Review: THE TWILIGHT CHILDREN #1

THE TWILIGHT CHILDREN No. 1
DC COMICS/Vertigo – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Gilbert Hernandez
ART: Darwyn Cooke
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Darwyn Cooke
COVER: Darwyn Cooke
40pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (December 2015)

Suggested for mature readers

The Twilight Children created by Gilbert Hernandez and Darwyn Cooke

“Part One”

Gilbert Hernandez is the creator of the long-running comic book, Love and Rockets, with his brother, Jaime Hernandez.  Darwyn Cooke is a fan-favorite for his epic DC Comics miniseries, DC: The New Frontier, but his best works are the Parker graphic novels which adapt the work of famed crime fiction writer, Richard Stark.  Cooke and Hernandez are two of comic books greatest storytellers, and they finally united for a comics project.

Hernandez wrote and Cooke drew the recent four-issue miniseries, The Twilight Children, which was published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint.  The story is set in a remote village and begins with the sudden arrival of a glowing orb and the mysterious visitor that arrives afterwards.

The Twilight Children #1 opens in a coastal fishing village somewhere in Latin America.  In some ways, it is like other places.  There is a village drunk, Bundo.  There is a town flirt, Tito, who cheats on her husband, Nikolas, with the brawny, Anton.

And then, three children:  Milo, Grover, and Jael spot a mysterious, glowing white orb appears.  It seems as if this isn't the first time this village has experienced such an appearance.  When one of the children touches the white orb, all hell breaks loose.

It is no exaggeration to call Gilbert Hernandez and Darwyn Cooke comics luminaries.  Cooke has had more mainstream success than Hernandez by producing a considerable amount of work for DC Comics.  However, Hernandez laid much of the groundwork for the explosion of indie comics and alt-comix graphic novels and publications that have appeared over the last 30 years.  When comic book creators try to create comics that read like modern fiction or even literary fiction, they are working and winning Eisner and Harvey Awards under the roof of a house that Gilbert and handful of others built, under which they now shelter their creative endeavors.

That said, The Twilight Children, at least the first issue, does not really reflect the best work of neither Hernandez nor Cooke.  It lacks the surrealism or even the anything-goes attributes of much of Hernandez's work.  Some of his work has a sense of menace about it, as if there is always a bit of cruelty or even a cruel fate awaiting the characters.  The white orb is only kinda menacing.

Cooke's art is slick in The Twilight Children #1, but not in that bracing, invigorating way that propels his Parker comics.  This is the kind of slick that is more in line with the dumpster Watchmen comics he produced for DC Comics a few years ago.  Don't get me wrong.  I think the art here is quite pretty in some places, and Dave Stewart's coloring is gorgeous.  The Cooke-Stewart team had me looking through the book even as I wrote this review.

I think the storytelling in this first issue is a little too cool, or maybe this is two giants just feeling each other out.  Anyway, I'm going to read the rest of The Twilight Children.  Besides, even Hernandez and Cooke's not-best is still better than most others' best.

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


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

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Review: Dark Knight III: The Master Race #6

DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE No. 6
DC COMICS – @DCComics

STORY: Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello
PENCILS: Andy Kubert
INKS:  Klaus Janson
COLORS: Brad Anderson
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Andy Kubert with Brad Anderson
VARIANT COVERS: Jim Lee and Scott Williams with Alex Sinclair; Frank Miller with Alex Sinclair; Klaus Janson with Romulo Fajardo, Jr.; Greg Tocchini; Giuseppe Camuncoli with Dave Stewart
32pp (plus 16-page insert), Color, $5.99 U.S. (December 2016)

Batman created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger

For a long time, film critics and movie buffs considered sequels to acclaimed and/or popular films to be inferior, and they mostly were.  Sequels were often cheaper, made with production budgets that were lower (sometimes much lower) than the original film's budget.  Sometimes, not only were key members of the original cast missing, but also missing were the original screenwriter(s) and director.

Of course, there were exceptions.  Many people think that The Godfather II was a better film than The Godfather, which itself is one of the greatest films of all time.  George Lucas may have been unhappy with the reception to The Empire Strikes Back, but almost everyone thinks this sequel was vastly superior to the more famous and financially successful Star Wars (1977).  And Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight (2008) practically eclipsed his first Batman film, Batman Begins (2005), which itself was and still is one of the best movies based on a superhero comic book ever made.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (also known simply as The Dark Knight Returns or 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.  Dark Knight III: The Master Race (also known as DKIII), the second sequel to DKR, is an inferior sequel to a landmark original.

Yes, a planned nine-issue series, DKIII is written by DKR's Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello; drawn by Andy Kubert (pencils) and DKR's Klaus Janson (inks); colored by Brad Anderson; and lettered by Clem Robins.  Yes, you have the original author and some of the biggest names in mainstream comic books joining him, but DKIII is not only inferior, but is also nothing more than corporate product meant to cash in on a still-famous original.  But first things first...

Dark Knight III: The Master Race #6 finds Batman and Superman leading a revolt against the alien menace from the Bottled City of Kandor (now grown full-size) that has put Gotham City under siege and threatens the same to the rest of the world.  Meanwhile, Carrie, the Robin from DKR who is now the new Batgirl(?), battles the new “Supergirl,” who is Lara, the daughter of Superman and Wonder Woman.  How does it end?  With a death... maybe.

First, I don't buy that Frank Miller actually has much input in the main narrative.  Yeah, you can rag on The Dark Knight Strikes Again (DK2), the original sequel, but it was both original and an eclectic take on familiar comics tropes.  DKIII is just a rehash of ideas from DKR – old and aging superheroes, Bat vs. Kryptonian, and some vague law and order themes.  In some ways, this doesn't even rise to the level of Azzarello's previous and acclaimed work.

Secondly, The Dark Knight Returns was a “What if” or “Elseworlds” Batman story that DC Comics bosses and comic book fans turned from a special event into an entrenched mindset.  They can't let it go, and everything that they have done with it since the debut of DKR only serves to prove how special and of-its-times the original was.  Even Frank Miller has not been able to recapture the glory of the original, and honestly, the only thing that Brian Azzarello and Andy Kubert can do is lend their names to the corporate, Batman sub-brand that is “The Dark Knight.”

Dark Knight III: The Master Race is not a bad comic.  I bought into the hype, although part of me knew where this was going even while buying the product.  There are indeed some stand-out Batman comics being done right now by Scott Snyder and John Romita, Jr. on All-Star Batman and by Tom King and David Finch on Batman.

Dark Knight Universe Presents: World's Finest #1 (Insert comic book)
STORY: Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello
PENCILS: Frank Miller
INKS: Klaus Janson
COLORS: Alex Sinclair
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Frank Miller with Alex Sinclair

Frank Miller seems to have a bigger hand in these Dark Knight Universe Presents comic books which are inserted in the middle of each issue of DKIII.  To date, there has not been much to say about them, and that has not changed.

C+

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


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

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Review: DAREDEVIL #1

DAREDEVIL No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: Charles Soule
ART: Ron Garney
COLORS: Matt Milla
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Ron Garney with Matt Milla
VARIANT COVERS: Joe Quesada; John Tyler Christopher; Tim Sale with Dave Stewart; Larry Stroman and Tom Palmer with Rachelle Rosenberg; Alex Maleev (Hip Hop variant); Patrick “Rick” Lance photographed by Judy Stevens (Cosplay variant)
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2016)

Daredevil is a Marvel Comics superhero created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett.  The character first appeared in Daredevil #1 (cover dated: April 1964).  Jack Kirby contributed to Daredevil's creation, but to what extent is unknown.  In Daredevil #7, artist Wally Wood created the red uniform by which the character is known into modern times.  Daredevil is Matt Murdock, a vision-impaired attorney who was blinded as a child after being exposed to a radioactive substance.

Frank Miller had an influential run on the Daredevil comic book series, first as an artist and later as the writer and artist.  He made the character popular and also important in the Marvel Universe.  As part of the “All-New, All-Different Marvel,” the Daredevil comic book series is relaunched, and it seems (at least to me) to recall Frank Miller and even the work of those influenced by Miller.  Daredevil is written by Charles Soule; drawn by Ron Garney; colored by Matt Milla; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Daredevil #1 opens on the Manhattan Bridge in New York City, where Daredevil is rescuing Billy Li.  He is a witness in a case that Assistant District Attorney Matt Murdock of the New York County District Attorney's Office has put before a grand jury.  The target of that grand jury, the mysterious criminal Tenfingers, wants Li dead and has decided that maybe Murdock should also be killed.  Plus, Daredevil's apprentice, Blindspot, continues to learn.

The story by Charles Soule isn't bad, but it isn't anything special, at least not yet.  It simply takes the classic Daredevil paradigm that connects Matt Murdock's case to a bad guy that Daredevil is pursuing.  I guess this is how it should be, and if done right, can be entertaining.

What I do like is the drawing by Ron Garney and the coloring by Matt Milla.  This combination recalls the black and white, original art of Frank Miller and Klaus Janson and also the pencils, inks, and colors of Klaus Janson – all done by this creative duo during their glorious run on Daredevil.  Garney and Milla's work here also reminds me of Jim Lee's art on the first two issues of Deathblow (a 1990s Wildstorm title), which was – let's face it – a rip off of Frank Miller's art on Sin City.

Garney and Milla's jimmied negative space and faux toning simply looks right for Daredevil.  Like I said earlier, this isn't great, but it makes me want to keep reading for a bit.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint or syndication rights and fees.

Review: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #1

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2015) No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review originally appeared on Patreon.]

WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis
ART: Valerio Schiti
COLORS: Richard Isanove
LETTERS: VC’s Cory Petit
COVER: Art Adams with Dave Stewart
VARIANT COVERS: Valerio Schiti with Richard Isanove; Jason Latour; Shawn Crystal with Chris Brunner; Mike and Laura Allred; John Tyler Christopher; Contagious Costuming and Judy Stephens
28pp, Color, $3.99 (December 2015)

Rated “T”

The Guardians of the Galaxy are a Marvel Comics superhero team.  Created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Gene Colan, the team first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #18 (cover dated: January 1969).  However, the best known version of the Guardians of the Galaxy first appeared in 2007.  Created by writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, the team's initial roster included Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Quasar, Adam Warlock, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, and Groot.

Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, and Groot would go on to be the stars of Marvel Studios' surprise 2014 hit film, Guardians of the Galaxy.  With the launch of the “All-New, All-Different Marvel,” there is a new Guardians of the Galaxy comic book.  The series is written by Brian Michael Bendis; drawn by Valerio Schiti; colored by Richard Isanove; and lettered by Cory Petit.

Guardians of the Galaxy #1 features the team of Kitty Pryde as Star-Lord, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, The Thing, and Venom.  A run-in with the Chitauri leaves the group with a mysterious item and no knowledge of how powerful or dangerous that object is.  Meanwhile, on Planet Spartax, Peter Quill, the original Star-Lord, finds his new life as King to be an utter bore.  He does not realize that excitement is bound to return in many ways...

I last read Guardians of the Galaxy during the story arc, “The Trial of Jean Grey,” a crossover event with All-New X-Men.  Then, I didn't find a reason to keep reading.  I am not sure that this first issue gives me a reason to keep reading this new series, now.  It is not as if this new Guardians of the Galaxy #1 is awful or anything; besides, I am a fan of writer Brian Michael Bendis.  New series artist Valerio Schiti delivers some pretty art and solid storytelling.

I guess it is just that I got this first issue because I am trying to read as many #1 issues in the “All-New, All-Different Marvel” as I can.  I don't plan on reading as many #2 issues, I can tell you that, dear reader.  This is not a bad comic book... I reiterate.  I think fans of the modern incarnation of the Guardians of the Galaxy will enjoy this comic book.  It is just that if money is tight for you, dear reader, this comic book is not worth $3.99 if you are not a fan.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Review: E IS FOR EXTINCTION #4

E IS FOR EXTINCTION No. 4
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: Chris Burnham and Dennis Culver
ARTIST: Ramon Villalobos
COLORS: Ian Herring
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Ian Bertram with Dave Stewart
VARIANT COVER: James Harren
28pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (November 2015)

“Supernova”

Rated T+

The four-issue comic book miniseries, E is for Extinction, is one of the “Secret Wars Battleworld” comic books that are connected to Marvel Comics' eight-issue event miniseries, Secret Wars, from writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Esad Ribic.  It is written by Chris Burnham and Dennis Culver; drawn by Ramon Villalobos; colored by Ian Herring; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.  E is for Extinction is a re-purposing of the 2001 New X-Men story arc, “E is for Extinction,” from Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.

In the world of E is for Extinction, Charles Xavier has killed himself.  Magneto carries on his legacy at “The Atom Institute,” a school for exceptional students – both mutant and human alike.  However, Magneto has been hiding an object of incredible power, a Phoenix Egg.  He has also been using the object's power to weaken the original X-Men:  Cyclops, Emma Frost, and Wolverine.  After a massive fight at The Atom Institute between various mutant factions, the Phoenix Egg hatches and reveals... Cassandra Nova... returned to fight her arch-nemesis – Charles Xavier.

I was so in love with E is for Extinction #1 that I was sure that the rest of the series could not live up to the hype of my review of the first issue or my own expectations.  Actually, it did both.  It is one of the most imaginative X-Men stories of the last two decades, and it also does its source material, the original “E is for Extinction,” proud.  I like Ramon Villalobos' crusty take on Frank Quitely's drawing style of the original story.  In fact, Chris Burnham and Dennis Culver take Morrison's X-Men in more far-out places than one would expect from writers who are not Morrison.

Another surprising thing, E is for Extinction is funny (as was the 2001 story).  Its sparkling sense of humor permeates even the most gruesome battles in this story.  It is as if E is for Extinction #4 revels in the idea that the antagonists in this series cannot see that their actions, well-intentioned or not, are making their goals unreachable.  It's a shame that there will not be more of this (I assume), but a trade collection will make this exceptional comic book series available for even more readers to discover it.  And E is for Extinction deserves to be discovered, my X-Men readers.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Review: CAPTAIN AMERICA: White #1

CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHITE No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Jeph Loeb
ART: Tim Sale
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Comicraft's Richard Starkings
COVER: Tim Sale
VARIANT COVERS: Tim Sale; Skottie Young
60pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (November 2015)

Rated “T+”

Captain America created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby

“You Can't Take it With You”

Captain America is a Marvel comics superhero. He was created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 (cover dated:  March 1941), which was published by Timely Comics, a predecessor of Marvel Comics.  Captain America had a sidekick named James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes.  The original Bucky was created by Simon and Kirby and also first appeared in Captain America Comics #1.

Captain America: White is a five-issue miniseries written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Tim Sale.  The series follows the World War II-era adventures of Captain America and Bucky.  Captain America: White is part of Loeb and Sale's “Marvel Color” series, a group of comic book miniseries which present an intimate portrait of some of Marvel Comics' greatest characters during their early years.  Previous installments in this series include, Spider-Man: Blue, Daredevil: Yellow, and Hulk: Gray.

Captain America: White #1 (“You Can't Take it With You”) opens during Captain America's first meeting with the Avengers, after he was “defrosted,” which was originally depicted in The Avengers #4 (cover dated:  March 1964).  A conversation with Nick Fury, with whom Cap fought during WWII, turns his mind back to the war and to his partner, Bucky, believed to be dead.  The Captain remembers how, as Steve Rogers, he trained James Buchanan Barnes, which led to him being Captain America's partner, “Bucky.”  Captain America remembers that, as his bond with Bucky strengthened, he began to worry about the danger their missions posed for his dear, younger partner.

I did not know about Captain America: White until I saw a listing for it in the Diamond Distributors' new release list the week the first issue shipped.  I was even more surprised to discover that Captain America: White #1 reprinted the contents of Captain America: White #0, which I obviously also did not know existed.

Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale are fan favorite creators individually and as a team.  However, they are not favorites of your humble reviewer, dear readers.  Loeb has written a few comic books that I have enjoyed:  The Witching Hour (a prestige-format miniseries from DC Comics), Batman/The Spirit #1, and about half of Batman: Hush, to name a few others.  Other than those, I cannot see why Loeb is considered such a exceptional comic book writer.  There are some Tim Sale works that I have liked.

Captain America: White #1 and #0 (which is re-presented/reprinted in #1) are professional productions.  They are not bad, but they are not particularly good, although the creative team and staff's efforts to produce something exceptional is obvious.  What else could we expect of a comic book project that began development over seven years ago?  I can give credit for effort.

But... the story simply does not interest me that much, at this point.  I am curious about it, simply because Rogers' relationship and deep feelings and concern for Bucky seem weird and filled with sexual repression.  Tim Sale's composition, design, and graphic style here seems like a weird and desperate mimicry of Frank Miller and Klaus Janson's art for Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.  I do like Dave Stewart's gorgeous coloring.

Hmmm.  Will I read more Captain America: White?  I don't know.  I am curious.  Maybe, it will grow on me, and I'll have another thing to add to my short list of Loeb and Sale projects that I like.

C+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Review: THE SPIRIT #1

THE SPIRIT #1 (2007)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

WRITER/PENCILS: Darwyn Cooke
INKS: J. Bone
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Jared Fletcher
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S., $4.00 CAN (February 2007)

The Spirit created by Will Eisner

“Ice Ginger Coffee”

Beginning in 2007, DC Comics brought Will Eisner’s classic comics character, The Spirit, back with a new monthly comic book series, the first of two DC published over a five-year period.  The first 12 issues of the first series were written and drawn by acclaimed cartoonist and writer/artist, Darwyn Cooke.  I reviewed the first issue for the 105th edition of my old “Mr. Charlie” column for the ComicBookBin.

Here’s is that review:

In 1997-98, the now-defunct Kitchen Sink Press published eight issues of The Spirit: New Adventures.  It was an anthology title wherein a number of writers, artists, and cartoonists chronicled new, post-Eisner Spirit tales.  Over the course of those eight issues, Alan Moore wrote two stories:  an issue-length tale drawn by Dave Gibbons and a short story drawn by Daniel Torres.  Neil Gaiman teamed with Eddie Campbell.  Paul Chadwick and Paul Pope were two of the many artists who drew stories for the new series.  Perhaps, it was The Spirit: New Adventures that opened my mind to the idea of new Spirit tales from modern comic book creators.  I was saddened when Kitchen Sink Press troubles meant the cancellation of this series, and if I remember correctly, at least a nine issues was published.

Now, it’s DC Comics' turn to launch a new Spirit comic book.  When I learned that Darwyn Cooke would write and draw The Spirit in a new ongoing series, I instantly knew that I was likely going to like this book, and after reading the first issue, I look forward to #2, #3, #4…

I think I like this because so far it seems as if Cooke doesn't plan on making major changes to Will Eisner's famous costumed hero.  Even in this first issue, Cooke eschews "making the character his own," by transforming The Spirit into something else.  He's modernized the setting, the sets, and backdrops, but the characters are basically the same.  The plots are similar in style, but Cooke takes more pages to do what Eisner did in fewer pages (and need I say better).

The sole major change Cooke makes is to Eisner's lovable Sambo, Ebony White, The Spirit's "colored" sidekick for much of the 1940's.  The character, a thick-lipped, black kid who spoke the way many White people still think African-Americans speak (broken, minstrel English), remains hugely controversial.  Eisner apologists and/or racists defend Ebony's characterization as being acceptable at the time Eisner and others wrote Spirit stories (well, at least it was acceptable to White folks).  Now, Ebony is a sassy, young Negroid who spouts the kind of witty banter that might make him safe for The Disney Channel.  He's urban and hip-hop-ish, but not so dangerous that he couldn't date Raven of the Disney’s Channels’ “That’s So Raven.”

This first issue story, entitled "Ice Ginger Coffee" finds The Spirit racing to rescue a cable news network anchor.  Ginger Coffee (a light-skinned African-American type who blends Halle Berry and Gabrielle Union) has just been promoted to anchor of National News Network.  Her big expose to celebrate her rise is an interview of a mystery guest with insider information on the criminal organization of Amos Weinstock, aka "The Pill."  The Pill, whose obese body is covered in pustules that secrete flesh-dissolving fluids, has Ginger kidnapped.  It's The Spirit to the rescue, but Ginger, ever determined to break news, has found a way to give her audience an insider's view of her precarious situation, much to The Spirit's chagrin.  She may cost her and The Spirit their lives.

Cooke's art (inked by J. Bone) is a close relative of the style Eisner and his studio used on The Spirit back in the 1940's.  Dave Stewart's coloring is good, but comes across as a candy-coated version of Batman's dreary world.  The Spirit's world is vibrant and four-colored, and I'm hoping to see more of that in future issues.  In the meantime, I'm a satisfied fanboy and I'm curious about the future of this new series. [END]

So that’s what I had to say about The Spirit #1.  You can see the original version of this review at this link: http://www.comicbookbin.com/thespirit200701.html

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: BATMAN/SPIRIT #1

BATMAN/THE SPIRIT #1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

SCRIPT: Jeph Loeb
PENCILS: Darwyn Cooke
INKS: J. Bone
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Comicraft
48pp, Color, $4.99 U.S., $6.75 CAN (January 2007)

The Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

The Spirit created by Will Eisner

“Crime Convention”

Batman/The Spirit was a one-shot, stand-alone comic book starring Batman and Will Eisner’s classic comic book character, The Spirit.  The comic book was released in late 2006, but has a 2007 cover date.  This crossover comic book is a collaboration between award-winning and celebrated creators, Jeph Loeb and Darwyn Cooke.  I reviewed it early 2007 as the 104th edition of my old “Mr. Charlie” column at the Comic Book Bin.

Here, is the classic review:

Sometime in the last few years or so, DC Comics obtained the rights to publish new comic books featuring Will Eisner's famous costumed hero, The Spirit.  As a prelude to the new series, DC presents Batman/The Spirit #1 with a script by Jeph Loeb and pencils by Darwyn Cooke (who will write and pencil the new Spirit title).  Entitled "Crime Convention," it tells of the first meeting of Batman (Bruce Wayne) and The Spirit (Denny Colt), which apparently happened several years in the past.  Robin is only 13 in the story.

The denizens of Batman's Gotham City and The Spirit's Central City come together in Hawaii for The Policeman's Benevolent Association's Annual Law Enforcement Convention.  Commissioners Gordon of Gotham City and Dolan of Central City are eager to take this working vacation.  What they don't know is that the convention is the epicenter of a diabolical plot with The Spirit's mysterious nemesis, The Octopus, as the mastermind.

Aiding him are such Spirit villains as P'Gell (who has seduced Commissioner Gordon), Carrion, The Vulture (and his pet vulture, Julia), among others.  From The Batman's rogue's gallery, many bad guys join the plot including The Joker and Harley Quinn, Catwoman, The Penguin, and Poison Ivy (who gains control of Commissioner Dolan through her poisonous kisses).  Gordon's daughter, Barbara (who apparently hasn't become Batgirl at this point), and Dolan's daughter, Ellen, also make small appearances.

Batman (and Robin) and The Spirit join forces in Hawaii to discover the details of plot and foil it, but first Batman and The Spirit have a small tussle.  It's after their first misunderstanding they find that with so many of their adversaries in town, they might have their hands full, so joining forces is the way to go.

Batman/The Spirit is like a love letter to both the creators and fans of these two venerable characters and their supporting casts and places.  Jeph Loeb's story is light, breezy, and moves fast - being more like Will Eisner's comix than what Bob Kane and Bill Finger did in their Batman comic books.  It should be no surprise that Loeb, who brought together the most prominent Bat-characters in the 12-part serial, Batman: Hush, does much the same thing in Batman/The Spirit, although in a lighter… spirit.  Still, the story is a bit dark.  There are murders committed in the background of this tale, and readers may interpret the scene in one panel to mean that Commissioner Gordon had sex with P'Gell, the long-time Spirit villainess.

The real treat here is Darwyn Cooke's art (with inks by J. Bone).  One of those artists with a "cartoony" style, Cooke worked on the popular "Batman: The Animated Series" television series.  Cooke draws a great looking Batman.  His art has a tone and style that captures the fun, B-movie, sci-fi spirit of DC Comics from the 1950's and 1960's.  Cooke displayed that so well in DC: The New Frontier, and his comic art for Batman/The Spirit looks like an untold tale set in the era of The New Frontier.  Cooke brings his own style to the table, though he references Eisner and also some of the Batman comic book artists who worked from the 1930's to the 60's without mimicking them.  You could say that he captures the spirit of those artists and those times.

I'd love to see Batman team up with The Spirit again, but only face one villain each from their respective rogue's gallery.  There are many other writers besides Loeb who could write this possible sequel, but if Cooke isn't available to draw it, hopefully DC will realize that the shortlist of artists who could do this project justice is indeed very short. [ENDS]

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So that’s what I had to say about this comic book 7(!) years ago.  You can find the original version of this review at the following link: http://www.comicbookbin.com/batmanandthespirit2006.html

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for November 4, 2015

DC COMICS

SEP150256     BAT MITE #6     $2.99
SEP150193     BATMAN AND ROBIN ETERNAL #5     $2.99
SEP150258     BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT #10     $3.99
JUL150305     BATMAN ARKHAM TWO FACE TP     $19.99
AUG150264     BATMAN LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT TP VOL 05     $16.99
MAY150234     BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT SAGA HC     $49.99
JUL150312     BIRDS OF PREY TP VOL 01     $19.99
SEP150254     DETECTIVE COMICS #46     $3.99
SEP150217     GREEN ARROW #46     $2.99
SEP150276     GREEN LANTERN #46     $3.99
AUG150242     HARLEY QUINN & POWER GIRL #5     $3.99
AUG150169     JUSTICE LEAGUE DARKSEID WAR FLASH #1     $3.99
AUG150171     JUSTICE LEAGUE DARKSEID WAR SUPERMAN #1     $3.99
SEP150220     LOBO #12     $2.99
AUG150269     LUTHOR TP     $14.99
SEP150222     MIDNIGHTER #6     $2.99
SEP150282     MORTAL KOMBAT X #12 (MR)     $3.99
AUG150276     ROBIN TP VOL 01 REBORN     $19.99
JUL150333     SANDMAN OVERTURE DELUXE ED HC (MR)     $24.99
SEP150283     SCOOBY DOO TEAM UP #13     $2.99
SEP150230     SENSATION COMICS FEATURING WONDER WOMAN #16     $3.99
JUL150341     SUICIDERS HC VOL 01 (MR)     $22.99
SEP150328     SURVIVORS CLUB #2 (MR)     $3.99
SEP150319     UNFOLLOW #1 (MR)     $3.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

MAY150294     BATMAN BLACK & WHITE HARLEY QUINN STATUE BY DINI     $79.95
JUN150331     FLASH TV CENTRAL CITY POLICE BADGE     $29.95

Review: FIGHT CLUB 2 #3

FIGHT CLUB 2 #3
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Chuck Palahniuk
ART: Cameron Stewart
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Nate Piekos of Blambot
COVER:  David Mack
VARIANT COVER: Cameron Stewart
EDITOR: Scott Allie
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2015)

“This is Limbo”

Fight Club 2 is the comic book sequel to the 1996 prose novel, Fight Club, written by author Chuck Palahniuk.  Published by Dark Horse Comics, Fight Club 2 is also written by Chuck Palahniuk, drawn by Cameron Stewart, colored by Dave Stewart, and lettered by Nate Piekos, with cover art provided by painter David Mack.

Fight Club 2 focuses on the unnamed protagonist of Fight Club, who now calls himself “Sebastian.”  A decade ago, he had an army of men ready to take down the modern world.  Now, an assortment of pills and medications have taken him down.  Sebastian is married to Marla Singer, his former co-revolutionary, and they have a son, “Junior.”  All is boring, but an old friend, Tyler Durden, is back, and he may be the reason that Junior has been kidnapped.

Once upon a time, Sebastian led a revolutionary project/movement called “Project Mayhem.”  As Fight Club 2 #3 opens, Sebastian engages the current generation of Project Mayhem, with the ample bruises provided by Marla that will allow him to walk among this new generation.  The search for Sebastian's son begins, while Tyler makes new and even darker plans.

At this point, I can't pretend to be surprised by how good a comic book Fight Club 2 is.  I am enjoying it as much, if not more, than the novel, which I first read sometime in the last decade or so.  Now, I am suspicious of Chuck Palahniuk.  Of course, he is an acclaimed and successful writer of prose (novels and short stories), but his first foray into comic books should not be as well executed as Fight Club 2 is.

Of course, he does have the advantage of having as a co-author, the accomplished comic book artist, Cameron Stewart.  The graphical storytelling in this comic book tells this story set in the world of Fight Club subtly and with a sense of mystery, in a way the slick and hyper 1999 Fight Club movie did not.

And yet, once again, cover artist, David Mack, leaves his mark on this comic book with another striking painting.  His work on this series encapsulates the narrative's secrets and lies, and fosters the idea that this story is older than we realize.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

2015 Harvey Award Winners Announced; Dark Horse, Fiona Staples Lead the Pack

The Harvey Awards recognize outstanding work in comics and sequential art.  The Harvey Awards are named in honor of the late comic book creator, editor, and publisher, Harvey Kurtzman, one of the industry's most innovative talents.  Nominations for the Harvey Awards are selected exclusively by creators - those who write, draw, ink, letter, color, design, edit, or are otherwise involved in a creative capacity in the comics field. They are the only industry awards both nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals.

The 2015 Harvey Awards were presented, Saturday, September 26, 2015 in Baltimore, MD, in conjunction with the 2015 Baltimore Comic-Con (September 25-27, 2015).  This is the tenth year for the Harvey Awards in Baltimore, MD.

The 2015 Harvey Awards winners:

BEST LETTERER
Jack Morelli, AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE, Archie Comic Publications

BEST COLORIST
Dave Stewart, HELLBOY IN HELL, Dark Horse Comics

BEST SYNDICATED STRIP or PANEL
DICK TRACY, Joe Staton and Mike Curtis, Tribune Media Services

BEST ONLINE COMICS WORK
THE PRIVATE EYE, Brian K. Vaughan, Marcos Martin, and Muntsa Vicente, panelsyndicate.com

BEST AMERICAN EDITION of FOREIGN MATERIAL
BLACKSAD: AMARILLO, Dark Horse

BEST INKER
Danny Miki, BATMAN, DC Comics

BEST NEW SERIES
SOUTHERN BASTARDS, Image Comics

MOST PROMISING NEW TALENT
Chad Lambert, "KILL ME" FROM DARK HORSE PRESENTS, Dark Horse Comics

SPECIAL AWARD FOR HUMOR IN COMICS
Chip Zdarsky, SEX CRIMINALS, Image Comics

BEST ORIGINAL GRAPHIC PUBLICATION FOR YOUNGER READERS
LUMBERJANES, BOOM! Box (BOOM! Studios)

BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED
MOUSE GUARD: BALDWIN THE BRAVE AND OTHER TALES HC, Archaia/BOOM!

BEST ANTHOLOGY
DARK HORSE PRESENTS, Dark Horse Comics

BEST DOMESTIC REPRINT PROJECT
STERANKO NICK FURY AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. ARTIST'S EDITION, IDW

BEST COVER ARTIST
Fiona Staples, SAGA, Image Comics

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL, or JOURNALISTIC PRESENTATION
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE ULTIMATE VISUAL HISTORY, Andrew Farago, Insight Editions

SPECIAL AWARD for EXCELLENCE IN PRESENTATION
LITTLE NEMO: DREAM ANOTHER DREAM, Andrew Carl, Josh O'Neill, and Chris Stevens, Locust Moon Press

BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM ORIGINAL
JIM HENSON'S THE MUSICAL MONSTERS OF TURKEY HOLLOW, Archaia/BOOM! Studios

BEST CONTINUING OR LIMITED SERIES
SAGA, Image Comics

BEST WRITER
Mark Waid, DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics

BEST ARTIST
Fiona Staples, SAGA, Image Comics

BEST CARTOONIST
Terry Moore, RACHEL RISING, Abstract Studios

BEST SINGLE ISSUE OR STORY
"Breaking Out", DARK HORSE PRESENTS #35, Dark Horse Comics

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

Review:: E IS FOR EXTINCTION #1

E IS FOR EXTINCTION #1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review originally appeared on Patreon.]

WRITER: Chris Burnham
ARTIST: Ramon Villalobos
COLORS: Ian Herring
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Ian Bertram with Dave Stewart
VARIANT COVER: James Harren
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (August 2015)

“Relax and Be Replaced

Rated T+

When the Chris Claremont-John Byrne run on The Uncanny X-Men came to an end with the epilogue that was issue #143 (cover date:  March 1981), it was if the series were waiting for the next great thing to happen to it... at least, I can see that in hindsight.  But nothing great, at least in any sustained way, happened... until two decades later.

Grant Morrison began his tenure as an X-Men writer on New X-Men #114 (cover date:  July 2001) with the three-part story, “E is for Extinction.”  It took 20 years, but I think that this was the next great step for the X-Men after landmark run produced by Byrne-Claremont.  With his partner, artist Frank Quitely, changing the graphical storytelling language of the X-Men, Morrison tore down the X-Men and allowed them to make the next big evolutionary leap for which the series had been straining to make in the aftermath of “The Dark Phoenix Saga.”

Alas, it was not to be, even Morrison could not recreate that spark-as-big-bang that was “E is for Extinction.”  It did not help that Quitely was (and still is) not the kind of artist that can produce art for a monthly publishing schedule past three issues.  And truthfully, Quitely was Morrison's equal in taking the X-Men to new places.  After New X-Men #114-116, the series was quirky and different, but hardly revolutionary or evolutionary, for that matter.  The New X-Men never fully reached the promise offered by “E is for Extinction.”

2015:  Marvel Comics is revamping or relaunching its publishing line.  But first, they are going to make lots of money with the multiverse destroying event miniseries, Secret Wars, and a veritable fleet of tie-in and spin-off comic book series.  Each series is set in a part of “Battleworld,” which is all that is left of the multiverse.  I am ignoring those comics for the most part but...

I could not ignore the cover for a comic book entitled E is for Extinction.  This “Secret Wars Battleworld” comic book takes Morrison and Quitely's classic story and takes it to new places, much as the original once did for the X-Men comic book.   E is for Extinction is drawn by Ramon Villalobos, who is copying Quitely's style in the best way.  Ian Herring provides colors, and Clayton Cowles is the letterer.  Best of all, the writer of E is for Extinction is Chris Burnham.  He is the artist and co-creator with Grant Morrison of the comic book, Nameless (published by Image Comics).  Like Quitely, Burnham is brilliant at taking the craziness of Morrison's writing and translating it into comic book art that does more than just tell a story.  Burnham creates new worlds of new times and new essences.

It is Burnham who takes the possibilities of  “E is for Extinction” the story arc and delivers on that potential with E is for Extinction the comic book.  E is for Extinction #1 (“Relax and Be Replaced”) opens with the event that give Magneto victory over Charles Xavier – Professor X.  “X years later,” Magneto guides the New X-Men from “The Xavier Memorial Educational Nexus” a.k.a. “The Atom Institute.”  He has a new attitude about the future of homo superior and normal humans, and he's got something growing in the basement to serve his cause.

When he isn't at home in District X, the Beast is at “Mutopia Medical Center,” where he can tell normal human men how many of their sperm carry the “X-gene.”  Meanwhile, at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, Cyclops and Emma Frost are living as X-Men-past, as their powers dim.  They have a plan to get their mojo back, but it means they need to get the band back together...

Ramon Villalobos brings Chris Burnham's story to life as the kind of comic book storytelling that refuses to be ordinary.  Villalobos makes Quitely's style practical and also visually striking and bracing.  I am flabbergasted.  I wanted to read this E is for Extinction comic book, but I did not expect to get this fantastic comic book that keeps me flipping through it pages.

I have more praise for it, but I better save it for issue #2.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact the author for syndication rights and fees.

Review: FIGHT CLUB 2 #2

FIGHT CLUB 2 #2
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Chuck Palahniuk
ART: Cameron Stewart
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Nate Piekos of Blambot
COVER:  David Mack
VARIANT COVERS: Francesco Francavilla
EDITOR: Scott Allie
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2015)

“The fire inspector said...”

Author Chuck Palahniuk has written the sequel to his 1996 novel, Fight Club, as a comic book.  Published by Dark Horse Comics, Fight Club 2 is written by Chuck Palahniuk, drawn by Cameron Stewart, colored by Dave Stewart, and lettered by Nate Piekos, with cover art by David Mack.

In Fight Club 2, the unnamed protagonist of Fight Club now calls himself “Sebastian.”  A decade ago, he had an army of men ready to take down the modern world.  Now, an assortment of pills and medications have taken him down.  Sebastian is married to Marla Singer, his former co-revolutionary, and they have a son, “Junior.”  All is boring, but an old friend, Tyler Durden, is back.

Fight Club 2 #2 (“The fire inspector said...”) opens in the aftermath of the destruction of Sebastian and Marla's suburban home.  In theory, they are grieving parents, as their son was killed in the fire.  As one would expect, more-to-the-story isn't just a catch phrase.  Someone adjusted someone's medicine so she could screw someone special, and an old army demands an audience with its leader.

I really hoped that Fight Club 2 would be an exceptional comic book, and it is – dare I call it great?  It would not be an exaggeration to say that Chuck Palahniuk was born to write comic books, which he proves with this bracing and invigorating story.  Of course, he is blessed with a talented co-author in artist Cameron Stewart.  Stewart tells the story with subtly and with a sense of mystery.  Graphically and visually, Stewart delivers the story with a matter-of-fact quality that makes Fight Club 2 seem genuine and not contrived, but without loosing the surreal qualities of Palahniuk's world.

Once again, David Mack lets loose a stellar cover painting.  Yes, there is an element of menace in these covers, but much is left to interpretation because we control our destiny because we don't control our destiny... and Tyler is watching.  I don't know why people aren't making a huge freaking deal about this comic book instead of worrying about what Marvel Comics or DC Comics are going to do to or with their precious faux universes.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Review: FIGHT CLUB 2 #1

FIGHT CLUB 2 #1
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

WRITER: Chuck Palahniuk
ART: Cameron Stewart
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Nate Piekos of Blambot
COVER:  David Mack
VARIANT COVERS: Lee Bermejo; Amanda Connor; Steve Lieber; Cameron Stewart; and Chip Zdarsky; Joëlle Jones; Paul Pope; Tim Seeley
EDITOR: Scott Allie
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (May 2015)

The Tranquility Gambit #1: “Keep The Home Fires Burning”

Written by Chuck Palahniuk, the novel, Fight Club, was first published in 1996.  It was subsequently adapted into a film of the same title by director, David Fincher, that starred Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in the lead roles.  Released in 1999, the film was not a big box office smash, but it has since gained cult status and continued popularity.

Fight Club the novel follows an unnamed male protagonist, who is struggling with insomnia and is unhappy with his workaday life as an office drone.  The turning point in his life is when he meets a mysterious man named Tyler Durden, who has established an underground fighting club, which becomes a kind of radical psychotherapy for disaffected males who are unsatisfied with the modern, industrial, consumerist world.

Last year, Dark Horse Comics and Chuck Palahniuk announced that Fight Club was getting a sequel, but that sequel would not be a novel.  It would be a comic book, and thus, we now have Fight Club 2, which is written by Chuck Palahniuk, drawn by Cameron Stewart, colored by Dave Stewart, and lettered by Nate Piekos, with cover art by David Mack.

Fight Club 2 #1 (“Keep The Home Fires Burning”) reintroduces the unnamed protagonist of Fight Club, who now calls himself “Sebastian.”  A decade ago, he had an army of men ready to take down the modern world.  Now, Sebastian is surrounded by assorted pills and medications.  His wife, Marla Singer, once his co-revolutionary, is deeply unsatisfied with the suburban, TV Land life they lead.  Even their son, “Junior,” is now more interesting than his dad.  Marla just wants to fuck Tyler Durden again, and she just may get that chance...

I think I saw Fight Club the movie before I read the novel.  Both are good.  The film is a bracing, exhilarating trip through the dissatisfaction of the kind of Gen-X males that, having generously supped on the tit of White privilege, suddenly found themselves overfed and bored.  The book is nuanced, probing, thoughtful, and provocative.  It demands that its reader engage it, and each reader takes from the novel what he can understand or absorb.

Fight Club 2 retains the voice of the novel, which might seem obvious considering that the originator of Fight Club is also the writer of the comic book.  However, popular culture is littered with the disappointing or uneven results of creators returning to a creations some considerable time after they first began working on them.  Some of you, dear readers, will immediately think of the original Star Wars films and compare them to the “prequel trilogy.”  In comics, a good example would be Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again, which disappointed readers because it was so different from the original, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.  So the voice is not always the same when it should obviously be the same.

Discounting the film, there was more to say about Fight Club, and although this is only the first issue, Fight Club 2 seems as if it will be both a worthy successor to the original and also a solid narrative in its own right.  Artist Cameron Stewart captures the banality and the fragility of Sebastian's current life, as well as its surreal and unreal nature.  David Mack's cover art for this first issue evokes the sense that Tyler Durden is both alluring and dangerous. This cover alone should earn him an Eisner Award nomination in the “cover artist” category.

So after one issue, I heartily recommend Fight Club 2 #1, at least, to anyone who has ever read Fight Club the novel and/or seen the film.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux (This review first appeared on Patreon.)


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

2015 Eisner Award Winners - Complete List; "Lumberjanes" and "Little Nemo" Big Winners

The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, also simply know as the “Eisner Awards,” are awards annually given for creative achievement in American comic books.  The awards are named for pioneering comic book writer, artist, and publisher, Will Eisner.  Some consider the Eisner Awards to be the preeminent awards that honor American comic books, even referring to the awards as “the Oscars of comic books.”

The Eisner Awards also include the Comic Industry's Hall of Fame.  The Eisner Awards are associated with the annual Comic-Con International convention held in San Diego, California, in July.  The Eisner Awards have been given annually since 1988, with the exception of 1990.

The 2015 Eisner Award winners were announced Friday, July 10, 2015 at a gala ceremony held during San Diego Comic-Con International (2015).

The 2015 Eisner Awards judging panel:
Carr D’Angelo – comics retailer: Earth-2 Comics, Los Angeles
Richard Graham – librarian at University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Sean Howe – author Marvel Comics: The Untold Story
Susan Kirtley – academic/scholar at Portland State University)
Ron McFee – a Comic-Con International volunteer
Maggie Thompson – writer/editor, best known for her work on the Comics Buyers Guide

2015 EISNER AWARDS Winners:

Best Short Story
“When the Darkness Presses,” by Emily Carroll, http://emcarroll.com/comics/darkness/ (link is external)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
Beasts of Burden: Hunters and Gatherers, by Evan Dorkin & Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)

Best Continuing Series
Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Image)

Best Limited Series
Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland, by Eric Shanower & Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)

Best New Series
Lumberjanes, by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson, & Brooke A. Allen (BOOM! Box)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7)
The Zoo Box, by Ariel Cohn & Aron Nels Steinke (First Second)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 8-12)
El Deafo, by Cece Bell (Amulet/Abrams)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)
Lumberjanes, by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson, & Brooke A. Allen (BOOM! Box)

Best Humor Publication
The Complete Cul de Sac, by Richard Thompson (Andrews McMeel)

Best Digital/Web Comic
The Private Eye by Brian Vaughan & Marcos Martin http://panelsyndicate.com/ (link is external)

Best Anthology
Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream, edited by Josh O’Neill, Andrew Carl, & Chris Stevens (Locust Moon)

Best Reality-Based Work
Hip Hop Family Tree, vol. 2, by Ed Piskor (Fantagraphics)

Best Graphic Album—New
This One Summer, by Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki (First Second)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint
Through the Woods, by Emily Carroll (McElderry Books)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips (at least 20 years old)
Winsor McCay’s Complete Little Nemo, edited by Alexander Braun (TASCHEN)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books (at least 20 Years Old)
Steranko Nick Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material
Blacksad: Amarillo, by Juan Díaz Canales & Juanjo Guarnido (Dark Horse)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia
Showa 1939–1943 and Showa 1944–1953: A History of Japan, by Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Writer
Gene Luen Yang, Avatar: The Last Airbender (Dark Horse); The Shadow Hero (First Second)

Best Writer/Artist
Raina Telgemeier, Sisters (Graphix/Scholastic)

Best Penciller/Inker
Fiona Staples, Saga (Image)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
J. H. Williams III, The Sandman: Overture (Vertigo/DC)

Best Cover Artist
Darwyn Cooke, "DC Comics Darwyn Cooke Month Variant Covers" (DC)

Best Coloring
Dave Stewart, Hellboy in Hell, BPRD, Abe Sapien, Baltimore, Lobster Johnson, Witchfinder, Shaolin Cowboy, Aliens: Fire and Stone, DHP (Dark Horse)

Best Lettering
Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo: Senso, Usagi Yojimbo Color Special: The Artist (Dark Horse)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
Comics Alliance, edited by Andy Khouri, Caleb Goellner, Andrew Wheeler, & Joe Hughes, www.comicsalliance.com (link is external)

Best Comics-Related Book
Genius Animated: The Cartoon Art of Alex Toth, vol. 3, by Dean Mullaney & Bruce Canwell (IDW/LOAC)

Best Scholarly/Academic Work
Graphic Details: Jewish Women’s Confessional Comics in Essays and Interviews, edited by Sarah Lightman (McFarland)

Best Publication Design
Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream, designed by Jim Rugg (Locust Moon)


The Eisner Awards judges previously selected two individuals to automatically be inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame for 2015. Those inductees were Marjorie ”Marge” Henderson Buell (creator of Little Lulu) and Bill Woggon (creator of Katy Keene).

The judges also chosen 13 nominees from which voters were to select 4 to be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer. The 4 selected are John Byrne, Chris Claremont, Denis Kitchen, Frank Miller.

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

I Reads You Review: CONAN RED SONJA #1

CONAN RED SONJA #1 (OF 4)
DARK HORSE COMICS/DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT – @DarkHorseComics and @dynamitecomics

WRITER: Gail Simone and Jim Zub
ARTIST: Dan Panosian
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
COVER: Dan Panosian
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2015)

Part 1 of 4: The Age of Innocence

Conan the Cimmerian (also Conan the Barbarian) was born in the pulp fiction of Robert E. Howard, first appearing in magazine, Weird Tales (1932).  Marvel Comics brought Conan to comic books in 1970, with the long running series, Conan the Barbarian.  In Conan the Barbarian #23 (cover dated February 1973), writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith created a high fantasy sword and sorcery heroine.  She was named Red Sonja and was loosely based on “Red Sonya of Rogatino,” a female character that appeared in the 1934 short story, “The Shadow of the Vulture,” written by Robert E. Howard.

Conan and Red Sonja are reunited in comic books again in Dark Horse Comics' new four-issue miniseries, Conan Red Sonja.  This series is written by Gail Simone and Jim Zub, drawn by Dan Panosian, colored by Dave Stewart, and lettered by Richard Starkings & Comicraft.

Conan Red Sonja #1 (“The Age of Innocence”) opens when Manus Drath arrives on the Barachan Isles, off the coast of Zingara.  He has brought with him a container of mysterious seeds for an unwary farmer to plant.  Meanwhile, in the city of Enshophur, in the country of Koth, Conan and Red Sonja find themselves after the same prize.  Their quest will take each into royal chambers, where they will learn that not everything is what it is supposed to be.

I have not read very many comic books written by Gail Simone, but what I have read, I have enjoyed.  I only discovered the work of writer Jim Zub within the last two years and have found great pleasure in his recently launched creator-owned series, Wayward (Image Comics).  Thus, I am not surprised that the Simone-Zub union would create such a hugely enjoyable series as Conan Red Sonja.

Conan Red Sonja captures the spirit of a Conan adventure as well as any Conan comic book ever has.  It is brawny and pulpy and has a humorous streak that cuts across most of the first issue.  Red Sonja's sly wit is the perfect foil for Conan's murderous sense of humor.  What makes their union so special is the reality that these two cannot trust each other long enough for them to take on a long campaign together.  It will be interesting to see how this duo comes together at just the right time to take on the darkness that is ahead of them because of their actions in this first issue.

Dan Panosian's art tells a lean and mean story, and Panosian captures how quickly our barbarian heroes can change fate with the sharp edge of their swords.  Panosian sets the mood; this first issue is just the beginning – the introduction and set-up.  The real pain is yet to come, and the art portends in all the right places while offering up the Hyborian version of a heist story.

Conan Red Sonja #1 makes me want to keep reading.  I hope that the rest of this series lives up to my high expectations.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for July 30, 2014

DARK HORSE COMICS

MAY140027     BALTIMORE WITCH OF HARJU #1     $3.50
MAY140060     CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT #13     $2.99
MAY140080     DEEP GRAVITY #1     $3.99
MAR140096     EC ARCHIVES TWO-FISTED TALES HC VOL 03     $49.99
MAY140056     EMILY & THE STRANGERS BREAKING RECORD #2     $3.99
MAR140095     GASOLINE ALLEY HC VOL 02 COMPLETE SUNDAYS 1923-1925     $75.00
MAY140093     KING CONAN CONQUEROR #6     $3.50
MAY140071     MASSIVE #25     $3.50
MAY140070     MIND MGMT #24     $3.99
MAY140068     PARIAH #6     $3.99
MAY140087     STAR WARS REBEL HEIST #4 HUGHES MAIN CVR     $3.50
APR140023     VEIL #4 (MR)     $3.50

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for June 18 2014

DARK HORSE COMICS

APR140024 1 FOR $1 STRAIN #1 $1.00
APR140054 AXE COP AMERICAN CHOPPERS #2 $3.99
FEB140025 BLOODHOUND TP VOL 02 CROWBAR MEDICINE $19.99
APR140014 BPRD HELL ON EARTH #120 $3.50
APR140038 BRAIN BOY MEN FROM GESTALT #2 $2.99
APR140020 BTVS SEASON 10 #4 MAIN CVR $3.50
FEB140086 CHRONICLES OF KING CONAN TP VOL 08 ROAD EMPIRE $19.99
FEB140079 CLOWN FATALE TP (MR) $17.99
FEB140078 CRIMINAL MACABRE EYES OF FRANKENSTEIN TP $17.99
APR140074 EYE OF NEWT #1 $3.99
JAN140221 LEGEND OF KORRA PATCH AIR $4.99
JAN140220 LEGEND OF KORRA PATCH EARTH $4.99
JAN140222 LEGEND OF KORRA PATCH FIRE $4.99
JAN140223 LEGEND OF KORRA PATCH WATER $4.99
FEB140107 NGE SHINJI IKARI RAISING PROJECT TP VOL 14 $9.99
FEB140087 PORTENT TP ASHES $17.99
APR140057 STAR WARS DARTH MAUL SON OF DATHOMIR #2 $3.50
APR140072 WITCHER #4 $3.99
APR140012 WITCHFINDER MYSTERIES OF UNLAND #1 $3.50

I Reads You Review: HARLEY QUINN #0

HARLEY QUINN #0
DC COMICS – @DCComics

WRITERS: Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti
ART:  Amanda Conner, Becky Cloonan, Tony S. Daniel, Sandu Florea, Stephane Roux, Dan Panosian, Walter Simonson, Jim Lee, Scott Williams, Bruce Timm, Charlie Adlard, Adam Hughes, Art Baltazar, Tradd Moore, Dave Johnson, Jeremy Roberts, Sam Keith, Darwyn Cooke, Chad Hardin
COLORS: Paul Mounts, Tomeu Morey, John Kalisz, Lovern Kindzierski, Alex Sinclair, Lee Loughridge, Dave Stewart, Alex Sollazzo
LETTERS: John J. Hill
COVER: Amanda Conner with Paul Mounts
VARIANT COVER: Stephane Roux
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (May 2014 – second printing)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

Harley Quinn created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm

DC Comics began publishing a new Harley Quinn comic book series by writers Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti and artists Chad Hardin (pencils and inks) and Alex Sinclair (colors) at the turn of the year.  As a tie-in to the new series, DC published Harley Quinn #0, which was also written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti.

Harley Quinn #0 is essentially a stand-alone, anthology comic book.  This issue has a single narrative, which basically breaks the fourth wall, allowing Harley Quinn and Connor and Palmiotti to interact.  The two sides are arguing about the type of artists that should draw Quinn and her adventures.  The anthology part is that 17 artists draw at least one page of the 20 pages of story in Harley Quinn #0.  Amanda Conner draws the opening two pages, and Chad Hardin, the artist of the new ongoing Harley Quinn series, draws the three pages that end the story.  That leaves 15 pages for the 15 other artists.

I am a fan of many of the artists contributing to Harley Quinn #0, and some of them are familiar to me, but only in passing.  I grabbed a second printing of Harley Quinn #0 as soon as I read the names of the artists listed on the cover.  I was most looking forward to seeing art by Jim Lee and Bruce Timm, but was somewhat disappointed by their contributions.  The best page is by Walter Simonson – transposing his classic version of Manhunter onto Harley Quinn.

The biggest surprises for me were Stephane Roux, Dan Panosian, and Jeremy Roberts, and Tradd Moore’s page makes me want to see more of his work.  Of course, I am always happy to see anything by the genius named Darwyn Cooke.  I have one question for Harley: can we do this again?

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

I Reads You Review: THE SANDMAN: Overture #2

THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE #2 (OF 6)
DC COMICS/VERTIGO – @DCComics and @vertigo_comics

WRITER:  Neil Gaiman
ART: J.H. Williams, III
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Todd Klein
EDITOR: Shelly Bond
COVERS: J.H. Williams, III (Cover A); Dave McKean (Cover B)
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (May 2014)

“Suggested for Mature Readers”

Chapter Two

The second issue of The Sandman: Overture finally arrives after a few months delay.  Overture is a six-issue miniseries based on The Sandman, a comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and drawn by numerous artists, including Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, Jill Thompson, and Shawn McManus, among others.  The Sandman chronicled the adventures of a character called Dream (or Morpheus), created by Gaiman and artists, Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg.  Dream was one of “The Endless,” and he ruled over the world of dreams.

The Sandman: Overture, written by Gaiman and drawn by artist J.H. Williams III, is a prequel, of sorts.  The series will explore Morpheus’ world before he was captured, which is how readers found him way back in The Sandman #1.

As Gaiman told The New York Times in a 2012 interview, “This is the one story that we never got to tell.  In Sandman #1, Morpheus is captured somehow. Later on in the series, you learn he was returning from somewhere far, far away – but we never got to the story of what he was doing and what had happened. This is our chance to tell that story, and J.H. Williams III is drawing it.  It’s the most beautiful thing in the world.”

The Sandman: Overture #2 opens with a look-in on the current Lord of Dreams.  The story then travels back to 1915 where Morpheus joins a gathering of other aspects of Dream from throughout time and space.  Why have they gathered?  It seems one of Dream’s aspects has died – or rather, been destroyed.  Who or what did it?  Morpheus intends to get answers from the First Circle, but he must first deal with some attitude.

In the first issue of The Sandman: Overture, Neil Gaiman focused on introducing concepts over revealing plot.  With the second issue, he jumps fully into storytelling and the plot, and, of course, it is quite good storytelling.  Even the plot offers surprises.  Do I even have to say that it is good?  Well, yes, I have to because it has been a long time since Gaiman has written a long-form Sandman comic book.  “Chapter 2” is brilliant, imaginative, colorful, and expansive.  Every panel sparkles with magic.

However, much of the credit should go to artist J.H. Williams III and colorist Dave Stewart.  I like what I see on the pages of The Sandman: Overture #2 so much that I think Williams and Stewart were born to be Sandman artists.  Williams’ dazzling page design peels open structures the way Will Eisner did in his famous comic, The Spirit, turning the rooms of a house into individual comic book panels.  Stewart’s colors throb and pulse.  I felt as if the colors were pushing into my eyes, on the way to blowing my mind.  Wow, The Sandman: Overture #2 is why I like reading comic books.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.