Thursday, April 5, 2012

A Column On How Not to End Up Like Trayvon Martin

I wrote a piece that is part spoof of Geraldo Rivera and part satire for my Black Astronaut page at the Comic Book Bin.  Please, go here and enjoy.

Slam Dunk: Win/Loss

I read Slam Dunk, Vol. 21

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


Wednesday, April 4, 2012

I Reads You Review: THE STRANGE CASE OF MR. HYDE #4

THE STRANGE CASE OF MR. HYDE #4 (OF 4)
DARK HORSE COMICS

WRITER: Cole Haddon
ART: M.S. Corley
COLORS: Jim Campbell
LETTERS: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
32pp, Color, $3.50 U.S.

The Victorian suspense thriller, The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde, unites the real-life Whitechapel Murders and this event’s most famous player, Jack the Ripper, with characters from the novella, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by author Robert Louis Stevenson. This comic book miniseries from writer Cole Haddon and artist M.S. Corley comes to an end with the fourth issue.

The narrator and central character of The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde is Inspector Thomas Adye of Scotland Yard. Assigned to discover the identity of the Whitechapel Murderer, Jack the Ripper, Adye seeks the help of Dr. Henry Jekyll, who is also Mr. Edward Hyde. Apparently, Jack the Ripper is using the same formula Jekyll created and subsequently used to turn himself into Hyde. The formula makes the Ripper a physical marvel and a nearly-unstoppable monster – perhaps stronger than even Hyde.

As The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde #4 begins, Adye and Jekyll race to Whitechapel to apprehend the man who has been revealed as Jack the Ripper, Dr. John Utterson, Jekyll’s old friend and confidant. Adye hopes they are in time to save ginger-haired prostitute, Mary Jane Kelly, from becoming the Ripper’s next victim and ghastly art piece. But to stop the Ripper, Adye may have to allow Jekyll to ingest his serum, and that would mean the return of Hyde. Soon, Adye will find himself caught in the middle of a battle between two horrible monsters, and he will have to be the most cunning if he is to survive.

The final issue of The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde gave me the slam-band ending I was expecting from what has been one of the best comic books I’ve read in the last year. Part Guy Ritchie/Robert Downey, Jr. Sherlock Holmes and part Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde is a high concept Victorian thriller with a lively narrative.

Writer Cole Haddon is inventive in the way he executes this series because every scene offers a surprise. At least as I read it, Haddon usually does the opposite of what is expected, and the resolution is filled with surprises and promises of more good things to come. As far as I’m concerned, Hyde’s fate is a happy ending.

Artist M.S. Corley is Haddon’s equal. His woodcut-like drawing style offers quirky graphics and solid storytelling. This gives the story the visual appearance of being from the past, as if this comic once existed in a 19th century magazine. Style aside, however, the art brings to life this pop confection of murder investigation most foul and Victorian fiction and culture. Corley can take pride in the fact that his work stands out in a way that much comic book art does not.

A


"Shelter from the Storm" Begins Voltron Force Graphic Novel Series

LET’S GO VOLTRON FORCE®!

VIZ MEDIA DELIVERS ACTION-PACKED ADVENTURES FOR ALL AGES WITH NEW VOLTRON FORCE GRAPHIC NOVEL SERIES

VOLTRON FORCE® Updates the Classic ‘80s Sci-fi Epic For A Whole New Generation of Fans

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, debuts today the riveting outer space action of VOLTRON FORCE®, in a new graphic novel series that complements the animated series currently airing on Nicktoons. VOLTRON FORCE Volume 1: SHELTER FROM THE STORM, under the VIZ Kids imprint, is rated ‘A’ for All Ages and will carry an MSRP of $7.99 U.S. / $9.99 CAN.

VOLTRON® is a hugely successful brand that is recognized globally ever since it was introduced in the early 1980’s. Season one of VOLTRON FORCE debuted on Nicktoons in 2011 and was the highest rated premiere ever for the network. The new series is a continuation of the classic ‘80s cartoon, Voltron: Defender of the Universe, with updated storylines and characters for a whole new generation.

VIZ Media’s graphic novels are all-new, original adventures featuring Larmina, Daniel and Vince, the Voltron Force cadets. In the first volume of the series, SHELTER FROM THE STORM, the evil King Lotor and his villainous minion Maahox unleash a horrifying storm, churning with evil energy. When Daniel, Larmina and Vince are sucked into the vortex, their worst nightmares come true!

“Many of us at VIZ—myself included—were huge Voltron fans as kids, so being part of the reimagining of this iconic series is a real thrill,” says Traci Todd, Senior Editor, Children’s Publishing. “The best part? Everyone creating these books is a fan too! From the action-packed adventures by series writer Brian Smith, to the stunning art of Jacob Chabot, Dario Brizuela and Alfa Robbi--these books are truly labors of love.”

VOLTRON FORCE writer Brian Smith is a former Marvel Comics editor whose past credits include The Ultimates, Ultimate Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, and dozens of other comics. Smith is also the co-creator/writer behind the New York Times best-selling graphic novel The Stuff of Legend, and the writer/artist of all-ages comic The Intrepid Escape Goat.

Smith is also the illustrator of The Adventures of Daniel Boom AKA LOUDBOY!, named one of The Top 10 Graphic Novels for Youths 2009 by Booklist Online. His illustration clients include Time Out New York Magazine, Nickelodeon, MAD Kids Magazine, Harper Collins, Bongo Comics, Grosset & Dunlap, and American Greetings.

For more information on VOLTRON FORCE or other VIZ Kids properties, please visit: http://www.vizkids.com/.


About Voltron®
In a galaxy plagued with chaos and evil, five robotic lions, piloted by a team of brave space explorers, combine to form the mighty robot hero, Voltron®. After blazing onto TV screens in 1984, Voltron: Defender of the Universe quickly became a top-rated animated series. The hit series inspired a best-selling toy line and made Voltron a pop-culture icon. An all-new 2D/CGI animated series, Voltron Force®, is currently airing in the U.S. on Nicktoons. Follow Voltron on Twitter @Voltron or join the official Voltron Facebook page at Facebook.com/VoltronOfficial for all the latest news.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at http://www.viz.com/.


Tuesday, April 3, 2012

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for April 4 2012

DC COMICS

FEB120178 ACTION COMICS #8 $3.99

FEB120181 ACTION COMICS #8 COMBO PACK $4.99

JAN120336 AMERICAN VAMPIRE #25 (MR) $2.99

FEB120217 ANIMAL MAN #8 $2.99

JAN128245 BATMAN #5 3RD PTG $2.99

JAN128244 BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED #1 2ND PTG $3.99

JAN120306 BATMAN GOTHAM SHALL BE JUDGED TP $19.99

FEB120195 BATWING #8 $2.99

FEB120190 DETECTIVE COMICS #8 $3.99

FEB120192 DETECTIVE COMICS #8 COMBO PACK $4.99

DEC118177 EPIC MAD TP $12.99

FEB120283 FAIREST #2 (MR) $2.99

NOV110197 FLASH OMNIBUS BY GEOFF JOHNS HC VOL 02 $75.00

OCT110285 FLEX MENTALLO MAN OF MUSCLE MYSTERY DLX HC (MR) $22.99

FEB120174 GREEN ARROW #8 $2.99

FEB120232 HAWK AND DOVE #8 $2.99

FEB120293 IZOMBIE #24 (MR) $2.99

JAN120310 JACK KIRBYS FOURTH WORLD OMNIBUS TP VOL 02 $29.99

JAN128243 JUSTICE LEAGUE #5 2ND PTG $3.99

FEB120164 JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #8 $2.99

DEC110283 LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT JIM APARO HC $49.99

FEB120275 LOONEY TUNES #206 $2.99

FEB120228 MEN OF WAR #8 $3.99

FEB120241 NIGHT FORCE #2 (OF 6) $2.99

FEB120222 OMAC #8 $2.99

FEB120211 RED LANTERNS #8 $2.99

JAN120343 SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING TP BOOK 01 (MR) $19.99

FEB120276 SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU #20 $2.99

FEB120234 STATIC SHOCK #8 $2.99

FEB120220 STORMWATCH #8 $2.99

FEB120212 SWAMP THING #8 $2.99

FEB120299 SWEET TOOTH #32 (MR) $2.99