Demon Love Spell: The Chapter of a New Departure

I read Demon Love Spell, Vol. 5

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.

I Reads You Review: THE ROCKETEER/THE SPIRIT: Pulp Friction #3

THE ROCKETEER/THE SPIRIT: PULP FRICTION #3
IDW PUBLISHING with DC Entertainment – @IDWPublishing and @DCComics

WRITER:  Mark Waid
ART: J Bone
COLORS: Rom Fajardo
LETTERS: Tom B. Long
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVER: J Bone
SUBSCRIPTION VARIANT COVER: Chris Samnee with Jordie Bellaire
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2013)

First appearing in the 1980s, comic book character, The Rocketeer, was created by artist and illustrator, Dave Stevens (who died in March of 2008).  Stunt pilot Cliff Secord discovers a mysterious jet pack, which he straps to his back.  Adding a helmet, Secord becomes “The Rocketeer,” and begins a series of adventures set mainly in Los Angeles and beginning in the year 1938.

Golden Age comic book character, The Spirit, was created by legendary cartoonist Will Eisner (who died in January 2005).  The Spirit first appeared on June 2, 1940 in what readers called “The Spirit Section.”  This was a 16-page, Sunday newspaper supplement or insert that was carried in various newspapers from the 1940s and to the early 1950s.  Once known as Detective Denny Colt (believed by some to be dead), The Spirit is a masked vigilante who fights crime in Central City.

The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction is a comic book series that brings these characters together.  Published by IDW Publishing (in association with DC Comics), the series is written by Mark Waid and drawn by various artists.  Pulp Friction unites the two heroes, as they try to solve a peculiar murder case.

The corpse of Alderman Tommy Cunningham, Central City politician, is found in Los Angeles, although it is physically impossible for him to be in L.A.  Meanwhile, longtime Spirit nemesis, The Octopus, has joined Hollywood “producer,” Benedict Trask, in a plot to use the new medium of television to launch a worldwide criminal enterprise

As The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction #3 opens, The Rocketeer visits The Spirit’s home/base of operations at Wildwood Cemetery.  Meanwhile, Cliff’s girlfriend and actress, Betty, is also in Central City for meeting with Trask, who puts her up in a posh hotel.  Betty is about to discover, however, that Trask wants to make her a star in the new medium of television, but not in the way she expects.

At this point in my review cycle of The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction, I have run out of things to say about Mark Waid writing The Rocketeer.  That is especially when I consider how much I liked his earlier effort, The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom.  Simply put, he’s good with the character.  [Dear Mr. Dunbier, More Mark Waid Rocketeer, please.]

J Bone, who seems to emanate from the Bruce Timm-Dawyn Cooke school of cartooning, makes a welcomed return to The Rocketeer.  As talented as J Bone is, neither his style nor his draftsmanship, approaches that of the late Dave Stevens or the late Will Eisner.  Yet, there are moments in this wonderful comic book in which Bone captures the spirit of both artists’ work on their signature characters.  From the Rocketeer’s mad chase through the canyons of Central City to Betty’s femme fatale, behind-the-curtain dance, Bone captures the graphical essence of what made Eisner and Stevens’ comics exceptional, iconoclastic works of the medium.

Tune in tomorrow… next issue

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Review: SLAM DUNK Volume 31

SLAM DUNK, VOL. 31
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Takehiko Inoue
TRANSLATION: Joe Yamazaki
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Stan!
LETTERS: James Gaubatz
COVER: Takehiko Inoue with Matt Hinrichs
ISBN: 978-1-4215-3338-4; paperback (December 2013); Rated “T” for “Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN

Takehiko Inoue is an acclaimed manga artist and creator and also illustrator.  His most famous work is Slam Dunk, a shonen manga which focuses on the Shohoku Prefecture High School boys basketball team and their pursuit of victory.  Slam Dunk was originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan from 1990 to 1996.  Slam Dunk was so popular that it apparently helped popularize basketball in Japan and East Asia.

The spirit of the series is defined by the view that winning isn’t everything in the game of basketball, but who really wants to come in second?  Shohoku High School basketball team does not want to come in second, and they believe that they have the dedication and discipline it takes to be the best.  Captain and starting center, Takenori Akagi, dreams of making it to the finals of Nationals, and this season is his last chance.  Hotshot freshmen, like superstar Kaede Rukawa and basketball novice, Hanamichi Sakuragi, could make Akagi’s dream come true.

Slam Dunk, Vol. 31 (entitled Shohoku High School Basketball Team; Chapters 270 to 276) is the final volume of the series.  Shohoku made it through the Prefectural Tournament to Nationals to play for the national championship of Japan.  In the second round of the tournament, they face the defending national champions, Sannoh Kogyo (of Akita Prefecture).

After a good start, underdog Shohoku falls behind Sannoh by 24 points, before a furious rally cuts the deficit to eight points.  Sannoh eventually returns the lead to 18, but another rally brings Shohoku within eight of tying the game.  Hanamichi Sakuragi drives his team to fight back, and Kaede Rukawa’s talent brings the points.  Then, Sakuragi severely injures his back diving for a loose ball.

After a free throw, early in this volume, Shohoku has the lead down to five points with a little over a minute left in the game.  Both teams know that they have to give their all, because only one of them is leaving the court victorious.

So the Slam Dunk manga has come to an end with Slam Dunk Volume 31.  I’m not ready for it to be over.  Because it apparently helped popularize the sport of basketball in Japan, Slam Dunk is obviously a classic manga.  It makes one ask, “Is there a better sports comic book?”  Is there another sports manga doing for a sport what Slam Dunk did for hoops in Japan?  Could there ever be a basketball comic book or manga better than Slam Dunk?

Much of Vol. 31 has no dialogue or exposition.  Takehiko Inoue uses graphical storytelling – illustrations and lettered sound effects as graphics.  Inoue captures all that is grand and exciting about basketball as well as (if not better than) the best sports photographers.  Reading Slam Dunk is as invigorating as watching a real, live basketball game, and I don’t know if I’m ready to give that up.  I guess this isn’t really a goodbye, as VIZ Media will keep this iteration of Slam Dunk in print.  I hope so; Slam Dunk is basketball depicted as art.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 4 2013

DC COMICS

OCT130174 ACTION COMICS #26 $3.99
OCT130176 BATMAN SUPERMAN #6 $3.99
OCT130179 BATMAN SUPERMAN #6 COMBO PACK $4.99
OCT130194 BATWING #26 $2.99
OCT130255 DC COMICS ESSENTIALS WATCHMEN #1 $1.00
AUG130285 DC VS MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #3 $2.99
OCT130187 DETECTIVE COMICS #26 $3.99
OCT130189 DETECTIVE COMICS #26 COMBO PACK $4.99
OCT130149 EARTH 2 #18 $2.99
SEP130309 FAIREST #21 (MR) $2.99
SEP130280 GEARS OF WAR TP BOOK 03 $19.99
OCT130145 GREEN ARROW #26 $2.99
OCT130206 GREEN LANTERN #26 $2.99
OCT130208 GREEN LANTERN #26 COMBO PACK $3.99
AUG130294 GREEN LANTERN CORPS HC VOL 03 WILLPOWER (N52) $24.99
SEP130267 GREEN LANTERN CORPS TP VOL 02 ALPHA WAR (N52) $16.99
OCT130279 HINTERKIND #3 (MR) $2.99
OCT130266 LOONEY TUNES #216 $2.99
OCT130219 MOVEMENT #7 $2.99
SEP130273 NIGHTWING TP VOL 03 DEATH OF THE FAMILY (N52) $16.99
SEP130310 SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING TP BOOK 05 (MR) $14.99
SEP130277 SAVAGE HAWKMAN TP VOL 02 WANTED (N52) $19.99
OCT130220 STORMWATCH #26 $2.99
OCT130221 SWAMP THING #26 $2.99
OCT130280 TRILLIUM #5 (MR) $2.99
OCT130140 TRINITY OF SIN THE PHANTOM STRANGER #14 (EVIL) $2.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

JUL130285 BATMAN BLACK & WHITE BATMAN ARKHAM ORIGINS STATUE $79.95
SEP130321 SUPER BEST FRIENDS FOREVER BATGIRL BOX $24.95
SEP130320 SUPER BEST FRIENDS FOREVER SUPERGIRL BOX $24.95
SEP130319 SUPER BEST FRIENDS FOREVER WONDER GIRL BOX $24.95

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 4 2013

MARVEL COMICS

OCT130676 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #700.1 $3.99
OCT130721 AMAZING X-MEN #2 $3.99
OCT130665 AVENGERS ANNUAL 2013 #1 $4.99
SEP130803 AVENGERS ENEMY WITHIN TP $15.99
SEP130687 CATACLYSM ULTIMATES LAST STAND #2 $3.99
OCT130710 DAREDEVIL DARK NIGHTS #7 $2.99
OCT130732 DEADPOOL #20 $2.99
SEP130799 DEADPOOL KILLS DEADPOOL TP $14.99
JUL130701 FANTASTIC FOUR BY JOHN BYRNE OMNIBUS HC VOL 02 $125.00
JUL130700 FANTASTIC FOUR OMNIBUS HC VOL 02 NEW PTG $99.99
OCT130738 FANTOMEX MAX #3 (MR) $3.99
OCT130711 FEARLESS DEFENDERS #12 $3.99
SEP130672 GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #9 INF $3.99
OCT130708 INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK ANNUAL #1 $4.99
OCT130637 INHUMANITY #1 $3.99
OCT130707 IRON MAN #19 $3.99
SEP130780 IRON MAN PREM HC VOL 03 SECRET ORIGIN OF STARK BOOK 2 $24.99
OCT130734 LONGSHOT SAVES MARVEL UNIVERSE #3 $2.99
OCT130694 MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN #3 $3.99
OCT130695 MARVEL KNIGHTS X-MEN #2 $3.99
OCT130720 MARVEL UNIVERSE HULK AGENTS OF SMASH #3 $2.99
SEP130812 NOVA CLASSIC TP VOL 02 $29.99
OCT130739 PAINKILLER JANE PRICE OF FREEDOM #2 (MR) $2.99
OCT130666 SECRET AVENGERS #12 INF $3.99
OCT130698 STAR LORD WORLDS ON BRINK $7.99
OCT130686 SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #23 $3.99
OCT130690 SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN TEAM UP #7 NOW $3.99
SEP130817 THOR BY WALTER SIMONSON TP VOL 03 $29.99
SEP130809 WOLVERINE BY AARON COMPLETE COLLECTION TP VOL 01 $34.99
OCT130736 X-MEN LEGACY #21 $2.99
OCT130668 YOUNG AVENGERS #13 $2.99

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for December 4 2013

Digital Comics: Digital new releases available from your local comic book shop are marked below. [DIG] = Digital version available. [DIG/P+] = Print-Plus digital/print combo pack available. For more information, go to www.digitalcomicsreader.com.

IDW PUBLISHING

OCT130419 DEADWORLD RESTORATION #1 [DIG/P+] $3.99
SEP130451 DINOSAURS ATTACK #5 [DIG/P+] $3.99
OCT130322 DOCTOR WHO VOL 3 #16 $3.99
SEP130450 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS CUTTER HC [DIG] $24.99
OCT130424 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS FORGOTTEN REALMS TP $19.99
JUN130348 FEVER RIDGE MACARTHUR JUNGLE WAR TP VOL 01 $19.99
OCT130400 GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #197 [DIG/P+] $3.99
OCT130402 GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO TP VOL 08 $19.99
OCT130341 JUDGE DREDD #14 [DIG/P+] $3.99
OCT130343 JUDGE DREDD CLASSICS #6 [DIG/P+] $3.99
AUG138339 OTHER DEAD #1 2ND PTG $3.99
OCT130314 STAR TREK KHAN #3 [DIG/P+] $3.99
SEP130382 TMNT VILLAIN MICROSERIES #8 SHREDDER $3.99
OCT130382 TRANSFORMERS MORE THAN MEETS EYE #24 DARK CYBERTRON PART 4 [DIG/P+] $3.99
OCT130392 TRANSFORMERS ROBOTS IN DISGUISE TP VOL 05 $19.99
OCT130353 TRIPLE HELIX #3 [DIG/P+] $3.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 4 2013

DARK HORSE COMICS

OCT130030 CATALYST COMIX #6 (MR) $2.99
AUG130114 CBLDF MANGA INTRODUCTION CHALLENGES & BEST PRACTICES TP $15.99
OCT130074 GRINDHOUSE DOORS OPEN AT MIDNIGHT #3 $3.99
OCT130066 HELLBOY IN HELL #5 $2.99
OCT130044 MICHAEL AVON OEMINGS VICTORIES #7 (MR) $3.99
OCT130042 OCCULTIST #3 $3.50
SEP138217 STAR WARS #1 LUCAS DRAFT (2ND PTG) $3.99
OCT130011 STAR WARS #4 LUCAS DRAFT $3.99
OCT130008 TERMINATOR SALVATION FINAL BATTLE #1 $3.99
AUG130101 TO HELL YOU RIDE HC $24.99
AUG130102 TO HELL YOU RIDE LTD HC $99.99