One Piece focuses on Monkey D. Luffy, a youngster who wants to be King of the Pirates.  The enchanted “Devil Fruit” gave him the ability to stretch like rubber, but it also took away his ability to swim.  Undeterred, Luffy set out to sea and gradually enlisted a motley crew.

Known as the “Straw Hats,” they are Zolo the master swordsman; Nami the treasure-hunting thief; Usopp, the lying sharpshooter; Sanji the high-kicking chef; Chopper, the walkin’ talkin’ reindeer doctor; and newcomer, secretive archeologist, Nico Robin.  They sail the oceans on their ship, the Merry Go, searching for famed pirate Gold Rogers’ legendary treasure known as “One Piece.”

The Straw Hats arrived in The City of Water on the island of Water Seven in hopes of getting Galley-La, the famed shipwrights of Water Seven, to fix the Merry Go, which is much in need of repairs, especially after the Skypeia adventure.  The shipwrights told them, however, that the Merry Go was beyond repair.  Luffy decided to get a new ship, which caused a riff between him and shipmate, Usopp.

Meanwhile, the lead shipwright, Mayor Iceberg, is the target of an assassination plot hatched by the World Government and carried out by agents of its covert agency, CP9.  The biggest shocker is that Nico Robin is one of them, so the Straw Hats are hunted as the would-be assassins.  As One Piece, Vol. 37 (Chapters 347 to 357; entitled “Tom”) begins, Luffy and friends battle to stop CP9.  But the World Government’s conspiracy against the shipwrights of Water Seven is an old one, as revealed in the story of the legendary shipwright, Mr. Tom.

THE LOWDOWN:  It’s another volume of raucous action and fights that rival what is found in superhero comic books.  However, much of the story of One Piece Graphic Novel Volume 37 focuses on the story of Mr. Tom.  It is a story of young men and their role models and also a story of good versus bastard.

As usual, One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda is not content with presenting mere shonen thrills.  He manages to teach life lessons and spin morality tales that we might miss in this very busy narrative, but we shouldn’t miss

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Readers looking for top “Shonen Jump” manga will want One Piece.

A
8 out of 10

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


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

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