Showing posts with label Chuck Dixon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chuck Dixon. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Review: SIMPSONS COMICS Showstopper

SIMPSONS COMICS SHOWSTOPPER
HARPERCOLLINS/Harper Design – @HarperCollins @harperdesignbks @TheSimpsons

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Ian Boothby; Mary Trainor; Len Wein; Chuck Dixon
PENCILS: Phil Ortiz; John Costanza
INKS: Mike DeCarlo; Phyllis Novin
COLORS: Art Villanueva
LETTERS: Karen Bates
EDITOR: Bill Morrison
COVER: Matt Groening
ISBN: 978-0-06-287877-9; paperback (February 5, 2019)
128pp, Color, $16.99 U.S., $21.00 CAN

“The Simpsons” created by Matt Groening

Since 2016, HarperCollins' imprint, Harper Design, has been sending me review copies of its full-color trade paperbacks that reprint comic books based on “The Simpson's” animated television series.  Those comics have been published by Bongo Comics since 1993.

Simpsons Comics Showstopper (the fifth that I have received) is the newest trade paperback in the series.  Simpsons Comics Showstopper collects stories from Simpsons Comics issues #127, #128, #129, #132, and #133 (published between February and August 2007).

“The Simpsons,” produced first run for the Fox Broadcasting Company,  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.

Simpsons Comics Showstopper opens with “25” (written by Ian Boothby and drawn by Phil Ortiz and Mike DeCarlo).  It is a parody of Fox's long-running, live-action television series, “24.”  Homer is late for work... again.  Meanwhile, at his place of employment, Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, his boss Montgomery Burns, believes that he has killed Homer.  His solution to cover up this supposed crime – set the plant to meltdown!  Now, only Homer can save the plant and Springfield, but can he make it to work on time – when he hasn't after being twelve hours late?!

In “Simpson Family Robinson Crusoe” (written by Mary Trainor and drawn by John Costanza and Phyllis Novin), we get a Simpsons spin on two classics of Western literature, Robinson Crusoe (1719) and The Swiss Family Robinson (1812).  In “You'd Better Sloth Around” (written by Len Wein and drawn by Costanza and Novin), Homer buys a “Hoveround”-like vehicle called the “Sloth-Around,” despite his family's objections to that purchase.  Homer becomes a menace on the thing, but karma might have a surprise for him.

“A Brand New Burns Part One!” and “Part Two,” are written by Chuck Dixon and drawn by Costanza and Novin.  In the story, Montgomery Burns and his loyal confidant, Smithers, travel to Mexico where Burns will spend some time at “Rancho Segundo Posibilidad” for rejuvenation treatments.  So why does Burns end up in a sweatshop?  Why is Smithers back in Springfield with a younger Burns?

The comic book stories in Simpsons Comics Showstopper are inventive, full-length tales.  The best of the lot is “A Brand New Burns,” if for no other reason than the famous and infamous people writer Chuck Dixon depicts as being denizens of Hell.  Artists John Costanza and Phyllis Novin and colorist Art Villanueva deliver a few graphically striking panels, especially the ones that depict Montgomery naked and floating/swimming towards the afterlife.

“You'd Better Sloth-Around” epitomizes one of the things that “The Simpsons” does so well, satirize the American desire to get over on people and to beat the system.  “Simpson Family Robinson Crusoe” is a cute send-up of the source material.  That may be the best way to define the comics in Simpsons Comics Showstopper – cute, nice, and entertaining, but none of this material is great.  This collection may satisfy Simpsons comic book fans, but it is not an exceptional Simpsons comics collection, which I can say about some of the others (like 2018's Bart Simpson Bust-Up).

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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Monday, October 15, 2018

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for October 17, 2018

MARVEL COMICS

JUL189277    AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #5 2ND PTG OTTLEY VAR    $3.99
AUG181044    ASTONISHING X-MEN #16    $3.99
AUG181045    ASTONISHING X-MEN #16 YOON LEE MARVEL BATTLE LINES VAR    $3.99
AUG181002    DAREDEVIL #609    $3.99
AUG181003    DAREDEVIL #609 JONG JU KIM MARVEL BATTLE LINES VAR    $3.99
JUL181205    DOCTOR STRANGE EPIC COLLECTION TP MASTER OF THE MYSTIC ARTS    $39.99
JUL181185    DOCTOR STRANGE TP DAMNATION    $15.99
JUL189276    FANTASTIC FOUR #2 2ND PTG PICHELLI VAR    $3.99
JUL189278    INFINITY WARS #3 (OF 6) 2ND PTG DEODATO VAR    $4.99
AUG180886    INFINITY WARS WEAPON HEX #1 (OF 2)    $3.99
AUG180888    INFINITY WARS WEAPON HEX #1 (OF 2) KUBERT CONNECTING VAR    $3.99
AUG181024    LIFE OF CAPTAIN MARVEL #4 (OF 5)    $3.99
AUG181026    LIFE OF CAPTAIN MARVEL #4 (OF 5) SUJIN JO MARVEL BATTLE LINE    $3.99
JUL181174    MARVEL KNIGHTS BY DIXON & BARRETO TP DEFENDERS OF STREETS    $39.99
JUL181175    MARVEL KNIGHTS DAREDEVIL BY BENDIS MALEEV TP UNDERBOSS    $17.99
AUG180927    MARVEL ZOMBIE #1    $4.99
AUG180928    MARVEL ZOMBIE #1 IN-HYUK LEE VAR    $4.99
AUG181031    MR AND MRS X #4    $3.99
AUG181050    OLD MAN LOGAN #49    $3.99
AUG180862    PETER PARKER SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #311 SG    $3.99
AUG181023    RUNAWAYS #14    $3.99
JUL181180    RUNAWAYS BY RAINBOW ROWELL TP VOL 02 BEST FRIENDS FOREVER    $17.99
AUG180868    SHURI #1    $3.99
JUL181202    SPIDER-MAN IRON MAN MARVEL TEAM-UP TP    $24.99
AUG181066    STAR WARS DARTH VADER #22    $3.99
JUL181170    STAR WARS LEGENDS EPIC COLLECTION NEW REPUBLIC TP VOL 04    $39.99
AUG180947    THOR #6    $3.99
AUG180948    THOR #6 SUJIN JO MARVEL BATTLE LINES VAR    $3.99
AUG180931    TRUE BELIEVERS WHAT IF ALIEN COSTUME POSSESSED SPIDER-MAN #1    $1.00
AUG180933    TRUE BELIEVERS WHAT IF FF HAD NOT GAINED THEIR POWERS #1    $1.00
AUG180894    UNSTOPPABLE WASP #1    $3.99
AUG180977    VENOM ANNUAL #1    $4.99
AUG180978    VENOM ANNUAL #1 SINEKIEWICZ VAR    $4.99
AUG181048    WEAPON H #9    $3.99
AUG181049    WEAPON H #9 MAXX LIM MARVEL BATTLE LINES VAR    $3.99
AUG180921    WHAT IF? GHOST RIDER #1    $3.99
AUG180922    WHAT IF? GHOST RIDER #1 CHRISTOPHER ACTION FIGURE VAR    $3.99
AUG180909    X-MEN BLACK MYSTIQUE #1    $4.99
JUL189103    X-MEN BLACK MYSTIQUE #1 JSC VIRGIN VAR    $4.99
AUG180910    X-MEN BLACK MYSTIQUE #1 LARROCA MUGSHOT VAR    $4.99

Friday, April 13, 2018

Review: BANE: Conquest #1

BANE: CONQUEST No. 1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Chuck Dixon
ARTIST: Graham Nolan
COLORS: Gregory Wright
LETTERS: Carlos M. Mangual
COVER: Graham Nolan with Gregory Wright
VARIANT COVER: Kelley Jones with Michelle Madsen
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2017)

Rated “T+” for Teen Plus

Bane created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan

“The Sword” Part 1

Bane is a DC Comics character and super-villain.  Created by writers Chuck Dixon and Doug Moench and artist Graham Nolan, Bane is primarily a Batman adversary known for his brute strength and exceptional intelligence, with his strength enhanced by “Venom,” a strength-enhancing super-steroid, which can be highly addictive.

Two of Bane's creators are the creative force behind a new 12-issue miniseries starring the character, entitled Bane: Conquest.  It is written by Chuck Dixon; drawn by Graham Nolan; colored by Gregory Wright; and lettered by Carlos M. Mangual.

Bane: Conquest #1 opens on the sea, in international waters off the coast of Gotham City.  A shipping vessel laden with the weapons of war is headed for the city, or at least the crew thinks they are.  They are actually headed towards a rendezvous with Bane, the boss of Gotham's criminal underworld.  However, Bane has no idea where his assault of this shipping vessel will take him.

Bane: Conquest is a 1990s comic book, at least it seems that way to me.  I think Chuck Dixon and Graham Nolan (an artist that I have always liked) had their best years in the 1990s – Batman and Punisher comics for Dixon and Batman and Hawkworld for Nolan.  Dixon is a serviceable-to-dependable, but not particularly imaginative and inventive writer.  At his best (on DC's Hawkworld comic book series), Nolan was a rock solid storyteller who used stylish compositions to evoke not only mood, but also to reveal the inner workings of characters.

Bane: Conquest seems like the blending of Dixon's leftover 1990s scripts for Batman and The Punisher, with Bane as The Punisher on a mission to destroy gunrunners.  Honestly, this first issue is not bad, but its goodness is not worth the $3.99 cover price.  Just in case I am wrong, however, I will try another issue or two.

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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