#IReadsYou Review: JAMES BOND: Himeros #3

JAMES BOND: HIMEROS #3
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Pierluigi Minotti
COLORS: Adriano Augusto
LETTERS: Social Myth Studios
EDITOR: Joe Rybandt
COVER: Francesco Francavilla
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Butch Guice; Francesco Francavilla
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2021)

Rated T+

Based on the characters and stories created by Ian Fleming

“James Bond” is a fictional British Secret Service agent created by Ian Fleming, a British writer and novelist.  Fleming introduced James Bond in the 1953 novel, Casino Royale, and featured the character in 12 novels and two short-story collections.  Of course, most people know Bond because of Eon Productions' long-running James Bond-007 film series, which began with the 1962 film, Dr. No.

Over the past 50+ years, Bond has made sporadic appearances in comic books, but Dynamite Entertainment has been steadily publishing James Bond comic books since early 2016.  Their latest James Bond comic book is James Bond: Himeros.  It is written by Rodney Barnes; drawn by Pierluigi Minotti; colored by Adriano Augusto; and lettered by Social Myth Studios.  In Himeros, 007 finds himself caught in a web of powerful people who will kill to keep their child sex trafficking secrets from coming to light.

James Bond: Himeros #3 opens in James Bond's memory – Thailand, three years ago.  He has dealt with sex traffickers in the past.  Now, he must uncover new horrors via billionaire financier and notorious sex trafficker, Richard Wilhelm, who was killed in Her Majesty's Prison Belmarsh, London.  But Wilhelm's secrets did not die with him.  

Now, Wilhelm's right hand man, Sarah Richmond, is the target of arms dealer, Anton Bates, who enjoyed the sex services Wilhelm provided and wants Richmond dead.  Bond is very good at what he does, including protection, but Bates' assassin Kino is proving hard to shake and more than capable of killing Richmond … and Bond.

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is James Bond: Himeros #3, which is one of several Dynamite James Bond comic books I've read.

Writer Rodney Barnes has been slowly building this series.  In Himeros #3, he moves the story off simmer and throws some gasoline on the fire of that story.  From the rumbling volcano of a back story to the the race to escape Miami, Barnes deals in hot, hot, hot.

Last issue, artist Antonio Ruso's art and storytelling came at the readers like lightning-quick punches, capturing all the surprising kinetic action.  Now, the new artist, Pierluigi Minotti, comes with a can of gas to add to Barnes' fuel.  I like this change; it does not disrupt the story and Minotti's art has a style similar to the great Eduardo Risso's (100 Bullets).  Adriano Augusto's colors fit right in with the new artist, capturing both the moods of traditional James Bond fiction and the story's new heat.  “Himeros” is the Greek god of sexual desire, and after reading James Bond: Himeros #3,  dear readers, I desire that you desire it.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of James Bond comic books will want to try James Bond: Himeros.

A

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


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#IReadsYou Review: RED SONJA Black White Red #5

RED SONJA BLACK WHITE RED #5
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Jacob Edgar; Oliver Gerlach; Frank Tieri
ART: Jacob Edgar; Alex Moore; Lee Ferguson
COLORS: Giorgio Spalletta; Alex Moore; Kike J. Diaz
LETTERS: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joshua Sway Swaby; Jae Lee; Lucio Parrillo; Rachel Hollon (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2021)

Rated Teen+

Based on the characters and stories created by Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Robert E. Howard

Conan the Barbarian #23 (cover dated: February 1973) saw the debut of a high fantasy, sword and sorcery heroine, Red Sonja.  Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith, Red Sonja was loosely based on “Red Sonya of Rogatino,” a female character that appeared in the 1934 short story, “The Shadow of the Vulture,” written by Robert E. Howard (1906-1936), the creator of the character, Conan the Cimmerian.

In 2005, Dynamite Entertainment began publishing comic books featuring differing versions of the character.  One of those is Red Sonja Black White and Red, an anthology comic book featuring stories from well known comic book writers and artists, with the art presented in black, white, and red.

Red Sonja Black White and Red #5 is comprised of three stories.  The first is “The Hunted,” which is written and drawn by Jacob Edgar; colored by Giorgio Spalletta; and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elahou.  The second is “The Chill Touch of Sorcery!,” which is written by Oliver Gerlach; drawn and colored by Alex Moore; and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elahou.  The third is “Erik the Black, He-Demon with an Axe,” which is written by Frank Tieri; drawn by Lee Ferguson; colored by Kike J. Diaz; and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elahou.

THE LOWDOWN:   Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Red Sonja Black White and Red #5, which is the fourth issue of the title that I have read.

“The Hunted” by Jacob Edgar, Giorgio Spalletta, and Hassan Otsmane-Elahou:
Baron Raaf wants someone to bring him the head of Red Sonja.  Is that “Yul, the Eternal,” called an immortal because no man has ever drawn his blood?  Are Wenyl and Fenyl, speedy and skilled with a dagger, the men who can kill the She-Devil?  Can an archer take her down?  Who is the hunted?

“The Hunted is a thoroughly enjoyable story.  Like many of the short stories in this series, “The Hunted” is for Red Sonja fans because they don't need the narrative to unveil Sonja's character as they know her.  Readers only need a clever plot, and this one is.

“The Chill Touch of Sorcery!” by Oliver Gerlach, Alex Moore, and Hassan Otsmane-Elahou:
Red Sonja is pursuing a sorceress across a treacherous, icy landscape.  It is a good story, but not a great story.  I do like the artist's use of page design here.

“Erik the Black, He-Demon with an Axe” by Frank Tieri, Lee Ferguson, Kike J. Diaz, Hassan Otsmane-Elahou:
In a bar full of assassins, pirates, thieves, barbarians, she-bitches, etc., everyone gives Red Sonja, the She-Devil with a Sword a wide birth … except Erik the Black, He-Demon with an Axe.  He says that he is here to kick “the fine, metal bikined ass” of Red Sonja...

Writer Frank Tieri offers his usual meaty, violent storytelling, which I enjoy, but with a neat twist.  Lee Ferguson's art fits this story's “tale of” back-story aspects.  It all works.

It is not hard for me to pick a favorite story of the three offered in Red Sonja Black White and Red #5.  It is “The Hunted” by Jacob Edgar, Giorgio Spalletta, and Hassan Otsmane-Elahou.  However, “Erik the Black, He-Demon with an Axe” is a nice runner-up and would be my favorite otherwise.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Red Sonja will want to try Red Sonja Black White and Red.

A-

★★★½ out of 4 stars

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

You can find these stories and more in the hardcover trade collection, RED SONJA: BLACK, WHITE, RED VOL. 2, which is available at Amazon.

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#IReadsYou Review: SHE'S JOSIE

SHE'S JOSIE
ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS, INC.

STORY: Frank Doyle
PENCILS: Dan DeCarlo
INKS: Rudy Lapick
LETTERS: Vincent DeCarlo; Bill Yoshida; Victor Gorelick
EDITOR: Jamie Lee Rotante
COVER: Audrey Mok
ISBN: 978-1-64576-993-4; paperback; 5.25 x 7.96 (May 18, 2021)
224pp, Color, $10.99 U.S., $13.99 CAN

Josie and the Pussycats began as a 1963 teen-humor comic book entitled She's Josie (She's Josie #1, cover date: February 1963).  Published by Archie Comics, it was created by Dan DeCarlo and focused on the fanciful life and times of a teenager, the sweet and level-headed redhead, Josie Jones, later Josie James and Josie McCoy.  The title was renamed Josie with issue #17 (cover dated: December 1965).

The series became Josie and the Pussycats with issue #45 (cover date: December 1969), in which Josie and her friend, Melody, formed a band called the Pussycats.  The two friends added bassist Valerie Smith, the new girl in school and one of the first major African-American comic book characters.  The trio donned leopard print band uniforms that came with long tails and cat-ear headbands.  Hanna-Barbera adapted this new-look Josie into the Saturday morning animated television series, “Josie and the Pussycats," which ran for two seasons.  Josie's comic book series ended with Josie and the Pussycats #106 (cover date: October 1982)

Earlier this year, Archie Comic Publications, Inc. (a.k.a. “Archie Comics”) published a trade paperback, entitled She's Josie.  The book returns to the time before Josie became Josie and the Pussycats.  She's Josie reprints the story contents of the original She's Josie series, issues #1 to #9, which were published in 1963 and 1964.  This paperback is apparently the first chronological collection the early She's Josie issues.

She's Josie reveals a world-famous rock star when she was an average high school teen.  With her best friends, the witty Pepper and the ditzy Melody, Josie gets caught up in all sorts of misadventures.  Joining this trio is Josie's boyfriend, Albert; Pepper's boy friend, Sock, and the rich and rotten Cabot twins, Alex and Alexandra, plus others in this chronological collection of She's Josie

THE LOWDOWN:  I am a huge fan of Josie and the Pussycats and have been since I was five or six-years-old.  It was the Hanna-Barbera animated television series, “Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space” (1972-73), that helped to launch my love of science fiction and eventually of comic books.  [I saw the original series, “Josie and the Pussycats” (1971-72), a few years after I saw the outer space revamp.]

Over the last 20 years or so, I have been collected early Josie and also Josie and the Pussycats comic books, but She's Josie provides me with my first opportunity to read the very early comic book stories featuring the characters.  Reading these comic books was a little odd because the Josie characters with which I am familiar, Josie's boyfriend, Alan M, and band mate, Valerie, are not present in these early stories.  However, future Pussycat, Melody, is present – ditzy as ever.  Alexander and Alexandra Cabot are present, although Alex plays a much bigger role in these first nine issues than his sister does.

Each issue features a story divided into four chapters, and with the exception of She's Josie #4, those four chapters combine for one story.  Some of the stories are quite dated, but their plots and subject matter deal with obstacles and dilemmas that teenagers still face and likely will for some time.  She's Josie #2 focuses on a visiting instructor's bid to bring Josie's male and female high school classmates together in order to participate in a theatrical production he is mounting.  The behind-the-scenes melodrama of this high school musical theater will illicit some chuckles or perhaps, remind some readers of episodes of the late Fox TV series, “Glee” (2009-15)

My favorite issue is She's Josie #6 with its “Tower of Trouble” story about a reputedly haunted house and the crooks hiding inside it.  This could be the plot of an episode of a Scooby-Doo cartoon, and Scooby-Doo taught me to love haunted house-set comedy.  I find “Tower of Trouble” to be good from start to finish.  I also like She's Josie #3, which has to do with a jewelry heist and stolen sweaters.

Many issues are inconsistent – some good chapters, others are either misfires or dull.  Some of the stories are instantly forgettable, and sometimes, the stories make the characters seem like nothing more than second rate clones of Archie Andrews and his friends.  In the moment of reading them, however, there a few stories that are just delightful.  Overall, Josie and the Pussycat fans, like myself, will be pleased.  Honestly, She's Josie is an indispensable volume if you are a fan of all things Josie.  I highly recommend it … and I hope there is a second volume...

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Josie and the Pussycats will want to have this low-priced collection, She's Josie.

B+
7 out of 10

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

"SHE'S JOSIE" is available in a Kindle and paperback edition at Amazon.

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The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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