Naruto: Hashirama and Madara

I read Naruto: Hashirama and Madara, Vol. 65

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (and follow me on Twitter and please, visit my Indiegogo campaign).

I Reads You Review: SCOOBY-DOO, Where Are You? #43

SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? #43
DC COMICS – @DCComics

STORY: Sholly Fisch, Vito Delsante and Nick Purpura
PENCILS: Dave Alvarez, Tim Levins
INKS: Dave Alvarez, Dan Davis
COLORS: Wendy Broome, Heroic Age
LETTERS: Saida Temofonte, Sal Cipriano
COVER: Dave Alvarez
28pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (May 2014)

Rated “E” for “Everyone”

I recently received another issue of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?  I purchased a subscription to DC Comics’ current Scooby-Doo comic book series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? (which launched in 2010) from a fundraising drive.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #43 opens with “Game Changer” (written by Sholly Fisch and drawn by Dave Alvarez).  Twin sisters, Flora and Fauna Wilde, summon Mystery Inc. to the Wilde Life Nature Preserve to solve a mystery.  The game preserve is home to animals in danger of going extinct.

However, the ghost of the Jungle Man and his fearsome ghost leopard are terrorizing the preserve, insisting that “civilized” man does not belong there.  Plus, animals are disappearing from the preserve.  It’s up to the Scooby gang to solve the mystery of the big man and his big cat before everyone turns extinct.

In “Ghouls Night at the Opera” (written by Vito Delsante and Nick Purpura and penciled by Tim Levins), the gang arrives in Seattle where they have another case.  Apparently, the cast and crew of “Punk Rock: The Musical” are being terrorized by “The Ghoul.”  Now, the gang plans to sing their way through a web of backstage backstabbing and other antics to discover who the Ghoul really is.

In the recent reviews of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? that I’ve written, I often complained that some of the Scooby-Doo short stories would work better as full-length, single-issue stories.  However, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #43 offers two stories that are just right as short stories.

Story aside, “Game Changer” offers some of the best art I’ve seen in a Scooby-Doo comic book.  Drawn by Dave Alvarez, “Game Changer” also has spectacular coloring by Wendy Broome.  “Game Changer” is the subject of the cover art, with a striking image drawn by Alvarez and featuring (once again) dazzling color.  In fact, the cover is so eye-catching that I could not help but notice it on the shelf of a local comic book store, every time I walking past that shelf.

I think “Ghouls Night at the Opera” is a reprint from Scooby-Doo #128, the Scooby-Doo comic book series prior to this one.  When I saw that some of the characters’ dialogue was meant to be sung, I knew I would be annoyed, but I actually found the story to be surprisingly nice.

I’ll use the excuse that “Game Changer” and the cover art for this issue hypnotized me into giving Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #43 a high grade.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Sweet Rein: Akira the Dark Santa

I read Sweet Rein, Vol. 2

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (where I have an Indiegogo campaign).

I Reads You Launches Indiegogo Campaign for "Grumble #2"

I guess I need to post more about my comic book here:

Archie Andrews to Get Cap in Ass - The Official Announcement

Legendary Comic Book Character Archie Andrews Dies in July

Future “Life with Archie” storyline reveals redheaded icon’s heroic final moments

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Archie Comics, the acclaimed and bestselling comic book publisher that is home to some of the best-known pop culture creations in the world, including Archie, Jughead, Betty & Veronica, Josie & The Pussycats, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and the hit AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE series, announced the unthinkable today: Legendary comic book character Archie Andrews will die to conclude the hit LIFE WITH ARCHIE comic series.

The iconic comic book character, beloved by millions around the globe for over 70 years, will sacrifice himself heroically while saving the life of a friend in the pages of July’s LIFE WITH ARCHIE #36, the final issue in the flash-forward series, which spotlights Archie’s adventures after high school and college.

“We’ve been building up to this moment since we launched LIFE WITH ARCHIE five years ago, and knew that any book that was telling the story of Archie’s life as an adult had to also show his final moment,” said Archie Comics Publisher/Co-CEO Jon Goldwater. “Archie has and always will represent the best in all of us—he’s a hero, good-hearted, humble and inherently honorable. This story is going to inspire a wide range of reactions because we all feel so close to Archie. Fans will laugh, cry, jump off the edge of their seats and hopefully understand why this comic will go down as one of the most important moments in Archie’s entire history. It’s the biggest story we’ve ever done, and we’re supremely proud of it.”

The story will be available in multiple formats, including an extra-large magazine-size LIFE WITH ARCHIE #36, two comic-sized issues—LIFE WITH ARCHIE #36 and #37—and a trade paperback collecting the entire story, written by regular LIFE WITH ARCHIE writer Paul Kupperberg, with art by Pat & Tim Kennedy and Fernando Ruiz.

While LIFE WITH ARCHIE #36 shows readers Archie’s final moments, #37 leaps a year into the future, showcasing how the remaining members of the Riverdale gang—including Jughead, Betty & Veronica and Reggie—have honored the legacy of their dear friend. Both stories will be collected in the double-sized LIFE WITH ARCHIE #36 magazine and upcoming trade paperback.

In addition to the acclaimed regular LIFE WITH ARCHIE creative team, the two comic book issues—sold exclusively at comic shops in July—will feature a pantheon of artistic luminaries contributing covers to the historic issue, including Francesco Francavilla, Fiona Staples, Ramon Perez, Walt Simonson, Jill Thompson, Mike Allred, Cliff Chiang, Adam Hughes, Tommy Lee Edwards and Alex Ross.

ABOUT ARCHIE COMICS:
Archie Comics is the leading mass market comic book publisher in the world and the home to a wide array of the most popular humor, action-adventure and superhero characters in entertainment, including Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica, Reggie, Kevin Keller, Josie and the Pussycats, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Afterlife With Archie, The Fox, The New Crusaders, The Shield, Li’l Jinx and many more. Archie Comics have sold 2 billion comics worldwide and are published around the world in a number of languages. In addition to comics, Archie characters have been featured prominently in animation, television, film and music.

I Reads You Review: MOON KNIGHT #1

MOON KNIGHT (2014) #1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

WRITER: Warren Ellis
ARTIST/COVER: Declan Shalvey
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: Chris Eliopoulos
VARIANT COVERS: Adi Granov; Bill Sienkiewicz; Skottie Young; Katie Cook; Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (May 2014)

Moon Knight is a Marvel Comics superhero character.  Created by writer Doug Moench and artist Don Perlin, Moon Knight first appeared in Werewolf by Night #32 (cover dated: August 1975).

Moon Knight is Marc Spector an American-born mercenary who dies in Egypt, under the statue of Khonshu, an ancient Egyptian moon god.  Khonshu appears to Spector and offers him a second chance at life.  After he awakens, Spector wraps himself with the silver shroud that covers Khonshu’s statue, turning it into a silver cloaked costume, becoming the Moon Knight.  A superb athlete and master of martial arts and hand-to-hand combat, Spector is also a skilled acrobat, gymnast, detective, marksman, and is an aviator who uses traditional and sophisticated weaponry.  In short, Moon Knight is Marvel Comics’ version of Batman.

It is easy to lose track of all the iterations of a Moon Knight comic book series that Marvel has published over the last four decades.  The latest Moon Knight title is part of Marvel Comics’ “All-New Marvel NOW!” initiative.  This 2014 launch of Moon Knight is written by Warren Ellis and drawn by Declan Shalvey with colors by Jordie Bellaire.

Moon Knight #1 finds Moon Knight back in New York City.  He apparently lost his mind, and perhaps, he is back to being normal – whatever that may be for Marc Spector-Moon Knight (MK for short).  The policeman, Detective Flint, who wants MK’s help, calls him “Mister Knight,” to keep MK from being associated with the dangerous vigilante he was.  MK or Mister Knight: by any name, can he stop a slasher killer who is good, albeit somewhat clumsy, at what he does?

I just read Moon Knight #1.  Interesting is one word that I can use to describe what I just read.  I’m curious, but it is hard to pass judgment on a new series in which the writer decompresses a short story about a not particularly interesting serial killer and kooky costumed hero into a full-length story about a not particularly interesting serial killer and kooky costumed hero.

I have heard rumblings of Warren Ellis’ Moon Knight being similar to Warren Ellis’ Planetary.  If you scratch hard enough, you may be able to pretend that Moon Knight is a scratch-and-sniff comic book ever so slightly oozing the leftover essence of the great Planetary… maybe.

Declan Shalvey is supposed to be some up and coming hotshot artist; oh, really?  And Jordie Bellaire has done better work.  About this new Moon Knight:  we’ll see.

B-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for April 9 2014

DC COMICS

JAN140371 100 BULLETS BROTHER LONO TP (MR) $16.99
FEB140283 ASTRO CITY #11 $3.99
JAN140374 ASTRO CITY SHINING STARS TP $16.99
DEC130338 ASTRO CITY THROUGH OPEN DOORS HC $24.99
FEB140213 BATGIRL #30 $2.99
FEB140140 BATMAN ETERNAL #1 $2.99
FEB140284 COFFIN HILL #7 (MR) $2.99
FEB140168 CONSTANTINE #13 $2.99
DEC130299 EARTH 2 HC VOL 03 BATTLE CRY (N52) $22.99
JAN140344 EARTH 2 TP VOL 02 THE TOWER OF FATE (N52) $16.99
FEB140290 FBP FEDERAL BUREAU OF PHYSICS #9 (MR) $2.99
FEB140223 GREEN LANTERN CORPS #30 $2.99
JAN140383 JONAH HEX SHADOWS WEST TP (MR) $24.99
FEB140169 JUSTICE LEAGUE 3000 #5 $2.99
FEB140294 ROYALS MASTERS OF WAR #3 (MR) $2.99
FEB140274 SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU #44 $2.99
FEB140193 SUPERBOY #30 $2.99
FEB140186 SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #7 (DOOMED) $3.99
FEB140188 SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #7 COMBO PACK (DOOMED) $4.99
FEB140177 WORLDS FINEST #22 $2.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

SEP130324 DC COMICS SUPER VILLAINS POWER RING AF $24.95
SEP130323 DC COMICS SUPER VILLAINS SUPERWOMAN AF $24.95
SEP130325 DC COMICS SUPER VILLAINS ULTRAMAN AF $24.95