IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for May 2, 2018

IDW PUBLISHING

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Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for May 2, 2018

IMAGE COMICS

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Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for May 2, 2018

MARVEL COMICS

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Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for May 2, 2018

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

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Review: AMERICAN GODS #2

AMERICAN GODS No. 2
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Neil Gaiman
SCRIPT: P. Craig Russell
LAYOUTS: P. Craig Russell
ART: Scott Hampton
COLORS: Scott Hampton
LETTERS: Rick Parker
COVER: Glenn Fabry with Adam Brown
VARIANT COVER: David Mack; Bill Sienkiewicz
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2017)

American Gods, the award-winning, 2001 novel from author Neil Gaiman, is now being adapted into a comic book series, published by Dark Horse Comics.  The novel won several fantasy-literary awards and is currently the subject of a television adaptation by Starz Media.  This fantasy novel blends ancient and modern mythology with Americana to tell the tale a man caught in a war between the gods of the Old World and the new American gods.

The guiding hand behind the American Gods comic book is frequent Gaiman collaborator, P. Craig Russell.  Russell wrote the script adaptation of Gaiman's novel and provided the layouts for the art.  American Gods the comic book is drawn and colored by Scott Hampton and lettered by Rick Parker.

American Gods #2 finds the protagonist, Shadow Moon, in a predicament.  Shadow was recently paroled after serving three years of his six-year prison sentence.  As his day of release approached, Shadow was anxious, strongly believing that something bad was coming towards him.  He planned on returning to Eagle Point, Indiana and his wife, Laura, but he discovered that she had only recently been killed in a car crash.  What to do, now?

Now, Shadow is deciding if he should take a job offer from the mysterious Mr. Wednesday, and he is also about to meet the first of his potential employer's weird friends.  Bigger shocks are to come when Shadow learns more details about his wife's untimely death and also about the people who don't want him to take that job.

I am a big fan of American Gods, although I did not read it upon its original release in 2001.  I read the tenth anniversary edition which featured a longer text – the author's preferred edition.  I loved it, but “love” is not a strong enough word in this case.  American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition is one of my favorite books, and I consider the reading that edition of American Gods to be life-changing event for me in terms of my life as a writer.

Dark Horse Comics, over their three decades-plus of publishing comic books adapted from other media, has produced countless high-quality “media-tie” comic book and adaptations.  Why stop now?  Well, I am not disappointed.

So far, I like P. Craig Russell and Scott Hampton's American Gods because it feels true to Neil Gaiman's storytelling and text.  Russell is patient and allows his script adaptation of Gaiman's expansive novel to breath, rather than forcing the pace to squeeze the narrative into a miniseries.  Hampton's naturalistic art captures the supernatural aura surrounding American Gods' narrative, while fashioning a world that is both natural and supernatural.

Once again, I implore you to set aside your four bucks for each issue.  We have in American Gods a comics adaptation of a novel that may end up being on the short list of great comic book adaptations of a prose novel.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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I Reads You Review: SCOOBY-DOO, Where Are You? #91

SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? No. 91
DC COMICS – @DCComics

STORY: Derek Fridolfs; Terence Griep
PENCILS: Randy Elliot; Fabio Laguna
INKS: Randy Elliot; Fabio Laguna
COLORS: Silvana Brys; Heroic Age
LETTERS: Saida Temofonte; John H. Hill
COVER: Derek Fridolfs with Pamela Lovas
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (May 2018)

Rated “E” for “Everyone”

We continue to peruse the renewal of my subscription to the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? comic book series.  I recently received the sixth issue of that renewed subscription.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #91 opens with “TranceSylvania” (written by Derek Fridolfs and drawn by Randy Elliot).  Mystery Inc.:  Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma are attending the annual fundraiser in support of the “Coolsville Guys and Gals Club.”  The opening act of the night's entertainment is the hypnotist, “The Amazing Amado,” but he is nothing compared to the kooky phantom that crashes the festivities.  He is “The Hypno-Haunt,” and he has just hypnotized Mystery Inc. into switched identities.

The second story is “Sumo A-Go-Go” (written by Teremce Griep and drawn by Fabio Laguna).  [This story was originally published in Scooby-Doo #148 (cover dated: November 2009).]  The gang is enjoying a sumo wrestling tournament when “The Tengu” appears, declaring that the tournament's opening ceremony is an insult.  Now, it is up to the gang to stop him.

First, I like artist Derek Fridolfs and colorist Pamela Lovas' cover for Scooby-Doo, Where Are You #91.  The story, however, is a trifle, and it would be better if it were longer.  That is the case with many of this series' stories – if they were only longer.  I do like “The Hypno-Haunt” that is haunting this story, if for no other reason than his character design.  A longer story could have had a lot of fun with the fact that this creep forced the members of Mystery Inc. to switch identities.

The second story has some nice details about the culture of sumo wrestling.  The villain, The Tengu, would make a nice super-villain, but this story is less than super.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #91 is one of this series' lesser issues, but it still makes me excited about the next issue (which just arrived in my mailbox).  As always, I recommend this title to Scooby-Doo fans.

B
6 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: BLACK [AF]: America's Sweetheart

BLACK [AF]: AMERICA'S SWEETHEART
BLACKMASK STUDIO – @blackmaskstudio @BLACKsuprppowrs

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Kwanza Osajyefo – @kwanzer
DESIGNER: Tim Smith 3
ART: Jennifer Johnson
LETTERS: Dave Sharpe
COVER: Sho Murase
ISBN: 978-1-62875-191-8; paperback (Tuesday, February 13, 2018)
Diamond Distributors code: SEP171271 (in comic book shops Wednesday, January 31, 2018)
80pp, Color, $9.99 U.S.

T/Teen

Black [AF]: America's Sweetheart is a 2018, full-color, original graphic novel.  It is set in the world of Black (now known as Black [AF]), the 2016-2017 six-issue miniseries created by writer Kwanza Osajyefo and artist-designer Tim Smith 3.  In the world of Black, only Black people have super-powers.  Black [AF]: America's Sweetheart is written by Osajyefo; drawn and colored by Jennifer Johnson; and lettered by Dave Sharpe.

Black [AF]: America's Sweetheart introduces Eli Franklin, a 15-year-old African-American girl adopted into a white family that lives on a ranch in Helena, Montana.  When she is a small child, Eli discovers that she has abilities that other people, including other children, do not have.  After he discovers Eli's powers, her father, a high-ranking government and White House official, tries to keep Eli's power secret.

However, once Eli becomes a public figure, her father manages Eli as a superhero, named “Good Girl,” who does good things to help people.  Good Girl is effectively a public relations stunt to tamper the fear of white people.  White people are angry because only black people have super-powers, and, in their fear, believe that all black people have or will have powers.  Eli is happy to do her part to make people less fearful, but someone with a connection to Eli's mysterious past is determined to put an end to Eli's mission.  The story also features a guest appearance by “X” of the original Black miniseries.

In a world that fears and hates them, what if only black people had super-powers?  That is a bold and crazy premise; that is a bold and crazy and ballsy premise from a group of African-America comic book creators, especially when one considers that much of the American comic book marketplace caters to older white males.  The six-issue Black miniseries was refreshingly confrontational, and it was unapologetic in its political and social themes and commentary that came from an African-America and Black American perspective.

Black [AF]: America's Sweetheart is less confrontational, but absolutely does not shy away from the original comic's politics.  It is just a bit clever about the way those politics are presented.  It is beautifully drawn and colored in a clean style that is similar to the graphics used in kids' graphic novels.  However, the fear-of-a-black-planet theme resonates throughout this original graphic novel (OGN).  White people in America are still afraid of super-powered black people, but the focus of Black [AF]: America's Sweetheart is Eli Franklin's quest to find her place in a society that fears her.  The story is not as much about a search for identity, which is what her adversary wants – to make Eli understand who and what she really is or who and what she was meant to be.

Eli's quest is played out in a massive, battle of super-powers that takes up about half this OGN's story, but that battle allows Osajyefo space to play out messages and themes involving the oppression of African-Americans and Black people, in general, by a society that wants to simultaneously enslave them and to exploit their powers and abilities.  What he means is white people making black people chattel slaves again – using black slave labor for the white oppressor's gain.

So, on the surface, Black [AF]: America's Sweetheart is about a teenage Black superhero, the first black person to put on a costume and use her powers as if she were a comic book superhero.  It is a superhero graphic novel for teenagers.  Just beneath the surface, however, Black [AF]: America's Sweetheart returns to the themes and motifs of the Black miniseries.  It is like hiding medicine inside candy in order the trick the kid into taking the medicine he or she needs.  Bravo, Mr. Osajyefo and Ms. Johnson.  We are ready for a second spoonful of medicine.

9 out of 10

blacksuperpowers.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You'


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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