#IReadsYou Review: THE OTHER HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE #1

THE OTHER HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE #1
DC COMICS/DC Black Label

STORY: John Ridley
LAYOUTS: Giuseppe Camuncoli
FINISHES: Andrea Cucchi
COLORS: José Villarrubia
LETTERS: Steve Wands
EDITORS: Mark Doyle, Andy Khouri, and Amadeo Turturro
COVER: Giuseppe Camuncoli with Marco Mastrazzo
VARIANT COVER ART: Jamal Campbell
48pp, Color, $6.99 U.S. (January 2021)

Rated: Ages 17+

1972-1995: Jefferson Pierce

Black Lightning/Jefferson Pierce is a DC Comics superhero character.  He was created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Trevor Von Eeden and first appeared in Black Lightning #1 (April 1977).  Black Lightning's origin has changed since his debut.  He originally gained “electrical superpowers,” but he is currently depicted as a “metahuman” who was born with the ability to manipulate and generate electricity.  Black Lightning was DC Comics first Black superhero with his own comic book series.

Academy Award-winning screenwriter John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) is the writer of The Other History of the DC Universe, a five-issue miniseries published under DC Comics' “Black Label” imprint.  The Other History of the DC Universe is drawn by Giuseppe Camuncoli (layouts) and Andrea Cucchi (finishes); colored by José Villarrubia; and lettered by Steve Wands.   The Other History of the DC Universe is published in an over-sized format (8 1/2 x 10 7/8), in paperback with full-color interiors.

Inspired by the 1986, two-issue DC comic book miniseries, History of the DC Universe, this new series examines the mythology of the DC Universe and its iconic moments of history via the lives of four African-American characters:  Black Lightning, Bumblebee/Karen Duncan & Herald/Guardian/Mal Duncan, and Anissa Pierce/Thunder (the daughter of Jefferson Pierce); one AAPI character – Katana/Tatsu Yamashiro; and one Latino character – Renee Montoya.  The Other History of the DC Universe depicts sociopolitical threads as seen through the prism of DC super heroes who come from traditionally disenfranchised groups.

The Other History of the DC Universe #1 offers the story of Jefferson Pierce, the man who becomes Black Lightning.  It is a journey that chronicles Pierce as he makes his way from being a young track star to a teacher and ultimately to his troubled life as the superhero, Black Lightning.

The Other History of the DC Universe #1 opens the day a young Black man named Jefferson Pierce learns that his father has been killed, a moment which changes his life.  Pierce goes on to win the gold medal at the 1972 Olympic Games.  He later becomes a teacher, but his life changes again when his in-born ability to manipulate and generate electricity suddenly emerges.

He eventually uses those powers to become the superhero, Black Lightning, but he discovers that he really does not fit in with the other superheroes of the time, such as the Justice League of America.  He even finds himself estranged from other Black superheroes, such as the Green Lantern also known as John Stewart.  And Black Lightning's struggles may destroy everything that he has as Jefferson Pierce.

THE LOWDOWN:  I am a fan of the television and film work of screenwriter John Ridley, but I have never read any of the comic books that he has written over the last two decades.  However, I have been looking forward to The Other History of the DC Universe since it was first announced a few years ago.  I must say that after reading “Book One,” it is not what I expected.

In a way, The Other History of the DC Universe #1 takes a view of superheroes the way the late Marvel Comics legend, Stan Lee, did.  Superheroes have “feet of clay,” and Lee often depicted his superheroes as having problems that originated in their civilian lives, sometimes coming forward before they gained powers.  For instance, there is the bullied, teen wallflower, Peter Parker, who became Spider-Man.

Ridley depicts Black Lightning as a superhero who wears a mask to hide his identity as Jefferson Pierce from the enemies he faces as a superhero.  However, Black Lightning is one of many masks that Pierce wears to hide his secrets – personal and professional – from everyone in his life.  His professional life includes everything that Pierce does, from being a teacher and mentor to being a superhero and a vigilante.  As his powers are now depicted as being inborn, Pierce seems more like a Marvel persecuted mutant than a shiny DC Comics superhero, and his life is a series of struggles, regardless of the roles he plays.  Normally, I would like that, but if I'm honest, I will admit that I wanted this alternate history to offer more superhero action than Black male angst.

I read The Other History of the DC Universe #1 as being about the trials and tribulations of a Black man living in a tumultuous time period that runs from 1972 to 1995.  If this comic book can be said to have a central point or theme, it is that maybe Black/African-American men put too much pressure on themselves, perhaps even more than the larger American society does.

The Other History of the DC Universe #1 is one of those comic books that tells its story via illustrations and text in caption boxes; there are no word balloons/bubbles.  In that regard, the art team of Giuseppe Camuncoli and Andrea Cucchi delivers competent if not spectacular artwork, but the problem is that most of that art seems like nothing more than spot illustrations for prose.  I can't really call this comic book art “graphical storytelling,” because it isn't so much story as it is merely complementary to text that works like prose.  Luckily, this art is colored by one of the very best comic book colorists of the last 25 years, the great José Villarrubia.  Also, I think Steve Wands' lettering gives this first issue a much needed spark.

I am considering reading the rest of The Other History of the DC Universe, but it isn't a priority.  Still, part of me is curious about how John Ridley will present the stories of these other non-white characters.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Black superheros will want to try The Other History of the DC Universe.

B+
7 out of 10

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


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#IReadsYou Review: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: The Golden Child #1

DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: THE GOLDEN CHILD No. 1
DC COMICS/Black Label

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Frank Miller
ART: Rafael Grampá
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: John Workman and Deron Bennett
EDITOR: Mark Doyle
COVER: Rafael Grampa with Pedro Cobiaco
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Andy Kubert with Brad Anderson; Frank Miller with Alex Sinclair; Joelle Jones with Dave McCaig; Rafael Grampa with Pedro Cobiaco; Paul Pope with Jose Villarrubia
32pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (February 2020)

Ages 17+

Batman created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (also known as DKR) was a four-issue comic book miniseries starring Batman.  Published by DC Comics in 1986, this prestige-format comic book was written by Frank Miller; drawn by Miller (pencils) and Klaus Janson (inks); colored by Lynn Varley; and lettered by John Costanza, with the book covers drawn by Miller and Varley.

DKR told the tale of a 50-year-old Bruce Wayne, long retired as Batman, who dons the cape and cowl again to take on a new crime wave in Gotham City.  When an institutionalized Joker discovers that Batman has returned, he revives himself and begins a new crime wave of craziness.  Batman also battles Superman who is trying to force Batman back into retirement.

DRK was a smash hit, and from the time of its publication, it became a hugely influential comic book, especially on the editorial mindset of DC Comics.  There have been sequels to DKR, as well as other comic books set in its “universe.”  The most recent DKR comic book is Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child.  It written by Frank Miller, drawn by Rafael Grampá; colored by Jordie Bellaire; and lettered by John Workman and Deron Bennett.  The Golden Child finds the heirs to the legacy of the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel taking on adversaries of their predecessors.

Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child #1 opens three years after the events depicted in the nine-issue miniseries, Dark Knight III: The Master Race (2015-2017).  Lara, the daughter of Wonder Woman (Diana) and her consort, Superman, has spent that time learning to be more human.  After spending her life with the Amazons of Paradise Island, however, Lara has a great disdain for humans.  Carrie Kelley, the former Robin, has been growing into her new role as The Batwoman, after Bruce Wayne/Batman finally retired.

The Batwoman has been battling the Joker and his gang of Joker clones, who are in full rage as the day of the U.S. presidential election approaches.  [Although he is not named, President Donald Trump's image and presence are prominent throughout this comic book].  But Joker has found a new partner in a terrifying evil that has come to Gotham – Darkseid.  Now, Lara and Carrie must team-up to stop two evils, but their secret weapon, young Jonathan, “the golden child” (Lara's brother and Diana and Superman's son) is also the object of Darkseid's murderous desire.

I really like Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child, but not because of Frank Miller's story.  It is a hot mess of sound and fury signifying nothing.  It is like someone's incorrect idea that the sound of Jack Kirby is not big (in relation to Darkseid, a character he created), but is histrionics.  Miller does offer a few good ideas, and he is one of the few mainstream comic book creators that could get away with not only casting Donald Trump in a DC Comics title, but also portraying him in an unflattering light.  Teaming-up Joker and Darkseid is not one of Miller's good ideas, and Miller's portrayal of Lara and Jonathan is a mixed bag.  But I can tell that Miller really loves Carrie Kelley, a character he created in DKR.  She is glorious as The Batwoman.

No, I don't love Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child because of Frank Miller.  I love it because of Rafael Grampa, the Brazilian film director and comic book artist.  Grampa's style in Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child is a mixture of Frank Miller's graphic style in both Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and in his Sin City series of miniseries and one-shot comic books and also of Scottish comic book artist Frank Quitely's graphic style.

Grampa's gorgeous illustrations and compositions look even better under Jordie Bellaire's inventive coloring and varietal of hues.  But even all that pretty art can't create superb graphical storytelling from Frank Miller's mish-mash of a story, except in a few places – the Batwoman sections of course.  Carrie Kelley is absolutely spectacular in the double-caped, leathery Bat-suit, which also looks like an actual man-sized bat.

Well, you can't get everything, although John Workman and Deron Bennett also deliver some fine-looking lettering.  So I'll be satisfied with Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child #1 being one of the beautifully drawn and illustrated comic book one-shots that I have ever read.

8 out of 10

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

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#IReadsYou Review: BASKETFUL OF HEADS #1

BASKETFUL OF HEADS #1
DC COMICS/DC Black Label – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Joe Hill
ART: Leomacs
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
EDITORS: Mark Doyle and Amedeo Turturro
COVER: Reiko Murakami
VARIANT COVER: Joshua Middleton
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (December 2019)

“Ages 17+”

Basketful of Heads created by Joe Hill

Bestselling dark fantasy and horror novelist, Joe Hill, and DC Comics have launched a new “pop-up line” of horror comics entitled “Hill House Comics.”  The initial offerings from Hill House consist of five comic book limited series:  The Dollhouse Family, written by Mike Carey and illustrated by Peter Gross; The Low, Low Woods, written by Carmen Maria Machado and illustrated by Dani; Daphne Byrne, written by Laura Marks and illustrated by Kelley Jones.

Hill is writing the other two – Plunge, which will be illustrated by Stuart Immonen, and Basketful of Heads, the first Hill House release and the subject of this review.  Basketful of Heads is drawn by Leomacs; colored by Dave Stewart; and lettered by Deron Bennett.  The series will feature a young woman and an ax that has the supernatural power to lop off a human head in a single stroke.  But the lopped-off heads keep talking!

Basketful of Heads #1 opens on Brody Island, Maine in September 1983.  There, we meet a young couple staying on the island for the summer.  They are vivacious party girl, June, and Liam Ellsworth, who is working as a temp officer with the Brody Island Police Department.  They are enjoying a day in Liam's “dune buggy” police car when they get a call from Brody Island Police Chief Wade Clausen.

It seems that some prisoners have managed to escape from “Shawshank Prison” (a reference to a fictional state prison that appears in the work of Joe Hill's father, legendary novelist, Stephen King).  The escape leads to June and Liam inadvertently house-sitting, which is when the story really begins.

Basketful of Heads #1 is mostly an introduction to the series' setting.  Eighteen of the twenty-two pages of this first issue walk us through the world of Brody Island and introduce the main characters, while hinting at what will be June and Liam's first deadly dilemma.  The narrative really does not begin until the twenty-first and twenty-second pages of this issue – the last two pages.

Hill does a good, but not great job with this first issue, and I find the characters and the setting only mildly interesting.  But the last two pages make me think that I will be more than mildly interested when the proverbial shit hits the fan – hopeful in issue two.

Artist Leomacs' graphical style seems just right for a horror, thriller, or crime comic book, and Dave Stewart's coloring establishes a sense of foreboding.  Deron Bennett's lettering does most of the heavy lifting in giving this story a sense of rhythm and the feeling that it is actually going somewhere and is not just introducing some people who live on a tourist-trap island.  Basketful of Heads #1 is good enough to make me want to check out another issue.

“Sea Dogs” Part One: “Boarding Party”
STORY: Joe Hill
ART: Dan McDaid
COLORS: John Kalisz
LETTERS: Wes Abbott
EDITORS: Mark Doyle and Maggie Howell

“Sea Dogs” is a comics serial that will run in four-page increments at the back of every issue of Hill House Comics (apparently in the initial run of series).  “Sea Dogs” will tell the tale of how werewolves helped the Thirteen American Colonies and its Continental army win their war against Great Britain.

The first chapter, “Boarding Party,” opens in May 1780, at a secret rebel stronghold in upstate New York.  The mysterious Mr. Bolton meets a trio of men, who can transform into werewolves.  He wants to recruit the men and their special abilities in order to help the American rebels.  Their target is the powerful British Navy, which is destroying the Continental navy and other colonial ships by the hundreds and is also creating a blockade that has left the Continental army half-starved and poorly equipped.

The art by Dan McDaid and colors by John Kalisz recall the comic book art of classic DC Comics horror titles of the late 1960s and 1970s like House of Mystery and Ghosts.  Letterer Wes Abbott's fonts are delightfully old school, and I must admit that I am quite intrigued by Joe Hill's concept here.  Plus, I also love werewolves!

[This comic book also contains an essay by Joe Hill.]

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 syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: JOHN CONSTANTINE Hellblazer #1

JOHN CONSTANTINE: HELLBLAZER #1
DC COMICS/DC Black Label – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Simon “Si” Spurrier
ART: Aaron Campbell
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: Aditya Bidikar
EDITOR: Chris Conroy
CURATOR: Neil Gaiman
COVER: John Paul Leon
VARIANT COVER: Charlie Adlard
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2020)

“Ages 17+”

John Constantine created by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, and John Totleben and Jamie Delano & John Ridgway

“A Green and Pleasant Land, Part One”

John Constantine is a DC Comics character, an anti-hero, magus, con man, troubleshooter, and occult detective.  He was originally created by writer Alan Moore and artists Steve Bissette and John Totleben as a supporting character in the horror comic book series, The Saga of the Swamp Thing (1982), first appearing in issue #37 (cover dated: June 1985).  John Constantine starred in his own comic book series, Hellblazer, which ran for a quarter-century, beginning with Hellblazer #1 (cover date: January 1988) and ending with Hellblazer #300 (cover date: April 2013).  In Hellblazer (the first of  four series), the character was further defined and refined by writer Jamie Delano and artist John Ridgway.

John Constantine: Hellblazer is the fifth and newest John Constantine comic book series.  It is written by Simon Spurrier; drawn by Aaron Campbell; colored by Jordie Bellaire; and lettered by Aditya Bidikar.  John Constantine: Hellblazer and its one-shot prologue (of sorts), The Sandman Universe Presents Hellblazer, brings John Constantine back to the mature-readers, supernatural setting in which the character existed for the first three decades.

John Constantine: Hellblazer #1 (“A Green and Pleasant Land, Part One”) finds John Constantine back in London, after being abroad for quite some time.  Constantine is a bit perturbed to discover that London has changed enough that his jokes offend everyone.  The young people speak a language and a slang that the now-old-man Constantine does not.  And the young women don't drop their panties as soon as John starts working his charm.

However, there is someone who really wants Constantine.  K-Mag, also known as “the Haruspex,” is the kingpin of a local drug gang, “the Ri-Boys.”  K-Mag dabbles in magic, but he is apparently not strong enough to stop a supernatural force that tears apart any Ri-Boys trying to sell drugs in a local public park.  That's where John is supposed to help...

I thought that The Sandman Universe Presents Hellblazer was, except in a few places, a disappointing and mediocre comic book.  Thus, I only bought John Constantine: Hellblazer #1 because I usually buy the first issue of a Constantine comic book, but I did not expect much from it.  Surprise, surprise:  I am glad that I tried this new first issue.

In John Constantine: Hellblazer #1, Simon Spurrier's story recalls the classic, gritty, noir-ish, dark fantasy vibe of the original Hellblazer comic book.  It is as if Spurrier is doing his best Jamie Delano  impersonation.  This first issue is by no means perfect.  I am a little perplexed about the characters and the plot of “A Green and Pleasant Land,  Part One,” but I still am intrigued.

Artist Aaron Campbell is also doing his best John Ridgway impersonation in recalling the alluring, occult vibe of Ridgway's early art on the original Hellblazer.  Campbell's storytelling is gritty, scratchy, and looks like cinematography in post-World War II, American urban crime films.  Jordie Bellaire's coloring brings out the danger and the dangerous atmosphere in this story.  Letterer Aditya Bidikar changes the fonts in ways that convey the dark mode and darker moods of this tale.

So I intend to read more John Constantine: Hellblazer.  I have hopes – hopes that this new series can pick up where the original Hellblazer left off in 2013.

B+
7 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 syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: BATMAN: Last Knight on Earth #3

BATMAN: LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH No. 3 (OF 3)
DC COMICS/DC Black Label – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Scott Snyder
PENCILS: Greg Capullo
INKS: Jonathan Glapion
COLORS: FCO Plascencia
LETTERS: Tom Napolitano
EDITOR: Mark Doyle
COVER: Greg Capullo with FCO Plascencia
VARIANT COVER: Rafael Albuquerque
56pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (February 2020)

Mature Readers

Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

Parts (Eight) “The Signal” and (Nine) “The Doorway”

Batman: Last Knight on Earth was a three-issue comic book miniseries written by Scott Snyder and drawn by Greg Capullo (pencils) and Jonathan Glapion (inks).  Colorist FCO Plascencia and letterer Tom Napolitano complete the creative team.

Batman: Last Knight on Earth was the second release in DC Comics' then new prestige and event publication imprint, “DC Black Label.”  Batman: Last Knight on Earth follows a younger version of Bruce Wayne/Batman as he travels a ruined Earth, with the bottled, still-alive head of The Joker in tow, trying to find the mysterious power that devastated the world.  Eventually Batman learns that the master of this scorched Earth, known as Omega, is apparently another younger version Wayne/Batman.  He also reunites with several former allies, including, Dick Grayson-Nightwing, the former Commissioner James “Jim” Gordon, Diana/Wonder Woman, and Duke Thomas, to name a few.

Batman: Last Knight on Earth #3 opens with a flashback to the old days, as Batman and Commissioner Gordon ignite a new Bat-signal.  Then it is back to the future as Batman gathers his allies for an assault on Omega.  Batman and Joker will attempt to infiltrate Wayne Tower, Omega's base of operations, and Diana will lead the allies and Owls to Arkham Island where the a mind-control signal is broadcast from inside Arkham Asylum.  But there are adversaries awaiting both fronts of Batman's mission, and this last knight will learn the true identity of Omega.

Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo are the most popular Batman writer-artist team of this still young twenty-first century, and they are also among the most prolific of the last 50 years.  I can say that Snyder-Capullo is thus far the best Batman creative team of these new times.

Snyder's Batman reminds me of the Batman/Bruce Wayne that Frank Miller and artist David Mazzuchelli introduced to readers in the Batman: Year One story arc (originally published in the comic book, Batman, issues #404-407).  He is young, fresh, and determined with a somewhat humanitarian bent, but is still a fist or boot for justice.

Capullo's Batman is sleek and youthful, a combination of science fiction and technology character design mixed with Batman's original pulp fiction origin (in particularly, Walter Gibson's The Shadow).  Inker Jonathan Glapion keeps Capullo's clean-line clean.

FCO Plascencia's colors blend superhero pop-art style with the science fiction comics futuristic dreams of Moebius.  Letterer Tom Napolitano letters for the end of the world, but still fashions a comic font so that The Joker and his dialogue can stand out in the edginess with splashes of color.

Batman: Last Knight on Earth #3 is an emotional finale to a quality Batman comic book miniseries.  I think Snyder and Capullo are saying that from time to time, like clockwork, Batman and his mission turn sour.  Then, it is a time for renewal, and that is the story Batman: Last Knight on Earth tells.  And in our world, the Batman line of comic books sometimes turns stale and over the past 80 years, there are have been renewals, revamps, and reboots.  Is it time for another?

8 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: BATMAN: Last Knight on Earth #2

BATMAN: LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH No. 2 (OF 3)
DC COMICS/DC Black Label – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Scott Snyder
PENCILS: Greg Capullo
INKS: Jonathan Glapion
COLORS: FCO Plascencia
LETTERS: Tom Napolitano
EDITOR: Mark Doyle
COVER: Greg Capullo with FCO Plascencia
VARIANT COVER: Jock
56pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (September 2019)

Mature Readers

Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

Parts (Five) “Who's There?,” (Six) “The Miracle,” (Seven) “Paradise”

Batman: Last Knight on Earth is a three-issue comic book miniseries written by Scott Snyder and drawn by Greg Capullo (pencils) and Jonathan Glapion (inks).  Colorist FCO Plascencia and letterer Tom Napolitano complete the creative team.

Batman: Last Knight on Earth is the second release in DC Comics' new prestige and event publication imprint, “DC Black Label.”  The series follows Batman as he travels a ruined Earth, with the bottled, still-alive head of The Joker in tow, trying to find the mysterious power that devastated the world.

Batman: Last Knight on Earth #2 opens as Batman awakens from a nightmare featuring Joe Chill, the man who killed Bruce Wayne's parents.  During Batman and Joker's continued travel, they encounter what is left of the Flash, the Unknown Soldier, and the Swamp Thing.  They also encounter the strange union of the Scarecrow and Bane, and more.  Then, it's off to “The Plains of Solitude” where Batman meets two old friends.

However, things are not what they seem when that reunion with old friends also comes with the appearance of a familiar super-villain, who may be the cause of the devastation of the Earth.  Finally, “Omega” the master of this scorched Earth, steps forward, and Batman learns that this monster has an uncomfortable connection to him.

Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo are the most popular Batman writer-artist pairing of this still young twenty-first century, and they are also among the most prolific of the last 50 years.  Snyder has portrayed Bruce Wayne as young and sleek with a humanitarian bent.  Snyder's Batman seems like a continuation of the Batman/Bruce Wayne that Frank Miller and artist David Mazzuchelli introduced to readers in the Batman: Year One story arc (originally published in the comic book, Batman, issues #404-407).  In artist Greg Capullo's Batman, science fiction and technology sit side by side with dark conspiracy and horror.  Capullo's clean-line style makes Batman and his world seem fresh, thanks to the contributions of inker Jonathan Glapion.

So is Batman: Last Knight on Earth Snyder and Capullo's Batman swan song?  If it is, this miniseries will only make readers want more.  Hugely imaginative and possessing high tension, Last Knight on Earth presents shocking twists and heart-breaking turns that don't seem contrived.  Snyder makes Batman so human and so vulnerable, and Capullo's sharp illustrations present eye-catching hellish landscapes designed to break us down as Batman's journey heightens his sense of guilt

FCO Plascencia continues to offer colors that recall the late Moebius' color art; the colors are pretty, but they smack that apocalyptic ass.  Tom Napolitano letters the end of the world, but saves some clever fonts in order to make the Joker's silliness seem genuinely funny.

Batman: Last Knight on Earth #2 is a fine middle issue, and teases an excellent final issue.  If you are only reading one Batman comic book, then, this is the one to read.

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: BATMAN: Last Knight on Earth #1

BATMAN: LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH No. 1 (OF 3)
DC COMICS/DC Black Label – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Scott Snyder
PENCILS: Greg Capullo
INKS: Jonathan Glapion
COLORS: FCO Plascencia
LETTERS: Tom Napolitano
EDITOR: Mark Doyle
COVER: Greg Capullo with FCO Plascencia
VARIANT COVER: Jock
56pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (July 2019)

Mature Readers

Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

Parts (One) “The Cave,” (Two) “The Right Hand,” (Three) “The Asylum,” (Four) “Echolocation”

Batman: Last Knight on Earth is a new three-issue comic book miniseries written by Scott Snyder and drawn by Greg Capullo (pencils) and Jonathan Glapion (inks).  Colorist FCO Plascencia and letterer Tom Napolitano complete the creative team.

Batman: Last Knight on Earth is the second release in DC Comics' new prestige and event publication imprint, “DC Black Label.”  The series follows Batman as he travels a ruined Earth, trying to find the mysterious power that devastated the world.

Batman: Last Knight on Earth #1 opens with Batman facing a strange crime wave in Gotham City.  There are no victims.  For the past 363 days, someone has drawn a chalk line across a different, random five-foot stretch of Gotham – every morning.  The next day, it is gone and replaced by a new chalk line somewhere else.  Batman has discovered the chalk lines have something to do with him, and the answer to this mystery seems surprisingly to be at “Crime Alley,” the place where Bruce Wayne's parents were murdered.

After he wakes up in Arkham Asylum, however, as a young man, a sane young man, Bruce Wayne realizes that he has never been Batman.  And the world, destroyed by an unspeakable force, really needs Batman.

Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo are not only the most popular Batman writer-artist pairing of this still young twenty-first century; they are also among the most prolific of the last 50 years.  Snyder has portrayed Bruce Wayne as young and sleek with a humanitarian bent and Batman as being closer to Iron Man than to Frank Miller's Batman the Dark Knight.  In fact, I would say that Snyder's Batman/Bruce Wayne is really a continuation of the superhero/alter-ego pair Miller and artist David Mazzuchelli introduced to readers in the Batman: Year One story arc (originally published in the comic book, Batman, issues #404-407).

Greg Capullo's illustrations during his run with Batman presents a Gotham City where the Justice League fit as well as the Joker does.  Science fiction and technology sit side by side with dark conspiracy and horror.  Even Capullo's clean-line style makes Batman and his world seem fresh, thanks to the contributions of inker Jonathan Glapion.

FCO Plascencia colors this book as if he were coloring Moebius' art, with colors that shimmer, shine, and glow.  Tom Napolitano, who apparently does not contribute enough to have his name on the cover of this comic book, is one of the most distinctive and talented letters in comic books.  Neapolitan makes the shifting settings and surreal-like turns in plot coalesce into a single narrative.

That is the championship creative team that Batman: Last Knight on Earth #1 has.  I am reluctant to spoil anything in this first issue.  The sudden changes in plot and setting are bracing and promise a Batman story that may indeed by memorable... and worthy of the ambitions of DC Comics' “DC Black Label” imprint.

If Batman: Last Knight on Earth is going to be a “last Batman story” it should be better than most “last particular superhero” stories.  Batman: Last Knight on Earth #1 alone is quite a humdinger.

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.

----------------------------

#IReadsYou Review: BATMAN: Damned #3

BATMAN: DAMNED No. 3
DC COMICS/DC Black Label – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Brian Azzarello
ART: Lee Bermejo
COLORS: Lee Bermejo
LETTERS: Jared K. Fletcher
EDITOR: Mark Doyle
COVER: Lee Bermejo
VARIANT COVER: Jim Lee with Alex Sinclair
48pp, Color, $6.99 U.S. (August 2019)

Mature Readers

Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

Batman: Damned is the three-issue comic book miniseries written by Brian Azzarello, drawn by Lee Bermejo, and lettered by Jared K. Fletcher that launched DC Comics' “DC Black Label” prestige imprint.  Published in an over-sized softcover format (8.5” x 10.875”), Batman: Damned #1 gained attention and created controversy when it was discovered that the art included a depiction of Bruce Wayne/Batman's penis.  There have been reports on various comic book news sites that the later issues of the series were delayed so that portions of the story could be redrawn to remove potentially controversial content.

Suddenly, what was supposed to be a “mature audience” imprint, DC Black Label, had to tone down its content and attitude.  Supposedly, some announced projects for the imprint were canceled or were being rewritten – to be toned down.  Sadly, Batman: Damned #2, which seemed like filler material, could have used the depiction of a good stiff penis (say, Deadman's) to liven up the proceedings.

The central focus of Batman: Damned is that The Joker is dead, and that maybe Batman is the one who killed him... But Batman cannot remember, and there may be some sinister and thus far unknown force that done the deed.  Are John Constantine and Deadman Batman's true allies in solving this mystery?  And why is Batman recalling such a horrifying version of his youth, especially concerning his late (and murdered) mother, Martha Wayne?

Batman: Damned #3 opens with Batman in a grave.  And Swamp Thing thinks Batman should not trust John Constantine.  Now, Batman must face his worst nightmares and the stunning truth about the death of The Joker.

I don't want to spoil Batman: Damned #3, although it has been out for about two weeks now.  I can say that the title is literal, and that it has a stunning ending.  I did suspect that Batman was an unreliable narrator, because he was dead, so...

I can also say that the art by Lee Bermejo's art is as beautiful ever.  In fact, in terms of story, Bermejo does his best work of the series in Batman: Damned #3 with this powerful graphical storytelling.  Jared K. Fletcher's lettering is simple, yet so evocative and powerful.  Brian Azzarello, after delivering empty, tattered Gothic trappings, gives us a powerful finale this is actual storytelling.

I think the problem with Batman: Damned is that Brian Azzarello had an idea for what is essentially a story that belongs in a Batman Annual or in one of those 48 or 64-page Batman “Elseworlds” comic books.  Anything more than 100 pages, which the total page count of Batman: Damned exceeds, is simply a story stretched too thin and is a consumer product that is not honestly released to consumers.

So, at least they got Batman: Damned #3 mostly right.  In fact, this last issue is good enough to warrant a sequel – of a certain page count, of course.

7.5 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.

----------------------

Review: SUPERMAN: Year One #2

SUPERMAN YEAR ONE No. 2
DC COMICS/DC Black Label – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Frank Miller
PENCILS: John Romita, Jr.
INKS: Danny Miki
COLORS: Alex Sinclair
LETTERS: John Workman
EDITOR: Mark Doyle
COVER: John Romita, Jr. and Danny Miki with Alex Sinclair
VARIANT COVER: Frank Miller with Alex Sinclair
64pp, Color, $7.99 U.S. (October 2019)

Mature Readers

Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

Book Two

Superman: Year One is a three-issue comic book miniseries written by Frank Miller and drawn by John Romita, Jr.  It is being published in an over-sized softcover format and is part of DC Comics' prestige “DC Black Label” imprint.  Superman: Year One is a retelling of the early life of Clark Kent and of his first year as the superhero, Superman.  The rest of the creative team includes inker Danny Miki, colorist Alex Sinclair, and letterer John Workman.

Superman: Year One #2 opens at the Naval Station at Great Lakes, Illinois.  Young Clark Kent has left the bucolic grain fields of Smallville, Kansas to join the Navy.  Clark is just another untrained recruit... except that is not quite true.  Kent was born on another planet, the now-destroyed Krypton.  He was carried to Earth in a rocket ship and landed in Earth, specifically Smallville, Kansas where Martha and Jonathan Kent found him and adopted him as their own son.

The rays of the yellow sun around which Earth orbits has made Clark strong and powerful beyond human imagination.  Even holding back, Clark quickly sets himself apart from the other recruits.  But an officer has noticed Clark's peculiar abilities, and so has a denizen of lost Atlantis.  Will Clark's powers land him in trouble in two worlds?

At some point, DC Comics publicly stated that Superman: Year One would now be Superman's official origin story.  I think Frank Miller also said that Superman: Year One is set in the universe of his seminal comic book miniseries, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.

If Superman: Year One is really the new official story of Superman's early years, it is certainly a strange one.  This comic book series is weird enough to be an attractive read, but I still find myself asking, “So what?!”  What is the point of all this?  What are Frank Miller's intentions?  John Bryne's 1986 miniseries, The Man of Steel, was a reboot of Superman, the character and his history.  It was both a marked departure from and a radical streamlining of all things Superman.  When The Man of Steel ended after six issues, a new, modern Superman emerged.  Superman: Year One seems like an event comics package, and Superman: Year One #2, with all its interesting oddities, does nothing to make the series seem more than a comic book produced by big-name creators.

However, the art, coloring, and lettering are oh-so awesome.  Yes, artist John Romita, Jr.'s storytelling is still clear, offbeat, and, at times, quite dramatic.  Yes, Danny Miki's inking brings a lush brushwork feel to the art.  Yes, Alex Sinclair's colors are radiant, so much so that he seems like the star creator hear.  And yes, John Workman's lettering is monumental as always.  Together, these graphic and illustrative elements crackle with power off the page and to the reader.  The story in this issue may not be great, but the art and graphics are fantastic.  The Atlantis double-page spread and the scenes with the “Kraken” are totally-awesome-dude illustrations in a comic book of awesome art.

I am still hopeful that this series can be a major, definitive Superman comic book series.  After all, Batman: Damned #3 redeemed the first two issues of that series.  I will certainly recommend Superman: Year One #2 because you, dear reader, will want to see the impressive art in it.

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.

------------------------

Review: SUPERMAN: Year One #1

SUPERMAN YEAR ONE No. 1
DC COMICS/DC Black Label – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Frank Miller
PENCILS: John Romita, Jr.
INKS: Danny Miki
COLORS: Alex Sinclair
LETTERS: John Workman
EDITOR: Mark Doyle
COVER: John Romita, Jr. and Danny Miki with Alex Sinclair
VARIANT COVER: Frank Miller with Alex Sinclair
64pp, Color, $7.99 U.S. (August 2019)

Mature Readers

Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

Book One

Superman: Year One is a new three-issue comic book miniseries written by Frank Miller and drawn by John Romita, Jr.  It is published in an over-sized softcover format and is part of DC Comics' prestige imprint, “DC Black Label.”  Superman: Year One is a retelling of the early life of Clark Kent and of his first year as the superhero, Superman.  The rest of the creative team includes inker Danny Miki, colorist Alex Sinclair, and letterer John Workman.

Superman: Year One #1 opens on Krypton on the last day of its existence.  While the planet convulses in its death throes, a Kyrptionian man and woman send their infant son, Kal, off in a rocket ship to Earth.  There, under the Earth's yellow sun, Kal will more than thrive, and a human couple, Martha and Jonathan Kent, will make him their son, Clark Kent.

From the destroyed planet of Krypton to the bucolic grain fields of Kansas, this first chapter tracks Clark Kent's youth in Smallville.  He struggles to understand the nature of man and seeks to find his place in his adopted world.

If I remember correctly, Superman: Year One was meant to be the inaugural “DC Black Label” series and was supposed to debut sometime last year in the late summer or early fall.  [Batman: Damned became the first DC Black Label publication.]  DC Comics recently stated that Superman: Year One is to be Superman's official origin story.  I think Frank Miller also said that Superman: Year One is set in the world of his seminal comic book miniseries, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.

All that aside, I find Superman: Year One intriguing.  There is a section of a line in the promotional material for Superman: Year One #1 that says “...the first chapter of SUPERMAN YEAR ONE tracks Clark Kent's youth in Kansas, as he comes to terms with his strange powers and struggles to find his place in our world.”  That is not quite accurate.

Writer Frank Miller does depict young Clark Kent finding a place to fit within the micro-world of Smallville High School (the freaks and geeks and outcast kids).  His only struggle is him trying to figure out when he should use his powers on bullies and to what extent he should use those powers.  In this way, Miller recalls the classic Superman character, a man of the people rather than as what he is now:  the greatest superhero of them all who is fighting the greatest threats of them all.  Also, by my reading, Clark does not seem to need to come to terms with his powers.  His powers are not something he doubts or fears; perhaps, he has to come to terms about when and where to use them.

Many previous stories about Superman's youth deal with the development of his powers in a physical context, especially concerning his strength and flight.  Miller delves into the development of Clark's super-powers in the context of his intellect and mental prowess.  Miller's young Clark Kent is thoughtful, but he is also devious and conniving.  It seems as if he is always thinking, learning, and planning, even when he is learning and receiving wisdom and knowledge from his parents, especially from his father, Jonathan.

Artist John Romita, Jr.'s storytelling is clear, offbeat, and, at times, quite dramatic.  I like how he captures the subtleties in Clark's nature and also his secretive side.  I am not quite sure that I like Romita's clear-line drawing style for this comic; Superman: Year One #1 is no where near Romita's best work, although it is better than most other comic book artists' best efforts.  Still, I am glad that super-inker Danny Miki's inking brings a lush, brushwork feel to the art.

Alex Sinclair's coloring pounds the sentimental shit out of this story; without Sinclair's power-hues, this story would, in places, trend toward the nostalgic.  Also, a book that aspires to be important needs an important letterer, and John Workman is a monumental letterer.

So I am happy to report that I am happy that Superman: Year One is off to a fine start.  As I said, I am intrigued, because I had been cynical from the time this project was announced.  Yes, let's see where Superman: Year One goes.  Maybe, it will be worthy of being the definitive origin of Superman.

7.5 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.

-----------------------

Review: BATMAN: Damned #2

BATMAN: DAMNED No. 2
DC COMICS/DC Black Label – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Brian Azzarello
ART: Lee Bermejo
COLORS: Lee Bermejo
LETTERS: Jared K. Fletcher
EDITOR: Mark Doyle
COVER: Lee Bermejo
VARIANT COVER: Jim Lee with Alex Sinclair
48pp, Color, $6.99 U.S. (February 2019)

Mature Readers

Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

Batman: Damned is a new three-issue comic book miniseries written by Brian Azzarello and drawn by Lee Bermejo.  Published in an over-sized softcover format, it is the inaugural series for DC Comics' new prestige and event publication imprint, “DC Black Label.”  Letterer Jared K. Fletcher is the other member of Damned's creative team.

The central focus of Batman: Damned is that The Joker is dead, and that maybe Batman is the one who killed him... But Batman cannot remember, and there may be some sinister and thus far unknown force that done the deed.  Are John Constantine and Deadman Batman's true allies in solving this mystery?

In Batman: Damned #2, Batman recalls memories of a troubling time in his childhood, and it has something to do with his late mother, Martha Wayne.  Meanwhile, The Dark Knight’s descent into the madness of Gotham City’s decadent underbelly continues,  and that includes a trip to a club called “The Cavern,” where Etrigan the Demon is a hip-hop artist – a rapping demon!  Plus, a number of supernatural DC Comics characters make appearances... while a strange Bat-signal haunts the sky over Gotham City.

Some describe comic books as a storytelling medium of word and pictures, and some call comics and comic books “sequential art.”  I call comics a kind of graphical storytelling in which the story is conveyed to readers via illustrations and graphics that tell a story.

Brian Azzarello writes the story that artist Lee Bermejo illustrates into the comics medium.  Azzarello is one of American comic books' most popular and acclaimed writers of the past 20 years.  In some ways, Azzarello is still coasting on the strength of his breakout and most famous work, the crime comic book, 100 Bullets.  That award-winning comic book is largely the reason that Azzarello gets to write prestige projects like Batman: Damned.

If I were nice, I would describe Azzarello's story for Batman: Damned as pretentious.  I don't feel like being nice right now, so I will call it mostly junk.  Batman: Damned may be one of those death dream narratives in which the protagonist or the character through which the story is told is dying.  His story is really a long period of subjective time that passes in an instant because it is the hallucination of dying man's mind or consciousness.  Probably the most famous example of this is Ambrose Bierce's short story, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” (first published in 1890).  A more recent and popular example is the 1990 film, Jacob's Ladder, which stars Tim Robbins as Vietnam vet who believes that he has returned home when he is actually dying after being injured in combat.  Nothing Azzarello has done so far in Batman: Damned is anywhere as interesting as that film or Bierce's story.

The member of this creative team that makes Batman: Damned worth seeing (if not reading) is artist Lee Bermejo.  His Gotham City is a hell-scape that hints at the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch.  Much of Batman: Damned's art recalls the best comic book artists who have drawn horror comic books, including Bernie Wrightson and Graham Ingels.  I also see similarities to the comic book art of the great Glenn Fabry, the legendary Brian Bolland, and the sublime Dave McKean.  Bermejo makes Batman: Damned #2 exactly what DC Comics describes – a veritable Grand Guignol.

Batman: Damned #1 became much talked about because of Bermejo's painted depiction of Bruce Wayne's penis in the story.  As good as Bermejo's art is in the second book, I wish DC Comics would have encouraged him to draw another dick – maybe Deadman's.  Batman: Damned #2 would matter more if it contained more comic book character penis

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.

-----------------

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for October 30, 2019

DC COMICS

AUG190469    AQUAMAN GIANT #1    $4.99
AUG190432    BASKETFUL OF HEADS #1 (OF 6) (MR)    $3.99
AUG190433    BASKETFUL OF HEADS #1 (OF 6) CARD STOCK VAR ED (MR)    $4.99
AUG190489    BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS ANNUAL #1    $4.99
AUG190484    BATMAN ANNUAL #4    $4.99
APR190526    BATMAN BY SNYDER & CAPULLO OMNIBUS HC VOL 01    $125.00
MAR190623    DC ARTISTS ALLEY BATMAN BY GROMAN VINYL FIG    $65.00
MAR190625    DC ARTISTS ALLEY JOKER BY GROMAN VINYL FIG    $65.00
MAR190626    DC ARTISTS ALLEY KILLER CROC BY GROMAN VINYL FIG    $65.00
MAR190624    DC ARTISTS ALLEY TWO FACE BY GROMAN VINYL FIG    $65.00
AUG190470    DC GHOSTS GIANT #1    $4.99
SEP190003    DC PREVIEWS #19 NOVEMBER 2019 EXTRAS    $PI
AUG190505    DCEASED #6 (OF 6)    $4.99
AUG190507    DCEASED #6 (OF 6) CARD STOCK HORROR VAR ED    $5.99
AUG190506    DCEASED #6 (OF 6) CARD STOCK VAR ED    $5.99
AUG190586    DOLLAR COMICS SUPERMAN #75    $1.00
AUG190524    HARLEEN #2 (OF 3) (MR)    $7.99
AUG190525    HARLEEN #2 (OF 3) VAR ED (MR)    $7.99
AUG190446    JOKER KILLER SMILE #1 (OF 3) (MR)    $5.99
AUG190447    JOKER KILLER SMILE #1 (OF 3) VAR ED (MR)    $5.99
AUG190448    LAST GOD #1 (MR)    $4.99
AUG190449    LAST GOD #1 CARD STOCK VAR ED (MR)    $4.99
FEB190594    LUCIFER OMNIBUS HC VOL 01 (MR)    $125.00
AUG190548    NIGHTWING ANNUAL #2    $4.99
AUG190456    SANDMAN UNIVERSE SPECIAL HELLBLAZER #1 (MR)    $4.99
AUG190457    SANDMAN UNIVERSE SPECIAL HELLBLAZER #1 VAR ED (MR)    $4.99
AUG190462    TALES FROM THE DARK MULTIVERSE DEATH OF SUPERMAN #1    $5.99
JUL190665    VAMPS THE COMPLETE COLLECTION TP (MR)    $39.99
JUL190666    WILD STORM TP VOL 04 (RES)    $16.99
AUG190572    WONDER WOMAN ANNUAL #3    $4.99

Review: BATMAN: Damned #1

BATMAN: DAMNED No. 1
DC COMICS/DC Black Label – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Brian Azzarello
ART: Lee Bermejo
COLORS: Lee Bermejo
LETTERS: Jared K. Fletcher
EDITOR: Mark Doyle
COVER: Lee Bermejo
VARIANT COVER: Jim Lee with Alex Sinclair
48pp, Color, $6.99 U.S. (November 2018)

Mature Readers

Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

Batman: Damned is a 2018-19 three-issue comic book miniseries written by Brian Azzarello and drawn by Lee Bermejo.  Published in an over-sized format, it is the inaugural series for DC Comics' new prestige and event publication imprint, “DC Black Label.”  Letterer Jared K. Fletcher is the other member of Damned's creative team.

Batman: Damned #1 opens in an ambulance where we find Batman on a stretcher.  He is dead or near death when he suddenly revives and makes his escape.  The Joker is dead, and maybe Batman finally killed him.  Or is it some sinister and thus far unknown force that done the deed?

The problem is that Batman can't remember, and what he does remember does not jibe with what information he can get.  John Constantine and Deadman aren't helping.  Now, Batman will have to go into the sordid and seedy underbelly of Gotham City to find the truth, and where he goes is dark... and maybe hot as hell.

I am a fan of artist Lee Bermejo.  I particularly like the way he draws Batman's costume, which remind me of the World War I army uniforms that British “dough boys” wore.  However, his art for Batman: Damned #1 looks like pieces for a portfolio or art exhibition as often as it looks like graphical storytelling.  It does not help story matters that Brian Azzarello's script reads like something composed by a kid in a high school creative writing program to accompany pieces in an art show.

No one seems like a reliable narrator in this first issue, especially John Constantine who, if not the narrator, provides voice over narration, one that reads as if this comic book were an episode of a true crime television series.  Honestly, the only interesting thing in Batman: Damned #1 are the four “shots” of Bruce Wayne's nicely shaped penis, which have caused quite a bit of consternation in various comic book corners of the Internet.

Once again, an event comic book does not live up to the hype, or, in this case, the hype delivers on controversy rather than on storytelling.  Even if he or she were talented, an unknown or novice writer could not get an editor to accept a script like the one for Batman: Damned #1.

Keep humpin' that chicken, DC Comics; maybe, you can keep manufacturing high first issue sales before readers catch on to the fact that they should not believe the hype.  Still, I hope the second and third issues of Batman: Damned (which will not make their original announced release dates) are better.

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.

---------------------------------

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 21, 2019

DC COMICS

JUN190472    AQUAMAN #51 CARD STOCK VAR ED YOTV DARK GIFTS    $4.99
JUN190471    AQUAMAN #51 YOTV DARK GIFTS    $3.99
JUN190456    BATMAN #232 FACSIMILE EDITION    $3.99
JUN190480    BATMAN #77 VAR ED YOTV DARK GIFTS    $3.99
JUN190479    BATMAN #77 YOTV DARK GIFTS    $3.99
MAR190622    BATMAN BLACK & WHITE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS 2ND ED STATUE    $80.00
MAY190478    BATMAN KINGS OF FEAR HC    $19.99
JUN190461    BLACK MASK YEAR OF THE VILLAIN #1    $4.99
MAY190482    CURSE OF BRIMSTONE TP VOL 02 ASHES    $16.99
JAN190712    DC DESIGNER SER NIGHTWING BY JIM LEE STATUE    $150.00
MAY190484    FLASH BY GEOFF JOHNS TP BOOK 06    $29.99
DEC180649    GRAYSON THE SUPERSPY OMNIBUS HC NEW ED    $99.99
JAN190713    HARLEY QUINN RED WHITE & BLACK STATUE BY JOHN TIMMS    $80.00
JUN190526    LUCIFER #11 (MR)    $3.99
MAY190434    MAD MAGAZINE #9    $5.99
JUN190530    NIGHTWING #63 VAR ED YOTV DARK GIFTS    $3.99
JUN190529    NIGHTWING #63 YOTV DARK GIFTS    $3.99
JUN190531    PEARL #12 (MR)    $3.99
JUN190532    PEARL #12 VAR ED (MR)    $3.99
MAY190502    SANDMAN TP VOL 11 ENDLESS NIGHTS 30TH ANNIV ED (MR)    $19.99
JUN190535    SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU #100    $2.99
JUN190466    SUPERMAN YEAR ONE #2 (OF 3) MILLER COVER (MR)    $7.99
JUN190465    SUPERMAN YEAR ONE #2 (OF 3) ROMITA COVER (MR)    $7.99
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MAY190518    WATCHMEN INTERNATIONAL TP NEW EDITION    $29.99
JUN190556    WONDER WOMAN COME BACK TO ME #2 (OF 6)    $4.99
MAY190531    WONDER WOMAN YEAR ONE DLX ED HC    $29.99

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for June 26, 2019

DC COMICS

APR190436    ACTION COMICS #1012    $3.99
APR190437    ACTION COMICS #1012 VAR ED    $3.99
APR190444    BATMAN BEYOND #33    $3.99
APR190445    BATMAN BEYOND #33 VAR ED    $3.99
MAR190493    BATMAN DAMNED #3 (OF 3) (RES) (MR)    $6.99
MAR190494    BATMAN DAMNED #3 (OF 3) VAR ED (RES) (MR)    $6.99
APR198794    BATMAN LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH #1 (OF 3) 2ND PTG (MR)    $5.99
APR190456    BOOKS OF MAGIC #9 (MR)    $3.99
NOV180596    DARK KNIGHTS METAL BATMAN THE MERCILESS STATUE    $85.00
NOV180595    DC DESIGNER SER SUPERGIRL BY STANLEY LAU STATUE    $150.00
MAY190003    DC PREVIEWS #15 JULY 2019 EXTRAS    $PI
APR190466    DETECTIVE COMICS #1006    $3.99
APR190467    DETECTIVE COMICS #1006 VAR ED    $3.99
APR190463    DIAL H FOR HERO #4 (OF 6)    $3.99
APR190472    FLASH #73    $3.99
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APR190480    HIGH LEVEL #5 (MR)    $3.99
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MAR190586    MAN OF STEEL BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS TP    $17.99
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APR190492    MARTIAN MANHUNTER #6 (OF 12) VAR ED    $3.99
MAR190590    OLD LADY HARLEY TP    $16.99
MAR190598    SANDMAN TP VOL 09 THE KINDLY ONE 30TH ANNIV ED (MR)    $19.99
APR190503    SILENCER #18    $3.99
APR198795    SUPERMAN LEVIATHAN RISING SPECIAL #1 2ND PTG    $9.99
FEB190469    TEEN TITANS RAVEN TP DC INK    $16.99
APR190510    TERRIFICS #17    $3.99
APR190516    WONDER WOMAN #73    $3.99
APR190517    WONDER WOMAN #73 VAR ED    $3.99

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for June 19, 2019

DC COMICS

APR190439    AMERICAN CARNAGE #8 (MR)    $3.99
APR190440    AQUAMAN #49    $3.99
APR190441    AQUAMAN #49 VAR ED    $3.99
APR190448    BATMAN #73    $3.99
APR190449    BATMAN #73 VAR ED    $3.99
NOV180534    BATMAN BY GRANT MORRISON OMNIBUS HC VOL 02    $75.00
MAR190568    BATMAN FLASH THE BUTTON TP    $14.99
MAR190569    BATMAN FLASH THE BUTTON TP INTL ED    $14.99
NOV180592    DC ESSENTIALS CHEETAH AF    $26.00
NOV180594    DC ESSENTIALS CYBORG SUPERMAN AF    $26.00
NOV180593    DC ESSENTIALS SUPERGIRL AF    $26.00
NOV180591    DC ESSENTIALS WONDER WOMAN AF    $26.00
MAR190516    GODDESS MODE #6 (MR)    $3.99
APR190486    JUSTICE LEAGUE #26    $3.99
APR190487    JUSTICE LEAGUE #26 VAR ED    $3.99
APR190490    LUCIFER #9 (MR)    $3.99
MAR190584    LUCIFER TP VOL 01 THE INFERNAL COMEDY (MR)    $16.99
MAR190535    MAD MAGAZINE #8    $5.99
APR190494    NIGHTWING #61    $3.99
APR190495    NIGHTWING #61 VAR ED    $3.99
APR190496    PEARL #10 (MR)    $3.99
APR190497    PEARL #10 VAR ED (MR)    $3.99
APR190500    SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU #99    $2.99
APR190433    SUPERMAN YEAR ONE #1 (OF 3) MILLER COVER (MR)    $7.99
APR190432    SUPERMAN YEAR ONE #1 (OF 3) ROMITA  COVER (MR)    $7.99
APR190508    TEEN TITANS #31    $3.99
APR190509    TEEN TITANS #31 VAR ED    $3.99
MAR190604    TITANS TP VOL 06 INTO THE BLEED    $19.99

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for May 15, 2019

DC COMICS

MAR190482    AMERICAN CARNAGE #7 (MR)    $3.99
MAR190483    AQUAMAN #48    $3.99
MAR190484    AQUAMAN #48 VAR ED    $3.99
FEB190559    BATGIRL TP VOL 05 ART OF THE CRIME    $16.99
MAR190489    BATMAN #71    $3.99
MAR190490    BATMAN #71 VAR ED    $3.99
DEC180670    BATMAN BLACK & WHITE MINI PVC FIGURE 7 PACK SET 1    $35.00
JAN198939    BATMAN WHITE KNIGHT HC    $29.99
OCT180626    DARK KNIGHTS METAL BATMAN THE DAWNBREAKER STATUE    $85.00
OCT180633    DC COVER GIRLS WONDER WOMAN BY JOELLE JONES STATUE    $125.00
MAR190523    HIGH LEVEL #4 (MR)    $3.99
MAR190527    JUSTICE LEAGUE #24    $3.99
MAR190528    JUSTICE LEAGUE #24 VAR ED    $3.99
FEB190588    JUSTICE LEAGUE ODYSSEY TP VOL 01 THE GHOST SECTOR    $16.99
MAR190534    LUCIFER #8 (MR)    $3.99
JAN198940    MISTER MIRACLE HC (MR)    $34.99
MAR190538    NAOMI #5    $3.99
MAR190539    NIGHTWING #60    $3.99
MAR190540    NIGHTWING #60 VAR ED    $3.99
MAR190541    PEARL #9 (MR)    $3.99
MAR190542    PEARL #9 VAR ED (MR)    $3.99
FEB190574    RONIN BY FRANK MILLER TP BLACK LABEL    $19.99
FEB190610    SUICIDE SQUAD TP VOL 08 THE FINAL MISSION    $19.99
MAR190551    SUPERMAN #11    $3.99
MAR190552    SUPERMAN #11 VAR ED    $3.99
FEB190612    SUPERMAN REBIRTH DLX COLL HC BOOK 04    $34.99
FEB190615    SWAMP THING PROTECTOR OF THE GREEN DC ESSENTIAL ED TP    $24.99
MAR190473    TEEN TITANS #30 TERMINUS AGENDA    $3.99
MAR190474    TEEN TITANS #30 VAR ED TERMINUS AGENDA    $3.99
FEB190617    TEEN TITANS BY GEOFF JOHNS TP BOOK 03    $29.99
MAR190553    TEEN TITANS GO #34    $2.99
OCT180620    WONDER WOMAN BY AZZARELLO & CHIANG OMNIBUS HC    $125.00

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 12, 2018

DC COMICS

SEP180532    ANIMAL MAN BY GRANT MORRISON HC BOOK 01 30TH ANNIV DLX ED    $34.99
SEP180535    AQUAMAN TP VOL 06 KINGSLAYER    $14.99
OCT180487    BATMAN ANNUAL #3    $4.99
SEP180424    BATMAN DAMNED #2 (OF 3) (MR)    $6.99
SEP188125    BATMAN DAMNED #2 (OF 3) VAR ED (MR)    $6.99
OCT180464    BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #1 (OF 6)    $4.99
OCT180466    BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #1 (OF 6) BLANK VAR ED    $4.99
OCT180465    BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #1 (OF 6) VAR ED    $4.99
SEP180559    CAVE CARSON HAS AN INTERSTELLAR EYE TP (MR)    $16.99
SEP180564    CURSE OF BRIMSTONE TP VOL 01 INFERNO    $16.99
JUN180599    DC ARTISTS ALLEY BATGIRL BY MURASE HOLIDAY VAR VINYL FIG    $40.00
JUN180598    DC ARTISTS ALLEY BATGIRL BY MURASE VINYL FIG    $40.00
JUN180601    DC ARTISTS ALLEY FLASH BY UMINGA B&W VAR VINYL FIG    $40.00
JUN180600    DC ARTISTS ALLEY FLASH BY UMINGA VINYL FIG    $40.00
JUN180603    DC ARTISTS ALLEY NIGHTWING BY NOOLIGAN B&W VAR VINYL FIG    $40.00
JUN180602    DC ARTISTS ALLEY NIGHTWING BY NOOLIGAN VINYL FIG    $40.00
OCT180498    DETECTIVE COMICS #994    $3.99
OCT180499    DETECTIVE COMICS #994 VAR ED    $3.99
OCT180501    ELECTRIC WARRIORS #2 (OF 6)    $3.99
OCT180502    FLASH #60    $3.99
OCT180503    FLASH #60 VAR ED    $3.99
SEP180570    FLASH TP VOL 08 FLASH WAR    $16.99
OCT180472    GODDESS MODE #1 (MR)    $3.99
OCT180473    GODDESS MODE #1 VAR ED (MR)    $3.99
SEP180576    HARLEY LOVES JOKER BY PAUL DINI HC    $24.99
OCT180512    HAWKMAN #7    $3.99
OCT180513    HAWKMAN #7 VAR ED    $3.99
OCT180514    HOUSE OF WHISPERS #4 (MR)    $3.99
OCT180519    JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #6    $3.99
OCT180520    JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #6 VAR ED    $3.99
OCT180477    NEW TALENT SHOWCASE 2018 #1    $7.99
SEP180601    SANDMAN TP VOL 03 DREAM COUNTRY 30TH ANNIV ED (MR)    $19.99
OCT180478    SASQUATCH DETECTIVE #1    $7.99
SEP180603    SCARLET TP BOOK 02 (MR)    $14.99
OCT180530    SCOOBY APOCALYPSE #32    $3.99
OCT180531    SCOOBY APOCALYPSE #32 VAR ED    $3.99
OCT180535    SIDEWAYS #11    $2.99
OCT180536    SUICIDE SQUAD #49    $3.99
OCT180537    SUICIDE SQUAD #49 VAR ED    $3.99
OCT180539    SUPERGIRL #25    $4.99
OCT180540    SUPERGIRL #25 VAR ED    $4.99
OCT180541    SUPERMAN #6    $3.99
OCT180542    SUPERMAN #6 VAR ED    $3.99
SEP180614    SUPERMAN SHAZAM FIRST THUNDER DLX ED HC    $29.99
OCT180545    TITANS #31    $3.99
OCT180546    TITANS #31 VAR ED    $3.99
OCT180549    WONDER WOMAN #60    $3.99
OCT180550    WONDER WOMAN #60 VAR ED    $3.99
SEP180625    WONDER WOMAN THE GOLDEN AGE TP VOL 02    $29.99

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for November 28, 2018

DC COMICS

SEP180445    ACTION COMICS #1005    $3.99
SEP180446    ACTION COMICS #1005 VAR ED    $3.99
AUG180593    ALL STAR SUPERMAN TP BLACK LABEL    $29.99
SEP180420    AQUAMAN JUSTICE LEAGUE DROWNED EARTH #1    $4.99
SEP180421    AQUAMAN JUSTICE LEAGUE DROWNED EARTH #1 VAR ED    $4.99
AUG180586    AQUAMAN THE SEARCH FOR MERA DELUXE ED HC    $34.99
SEP180448    BATGIRL #29    $3.99
SEP180449    BATGIRL #29 VAR ED    $3.99
SEP180454    BATMAN BEYOND #26    $3.99
SEP180455    BATMAN BEYOND #26 VAR ED    $3.99
SEP180456    BATMAN KINGS OF FEAR #4 (OF 6)    $3.99
AUG180601    BATMAN KNIGHTSEND TP    $19.99
SEP180457    BOOKS OF MAGIC #2 (MR)    $3.99
MAY180602    DC ARTIST ALLEY CATWOMAN SHO MURASE PVC FIG    $40.00
SEP180425    DC NUCLEAR WINTER SPECIAL #1    $9.99
APR188794    DCTV THE FLASH FLASH VARIANT STATUE    $130.00
SEP180469    DETECTIVE COMICS #993    $3.99
SEP180470    DETECTIVE COMICS #993 VAR ED    $3.99
AUG180610    ETERNITY GIRL TP (MR)    $16.99
SEP180476    FLASH #59    $3.99
SEP180477    FLASH #59 VAR ED    $3.99
AUG180611    FUTURE QUEST PRESENTS TP VOL 02    $16.99
AUG180617    GREEN ARROW TP VOL 06 TRIAL OF TWO CITIES REBIRTH (RES)    $16.99
SEP180434    HEROES IN CRISIS #3 (OF 9)    $3.99
SEP180435    HEROES IN CRISIS #3 (OF 9) VAR ED    $3.99
SEP180487    HEX WIVES #2 (MR)    $3.99
AUG180620    IMMORTAL MEN TP THE END OF FOREVER    $16.99
SEP180490    INJUSTICE VS THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #5 (OF 6)    $3.99
AUG180621    INVISIBLES BOOK 04 (MR)    $24.99
SEP180493    JUSTICE LEAGUE ODYSSEY #3 (RES)    $3.99
SEP180494    JUSTICE LEAGUE ODYSSEY #3 VAR ED (RES)    $3.99
SEP180495    LOONEY TUNES #246    $2.99
SEP180484    OLD LADY HARLEY #2 (OF 5)    $3.99
SEP180503    RAVEN DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS #10 (OF 12)    $3.99
SEP180506    SCARLET #4 (OF 5) (MR)    $3.99
SEP180509    SCOOBY DOO TEAM UP #44    $2.99
SEP180511    SILENCER #11    $2.99
AUG180647    SUPERMAN ACTION COMICS REBIRTH DLX COLL HC BOOK 03    $34.99
AUG180650    SUPERMAN TP VOL 07 BIZARROVERSE REBIRTH    $16.99
AUG180656    TEEN TITANS THE SILVER AGE TP VOL 02    $34.99
SEP180525    TERRIFICS #10    $2.99
SEP180523    TITANS #30    $3.99
SEP180524    TITANS #30 VAR ED    $3.99
SEP180443    WONDER WOMAN #59    $3.99
SEP180444    WONDER WOMAN #59 VAR ED    $3.99
AUG180665    YOUNG JUSTICE TP BOOK 03    $29.99

I Reads You Juniors March 2018 - Update #61

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Leroy's Amazon Comics and Graphic Novels Page:

From BleedingCool:  "The Amazing Spider-Man #798" speculator clown show continues.

From THR:  "Justice League: No Justice" is a four-issue, weekly comic book miniseries that will affect the direction of the DCU.

From CatholicUniverse:  Catholic comic book creators have started a Kickstarter to raise money for a 50-page, full-color, "pro-life" graphic novel.

From TheOuthousers:  Sherard Jackson talks about his webcomic, "Darbi."

From Syfy:  Jimmy Palmiotti talks about the Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign (which has already reached its goal) for a horror graphic novel, "Killing Time in America."

From Newsweek:  Marvel well begin publishing a "Fantastic Four" comic book again in August 2018 with writer Dan Slott and artist Sara Pichelli as the creative team.

From BleedingCool:  "Death of the Inhumans" in July.

From DCComicsBlog:  DC Comics signs Frank Miller to a five-project deal.

From BleedingCool:  Veteran comic book writer-artist William Messner-Loebs is currently homeless... and has one arm!

From BleedingCool:  Award-winning novelist Margaret Atwood and comic book artist unite for the comic book miniseries, "War Bears."

From BleedingCool:  Gail Simone talks about bringing together Tarzan and Red Sonja in a new comic book.

From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet episode #156 in English.
From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet episode #156 in French.

From PublishersWeekly:  DC Comics signs Frank Miller to an exclusive book deal that is part of a larger strategy to increase its presence in the bookstore market.

From BleedingCool:  Classic horror comics character, Swamp Thing, is getting a redesign for his appearance in the new "Justice League Dark" comic book series.

From BleedingCool:  Julie Benson and Shawna Benson will be the new writers on "Green Lantern" beginning with "Green Lantern Annual 2."

From BleedingCool:  Only the first issue of "DC Nation #0" will cost .25 cents.

From Vibe:  Comic Book Anthology "Puerto Rico Strong" To Donate Proceeds To Hurricane Maria Relief Efforts

From PBSNewsHour:  Opinion: Why ‘Black Panther’ and other comic books belong in the classroom

From BleedingCool:  Oni Press solicitations for June 2018

From ComicBookBin:  New web comic - Johnny Bullet episode #155 in English
From ComicBookBin:  New web comic - Johnny Bullet episode #155 in French

From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing solicitations for June 2018

From ComicsBeat:  Your crash course guide to DC’s new SANDMAN UNIVERSE line

From BleedingCool:  Archie meets "Batman '66" in... what else... "Archie Meets Batman '66."

From MonkeysFightingRobots:  "Free Comic Book Day" is not free for the retailers that offer comic books.  Diamond Distributors is offering some relief on those costs for FCBD 2018.

From Newsarama:  Dark Horse Comics will publish comic books that tie-in with Pixar's upcoming 3D animated film, "The Incredible 2."

From BleedingCool:  DC Comics to translate and publish manga based on Batman and the Justice League.

From ComicBook:  The current "Marvel 2-in-One" will introduce new Fantastic Four costumes.

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics has a plan to make retailers over-order on "A Fresh Start."

From BleedingCool:  DC Comics launches a new line of collections called "Essential Edition."

From Newsarama:  Anne McCaffrey's "Dragonriders of Pern" returns to comic books via Dabel Brothers this fall.  Eclipse Books previously adapted the fantasy novel series into comics in 1991.

From BlackEnterprise:  Jazmin Truesdale has created Aza Comics, an all-female superhero comic book universe.

From BleedingCool:  There will be a new "Hawkman" monthly comic book written by Robert Vendetti and drawn by Bryan Hitch. [Good luck with that. - Editor]

From BleedingCool:  Chip Zdarsky Goes Marvel Exclusive

From SanDiegoUnionTribune:  With 'Black Panther' and 'Black Lightning' emerging, the 'Encyclopedia of Black Comics' is here to help

From Ohio: 23-year-old Jimmy Scott was killed in 1966.  His family hung onto his collection of over 1100 comic books, many of them key Silver Age issues.  Jimmy's family recently sold the collection to a comic book store in Canal Fulton, Ohio.

From Brightly: 12 Things Parents and Educators Should Know About Manga for Middle Schoolers

From BleedingCool:  100 most ordered comic books and 100 top graphic novels for February 2018.

From TheHollywoodReporter:  DC Comics announces a new imprint, "Black Label."  It will place the best creators with established characters for out-of-continuity stories.  "Superman: Year One" written by Frank Miller and drawn by John Romita, Jr. was one of the first announced titles.

From Newsarama:  February 2018 comic book sales are down, but with a caveat.

From Comicsverse:  Princess Leia manga arrives on "Star Wars Day."

From BleedingCool: Rich Tommaso giving us a really "special edition" of Clover Honey."

From BleedingCool:  Netflix acquires Rob Liefeld's "Extreme Universe" of characters.

From BleedingCool:   Former Marvel Comics editor and writer is now an editor at Valiant Entertainment.

From BleedingCool:  Chris Ryall steps down as Editor-in-Chief as IDW Publishing.

From TheHollywoodReporter:  Brian Michael Bendis has announced two new titles from "Jinxworld" (his creator-owned imprint), including one that reunites him with his "Alias" cohort, Michael Gaydos.  Both will be published by Bendis' new home, DC Comics.

From ComicBook:  Marvel will reinvent the origins of Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers.

From BleedingCool:  Mark Buckingham is adapting four Neil Gaiman stories for a graphic novel anthology from Dark Horse Comics.

From BleedingCool:  Illustrator J. Scott Campbell is the latest comic book star to express concern over the recent turns of events concerning legendary comic book creator and editor, Stan Lee.

From TheGuardian:  "Neil Gaiman is to oversee a new line of comic books set in the world of the Sandman, continuing the adventures of some of his best-loved characters including Dream of the Endless and Lucien the librarian."

From WCET:  Comic book store, "Memory Lane Comics and Toys" in Wilmington, NC, sees uptick in business after release of 'Black Panther'

From TokyoReporter: Manga artist Nobuhiro Nishiwaki fined for possessing child pornography

From Asahi:  Mongolians irate over manga showing penis on Genghis Khan

From BleedingCool:  To help alleviate the risk retailers take, Dark Horse Comics is expanding "returnability" of new titles.

From JapanToday:  In 2017, online sales of manga surpassed print editions for the first time.

From TheAtlantic:  Ta-Nehisi Coates explains why he is writing Marvel Comics "Captain America," with his first issue appearing Summer 2018.

From BleedingCool:  AfterShock Comics Sends Care Packages to Comic Book Stores

From BleedingCool:  Oni Press is publishing a new edition of Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover's all-ages comic, "Banana Sundays."

From BleedingCool:  Diamond Brings Spinner Racks Back to Comic Stores


STAN LEE MELODRAMA:

From TheDailyMail:  Stan Lee fires manager and his nurse who gave him naked showers over 'plot to estrange him from his daughter and sole heir' as cops probe missing millions and he battles pneumonia

From TheDailyBeast: ‘Picked Apart by Vultures’: The Last Days of Stan Lee