Thursday, July 1, 2021

#IReadsYou Review: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT: An Alternative History of the Batman

GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT: AN ALTERNATIVE HISTORY OF THE BATMAN
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Brian Augustyn
PENCILS: Michael Mignola
INKS: P. Craig Russell
COLORS: David Hornung
LETTERS: John Workman
EDITOR: Mark Waid
48pp, Color, $3.95 U.S., $4.95 CAN (February 1989)

Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

Introduction by Robert Bloch


Gotham by Gaslight: An Alternate History of the Batman is a one-shot Batman comic book published by DC Comics in 1989.  Although this comic book's first printing does not carry the logo or imprimatur, Gotham by Gaslight is considered to be the first entry in DC Comics' “Elseworlds” line of comic books.  “Elseworlds” titles feature DC Comics heroes taken out of their usual settings and alters the usual plots and personalities and then, places them in alternate worlds and time lines.

Gotham by Gaslight: An Alternate History of the Batman (Gotham by Gaslight, for short) is written by Brian Augustyn; drawn by Michael “Mike” Mignola (pencils) and P. Craig Russell (inks); colored by David Hornung; and lettered by John Workman.  Gotham by Gaslight is set in late 19th century Gotham City, a time when two mysterious figures arise – one a costumed vigilante and the other a vicious killer – and cause a besieged city to feel even more under siege.

Gotham by Gaslight finds wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne returning to Gotham in May 1889, after being away from his hometown for more than a decade.  After training and consulting great minds and intellects, Wayne is ready to embark on his mission in life.  He will don a costume, cape, and cowl and prowl the night as an other-worldly, garbed vigilante and deliver swift and sometimes vicious punishment to criminals.  Soon, Wayne's activities are the talk of the town and some are referring to his costumed identity as “the Bat-Man.”

However, this “Bat-Man” isn't the only figure of mystery stalking the nights.  Gotham is apparently now the home of a killer that strikes like the infamous “Jack the Ripper,” who terrorized London, England just half a year earlier in 1888.  However, the dual appearance of both “the Bat-Man” and perhaps, Jack the Ripper will make people fearful and stupid and endanger the life of the only man who can stop the killings.

I had not read Gotham by Gaslight: An Alternate History of the Batman in decades until recently, and it still holds up as a strong story.  I would not call Gotham by Gaslight a great comic book, but what writer Brian Augustyn offers here is better than nine out of every ten Batman comic books that DC Comics has published since Gotham by Gaslight.  What Augustyn does is capture the sense of mystery, of the supernatural, and of the storytelling possibilities that writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane presented in that very first Batman comic book, Detective Comics #27.

Believe it or not, many Batman comic books cannot recreate the strange magic of early Batman comics, so while, I many not call it great, Gotham by Gaslight is certainly special.  It is a single-issue, stand-alone story – beginning, middle, and end – that joins readers at the hip to a fantastic character and takes them on a fantastic adventure.

On every page of Gotham by Gaslight, artist Mike Mignola gives us at least one striking graphic, like the panel that depicts Batman on a horse, in a full gallop after a carriage.  Inker P. Craig Russell, who is himself an exceptional comic book illustrator, delivers mixed results inking Mignola's pencils – some good, some misfires.  David Hornung uses his colors in imaginative ways; some of coloring turns particular Mignola/Russell pages into paintings of Gothic art quality.

John Workman, who is the comic book letterer as high-artist, makes this story work as a Victorian tale of dread.  Workman's lettering turns some exposition and dialogue into something like journal entries and makes some pages scream out like newspaper headlines.  I don't know if Gotham by Gaslight would capture that primeval Batman vibe quite as well without Workman.

Brian Augustyn would write a sequel, 1991's Master of the Future, but Gotham by Gaslight remains special because there is still nothing like it.  Augustyn and his collaborators wove a spell of magic that would not be repeated, primarily because this creative team would never come together again.  That's a shame.  I think Gotham by Gaslight could have yielded an exceptional follow-up, another one-shot or even a miniseries.

8.5 out of 10

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


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Wednesday, June 30, 2021

I Reads You Juniors: June 2021 - Update #101

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon.

NEWS

IMAGE/DARK HORSE - From ICv2:   In September, Eisner Award-winning writer Jeff Lemire will launch two new miniseries, "Mazebook" from Dark Horse and "Primordial: from Image.

BOOM STUDIOS - TheBeat:  The site has a five-page story preview and some cover art from BOOM! Studios' "Dark Blood #1."  Written by televisions writer and showrunner, Latoya Morgan and drawn by newcomer Walt Barna, the comic book is due July 21st.

WARREN ELLIS - From BleedingCool:  Artist Ben Templesmith recently announced that he and writer Warren Ellis will finish their old Image Comics series, "Fell." Image has released a statement saying that it will not work with Ellis on anything further until he makes amends.
 
From BleedingCool:   Warren Ellis accepts "So Many of Us" offer.
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DC TV - From DCBlog:   In honor of "DC Pride Month," actor Anissa Pierce talks about playing "Thunder" on The CW's "Black Lightning."

MARVEL - From GamesRadar:   August 3rd, 2021 will mark the 10th anniversary of the first appearance of the Spider-Man character, Miles Morales (Marvel's 21st century Spider-Man).  The comic book, "Miles Morales: Spider-Man #30," will feature Miles in a new Spider-Man costume.

MARVEL - From GamesRadar:   Marvel Comics will celebrate that it has published 300 issues of "Conan the Barbarian" over two eras.  The 300th issue will be "Conan the Barbarian #25," it will feature several creative teams and sport several variant covers, including covers by Peach Momoko and Alex Toth.

DC CINEMA - From GeekFeed:   The site has the first official look at the costumes for the "Shazam! Family" in DC Films' "Shazam!: Fury of the Gods."

DC CINEMA - From HypeBeast:   "Batman" actor Michael Keaton seen on the set of DC Film's "The Flash."

DC CINEMA - From TheDrive:  In "The Flash" movie, Michael Keaton's Batman will drive a "Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6," an EV car.

DC CINEMA - From Collider:  Footage from the set of director Andy Muschietti's DC Film's production, "The Flash," reveals the costume that actress Sasha Calle will wear as Supergirl.

IMAGE COMICS - From BleedingCool:   Artist Ben Templesmith has announced that he and writer Warren Ellis will finish their comic book, "Fell," of which nine issues were published by Image Comics from 2005 to 2008.  There was to be a further 7 issues, but Templesmith says the conclusion may be published as a single-volume work.

DIAMOND - From BleedingCool:   Diamond Comic Distributors has announced the return of the "Retailer Summit" as an online event for 2021 on the 26th and 27th of September 2021.

DC CINEMA - From THR:  Warner Bros. has released an "Early Access" trailer for writer-director James Gunn's "The Suicide Squad," which is due Aug. 6th.

DC COMICS/MANGA - From JapanToday:    Superman will start in a gourmet manga, "Superman vs Food: Superman’s Meals of Solitude" (Superman vs Meshi: Superman No Hitori Meshi), written by Satoshi Miyakawa with art by Kai Kitago.

MANGA - From TheOuterHaven:   Ablaze Publishing reveals to new manga titles it will publish, "Versus Fight Story" and "Crueler Than Dead."

MANGA/EISNERS - From CBR:   The site tells readers how to read the manga nominated for the 2021 Eisner Awards.

BLACK COMICS - From THR:   Nigeria’s Comic Republic, Africa’s largest publisher of independent comic books, has signed a production deal with Emagine Content and JackieBoy Entertainment to adapt its catalog of African superheroes for film and TV.

IMAGE COMICS - From THR:   How Emilia Clarke paid homage to "Game of Thrones" with her new comic book, "M.O.M.: Mother of Madness."

MCU RUMORS - From WeGotThisCovered:  Marvel wants to kill of Iron Fist in the MCU.

MILESTONE - From BleedingCool:   "Milestone Compendium One" is a softcover collection from DC Comics with more than 1,300 pages of classic Milestone Comics stories, collecting the debut story arcs of Blood Syndicate, Hardware, Static, Icon, Xombi, and Shadow Cabinet from the original Milestone creative teams.  It will be published September 2021.

IMAGE COMICS - From BleedingCool: There will be at least nine variant covers for the first issue of "M.O.M.: Mother of Madness," which is co-written by Emmy nominated actress, Emilia Clarke.

DC TV - From DCBlog:   In honor of Pride Month, "DC Blog" interviews and profiles "Batwoman" actress, Javicia Leslie.

FANTAGRAPHICS - From Newsarama:   The site presents a preview of the upcoming "Red Room #2" from Ed Piskor.

DC COMICS - From GamesRadar:  Aquaman villain, Black Manta, will star in a six-issue miniseries from writer Chuck Brown and artist Valentine De Landro.

DC COMICS - From BleedingCool:  The current Batman/Superman comic book series will come to an end with #22 in September 2021.

DC COMICS - From DCBlog:  A look at Jackson Hyde/Aqualad ahead of his miniseries, "Aquaman: The Becoming."

COMICS - From BleedingCool:   The great comic book creator, Ty Templeton, has stage 3 colorectal cancer, and he is talking about via his online comic, "Bun Toons."

IMAGE COMICS - From BleedingCool:  Artist Stuart Immonen joins Mark Millar for the second volume of Millar's fantastic fantasy comic book, "The Magic Order."

MANGA - From ANN:   In May, the 1st volume of the English version of Reibun Ike's "Dick Fight Island" was ranked as the #1 Romance manga and #1 Yaoi & LGBTQ+ Manga according to Amazon's Best Sellers Rank.

MANGA - From BoundingInto:   Comic book writer, Gerry Conway, who has created hundreds of comic book characters, The Punisher and Power Girl, wants manga creators “taken to task” for their “rampant sexism and misogyny.”

COMICS - From YahooInsider:   This article offers an overview of a recent controversy involving comic book cover artist J. Scott Campbell and the online movement of "art fixing."

BRITISH COMICS - From 2000AD:   Veteran "Judge Dredd" and "Strontium Dogs" artist Trevor Hairsine talks to "2000 AD Thrill-Cast" podcast.

MANGA TO ANIME - From YouTube:  Hiroshi Nagahama is the director of Cartoon Network/Adult Swim's anime adaptation of Junji Ito's seminal manga, "Uzumaki."  Now, Nagahama is sharing a brief preview of the miniseries.

MILLARWORLD - From FlickeringMyth:   The site has an eight-page preview of Mark Millar and Tommy Lee Edward's "Jupiter's Legacy: Requiem #1," which is due tomorrow.

MILESTONE - From TheBeat:  In a web chat, writer Vita Ayala and layout artist ChrisCross talk about "Static Season One," the first comic book series that will mark the return of Milestone.  "Static Shock Season #1" is on sale as early as today.

DC ANIMATION - From Variety:    In an article about a particular group of TV series (including Disney's "WandaVision") that "subvert the superhero" genre, the writer details how DC Comics objected to Batman performing oral sex on Catwoman in the hit animated series, "Harley Quinn."  If this act does happen, it will be seen in the upcoming third season of the HBO Max series.

DC COMICS - From GamesRadar:   "Harley Quinn: The Animated Series" is getting a comic book sequel to the show's second season finale meant to fill in the time before the upcoming third season.  "Bingo Love" writer Tee Franklin, artist Max Sarin, and letterer Taylor Esposito are working on the six-issue "Harley Quinn: The Animated Series - The Eat, Bang, Kill Tour."

DC COMICS - From GamesRadar:  Jackson Hyde/Aqualad is getting his own comic book this fall, "Aquaman: The Becoming."

DC COMICS - From GamesRadar:   The classic DC Comics/Vertigo series, "Fables," which ended in 2015, is returning as an ongoing series in 2022.  In meantime, September will see the debut of the six-issue miniseries, "Batman vs. Bigby!: A Wolf in Gotham."

COMICS - From BI:  Substack, the newsletter platform, is getting into the digital comic publishing business.

MARVEL - From BleedingCool:   Lunar Distribution, LLC plans to join Diamond Comic Distributors and distribute Marvel Comics titles via Penguin Random House, Marvel's new distributor.

DC ANIMATION - From DCBlog:   Dwayne Johnson introduces "DC League of Super-Pets."

BOOK NEWS - From AP: One of the country’s most esteemed novelists, Louise Erdrich, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for “The Night Watchman.”  Other winners for books include the late Les Payne and daughter Tamara Payne for their Malcolm X biography “The Dead Are Arising.”

MARVEL - From Nerdist:  Marvel has released a trailer for "X-Men #1" which debuts July 7th.

EISNER AWARDS - From BleedingCool:   The nominees for the 2021 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards have been announced.  This is for works published between Jan. 1st and Dec. 31st, 2020.  The deadline for voting is June 30th,  and the winners will be announced sometime in July via a virtual ceremony.

MARVEL - From BleedingCool:   The trade paperback collection of the 2003 miniseries, "Truth: Red, White & Black," has been out of print for over a decade. The miniseries focuses on Isaiah Bradley, one of 300 African American soldiers experimented on by the US Army in an attempt to create super soldiers via the serum that would eventually turn Steve Rogers into Captain America.  Marvel will return the collection to print under the new title, "Captain America: Truth," in February 2022.

DC CINEMA - From TheWrap:   Director James Wan has revealed that the title for the "Aquaman" sequel is "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," which will be released December 16, 2022.

NEIL GAIMAN - From CBR:   Netflix has release a first-look video featurette at "The Sandman," its live-action adaptation of the classic DC Comics/Vertigo comic book written by Neil Gaiman.

DC ANIMATION - From Deadline:   Dwayne Johnson has just unveiled the voice-over cast for the upcoming animated DC movie "DC League of Super-Pets." The list includes Kevin Hart, Keanu Reeves, Kate McKinnon, Vanessa Bayer, John Krasinski, Diego Luna and Natasha Lyonne. None of their roles were disclosed, except that Hart will be the voice of "Ace" (the Bat-Hound).  Johnson will voice "Krypto" (the Super-Dog).

DC TV - From Variety:   The CW and Warner Bros. TV dropped first-look photos of “Batwoman” star Camrus Johnson, who plays "Luke Fox," suited as the character, "Batwing."

MANGA - From BleedingCool:   Yen Press is producing a graphic novel adaptation of Disney's Oscar-winning animated feature film, "Big Hero 6," which was based on a Marvel Comics title.

DC CINEMA - From LATimes:   DC Film's "Blue Beetle" movie, based on the comic book, will be an HBO Max exclusive.

DC CINEMA - From MurphysMultiverse:   Directing duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who recently wrapped on the upcoming Disney+ series "Mrs.Marvel," will direct the "Batgirl" movie for DC Films and HBO Max.

DC TV - From THR:   Anna Diop, the Senegal-born actress who plays "Starfire" on HBO Max's "Titans," has signed on to M88 for career management.

IDW - From THR:   Beloved "G.I. Joe" comic book writer, Larry Hama, is joining writer-artist Rob Liefeld on the fifth and final issue of Liefeld's G.I. Joe spinoff comic book, "Snake Eyes: Deadgame.  That issue will feature Hama's pencil art on the cover.

COMICS - From ToyNews:   The children’s book publisher AMEET has detailed a new partnership with the multi-platform content company, Skybound Entertainment to launch a new series of LEGO comic books. The first in the series is slated to debut in 2022 and will be published by Image Comics and Skybound.

COMICS TO TV - From BloodyDisgusting:   "Y: The Last Man," based on the DC Comics/Vertigo series from Brian K. Vaughn and Pia Guerra, will reportedly debut on "FX on Hulu" in September.

COMICS TO TV - From EW:  Here is a first look at actor Jensen Ackles ("Supernatural") as "Soldier Boy" from Amazon's "The Boys" Season 3. 

MILLARWORLD - From GhettoManga:  Back in the day (May 2012), Mark Millar provided a preview of "Supercrooks #1."

DC CINEMA - From WeGotThisCovered:    Director Matt Reeves' "The Batman" supposedly has a dark tone - darker than "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" - and may be the grimmest Batman film yet.

DC CINEMA - From THR:   Danny Elfman is a four-time Oscar nominee and a Grammy Award winner for his film music.  But Elfman has a wild tale about how he composed his iconic score to director Tim Burton's "Batman" (1989), which he says involved freaking out several flight attendants.

MARVEL - From GamesRadar:  Marvel's newest Captain America will be debut September 2021 in "United States of Captain America #4." She is Ari Agbayani, a Filipino-American college student.

ARCHIE - From BleedingCool:   The site has a preview of Rob Liefeld's "The Mighty Crusaders: The Shield #1 one shot.

MILLARWORLD - From Deadline:  Actor Josh Duhamel reacts to the premature cancellation of his hit Netflix TV series, "Jupiter's Legacy," based on the Mark Millar comic book.

SONY MARVEL U - From Variety:  Actress Issa Rae will provide the voice of Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman in the sequel to Oscar-winning animated film, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." 

MARVEL -From BleedingCool:  Will Marvel Comics really kill of Doctor Strange this September?

DC COMICS - From DCBlog:   James Tynion talks to "DC Nation" about his new horror series, "Nice House on the Lake"

DC Comics - From DCBlog: Mariko Tamaki talks about her new DC Comics series, "Crush & Lobo."

DC TV - From DCBlog:   Go behind the scenes of "Sweet Tooth," the new Netflix series based on the DC Comics/Vertigo series.

DC TV - From BleedingCool:  Word has come down that the DC Comics/Vertigo title, "Red Thorn," is being adapted for television.

MARVEL - From BleedingCool:   Here is a first look at the Wolverine vs. Deathlok battle in the Free Comic Book Day 2021 title, "FCBD 2021 Marvel Gold Avengers Hulk #1"

COMICS - From BleedingCool:   Lunar Distribution, the DC Comics direct market exclusive distributor created by their biggest customer, DCBS, is moving (along with DCBS) from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to New Haven, Indiana.  They will receive up to a million dollars in tax credits for the move.

DYNAMITE - From SyFy:   The site has a preview of Dynamite Entertainment's upcoming "Elvira meets Vincent Price #1."  The miniseries is written by David Avallone and drawn by Juan Samu.

NEIL GAIMAN - From IndieWire:   Neil Gaiman says he gives "all the fucks" about "The Sandman." But he gives "zero fucks about people who don’t understand/haven’t read ‘Sandman’ whining about a nonbinary Desire or that Death isn’t white enough." Re - Netflix's "The Sandman" TV series.

DC COMICS - From Polygon:  Writer James Tynion IV talks about his new horror comic book series, "The Nice House on the Lake," from DC Comics' new horror imprint, "DC Horror."

MILLARWORLD - From THR:   Netflix has cancelled its TV adaptation of Mark Millar's comic book, "Jupiter's Legacy, after one season.  However, it has ordered a live-action and anime adaptation of "Supercrooks," which is set in the same universe as "Jupiter's Legacy."

DIAMOND - From BleedingCool:  Comic book retailers are learning what their new Marvel order discount will be if they stick with Diamond Comic Distributors rather than go with Marvel's new distributor, Penguin Random House.

MARVEL - From BleedingCool:  Artist Bryan Hitch will join writers Ram V and Al Ewing on a new ongoing "Venom" comic book that begins in November.

BRITISH COMICS - From 2000AD:  Writer-artist Chris Weston talks about his new Judge Dredd story, "Adios, Rowdy Yates."

From 2000AD:  The House That Dredd Built: A Brief History of Rowdy Yates Block
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DC TV - From YahooEntertainment:   The Tulsa Race Massacre turns 100: How HBO's "Watchmen" helped teach America a crucial history lesson.

BLACK PANTHER - From YahooWashPost:  Ta-Nehisi Coates took the Black Panther comic book to dark places - and it paid off.

DC COMICS - From BleedingCool:   "Mister Miracle: The Great Escape" is a new young adult graphic novel from DC Comics out in January, 2022.  Created by Varian Johnson and Daniel Isles, it re-imagines Scott Free as a young Black student attending school on the planet of Apokalips.

NEWSPAPER COMICS - From BleedingCool:   ABLAZE announced today a deal with Tribune Content Agency to publish a collection of the groundbreaking comic strip "Friday Foster." The series was the first US newspaper comics strip to feature an African-American woman as its main character.

ARCHIE - From BleedingCool:  David Gallaher is now writing Archie Comics "The Shield," that Rob Liefeld has previously worked on.

DC COMICS - From BleedingCool:   DC Comics will publish four titles for Free Comic Book Day 2021 (August 14th): "Batman FCBD Special Edition," "Suicide Squad FCBD Special Edition," "Teen Titans: Beast Boy Loves Raven Special Edition," and "Batman And Robin And Howard and Amethyst: Princess Of Gemworld Special Edition Flipbook."

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JUNE 2021 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From BleedingCool:  Ablaze for June 2021 
From BleedingCool:  AfterShock Comics for 2021
From BleedingCool:  BOOM! Studios for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  Eaglemoss for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  Hero Collector for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for June 2021 
From BleedingCool:  Mad Cave Studios for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  Scout Comics for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  Source Point Press for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  Valiant Entertainment for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  VIZ Media for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  Zenescope Entertainment for June 2021 
 
JULY 2021 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From BleedingCool:  Artists, Writers & Artisans for July 2021
From BleedingCool:  Bad Idea for July 2021
From BleedingCool:  BOOM! Studios for July 2021
From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for July 2021
From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for July 2021
From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for July 2021
From BleedingCool:  Heavy Metal for July 2021
From BleedingCool:  Hero Collectors for July 2021
From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for July 2021
From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for July 2021
From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for July 2021
From BleedingCool:  Titan Comics for July 2021
From BleedingCool:  Valiant Entertainment for July 2021
From BleedingCool:  Vault Comics for July 2021
From BleedingCool:  VIZ Media for July 2021

AUGUST 2021 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From BleedingCool:  Free Comic Book Day for August 14, 2021 
From BleedingCool:  Action Lab for August 2021
From BleedingCool:  AfterShock Comics for August 2021
From BleedingCool:  Archie Comics for August 2021
From BleedingCool:  Artists, Writers & Artisans for August 2021
From BleedingCool:  Behemoth for August 2021 
From BleedingCool:  Black Mask for August 2021
From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for August 2021
From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for August 2021
From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for August 2021 
From BleedingCool:  Heavy Metal for August 2021
From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for August 2021
From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for August 2021
From BleedingCool:  It's Alive for August 2021
From BleedingCool:  Oni Press for August 2021
From BleedingCool:  Rebellion for August 2021
From BleedingCool:  Scout Comics for August 2021
From BleedingCool:  Second Sight Publishing for August 2021
From BleedingCool:  Source Point Press for August 2021 
From BleedingCool:  Titan Comics for August 2021
From BleedingCool:  Valiant Comics for August 2021
From BleedingCool:  Vault Comics for August 2021

SEPTEMBER 2021 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From BleedingCool:  Ablaze Publishing for September 2021
From BleedingCool:  Action Lab for September 2021
From BleedingCool:  Archie Comics for September 2021 
From BleedingCool:  AWA for September 2021
From BleedingCool:  BOOM Studios for September 2021
From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for September 2021
From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for September 2021
From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for September 2021
From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for September 2021
From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for September 2021
From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for September 2021
From BleedingCool:  Oni Press for September 2021
From BleedingCool:  Scout Comics for September 2021
From BleedingCool:  Titan Comics for September 2021

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#IReadsYou Review: NARUTO Volume 71

NARUTO, VOL. 71
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

CARTOONIST: Masashi Kishimoto
TRANSLATION: Mari Morimoto
LETTERS: John Hunt
ISBN: 978-1-4215-8176-7; paperback (August 2015); Rated “T” for “Teen”
208pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 U.K.

Naruto is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto.  The series is based on two one-shot manga by Kishimoto: Karakuri (1995) and Naruto (1997).  Naruto was serialized in the Japanese magazine, Weekly Shōnen Jump, from 1999 to 2014.  VIZ Media published an English-language edition of the manga as a series of paperback graphic novels from August 2003 to October 2015, under its “Shonen Jump” imprint.

Naruto tells the story of a young shinobi (ninja) named Uzumaki Naruto, in two parts, first his pre-teen years and then, his teen years.  Naruto has an incorrigible knack for mischief, and he is the biggest troublemaker at the Ninja Academy in the shinobi Village of Konohagakure.  He is an outcast because there is something special about him.  When he was a baby, his parents (father Minato and mother Kushina) imprisoned a nine-tailed fox spirit (Kurama) inside his infant body.  Now, 16-years-old and incorrigible as ever, Uzumaki Naruto is still serious about his quest to become the world’s greatest ninja and the Hokage (leader) of his village.

The Akatsuki villain, Uchiha Madara, was the true instigator of The Fourth Great Ninja War.  Reviving the monstrous tailed-beast (biju), Ten Tails, was just the part of his plan.

Naruto, Vol. 71 (Chapters 680 to 690, entitled “I Love You Guys”) opens with Naruto and his former teammate/now teammate again, Uchiha Sasuke, facing the prospect of fighting the revived Kaguya, the creator of all chakra.  That will be difficult as this mother of all can traverse time-space.

Her partner, the creature who has been plotting Kaguya's revival since time immemorial, Black Zetsu, has information to share.  He explains who he is, what Ten Tails really is, and how Kaguya will reclaim all chakra.  Also, he says that his opponents are the reincarnation of Kaguya's two sons, with Naruto being Ashura and Sasuke being Indra.  Plus, the Sage of Six Paths returns, and Cell Seven reunites to save the world.

Some of you may know that the Naruto manga came to an end in Japan last November (2014).  Here, in the states, we are just catching up to that finale via VIZ Media's graphic novel format publication of Naruto.  Naruto Graphic Novel Volume 71 is the penultimate volume of the series (which I incorrectly thought was Vol. 70).  Vol. 71 is big... big... big, but still the same size.  It is not that the battles contained herein are any more epic than the battles in previous volumes.  It is simply that Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto puts everything or almost everything in context.  He explains basically who the “bad guys” were and are, and why they were and are.

SPOILER ALERT:  I don't yet know what happens in the final graphic novel (Vol. 72), but the good guys win in Vol. 71.  However, I think we are the losers because Naruto is gone too soon.  Still, the 72 volumes that comprise this series are so packed with narrative that we have likely forgotten much of what has already happened by the time we get to the end.  Naruto is worth reading again.

A+
10 out of 10

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


https://www.viz.com/
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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).


Tuesday, June 29, 2021

#IReadsYou Review: HELLBOY WINTER SPECIAL 2017

HELLBOY WINTER SPECIAL (JANUARY 2017)
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Mike Mignola, Scott Allie, and Chris Roberson
ARTISTS: Christopher Mitten; Paul Grist; Sebastian Fiumara
COLORS: Dave Stewart; Bill Crabtree
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Sebastian Fiumara with Dave Stewart
BACK COVER: Geof Darrow with Dave Stewart
EDITOR: Scott Allie
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2017)

Hellboy, a superhero and horror comic book character, was created by writer-artist Mike Mignola and first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 (cover date: August 1993).  The character's debut in his own comic book was Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #1 (March 1994).  However, Hellboy has been featured in short stories that have appeared in various publications for over two decades, including the Hellboy Winter Special.

The 2017 edition of the Hellboy Winter Special, an anthology comic book, was recently published and offers three Hellboy short stories.  It sports two covers:  a front cover by Sebastian Fiumara (colored by Dave Stewart) and a back cover drawn by Geof Darrow (and also colored by Stewart).  Eight creators contribute to Hellboy Winter Special – January 2017:  Mike Mignola, Chris Roberson, Christopher Mitten, Dave Stewart, Paul Grist, Bill Crabtree, Scott Allie, and Sebastian Fiumara.

The first story is “The Great Blizzard” by Mignola and Roberson and Mitten and Stewart.  The story is largely set in Cornwall, England and takes place in March 1891.  An excerpt from the “secret journals” of Sir Edward Grey, the story finds Grey and Sarah Jewell (of Rise of the Black Flame) trying to discover if a fierce winter storm that has gripped England is of supernatural origin.

“The Great Blizzard” seems like a prologue for a larger story to come.  It's okay, but I really didn't warm to it.

The second story is “God Rest Ye Merry” by Mignola and Roberson and Grist and Crabtree.  It is set in December 1961 and opens in Fairfield, Connecticut (the home of the BPRD, the occult research organization of which Hellboy is associated).  In the story, Hellboy has to battle a bad Santa.

Once again, “God Rest Ye Merry” did not arouse much interest in me.  It apparently is the intro to an upcoming comic book, entitled The Visitor.  Surprisingly, while the story doesn't excite me, I am curious about The Visitor, which will be a new “Mignola-verse” title.  On a side note, this story reminded me of what a stunningly “white bread” world Hellboy is.  Black and Latino characters are virtually nonexistent.  It is as if Hellboy was set in the programming world of MeTV (which has pretty much taken the place of “Nick at Nite” and “TVLand” when it comes to reruns of 1950 and 1960s, black and white television series).

Finally, we have “The Last Witch of Fairfield” by Mignola and Allie and Fiumara and Stewart.  The story is set in 1979, once again in Fairfield.  While searching for two missing girls, Hellboy, Abe Sapien, and Liz Sherman encounter a tormented spirit.

“The Last Witch of Fairfield” is the best of the trio of stories presented here.  Sebastian Fiumara and Dave Stewart make a killer art team, and turn this comic book short story into a bejeweled fairy tale and ghost story.  I think “The Last Witch of Fairfield” would make a superb longer narrative, perhaps as a one-shot comic book or even as a miniseries.  It is classic weird Hellboy.

Overall, I don't think that Hellboy Winter Special 2017 has the dramatic heft and imagination of the 2016 edition.  2016 was filled with stories that are classic Mignola, classic Hellboy investigates, or classic Hellboy humor.  While “The Last Witch of Fairfield” matches the high-quality of last year's edition, “The Great Blizzard” and “God Rest Ye Merry” are minor works.

I would recommend Hellboy Winter Special 2016 to anyone who reads comic books.  I would only recommend Hellboy Winter Special 2017 to Hellboy completists.

B

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


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Monday, June 28, 2021

BOOM! Studios from Diamond Distributors for June 30, 2021

BOOM! STUDIOS

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Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for June 30, 2021

DARK HORSE COMICS

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Dynamite Entertainment from Diamond Distributors for June 30, 2021

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