#IReadsYou Review: STAR WARS: Target Vader #1

STAR WARS: TARGET VADER No. 1 (OF 6)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

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

STORY: Robbie Thompson
ART: Marc Laming; Cris Bolson
COLORS: Neeraj Menon; Jordan Boyd; Andres Mossa; Federico Blee; Erick Arciniega
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
EDITOR: Mark Paniccia
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: Nic Klein
VARIANT COVERS: Carmen Carnero; Marco Checchetto
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2019)

Rated “T”

Part 1 of 6: “On the Hunt”

Star Wars: Target Vader is a new six-issue comic book miniseries.  It is written by Robbie Thompson.  The art for the first issue is drawn by Marc Lamming and Cris Bolson, with coloring by Neeraj Menon, Jordan Boyd, Andres Mossa, Federico Blee, and Erick Arciniega.  Series letterer is Clayton Cowles.  Target Vader finds the Dark Lord of the Sith hunting for a mysterious criminal syndicate that operates outside of the rule of the Galactic Empire.

Star Wars: Target Vader #1 opens on the “Lower Bay Docks” of Eikari in the Outer Rim.  Holaq, a gun-toting criminal, has chosen his new allies badly.  Darth Vader is on the hunt!  He is searching for “The Hidden Hand,” a highly-secretive criminal syndicate that is selling weapons to the Rebel Alliance.  Emperor Palpatine wants Vader to find The Hidden Hand and to expose and destroy every member and to also tear any allies or associates to pieces.  Meanwhile, on Coruscant, the notorious bounty hunter, Beilert Valance, is about to get an offer from The Hidden Hand.

Sometime before the debut of the 2015 film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a commentator wrote that he would like that film and the Star Wars films to follow to be more like the original Star Wars (1977) film.  To him, that first film was a kind of science fiction that had the elements of an American Western film.  I can see the spaceport town of Mos Eisley on the planet Tatooine as something like an isolated Western outlaw town.

Star Wars: Target Vader #1 has a vibe that suggests the original Star Wars film.  The settings and action could be from either a Western or even from an urban gangland fairy tale like “The Untouchables” (1959 to 1963) television series.  Robbie Thompson's script for this first issue is a lean, mean, fighting machine – quick to the point and quick to dispatch characters to their violent deaths.  Thompson manages to make even Darth Vader seem vulnerable (somewhat) in this scenario.

The other star of this comic book is Beilert Valance, now an official character in the Star Wars canon.  He is a re-imagined version of Valance the Hunter, a character that originated in Marvel Comics' first Star Wars comic book series (which began in 1977) and not in the Star Wars films.  [Valance was created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist Walter Simonson and first appeared in Star Wars #16 (cover dated: October 1978).]  Thompson makes Beilert seem quite intriguing:  a loser with a bad-ass streak and the skills to kill.

The art for this issue is split between Marc Laming and Cris Bolson.  Both deliver comic book art that is in the spirit of science fiction comic book artists of the pasts like Al Williamson and Dan Barry.  The coloring is bright and vivid and shimmers like starlight, and Clayton Cowles proves to be a letterer whose fonts are perfect for Star Wars.

I really like Star Wars: Target Vader #1, and I hope the rest of the miniseries can offer the excitement this one does.  This series might even offer readers a kind of Star Wars take on DC Comics' Suicide Squad.  I can say, once again, that Marvel's Darth Vader titles are consistently good.

8 out of 10

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


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.


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#IReadsYou Review: STAR WARS: Obi-Wan and Anakin #1

OBI-WAN AND ANAKIN No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

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

WRITER: Charles Soule
ART: Marco Checchetto
COLORS: Andres Mossa
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: Marco Checchetto
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2016)

Rated “T”

“Part I”

At the end of the the 1999 film, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, newly minted Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi took on, as his student (Padawan), Anakin Skywalker.  The two were together for the ten years between The Phantom Menace and the 2002 film, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.

Marvel Comics' latest Star Wars comic book miniseries takes place during that decade.  It is entitled Obi-Wan and Anakin.  It is written by Charles Soule; drawn by Marco Checchetto; colored by Andres Mossa; and lettered by Joe Caramagna.

Obi-Wan and Anakin #1 (“Part 1”) finds Obi-Wan and Anakin on the planet Carnelion IV, located in the farthest reaches of the galaxy.  This world was not part of the Republic, so there was nothing to stop the denizens of that far-reaching planet from destroying themselves.  However, a distress call was broadcast, using “archaic phrasing,” so Obi-Wan and Anakin have been sent to help.  To the extent that it may be needed, however, is Jedi help wanted?  Meanwhile, Anakin's behavior has drawn the interest of a powerful figure, even as that behavior concerns the Jedi Council.

I liked Charles Soule's work on the five-issue miniseries, Lando, and I liked Marco Checchetto art on the four-issue miniseries, Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Shattered Empire.  I am intrigued by Obi-Wan and Anakin, although this first issue is mostly introduction, but the creative team makes me look forward to it.  What gives me hope that this will be an exceptional comic book is the flashback that takes place on Coruscant.  This leads me to believe that Obi-Wan and Anakin will be an important chapter concerning the development of Anakin Skywalker, leading up to Attack of the Clones.

There is not much else to say.  Still, I think that Star Wars fans that read Star Wars novels and comic books should consider Obi-Wan and Anakin a publishing event not to be missed.

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


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.



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#IReadsYou Review: ALL-NEW INHUMANS #1

ALL-NEW INHUMANS No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: James Asmus and Charles Soule
ART: Stefano Caselli
COLORS: Andres Mossa
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Stefano Caselli
VARIANT COVERS:  Stefano Caselli with Andres Mossa; John Tyler Christopher; Jim Cheung with Justin Ponsor; Marco D'Alfonso (Hop Hop variant); Yaya Han photographed by Judy Stephens (cosplay variant)
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (February 2016)

Rated T+

The Inhumans are a race of super-humans in Marvel Comics.  This race was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee and first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 (cover dated: December 1965).  They are a strain of humanity that began with genetic manipulation by visitors to Earth from an alien civilization (the Kree) long ago in human prehistory.  Exposure to the mutagenic Terrigen Mist (a process known as Terrigenesis) reveal if a person is an Inhuman.

Little more than a B-list character group, the Inhumans are in ascendancy in the Marvel Universe, especially during the last three years.  In 2013, Marvel even launched a new comic book series, entitled Inhuman.  The launch of the “All-New, All-Different Marvel” comes with the Inhumans continuing to rise to prominence.  The latest Inhuman comic book series is All-New Inhumans.  This series is written by James Asmus and Charles Soule; drawn by Stefano Caselli, colored by Andres Mossa; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Once upon a time, I was enthralled by the X-Men's story of a small band of outcasts fighting to save a world that feared and hated them.  The racism, bigotry, and prejudice that the X-Men faced seemed genuine, and writer Chris Claremont hit upon something that spoke to readers with such honesty and a sense of verisimilitude.  I practically counted the days until each issue of Uncanny X-Men hit the shelves of the local newsstand, was place in a spinner rack at a local drugstore or supermarket, or was placed on the new release table at the closest comic book store.

That was before Marvel Comics started publishing multiple X-Men related titles and even more miniseries, one-shots, specials, etc.  After that, the X-Men seemed like nothing more than a weekly prank that Marvel Comics pulled on its loyal customers.

All-New Inhumans #1 recaptures the best of that X-Men spirit of an outsider group under siege.  The hatred against the Inhumans is potent, and writers James Asmus and Charles Soule depict the haters as desperate humans who are more fearful than evil.  The language of distrust from the politicians in the back-up story is honestly composed.  And because we need that, the main story offers engaging fight comics and Inhuman soap opera.

The art by the team of Stefano Caselli and Andres Mossa and the art by Nico Leon in the back-up are both high-quality, befitting of what is apparently going to be an important comic book in Marvel's line.  I eagerly look forward to more, and I heartily recommend this comic book.

A-

[This comic book includes a extra story written by James Asmus; drawn by Nico Leon; colored by Andres Mossa; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.]

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


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: STAR WARS: LANDO - Double or Nothing #1

STAR WARS: LANDO – DOUBLE OR NOTHING No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Paolo Villanelli
COLORS: Andres Mossa
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: W. Scott Forbes
VARIANT COVER: Joe Quinones
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2018)

Rated T

“Part I”

Lando Calrissian was the first Star Wars character portrayed onscreen by a Black man (Oscar-nominated actor, Billy Dee Williams).  Although Lando is one of the oldest Star Wars characters (in terms of first appearance), he did not get his first solo comic book series until 2015 (from Marvel Comics after Dark Horse Comics having the license for two decades).

Lando is a supporting character in the most recent Disney/Lucasfilm Star Wars movie, Solo: A Star Wars Story, where he is portrayed by actor Donald Glover.  The film features a young Lando, early in his criminal career, and that Lando is the star of a second Lando Calrissian comic book miniseries.  Star Wars: Lando – Double or Nothing is written by Rodney Barnes; drawn by Paolo Villanelli; colored by Andres Mossa; and lettered by Joe Caramagna.

Star Wars: Lando – Double or Nothing #1 finds Lando Calrissian, the “greatest smuggler in the galaxy,” contemplating ways in which he can transform his ship, “the Millennium Falcon,” into a place of luxury and vice, much to the chagrin of his droid, L3-37.  Meanwhile, a young woman named Kristiss needs a smuggler as part of her and her father's plan to free their home world, Petrusia, from the Galactic Empire's enslavement.  She knows just the smuggler, Lando, but will he do it?  And if he does it, will it be for the cause or for the cost paid?

Solo: A Star Wars Story is about a young Han Solo, but young Lando Calrissian steals the show.  Donald Glover is magnificent in making young Lando a magnetic personality.  Writer Rodney Barnes captures the essence of Glover's Calrissian in his script, and every page is simply fun to read.  Barnes has made Lando a character readers will want to shadow, and Barnes' take on the acerbic L3, who has a female voice, is also quite engaging.

Illustrator Paolo Villanelli picks up the Glover vibe and transforms that into a graphical storytelling that recreates the humorous side of the Solo film.  Andres Mossa, one of the best colorists working in American comics today, blends his incandescent colors into Villanelli's illustrations to spectacular effect.  Joe Caramagna's strong sense of graphic design plays this dialogue-heavy script just right with some of his usual high-quality lettering that enhances the rhythm of this story.

I cannot wait to read the second issue of Star Wars: Lando – Double or Nothing.  Is it too early to ask that this creative team plan a second young Lando comic book for us?

8.5 out of 10

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


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

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Review: SPIRITS OF VENGEANCE #1

SPIRITS OF VENGEANCE No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Victor Gischler
ART: David Baldeon
COLORS: Andres Mossa
LETTERS: VC's Cory Petit
COVER: Dan Mora with David Curiel
VARIANT COVERS: John Tyler Christopher; Ken Lashley with David Curiel; Mike McKone with Rachelle Rosenberg; Chip Zdarsky; Mark Texeira; Lenticular Variant based on Giant-Size X-Men #1 by Gil Kane and Dave Cockrum
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2017)

Rated T+

War at the Gates of Hell Part 1

Johnny Blaze – the second Ghost Rider.  Eric Brooks – Blade the vampire hunter.  Damian Hellstrom – a.k.a. Son of Satan a.k.a. “Hellstorm.”  Satana – Damian's sister and the daughter of Satan.  They are the stars of a new five-issue miniseries from Marvel Comics, entitled Spirits of Vengeance.

This comic book is written by Victor Gischler; drawn by David Baldeón; colored by Andres Mossa; and lettered by Cory Petit.  The series follows a mission to keep the balance the power in an ancient war from tipping to one side.

Spirits of Vengeance #1 finds Johnny Blaze, the second Ghost Rider and the first supernatural and first superhero Ghost Rider, stopped at a bar on Route 66.  Nursing a beer, Blaze gets a fiery visit from a winged being.  Left with an item wanted by dark forces, Blaze turns to Damian Hellstrom for help and information.  A dead angel, a silver bullet; and a kept promise – Blaze and Hellstrom will find themselves caught in a war between Heaven and Hell.  They will need some help.

Writer Victor Gischler is good with dark and edgy action, but he is also an imaginative writer, as seen in his miniseries, Sally of the Wasteland (Titan Comics, 2014).  Spirits of Vengeance #1 offers the dark and the inventive, and it is a shame that what was supposed to be a regular series is only a miniseries.  Gischler could have done something good with this, and I feel safe saying that after reading only the first issue of this series.

Of course, Gischler has an excellent collaborator and storyteller in artist David Baldeón.  The Spanish artist reminds me of artist Joe Madureira.  Here, Baldeón presents elastic and supple figure drawings that give the characters life and also give them distinct personalities – even the characters who are not around for long.  This is dynamic graphical storytelling, with an excellent sense of the dark and the supernatural.  And Baldeón simply makes Spirits of Vengeance look different from other Marvel titles.

Well, I'll enjoy this comic book while I can.

A
8 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: Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi - CAPTAIN PHASMA #1

JOURNEY TO STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI – CAPTAIN PHASMA No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

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

STORY: Kelly Thompson
ART: Marco Checchetto
COLORS: Andres Mossa
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Paul Renaud
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2017)

Rated T

Captain Phasma: Book 1, Part I

Two years ago, Marvel Comics published Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Shattered Empire.  It was a four-issue miniseries that was set in the immediate aftermath of the events depicted in the 1983 film, Return of the Jedi (or Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi).  It introduced the parents of a pivotal character who, at the time, was to appear in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Episode VII), a little over two months after the first issue of Shattered Empire.

Now, a little over two months before the theatrical release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Episode VIII), Marvel is publishing another Star Wars “Journey to” comic book miniseries.  This is Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Captain Phasma.  It written by Kelly Thompson; lettered by Clayton Cowles; and features the team of artist Marco Checchetto and colorist Andres Mossa (who drew and colored Shattered Empire).

Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Captain Phasma #1 opens on the First Order's super-weapon, “Starkiller Base,” parallel to what is the final act of The Force Awakens.  Captain Phasma has escaped from the trash compactor into she was forced by Han Solo, Chewbacca, and the former stormtrooper FN-2187, now known as “Finn.”  Starkiller Base is under attack by Resistance Forces, and Phasma discovers that the Resistance had help inside the base.  Now, Phasma has a new mission – hunt and kill the traitor who allowed Starkiller Base to be destroyed.

From the moment Star Wars fans first spotted Phasma in an early movie trailer for The Force Awakens, they have had high expectations for this character.  Alas, her part in the film was small and her role mostly unimpressive – relative to expectations.  Phasma is supposed to have a bigger role in the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

In the meantime, she comes across as quite menacing in Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Captain Phasma #1.  Writer Kelly Thompson tells the story using first person narration by Phasma and gives the readers a look at how relentless she is in service of the First Order.  This could prove to be perilous however, if Thompson characterizes Phasma as nothing more than a cog in service of the First Order.  That would make this miniseries a long and dull one.

I find the work of artist Marco Checchetto here to be what it has been in his previous Marvel Comics work:  pretty art, but sometimes cluttered graphical storytelling.  Luckily, Andres Mossa is here to add some dynamism to the storytelling.

So I hope that the storytelling in Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Captain Phasma gets stronger.  This first issue shows the potential of the series, but is itself a bit lukewarm.  Of course, this may be because Captain Phasma is still a character that is mostly a blank slate.

B
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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Review: HOCKEY KARMA Original Grahic Novel

HOCKEY KARMA
ANIMAL MEDIA GROUP

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Howard Shapiro – @hockeyplayer
ART: Andres J. Mossa
COLORS: Andres J. Mossa
LETTERS: Ryan Ferrier
ISBN: 978-0-9861489-3-4; paperback (November 1, 2016)
160pp, Color, $14.95 U.S., $17.95 CAN

Hockey Karma is an full-color, original graphic novel written by Howard Shapiro; drawn and colored by Andres Mossa; and lettered by Ryan Ferrier.  Published by Animal Media Group, Hockey Karma is the third graphic novel in the Forever Friends Trilogy.  This final installment focuses on an aging hockey star and his frustrated best friend.

As Hockey Karma begins, hockey star, Jeremiah “Jake” Jacobson, is struggling with his place on the team for which he has been a star for 14 seasons, the Bay City Blades.  Thirty-two-years old and struggling with injuries, Jake has focused his ire on fast-rising newcomer, Barclay Pedersen, an 18-year-old rookie.  As Jake sinks deeper into bitterness, his wife, Felicity, notices that Jake is practically absent from the lives of her and their two children.  Can Jake stop his downward spiral?

Meanwhile, Tom Leonard, Jake's best friend and agent, is struggling to get a charitable organization started.  Jake was supposed to help him, but is uber-focused on preserving his fading career.  Tom begins to realize that he might be on his on, and a chance encounter with a former flame who might help Tom discover the power of believing in himself.  Can Tom step out of Jake's shadow?

I have not read the previous entries in the Forever Friends Trilogy, Stereotypical Freaks and The Hockey Saint.  I received a copy-for-review of Hockey Karma and the press materials helped me focus on this third novel rather than on the other two.  Still, I think any reader can find Hockey Karma enjoyable without reading the other comics before it.

Writer Howard Shapiro presents Hockey Karma in fairly hot and cold terms.  This is a character, family, friendship, and workplace drama without tears.  Shapiro makes the characters blunt about their shortcomings.  There are no teary interventions; the character with an addiction is presented with the resolution in stark terms.  The book offers a rah-rah, happy ending that might make even Walt Disney roll his eyes, but the characters have earned it because it did not come easy.

I recognized artist Andres Mossa's name from his work as a colorist on some of Marvel Comics' Star Wars comic book series.  Mossa is not a grand master of figure drawing, but his characters have a poignant human quality about them.  Also, it is hard not to like Mossa's dazzling colors.

On the title page for each chapter, Howard Shapiro offers “recommended listening,” songs that he thinks could be the right soundtrack for that particular chapter.  The songs are a collection of classic and modern rock songs and selections from alt-rock and college radio.  I don't think that Hockey Karma needs a soundtrack, although there are a few times when it needs an injection of drama.

Hockey Karma moves to its own beat, digging into themes of friendship, life changes, and intimate relationships.  And that beat engages the reader until its satisfying final chapters and last panel.  Hockey Karma is not perfect, but it has heart and its emotions feel genuine.

www.animalmediagroup.com

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


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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