Thursday, June 30, 2011

Leroy Douresseaux on EARP: SAINTS FOR SINNERS #4

EARP: SAINTS FOR SINNERS #4 (OF 4)
RADICAL PUBLISHING

CREATORS: Matt Cirulnick and David Manpearl
STORY: Matt Cirulnick
WRITER: M. Zachary Sherman
ARTIST: Colin Lorimer
COLORS: Kyushik Shin
LETTERS: Rus Wooton
COVER: Alex Maleev
28pp, Color, $3.50

Writers Matt Cirulnick and David Manpearl have created Earp: Saints for Sinners, a comic book miniseries from Radical Publishing. This science fiction with a Western flair takes the classic Western hero, Wyatt Earp, and puts him in a near-future, dystopian setting. With a story by Matt Cirulnick, a script by M. Zachary Sherman, and art by Colin Lorimer and Kyushik Shin (colors), Earp: Saints for Sinners turns out to be a good, violent action graphic novel.

This re-imagined Wyatt Earp rides rough after an event called “Black Thirty,” which sets off a second Great Depression. Out of the chaos rose a new type of bank robber, and Earp was the man who brought them in to justice or shot down the ones he didn’t bring in. After his brother, Virgil Earp, was killed in a train robbery, Wyatt retired and became a businessman, opening the AOK Saloon in the only boomtown left in America, Las Vegas.

As Earp: Saints for Sinners #4 opens, Morgan Earp is dead. Morgan is dead by the hand of Alan Pinkerton and his private security group, Pinkerton Security, in the service of Mayor John Flynn, owner of Flynn Casino and Mayor of Las Vegas. Now, Wyatt Earp is coming for Pinkerton and he’s bringing Hell with him. That’s Hell in the form of Jesse James, a modern day Robin Hood, and the Jesse James Gang, and, of course, Earp’s old pal, Doc Holliday.

Newly reappointed U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp and his deputized army race through the desert to the Pinkerton compound. Earp and Doc Holliday also have scores to settle, and a woman, Josephine “Josie” Marcus, to rescue.

Earp: Saints for Sinners saves its best for last in this fourth issue. This science fiction and crime comic book is part Michael Mann urban action and part John Ford Western. Its finale delivers the gun smoke, the rat-a-tat, and the cap-popping action. Ultimately, Earp: Saints for Sinners does what a book should usually do – leave us wanting more.

A-

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Leroy Douresseaux on THE GOON #34

THE GOON #34
DARK HORSE COMICS

CARTOONIST: Eric Powell
32pp, Color, $3.50

The fan-favorite comic book, The Goon, makes a welcomed return to comic book shop this week. Created by Eric Powell, The Goon follows the adventures of the title character, a kind of gangster/thug with a penchant for manhandling supernatural foes.

The Goon #34 begins with the Goon and his pal, Franky, putting a beat down a band of “sparkly vampires” (a swipe at the Twilight book series and film franchise). The bulk of the story has the children of the McGreg Home for Illegitimate, Wayward, and Possibly Homicidal Youth seeking out the Goon’s help in dealing with a monstrous new member of their brood. But to get the Goon’s help, they will have to get him in a condition that may take him out of condition for the big fight.

One doesn’t have to read more than a few pages to see why The Goon is so beloved by its fans and followers. This is only the second time I’ve read this comic book and I think it’s a delight. Except for its price point, The Goon, in particularly this 34th issue, is the perfect comic book, not only for new readers, but also for people already reading comic books. It’s a self-contained story, and a damn good read, with Powell’s gorgeous art – a cartoony style that captures the feel of pulp fiction horror and Saturday morning cartoons. The Goon represents that magical something about comic books that first captured our hearts and wedded us to this medium.

I think the Twilight snark is funny, but I doubt Twilight creator Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment could give a crap, even if they knew about this. They’re laughing all the way to the bank.

A


Kimi Ni Todoke: Someone He Likes

I read Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 9

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).


Tuesday, June 28, 2011

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for June 28 2011

DC COMICS

APR110239 AMERICAN VAMPIRE #16 (MR) $2.99

MAR110349 AQUAMAN DEATH OF A PRINCE TP $29.99

APR110156 BATMAN ARKHAM CITY #3 (OF 5) $2.99

MAR110294 BATMAN INCORPORATED #7 $2.99

MAR110340 BATMAN KNIGHT AND SQUIRE TP $14.99

APR110224 CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #61 $2.99

APR110152 DETECTIVE COMICS #878 $2.99

APR110140 FLASHPOINT GREEN ARROW INDUSTRIES #1 $2.99

APR110136 FLASHPOINT HAL JORDAN #1 (OF 3) $2.99

APR110134 FLASHPOINT PROJECT SUPERMAN #1 (OF 3) $2.99

APR110141 FLASHPOINT THE CANTERBURY CRICKET #1 $2.99

APR110164 GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #24 $2.99

APR110099 GREEN LANTERN EMERALD WARRIORS #11 (WAR OF GL) $2.99

MAR110266 GREEN LANTERN MOVIE PREQUEL HAL JORDAN #1 $2.99

OCT100352 JLA CLASSIC ICONS SER 1 BATMAN AF PI

OCT100351 JLA CLASSIC ICONS SER 1 GREEN LANTERN AF PI

OCT100353 JLA CLASSIC ICONS SER 1 SUPERMAN AF PI

OCT100350 JLA CLASSIC ICONS SER 1 WONDER WOMAN AF PI

APR110177 JSA 80 PAGE GIANT 2011 #1 $5.99

APR110178 JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #52 $2.99

APR110227 MAD MAGAZINE #510 $5.99

MAR110377 RATCHET AND CLANK TP $17.99

MAR110345 RED ROBIN HIT LIST TP $17.99

APR110254 SCALPED #50 (MR) $2.99

APR110182 THUNDER AGENTS #8 $2.99

NOV100232 THUNDER AGENTS ARCHIVES HC VOL 07 $59.99

OCT100341 WONDER WOMAN #600 STATUE $125.00

APR110170 WONDER WOMAN #612 $2.99

APR110187 XOMBI #4 $2.99

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for June 29 2011

MARVEL COMICS

APR110615 ALL WINNERS SQUAD BAND OF HEROES #1 (OF 8) $2.99

APR110597 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #664 $3.99

APR110596 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BIG TIME #1 $5.99

APR110573 AVENGERS CHILDRENS CRUSADE #6 (OF 9) $3.99

APR110582 CAPTAIN AMERICA AMERICAS AVENGER #1 $4.99

APR110580 CAPTAIN AMERICA FIRST VENGEANCE #4 (OF 4) $2.99

APR110581 CAPTAIN AMERICA REBIRTH #1 $4.99

APR110714 DAREDEVIL REBORN PREM HC $19.99

APR110721 DAREDEVIL YELLOW TP $19.99

APR110733 DEADPOOL DEAD HEAD REDEMPTION TP $15.99

APR110738 ESSENTIAL SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 10 $19.99

APR110537 FEAR ITSELF BLACK WIDOW #1 FEAR $3.99

APR110612 FF #5 $2.99

APR110589 INCREDIBLE HULK & HUMAN TORCH FROM MARVEL VAULT #1 $2.99

APR110588 INCREDIBLE HULKS ANNUAL #1 $3.99

APR110630 IRON AGE #1 (OF 3) $4.99

APR110723 MARVEL UNIVERSE VS PUNISHER TP $14.99

APR110618 MARVEL UNIVERSE VS WOLVERINE #1 (OF 4) $3.99

APR110624 MARVEL ZOMBIES SUPREME #5 (OF 5) $3.99

APR110679 MMW MIGHTY THOR TP VOL 03 $24.99

APR110680 MMW MIGHTY THOR TP VOL 03 DM VAR ED 30 $24.99

APR110729 ONE MONTH TO LIVE TP $14.99

APR110725 SHE-HULKS TP HUNT FOR INTELLIGENCIA $14.99

APR110737 SPIDER-MAN ORIGINAL CLONE SAGA TP $39.99

JAN110827 THING PREM HC LIBERTY LEGION DM VAR ED 69 $24.99

APR110688 THOR TP BLOOD AND THUNDER $34.99

AUG100552 ULTIMATE COMICS X #5 $3.99

APR110717 ULTIMATE SIX PREM HC $24.99

APR110637 UNCANNY X-MEN #539 $3.99

APR110600 VENOM #4 $2.99

APR110647 WOLVERINE BEST THERE IS #7 $3.99

APR110724 X-FORCE TP SEX AND VIOLENCE $14.99

APR110651 X-MEN PRELUDE TO SCHISM #4 (OF 04) $2.99

IDW from Diamond Distributors for June 28 2011

IDW PUBLISHING

APR110380 ANGEL HC VOL 03 THE WOLF THE RAM AND THE HEART $24.99

APR110361 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS HC VOL 01 SHADOWPLAGUE $24.99

APR110387 SOMETHING MONSTROUS GN $17.99

APR110311 TRANSFORMERS HEART OF DARKNESS #4 $3.99

Dark Horse from Diamond Distributors for June 29 2011

DARK HORSE COMICS

SEP108093 BLADE O/T IMMORTAL TP VOL 04 ON SILENT WINGS $14.99

MAR110037 ANGEL OMNIBUS (DH ED) TP VOL 01 $24.99

MAR110039 CREEPY ARCHIVES HC VOL 10 $49.99

APR110036 CREEPY COMICS #6 $4.99

APR110028 GOON #34 $3.50

FEB110039 OH MY GODDESS RTL TP VOL 18 $11.99

APR110037 STRANGE CASE OF MR HYDE #3 (OF 4) $3.50

FEB110019 SUPERNATURAL NOIR $19.99

APR110020 USAGI YOJIMBO #138 $3.50

SEP108185 USAGI YOJIMBO TP VOL 19 FATHERS & SONS NEW PTG $15.99

SEP108186 USAGI YOJIMBO TP VOL 21 MOTHER OF MOUNTAINS NEW PTG $15.99