I ReadsYou in Sleep Mode

I will not do the solemn fake thing.  I'll just come right out with it.  I am putting I Reads You in sleep mode.  This is not really a hiatus, as I plan on rousing I Reads You from slumber and posting on her from time to time.

I am shifting most of what I post here to my Negromancer blog.  Right now, it is not financially feasible to spend time maintaining two blogs, and Negromancer's numbers are more than twice what I get here.  Because of some new sales tax law, Amazon now excludes my home state of Louisiana from its "Amazon Associates" program.

Despite the fact that many people read this blog and many even "borrow" the material that I post here, I do not receive any donations to support I Reads You.  With the Amazon Associates program unavailable to me and the Google Ad program largely a scam of unpaid promises, I Reads You is penniless.

I do appreciate all the visitors that I have received since I first began I Reads You back in September 2009.  Please, come back some now and again, and there may be something new to read.

Leroy Douresseaux

Review: STARBRAND AND NIGHTMASK #1

STARBRAND AND NIGHTMASK No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Greg Weisman
ART: Domo Stanton
COLORS: Jordan Boyd
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Yasmine Putri
VARIANT COVERS:  Emanuela Lupacchino with Jason Keith; Skottie Young; Keron Grant (Hop Hop variant)
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2016)

Rated T+

Eternity's Children; Chapter One: “Matriculation”

In 1986, Marvel Comics introduced the “New Universe,” a line of comic books set in a universe that was separate from the main “Marvel Universe.”  This universe was to feature super-powered individuals that skewed towards being more realistic than Marvel's main superhero characters.

One of the first New Universe comic books was Star Brand #1 (cover dated: October 1986), which was created by then Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter.  The “Star Brand” was a star-shaped tattoo-like mark that gave the one who boar the mark infinite, god-like powers, limited only by the wielder's imagination (a rift on a Green Lantern's “power ring”).  Kenneth “Ken” Connell, a mechanic from Pittsburgh, was the first to receive the Star Brand.

Debuting in the second month of the New Universe launch was Nightmask #1 (cover dated: November 1986), created by Archie Goodwin.  The first Nightmask was Keith Remsen, who had the power to enter people's dreams telepathically.

In 2006, Marvel Comics published a re-imagining of the New Universe, entitled newuniversal (February 2007), and it was designed by Warren Ellis.  The characters' powers were based on their possession of glyphs, which is what the “Starbrand” became.  The launch of the “All-New, All-Different Marvel” unites two characters from newuniversal, Starbrand and Nightmask, in a new comic book series.  Entitled Starbrand and Nightmask, the series is written by Greg Weisman; drawn by Domo Stanton; colored by Jordan Boyd; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Starbrand and Nightmask #1 (“Matriculation”) opens with Starbrand (Kevin Conner) and Nightmask (Adam) exiting “The Superflow” and returning to Earth, specifically China.  After a battle and an offer to join the New Avengers, Starbrand discovers that Nightmask has enrolled the two of them at Empire State University (E.S.U.).  They are now incoming freshmen Kevin Conner and Adam Blackveil.  Adam wants the both of them to have more interaction with humanity, but the superhero stuff will not go away just because they are now college students.

I didn't read newuniversal.  I don't think that I was visiting comic book shops very much around the time it was released.  I don't think that I will be reading Starbrand and Nightmask very much.  It is not a bad comic book, but it reads like one of those “Marvel Age” and “Marvel Adventure” comic books that Marvel started publishing in 2003.

Writer Greg Weisman offers a story that is appropriate for middle school readers.  As a writer-producer of animated television series, Weisman knows how to write juvenile action-adventure fantasy.  Starbrand and Nightmask #1 certainly has that antiseptic quality that meets the conservative standards of most animated content on American cable networks.

The art by Domo Stanton has a generic juvenile/young readers graphic novel quality.   Starbrand and Nightmask #1 is practically indistinguishable from the run-of-the-mill graphic novels from First Second or Scholastic.  Even the cover art Yasmine Putri has a golly-gee-whiz quality.  As I said, this isn't bad so much as it is unimaginative and doggedly harmless.  Good luck with this, Marvel

C+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Skip Beat: The Past is Not Past

I read Skip Beat Volume 36 and posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Review: LUCIFER #1

LUCIFER No. 1
DC COMICS/Vertigo – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Holly Black
ART: Lee Garbett
COLORS: Antonio Fabela
LETTERS: Todd Klein
COVER: Dave Johnson
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2016)

Suggested for mature readers

Based on characters created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Keith, and Mike Dringenberg

Cold Heaven Part One: “Prodigal Sons”

DC Comics' version of Lucifer Morningstar was created by Neil Gaiman and Sam Keith and first appeared in The Sandman #4 (cover dated:  April 1989).  Lucifer was a supporting character, and later, was the star of his own ongoing series (Lucifer, 2000 to 2006), entirely written by Mike Carey.

DC Comic's Vertigo returns the character to regular comic books with the new ongoing series, Lucifer.  This series is written by Holly Black; drawn by Lee Garbett; colored by Antonio Fabela; and lettered by Todd Klein.

Lucifer #1 (“Prodigal Sons”) opens in Los Angeles, California, 2015.  Lucifer is back, and he immediately opens a new hangout for his kind of people, called the “Ex Lux.”  Meanwhile, semi-fallen angel, Gabriel, is dragged back to Silver City in Heaven, where his brother makes him an offer.  He's not the only one not happy by the return of Lucifer.

Sometimes, I can't help but write a short review, which has garnered me a complaint or two, so here goes.  Lucifer is mildly entertaining.  Its imagination exists at a bare minimum.  I may read the second issue out of mild curiosity.  Surely, Vertigo can do better than this.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint or syndication rights and fees.

I Reads April Showers - No Droughts, Please!

It's April 2016.  Welcome to I Reads You, a ComicBookBin web and sister publication (www.comicbookbin.com).  We write about the things we read:  mostly comic books, comics, and related books.  Sometimes, we’ll write about or link to other topics:  typically books, politics, and entertainment.

Support me on Patreon.

All images and text appearing on this publication are copyright © and/or trademark their respective owners.

Seraph of the End: Lucal Wesker

I posted a review of Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign Volume 8 at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Review: DAREDEVIL #1

DAREDEVIL No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: Charles Soule
ART: Ron Garney
COLORS: Matt Milla
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Ron Garney with Matt Milla
VARIANT COVERS: Joe Quesada; John Tyler Christopher; Tim Sale with Dave Stewart; Larry Stroman and Tom Palmer with Rachelle Rosenberg; Alex Maleev (Hip Hop variant); Patrick “Rick” Lance photographed by Judy Stevens (Cosplay variant)
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2016)

Daredevil is a Marvel Comics superhero created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett.  The character first appeared in Daredevil #1 (cover dated: April 1964).  Jack Kirby contributed to Daredevil's creation, but to what extent is unknown.  In Daredevil #7, artist Wally Wood created the red uniform by which the character is known into modern times.  Daredevil is Matt Murdock, a vision-impaired attorney who was blinded as a child after being exposed to a radioactive substance.

Frank Miller had an influential run on the Daredevil comic book series, first as an artist and later as the writer and artist.  He made the character popular and also important in the Marvel Universe.  As part of the “All-New, All-Different Marvel,” the Daredevil comic book series is relaunched, and it seems (at least to me) to recall Frank Miller and even the work of those influenced by Miller.  Daredevil is written by Charles Soule; drawn by Ron Garney; colored by Matt Milla; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Daredevil #1 opens on the Manhattan Bridge in New York City, where Daredevil is rescuing Billy Li.  He is a witness in a case that Assistant District Attorney Matt Murdock of the New York County District Attorney's Office has put before a grand jury.  The target of that grand jury, the mysterious criminal Tenfingers, wants Li dead and has decided that maybe Murdock should also be killed.  Plus, Daredevil's apprentice, Blindspot, continues to learn.

The story by Charles Soule isn't bad, but it isn't anything special, at least not yet.  It simply takes the classic Daredevil paradigm that connects Matt Murdock's case to a bad guy that Daredevil is pursuing.  I guess this is how it should be, and if done right, can be entertaining.

What I do like is the drawing by Ron Garney and the coloring by Matt Milla.  This combination recalls the black and white, original art of Frank Miller and Klaus Janson and also the pencils, inks, and colors of Klaus Janson – all done by this creative duo during their glorious run on Daredevil.  Garney and Milla's work here also reminds me of Jim Lee's art on the first two issues of Deathblow (a 1990s Wildstorm title), which was – let's face it – a rip off of Frank Miller's art on Sin City.

Garney and Milla's jimmied negative space and faux toning simply looks right for Daredevil.  Like I said earlier, this isn't great, but it makes me want to keep reading for a bit.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint or syndication rights and fees.