Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 28 2011

IMAGE COMICS

JUN110524 ARTIFACTS #12 (OF 13) CVR A HORN $3.99
JUN110525 ARTIFACTS #12 (OF 13) CVR B CHRISTOPHER $3.99
SEP100490 GODLAND #35 $2.99
OCT110546 GREEN WAKE #8 (MR) $3.50
OCT110549 HACK SLASH #11 CVR A SEELEY & BADILLA (MR) $3.50
OCT110550 HACK SLASH #11 CVR B LAISO (MR) $3.50
AUG110523 HAUNT #20 $2.99
MAR110591 MICE TEMPLAR VOL 3 #6 MICHAEL AVON OEMING CVR $2.99
MAR110592 MICE TEMPLAR VOL 3 #6 SANTOS & GANDINI CVR $2.99
SEP110381 SHAKY KANES MONSTER TRUCK GN $14.99
OCT110486 SPAWN ORIGINS TP VOL 13 $14.99
OCT110578 WALKING DEAD WEEKLY #52 (MR) $2.99
OCT110447 WITCH DOCTOR RESUSCITATION ONE SHOT $2.99

Comics and Magazines from Diamond Distributors for December 28 2011

PREVIEWS PUBLICATIONS
NOV110003 PREVIEWS #280 JANUARY 2012 PI

COMICS
SEP111210 2000 AD #1759 $5.00

SEP111211 2000 AD #1760 $5.00

SEP111212 2000 AD #1761 $5.00

SEP111213 2000 AD #1762 $5.00

OCT111145 AIR GEAR GN VOL 21 (MR) $10.99

OCT111146 ANIMAL LAND GN VOL 03 $10.99

NOV111252 ANTHOLOGY OF GRAPHIC FICTION HC (SALE ED) $9.99

OCT110807 ARCHIE #628 (ARCHIE MEETS KISS PT 2 ) $2.99

NOV110856 ART OF LADY DEATH HC VOL 01 SDCC ED $49.99

OCT110893 BART SIMPSON COMICS #66 $2.99

OCT110813 BETTY & VERONICA BATTLE OF THE BFFS $9.99

MAY118026 BIONICLE GN VOL 01 (NEW PTG) $8.99

SEP111215 BLACKHAWK GN (REBELLION ED) $24.99

OCT111147 BLOODY MONDAY GN VOL 03 $10.99

SEP110689 BROADCAST TV DOODLES OF HENRY FLINT SC (MR) $19.99

OCT111133 CARTOON INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMICS TP VOL 02 MACROECONOMICS $17.95

AUG110765 CHICKEN FIGHTER PKT MANGA VOL 02 $14.95

NOV110770 CROSSED BADLANDS OPENING SALVO (MR) $1.99

NOV110772 CROSSED PSYCHOPATH #6 (OF 7) AUXILIARY ED (MR) $3.99

SEP110744 DADDYS LITTLE GIRL GN $14.95

OCT111143 DANGER ACADEMY GN $8.99

AUG111032 DF WARLORD OF MARS #13 RISQUE RED CVR $14.99

OCT110936 DUCKTALES #1 8 BIT SDCC VAR CVR $9.99

OCT111134 EVOLUTION STORY LIFE ON EARTH GN $14.95

AUG111075 EXTINCTION SEED #1 (OF 6) CVR A & B $2.99

MAY110857 FATHOM VOL 4 #3 CVR A KONAT $2.99

MAY110858 FATHOM VOL 4 #3 CVR B NOME $2.99

OCT111181 FRENEMY OF THE STATE #5 (OF 5) (RES) $3.99

OCT111031 GAME OF THRONES #4 (MR) $3.99

SEP118166 GET FUZZY MASTERS OF THE NONSENSEVERSE TP (PP #997) $12.99

AUG111090 HEALTH CARE REFORM SC $13.95

OCT111197 HOTWIRE HC VOL 01 LTD SGN ED (MR) $39.99

OCT110918 INCORRUPTIBLE #25 $3.99

SEP110690 INDIFFERENCE ENGINE HOLOGRAPHIC NOVEL SC (MR) $15.99

SEP110994 KIRBY GENESIS CAPTAIN VICTORY #2 $3.99

OCT110828 KNIGHTINGAIL #2 $3.99

NOV110854 LADY DEATH (ONGOING) #7 FAN EXPO CVR (MR) $9.99

NOV110853 LADY DEATH (ONGOING) #9 AUXILIARY (MR) $3.99

NOV110855 LADY DEATH ORIGINS ANNUAL #1 AUXILIARY (MR) $4.99

OCT111221 LENORE VOLUME II #4 $3.99

SEP111173 LOUIS - RED LETTER DAY HC NEW ED $14.99

NOV111013 LUIS ROYO SUBVERSIVE BEAUTY REG ED HC (O/A) (MR) $19.95

AUG111077 MEDITERRANEA #6 (OF 14) $2.99

AUG111106 PHOENIX WRIGHT GN VOL 03 $10.99

OCT111124 POTENTIAL GN VOL 01 TWO PERCENT HERO (O/A) $16.95

APR110775 RALPH FILMORE GN $14.95

MAY111024 RED SONJA #61 $3.99

AUG110798 RIPPERMAN GN $14.95

AUG111004 ROBERT JORDAN WHEEL OF TIME EYE O/T WORLD #18 $3.99

OCT111155 SAYONARA ZETSUBOU SENSEI GN VOL 12 $10.99

OCT110960 SCHOOL BITES GN VOL 02 (O/A) $12.95

OCT110895 SIMPSONS SUPER SPECTACULAR #14 $2.99

AUG111078 SKELETON STORY #6 (OF 6) $2.99

OCT110820 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #232 $2.99

OCT110941 SPACE WARPED #6 (OF 6) $3.99

NOV110773 STITCHED #1 AUXILIARY ED (MR) $3.99

OCT111156 TOKYO MEW MEW OMNIBUS TP VOL 02 $14.99

OCT110932 TOO MUCH COFFEE MAN #1 FACSIMILE ED (MR) $3.99

SEP111063 WALT & SKEEZIX HC VOL 05 1929-1930 $39.95

NOV110847 WAR GODDESS #3 AUXILIARY (MR) $3.99

SEP111001 WARLORD OF MARS #14 $3.99

OCT110822 WORLD OF ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #13 $3.99

MAGAZINES
APR111339 007 MAGAZINE ARCHIVE FILES LIVING DAYLIGHTS LICENCE TO KILL $18.00
OCT111354 CINEFEX #128 DECEMBER 2011 $12.50
OCT111658 COLOR INK DIY ART PERIODICAL VOL 12 $10.00
NOV111197 COMICS REVUE PRESENTS DEC 2011 $19.95
SEP111214 JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE #317 $11.99

Kimi Ni Todoke: Dad Meets the Lad

I read Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 12

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

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

I wish you all the best and even better in the new year.

I Reads You Review: Millar & McNiven's NEMESIS

MILLAR & MCNIVEN’S NEMESIS
MARVEL COMICS/ICON

WRITER: Mark Millar
ARTIST: Steve McNiven
COLORS: Dave McCaig
LETTERS: Chris Eliopoulos
EXTRA ART: Leinil Francis Yu, John Cassaday, and Mark Millar
ISBN: 978-0-7851-4865-4; hardcover
112pp, Color, $19.99 U.S., $22.50 CAN

Nemesis is a four-issue comic book miniseries from the team of writer Mark Millar and artist Steve McNiven. Millar and McNiven produced two hugely popular Marvel event projects: Civil War, a six-issue series that was the impetus for a line-wide event, and the graphic novel, Wolverine: Old Man Logan (originally serialized in Wolverine Vol. 3 #66-72 and Wolverine Giant-Size Old Man Logan).

Nemesis is a creator-owned title that Marvel Comics published in 2010 under its Icon imprint. The four issues are collected in a hardcover volume entitled, Millar & McNiven’s Nemesis. This book has a dust jacket and includes Millar’s afterword from Nemesis #1, the variant covers from all four issues (including a cool one by Millar), a script-to-art comparison, and advertisements for two other Millar comic book projects (Superior and Kick-Ass 2).

The series focuses on two characters. The first is a Batman-like character, called “Nemesis,” who uses his skills, resources, wealth, and whatever super powers and abilities he has for evil rather than for good. Nemesis is very much like the Heath Ledger Joker in Christopher Nolan’s Batman movie, The Dark Knight (2008). What if a cool billionaire with all those planes, cars and gadgets, put on a mask and waged war on the forces of law and order, Millar asks.

The second character is Nemesis’ target and opponent, Chief Blake Morrow, the Chief of Police of Washington D.C. He is like Clint Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” Callahan and Bruce Willis’ John McClane (from the Die Hard movies) blended into Commissioner James Gordon from the Batman comics. Plus, he is a staunch, conservative (pro-life, anti-gay) Catholic.

The story depicts Nemesis’ campaign against D.C. as part of a bid to be the winner in a small war he is waging against Morrow. Nemesis’ reign of terror leaves untold numbers of civilians dead and creates collateral damage (mostly among Morrow’s family, friends, and coworkers). Morrow believes Nemesis is seeking revenge against him because the villain claims to be Matthew Anderson, the only child of a couple whose depraved crimes where revealed by Morrow. As he gets closer to Nemesis, however, Morrow wonders what is true and what is just gamesmanship when it comes to Nemesis, the world’s only super-criminal.

I love a great villain – from Iago to Hannibal Lector: the conniving, brilliant, and/or genius types. I rooted for Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight, and it is hard not to love the X-Men’s Magneto.

Nemesis features a criminal genius and super-villain whose arrogance is as alluring as it is hilarious. In a series that offers some pretty deranged scenes, Nemesis’ best moments have the villain killing cops and other law enforcement and authority types. I don’t see Nemesis as a guilty pleasure or sinful delight because I don’t feel guilty about loving it so much, although if I am honest, perhaps it is a sin to take such delight in the depiction of cops getting killed by the dozens.

Millar paints the characters in broad strokes throughout the series, but the sharp dialogue makes them likeable, nonetheless. Steve McNiven’s art, from the standpoint of style, is acceptable, though it makes me wonder why he is so acclaimed. However, McNiven’s storytelling and page design are why this story is an action-packed page-turner that is tense even where there isn’t brutal action splashed across the page.

I read Millar & McNiven’s Nemesis in one sitting, flipping pages as if my life depended upon it. My life doesn’t depend on a sequel, but my life would be better in those moments when I’m reading a sequel.

A

Tenjo Tenge: The Natsumes

I read Tenjo Tenge, Vol. 4: Full Contact Edition 2-in-1

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has free comics).

Leroy Douresseaux Reviews JOE THE BARBARIAN: The Deluxe Edition

JOE THE BARBARIAN: THE DELUXE EDITION
DC COMICS/Vertigo

WRITERS: Grant Morrison
ARTIST: Sean Murphy
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Todd Klein
ISBN: 978-1-4012-2971-9; hardcover
224pp, Color, $29.99 U.S., $34.00 CAN

Sean Gordon Murphy is the New Hampshire-born, Brooklyn-based animator and comic book artist best known for his work with DC Comics, including the Batman/Scarecrow: Year One miniseries and Hellbazer. He has also had work published by Dark Horse Comics and Oni Press. I mention Murphy because he is ready to be a star. He should be a star, and a new hardcover comics collection testifies to that.

Joe the Barbarian is an eight-issue miniseries created and written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Sean Murphy with colors by Dave Stewart. Published during 2010 (cover date March 2010 to March 2011) by Vertigo, the DC Comics imprint, the series blended both high and epic fantasy with quest fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and juvenile fiction. Vertigo recently published Joe the Barbarian: The Deluxe Edition, a hardcover book which collects all eight issues of the series with supplemental material (script sample, sketches, script breakdowns, art progression, etc.)

The title character of the series is Joseph “Joe” Manson, Jr., a teenage boy with Type 1 diabetes. When his blood sugar drops, Joe enters a state of hypoglycemia, which means the glucose content in his blood is abnormally low. When he is hypoglycemic, Joe begins to hallucinate, and his mind imagines a fantasy world that is actually based on the design and floor plan of his house. This world is populated by his toys and other fantasy characters (superheroes like Superman and Batman, knights, dwarves, and also a Transformer-like toy, among others). One of the characters is an anthropomorphic rat named “Chakk,” a warrior/paladin that is the fantasy version of Joe’s pet white rate, Jack.

Alone in his house during a lightning storm, Joe enters a state of hypoglycemia, and the hallways and doorways of his big, dark house become vast kingdoms, mist-shrouded landscapes, and sinister gateways. And Joe is now the Dying Boy. He is the one legends claim will restore the Light and overthrow King Death, the one who wants to cover the world in darkness and turn the living into the dead. Joe is confused as to whether he is really a hero, or just in need of a soda to stop a series of hallucinations. Still, he must complete some kind of quest or his first adventure will be his last. Either way, Chakk/Jack is by his side.

As with much of Grant Morrison’s comic book work, Joe the Barbarian is not lacking in imagination and inventiveness. Even with its Tolkien-esque qualities, Morrison’s clever and inspired flourishes (such as how the house’s infrastructure shapes Joe’s hallucinations) stand apart as unusual. Still, as a whole, this series is like empty calories because there isn’t much substantive or mentally nutritious like… say… The Invisibles. Even as a metaphor, Joe the Barbarian doesn’t resonate, as it doesn’t have much worth grappling with metaphorically. There are some interesting set pieces and some ingenious panels here and there. Yes, Joe the Barbarian is entertaining, but that’s about it.

If I have to say that something in Joe the Barbarian blew my mind, I would say that it is the art of Sean Murphy. The compositions surpass Morrison’s ideas in terms of imagination, because, visually, Murphy’s drawings are what give Joe the Barbarian the feel that the story is a “flight of fancy” with consequence and significance. In addition, Murphy’s sustained high level of draftsmanship over eight issues is only surpassed by Jim Lee when considering comic books published by DC Comics and Marvel Comics.

Over time, trade collections of this series will undoubtedly attract readers because Joe the Barbarian is a brainchild of Grant Morrison. The art and the supplemental material, however, make Joe the Barbarian: The Deluxe Edition a portfolio of and showcase for the art of Sean Murphy.

B