#IReadsYou Review: LOVE AND ROCKETS VOL. IV #4

LOVE AND ROCKETS VOL. IV #4

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

CARTOONISTS: Gilbert Hernandez; Jaime Hernandez

EDITOR: Eric Reynolds

COVER: Gilbert Hernandez

BACK COVER: Jaime Hernandez

VARIANT COVER: Jaime Hernandez

36pp, B&W, $4.99 U.S. (November 2017)

Love and Rockets is the seminal alternative comic book series produced by brothers, Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez.  It has been published since 1982 by Fantagraphics Books, where it started out as a magazine-sized comic book that ran for 50 issues (1983 to 1996).  It later returned for a 20-issue run as a standard-sized comic book, (Vol II, 2001-2007), and then, it became an annual graphic novel series which ran for eight volumes, Love and Rockets: New Stories (Vol. III, 2008-2016).  [It is important to note that Gilbert and Jaime do not collaborate, and that each brother has his own characters and stories.]

In late 2016, Love and Rockets Vol. IV returned the series to its comic magazine format that fans of the original series fell in love with and probably still love and prefer.  I prefer the original format, but I understand that for various reasons the brothers and publishers felt the need to initiate format changes at different times.

Under a front cover by Gilbert, Love and Rockets Vol. IV #4 offers six stories and vignettes, two by Gilbert (Beto) and four by Jaime.  The issue opens with Gilbert's “Since I Don't Love You,” which finds Pipo Jiminez deciding if she will travel to Palomar for the funeral of Soledad Marquez.  The rest of a story is a flashback covering the horrible consequences of the love triangle involving Pipo and Soledad & Manuel (stars of the original L&R story, “Heartbreak Soup”).  Later, Killer and Chino take an overview of Killer's... eccentric movie career as she embarks on a singing career.

On the Jaime side of things, the “Locas” girls' punk reunion has come to an end, but Jaime offers a trip back to 1979 and the days of the young punk Locas and Maggie's burgeoning crush on Hopey.  Plus, while Maggie's away, Doyle will play, but his playmate, Sonny, specializes in wearing out his welcome.  Plus, Doyle learns about the “brick guy” who almost killed him by attempting to smash in his head.  There is also some classic, Jaime sci-fi, as sisters Lumina and Isla reunite as the Anima situation turns more intense.

THE LOWDOWN:  I have not read an issue of Love and Rockets Vol. IV in almost five years, and that was Love and Rockets Vol. IV #3, which was at least two years old when I read it.  I just finished reading #4, which was published in 2017.  My, has time passed, but the passing has not confused me when it comes to Love and Rockets, especially as much of this issue is set in the time period the series covered during the first decade of its original run.

Gilbert's tale, “Since I Don't Have You,” recalls the heartbreak that is one of the defining characteristics of the fictional Mexican village of Palomar (the setting of many of Gilbert's stories) and the lives of its denizens.  Jaime's 1979 flashback recalls the Maggie and Hopey with whom I fell in love and the early stories in which Jaime essentially honed his craft.  I have a crush on Doyle, so any story about him, including this one that goes back to his near-death, I welcome with open arms.

I'll say this for sure:  Love and Rockets Vol. IV #4 reminds me that I need to engage another re-read of this series, which means going back to the beginning.  I honestly can't say that issue #4 will attract new readers, but it is chicken soup for the L&R fan's soul.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Love and Rockets will want to read Love and Rockets Vol. IV.

A+

10 out of 10

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

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#IReadsYou Review: THE RUFF AND REDDY SHOW #1

THE RUFF & REDDY SHOW No. 1 (OF 6)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Howard Chaykin
ART: Mac Rey
COLORS: Mac Rey
LETTERS: Ken Bruzenak
COVER: Howard Chaykin with Wil Quintana
VARIANT COVER: Mac Rey
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2017)

Rated “T+” for “Teen Plus”

Ruff and Reddy: A Cautionary Tale in Six Parts Part One

“The Ruff and Reddy Show” (also known as “Ruff and Reddy”) was an animated television series made by Hanna-Barbera Productions (H-B Productions) for NBC.  It was also the first animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera.  “The Ruff and Reddy Show” premiered in December 1957 and ran for fifty episodes until April 1960, comprising three seasons.  “Ruff and Reddy” followed the adventures of Ruff, a smart and steadfast cat, and Reddy, a friendly and brave (but not too bright) dog.

DC Comics has been reinventing and re-imagining classic Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoons in new comic book series since early 2016, the best example being Scooby Apocalypse, which is “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?” with an apocalyptic twist.

“The Ruff and Reddy Show” is the latest classic H-B series to get a DC Comics re-imagining.  The Ruff & Reddy Show is a six-issue comic book miniseries.  It is written by Howard Chaykin; drawn and colored by Mac Rey; and lettered by Ken Bruzenak.

The Ruff & Reddy Show #1 opens in the 1950s and finds America caught between communist/Russia hysteria and the comfort of post-WWII economic prosperity (which white people who are of the Silent Generation or are Baby Boomers call “the good old days”).  On television, “The Ruff and Reddy Show” is a hit, but its stars are not necessarily in the best place.  Ruff and his comedy partner, Reddy, are “celimates,” and neither guy really likes the other.  When everything falls apart, are they ready to try something new to get back to the top of the entertainment mountain?

Considering that this is written by Howard Chaykin, it is surprisingly unimaginative.  The Ruff and Reddy Show also shares a setting that is similar to Satellite Sam (Image Comics), the series Chaykin produced with writer Matt Fraction.  I was somewhat interested in Satellite Sam, but not enough to really seek out the series past the first issue.  I am even less interested in The Ruff and Reddy Show; it just seems like DC Comics is really reaching in its (forced?) effort to re imagine the Hanna-Barbera library.  It seems as if Chaykin favors the lost potential or possibilities of the past (this series and his other work set post-WWII) while holding the actual potential and possibilities of the present in disdain?

Also, the story is lost in all the dark colors and black space created by artist Mac Rey.  Rey's art looks like the work of someone who misunderstands Maurice Noble and uses illustration software to make ugly Maurice Noble-inspired art.  I don't know if I will read the second issue, but I do know that The Ruff & Reddy Show #1 is not worth its $3.99 cover price.

3.5 out of 10

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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#IReadsYou Review: Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #1

HARLEY & IVY MEET BETTY & VERONICA No. 1 (OF 6)
DC COMICS – @DCComics @ArchieComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Paul Dini and Marc Andreyko
ART: Laura Braga
COLORS: Tony Avina and Arif Prianto
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
EDITOR: Kristy Quinn
COVER: Amanda Conner with Paul Mounts
VARIANT COVERS: Adam Hughes
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2017)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

“Costume Drama” Part One

DC Comics villain, Harley Quinn, originated as a character on the animated television series, “Batman: The Animated Series” (FOX Network, 1992).  Created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, Harley debuted in the episode “Joker’s Favor” (September 11, 1992), as a female sidekick of The Joker and his eventual accomplice.  Harley made her first comic book appearance in The Batman Adventures #12 (cover dated: September 1993), DC Comics’ comic book spin-off of the animated series.

Poison Ivy (whose real name is Pamela Lillian Isley) is a DC Comics supervillain and an adversary of Batman.  Created by Robert Kanigher and Sheldon Moldoff, Poison Ivy first appeared in Batman #181 (June 1966).  Beginning in “Batman The Animated Series,” Poison Ivy has been depicted as a close associate and girl pal of Harley Quinn's, probably beginning with the “Batman: The Animated Series” episode “Harley & Ivy” (1993).

Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge are better known as Archie's Girls Betty and Veronica in the world of Archie Comics.  Betty first appeared in Pep Comics #22 (cover dated: December 1941) and Veronica first appeared in Pep Comics #26 (cover dated: April 1942).  The duo are depicted as “best friends and worst enemies” (the original frenemies?) mainly because Veronica, the spoiled daughter of a wealthy man, has been Betty's rival for Archie Andrews affections since she debuted 75 years ago.

DC Comics' Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy and Archie Comics' Betty and Veronica come together in the new six-issue crossover comic book, Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica.  This comic book series is written by Paul Dini and Marc Andreyko; drawn by Laura Braga; colored by Tony Aviña and Arif Prianta; and lettered by Deron Bennett.

Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #1 opens with Hiram Lodge, businessman and industrialist (and Veronica's father), announcing his intention to turn the Riverdale wetlands reserve, Sweetwater Swamp, into a new development.  That development will include the free college, “Lodge University,” and the “shopping, dining, and entertainment destination, “Lodge's Sweetwater Centre.”

Meanwhile, in Gotham City, Poison Ivy isn't taking the announcement of Lodge's plans with any happiness, because she says that Sweetwater Swamp is a unique ecosystem that is home to rare species of plants.  With Harley Quinn in tow, Poison Ivy heads to Riverdale to stop Hiram Lodge.  What these villainous anti-heroines don't realize is that the trip will reveal two rivals who may be more than a match for them, Betty & Veronica.

I am a longtime Archie Comics fan, so I like Betty & Veronica, of course, with a preference for Betty Cooper.  I have mixed feelings, however, for Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy; I can take them or leave them, depending upon the work in which they appear.  And I can leave this comic book.

Yes, Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica is written by two accomplished writers; one of them is the co-creator of Harley and is an Emmy-winning television writer-producer, Paul Dini.  On the other hand, I have found much of Paul Dini's comic book output to be mediocre work, as this seems to be.  I will admit that this comic book has potential, but this first issue is average comic book product.

The art is mediocre, too; artist Laura Braga seems to be doing some kind of unfortunate copy of the style of comic book artist, Adam Hughes, the creative force behind the current Betty & Veronica comic book.  The coloring here represents the bad side of comic book coloring software; the coloring looks like smudged pastels, spoiled milkshakes, and faded candy-coated paint.

I know there is an audience for this, but for two such venerable characters (Betty & Veronica) and two such popular modern characters (Harley & Ivy), a better effort than Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #1 should have been made.

4.5 out of 10

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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#IReadsYou Review: DUCKTALES #1

DUCKTALES No. 1
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Joe Caramagna
ART: Luca Usai; Gianfranco Florio
COLOR: Giuseppe Fontana; Giuseppe Fontana and Dario Calabria
LETTERS: Tom B. Long
COVER: Marco Ghiglione
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Marco Ghiglione; Jeff Smith
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2017)

“DuckTales” was an animated television series that ran from 1987 to 1990.  Produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and Tokyo Movie Shinsha, DuckTales was syndicated to American local television stations and ran for 100 episodes.  The series also yielded a theatrical spin-off movie, DuckTales The Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp.

DuckTales was inspired by and based upon the Uncle Scrooge comics book and other comic books set in the world of Donald Duck that Carl Barks, legendary comic book writer-artist, created mainly from the early 1940s and into the 1960s.  DuckTales proved to be a popular TV series, and within a year of its TV debut, comic books based on DuckTales began to appear.

From 1988 to 1991, there were two DuckTales comic books.  There was a “DuckTales” children's magazine published by Disney, and it featured DuckTales comics.  The digest-sized Disney magazine, Disney Adventures, that included DuckTales comics from 1990 to 1996.  Cable network, Disney XD, revived “DuckTales” in 2017 in a slightly rebooted animated series.  That means that DuckTales returns to comics in a new comic book series from IDW.

DuckTales #1 features two stories.  In “The Chilling Secret of the Lighthouse,” Donald Duck takes a job as a lighthouse keeper, but the lighthouse is in a small desert town.  Now, Donald's three nephews:  Huey, Dewey, and Louie have found out that the legend about a lost underground river may be true.  In “The Great Experiment of the Washing Machine,” the nephews find misadventure in a den of absent-minded professor-inventor-scientist types.

Artist Luca Usai and Gianfranco Florio turn out some nice quirky, modern comic book cartoon art for DuckTales.  Their lite version of the post-new wave, alt-comics graphics is spry and energetic.  The colors by Giuseppe Fontana and Dario Calabria are sharp and keep the art from looking like typical Disney-style comics art.

As for the stories, Joe Caramagna writes both of them.  Both are good ideas, but don't work as 11 and 12-page stories.  Caramagna understands the spirit of Carl Barks and of DuckTales, but is unable to execute the stories as tales of adventure, mystery, and imagination.  They are just not long enough, and are therefore, underdeveloped.  I see DuckTales #1 as a primer for what I hope is to come – 20+ pages stories that recall the Uncle Scrooge comics of Carl Barks.

6.5 out of 10

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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#IReadsYou Review: THE DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA #2

THE DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA No. 2
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER/ARTIST: Howard Chaykin
COLORS: Jesus Aburtov
LETTERS: Ken Bruzenak
COVER: Howard Chaykin with Wil Quintana
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2017)

Rated “M / Mature”

The Divided States of Hysteria is the controversial new comic book series from renowned comic book creator, Howard Chaykin (American Flagg!, Midnight of the Soul).  Chaykin's collaborators include colorist Jesus Aburtov and Chaykin's longtime letterer, Ken Bruzenak.  Published by Image Comics, The Divided States of Hysteria is set in an America that is steadily being destabilized after the assassination of a sitting President and a worst-case terrorist attack that follows.

The Divided States of Hysteria #2 opens after seven pregnant women launched a terrorist attack using nuclear devices and a biological weapon that left much of New York City in ruins.  Ambitious, ladder-climbing, CIA field officer, Frank Villa, is being blamed for the attack because he was supposed to prevent just such a thing from happening.  New President of the United States, Michelle Taylor, fires Villa and contemplates having the Navy SEALs kill him.  Even worse, Villa's wife, two children, and mistress are all dead because of the attack.

Now, Chandler Vandergylt, CEO of private prison corporation, River Run, Inc., is giving Villa a chance to help President Taylor help the country.  And four mass killers: Henry John Noone, Christopher Michael Silver, Paul Evan Berg, and Cesare John Nacamulli, are going to help Villa help the President pull the country back together!

In his afterword to the second issue, Howard Chaykin says (basically) that if you don't like what he is doing in his new comic book, The Divided States of Hysteria, don't buy “the fucking book.”  Ah, if only it were that easy.  People are drawn to controversy, and this comic book is controversial.  Just recently, Chaykin and Image Comics had to withdraw the cover art for the as-yet-unpublished fourth issue of this series after releasing an image of it as preview material for North American comic book distributor, Diamond Distributors.

See... this is not the 1980s when fannish comic book reviewers like Don and Maggie Thompson and R.A. Jones ran interference for Chaykin when people criticized Chaykin's legendary 1980s comic book, American Flagg! for, among other things, violence, racism, and objectifying women.  [I think R.A. Jones even said he wished someone would objectify him.]  Now, we have what we did not have in the 1980s, social media.  Social media can amplify the voices of critics to the point that even the baddest, do-what-the-fuck-I-want comic book creator has to back down more than he ever thought he would.  The Divided States of Hysteria is not going to get the honeymoon American Flagg! got.

All that aside, The Divided States of Hysteria is a surprisingly, really good comic book.  It has a plausible, near-future, semi-dystopian scenario, and the second issue is a little more clear on who the players are, what's going on, and what might happen going forward.

I do think that Chaykin and (judging by this issue's letters' page) some of his readers are a bit naive about the divided state of America.  America is a place divided by race, class, ethnicity, religion, etc. in its foundation.  The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution may say a lot of things, but at the end of the day, a lot of people don't believe that people whom they don't like are equal to them, nor should they be treated that way.  There may have been times when the majority of White people in America were united.  There may indeed have been times when a few Black people joined them, but the truth is that certain people were not allowed by the majority to join in on this unity.

The continuation of the bondage of African slaves and their descendants; the displacement of native tribes and the theft of their lands; and the limit of the franchise all basically established divisions in this country from its beginning.  Billy Joel is right:  we didn't start the fire.  The divided states of hysteria is not an accident.  It was a deliberately laid foundation.  Rewriting history and pretending that there was a time when ALL of us were united as a county is not a reality; it is a part of an agenda.

I am not really interested in the points behind The Divided States of Hysteria... for now.  I choose to enjoy it as near-future science fiction comic book with potential, rather than as a declaration of how we should be.

8.5 out of 10

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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Review: THE KAMANDI CHALLENGE #4

THE KAMANDI CHALLENGE No. 4 (OF 12)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: James Tynion IV
ART: Carlos D'Anda
COLORS: Gabe Eltaeb
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Paul Pope with Lovern Kindzierski
VARIANT COVER: Carlos D'Anda
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2017)

Rated “T” for Teen

Kamandi created by Jack Kirby

“The Wild Wondrous West”

Created by Jack Kirby, Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth was a comic book series published by DC Comics in the 1970s.  Running from 1972 to 1978, the series starred Kamandi, a teenaged boy in a post-apocalyptic future.  In this time, humans have been reduced back to savagery in a world ruled by intelligent, highly evolved animals.

Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth #1 (cover dated: October 1972) opens some time after a huge event called “The Great Disaster,” which wiped out human civilization.  In “Earth A.D.” (After Disaster), many animals have become humanoid, bipedal, and sentient, and also possess the power of speech. These newly intelligent animal species have equipped themselves with weapons and technology salvaged from the ruins of human civilization and are constantly at war in a struggle for territory.

The world of Kamandi returns in the DC Comics miniseries, The Kamandi Challenge, bringing together 14 teams of writers and artists.  Each issue will end with an cliffhanger.  The next creative team will resolve that cliffhanger left behind by the previous creative team, before creating their own story and cliffhanger, which the next creative team after them will have to resolve... and so on.  The fourth issue of The Kamandi Challenge is written by James Tynion IV; drawn by Carlos D'Anda; colored by Gabe Eltaeb; and lettered by Clem Robins.

The Kamandi Challenge #4 (“The Wild Wonderous West”) finds Kamandi and his friend Vila in the clutches of the Jaguar Sun Cult.  The cult members are feeding the pair to the cult's god, “The Great Jaguar,” which is several stories tall.  If they escape this fire, waiting for them is the Kanga Rat Murder Society in the mad, mad, mad Outback.

“The Wild Wondrous West” follows the cliffhanger that ended issue #3's “Bug in Your Ear.”  The Kamandi Challenge #3 packed more punch than the second issue.  However, The Kamandi Challenge #4 lacks the freewheeling fun of the third issue.  After reading the second issue, I suspected that this series could end up being hit and miss, simply because each new issue presented a new creative team, itself presented with the challenge of picking up some other team's story.

I am generally a fan of comic book writer James Tynion IV, especially his work on Batman titles, but I find “The Wild Wondrous West” to be little more than rehashed ideas from the original Planet of the Apes films series.  Artist Carlos D'Anda's work here is more style than storytelling, and Gabe Eltaeb's garish coloring is static in the line of communication between the reader and the story.  I will admit that I do like the last few pages of this story, because this is where the creative team seems to start to sparkle, so I look forward to where this cliffhanger ends up.

Its is not easy for The Kamandi Challenge creative teams in this series to come close to Jack Kirby's original vision of this concept.  The Kamandi Challenge #4 exemplifies that.

[Afterword by Jimmy Palmiotti]

6.5 out of 10

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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#IReadsYou Review: THE KAMANDI CHALLENGE #3

THE KAMANDI CHALLENGE No. 3 (OF 12)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Jimmy Palmiotti
ART: Amanda Conner
COLORS: Paul Mounts
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Ben Caldwell
VARIANT COVER: Amanda Conner with Paul Mounts
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (May 2017)

Rated “T” for Teen

Kamandi created by Jack Kirby

“Bug in Your Ear”

Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth was a comic book series created by Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics.  Running from 1972 to 1978, the series starred Kamandi, a teenaged boy in a post-apocalyptic future.  In this time, humans have been reduced back to savagery in a world ruled by intelligent, highly evolved animals.

Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth #1 (cover dated: October 1972) opens some time after a huge event called “The Great Disaster,” which wiped out human civilization.  In “Earth A.D.” (After Disaster), many animals have become humanoid, bipedal, and sentient, and also possess the power of speech. These newly intelligent animal species have equipped themselves with weapons and technology salvaged from the ruins of human civilization and are constantly at war in a struggle for territory.

The world of Kamandi returns in the DC Comics miniseries, The Kamandi Challenge, bringing together 14 teams of writers and artists.  Each issue will end with an cliffhanger.  The next creative team will resolve that cliffhanger left behind by the previous creative team, before creating their own story and cliffhanger, which the next creative team after them will have to resolve... and so on.  The third issue of The Kamandi Challenge is written by Jimmy Palmiotti; drawn by Amanda Conner; colored by Paul Mounts; and lettered by Clem Robins.

The Kamandi Challenge #3 (“Bug in Your Ear”) opens after Kamandi escaped from Tiger City, but now, he is plunging to his death.  He is rescued by two “Savage Bats” and taken to the “God Watchers.”  Kamandi may start to regret being rescued because the God Watchers think that he is a messenger from their god.

“Bug in Your Ear” follows the cliffhanger that ended issue #2's “Nuclear War.”  The Kamandi Challenge #2 was a fun read, but I thought that it lacked the punch of either of the two stories published in The Kamandi Challenge #1.  The Kamandi Challenge #3 is different; it is both fun to read and it has punch.  It has the elements of a morality tale and is surprisingly thoughtful, and it acts like a series of cliffhangers, big and small.  Some cliffhangers are based on action and threats, but some of the cliffhangers are based on choices that Kamandi will make from a moral or philosophical point of view.

I have been a fan of many of the stories that Jimmy Palmiotti has written, so I am saying good things about his work here with some favoritism.  Artist Amanda Conner and colorist Paul Mounts are a dream team.  Her drawings are always filled with nice background and environmental details that offer something new upon second and third viewings.  Mounts rich colors are simply eye candy, as they shimmer and even pop off the page.

Jack Kirby had a seemingly boundless imagination, and it will be hard for the creative teams in this series to come close to Kirby's vision.  At least, The Kamandi Challenge #3 shows some inventiveness, and it is the kind of issue that will keep me reading this series.

A-

[Afterword by Neal Adams]

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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#IReadsYou Review: THE DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA #1

THE DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA #1
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER/ARTIST: Howard Chaykin
COLORS: Jesus Aburtov
LETTERS: Ken Bruzenak
COVER: Howard Chaykin with Wil Quintana
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2017)

Rated “M / Mature”

The Divided States of Hysteria is a new comic book series from renowned comic book creator, Howard Chaykin (American Flagg!, Midnight of the Soul).  Chaykin's collaborators include colorist Jesus Aburtov and Chaykin's longtime letterer, Ken Bruzenak.  Published by Image Comics, The Divided States of Hysteria is set in an America that is being destabilized by catastrophic terrorists attacks.

The Divided States of Hysteria #1 opens one month after the elected President of the United States and most of the cabinet were assassinated in an aborted coup d'etat.  The narrative focuses in on Washington D.C. where we meet an ambitious, ladder-climbing, CIA field officer, Frank Villa.  Frank is trying to warn his superiors, including the new President, that a worst-case terrorist attack on D.C. is imminent, but the decision makers would like to analyze the data on Frank's claims before they make big decisions.  Meanwhile, four mass killers: Henry John Noone, Christopher Michael Silver, Paul Evan Berg, and Cesare John Nacamulli, are arrested.

In his afterword to the first issue, Howard Chaykin says (basically) that he thought his new comic book, The Divided States of Hysteria, was dark, but that, in the year since he first announced it, real-world America had turned darker.  Chaykin is obviously referencing a number of events, in particularly that celebrity/public figure/businessman Donald Trump is now President of the United States.  He blames both sides of the left/right political divide.  I tend to blame the fact that the levers of power in this country are mostly attainable through a rigged election system, but let's not talk about that now.

I cannot give The Divided States of Hysteria a grade rating at this time, but I am interested in it.  It is the philosophical, if not spiritual, heir to Chaykin's seminal mid-1980s comic book series, American Flagg!  The Divided States of Hysteria #1 suggests that this series will be an epic narrative told through multiple characters in multiple settings and involving multiple plot lines – like American Flagg!

Chaykin divides the space on each page into three or four rectangles, and those rectangles are sometimes divided by borders or by objects, and sometimes inset panels are added.  Even the word balloons and caption boxes are rectangle-shaped.  Those rectangles are crowed with information (via balloons and boxes) and illustrations and graphics.

To me, graphic and page design create not so much a sense of hysteria as a sense of things being out of control and careening down hill, without breaks.  That is why I'm intrigued at the possibilities of The Divided States of Hysteria, which could be an excellent comic book full of socio-political commentary, satire, and/or criticism, like the great American Flagg!  Or it can end up ambitious but obtuse like Chester Brown's Underwater.

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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Review: LIFEFORMED: Cleo Makes Contact

LIFEFORMED: CLEO MAKES CONTACT
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Matt Mair Lowery
ART: Cassie Anderson
LETTERS: Cassie Anderson
COVER: Cassie Anderson
ISBN: 978-1-50670-177-6; paperback; 6” x 9” (September 13, 2017)
192pp, Color, $12.99 U.S., $$17.50 CAN (September 2017 – First printing)

Age range: 12; Genre Science Fiction, Action/Adventure

Lifeformed: Cleo Makes Contact is a young adult, science fiction graphic novel from writer Matt Mair Lowery and artist Cassie Anderson.  A paperback original, this graphic novel was first published by Dark Horse Comics in September 2017.  Lifeformed: Cleo Makes Contact follows an 11-year-old orphan and the shape-shifting alien she befriends as they travel the countryside in the wake of an alien invasion... and fight back.

Cleo Elward can be described as the typical 11-year-old girl on the verge of teen brat-hood.  Her single-father, Alex Elward, is loving, doting, and involved; the two of them are making the best of life.  Then, suddenly, unbelievably, the sky is filled with strange airships, heralding an alien invasion, and Alex is killed during first wave of the attack.

Just as suddenly, an alien arrives and approaches Alex Elward's body and then shifts its form so that it resembles Cleo's father.  Aided by this alien shape-shifter, who turns out to be a rebel, Cleo escapes the invasion by traveling the countryside.  It is not long, however, before she must join “alien dad” in fighting the invaders.  Can Cleo work through her grief and find the courage to fight back?

Earlier this year, Matt Mair Lowery, the author of Lifeformed: Cleo Makes Contact, made contact with me via Twitter.  He offered me a PDF copy of his graphic novel for review.  I was surprised that I had never heard of it, as I have been perusing Diamond Distributors weekly comics shipping list and posting it on my blogs and at the Comic Book Bin for almost a decade.

I am glad that Lowery reached out to me because he and artist Cassie Anderson have created in Lifeformed: Cleo Makes Contact one of the best young adult graphic novels that I have read over the last few years.  Lifeformed's themes of courage and choice resonate throughout the narrative, and the story ponders the questions of what it means to be human without being heavy-handed.

Cassie Anderson's illustrations and graphical storytelling are powerfully dramatic, but, at the same time, they are lively and colorful, going down the old gullet of the reader's imagination smoothly.  Anderson's clean drawing style is easy on the eyes, but also depicts the characters' emotions in a varied manner that gives the characters' personalities depth.  I found myself in love with these characters, and Cleo is even more lovable when she is being annoying and bratty.  That is the joy in reading Lifeformed – loving the heroes and being intrigued by the villains.

I hope young readers discover Lifeformed: Cleo Makes Contact.  It is not to late to discover this enjoyable YA comic book, Lifeformed: Cleo Makes Contact.

8 out of 10

Cassie Anderson:
cassieanderson@wwdb.org
https://twitter.com/CassieDoesArt

Matt Mair Lowery:
mattmlpdx@lifeformedcomic.com
https://twitter.com/mattmlpdx
http://www.lifeformedcomic.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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Review: KINGPIN #1

KINGPIN No. 1 (2017)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Matthew Rosenberg
ART: Ben Torres
COLORS: Jordan Boyd
LETTERS: VC's Travis Lanham
COVER: Jeff Dekal
VARIANT COVERS: Marco Checchetto; Bill Sienkiewicz; Ben Torres; Julian Totino Tedesco; Skottie Young; John Tyler Christopher
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2017)

Rated “T+”

Kingpin created by Stan Lee and John Romita, Sr.

“Born Against”

The Kingpin/Wilson Fisk is a Marvel Comics villain.  He was created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #50 (cover date: July 1967).

The Kingpin is portrayed as one of the most (if not the most) feared and powerful crime lords in Marvel Comics and as the “kingpin” of crime in New York City.  During his run on Daredevil in the early 1980s, writer-artist Frank Miller depicted the Kingpin as a master schemer and cold-blooded murderer who stayed beyond the reach of the law.  Personally, I think Miller is the creator that defined Kingpin more than anyone else.

Kingpin is the new comic book series that chronicles the new adventures of Wilson Fisk.  It is written by Matthew Rosenberg; drawn by Ben Torres; colored by Jordan Boyd; and lettered by Travis Lanham.

Kingpin #1 (“Born Against”) introduces Sarah Dewey, a down on her luck writer, reporter, and journalist.  She has staked some of her remaining credibility on chronicling what she hopes will be the rise of a promising boxer, Orlando Perez.  She gets a break when a powerful man asks her to write his tell-all memoir – warts and all.  However, Sarah does not think she is the right person to write the story of Wilson Fisk... even if he won't take “No” for an answer.

It would be lazy of me to say that Kingpin #1 is “awful” or “terrible.”  Instead, I can simply say that it does not seem like the work of professional comic book creators, although, considering how and why comic book professionals often get assignments, I guess that isn't saying much either.  Still, this is such lazy, uninspired, unimaginative writing on the part of Matthew Rosenberg.  If he had a “Eureka!” moment before he wrote this, I am sad for him.

Now, the art is actually terrible.  Ben Torres does not have the compositional chops to draw for Marvel Comics, and yes, I know.  Marvel's standards for comic book artists have been and still are inconsistent at best.  Right now, Torres is certainly ready for semi-pro-zine work (if such a thing still exists).  I can see him drawing for small press, black and white publishers or self-published webcomics, but he ain't ready for prime time.  Oh, he has potential, but he has not reached it, yet.

Marvel's overall publishing program treats the North American comic book market like a flood plain in need of a flood.  With so many comic books to publish and likely budgetary constraints, the need for low-page-rate artists means artists like Ben Torres – amateurs who are technically not amateurs because a Diamond Distributors premiere publisher is willing to give them paying assignments.

Yeah... I'm not coming back to this, no.

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 or syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: THE KAMANDI CHALLENGE #1

THE KAMANDI CHALLENGE No. 1 (OF 12)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Dan Didio; Dan Abnett
PENCILS: Keith Giffen; Dale Eaglesham
INKS: Scott Koblish; Dale Eaglesham
COLORS: Hi-Fi
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Bruce Timm
VARIANT COVER: Keith Giffen with Hi-Fi; Dale Eaglesham with Jason Wright
40pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (March 2017)

Rated “T” for Teen

Kamandi created by Jack Kirby

“The Rules” and “K -- is for 'Kill'!”

Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth was a comic book created by writer-artist Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics. The series, which ran from 1972 to 1978, starred Kamandi, a teenaged boy in a post-apocalyptic future, in which humans have been reduced back to savagery in a world ruled by intelligent, highly evolved animals.

Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth #1 (cover dated: October 1972) opens some time after a huge event called “The Great Disaster,” which wiped out human civilization.  In “Earth A.D.” (After Disaster), many animals have become humanoid, bipedal, and sentient, and also possess the power of speech. These newly intelligent animal species have equipped themselves with weapons and technology salvaged from the ruins of human civilization and are constantly at war in a struggle for territory.

The world of Kamandi returns in the new DC Comics miniseries, The Kamandi Challenge, bringing together 14 teams of writers and artists.  Each issue will end with an cliffhanger.  The next creative team will resolve that cliffhanger before creating their own, which the next creative team after them will have to resolve... and so on.

The Kamandi Challenge #1 opens with “The Rules” by the team of writer Dan DiDio and artists Keith Giffen and Scott Koblish.  In a pastoral borough, a teenage boy awakens, late for the school bus.  Rushing to school, everything seems normal until the sky cracks opens and giant talking rats attack, revealing that nothing is what he thought it was.

“K -- is for 'Kill'!” is by the second creative team of writer Dan Abnett and artist Dale Eaglesham.  The story places the boy, Kamandi, in a world full of animals that walk and talk like humans.  Specifically in “Tiger City,” our young hero is thrown into the arena of blood sport and he must survive the giant man-ape, “Tiny”

I don't follow the part of the comic book Internet that breaks news about new comic book projects, not like I used to do.  I think I need to start again because I only recently heard about The Kamandi Challenge, and after reading The Kamandi Challenge #1, I know it would have been sad to have missed this fantastic first issue.

Telling a complete story in a single comic book might seem like a lost art in these last three decades of multi-issue story arcs produced in order to be collected into trade paperbacks – sometimes called graphic novels – for the bookstore market.  However, the two creative teams in The Kamandi Challenge #1 prove that they can tell a story that seems complete – even with a cliffhanger ending – in a single issue.

DiDio-Giffen-Koblish's 12-page introduction works as a standalone story and is a nice homage to Jack Kirby's visual and graphical art style.  I also wonder if the borough, burg, town depicted in the opening chapter is an homage to the early 20th century New York City in which Jack Kirby grew up.

The Abnett-Eaglesham team ably picks up the DiDio-Giffen-Koblish cliffhanger from “The Rules” and delivers a gem in “K -- is for 'Kill'!”  Dan Abnett turns his story into a flight of fancy set in world that is part old-school, EBR-style, pulp science fiction and part Planet of the Apes.  Using powerful, muscular compositions, Dale Eaglesham delivers art and storytelling that conveys both the bizarre nature of a world ruled by humaoid animals and the threat of weapons of mass destruction in a post-apocalyptic world that does not understand these lethal relics of war from the distant past.

It's obvious, isn't it?  I really enjoyed reading The Kamandi Challenge #1.  I can't wait for the second issue and I recommend this one.  It is the fun-to-read comic book for “all-ages” that many comic book readers keep saying they want.

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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#IReadsYou Review: JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD #1

JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD No. 1 (OF 6)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Joshua Williamson
ART: Jason Fabok
COLORS: Alex Sinclair
LETTERS: Rob Leigh
COVER: Joshua Fabok with Alex Sinclair
VARIANT COVERS: Amanda Conner with Laura Martin; Gary Frank with Brad Anderson
40pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2017)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

The Justice League is the greatest superhero team in the world (at least, in the DC Comics universe).  The Suicide Squad is the deadliest team of super-powered individuals on the planet.  Now, these two teams clash in DC Comics' event, crossover miniseries, Justice League vs. Suicide Squad.  Published weekly, this series is written by Joshua Williamson; drawn by Jason Fabok; colored by Alex Sinclair; and Rob Leigh.

Justice League vs. Suicide Squad #1 opens in Death Valley, California for some deadly doings at The Catacombs, the most top secret prison in the world.  But the main action is in the nation of Badhnisia.  That is where we find Deadshot, Captain Bommerang, El Diablo, Enchantress, Killer Croc, Killer Frost, and Harley Quinn.  They are Amanda Waller's “Task Force X,” also known as “Suicide Squad,” and they are there to stop a super-powered zealot from destroying the nation as part of some kind of vague, but ominous religious rite.

The execution of said mission draws the attention of the Justice League:  Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, Flash, and Green Lantern-Simon Baz and Green Lantern-Jessica Cruz.  They are ready to shut Task Force X down for good.  Let's get ready to rumble!  Wait!  Another bad-ass group wants to join the fun.

I could be cynical about Justice League vs. Suicide Squad, but to be honest, I wanted to read this as soon as I heard about it.  So how is Justice League vs. Suicide Squad#1.  It's good with some nice slow boiling and building of tension, but it only teases the climax.  This first issue suggests that the entire six-issue series won't be padded with extraneous scenes in order to get to six issues – at least it seems that way.

It's OK to like this even if you aren't the biggest superhero comic book fan or reader.  C'mon, you know you want it.  The Justice League and the Suicide Squad were bound to tangle; it's only natural.  Also, series artist Jason Fabok is proving that he can handle drawing and storytelling in big superhero comics with big characters and even bigger stories, and I like looking at his art.  Hey, gotta run.  I have a few more issues of this series to read.

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


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

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Review: ELENORA MANDRAGORA: Daughter of Merlin

ELENORA MANDRAGORA: DAUGHTER OF MERLIN
IDW PUBLISHING/EuroComics – @IDWPublishing

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Severine Gauthier
ART: Thomas Labourot
TRANSLATION: Edward Gauvin
COLORS: Grelin & Thomas Labourot
LETTERS: Ron Estevez
COVER: Thomas Labourot
EDITORS: Justin Eisinger and Alonzo Simon
ISBN:  978-1-68405-008-6; hardcover – 8¼”  x 10¾” (November 8, 2017)
60pp, Color, $14.99 U.S., $19.99 CAN

Age 10-17; Grades 5-12

Elenora Mandragora: Daughter of Merlin is a full color, hardcover graphic novel recently published by IDW Publishing.  Written by Severine Gauthier and drawn by Thomas Labourot, Elenora Mandragora: Daughter of Merlin is French comic book originally published as a graphic album, entitled Aliénor Mandragore – Merlin est mort, vive Merlin! by Paris-based publisher, Rue de Sèvres.  The IDW edition has a trim size of 8¼”  x 10¾” and comes in at 60-pages long.

Elenora Mandragora: Daughter of Merlin focuses on Elenora, the daughter of Merlin the wizard.  Merlin is the greatest druid in the forest of Broceliande, and he spends most of his time in his “Mushroomery,” a dank and dark place in the woods where a variety of mushrooms grow.  Elenora lives with her father, but the impish and undisciplined girl has no interest in “druiding,” which her father insists on teaching her.  Elanora has no talent for magic.

That all changes one day when Elenora does something that kills her father.  However, Merlin's ghost is determined not to stay dead, and it falls on Elenora to befriend the one person who may have the ability to revive Merlin.  That would be her father's greatest rival, Morgana the fairy magician and sorceress.

IDW's press materials for Elenora Mandragora: Daughter of Merlin compares this graphic novel to the work of legendary creators of stories for children:  author Roald Dahl; animated filmmaker, Hayao Miyazki; and American legend and mogul, Walt Disney.  I am quite versed in Miyazaki and Disney, but I have only read two Dahl books (that I remember), and with that experience, I can still say that IDW is not far off with such comparisons.

Elenora Mandragora: Daughter of Merlin is a fantastic comic book and original graphic novel.  I think middle school students who read fantasy literary will likely enjoy this.  I think older teens and high school students familiar with comic books will also enjoy this graphic novel.

It is not perfect; there are some oddly extraneous characters in the story, characters I am assuming will be important in later Elenora Mandragora adventures.  However, the three core characters:  Elenora, Merlin, and Morgana form a solid trinity of motivations, desires, conflicts, rivalries, back story, and endearment.  They are the powerful engine that drive this engaging and magical story of fathers and daughters and mentors and students.  This is a love triangle, of sorts, that propels this wonderfully inventive comic book.

Elenora Mandragora: Daughter of Merlin is infused with a sense of magic, and the setting is a place to which you will want to return, even if only in your dreams.  And the characters – you will want to visit with them again... and again.

9 out of 10
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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#IReadsYou Book Review: MISSISSIPPI BLOOD

MISSISSIPPI BLOOD
HARPERCOLLINS/William Morrow – @HarperCollins @WmMorrowBks

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Greg Iles
ISBN: 978-0-06-231115-3; hardcover (March 21, 2017)
704pp, B&W, $28.99 U.S., $35.99 CAN

Mississippi Blood is a 2017 novel written by author Greg Iles.  It is the third novel in Iles' Natchez Burning trilogy, following Natchez Burning (2014) and The Bone Tree (2015).  In this final novel, Penn Cage must bear witness to the trial of the century, as far as the people in and around Natchez, Mississippi, are concerned – the trial of his father, Dr. Tom Cage, for murder.

As Mississippi Blood opens, Penn is still mourning the death of his bride-to-be, Caitlin Masters, but he will have to put his grief on hold.  His father's trial for the recent murder or “mercy killing” of Viola Turner is about to begin.  Viola was the African-American woman who was once one of Dr. Cage's nurses; she was also his lover in the 1960s and bore him a love child.  That child is now an adult, the vengeful Lincoln.  On one side of the trial is Shadrach K. Johnson, the Natchez district attorney who is determined to get a conviction against Dr. Tom Cage in order to settle old score.  On the other side is one of the most famous defense attorneys in Mississippi, the legendary African-American lawyer and courtroom magician, Quentin Avery.

Right from the start, however, Penn realizes that Quentin and his father have concocted some kind of cock-eyed plan in which they seem to let Shadrach score every point he wants with the jury and with the no-nonsense Judge Joe Elder.  Could his father want to be convicted, Penn wonders and worries?  Meanwhile, the last vestiges of the vicious Ku Klux Klan offshoot, the Double Eagles, continue to hover at the edges of this trial.

Penn believes that longtime Double Eagle, Snake Knox, is really behind Viola's murder.  Snake also has a score to settle, as Penn recently killed his nephew, Forrest Knox, the son of the Eagles' founder (the late Frank Knox) and a high-ranking, but corrupt officer in the Louisiana State Police.  Now, the secret histories of two families will be revealed as Penn and Lincoln race towards a final showdown with Snake and his crew.  And even that may not save Dr. Tom Cage from prison.

I wrote in my review of Natchez Burning that it was probably the best 862-page novel that I had ever read.  The Bone Tree is one of the best almost-900-pages-long novel that I have ever read.  So Mississippi Blood is one of the best novels of 700+ pages that I have ever read.

Natchez Burning is a Southern Gothic novel:  violence, racism, sex, blood, family scandal, corrupt cops, and Jim Crow.  The Bone Tree is a Southern-fried crime novel and Deep South historical, complete with drug dealers, corrupt cops, the FBI, the JFK assassination, the mafia, dirty lawyers, dishonest politicians, a hunting lodge, a Texas Ranger, jailbreaks, shocking murders, and a hidden legend in a labyrinthine swamp.

Mississippi Blood is a courtroom drama and a denouement.  Most of the narrative is taken up by Tom Cage's murder trial and the secrets (some decades old) that trial forces into the open.  Greg Iles pulls off something that is difficult in any medium – turn a criminal trial into a thrill-machine that constantly delivers jolts.  Only the television series, “Perry Mason,” of the 1950s and 60s, could make just about every minute of a murder trial hard to ignore.

Seriously, Greg Iles makes the murder trial the centerpiece and bulk of Mississippi Blood.  After the end of the trial, dealing with the leftover racists, particularly Snake Knox, seems like a mere formality.  That is sad because, as long as this novel is (and as long as it took me to read it), I did not want it to end.  You'd think after almost 2500 pages that I would have enough of the Cage family, the Knox family, and Viola Turner (the woman who connects them), but I don't.

Greg Iles is a great American novelist, and with the Natchez Burning trilogy, he has delivered three great American novels set in the great American cauldron that is the part of eastern Louisiana and the part of western Mississippi that is connected by the mighty Mississippi River.  There, stories might end, but they are chapters in a never-ending epic.  Iles' Natchez Burning trilogy is that epic that casts a mighty shadow, and if anyone else attempts an epic set in this region, it will live in that shadow.

If you need another reason to read this fine finale, here it is.  Read Mississippi Blood before the Natchez Burning television series begins.

A
9 out of 10

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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Review: SURFSIDE GIRLS, Book One: The Secret of Danger Point

SURFSIDE GIRLS, BOOK ONE: THE SECRET OF DANGER POINT
IDW PUBLISHING/Top Shelf Productions – @IDWPublishing @topshelfcomix

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

CARTOONIST: Kim Dwinell
EDITOR: Chris Staros
ISBN: 978-1-60309-411-5; paperback (6” x 9”) with French flaps (July 2017)
236pp, Color, $19.99 U.S., $25.99 CAN

Diamond Order Code: APR17-0634

Rating:  Ages Middle-grade (8 to 12 and up)

Surfside Girls, Book One: The Secret of Danger Point is a 2017 full-color graphic novel from cartoonist, animator, and educator, Kim Dwinell.  The first in a new series of graphic novels, The Secret of Danger Point focuses on two middle school girls who find ghosts, strange creatures, and a hometown conspiracy during their summer vacation.

Surfside Girls, Book One opens during the height of summer in the sleepy west coast beach town of Surfside.  We meet 12-year-old Samantha Lynn “Sam” Taylor and her best friend, Jade Lee.  Lately, Jade always seems to be in a fit of giggles whenever she is around boys, and Sam thinks that this is ruining their summer plans to surf and hang-out.

While having fun on the water, Sam discovers a secret underwater cave that surprisingly leads to the cliff-side area known as “Danger Point.”  Sam is even more shocked to discover that Danger Point is occupied by ghosts!  One of the spirits, Mr. Jian Wu, insists that it is Sam's “duty to do what needs to be done.”  What is he talking about?!  Well, Sam needs Jade's help if they are going to get to the bottom of this mystery in time to save their town.

One of the defining moments of my young life was the discovery of the classic Saturday morning animated television series, “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” (1969).  It began a life-long love of mystery fiction, as I moved from youthful mystery to adult stories of crime and mystery-solving.  However, part of me has never let go of Scooby-Doo and mysteries with a supernatural bent.

Surfside Girls, Book One: The Secret of Danger Point recalls Scooby-Doo and his pals (known as “Mystery Inc.”), as well as other classic Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon kid-detectives.  Dwinell's heroines, Sam and Jade, are the plucky, resourceful, meddling kids who never take “No!” for answer and also do what they have to do to get around their parents' admonitions.

The Secret of Danger Point, however, is true and pure comic book.  Kim Dwinell's page design and layout is perfect just about every page.  Panel size and type is just right.  Pages 92 and 93, which recount young pirate Robert's life, are good examples of how design and layout can evoke feelings and emotions in the readers, as well as tell them a story.

Sam and Jade are sparkling, likable characters, the kind young readers will want to follow.  Very few of the supporting characters seem extraneous, and everything in and around the town of Surfside is worth discovering – from beaches and secret caves to neighborhoods and the town square.  These are the ingredients of a great summer graphic novel read, and the sunny colors Dwinell uses in her art could chase away the chill during a winter read.

There is a timeless quality to The Secret of Danger Point.  It is set during a summer vacation that feels endless in a place that is perfect for an endless summer vacation, with supernatural mystery-solving thrown into the mix.  I highly recommend The Secret of Danger Point... for all ages.

A
9 out of 10

www.topshelfcomix.com

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


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

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#IReadsYou Review: "RED RANGE: A Wild Western Adventure"

RED RANGE: A WILD WESTERN ADVENTURE
IDW PUBLISHING/It's Alive – @IDWPublishing

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Joe R. Lansdale
ARTIST:  Sam Glanzman
COLORS: Jorge Blanco and Jok
LETTERS: Douglas Potter
ISBN: 978-1-63140-994-3; hardcover (June 20, 2017)
112pp, Color, $19.99 U.S., $25.99 CAN

This review is based on a copy-for-review of Red Range provided by IDW Publishing, which the author of this review did not request.

Red Range: A Wild Western Adventure is a Western graphic novel written by Joe R. Lansdale and drawn by Sam Glanzman.  It was originally published in 1999 by Mojo Press and apparently was ignored upon its first release.  Lansdale is a prolific novelist and short story writer who has also written numerous comic book stories.  A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, Glanzman has been writing and drawing comic books since the medium's “Golden Age,” beginning with a story published in 1941.  Glanzman is probably best known for his Western and war comics.

It's Alive, an imprint of IDW, is bringing Red Range: A Wild Western Adventure back into print in a new full-color, hardcover edition with colors by Jorge Blanco and Jok and letters by Douglas Potter.  This new edition also includes essays and text pieces by Richard Klaw (Red Range's original publisher) and comics creator and publisher, Stephen R. Bissette.  This volume also includes a black and white comics short story, “I Could Eat a Horse,” written and drawn by Glanzman and first published in Wild West Show (Mojo Press, 1996).

Red Range opens somewhere in Texas (east Texas?) sometime in the 19th century (after the Civil War).  The Ku Klux Klan is in the middle of torturing and murdering a husband and wife, when a shot rings out that kills two of the Klansmen.  After more than half their number has been shot dead in the most brutal ways, the rest of the Klansmen flee in horror.  Who or what scared the bejesus out of them?

It's that notorious, Klan-killing Black vigilante, the Red Mask.  Once he was Caleb Range, a Black man whose wife and son were killed by evil White men before his very eyes.  Now, he is the monster in a Klansman nightmare.  Caleb takes Turon, the son of the Black couple murdered and tortured by the Klan, as his new partner.  Meanwhile, Batiste, Klan leader and survivor of the Red Mask's most recent attack, gathers a crew of morons and murderers into an ersatz posse to hunt and kill the Red Mask and Turon.  However, the final showdown between the Red Mask and Batiste will take them into the wild and wonderful world of the “Weird Western.”

The essayists of the Red Range: A Wild Western Adventure graphic novel apparently hope for some vindication for the apparently initially-ignored graphic novel with its new release.  I don't remember Red Range at all, and I assumed I was both an astute reader and follower of independent comic books at the time.  I don't even remember Red Range's original publisher, Mojo Press, although the name does seem oddly familiar.

The truth is that in 1999, Red Range was way, way ahead of its time.  I had a professor of Shakespeare at LSU who insisted that no one was “ahead of his time.”  Every creative person was “of his time.”  That may be true, but a person of his time can create a work that is ahead of its time, and that is exactly what Joe R. Lansdale and Sam Glanzman did.

My recollection of the 1990s was that there was deep resistance to comic books featuring African-American characters from certain segments of the comics media, comic book retailers, comic book publishers, and comic book readers.  Here comes Red Range with its unapologetic Black male hero who shot White men down as if they were rabid dogs.  The world of American comic books was not ready for what was essentially the marriage of “The Lone Ranger” and Django Unchained, 13 years before Django shot two white men and whooped one's ass before he shot him, early in Quentin Tarantino's Oscar-winning film.

Lansdale gleefully weaves a tale of ultra-violence and unfettered racial hate, and sprinkles the dialogue with racial epithets aplenty.  Glanzman, a master of graphical storytelling, turns Lansdale story into comics storytelling that is filled with gore, but skillfully picks up the sly and shade-throwing humor in Lansdale's writing.

Now, Red Range is ready for the world of American comic books, or is it the other way around?  Social media has given both African-American comic book creators and readers a voice to beat back those trying to hold them back.  The-economy-is-great-and-we're-all-fine, late 20th century America of President Bill Clinton is long gone.  Now, we have the post-President Barack Obama America in which the first Black president of the United States has been replaced by a President who shamelessly courts racists, religious bigots, White separatists, bullies, misogynists, etc.  Donald Trump's appointment as President by the Electoral College woke the naive up... finally.  We are not in a post-racial America.

There are more people in America who are like Batiste, the villain in Red Range, Batiste, than many of us would like to admit.  So it has to be okay for two White men to create fiction that depicts pure-dee, American racism and the fight against it in the most blunt storytelling language.

Lansdale and Glanzman were never over-the-top and mean-spirited, even back in 1999.  Readers simply did not recognize the genius and the A-game of Joe R. Lansdale and Sam Glanzman, who both, at best, probably only had a cult following at the time.  But like the ghosts of Mississippi, Red Range: A Wild Western Adventure is back for justice.  Please, read this graphic novel.  Also, when you consider the high quality and high production values of IDW Publishing's hardcover graphic novels and archival collections, Red Range is a steal... even shop-lifting at the price of $19.95.

A+

This book includes the following text pieces with illustrations:

“When Old is New and New is Old” – Introduction by Richard Klaw
“Beneath the Valley of the Klan Busters” - Afterword by Stephen R. Bissette
“A Brief History of Cowboys & Dinosaurs: Pop Culture Cowpokes & Carnosaurs” essay by Stephen R. Bissette

This book also includes the Sam Glanzman comics short story, “I Could Eat a Horse.”

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


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

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#IReadsYou Review: Dark Knight III: The Master Race #9

DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE No. 9
DC COMICS – @DCComics

STORY: Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello
PENCILS: Andy Kubert
INKS:  Klaus Janson
COLORS: Brad Anderson
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Andy Kubert and Frank Miller with Brad Anderson; Frank Miller with Alex Sinclair
VARIANT COVERS: Jim Lee and Scott Williams with Alex Sinclair; Greg Capullo; Klaus Janson with Alex Sinclair; Frank Quitely; Mikel Janin; Chip Kidd
40pp (plus 16-page insert), Color, $5.99 U.S. (July 2017)

Batman created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger

A nine-issue comic book publishing event, Dark Knight III: The Master Race (also known as DKIII) is the second sequel to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (also known simply as The Dark Knight Returns or DKR).  DKR is the now-legendary 1986 four-issue comic book miniseries written by Frank Miller and drawn by Miller (pencils) and Klaus Janson (inks).  DKR focuses on a 50-year-old Bruce Wayne who comes out of retirement to resume fighting crime as Batman.

DKIII is written by Brian Azzarello and Frank Miller; drawn by Andy Kubert (pencils) and Klaus Janson (inks); colored by Brad Anderson; and lettered by Clem Robins.  In DKIII, Batman unites with Superman to stop a murderous group of people from Superman's home planet, Krypton, from taking over the Earth.  Meanwhile, Superman's daughter with Wonder Woman, Lara, has joined with the murderous Kryptonians, and Carrie Kelley, the former Robin, begins to evolve into the new Batgirl.

As Dark Knight III: The Master Race #9 opens, the “master race” of Kryptonians from the Bottled City of Kandor and their leader, Quar, prepare to make the Earth unlivable in order to punish humanity for not worshiping them.  Enter Green Lantern and the Atom.  Batman has a surprise for Quar and company, but Superman may have the biggest surprise of all.

If I remember correctly, when it announced that DKIII was being extended to nine issues, DC Comics said there was more story to tell (or something like that).  After reading DKIII #9, I don't know if this is so much “more story” as it is an extended action sequence, all of which could have been wrapped up in a double-sized DKIII #8.

After much criticism and complaining about DKIII (with only scattered praise), I had to admit that I thought that DKIII #8 was not only the best issue of the series, but was also a truly good comic book.  DKIII #7 and #8 moved the narrative forward more powerfully than a locomotive, and #9 is nice finale slash coda coming after those two issues.

I think that DKIII #9 also came into existence to prepare the way for more comics set in the world of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.  Rumor has it that DC may have outlines all the way to an eighth miniseries, and I'll probably read them all.  For all the series' unevenness, DKIII #9 has some surprises, like The Atom's pivotal moment and the last page, with its graphic homage to an iconic graphic from DKR.  Plus, I can't resist the eight-page gallery of Adam Kubert and Klaus Janson's art in black and white.  So in the end, I'll recommend Dark Knight III: The Master Race #9.

Dark Knight Universe Presents: Action Comics #1 (Insert comic book)
STORY: Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello
PENCILS: Frank Miller
INKS: Klaus Janson
COLORS: Alex Sinclair
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Frank Miller and Klaus Janson with Alex Sinclair

I have not really enjoyed these mini-comics inserted into the center of each issue of DKIII, but I did like DKIII #7's“Strange Adventures” and #8's “Detective Comics.”  In “Action Comics #1,” Batman provides a narration as we look in on heroes like Aquaman, Green Lantern, Flash, Wonder Woman, and The Atom.  Also, Lara and Carrie Kelley/Batgirl take the next steps in their lives (with Carrie's evolution alluded to at the end of the main story).  “Action Comics #1” is also a nice coda slash prelude to the probable “DKIV” or “DK4.”

B+
7.5 out of 10

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


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

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#IReadsYou Review: DARK KNIGHT III: The Master Race #8

DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE No. 8
DC COMICS – @DCComics

STORY: Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello
PENCILS: Andy Kubert
INKS:  Klaus Janson
COLORS: Brad Anderson
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Andy Kubert with Brad Anderson
VARIANT COVERS: Jim Lee and Scott Williams with Alex Sinclair; Frank Miller with Alex Sinclair; Klaus Janson with Brad Anderson; Bill Sienkiewicz; Riley Rossmo
32pp (plus 16-page insert), Color, $5.99 U.S. (May 2017)

Batman created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger

Dark Knight III: The Master Race (also known as DKIII) is a nine-issue Batman comic book event miniseries.  It is the second sequel to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (also known simply as The Dark Knight Returns or DKR), the 1986 four-issue comic book miniseries written by Frank Miller and drawn by Miller (pencils) and Klaus Janson (inks).  DKR focuses on a 50-year-old Bruce Wayne who comes out of retirement to resume fighting crime as Batman.

DKIII is written by Brian Azzarello and Frank Miller; drawn by Andy Kubert (pencils) and Klaus Janson (inks); colored by Brad Anderson; and lettered by Clem Robins.  DKIII finds Batman united with Superman to stop a murderous group of people from Superman's home planet, Krypton, from taking over the Earth.

Dark Knight III: The Master Race #8 opens with the new Batgirl (Carrie Kelley) witnessing the seeming death of Batman.  However, Superman placed Batman's body in a Lazarus Pit, and now Bruce Wayne is not only alive, but young again.  Meanwhile, the “master race” of Kryptonians from the Bottled City of Kandor invade the home of Wonder Woman's and the Amazons (an island now called “Amazonia”).  The Kryptonians are sure that they will win their fight with the Amazons, but Wonder Woman and her people have something that can match the Superman-like powers of a master race.

After much criticism and complaining about DKIII (with only scattered praise), I have to admit that I think that DKIII #8 is not only the best issue of the series, but it is also a truly good comic book.  DKIII has been wildly inconsistent, but DKIII #7 and #8 move the narrative forward more powerfully than a locomotive.

I don't think... No, I know that I have not had this much fun reading the other issues of DKIII as I had reading #8, although #7, as I've said, is quite good.  Wonder Woman in full battle mode is a beautiful thing, and of course, this story barrels forward because #8 is the penultimate issue (although it was originally intended to be the last issue).  Of note, a younger Bruce Wayne adds fuel to the rumors that many more series set in the DKR universe are to come.

Dark Knight Universe Presents: Detective Comics #1 (Insert comic book)
STORY: Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello
PENCILS: Frank Miller
INKS: Klaus Janson
COLORS: Alex Sinclair
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Frank Miller with Alex Sinclair

I have not really enjoyed these mini-comics inserted into the center of each issue of DKIII, but I did like DKIII #7's“Strange Adventures,” which focuses on Green Lantern and two denizens of Thanagar.  This issue's “Detective Comics” insert is the best of the lot, thus far, and is Frank Miller's best work as an artist for these inserts.  This insert also features some familiar characters and story elements that first appeared in DKR, and that makes me happy.  Plus, this is “To be continued...”

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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Review: A CONTRACT WITH GOD - Centennial Edition

A CONTRACT WITH GOD And Other Tenement Stories
W.W. NORTON & COMPANY – @wwnorton

[This review was originally posted by Patreon.]

CARTOONIST: Will Eisner
ISBN: 978-0-393-60918-9; hardcover (March 7, 2017)
224pp, B&W, $25.95 U.S., $34.95 CAN

Introduction by Scott McCloud; December 2004 Preface by Will Eisner

A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories is an original graphic novel written and drawn by legendary comic book creator, Will Eisner (1917 to 2005).  It was first published in 1978 and is composed of four comic book short stories that revolve around several poor Jewish characters who live in a tenement apartment building in New York City, apparently sometime between World War I and World War II.

A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories (often referred to only as A Contract with God) was not the first graphic novel published in North America, but it was a seminal graphic novel because of its influence on other comic book creators to produce work that was more ambitious than standard superhero fare and children's comics, both in terms of content and format.

2017 marks the centennial of Will Eisner's birth.  In celebration of what would have been Eisner's 100th birthday, W.W. Norton & Company is publishing what is essentially a “Will Eisner Centennial Edition” of A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories.  This new edition is a hardcover book and contains the four stories from A Contract with God reproduced in high-resolution from Eisner's original art boards.  This book also includes “Introduction to the Centennial Edition” by Scott McCloud (a comic book creator and friend of Eisner); the essay “A Brief History of A Contract with God;” and Will Eisner's “Preface,” written in 2004 for a 2005 edition of the book published by Norton.

The narrative of A Contract with God is a short story cycle of four stories.  The stories are mostly set in a tenement at 55 Dropsie Avenue, the Bronx, New York.  Tenements were apartment buildings built to accommodate the flood of immigrants that flowed into New York after World War I.

The title story, “A Contract with God,” opens the book.  It focuses on Frimme Hersh, a devout Hebrew man who grieves the loss of his adopted daughter, Rachele.  Hersh believes Rachele's death is a violation of his “contract with God,” violated by the Almighty himself.  Hersh rebels against his previous life, but years later decides he needs another contract with God.

Eisner's creation of the entirety of A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories was driven by his grief over the loss of his own daughter, Alice, but especially the story, “A Contract with God.”  I think the central message of this story is about man's foolish belief that he can actually not only initiate a contract with God or eternity, but also dictate terms and conditions.  I cannot tell if Eisner wishes to convey acceptance or resignation to fate and God, but the sense of futility is obvious here, while also being wearily hopeful.  Life goes on...

The second story, “The Street Singer,” is set in the 1930s and focuses on Marta Maria (not her birth name), an opera singer who long ago abandoned her career, and a street singer named Eddie.  Their chance meeting gives birth to hopes of a career revival for one and a debut for the other, but a simple error on both their parts endangers their bold plans.

Other than the 10 pages that depict Marta and Eddie's meeting and their sexual and professional consummation, I am not crazy about this story, although I like it.  However, those ten pages contain some of Eisner's best page and individual panel design of his late career as a graphic novelist, especially that two-panel page in which Eddie walks into Marta apartment and then, enters her boudoir.

The third story is “The Super,” which is about Mr. Scruggs, the mean superintendent of the tenement at 55 Dropsie Avenue and his fateful encounter with Rosie, a poppet who might be one of the youngest femme fatales ever in comic books.  I am not a big fan of this story either, but it has some of Eisner's best cartooning of the human figure an exemplified in Mr. Scruggs.

In his post World War II work on his foundational comic book, The Spirit, Eisner frequently showed off his dexterity in cartooning the human figure in motion.  He matches that with the “The Super.”  This story opens with two masterful full-page illustrations, one suggesting Scruggs walking and the other a magnificent pose showing off Mr. Scrugg's physicality and his ability to intimidate using the threat of his physical prowess.

The final of the four stories is “Cookalein.”  The term refers to a kind of resort farm in the Catskill Mountains; 150 miles north of New York City.  City residents went to such places for summer vacations, and in this story, a wife and her two sons travel to a “cookalein” one summer.  However, marital stress lines between the wife and her husband, who will follow his family to the “cookalein” sometime later, grow wider, while the older of their two sons, Willie, has a life altering experience one hot summer night.

I have lost track of how many times I have re-read and perused all four of these stories in whole and in part, especially “Cookalein,” which is one of my all-time favorite Eisner works.  I had long hoped that Eisner would expand on this story, making it a larger, self-contained work or perhaps as a long-running serial featuring all the main characters from the story.

Over my many years of reading articles about A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories, I have come to understand that some comic historians and aficionados consider this work to be the pinnacle of Eisner's career.  I don't.  I consider Eisner's post-WWII work on The Spirit, his comic book published as a newspaper insert during the 1940s and early 1950s, to be his best work.  I do think that A Contract with God is the height of Eisner's comics that are his personal expressions, both as a storyteller and as an artist working in the comics medium.  This graphic novel may also be the best blending of Eisner's expression of pre-World War II Jewish American culture in New York City with his own history as a boy and then as a young man before WWII.

I can say that I love A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories even with my mixed feelings about some of the stories.  In the times that I have read or looked over A Contract with God since Will Eisner's passing, I find myself missing him something fierce... although I never met him.  Anyone who reads graphic novels has not really read graphic novels until he has read A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories.

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 syndication rights and fees.

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