Rin-ne: I Don't Know You, Man...

I read RIN-NE, Vol. 19

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Review: FROM UNDER MOUNTAINS #1

FROM UNDER MOUNTAINS No. 1
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was first posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Claire Gibson and Marian Churchland
SCRIPT: Claire Gibson
ART/COLORS: Sloane Leong
MISC. ART: Brandon Graham
COVER: Marian Churchland
36pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2015)

Rated M / Mature

From Under Mountains is an ongoing fantasy comic book series published by Image Comics.  The series is from the creative team of Claire Gibson (story and script), Sloane Leong (art and colors), and Marian Churchland (story and cover art).  From Under Mountains is set in the world of Akhar and will focus on the partnership of a lord's daughter, a disgraced knight, and a runaway thief – a union that will change the course of a world in turmoil.

From Under Mountains #1 opens with a magical summoning.  Then, the story sets about introducing the main characters.  In Karsgate (a northern land in Akhar), Elena, the daughter of the Lord of Karsgate, wishes to have the freedom to roam the world that her brother, Marcellus, has.  Her father has other plans for her, plans he believes will secure his family's future.

Elsewhere in Karsgate, Tova, a young thief, plans to steal her way into Karsgate Keep.  However, it is at the keep that she witnesses something supernatural and horrifying.  Meanwhile, in Akara, the center of power and the seat of the king, down-and-out knight, Sir Tomas Fisher, is brought before a powerful councilor, Vassedin, who has a proposition for him.

From Under Mountains looks like a fantasy epic and will apparently take place in a land of embattled rival clans and will feature courtly intrigue, magic, heroes, villains, and goblins.  After reading it, I recognize elements that are familiar to high fantasy.  From Under Mountains seems like a version of A Game of Thrones touched by Lord of the Rings.

Visually and graphically, however, From Under Mountains looks different.  The characters are not lily white, as if this were a film filled with the finest that Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, and Nordic bloodlines have to offer.  Instead, the characters are brown, red, and rusty, among other shades.  The land and settings seem Oriental (the old version of the word), Persian, and “middle Eastern.”

The art by Sloane Leong looks like a melding of the work of Carla Speed-McNeil in Finder and Jeff Smith in Bone.  The graphic design, however, suggests tapestry and pottery.  The coloring is earthy, except when depicting magic; then, it is wild and trippy.  I have to admit that I find Leong's art beautiful and alluring.

From Under Mountains fascinates me.  I cannot stop flipping through its pages.  I can't wait for the second issue.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Black Rose Alice: Past Loves

I read Black Rose Alice, Vol. 6

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Review: Batman #44

BATMAN No. 44
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review originally appeared on Patreon.]

STORY: Scott Snyder
WRITERS: Scott Snyder and Brian Azzarello
ART: Jock
COLORS: Lee Loughridge
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
COVER: Jock
VARIANT COVERS: Tony Daniel with Tomeau Morey (Green Lantern 75th Anniversary Cover)
40pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (November 2015)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

“A Simple Case”

Once upon a time, American network television sitcoms occasionally offered up episodes that focused on timely and/or relevant events, issues, and topics (sex, teen pregnancy, gun violence, abortion, etc.).  Such series installments came to be known as the “very special episode.”

There are a certain episodes that come to mind when I think of the “very special episode.”  In “Diff'erent Strokes” (which personified the special episode), a bicycle shop owner grooms Gary Coleman's “Arnold Jackson” and Arnold's friend “Dudley Jackson” (Shavar Ross) for sexual assault.  In “Family Ties,” Michael J. Fox's “Alex P. Keaton” loses his virginity to a woman who promptly dumps him, even though Alex had fallen in love with her after the encounter.  In “Good Times,” Jimmie Walker's “JJ” was engaged to a young woman who uses hallucinogenic drugs (angel dust?) that leads to to her jumping through a bathroom widow to her death.

Writers Scott Snyder and Brian Azzarello and artist Jock, with the assistance of colorist Lee Loughridge and letterer Deron Bennett offer up what could be considered a “very special issue” of Batman.  The story revolves around the police shooting of an unarmed young black man.

Batman #44 (“A Simple Case”) opens in the Gotham Marshes, near the old city limit.  Fifteen-year-old Peter Duggio, a resident of the Narrows, is found dead.  It looks as if he were dropped straight from the sky.  At first, Batman suspects a supervillain, one of his “rogues gallery.”  Then, it seems that Peter, an unarmed young black man, was shot by veteran Gotham City Police Department officer, Ned Howler.  However, Peter's death is far more complicated, with the teen boy's demise being the center of a web of deceit and lies.  And Bruce Wayne may be in that web.

I first heard about Batman #44 when it became a buzzed-about comic book story for a few days.  It generated only a little fake controversy.  The truth is that “A Simple Case” is not so much about a White cop shooting an unarmed Black kid, as it is about the entire, rotten, corrupted thing that a big city can become.  Peter Duggio's death is the result of criminals, corrupted public officials, law enforcement, and system-wide failure, especially on the part of institutions.

Snyder and Azzarello seem to be say that individuals can make a difference because each person can offer his of her singular focus.  On the other hand, institutions, agencies, organizations, etc. are made of multiple individuals and often cannot provide a singular focus where it is needed – in this case of needing singular focus, Peter Duggio.

The art by Jock is half graphical storytelling and half illustration.  Snyder and Azzarello's story seems separate from Jock's art, but that does not take away from the story.  Sometimes, Jock's art comes across as illustrations for an essay or piece of journalistic writing.  Jock's art becomes comic book storytelling in those moments when Snyder and Azzarello focus on character drama and character interaction.  Lee Loughridge's colors are moody, but also accentuate Batman's quest, giving it a sense of immediacy.  The colors suggest that this story is a dark and moody thriller, but at times, Loughridge understands that the story needs a sense of hope.

Batman #44 is a nice change of pace for the series.  Best of all, it is nice that the creative team offered more than something that is simply of the moment.  Peter Duggio's story is timeless because it depicts problems that just won't go away.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Kiss of the Rose Princess: Gala

I read Kiss of the Rose Princess, Vol. 7

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Review: KANAN: The Last Padawan #6

KANAN: THE LAST PADAWAN No. 6
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon. And visit the "Star Wars Central" review page here.]

WRITER: Greg Weisman
ART: Jacopo Camagni
COLORS: David Curiel
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: Pepe Larraz with David Curiel
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2015)

Rated T

Book 1, Epilogue: The Last Padawan

“Star Wars Rebels” is a 3D CGI animated television series that appears on the Disney XD cable network.  Produced by Lucasfilm and Lucasfilm Animation, “Rebel” is set 14 years after the film, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), and five years before the events depicted in the original film, Star Wars (1977).

“Star Wars Rebels” takes place during an era when the Galactic Empire is securing its grip on the galaxy and features several new characters.  One of them is the former Jedi, Kanan Jarrus, who has spent years hiding his Force powers and lightsaber.  He is the star of the comic book series, Kanan: The Last Padawan.  The series is written by Greg Weisman (a former executive producer of “Star Wars Rebels”) drawn by Pepe Larraz, colored by David Curiel, and lettered by Joe Caramagna, with covers by Mark Brooks.

Kanan: The Last Padawan #6 leaves the past and opens sometime in the period in which “Star Wars Rebels” takes place.  Kanan Jarrus, the former Jedi Padawan, Caleb Dume, is now part of the motley crew of the freighter starship, “The Ghost.”  This six-person rebel cell is one of many small clusters of rebels fighting the Galactic Empire.  In addition to Kanan, there is the teenaged Ezra Bridger; the Twi'lek, Hera Syndulla; Mandalorian teen artist, Sabine Wren; Lasat honor guard, Zeb Orrelios; and astromech droid, C1-10P (aka “Chopper”).

As the story opens, Kanan returns to the planet, Kaller, where his life as a Jedi-in-training effectively ended.  The crew of the Ghost is on the planet to pick up supplies to help refugees.  However, upon arrival, Kanan and his rebel companions find the supply crates empty.  As they begin a search for these supplies, which they simply must have, Kanan fears that the ghosts of his past are beginning to catch up with his present.

Kanan: The Last Padawan #6 offers a change from the previous issues of the series, which all occurred in a time years before the events depicted in “Rebels.”  Also, Jacopo Camagni draws this issue, while series artist, Pepe Larraz, draws only this issue's cover.  Stylistically, it is not a big change, as the art in Kanan tends to stay close to the design and art direction of “Rebels.”

That is what Kanan: The Last Padawan tries to be – true to the animated series upon which it is based, and it succeeds at that.  Among Marvel's Star Wars comic book series, Kanan is almost the odd man out, as it is distinct, in a number of ways, from the other series.  However, that makes it a good tie-in comic book, giving readers two extra “Star Wars Rebels” stories per year.

I am curious to see where this series goes.  “Star Wars Rebels” has so much potential for delving into the years before the setting of the original Star Wars film trilogy, as well as offering some surprises.  Kanan: The Last Padawan reflects that, so I am in for the long haul.  It is not a great comic book, but it is a very good one.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 9, 2015

DC COMICS

OCT150202     BATMAN #47     $3.99
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Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 9, 2015

MARVEL COMICS

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IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for December 9, 2015

IDW PUBLISHING

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Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 9, 2015

DARK HORSE COMICS

OCT150055     ABE SAPIEN #29     $3.50
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Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 9, 2015

IMAGE COMICS

OCT150509     BIRTHRIGHT #12 CVR A BRESSAN & LUCAS     $2.99
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IMAGE COMICS/MCFARLANE TOYS
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SEP152276     TMP NBA SERIES 27 CHRIS PAUL AF     PI
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Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for December 9, 2015

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

OCT158556     KLAUS #1 (2ND PTG)     $3.99
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OCT151120     LEGEND OF OZ WICKED WEST #3 CVR B WICHMANN     $3.99
OCT151807     MAGI GN VOL 15     $9.99
OCT151201     MUNCHKIN DECK THE DUNGEONS #1     $4.99
OCT141376     NEIL GAIMAN LAST TEMPTATION HC REMARKED SGN ED     $95.00
SEP151260     NEW VAMPIRELLA TP VOL 02 GOD SAVE THE QUEEN     $24.99
SEP151004     NEW ZODIAX TP VOL 01     $15.99
SEP151289     NIGHT AND THE ENEMY GN     $12.95
OCT151183     NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD #1-5 COMP BOX SET (MR)     $99.99
OCT151734     NINJAK #10 CVR A BRAITHWAITE (NEW ARC)     $3.99
OCT151735     NINJAK #10 CVR B MULLER (NEW ARC)     $3.99
OCT151736     NINJAK #10 CVR C HAIRSINE (NEW ARC)     $3.99
OCT151019     NUTMEG TP VOL 02 LATE FALL BROWNIE POINTS     $11.99
OCT151350     PATHFINDER HOLLOW MOUNTAIN #2 CVR A BOYLE     $4.99
OCT151351     PATHFINDER HOLLOW MOUNTAIN #2 CVR B GOMEZ     $4.99
OCT151352     PATHFINDER HOLLOW MOUNTAIN #2 CVR C EXC SUBSCRIPTION     $4.99
OCT151353     PATHFINDER HOLLOW MOUNTAIN #2 CVR D ULTRA LTD ED     $19.99
AUG151562     PHANTOM #5     $3.99
SEP151495     POET ANDERSON DREAM WALKER HC     $24.99
OCT151310     PRECINCT #1 CVR A BENITEZ     $3.99
OCT151311     PRECINCT #1 CVR B ROBERTSON EXC SUBSCRIPTION CVR     $3.99
OCT151312     PRECINCT #1 CVR C BLANK AUTHENTIX     $10.00
SEP151752     PRISON SCHOOL GN VOL 02 (MR)     $20.00
SEP151753     PUELLA MAGI TART MAGICA LEGEND OF JEANNE D ARC GN VOL 02     $13.00
SEP150894     RACHEL RISING #38     $3.99
OCT158150     RICK & MORTY #3 3RD PTG     $3.99
OCT151488     SADHU BIRTH OF THE WARRIOR #6 (MR)     $2.99
JUL151539     SANJAY AND CRAIG GN VOL 01 FIGHT THE FUTURE WITH FLAVOR     $7.99
JUL151540     SANJAY AND CRAIG HC VOL 01 FIGHT THE FUTURE WITH FLAVOR     $12.99
SEP151754     SCHOOL LIVE GN VOL 01     $13.00
SEP151755     SECRET GN VOL 03     $13.00
SEP151573     SERVAMP GN VOL 04     $12.99
OCT151355     SHADOW VOL 2 #5     $3.99
JUL151541     SMURFS MONSTERS GN     $5.99
JUL151542     SMURFS MONSTERS HC     $10.99
OCT151191     SNOW BLIND #1     $3.99
SEP151088     SNOW GN (MR)     $12.00
OCT151190     SPONGEBOB COMICS #51     $2.99
AUG151039     STEAM WARS FIRST EMPIRE #2     $3.99
OCT151710     STREET FIGHTER UNLIMITED #1 CVR A GENZOMAN STORY     $3.99
OCT151711     STREET FIGHTER UNLIMITED #1 CVR B CRUZ ULTRA JAM     $3.99
OCT151712     STREET FIGHTER UNLIMITED #1 CVR C BLANK SKETCH     $3.99
JUN150924     SUPER NHS (ONESHOT)     $3.99
OCT151684     THE TROOP #1 REG CASSARA (MR)     $3.99
OCT151685     THE TROOP #1 SUBSCRIPTION CASAGRANDE (MR)     $3.99
SEP151692     TOKYO ESP GN VOL 02     $15.95
OCT151036     TOMBOY #2 JUN-HA KIM CVR (MR)     $4.99
OCT151035     TOMBOY #2 MAIN CVR (MR)     $3.99
SEP151756     TRINITY SEVEN GN VOL 03 (MR)     $13.00
OCT151620     UNDERWORLD HC     $24.99
OCT151745     UNITY #25 CVR A KANO (48 PAGES)     $4.99
OCT151746     UNITY #25 CVR B KINDT (48 PAGES)     $4.99
OCT151747     UNITY #25 CVR C HEMBECK (48 PAGES)     $4.99
OCT151748     UNITY #25 CVR D KUPPERMAN (48 PAGES)     $4.99
JUL151475     WALKING WOUNDED UNCUT STORIES FROM IRAQ HC     $24.99
SEP151091     WE CAN NEVER GO HOME TP (MR)     $9.99
OCT151536     WES CRAVEN COMING OF RAGE #3 (MR)     $3.99
OCT151538     WES CRAVEN COMING OF RAGE #3 ULTRA RARE LTD CVR A (MR     $24.99
OCT151539     WES CRAVEN COMING OF RAGE #3 ULTRA RARE LTD CVR B (MR     $24.99
OCT151773     WITCHCRAFT WORKS GN VOL 08     $12.95
MAY150882     ZOMBIE TRAMP VS VAMPBLADE #3 MAIN CVR (MR)     $3.99

MAGAZINES
OCT151947     COMIC SHOP NEWS #1486     PI
OCT151951     COMIC SHOP NEWS WINTER 2016 PREVIEW     PI
OCT151957     FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND #283     $9.99
MAY151863     VIDEO WATCHDOG #180 (MR)     $8.95

BOOKS
SEP151824     5 MINUTE AVENGERS STORIES HC     $12.99
SEP151758     A CERTAIN MAGICAL INDEX LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 05     $14.00
SEP151759     ACCEL WORLD NOVEL VOL 05 BRIDGE FLOATING IN STARLIGHT     $13.00
SEP151850     ART OF KRAMPUS HC     $45.00
SEP151760     DURARARA LIGHT NOVEL VOL 02     $14.00
JUL151886     ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE TALES OF TAMRIEL HC VOL 02 LORE     $34.99
SEP151839     GIANT GARDEN OF OZ SC     $9.95
SEP151821     LITTLE BOOK OF BATMAN FLEXICOVER (MR)     $9.99
SEP151822     LITTLE BOOK OF SUPERMAN FLEXICOVER     $9.99
SEP151823     LITTLE BOOK OF WONDER WOMAN FLEXICOVER     $9.99
SEP151761     LOG HORIZON LIGHT NOVEL VOL 03 GAMES END PT 1     $14.00
SEP151826     MAX ALLAN COLLINS KILLING IN COMICS NOVEL SC     $9.95
SEP151695     NARUTO ILLUSTRATION BOOK SC ARTBOOK 2     $19.99
OCT151917     SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOL 102 KING BLACK MARKET     $14.95
AUG151993     SHADOW SUPER PACK #3 BAT VILLAINS FORESHADOWED     $44.95
OCT152833     WARHAMMER 40K GUNS OF TANITH SC     $14.00
OCT152834     WARHAMMER 40K SANCTUS REACH TP     $16.00

My Love Story: Gonna Be a Big Brother

I read My Love Story!!, Vol. 6

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Review: MIRACLEMAN by Gaiman & Buckingham #1

MIRACLEMAN BY GAIMAN & BUCKINGHAM No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Neil Gaiman
ART: Mark Buckingham
COLOR: D'israeli
LETTERS: Todd Klein
MISC. ART: Mark Buckingham
COVER: Mark Buckingham
44pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (November 2015)

Miracleman created by Mick Angelo

Rated Mature

Miracleman Book Four: The Golden Age:  “Prologue,” “A Prayer and Hope,” and “Retrieval” – Part 1

Marvelman was a British superhero character created in 1954 by writer-artist Mick Anglo for British publisher, L. Miller & Son.  The character was originally created as a substitute for the American character, Captain Marvel (Fawcett Comics), in the U.K.  Marvelman comic books were published until 1963, but the character was revived in 1982 by writer Alan Moore.  In the pages of Warrior, a British monthly, black-and-white, anthology comics magazine, Moore offered a darker, post-modern take on the character.

In August 1985, Eclipse Comics began reprinting the Marvelman stories from Warrior (in color) in a comic book entitled, “Miracleman” (to avoid legal problems with Marvel Comics).  Miracleman issues #1-6 reprinted all the Warrior content.  Starting with Miracleman #7, the series presented new Miracleman stories written by Alan Moore.  Moore wrote the series until issue #16.  Then, Neil Gaiman, who was then becoming famous for his work on The Sandman comic book series (DC Comics), took over with issue #17.  Gaiman continued to write the series, but Miracleman ceased publication with issue #24 when Eclipse closed due to financial difficulties.

After obtaining the rights to Marvelman, Marvel Comics brought Eclipse Comics’ Miracleman series back into print.  The recently launched Miracleman by Gaiman & Buckingham begins the reprinting of Miracleman stories by Neil Gaiman and artist Mark Buckingham.  Gaiman will also apparently be able to complete his Miracleman arc left unfinished over two decades ago.

Miracleman by Gaiman & Buckingham #1 opens in 1987.  It is “The Golden Age.”  It is a new world, one that is free of war, of famine, and of poverty.  Olympus, the pyramid of Miracleman, towers above London, and it can be seen from orbit above the Earth, piercing the clouds.  The narrator, a man, joins three pilgrims on a climb to the summit where they will pray and each seek a miracle from Miracleman.  Not all of them will survive this arduous, impossible journey.

Miracleman by Gaiman & Buckingham #1 reprints the contents of Miracleman #17 (cover dated: June 1990), which was originally published by Eclipse Comics.  I think that I may have read this issue, or at least, I bought it.  At some some point, I gave up on Neil Gaiman's take on Miracleman, which was so different from Alan Moore's Miracleman, which I so dearly loved... at the time.

Reading the early issues of Marvel Comics' reprinting of Moore's run on this series, I found that it did not mean as much to me now, as it did when I first read it.  However, I am quite impressed with these first three chapters of Gaiman's Miracleman.  Gaiman's story is introspective and imaginative.  Mark Buckingham's art and graphical storytelling is constantly shifting in tone, breathing even more life into Gaiman's lively story.

Now, I definitely want to read more and to rediscover and to discover Gaiman and Buckingham's Miracleman.

[This comic book includes script excerpts by Neil Gaiman and original art reproductions by Mark Buckingham.]

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Toriko: Onward to the Gourmet World!!

I read Toriko, Vol. 30: Onward to the Gourmet World

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Review: GREEN ARROW #41

GREEN ARROW No. 41
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Benjamin Percy and Patrick Zircher
SCRIPT: Benjamin Percy
ART: Patrick Zircher
COLORS: Gabe Eltaeb
LETTERS: Rob Leigh
COVER: Patrick Zircher with Gabe Eltaeb
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (August 2015)

Rated “T” for Teen

“The Nightbirds” Part 1 of 3

Green Arrow is a DC Comics superhero that was created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp and that first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 (cover date: November 1941).  Green Arrow is secretly billionaire Oliver “Ollie” Queen.  He dresses like Robin Hood, and he was originally an archer who invented trick arrows with various special functions, such as net arrows, explosive arrows, boxing-glove arrows, etc.  Over time, various Green Arrow (GA) writers toned down the character's use of trick arrows and gimmicks.

DC Comics’ line-wide relaunch, “The New 52,” introduced a younger Green Arrow.  Four years later, the new DC Comics line-altering event, “DCYou,” offers a Green Arrow that is both darker and also closer to the character that appears on “Arrow” (2012), the television series (The CW) based on Green Arrow.  DCYou's Green Arrow is co-written by scripter Benjamin Percy and artist Patrick Zircher.  They are assisted by colorist Gabe Eltaeb and letterer Rob Leigh.

Green Arrow #41 (“The Nightbirds” Part 1) opens one night at an amusement park in Seattle, where young couple mysteriously disappears.  Deeply involved in his civilian life, Oliver Queen is in a bit of a funk.  He even finds it difficult to be really interested in a joint venture between Queen Industries and Panopticon, a tech concern.  Then, Green Arrow has a chance encounter with an African-American woman who needs his help.  He discovers that Black men have been disappearing for months and no one outside the poor neighborhood of Pennytown has paid attention.

Since I read The New 52 Green Arrow #1, I had not read a Green Arrow comic book until I read #41.  I am intrigued.  I like this dark, urban vigilante Green Arrow, which resembles the TV show “Arrow” and also Mike Grell's Green Arrow from the ongoing series that began in 1988.  In fact, Percy and Zircher execute this first chapter in a manner that makes me feel that I have to find out what happens next.  I'll let you know what I think after I read the rest of this story line... if I can still find a copies.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Review: OOKU: The Inner Chambers Volume 11

OOKU: THE INNER CHAMBERS, VOL. 11
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Fumi Yoshinaga
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Akemi Wegmüller
LETTERER: Monlisa De Asis
ISBN: 978-1-4215-7979-5; paperback (November 2015); Rated “M” for “Mature”
232pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN

Ōoku: The Inner Chambers is an alternate history and romance manga created by Fumi Yoshinaga.  The series presents an alternative version of Japan’s history in which a strange disease, called the Redface Pox, begins to kill young men and boys  in the 1600s.

The male population falls to about one-fourth of the female population, and men eventually become protected as precious “seed bearers.”  Japan becomes a matriarchal society, with women taking on the roles traditionally held by men, including the role of Shogun.  This story focuses on life at Edo Castle and is set inside its Inner Chambers, a sort of harem filled with men who serve the female Shogun.

Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 11 (Chapters 44 to 47) opens early in the reign of the 11th shogun, Lord Ienari, the first male shogun in 150 years.  Tokugawa Harusada has schemed for many years to make her son, Tokugawa Ienari, shogun, but she is the one who truly holds the reigns of power.  Ienari is merely a “studhorse,” pleasuring the now female-dominated Inner Chambers.  However, Ienari has been reading “The Chronicle of a Dying Day,” and he dreams of a better future for his country.

Meanwhile, after being thrown out of Edo Castle, former Inner Chamber men, Kuroki Ryojun and Ihei, operate an infirmary together.  Kuroki, an assistant to the late Aonuma, who found a way to cure the Redface Pox, experiences a great change in his life.  Now, he must rediscover his former mentor's miracle.

Is it okay if I still continue to admire the Ōoku: The Inner Chambers manga?  I have asked this question before because, for a long time, this manga seemed to focus on something different with each volume.  That annoyed me, and I thought that meant the narrative was problematic.  Instead of giving it a negative review, I found myself enjoying Ōoku.  I had to accept the series for what it was and not for what I thought it should be.  My very reservations seemed to suggest that this was an exceptional comic book.

At times, Ōoku is a character drama, historical fiction, historical drama, alternate-world fantasy (or science fiction), soap opera, backstairs drama, or royal drama – depending upon the volume I read.  Just go with it, Leroy.

Ōoku: The Inner Chambers Volume 11 embraces it all.  In the chapters that comprise this volume, creator Fumi Yoshinaga fashions humanity for her characters and then, begins an excavation of their personalities, motivations, psych profiles, and desires.  Why do people do what they do the way they do it?  Who knows?  It seems like a deeply held secret, even to the creator of such complex and winning characters.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Review: JOURNEY TO STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS: Shattered Empire #1

JOURNEY TO STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS – SHATTERED EMPIRE No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon. And visit the "Star Wars Central" review page here.]

WRITER: Greg Rucka
ART: Marco Checchetto
COLORS: Andres Mossa
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: Phil Noto
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2015)

Rated T+

Shattered Empire: Part I

The upcoming film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, takes place some 30 years after the events depicted in the 1983 film, Return of the Jedi (or Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi).  As The Force Awakens' release date (December 18, 2015) approaches, Lucasfilm is going to fill in the three-decade story gap between Episode VI and Episode VII (The Force Awakens), using its media partners in book publishing and comic books, in this case, fellow Disney subsidiary, Marvel Entertainment, LLC.

Thus, Marvel Comics recently released the first issue of the comic book series Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Shattered Empire.  This new comic book is written by Greg Rucka, drawn by Marco Checchetto, colored by Andres Mossa, and lettered by Joe Caramagna, with cover art provided by Phil Noto.  According to Marvel.com, Shattered Empire will fully be part of the official Star Wars canon and will depict the immediate aftermath of the events of Return of the Jedi.

Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Shattered Empire #1 opens during the closing moments of the Battle of Endor.  Rebel pilots are engaging Imperial forces in furious dogfights, as they try to protect the Rebellion's capital ships.  Then, the shield protecting the second Death Star is shut down...

Soon, the rebel forces are celebrating on the Forest Moon of Endor.  Rebel pilot, Shara, just wants to find her husband, Sgt. Kes Dameron, before she can celebrate.  Still, there are still Imperial forces to be dealt with on the Forest Moon.

Honestly, Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Shattered Empire underwhelms me – not that I am going to stop reading it.  Marvel Comics is publishing Star Wars comic books again.  When I was a kid, the arrival of each issue of my subscription to the old Marvel Star Wars comic book series was like a bonus Christmas.

Shattered Empire has potential.  Artist Marco Checchetto has an imaginative sense of page design.  Various story elements in the first five pages seem to leap off the page, as if Checchetto is trying to recreate the feel of Star Wars' famous dogfights and aerial battles.  The coloring by Andres Mossa makes the battle scenes crackle.  It's up to Greg Rucka to hold up his end on the writing.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 2, 2015

DC COMICS

APR150293     ABSOLUTE BATMAN THE COURT OF OWLS HC     $99.99
OCT150194     ACTION COMICS #47     $3.99
SEP150228     ALL STAR SECTION 8 #6     $2.99
AUG150259     BATMAN 66 HC VOL 04     $24.99
SEP150287     BATMAN 66 TP VOL 03     $14.99
OCT150211     BATMAN AND ROBIN ETERNAL #9     $2.99
OCT150228     BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT #11     $3.99
OCT150216     BATMAN BEYOND #7     $2.99
SEP150285     BATMAN VS SUPERMAN TP     $9.99
JUN150302     BOY COMMANDOS BY SIMON AND KIRBY HC VOL 02     $49.99
SEP150207     CYBORG #5     $2.99
OCT150239     DC PRESENTS ROBIN WAR 100 PAGE SPECTACULAR #1     $7.99
SEP150310     DC PRESENTS TITANS HUNT 100 PAGE SPECTACULAR #1     $7.99
AUG150291     DMZ DELUXE EDITION HC BOOK 05 (MR)     $29.99
SEP150294     EARTH 2 WORLDS END TP VOL 02     $24.99
SEP150265     GOTHAM ACADEMY #12     $2.99
SEP150266     GOTHAM BY MIDNIGHT #11     $2.99
AUG150263     GRAPHIC INK THE DC COMICS ART OF IVAN REIS HC     $39.99
OCT150222     GREEN LANTERN #47     $3.99
OCT150151     HARLEYS LITTLE BLACK BOOK #1     $4.99
SEP150327     IZOMBIE OMNIBUS HC (MR)     $75.00
SEP150301     LEX LUTHOR A CELEBRATION OF 75 YEARS HC     $39.99
OCT150181     LOBO #13     $2.99
OCT150234     LOONEY TUNES #228     $2.99
OCT150184     MIDNIGHTER #7     $2.99
SEP150226     PREZ #6     $2.99
OCT150155     ROBIN WAR #1     $4.99
OCT150233     SENSATION COMICS FEATURING WONDER WOMAN #17     $3.99
OCT150268     SHERIFF OF BABYLON #1 (MR)     $3.99
OCT150285     SURVIVORS CLUB #3 (MR)     $3.99
SEP150233     TEEN TITANS #14     $2.99
OCT150287     UNFOLLOW #2 (MR)     $3.99
SEP150304     WORLDS FINEST TP VOL 06 SECRET HISTORY     $14.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

JUN150340     DC COMICS BATGIRL STATUE     $124.95
JUN150350     DC COMICS COVER GIRLS CATWOMAN STATUE     $99.95

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 2, 2015

MARVEL COMICS

SEP150660     ALL NEW ALL DIFFERENT AVENGERS #2     $3.99
OCT150761     ALL NEW INHUMANS #1     $4.99
SEP150666     ALL NEW X-MEN #1     $3.99
JUN150815     ALL NEW X-MEN HC VOL 03     $34.99
OCT150751     DAREDEVIL #1     $3.99
SEP150878     DAREDEVIL TP VOL 04 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MATT MURDOCK     $15.99
JUN150818     DEADPOOL BY POSEHN AND DUGGAN HC VOL 04     $34.99
SEP150876     DEADPOOL VS THANOS TP     $16.99
OCT150914     DOCTOR STRANGE #3     $3.99
SEP150809     EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN #3     $3.99
OCT150747     GUARDIANS OF INFINITY #1     $4.99
OCT150840     HOWARD THE DUCK #2     $4.99
OCT150734     INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #4     $3.99
SEP150863     MARVEL 1872 TP     $15.99
AUG158485     MARVEL 2016 CALENDARS     PI
OCT150957     MIRACLEMAN BY GAIMAN AND BUCKINGHAM #5 (MR)     $4.99
OCT150905     NOVA #2     $3.99
OCT150774     RED WOLF #1     $3.99
SEP150873     SPIDER-GWEN TP VOL 00 MOST WANTED     $16.99
SEP150871     SPIDER-VERSE WARZONES TP     $17.99
OCT150779     SPIDEY #1     $3.99
SEP150832     STAR WARS #13 VDWN     $3.99
SEP150870     STAR-LORD AND KITTY PRYDE TP     $15.99
OCT150741     TOTALLY AWESOME HULK #1     $4.99
SEP150872     UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL TP VOL 02 SQUIRREL YOU KNOW ITS TRU     $14.99
APR150908     UNCANNY X-MEN PREM HC VOL 06 STORYVILLE     $24.99
OCT150890     VISION #2     $3.99
SEP150879     WOLVERINE EPIC COLLECTION TP DYING GAME     $34.99
SEP150862     WOLVERINE OLD MAN LOGAN TP VOL 00 WARZONES     $17.99
SEP150865     X-MEN YEARS OF FUTURE PAST TP     $16.99

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for December 2, 2015

IDW PUBLISHING

OCT150395     ANGRY BIRDS SUPER ANGRY BIRDS #4     $3.99
OCT150422     ATOMIC ROBO & THE RING OF FIRE #4     $3.99
MAY152753     AWESOME KINGDOM BOARD GAME     $29.99
OCT150424     D4VE2 #4     $3.99
OCT150391     DONALD DUCK #8     $3.99
OCT150394     DONALD DUCK DIABOLICAL DUCK AVENGER TP     $12.99
OCT150379     GHOSTBUSTERS GET REAL TP     $17.99
SEP158436     GODZILLA IN HELL #1 3RD PTG     $3.99
SEP158437     GODZILLA IN HELL #2 3RD PTG     $3.99
OCT150448     HAUNTED HORROR #20     $3.99
JUN150405     INCREDIBLE HULK SAL BUSCEMA MARVEL ARTIST SELECT HC #1     PI
OCT150431     INSUFFERABLE #8     $3.99
OCT150413     MAXX MAXXIMIZED #26     $3.99
OCT150333     MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDS FOREVER #23     $3.99
OCT150335     MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDS FOREVER TP VOL 05     $17.99
OCT150415     OCTOBER FACTION #11     $3.99
MAY152755     PIRATES OF THE 7 SEAS BOARD GAME     $59.99
SEP150455     SKYLANDERS SUPERCHARGERS #2     $3.99
OCT150444     TET #4     $3.99
OCT150403     TMNT CASEY AND APRIL TP     $17.99
OCT150404     TMNT COLOR CLASSICS SERIES 3 #12     $3.99
JUL150372     TMNT HC KEVIN EASTMAN COVERS 2011 - 2015     $39.99
AUG150336     TMNT TP BOX SET VOL 01     $89.99
OCT150301     TRANSFORMERS #48     $3.99
SEP150377     TRANSFORMERS MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE TP BOX SET     $89.99
JUL150478     TRANSFORMERS ROBOTS IN DISGUISE TP BOX SET     $89.99
OCT150371     X-FILES SEASON 11 #5     $3.99
AUG150439     ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS #10     $4.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 2, 2015

DARK HORSE COMICS

OCT150068     ANGEL AND FAITH SEASON 10 #21 MAIN CVR     $3.99
JUL158450     ART OF FALLOUT 4 HC     $49.99
OCT150040     BARB WIRE #6     $3.99
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Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 2, 2015

IMAGE COMICS

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Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for December 2, 2015

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

JUL151618     21ST CENTURY TANK GIRL HC     $22.99
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MAGAZINES
JUL151929     AMAZING FIGURE MODELER #60     $10.00
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BOOKS
AUG151989     CINEMA SEWER GUIDE HIST SICKEST & SEXIEST MOVIES SC VOL 05     $24.95
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OCT151890     GRANT MORRISON & SUPERHERO RENAISSANCE CRITICAL ESSAYS SC     $35.00
OCT151871     GRIMM FAIRY TALES ADULT COLORING BOOK     $12.99
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SEP151852     MAKING OF STANLEY KUBRICKS 2001 SPACE ODYSSEY HC     $69.99
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MAR151573     OSAMU TEZUKA ANIME CHARACTER ILLUS HC     $39.99
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SEP151412     OVERSTREET GUIDE HC GUIDE TO COSPLAY CVR A     $25.00
SEP151480     PAREIDOLIA TP     $45.00
OCT151910     SOME KIND OF HERO REMARKABLE STORY OF JAMES BOND FILMS HC     $35.00
AUG152005     STARCRAFT FIELD MANUAL HC     $39.99

I Reads December 2015

It's most wonderful blog of the year!  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.

World Trigger: Outsmart Thy Neighbor

I read World Trigger, Vol. 7

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Book Review: DEPRAVED HEART by Patricia Cornwell

DEPRAVED HEART
HARPERCOLLINS – @HarperCollins

AUTHOR: Patricia Cornwell – @1pcornw
ISBN: 978-0-06-232540-2; hardcover (October 27, 2015)
480pp, B&W, $28.99 U.S.

Depraved Heart is a 2015 crime novel from best-selling author Patricia Cornwell.  It is the 23rd novel in Cornwell's “Kay Scarpetta” series, which began with the 1990 novel, Postmortem.  Depraved Heart finds Scarpetta besieged by a spooky blast from the past when mysterious, decades-old videos appear on her phone while she is right in the middle of a suspicious death scene.

As Depraved Heart begins, medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta is in the home of Chanel Gilbert, the grown daughter of Hollywood heavy-hitter producer, Amanda Gilbert.  Chanel is dead, in what seems to be an accidental fall.  Apparently, she fell while trying to change a light bulb in her historic house, located near the Harvard campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Then, it happens.  An emergency alert sounds on Scarpetta's phone.  It heralds the arrival of a video link that lands in her text messages and seems to originate from her niece, Lucy Farinelli, a computer genius.  What instantly troubles Scarpetta is that this video link opens to a surveillance film of Lucy in her room at the FBI Academy, Washington Dormitory, Room 411, but that was almost 20 years ago!

The video not only troubles Scarpetta, but also supports her suspicions that the murder scene at the Gilbert house is suspicious.  There are more videos to come, each one making her frightened for Lucy, the niece she loves and raised as if she were her own daughter.  Are these videos connected to Chanel Gilbert's murder?  Does Lucy have a connection to Chanel?  What Scarpetta is sure of is that an old enemy is back in full force, and the machinations of this brilliant monster will make Scarpetta suspicious of everyone and everything around her.

After reading Flesh and Blood last year, I eagerly awaited the next Kay Scarpetta novel.  If Patricia Cornwell had decided to take a break from Scarpetta and produce some other book for publication this year, I would have had to turn to crack for comfort.  So I was happy when HarperCollins public relations offered reviewers a galley edition of Depraved Heart.

Where as Flesh and Blood's story traveled across the Eastern seaboard and into the Bermuda Triangle, Depraved Heart is set mainly in Chanel Gilbert's house.  And it is an old house, jealously guarding secrets and fostering lies.  No matter where Scarpetta wants to go, this haunted house calls her back.

On Cornwell's part, this is an impressive feat of writing, even for someone who has been writing novels for the better part of three decades.  It is not such much that the plot and storytelling of Depraved Heart are restrained; rather, it is that Cornwell must restrain her lead character, Scarpetta.  A woman of intelligence and discipline, Scarpetta finds her life, her loved ones, her friends, her colleagues, and her work endangered in such a way that she wants to drop the facade of reason and let the animal loose.

Not that it matters either way.  Scarpetta cannot trust her memories and her emotions are suspect.  Also, for her all skills and intellect, Scarpetta does not figure things out so much as she merely stumbles about – making discoveries as if she were a janitor finding a penny in the corner.  That is what is so troubling and simultaneously thrilling, you don't when or if the death blow is coming, and neither does our forensic god, Scarpetta.

If you wonder why book series seem to become a little less interesting with each book, it is because a series will naturally play up the “same old things.”  Usually, for things to change, the original author has to die, and the estate has to be smart enough to find a new writer or new writers that can pump life back into a series.  Patricia Cornwell proves that the Kay Scarpetta series won't need Kay Scarpetta's talents anytime soon, not when the latest book can keep even depraved hearts pounding to the very last “little bit.”

A

www.patriciacornwell.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Food Wars: Put Your Heart Into It

I read Food Wars!, Vol. 8: Shokugeki no Soma

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Review: MAN IS VOX: Barracudae (Expanded Edition)

MAN IS VOX: BARRACUDAE (Expanded Edition)
CANDLE LIGHT PRESS – @candlelightpres

WRITER: John Ira Thomas
ARTIST: Carter Allen
INKS: Jeremy Smith (“Dessert” story)
LETTERS: John Ira Thomas
COVER: Carter Allen
ISBN: 978-0-9966176-1-1; paperback (2015)
144pp, B&W and Color $14.95 U.S.

Published by Candle Light Press (CLP), Man is Vox: Barracudae is a 2003 original graphic novel (OGN) created by writer John Ira Thomas and artist Carter Allen.  The story follows a man who is essentially a killer on the search for a psycho who kills some women and abuses in terrible ways those that he does not kill.  Because of the resources and processes available to them at the time, Thomas and Allen were not able to see Barracudae published the way they intended it.

2015 is Candle Light Press' 20th anniversary.  In fact, there is a book celebrating that anniversary, CLP20: Twenty Years of Candle Light Press (http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/clp20.htm), a book to which I have contributed a few notes.  For CLP, this anniversary provides an opportunity to re-release, re-present, and repackage some of its publications.

Man is Vox: Barracudae (http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/barra.htm) gets a makeover with the release of Man is Vox: Barracudae (Expanded Edition).  It is the same graphic novel, but with color restored to the sections that were meant to be presented in color.  Additional material has been added to the main narrative, and there is a new color story produced by Thomas and Allen for this new edition of one of CLP's classic comics.  Man is Vox: Barracudae (Expanded Edition) is also published in a larger format, 7.25” x 9.5” (where as the original 2003 edition was small at 6” x 9”)

Man is Vox: Barracudae follows the trippy adventures of Tyson Gurst a.k.a. “The Fearsome Shade” a.k.a. “The Husband.”  Early in the story, a dying mobster tries to make a trade for his life (because Gurst is going to kill him).  The doomed criminal alerts Gurst to a bigger crime.  Traveling a state highway of gas stations and cheap motels, the Fearsome Shade will discover a conspiracy that ends with some of the most powerful good guys around.

Man is Vox: Barracudae is crazy.  John Ira Thomas is experimental and sometimes avant-garde, to the detriment of the narrative in a few places.  That said:  this comic book is unabashedly humorous, and, in its final act, it playfully skewers superhero comics, particularly the post-modern twisting of traditional superhero comics that started in the 1980s and continues to this day.  I like its ideas; truth and justice do come at a cost.  What do we really want from our saviors?  Do they really know what we want?

With Man is Vox: Barracudae, Carter Allen shows off his storytelling skills.  Mixing both media and drawing styles, Allen makes Thomas' script work as graphical storytelling without grounding it into boring practicality.  Allen remains an original voice in American comic books.

What I said about the original is true of Man is Vox: Barracudae (Expanded Edition).  It is both trippy and inspired.  It puts the original in OGN – original graphic novel.  Readers looking for high-quality independently published graphic novels will find one in the spiffy new Man is Vox: Barracudae (Expanded Edition).

http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/
http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/barra2.htm
https://www.facebook.com/Candle-Light-Press-43073733772/

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

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