#IReadsYou Review: BLAZING COMBAT

BLAZING COMBAT
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

WRITERS: Archie Goodwin, Michael Catron
ARTISTS: Various
LETTERS: Ben Oda, Various
COVER: John Severin
ISBN: 978-1-60699-366-8; paperback (February 2010)
212pp, B&W with some color, $19.99 U.S.

Comic book history tells us that Warren Publishing was an independent magazine publisher owned by maverick, James Warren.  By 1965, Warren was best known for publishing Famous Monsters of Filmland, its flagship title, and Creepy, a horror comics anthology that would go on to become a legend.  James Warren had even published Harvey Kurtzman’s black-and-white comic book series, Help!

Inspired by Harvey Kurtzman’s Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat, two famous war titles from EC Comics, Warren launched his on war comic book, entitled Blazing Combat.  The stories were largely written by Archie Goodwin and drawn by an absolute murderers’ row of comic book and illustration luminaries, including Wallace “Wally” Wood, Gene Colan, Frank Frazetta (cover artist), Joe Orlando, John Severin, Alex Toth, and Al Williamson, among others.

Blazing Combat looked like it would be a hit, but in 1965, the United States was escalating its involvement in Vietnam.  Apparently, Blazing Combat’s realistic depiction of soldiers in combat, of the death, violence, and destruction of war, and even of the affects of war on civilians angered some.  Blazing Combat was banned from sale on military bases, and the American Legion’s objections to the title led some magazine wholesalers to stop carrying it.  In 1966, after only four issues, James Warren cancelled Blazing Combat.

The reader can learn all this in Michael Catron’s excellent introduction to a book entitled Blazing Combat.  Published last year by Fantagraphics Books, the hardcover Blazing Combat collected all four issues of the original Blazing Combat and also included two interviews Catron conducted with James Warren and Archie Goodwin.  Fantagraphics recently released a less expensive softcover edition of this 2010 Eisner Award nominated book (Best Archival Collection/Project-Comic Books).

So what you might ask?  Who cares about a reprint of an old comic book published by James Warren over 40 years ago?

Well, Blazing Combat is probably the best war comic book ever published in the United States.  Speaking in terms of anthology books, the art in Blazing Combat is every bit as good as the art found in EC Comics’ titles – the gold standard in anthology comics and arguably the best line of comic books ever published in the U.S.

As for the stories, Blazing Combat was probably the best writing of Archie Goodwin’s long and distinguished career as a writer and beloved editor.  Screenwriters and directors have received Oscar nominations and wins for directing and writing some excellent war movies, such as The Hurt Locker recently.  Goodwin’s work in Blazing Combat is every bit as powerful and high-quality.

In such stories as “Holding Action,” about a scared boy in Korea, “The Trench,” set in the trenches of World War I (both drawn by the incomparable John Severin), and “Face to Face” (drawn by Joe Orlando) set during the Spanish American war, Goodwin delivers poignant and powerful work about the damage of war on the mind and the spirit.  The physical degradation of war on the land and on a people is revealed in the sublime “Landscape” (drawn by Joe Orlando), about a Vietnamese farmer.

For all the controversy his stories apparently generated, Goodwin gives love to the veteran combatant in the lovely “The Edge.”  Drawn by Alex Toth, the story is more proof of why Toth is the master when it comes to drawing aerial combat in comic books.  However, Wally Wood does show his own chops in two stories of aerial combat, “The Battle for Britain!” which he wrote and “ME-262!”

Blazing Combat, in spite of its short run, could be called special because of the list of luminaries that drew the comic book art – the visual storytelling.  At a time, however, when comic book publishers were turning themselves solely into superhero comic book publishers, James Warren, Archie Goodwin, and their collaborators were tackling bigger ideas and substantive subject matter by taking on war and the military culture.  And they did great work, to boot.  Now, thanks to this collection, Blazing Combat leaves the memory hole and at long last takes its place of prominence in American comic book history.

A+
10 out of 10

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


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#IReadsYou Review: NOW #8

NOW: THE NEW COMICS ANTHOLOGY #8
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

CARTOONISTS: Theo Ellsworth; Sami Alwani; E.S. Glenn; Veronika Muchitsch; Henry McCausland; Zuzu; Noah Van Sciver; Walt Holcombe; Maggie Umber; Tara Booth
DESIGN: Jacob Covey
EDITOR: Eric Reynolds
COVER: Al Columbia
BACKCOVER: Nick Thorburn
ISBN: 978-1-68396-276-2; paperback (March 2020)
128pp, Color, $12.99 U.S.

NOW: The New Comics Anthology is an alternative-comics anthology series launched in 2017 and edited by Eric Reynolds.  NOW is published by alt-comix and art comics publisher, Fantagraphics Books.  Over its four-plus decades of existence, Fantagraphics has published what is probably the most diverse collection of comic book anthologies in the history of North American comic books.  That line-up includes such titles as Anything Goes, Critters, Mome, Pictopia, and Zero Zero, to name a few.

NOW: The New Comics Anthology #8 is a recent strong entry in this anthology series.  I wish that everyone could read the introduction to NOW #1, written by Eric Reynolds, even those who have not read that debut issue.  In the intro, Reynolds states that he wants to showcase “...as broad a range of quality comic art as possible...”

Does NOW #8 do that?  Let's take a look at each of NOW #8's cartoonists' contributions:

THE LOWDOWN:  The illustration that acts as NOW #8's cover art is entitled “Isle of Enchantment,” and it is produced by Al Columbia.  It is a beautiful piece – mixing the elements of nature illustration and vintage cartoons.  It is a striking and arresting image, and I can't stop looking at it.

“Psychic Bug Spy” by Theo Ellsworth:
I like the art for this one-page story that opens NOW #8, and speaking of story, “Psychic Bug Spy” does nothing for me.

“The Misfortunes of Virtue” by Sami Alwani:
I totally and completely love this story because it is a sheer delight to read.  So the story follows an alternative cartoonist and art comics creator, “Saehmeh the Dog.” Yes, Saehmeh Aehlawahni is an anthropomorphic dog, and he is also something like a lovable blend of snob and crank.  For years, he struggles as a cartoonist, mainly because most art comics publishers won't take the work of a dog seriously – no matter much they like that dog's work.

Ultimately, this 16-page story plays out, as a theme, this quote that opens the story, “When you desire control, you let desire control you.”  Sami Alwani's drawing style, a kind of pliable and elastic line work, is perfect for this story's shifting landscape of surrealism and Saehmeh's self-absorbed and internal way of living with himself and with others.  “The Misfortunes of Virtue” is the kind of comics short story that will one day be used to justify whatever time NOW exists as an ongoing publication.

“The Gigs” by E.S. Glenn:
This surreal story follows several characters that are criminal types.  Three of them can be described as an artist and a hit man:  Junior, the struggling painter-hit man; Butterfly, the recently paroled blues singer-songwriter-hit man; and Philip T. Crow, a self-published poet-hit man.

The Gigs'” graphical storytelling and graphic design are like a modern take on the revered cartoonist Winsor McCay's old-timey Little Nemo work.  The beautiful clear-line art and the gorgeous rich colors are mesmerizing.  My mind's eye savored the experience of reading this story.

“I, Keira” by Veronika Muchitsch:
Keira lives in an Ikea-like “home goods” store (Store No. 87) as a living mannequin.  The story is a procession of lighting, geometric shapes, colors, and patterns into which Keira becomes another object.  I am more intrigued by the graphics and graphical storytelling than I am by Keira … but I actually want more of this.

“Garden Boys” by Henry McCausland:
Two boys go on a treasure hunt and adventure through urban back lots and vacant properties – all of which seem to have a pastoral theme.  “Garden Boys” is like a young adult graphic novel distilled into 12 beautifully drawn pages.  I want more of this.

“Red” by Zuzu:
I know I've seen Zuzu's art somewhere before, or I saw something that looked like it.  “Red” is a slice-of-life of a larger story, but what is here – an except of friendship – is sweet.

“Saint Cole” by Noah Van Sciver:
I'm calling this an autobiographical comic, although I am not sure that anyone uses that term anymore.  Van Sciver recounts a book store signing in Paris that he did to promote his new graphic novel.  However, one of his best known works, the graphic novel, Saint Cole (Fantagraphics Books, 2015), hangs over the story.  This story offers flashbacks concerning the road Van Sciver took to Saint Cole, which included stints as a sandwich shop manager and hawking his minicomics from one comic book shop to another.

I'm prejudiced, but I love “Saint Cole” the short story, and I guess it's time for me to read the actual graphic novel.  A portrait of the artist as an always striving man … this story is poignant and absorbing because Van Sciver makes cartoon Noah so damn likable.

“Cheminant Avec Emily” by Walt Holcombe:
In English, the title is “Walking with Emily.”  This is another autobiographical tale in which Holcombe recounts his deep friendship with a young woman, Emily, whom he meets at San Diego Comic-Con in the late 1990s.  Their relationship gets a soundtrack when Emily introduces Holcombe to the music of the real-life French-Canadian duo, singer-songwriters and sisters, Kate and Anna McGarrigle.

Beautifully drawn, poignant, and bittersweet, “Cheminant Avec Emily” testifies that it is the bittersweet in life that acts like salt on the fruit of love and friendship – accentuating the sweetness.  This story reveals the art of the comics short story and exemplifies the comics short story as art.  I feel like a traitor making Noah Van Sciver's “Saint Cole” the second best story in NOW #8, but Holcombe's story steamrolls through this comic book like the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James charging into the lane on the way to a power-dunk.

“The Intoxicated” by Maggie Umber:
I think this story is supposed to evoke emotions in the reader.  That it scares me must say something about me.  I like the art which looks as if it were drawn in charcoal.

“Binge Eating” by Tara Booth:
Yeah, if you have issues with eating too much, you will get this in-your-face gem.

“Now” by Nick Thorburn:
This back cover comic strip about the playful evolution of a father-son relationship is an excellent bit of macabre comedy expertly executed in three panels.

So, the final verdict on NOW #8 is that there is a lot of interesting drawing and illustrating going on in here.  Some are simply examples of beautiful illustrating, while others are visually striking.  Others are odd and unique, while others are not so much about being pretty, as they are simply powerful.

Of NOW#1, I said that if the volumes that followed were half as good as the debut was, then, NOW would be a must-read series for serious comic book readers.  NOW #8 is more than half-as-good, much more.  So get NOW … now.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of classic alternative-comics anthologies will want to discover NOW: The New Comics Anthology.

8.5 out of 10

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


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#IReadsYou Review: NOW #1

NOW #1
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

CARTOONISTS: Gabrielle Bell; Sara Corbett; Antoine Cossé; Eleanor Davis; Kaela Graham; Sammy Harkham; Conxita Hererro; Malachi Ward and Matt Sheean; J.C. Menu; Rebecca Morgan; Tommi Parrish; Tobias Schalken; Dash Shaw; Noah Van Sciver; Daria Tessler; Nick Thorburn
DESIGN: Jacob Covey
EDITOR: Eric Reynolds
COVER: Rebecca Morgan
ISBN: 978-1-68396-052-2; paperback (September 2017)
128pp, Color, $9.99 U.S.

NOW is a comics anthology series launched in 2017 by alternative comics (alt-comix) and art comics publisher, Fantagraphics Books.  Over its four-plus decades of existence, Fantagraphics has published what is probably the most diverse collection of comic book anthologies in the history of North American comic books.  That line-up includes such titles as Anything Goes, Critters, Mome, Pictopia, and Zero Zero, to name a few.

NOW #1 proves that Fantagraphics has not lost a step with age when it comes to anthologies.  I wish that everyone could read the introduction to the first issue written by NOW's editor, Eric Reynolds, even those who have not read this first issue.  It seems as if everything Reynolds hopes NOW could achieve is in evidence in NOW #1.  Reynolds wants to showcase “...as broad a range of quality comic art as possible...”

NOW #1 does that, so let's take a look at each cartoonist's contribution.

THE LOWDOWN:  The illustration that acts as NOW #1's cover art is entitled “Plan B on Easter Morning,” and it is produced by Rebecca Morgan.  It is a stylish, colorful, full-color illustration that is surreal and kooky, and it reminds me of the work of Aline Kominsky-Crumb.

“Constitutional” by Sara Corbett:
This is a beautiful piece featuring an elderly woman and her wily cat that has vivid green eyes.  This one-page comic has a striking graphical style, dazzling colors, and eye-catching patterns drawn on characters and objects.  I could see “Constitutional” being a cover for The New Yorker.

“21 Positions/The Final Frontier” by Tobias Schalken:
This is a pantomime comic featuring two characters, one female and one male, each alone and each on the opposite side of the page.  They are imitating the ways in which people hold and touch one another.  I am impressed by the figure drawing, and every time I look at this story, I feel some raw emotions emanating from the page.

“Hurt or Fuck?” by Eleanor Davis:
This is a black and white comic, drawn apparently with a lead pencil.  I like its composition, but I don't know what to make of it.  I don't want to read too much into it... or read the wrong thing...

“Scorpio” by Dash Shaw:
The incomparable Dash Shaw (Cosplayers) offers this story of childbirth on Tuesday, November 8, 2016 (a.k.a. “The Day of the Clown”).  The intimacy and familiarity between the expecting couple feels genuine, and the story is warm and humorous.  I could read an entire graphic novel built around these characters.

“Dear Naked Guy In the Apartment Across from Mine Spread Eagle & Absent-mindedly Flicking his Penis While Watching TV,” by Gabrielle Bell:
This one-page comic is exactly what it says – a young woman sees her pudgy, naked neighbor lying in his bed and playing with himself every time she is in the kitchen of her (apparently) small apartment.  I read the neighbor as being aggressively passive-aggressive, but I'm not sure about the young woman (whom I'm assuming is the cartoonist).  Is she disgusted or distressed... “Dear Naked Guy...” is one of NOW #1's best entries.

“S.O.S. Suitcases” by J.C. Menu:
This 14-page, black and white, comic is a wild and woolly, surreal adventure tale that is alternative comics and neo-underground comix.  I think this story would be a perfect fit in a certain kind of comics anthologies:  from Zap Comix to Weirdo and from Zero Zero to... well, to NOW.

“Wall of Shame” by Noah Van Sciver:
This 15-page story is my NOW #1 favorite.  In an autobiographical slash slice-of-life comics story, Noah returns to his hometown of Denver, Colorado because the Denver Art Museum is holding an exhibition of his comics and illustrations.  Returning home, however, means a return to family... and a reunion with his younger brother, Jonah, a loud, shameless, womanizing, pussy-hound.

If I have encountered Van Sciver's work before, it could not have been much.  After reading “Wall of Shame,” I definitely want to read more it, especially anything like this story.  Once upon a time, I spent much of the 1990s reading the autobiographical, mock-auto-bio, and slice-of-life comics, comic books, and graphic novels produced by a number of alternative cartoonists and comic book creators, including Joe Matt, Seth, David Greenberger, and Julie Doucet, to name a few.

“Wall of Shame,” a very entertaining story, brings me back to those days.  That aside, this is a thoroughly engaging story of family ties, with Jonah as the kind of scene-stealing character that captures the imagination.  Noah leaves me wanting more.

“Untitled” by Tommi Parrish:
This lovely story is about two people talking about the struggles of understanding oneself when coming out as gay.  Reading this is like listening in on an intimate conversation, and at seven pages, this story is over much too soon.  After I read this, I could not stop thinking about the idea of “poisonous scripts,” which comes from the world of culture and pop culture and tells us what and how we should be, act, think, feel, live, etc.

“Pretend We're Orphans” by Kaela Graham:
This story has a delightful, picture book and fairy tale quality.  It works as a self-contained tale of imagination, but it would still be quite good as a piece from a larger work.”

“Songs in the Key of Grief” by Daria Tessler:
I feel like this is about Kurt Cobain.

“Here I Am” by Conxita Hererro:
This story is apparently based on an earlier work by cartoonist Gabrielle Bell, a contributor to Now #1.  I got nothing from it.

“Widening Horizon” by Malachi Ward (story/art) and Matt Sheean (story):
This is an intriguing science fiction comics short story.  I won't call it “alternative history,” because it reads like a classic science fiction short story that imagines a different past, present, and future.  Ward's beautiful clear-line drawing style perfectly captures the atmosphere of a story about spaceflight.

“Statue” by Antoine Cossé:
A stylish blend of landscape architecture, industrial design, Art Deco, and minimalism, “Statue” is a haunting tale that also manages to gleam with possibility.  I found that Cossé engaged my imagination with a story that challenged me to unravel its mysteries.  “Statue” is an example of a story that the reader can enjoy without having to know everything the cartoonist wants to convey.  I look forward to seeing more of this creator's work.

“I, Marlon” by Sammy Harkham:
The only reason that I know that the “Marlon” in “I, Marlon” is the legendary American actor, Marlon Brando, is because I recently read Michael J. Mann's massive biography of the actor, The Contender: The Story of Marlon Brando.  Shockingly, Harkham's one-age comic (apparently produced in 2016) summarizes some key themes in Mann's 700+ page book, which was published in late 2019 (and took me several months to read).

“Untitled” by Nick Thorburn:
This is a comic strip that runs at the top of the back cover.  I like Thorburn's drawing style.

So, the final verdict on NOW #1 is that it is one of the best first issues of a comics anthology that I have ever read.  If the issues that follow NOW #1 are half as good as it is, then, NOW is a must-read series for serious comic book readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of classic alternative-comics anthologies will want to discover NOW.

9 out of 10

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


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#IReadsYou Review: ECLAIR BLANCHE

ÉCLAIR BLANCHE
YEN PRESS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Various
ART: Various
TRANSLATION: Eleanor Summers
LETTERS: Alexis Eckerman
MISC. ART: U35; Yutaka Hiiragi; Non
COVER: Fly
ISBN: 978-1-9753-5909-6; paperback (May 2020); Rated “M” for “Mature”
276pp, B&W, $13.00 U.S., $17.00 CAN

Éclair (stylized as “éclair”) is a series of girls' love or “yuri” (lesbian) manga produced by Japanese publisher, ASCII Media Works (a brand company of Kadokawa Future Publishing).  Yen Press published an English-language edition of the first Éclair collection in June 2018.  The publisher will also release three more Éclair collections in 2020, including the recently published Éclair Blanche (stylized as éclair blanche).

Éclair Blanche: A Girls' Love Anthology that Resonates in Your Heart contains 15 girls' love short stories and vignettes.  The girls' love anthology, Éclair, returns with new stories from popular girl's love authors.  This new volume features works from favorite girls' love mangaka such as Canno (“The Unemployed Woman and the High School Girl”), Mushu (“Happy Yellow Chick”), and Fly (“Flowers in a Storm”), who also provides the cover art.  This new addition to the Éclair lineup will sweep lovers of girls' love off their feet!

[This volumes contains an authors' “Postscript.”]

The Éclair Blanche manga is one of the few girls' love manga that I have read.  I am pretty sure that Éclair Blanche is the first girls' love anthology that I have read, because I certainly didn't read the original collection, Éclair.  [On the other hand, I have read quite a few boys' love anthologies over the last two decades.]

The Éclair Blanche: A Girls' Love Anthology that Resonates in Your Heart Graphic Novel has some powerful stories and some poor stories.  Many of the stories here are more like vignettes than they are like a full-fledged manga short stories.  Fly's “Flowers in a Storm” is a strong open with its tale of Eri, a high school student who is about to lose the young woman she loves to a faraway college.  The volume ends with a misfire, Auri Hirao's magical girl offering, “Secret Sharing.”

“Something Only I Know” by Kagegichi Tadano offers the volume's only love triangle, and the story proves to be a bit edgy.  “The Unemployed Woman and the High School Girl” by Canno is the tale of 28-year-old Mao, who wants to be a kept woman, and Hazumi, the 16-year-old rich girl who wants to use her money to take care of Mao.  Some readers will no doubt be put off not so much by the age difference between these characters, but by the fact that Hazumi cannot legally consent to have a sexual relationship with the adult Mao, at least in many states in the U.S.  I think that Canno gets around the legalities by having the characters tell each other that they are willing to wait one another out.

I won't call Éclair Blanche a great collection, but it contains enough quality girls' love comics to make it worthy of a girls' love fan's attention.  There is also some strong illustrators in this volume, with diverse styles and approaches to graphic storytelling.  That is another reason to get  Éclair Blanche.

7 out of 10

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


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Book Review: FULL THROTTLE: Stories

FULL THROTTLE: STORIES
WILLIAM MORROW/HarperCollins – @WmMorrowBks @HarperCollins

[This review originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Joe Hill
ISBN: 978-0-06-220067-9; hardback; 6 x 9 (October 1, 2019)
496pp, B&W, $27.99 U.S., $34.99 CAN

Full Throttle: Stories is a 2019 short story collection from author Joe Hill.  Originally a hardcover release, Full Throttle: Stories, which is Hill's fourth short story collection, contains 13 short stories of varying lengths.

Hill, whose birth name is Joseph Hillström King, is the son of legendary horror novelist and dark fantasy author, Stephen King, and novelist, nonfiction author, and poet, Tabitha King.  Hill is also a novelist and comic book writer (best known for the Locke & Key series from IDW Publishing).

Joe Hill collaborates with Stephen King on two of Full Throttle's stories.  Hill will never be the author that his father is, nor does Hill have to be Stephen King, who is one of the greatest short story fantasy authors of all time.  Hill only has to be himself, and Hill is quite the inventive, ingenious, and imaginative short story writer himself.

From the tale of a vengeful trucker ("Full Throttle," co- written with Stephen King) to the funky, near-future, have-and-have-not sci-fi (“All I Care About is You”), Joe Hill takes readers on a non-stop, break-neck journey through his own version of “The Twilight Zone.”  This is Joe Hill's trip through “Tales from The Darkside” in such edgy fare as the cautionary faerie fable (“Faun”) and the historical parable (“The Devil on the Staircase”).  Once you sit your ass inside this crazy ride, you won't have any choice but to go along Full Throttle, dear readers.

After being part of the British pop music recording duo, Eurythmics, for a decade, singer-songwriter Annie Lenox embarked on a solo career, beginning with the 1992 album, Diva.  I remember reading a review of her second album, Medusa (1995), in which the author of the review stated that every album should have two “great” songs.  I don't remember the name of the author or the place of publication of that review, but the review has had a deep influence on how I regard short story collections.

I insist that every short story collection have at least two stories that I consider great in order for me to consider the collection worth reading.  I also need to find two great stories in order for me to honestly recommend the collection to people who read my reviews.

Full Throttle: Stories only has one story that I consider piss poor, the werewolf-ish tale, “Wolverton Station.”  It is the kind of misfire that a published author can get published, but a novice author would need a miracle to get a recognized literary journal or fiction publication to publish such a minor tale.  “Wolverton Station,” the third story in the collection, is Full Throttle's “unlucky number 13.”

Otherwise, Full Throttle: Stories is one of the few great short story collections that I have read that are not written by someone named Harlan Ellison (1934-2018) or Stephen King.  The collection's best story is “Late Returns,” the lovely fable of the complexities and misunderstandings in parent-child relationships.  The Hallmark Channel could mine this story for a long series of made-for-TV movies.  I think what makes the story so memorable and exceptional is that it deals with the unasked questions, but also with the answered questions we don't realize were answered ages ago.

It was hard to choose a second favorite or second best, but I am going with “You Are Released,” an eve-of-apocalypse tale about Captain Leonard Waters, his crew, and the passengers of the 777 commercial jet airliner, “Delta 236.”  It puts readers in a front row seat to nuclear Armageddon, but it also exemplifies the hope, love, and reconciliation that humanity can have if it so chooses.

Joe Hill's two collaborations with Stephen King are heartbreaking, but for different reasons.  The first, the title track, “Full Throttle,” is a crime thriller that recalls road-rage-revenge films like Duel (1971, Steven Spielberg) and Joy Ride (2001, John Dahl).  The second Hill-King collaboration, “In the Tall Grass,” recalls King's short story, “Children of the Corn” (1977) and that classic tale's dark blend of blighted small town America, Americana, and paganism.

Hill actually tops the Americana of “In the Tall Grass,” with a brilliant spin on American separatism and inherited mental illness in the crazy and crazily brilliant “Mums.”  That story summons the is-it-or-isn't-real surrealism of Henry James' “The Turn of the Screw” (1898) and plants it in the black soil located in the dark corners of American culture.

So there is all kind of good stuff in Full Throttle: Stories.  It is a must-have for fans of dark fantasy short story collections.  I think the stories in this collection also suggest that, while he is in his late 40s, Joe Hill is just hitting his stride as a master of speculative and fantasy prose short fiction.

9.5 out of 10

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


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#IReadsYou Review: STAR WARS: The Legends of Luke Skywalker #1

STAR WARS: THE LEGENDS OF LUKE SKYWALKER: THE MANGA, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

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

MANGAKA: Akira Fukaya and Tikashi Kisaki; Haruichi; Subaru; Akira Himekawa
ORIGINAL NOVEL: Ken Liu
TRANSLATION: Satsuki Yamashita
EDITOR: Fawn Lau
COVER: Akira Himekawa
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1584-8; paperback; 5 3/4 × 8 1/4 – trim size (January 2020); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
212pp, B&W, $14.99 U.S., $19.99 CAN

The Star Wars media and merchandising franchise has been hugely popular over the time since the debut of the original film, Star Wars, some 43 years ago in 1977.  Some of that popularity is the reason that there has been, except for a few years, at least one comic book publisher producing Star Wars comic books since 1977.

One of the latest is Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga.  This is a single-volume graphic novel containing four manga short stories set in the Star Wars universe.  The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga  focuses on four characters who have encounters with the elusive Jedi Luke Skywalker.  The stories is this book are adapted by Japanese manga artists:  Akira Himekawa, Haruichi, Subaru, and the writer-artist team of Akira Fukaya and Takashi Kisaki from The Legends of Luke Skywalker.  This is the 2017 young adult novel by award-winning author Ken Liu's that is also part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi book series.

The writer-artist team of Akira Fukaya and Takashi Kisaki starts the volume off with “The Starship Graveyard.”  The story stars a young gunner aboard a Imperial Star Destroyer who finds himself face to face with a mysterious rescuer who may or may not be the legendary enemy of the Galactic Empire, Luke Skywalker.  Haruichi's story is “I, Droid,” in which a newly enslaved construction droid finds himself in the company of an unusual pair of droids that seem to know one another.  They may also have a connection to someone who might save them all, Luke Skywalker.

In “The Tale of Lugubrious Mote,” Sabaru chronicles the adventures of a “mole-flea of Kowak” and how he helped Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker during a legendary moment in Star Wars history.  Finally, the manga-ka duo, Akira Himekawa (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess), take readers into the “Big Inside” of an “exogorth” [The “giant space slug” in The Empire Strikes Back is an exogorth.]  In the story, a young biology student and Luke Skywalker must escape from inside a creature from which few beings escape.  Along the way, the duo will discover the “Master Weavers” of “the Luminous Mist.”

THE LOWDOWN:  I have been looking forward to reading Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga since I first heard of it a few months ago.  I have not read Ken Liu's original novel, and I don't plan to.  I have nothing against Liu, and I am not at all familiar with his work.  I simply have not read any Star Wars novels that have been published since The Walt Disney Company revamped the Star Wars line of novels to make every one of them fit in “Star Wars canon.”

The Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga graphic novel is a good read.  The stories are not great, but Liu managed to create a version of Luke Skywalker that feels authentically fearsome, legendary, mysterious, and unknown.  That is no small feat as, obviously, Luke Skywalker is so familiar to fans of Star Wars.  In fact, Luke Skywalker has been my favorite Star Wars character ever since I first encountered him over four decades ago.

The art in “The Starship Graveyard” is rough, even ugly at times, but the story is fun to read.  The heroic arc of the young Imperial gunner is quite captivating.  “I, Droid” is okay, but I can see fans of Star Wars droids really getting into it, although it doesn't do much for me.  “The Tale of Lugubrious Mote” is a fun, throwaway, and ultimately nonsensical spin and take on the part of the film, Return of the Jedi (1983), that deals with Jabba the Hutt.  I would describe it as a young readers' Star Wars “Legends” or non-canon story rather than as a young adult tale.

By far the best story in Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga is Akira Himekawa's “Big Inside.”  It reads like one of those weird stories that Marvel Comics published in its Star Wars comic book series from the 1970s and 80s.  The art is beautiful, of course, because Himekawa always delivers beautifully, drawn, lyrical art that conveys a sense of history, magic, mystery, and romantic adventure.  “Big Inside” has all that and also feels like a non-canon Star Wars story because of its mystical take on “the Force.”

Honestly, I would not recommend this Star Wars manga to all fans of Star Wars comic books, unless I knew what kind of Star Wars comic books they liked.  I would, however, recommend Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga to any readers always on the lookout for Star Wars manga.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Star Wars manga and fans of Luke Skywalker will want to try Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga.

6 out of 10

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


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and  syndication rights and fees.



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#IReadsYou Review: VAMPIRE KNIGHT: Memories Volume 4

VAMPIRE KNIGHT: MEMORIES VOL. 4
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Matsuri Hino
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Nancy Thislethwaite
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1076-8; paperback (March 2020); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
208pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Vampire Knight is a vampire romance and shojo manga from creator Matsuri Hino.  It was first serialized in the shojo manga magazine, LaLa, from 2004 to 2013.  It was collected in 19 tankōbon (similar to a graphic novel), and VIZ Media published the manga in an English-language edition as a graphic novel series under its “Shojo Beat” format.

Vampire Knight is set in and around Cross Academy, a school for vampires (the “Night Class”) and humans (the “Day Class”) and focused mostly on the following characters: Headmaster Kaien Cross; his stepdaughter, Yuki Cross, a pure-blood vampire; Zero Kiryu, a human suffering from the curse of the vampire; and Kaname Kuran, the progenitor of a pure-blood vampire family line.  At the end of Vampire Knight, Kaname sacrifices his body to create new vampire-killing weapons for the vampire-hunting Hunter Society and then, sleeps for a thousand years.

A few years after the end of the original series, Hino began producing a series of “special chapters.”  These “Memories” are chapters that recount the events which occurred during Kaname's slumber.  VIZ Media publishes Vampire Knight: Memories annually as a single-volume graphic novel.

Vampire Knight: Memories, Vol. 4 opens with the story, “Dark Shadows of the Underground.”  It is a precarious time in the relationship between vampires and humans.  A mysterious group calling itself the “Vampire King” has launched a terrorist campaign of bombings.  Yuki and Zero are determined to capture the Vampire King, a mission that will take them deep into the underground areas beneath the city.  With the help of Maria Kurenai, a young leader in the Hunter Society, they close in on the quarry.  Their target, however, is also prepared for them and has plans to take prisoners.

In “One Step After a Hundred Years,” Yuki realizes just how shocking what she blurted out to Zero is.  What will she do about what she said?  Is she willing to join Zero in a life-changing event?  Finally, in the stories, “The Hope Inside a Photo Album” and “Goodbye and Hello,” a rabble-rousing human mayor of a nearby city pulls a publicity stunt that leads to Headmaster Cross making a decision that will have momentous consequences.

[This volume includes the bonus story, “The End of a Certain Lady;” the one-page comic, “Memories of Little Consequence;” and “Editor's Notes.”]

I am a fan of the Vampire Knight manga, although I did not like the final graphic novel, Vampire Knight, Vol. 19.  As for the Vampire Knight: Memories manga, the various chapters have been of uneven quality.  Some are exceptionally good, while others run the gamut from good, to bad, to average. The graphic novel collections have been good, especially Vol. 2, and Vol. 3 stood out by focusing on romance.

Vampire Knight: Memories Graphic Novel Volume 4 picks up on a theme and plot line that began to play out in Vol. 3 – the rising tensions between humans and vampires after a period of peace between the two races.  Vol. 4 is filled with tense stand-offs, kidnappings, rescues, subterfuge, suspicion, bombings, and mad scientists.  There is also some romance and a shocking turn of events that I do not want to spoil.  I can say that in the chapters that comprise Vol. 4, creator Matsuri Hino has brought back the mystery and the violence and the romance and the drama that were the highlights of the best chapters in the original run of Vampire Knight.

Tetsuichiro Miyaki (translation) and Nancy Thislethwaite (English adaptation) do stellar work conveying the deep feelings of love and family between characters like Yuki, Zero, Headmaster Cross, and Ren and Ai (Yuki and Kaname's children).  They also capture the heartfelt emotions, the sadness, and the sense of hope that define the end of Vol. 4.  Inori Fukuda Trant's lovely and quiet lettering emphasizes the drama with power that lingers after the final page.

Fans of the original series would serve themselves well to obtain this fourth volume of Vampire Knight: Memories, especially if they have not really followed the series since its English-language debut in 2017.  Vol 4 is a winner for sure.

10 out of 10

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


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.


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#IReadsYou Review: MARVEL COMICS #1000

MARVEL COMICS No. 1000
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: Al Ewing and various
PENCILS: Various
INKS: Various
COLORS: Various
LETTERS: Various
EDITOR: Tom Brevoort
EiC: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: Alex Ross
VARIANT COVERS: Various
96pp, Color, $9.99 U.S. (October 2019)

Rated T

Marvel Comics #1 (with a cover date of October 1939) was first published on Aug. 31, 1939.  It was the first comic book published by the company known as Timely Comics, a division of Timely Publications and a precursor of Marvel Comics.  Marvel Comics would eventually take on the title, Marvel Mystery Comics.

Using the publication date of Marvel Comics #1, Marvel Comics has been celebrating its 80th anniversary throughout 2019.  The biggest event of that celebration is a special comic book, Marvel Comics #1000.  This massive collaborative effort features 80 different creative teams and showcases classic Marvel Comics characters and some brand new ones.

Each page of Marvel Comics #1000 is a single-page vignette that is the contribution of one of the 80 creative teams.  The creative teams are a mixture of Marvel Comics luminaries (Roy Thomas, Chris Claremont, Alex Ross, to name a few), recent Marvel star creators (Jason Aaron, Joe Quesada), some rising Marvel creators (David F. Walker, Saladin Ahmed), some celebrities (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Neil Gaiman), and some inexplicable choices (J. Scott Campbell?!)

The guiding hand behind the story in this issue is Al Ewing, writer of the critically-acclaimed Hulk comic book series, Immortal Hulk.  The very first panel of Marvel Comics #1000 is based on a panel from Marvel Comics #1, and it is the beginning of this comic book's first one-pager, which is entitled “Eight Bells.”  It is written by Ewing; drawn by Steve Epting; colored by Frank D'Armata; and lettered by VC's Clayton Cowles.  And while many of the one-pagers in Marvel Comics #1000 are about pivotal moments in Marvel Comics' past, the first one-page hints at an ancient conspiracy that runs through the history of the Marvel Universe.

“Eight Bells” recounts the introduction of the original Human Torch, an android by Professor Horton.  From there, Ewing unveils a mystery in the Marvel Universe, one centered around an enigmatic artifact known as the “Eternity Mask.”  Secret threads, secret connections, secret histories, and synchronicity, what is the mystery behind the Eternity Mask, an item that can take down both the powerful and weak  Who will wear the mask now?

In the Diamond Previews online write-up for Marvel Comics #1000, Marvel declares it features “The Greatest Talent Ever Assembled for One Story.”  Another line reads “...we have gathered together the greatest array of talent ever to be assembled between the covers of a single comic book!”  Marvel has also described the creative line-ups for this Marvel Comics #1000 as “some Marvel icons, some first-timers” and “80 luminary creative teams.”

I understand hype, but I also believe that whoever wrote this does not quite understand the actual meaning of the world “luminary.”  As for “the greatest talent ever assembled,” that is eye-rolling hype.  Most of the contributors to Marvel Comics #1000 are solid professions, but for the most part have not produced enough work or any work that would justify them being called “great talents” and certainly not luminary.  Also, the comic books that most of these new icons and “new luminaries” produce have contributed to the continued plummeting sales of comic books.  Neil Gaiman is obviously a luminary, and after a few puffs of burning bush, I might grudgingly call Jason Aaron a luminary.  But Matthew Rosenberg? – bitch, puh-lease.

For the record, here is a list of artists and writer-artists that have contributed substantially to Marvel Comics, but do not contribute to Marvel Comics #1000:  Art Adams, John Byrne, Sal Buscema, Paul Gulacy, Frank Miller, Andy Kubert, Bob Layton, Jim Lee, Joe Madureira, Todd McFarlane, Bob McLeod, Jon J. Muth, John Romita, John Romita, Jr., Bill Sienkiewicz, Paul Smith, Jim Starlin, Kent Williams, Ron Wilson, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Mike Zeck

Here are the writers who have contributed greatly to Marvel and are not in Marvel Comics #1000:  Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Joe Casey, J.M. DeMatteis, Matt Fraction, Steven Grant, David Michelinie, Mark Millar, Doug Moench, Grant Morrison, Ann Nocenti, Louise Simonson, and Marv Wolfman.

I can understand that there are a number of reasons why none of the above appear in Marvel Comics #1000.  Some may have declined, and others may have chosen not to because they are retired or are in poor health.  Others may have exclusive contracts with other publishers that prohibit them from committing any work for Marvel.  Some may have had scheduling issues, but I think many simply were not asked to contribute.

A Marvel Comics 80th anniversary book without John Byrne and Frank Miller is just fucking stupid.  I don't care what it took – even if someone had to get on his or her knees or drop trousers to convince them, Byrne and Miller had to be in this comic book.   It is because of the work that Byrne and Miller produced for Marvel Comics from the 1970s to the mid-1980s that Marvel had a late 1980s.

And they couldn't get a Jack Kirby pin-up in this bitch?  The comic books that Bendis, Brubaker, and Millar produced in the 2000s contributed greatly to the history-making and astounding amounts of money Marvel Entertainment's owners are now making from film adaptations of Marvel Comics' stories and characters.  Bendis should have written the Miles Morales one-pager; because he didn't, I didn't even bother reading it.

There are some nice moments and pages in Marvel Comics #1000.  I thought the Joe Quesada-Kevin Nowlan Daredevil page was beautiful.  Other pages I liked:  Roy Thomas and Rod Reis's Wolverine page; Jim Zub and Nick Bradshaw's Blade page; and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Jessica Jones page, to name a few.

The good stuff in Marvel Comics #1000 is tainted by the absence of so many true Marvel Comics luminaries and icons.  Donny Cates is not a Marvel icon, nor is Gerry Duggan.  Sorry; not now, but maybe later – much later.  The powers-that-be at Marvel Comics should be honest.  Marvel Comics #1000 is not so much an anniversary celebration as their childish need to have a Marvel title reach a thousandth issue because DC Comics recently had two – Action Comics #1000 and Detective Comics #1000.  And Marvel was going to have their 1000 even if they had to fudge the numbers.

5 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 #108

STAR WARS No. 108
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

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

STORY: Matthew Rosenberg
PENCILS: Giuseppe Camuncoli; Andrea Broccardo; Kerry Gammill; Jan Duursema; Stefano Landini; Luke Ross; Leonard Kirk
INKS: Cam Smith; Andrea Broccardo; Ze Carlos; Jan Duursema; Stefano Landini; Luke Ross; Leonard Kirk
COLORS: Chris Sotomayor
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Walter Simonson with Antonio Fabela
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: John Tyler Christopher; Michael Golden; Carmine Infantino and Dan Green with Dean White
52pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (July 2019)

Rated “T”

Marvel Comics is in the middle of celebrating some kind of 80th anniversary or birthday.  Marvel is 80 when you count the debuts of Marvel's “predecessors,” Timely Comics (1939) and Atlas Comics (1951 to 1971).  The declaration, “80 Years,” is currently emblazoned on the Marvel logo.

As part of the celebration, Marvel has been publishing a series of one-shots that act as a brief continuation of odd, off-beat, and forgotten Marvel and Timely comics titles (such as the recent Ziggy Pig - Silly Seal Comics and Gunhawks one-shots).  One of those one-shots, Star Wars No. 108, is a continuation of Marvel's original Star Wars comic book series, which was published from 1977 to 1986 for a total of 107 issues, three annuals, and the Return of the Jedi miniseries, which was a comic book adaptation of the 1983 film.

Star Wars #108 is written by Matthew Rosenberg, who divides the story into eight chapters.  The team of Giuseppe Camuncoli and Cam Smith draws the first four pages of Chapter 1, with Andrea Broccardo drawing the rest.  Chapter 2 is drawn by the team of Kerry Gammill and Ze Carlos.  Chapter 3 is drawn by Broccardo.  Chapter 4 is drawn by Jan Duursema (who drew numerous Star Wars comic books for Dark Horse Comics).  Chapter 5 is drawn by Broccardo.  Chapter 6 is drawn by Stefano Landini.  Chapter 7 is drawn by Luke Ross (who has drawn several Star Wars comic books for Marvel).  Chapter 8 is drawn by Leonard Kirk.  The colorist for this comic book is Chris Sotomayor, and the letterer is Clayton Cowles.

Star Wars #108 is a sequel to “The Crimson Forever,” which was published in Star Wars #50 (cover dated: August 1981) and was written by late Archie Goodwin and drawn by the late Al Williamson and Walter Simonson.  The story also features the character Valance the Hunter, a character that originates in Marvel's original Star Wars comic book and not in the Star Wars films.  Valance was created by writer Goodwin and Simonson and first appeared in Star Wars #16 (cover dated: October 1978).  Simonson, with colorist Antonio Fabela, provides the main cover art for Star Wars #108.

Other Star Wars comics-only characters appear in #108.  First, they are the bounty hunters, Jaxxon (a rabbit-like humanoid) and the female, Amaiza Foxtrain, both of whom first appeared in Star Wars #8 (cover dated: February 1978) and who were created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Howard Chaykin.  Another is the lead villain of “The Crimson Forever,” the vengeful Domina Tagge, who first appeared in Star Wars #35 (cover dated: May 1980) and who was created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist Carmine Infantino.

Star Wars #108, entitled “Forever Crimson” opens some time after the events depicted in Return of the Jedi.  The story finds Domina Tagge again seeking to use the mysterious twin red jewels to avenge herself on both the Rebel Alliance (now known as the “Alliance of Free Planets”) and the remnants of the Galactic Empire.  When separated, the jewels create a deadly plague called “the Crimson Forever.”  Now, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C-3PO must stop Tagge.  Jaxxon and Amaiza Foxtrain are allies-of-sorts to Luke and company, but they have their own plans.  And Domina's actions have inadvertently served to revive Valance the Hunter, but whose side is he on?

First, let me say that I am disappointed and somewhat upset that Lando Calrissian does not appear in Star Wars #108, especially because he was directly involved in the original story, “The Crimson Forever.”  That aside, this is a really nice way to celebrate and to remember – even honor – Marvel's original Star Wars comic book series.  For many Star Wars fans (myself included, dear readers), Marvel's Star Wars was the only way we got a regular Star Wars fix during the three-year wait between the release of the original Star Wars films.  [No newspaper local to me carried the very good Star Wars newspaper comic strip that ran from 1979 to 1984.]

Writer Matthew Rosenberg was also someone who was a big fan of those early Marvel Star Wars comic books.  His love for them shows up in “Forever Crimson,” which is true in spirit, tone, and storytelling style to those old Star Wars comic books.  We would be so lucky if Rosenberg produced sequels to other Star Wars stories from those bygone days.

The artists turn in excellent work, and Giuseppe Camuncoli and Cam Smith expertly mimic Walt Simonson's graphic style in their four-page retelling of the story of Valance the Hunter.  Luke Ross delivers his usual stellar work, and Leonard Kirk's closing chapter, with its Art Adams and Mike Mignola-like flourishes, gives us award-worthy art.

Superstar colorist Chris Sotomayor displays his wicked skills coloring seven different artists or art teams in bright colors that recall old-school Marvel comic book coloring.  And superstar letterer Clayton Cowles helps to give each chapter its own tone and atmosphere.

I was quite excited when I first heard about Star Wars #108.  It surpasses my expectations, and it makes me anxious to go back and reread those old Star Wars comic books.  That is high praise indeed.

This issue also includes an afterword in which several people who worked on the original Star Wars comic books recount, to editor Mark Paniccia, their experiences working on the title, some taking a paragraph or more to tell their story.  These include Jo Duffy, Ron Frenz, David Michelinie, Tom Palmer, Louise Simonson, and Walter Simonson.

8.5 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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Review: THE SANDMAN UNIVERSE #1

THE SANDMAN UNIVERSE No. 1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Neil Gaiman
WRITERS: Simon “Si” Spurrier, Kat Howard, Nalo Hopkinson, and Dan Watters
ART: Bilquis Evely, Tom Fowler, Dominike “Domo” Stanton, Max Fiumara and Sebastian Fiumara
COLORS: Mat Lopes
LETTERS: Simon Bowland
EDITOR: Molly Mahan
COVER: Jae Lee with June Chung
VARIANT COVERS: Dave McKean; Jill Thompson; Jim Lee with Alex Sinclair; Sam Keith; P. Craig Russell with Lovern Kindzierski; David Mack
48pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (October 2018)

“Suggested for Mature Readers”

The Sandman created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg

The Sandman is a DC Comics comic book series created by writer Neil Gaiman and artists Sam Keith and Mike Dringenberg.  Published by DC Comics from 1989 to 1996, The Sandman ran for 75 issues, and tells the story of “Dream” of “The Endless.”  Also named Morpheus (as well as other names), Dream rules over the world of dreams.

DC Comics announced earlier this year an expansion and quasi sequel to The Sandman, “The Sandman Universe.”  This will be a line of four comic books that will launch in September and October of 2018.  The release dates are timed to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sandman #1, which was covered dated January 1989, but released to comic book stores in October 1988.  It will also commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Vertigo imprint.

The Sandman Universe titles are a mixture of new and revived titles.  The first is The Dreaming (Sept. 5th), written by Simon “Si” Spurrier and drawn by Bilquis Evely.  The second is House of Whispers (Sept. 12), written by Nalo Hopkinson and drawn by Dominike “Domo” Stanton.  The third is Lucifer (October 17), written by Dan Watters and drawn by Max Fiumara and Sebastian Fiumara.  The fourth is Books of Magic (Oct. 24), written by Kat Howard and drawn by Tom Fowler.

These four titles are previewed in the stand-alone anthology comic book, The Sandman Universe #1.  Neil Gaiman provides the story for this single-issue comic book.  Simon Spurrier, Kat Howard, Nalo Hopkinson, and Dan Watters write the scripts for previews of the respective titles they are writing.  Bilquis Evely, Tom Fowler, Dominike “Domo” Stanton, and Max Fiumara and Sebastian Fiumara draw the art for the previews of the respective series they are drawing.  The Sandman Universe #1 is colored by Mat Lopes and lettered by Simon Bowland.

In The Sandman Universe #1, the denizens of The Dreaming discover that their master, the Lord of Dreams, is missing.  Now, Matthew the raven must traverse the realms and dreams of four characters:  Dora, Timothy Hunter, Erzulie (a voodoo deity), and Lucifer Morningstar (trapped in the body of an old man) to find Dream.  But does he want to be found?  What if he quit being Dream?

I enjoyed The Sandman Universe #1, but I would not call it an exceptional comic book.  It is a particularly well-produced preview comic book.  The best art, by far, in The Sandman Universe #1 is the work of Bilquis Evely, who is drawing The Dreaming, so I am putting this title on my reading list.

I want to try House of Whispers because I try to support Black writers of speculative and fantasy fiction, and the Jamaican-born, Canadian Hopkinson is a writer of color.  The House of Whispers preview in The Sandman Universe #1 is interesting and is the only truly unique offering in this comic book.  However, I must say that it did not quite connect with me the way I thought it would because of its various elements and ideas.

The Books of Magic preview did pique my interest; for obvious reasons, this is the closest thing to a Harry Potter comic book we likely will ever have.  I found the Lucifer preview to be a chore to read, taxing my patience for most of its six pages.

The Dreaming is both The Sandman Universe #1's framing sequence and the subject of a preview, which is good.  As I just wrote, Bilquis Evely's art is beautiful, and Evely's talent really shows on the killer last page she produces for this story.  As a preview of a line of comic books, The Sandman Universe #1 is as effective as it can be, but most of the effort is really up to the creative teams of the individual titles in the line.  I recommend this to readers interested in “The Sandman Universe” titles, but I doubt longtime fans of The Sandman comic book series will get much out of it.

7.5 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 syndication rights and fees.

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Review: SIMPSONS COMICS Colossal Compendium Volume 7

SIMPSONS COMICS COLOSSAL COMPENDIUM VOLUME 7
HARPERCOLLINS/Harper Design – @HarperCollins @harperdesignbks

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: Max Davison; Ian Boothby; John Jackson Miller; Dean Rankine; Michael Saikin; Mike W. Barr; Patrick M. Verrone
PENCILS: Hilary Barta; Jacob Chabot; Rex Lindsey; Nina Matsumoto; Dean Rankine; James Lloyd; Phil Ortiz; John Delaney; Mike DeCarlo; John Costanza
INKS: Andrew Pepoy; Jacob Chabot; Hilary Barta; Mike Rote; Dean Rankine; Mike DeCarlo
COLORS: Art Villanueva; Alan Hellard
LETTERS: Karen Bates
EDITOR: Nathan Kane
COVER:  Matt Groening
ISBN: 978-0-06-287880-9; paperback (July 2, 2019)
176pp, Color, $18.99 U.S., $23.99 CAN

“The Simpsons” is an American animated television sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company.  “The Simpsons” has been a continuous presence on broadcast television since December of the 1989-90 television season.  “The Simpsons” presents a satirical depiction of a working class family which consists of Homer Simpson (the father), Marge Simpson (the mother), Bart (the oldest child and only son), Lisa (the precocious and brilliant elder daughter), and Maggie (a baby girl).  “The Simpsons” also parodies American culture, pop culture, society, etc. via the denizens of The Simpsons' home town, Springfield.

In 1993. Matt Groening, Bill Morrison, and Steve and Cindy Vance founded Bongo Comics Group (or simply Bongo Comics).  Until 2018 when it closed, Bongo Comics published numerous comic book series and single-issue publications featuring characters, plots, settings, and situations from “The Simpsons” TV series.

Since 2013, Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins, has been publishing the Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium.  This is a paperback graphic novel series which reprints select comics stories from various issues of Bongo Comics' Simpsons comic books.   The latest release, Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium Volume 7, reprints material that originally appeared in the following comic books:  Grampa Simpson Unbelievable Adventures #1 (2015); Simpsons Comics #'s 171, 184, 232, 233, 235, and 236 (October 2010 to January 2017); Simpsons Summer Shindig #'s 7 (May 2013) and 9 (May 2015); Simpson Super Spectacular #11 (June 2010).

Harper Design sent me a copy of Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium Volume 7 for review, as they did a few years ago with Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium Volume 4.  In the last two decades, I've read only a few individual Simpsons comics, although I have always enjoyed them.  In the last five years, I have read several volumes of Harper Design's Simpsons trade paperbacks, thanks to review copies.

Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium Volume 7 does not really have any great stories (although there are some good ones), but the stories contained within this volume offer many funny and clever moments.  For instance, “Grampa Simpson's Great Sandwich Caper!” is a clever spoof of those choose-your-own-adventure stories because it is composed of clever moments, rather than an overall clever plot.  “Uncivil War Bartman vs. Houseboy” offers funny introductions of parody superheroes; one of the best is Milhouse Van Houten's father, Kirk Van Houten, dressed in a “Deadman” style costume and trying to use his super-heroic activities as divorce-dad quality time.

There are some good stories.  “Pieman Meets the Pi Man” pits Homer Simpson's Pieman against a wacky villain, “Pi Man,” who uses math to confound his victims and the targets of his schemes.  The story “Railroaded” was recently reprinted in another trade paperback.  This tale of vacation-by-train beset by overcrowding somehow finds a way to continually assault my funny bone.

“100% Homer” recalls the 2011 film, Limitless, as a rancid donut makes Homer super-smart, and he gets a third eye and goes on a trippy trip.  The balloon race and religion con-themed “Karmageddon” exemplifies the sharp humor we expect of “The Simpsons.”  Homer takes on Ned Flanders in a balloon race, and Lisa Simpson tries to attend a multi-faith religious convention, (“Karma-Con”), although the tickets to attend are sold out.  Just the premise alone is funny, but this odd tale is infused with humor.

So, while Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium Volume 7 is not a great collection, it reflects what Bongo Comics (a defunct publisher as of 2018) offered – some of the best humor comics published in North America.  Funny moments and good humor, Vol. 7 of the Simpsons Comics Colossal Compendium will tickle the funny bone.

7 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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Review: VAMPIRE KNIGHT: Memories Volume 3

VAMPIRE KNIGHT: MEMORIES VOL. 3
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Matsuri Hino
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Nancy Thislethwaite
LETTERS: Inori Fukuda Trant
EDITOR: Nancy Thislethwaite
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0515-3; paperback (July 2019); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
208pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Vampire Knight is a vampire romance and shojo manga from creator Matsuri Hino.  It was published in the magazine, LaLa, from 2004 to 2013.  It has been collected in 19 tankōbon (similar to a graphic novel), and VIZ Media has published the manga in the United States as an English-language, paperback graphic novel series.

A few years after the end of the original series, Hino began producing a series of “special chapters.”  These are episodes of Vampire Knight that take place after the events depicted in Vampire Knight Volume 19, which contained the final chapters of original manga.  VIZ Media is publishing an English-language translation of the new chapters in a graphic novel series, Vampire Knights: Memories.

Vampire Knight focuses on Yuki Cross, a student at the vampire (the “Night Class”) and human (the “Day Class”) school, Cross Academy.  Headmaster Kaien Cross is her stepfather, but Yuki eventually learns that she is a pure-blood vampire.  Her first love interest is Zero Kiryu, a human suffering from the curse of the vampire.  Yuki eventually falls in love with Kaname Kuran, a pure-blood vampire.  At the end of Vampire Knight, Kaname sacrifices his body to create new vampire-killing weapons for the vampire-hunting Hunter Society.

Vampire Knight: Memories, Vol. 3 opens with the chapter, entitled “Bond.”  Yuki and Zero encounter old friends, now aged, and new enemies.  All that pales next to the strength of their bond, and now, they have decided to become a couple.  In “Memories of Those Who Have Gone,” Kaien Cross reminisces about the photographs he took and the memories they recall.  Vampires Ruka and Akatsuki become engaged in the story, “Wedge,” and they marry in “Till Dust Do Us Part,” which also finds Yuki and Zero make decisions about their relationship.

[This volume includes the bonus stories, “A Vampire Who Claims that Friendship is the Source of Life” and “What is to Come;” a four-panel manga, “Memories of Little Consequence;” and “Editor's Notes.”]

In general, I enjoyed the Vampire Knight manga, although I was not a fan of the final graphic novel, Vol. 19.  I liked the first volume of the Vampire Knight: Memories manga, but I thought the second volume was stronger.

Vampire Knight: Memories Graphic Novel Volume 3 maintains the increase in the quality of drama that Vol. 2 presented.  I like that Cross Academy is back in play, but I am also intrigued by the increasing tensions between various factions of humans and vampires.  Intrigue will apparently yield acts of terrorism, double-dealing, double agents, and perhaps, some kind of biological warfare.

Best of all about Vol. 3 is the romance.  We have a wedding, a beautiful one that occurs at night.  The new state of affairs between Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu promises a resurgence of Vampire Knight.  How long will this “sequel” last?  Hopefully, it will last several more volumes – if love and war are the order of the Day (Class) with the creatures of the Night (Class).

A
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 syndication rights and fees.

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Review: BART SIMPSON Breaks Out

BART SIMPSON BREAKS OUT
HARPERCOLLINS/Harper Design – @HarperCollins @harperdesignbks @TheSimpsons

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Pat McGreal; Shane Houghton; Dean Rankine; Ian Boothby; John Zakour and Max Davison; Eric Rogers; Tony DiGerolamo; Carol Lay; Arie Kaplan; Mike W. Barr; Ian Brill
PENCILS: Rex Lindsey; Nina Matsumoto; Dean Rankine; John Delaney; Phil Ortiz; Mike Kazaleh; Carol Lay; Tone Rodriguez
INKS: Dan Davis; Andrew Pepoy; Dean Rankine; Mike DeCarlo; Mike Rote; Mike Kazaleh; Carol Lay
COLORS: Art Villanueva; Nathan Hamill
LETTERS: Karen Bates
EDITOR: Nathan Kane
COVER: Matt Groening
ISBN: 978-0-06-287873-1; paperback (April 2, 2019)
128pp, Color, $16.99 U.S., $21.00 CAN

Bart Simpson Breaks Out is a new trade paperback comic book collection from Harper Design.  Bart Simpson Breaks Out collects comic book short stories and short gags that were originally published in the comic book series, Bart Simpson, specifically issues #78, #79, #80, #81, #82, and #83. (cover dated:  January 2013 to May 2013).

Bart Simpson is one of the lead characters in the long-running animated television sitcom, “The Simpsons” (Fox).  “The Simpsons” presents a satirical depiction of a working class family which consists of Homer Simpson (the father), Marge Simpson (the mother), Bart (the oldest child and only son), Lisa (the precocious and brilliant elder daughter), and Maggie (a baby girl).  “The Simpsons” also parodies American culture, pop culture, society, politics, media, etc. via the denizens of The Simpsons home town, Springfield.

In 1993, Bongo Comics Group (or simply Bongo Comics) began publishing numerous comic book series and single-issue publications based on “The Simpsons.”  Beginning in 2000, Bongo gave Bart his on title, Simpsons Comics Presents Bart Simpson (or simply Bart Simpson).  The comics presented in Bart Simpson Breaks Out collects stories published in the final quarter of the series.  Bart Simpson ended with issue #100 in 2016 (and Bongo ceased publishing in 2018).

I really enjoyed the previous Bart Simpson trade paperback, 2018's Bart Simpson Bust-Up, and I happy to tell you, dear readers, that Bart Simpson Breaks Out is just as good.

The opening story, “The Booty” (written by Pat McGreal and drawn by Rex Lindsey and Dan Davis), is a cute story with a funny pie-eating contest in the middle.  However, Breaks Out really... breaks out with the second story, “I'd Rather Bleed Than Read” (by Shane Houghton, Nina Matsumoto, and Andrew Pepoy), which finds Principal Seymour Skinner trapping Bart in the Springfield Elementary school library in order to force the lad to read at least one book.  The resolution to the story is rather novel, if not a stroke of genius.

“Bartman vs. Doctor Octuplets” (by Ian Boothby, John Delaney, and Pepoy) is one of two stories featuring Bart's superhero alter-ego, “Bartman.”  It has a neat take on Spider-Man villain, Doctor Octopus, via Kwik-E-Mart manager, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, and his brood of children.  The second Bartman story, “Who the Bartman?” (by Arne Kaplan, Tone Rodriguez, and Pepoy), offers a novel take on how Bart's classmates view Bartman.

Breaks Out has two Maggie Simpson stories written and drawn by the great alternative comic book creator, Carol Lay.  The first one, “Maggie and the Moon,” is quite poignant and beautiful.  That heartwarming vibe also makes an appearance in the story, “The Todd & the Rodyssey” (by Mike W. Barr, Delaney, and Pepoy).  Ned Flanders is a featured character here, but his sons, Rod and Todd, are the stars of this story of escape and survival.  The last two panels of this fast-moving and delightful comic presses all my buttons of sentimentality.

The other stories are also pretty good, especially the Springfield Elementary “Junior Mafia” tale.  I got a kick out of “The Demon” (by Max Davison, Delaney, and Pepoy), because I generally like ghost story-themed tales told in a kids' comic books published by everyone from Archie Comics to whatever company is publishing comic books featuring Disney characters.

In some of my reviews of Simpsons Comics paperback collections, I have said that one does not have to be a fan of “The Simpsons” to like them.  This is the case with Bart Simpson Breaks Out, because this book is full of top-notch humor comics.  Bart Simpson Breaks Out is too funny to pass up.

9 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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