Original Graphic Novel, "THE WRATH OF KARAPACE," is Now Available at Amazon

Hi, It's Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You" (Patreon).  My first original graphic novel, THE WRATH OF KARAPACE: A BIG SPIRITS EPIC, which is published by Candle Light Press.  Co-created by Carter J. Allen, (Warning Comics), The Wrath of Karapace is now on sale at Amazon and Barnes and Noble online.  Also, have some milk and cookies while reading this wonderful graphic novel.

Other online shops that are selling "The Wrath of Karapace" include the following:

- AmazonUK;

- Bookshop.org;

- ElmStreetBooks;

- the German book shop, OrrellFussli;

- Powells.com;

- Russell Books.com;

- SuperBookDeals.com;

- Walmart online.

Of note, The Wrath of Karapace is also available on eBay from a few different sellers.

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"The Wrath of Karapace" also a "Google Books" listing.

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Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).

I Reads You Juniors: April 2026 - UPDATE #27

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon.

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).

TREATS - From AnotherCookie:  There is a new online cookie retailer. It is called "AnotherCookie?" and the cookies are delicious.

NEWS:

DC STUDIOS - From WorldofReel:  Sexy actor, Charles Dance, has been cast as "Christopher Dent" in "The Batman II," which is apparently due in late 2027.

MARVEL - From BleedingCool:  New Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro has initiated a round of layoffs at Disney that have cost 1000 employees their jobs.  This also effects Marvel Studios and Marvel Comics, and Rich Johnston of "Bleeding Cool" talked to someone at Marvel about it.

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics undergoes layoffs, as part of the larger layoffs at Disney that has seen 1000 people let go.  Marvel Comics senior editors:  Lauren Bisom, Devin Lewis, and Darren Shan are among those let go this week.  Timothy Cheng, Marvel's Executive Director of Communications, is also leaving after years with Marvel.

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EC COMICS - From Fangoria:  The streaming service, Shudder, will begin streaming all seven seasons of HBO's horror anthology television series, "Tales from the Crypt" (1989-96), beginning May 1st, 2026.  The series was based on the EC Comics anthology series, "Tales from the Crypt" (1950-55), which was created by EC publisher, William Gaines, and writer-artist-editor, Al Feldstein.  Gaines and TV writer, Steven Dodd, created the HBO series. 

DC STUDIOS - From WorldofReel:  This summer's "Supergirl" film has already gone through eight test screenings and numerous changes. So far, the word is that reaction about the film has been mixed.

DC COMICS/MARVEL - From DCBlog:  Writer CRC Payne talks about his work on "DC/Marvel: Supergirl/Blade."

From BleedingCool:  The DC Comics/Marvel crossover digital comics, "DC/Marvel: Supergirl/Blade #1" will be available for free on the "DC Go" app at "DC Infinite Universe" tomorrow (April 8th. 2026).

From BleedingCool:  DC Comics' "Supergirl" and Marvel Comics' "Blade" will team up on a digital-first comic book available at the "DC Infinite Universe" platform later this year (2026).  It will then be collected in print in a collection of DC/Marvel crossover comic books that will be available in trade paperback and hardcover editions.

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MANGA TO ANIME - From GhostintheShell:  Bandai Namco Filmworks has released a new teaser trailer for its upcoming anime series, "The Ghost in the Shell," which you can see at YouTube.  It is a new adaptation of the original manga, "Ghost in the Shell," by Masamune Shirow.  Also released was a new key visual, featuring "Major Motoko Kusanagi," and the walking tank, "Fuchikoma." Animated by Science Saru, this anime series will premiere on Amazon Prime Video in July.

EN MEMORIAM - From ComicsBeat:  Belgian cartoonist, Hermann Huppen (best known by his penname, "Hermann"), has died at the age of 87, Sunday, March 22, 2026.  Hermann was best known for his science fiction comic book series, "Jeremiah," which was serialized in several European comics magazines, including the Serbian "Strip art" and France's "Metal Hurlant," from 1979 to the present.  "Jeremiah" was loosely adapted into the "Showtime" sci-fi television series, "Jeremiah."

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MARCH 2026 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:

From BleedingCool:  Ahoy Comics for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Antarctic Press for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Archie Comics for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  AWA Studios for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Bad Idea for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  BOOM! Studios for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Fantagraphics Books for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Hermes Press for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Ignition Press for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Image Comics' "Energon Universe" for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Image Comics' " Spawn Universe" titles for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Keenspot Entertainment for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  The Lab for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Mad Cave Studios for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics' "Armageddon" titles for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics' "Death Spiral" titles for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics' "Ultimate Comics" titles for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics' "X-Men" titles for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Massive Publishing for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Midnight Factory titles for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Oni Press for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Oni Press "Absolute Archie Comics" titles for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Prana for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  SHP Comics for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Titan Comics for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Udon Studios for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Valiant Comics for March 2026

From BleedingCool:  Vault Comics for March 2026

APRIL 2026 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:

From BleedingCool:  Antarctic Press for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Archie Comics for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Bad Idea Comics for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  BOOM! Studios for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  DC Comics "Superman" titles for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Drawn & Quarterly for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Fantagraphics Books for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  HarperCollins for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Heavy Metal for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Keenspot Entertainment for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Mad Cave Studios for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics' "Spider-Man" and "Venom" titles for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics' "X-Men" titles for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Oni Press for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Image Comics' "Energon" titles for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Image Comics "Ghost Machine" titles for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Invader Comics for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Massive Publishing for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Prana for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Rebellion for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Red 5 Comics for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Udon Studios for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Valiant Comics for April 2026

From BleedingCool:  Warrant Publishing Company for April 2026

MAY 2026 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:

From BleedingCool:  Antarctic Press for May 2026

From BleedingCool:  Bad Idea Comics for May 2026

From BleedingCool:  BOOM! Studios for May 2026

From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for May 2026

From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for May 2026

From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for May 2026

From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for May 2026

From BleedingCool:  Ignition Press for May 2026

From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for May 2026

From BleedingCool:  Invader Comics for May 2026

From BleedingCool:  Drawn & Quarterly for May 2026

From BleedingCool:  Keenspot Entertainment for May 2026

From BleedingCool:  Mad Cave Studios for May 2026

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for May 2026

From BleedingCool:  Oni Press for May 2026

From BleedingCool:  Rebellion/2000 AD for May 2026

From BleedingCool:  Titan Comics for May 2026

JUNE 2026 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:

From BleedingCool:  Abrams for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  AMP Comics for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Antarctic Press for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Archie Comics for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  AWA Studios for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Bad Idea Comics for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  BOOM! Studios for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Devil's Due Studios for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Drawn & Quarterly for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Fantagraphics for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  HarperCollins for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Heavy Metal Magazines for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Hoffman International and Warrant Publishing for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Keenspot for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Mad Cave Studios for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics "Captain America" for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Massive Selects for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Midnight Factory for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Oni Press for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Rebellion/2000 AD for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Red 5 Comics for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Source Point Press for June 2026

From BleedingCool:  Titan Comics for June 2026

JULY 2026 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:

From BleedingCool:  DC Comics "Absolute Batman #22" for July 2026

From BleedingCool:  DC Comics "Superman" for July 2026

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics "Armageddon" for July 2026

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics "Queen in Black" titles for July 2026

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#IReadsYou Review: FLOWER GIRLS

FLOWER GIRLS

GUMROAD

STORY: Francesca Lyn

ART/DESIGN: Sally Cantirino

24pp., Color/2-color; $3.00 U.S. (2018)

Flower Girls is a 16-page digital comic book written by Francesca Lyn and drawn by Sally Cantirino.  The story examines the life of a former “magical girl” who is now an adult.  The “magical girl” is a sub-genre of manga (Japanese comics) about girls who have magical powers.

Flower Girls introduces Rose, who was the leader of a magical girl group.  Rose was extraordinary, and at one point she was so popular that merchandisers sold a million “Rose” dolls.  Now, Rose lives in an below-average apartment with her cousin, Jay.  After Jay disappears, Rose is forced to confront how her past shaped her present and what her life will be going forward.

THE LOWDOWN:  Flower Girls will get a high grade from this review, which it might not get under other circumstances.  It is not highly polished like a comic book from a big publisher, but what it lacks in polish, it makes up for in heart, soul, and artistic ambition.

This digital comic book is filled with a sense of love and magic.  The love is in the way Francesca Lyn tells this story, exploring and searching for a way to convey Rose's own searching and yearning.  There is love in everything that Sally Cantirino does to create the graphics for this comic – from the illustrations and lettering to the toning and the two-color and color shifts.  Cantirino makes this feel like a handmade comic book coming into existence before our very eyes.

Flower Girls is also infused with a sense of wonder and with magic.  Sometimes, storytelling about magic feels bereft of the very thing it seeks to define or convey.  Sometimes, the magic seems mechanical, as through the science of computer-generated effects.  This is not the case with Lyn and Cantirino's comic.  Flower Girls, a tale of lost magic, is like a book of magic with its sense of mystery and its dream-like and mystical moments and flourishes.

I would like to see more Flower Girls or, at least, more work from Lyn and Cantirino as a creative team.  At $3, Flower Girls is a bargain for fans of fantasy comic books.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of magical girl manga will want to read Flower Girls.

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

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

Flower Girls can still be purchased as digital comic at Gumroad or at https://gumroad.com/l/lZJGn

http://www.francescalyn.com/

https://x.com/francescalyn

https://srcantirino.carbonmade.com/

https://sallycantirino.com/

The text is copyright © 2026 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: CONAN THE BARBARIAN #11

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #11 (2023)

TITAN COMICS/Heroic Signatures

STORY: Jim Zub

ART: Roberto de la Torre

COLORS: Diego Rodriguez

LETTERS: Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith of Comicraft

EDITOR: Chris Butera

COVER: Alex Horley

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Richard Pace; Sean Galloway; Alex Horley

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2024)

Suggested for mature readers

“The Age Unconquered” Part III: “Call From the Depths”

Conan the Cimmerian was born in the pulp fiction of Robert E. Howard (REH), first appearing in the magazine, Weird Tales (1932).  In 1970, Marvel Comics brought Conan to the world of comic books via the title, Conan the Barbarian. With only a few pauses, Conan comic books have been published for the better part of five decades.

Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures are the new producers of Conan comic books, and they launched a new Conan the Barbarian series in 2023.  The current story arc is written by Jim Zub; drawn by Roberto de la Torre; colored by Diego Rodriguez; and lettered by Richard Starkings and Comicraft.  Entitled “The Age Unconquered,” this arc finds Conan's body and/or soul transported 80,000 years into the past

Conan the Barbarian #11 (“Call From the Depths”) opens in the dreams and reveries of Conan, where he converses with Yag-kosha.  The wise alien, worshiped by some as a god, has a lot to say about Conan's fate.  It is a fate that has found Conan tens of thousands of years in the past – back to the time of Kull of Atlantis (also known as “Kull the Conqueror”) and Brule the Spear-slayer, a time know as the “Thurian Age.”

Now, Conan finds himself swept up in Kull's journey to find the source of the darkness that threatens his kingdom.  Kull believes the source of the darkness is in Atlantis, the land of his birth, but upon arrival, Conan and Kull found an abyss into which they now travel.  Unexpected terrors await, including one of Kull's most infamous adversaries.

THE LOWDOWN:  Titan Comics has been providing me with PDF copies of their publications for review for several years now.  Conan the Barbarian #11 is one of them.

I am so far behind in my reviews of Titan and Heroic Signatures' Conan the Barbarian comic book series that some of you, dear readers, already know what fate awaits Conan, Kull, and Brule.  However, I am enjoying my slow roll through the narrative wonders of writer Jim Zub.  The confab he fashions between Conan and Yag-kosha is one of the best sequences in a Conan comic book that I have read in years.  Patience and conversation can be a good thing even in a violent fight comic book such as Conan the Barbarian.

Artist Roberto de la Torre, with his haunted illustrations, makes this series hum with his storytelling that recalls the vintage wonders of weird fiction.  Mixing the aesthetic elements and graphical styles of Frank Frazetta, Al Williamson, and John Buscema, de la Torre has made “The Age Unconquered” seem as if it is a story arc that has really been called from the depths of time.  Diego Rodriguez's colors enhance the Stygian and infernal wonders of this third chapter of the arc, and I love that Richard Starking's stark lettering completes the classic comic book vibe.

“The Age Unconquered” may end up conquering us, dear readers, as it carries us to a new direction for Conan the Barbarian.  I believe that I should be begging you, dear readers, to read this series.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Conan comic books absolutely must read Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures' Conan the Barbarian.

[This comic book includes the essay, “The Real Thulsa Doom: Skull-Faced Sorcerer of the Thurian Age” the eleventh installment of Conan/Howard essays by Jeffrey Shanks.  The second text piece is “Know, O... Er... Oh Prince...” by Shanks.]

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

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

This story arc is collected in the trade paperback, CONAN THE BARBARIAN: THE AGE UNCONQUERED VOL. 3, which you can obtain at Amazon.

https://titan-comics.com/

https://x.com/ComicsTitan

https://www.instagram.com/titancomics/

https://www.facebook.com/ComicsTitan

The text is copyright © 2025 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).

#IReadsYou Anime Review: GHOST IN THE SHELL

Ghost in the Shell (1996) – U.S. English dub release

Running time:  83 minutes (1 hour, 23 minutes)

MPAA – R

DIRECTOR:  Mamoru Oshii

WRITER:  Kazunori Ito, based upon the graphic novel by Masamune Shirow

PRODUCERS:  Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, Ken Iyadomi, Ken Matsumoto, and Yoshimasa Mizuo

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Hisao Shirai (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Shuichi Kakesu

COMPOSER:  Kenji Kawai

ANIME/SCI-FI/ACTION

Starring:  (English dub voices) Mimi Wood, Richard Epcar, Christopher Joyce, William Frederick, Ben Isaacson, Abe Lasser, and Hank Smith

Kokaku kidotai is a 1995 sci-fi, cyberpunk, and action-thriller anime film from director Mamoru Oshii.  It is best known by its English title, Ghost in the Shell.  This animated film is based on the manga, Ghost in the Shell, from creator, Masamune Shirow.  Ghost in the Shell the film follows a cyborg policewoman and her partner as they hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called “the Puppet Master.”

Some aficionados consider the film, Ghost in the Shell, to be the second greatest anime (Japanese animation) film of all time behind the venerable Akira.  However, at the time of its release, Ghost in the Shell so stunned audiences with its futuristic look and dazzling blend of traditional and computer animation that some people considered it to be the future of anime and also the top achievement in the history of anime.

Ghost in the Shell opens in the year 2029.  A female cyborg cop, Major Motoko (Mimi Woods), and her partner, Batou (Richard Epcar), hunt a mysterious and powerful computer hacker called “The Puppet Master” (Abe Lasser).  In the year 2029, society is information driven, and humans are connected on a mass basis to an omnipresent interactive information network.

Sophisticated criminals are hacking into the network, so the government forms “Section 9,” which is led by powerfully advanced cyborgs like Motoko, who hunt the hackers.  But in order to discover the secrets of the Puppet Master, Motoko will have to unravel the secrets of “Project 2501.”

Ghost in the Shell's story can get a little confusing at times.  The writer of the manga upon which this movie is based put a lot of thought and research into his project.  The “ghost” of the title is a soul or psyche, and the “shell” of the title is the body of the cyborg.  I would suggest, dear readers, that you pay close attention and follow the dense social, political, and philosophical ideas of the film.  In fact, this Ghost in the Shell anime was one of the smarter, science fiction movies of its time, granted that it does occasionally get ahead of itself and spews too many ideas.

As good as the story and script are, the grand achievement of this film is its animation.  Anime filmmakers have been ahead of everyone else in animating the human figure in a dramatic context.  No one really approaches the grace and the artistry of movement in the animated humans in Disney film, but Japanese animators have done excellent work in creating animated figures that move with fantastic bursts of energy during action sequences that depict sword duels, gunfights, martial arts and hand to hand combat, and wielding great arcs of eldritch and magical energy.

The quality of Ghost in the Shell’s car chases and gunfights rival those found in big, budget live action films, which makes this film feel bracing and invigorating.  The beauty of both the hand rendered animation and computer animation totally captures the power of action and movement.  Ghost in the Shell is explosive eye candy; imagine the artistry of Disney matched with the intensity of a James Cameron action flick.

Fans of anime and of science fiction love this film, but it is something special,  So it should be enjoyed by people who love film and spectacular cinematic achievement.

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

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

The text is copyright © 2026 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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